Feeling Minnesota.

Me, circa June 2011...textile junkie

It has been kind of an eventful past few days here at casa de Gironda.  My good friend Mike, 'Fish', and his wife were in from Minneapolis and it was so great to see them both. I can't believe it has been almost two years- way too long, but   definitely the type of friend that I can pick up with where I left off.  Time?  Distance?  Not relevant. (...but I do hope I see them again before another two years pass!)

The last time John and I saw them was when I attended the Surface Design Association Confluence...which lit a fire in me to start CREATING (thank you Anna Carlson!) ...which led to the beginning of this here blog (Click here to read my first post) ...which led me to come home and commit to making thirty tree drawings...which led to me seeking out opportunities to display my work and be around creative types...which brought Jessie Prugh into my life (and all of her wonderful friends and family)...which led me to start making art every single day...and so on and so forth.  

Let's just say that the trip to MN really impacted me.  So having my college friend in town, another creative type by the way, just really brought it full circle.  ...and since they left I started thinking about all the awesome people in my life, near and far, that have special meaning in my life.  Nostalgic- that would describe my current mood for the remainder of the weekend.  Let's just say that I made many plans today to visit with various friends and I am want to make more of an effort to stay in touch.  I feel very fortunate to have some awesome people in my life!  I love you guys, you know who you are!

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(1) Leapin' in front of Claes Oldenburg's 'Spoonbridge' in MN, June 2011 (2) Johnny Nice at the pool...we were there alot these past few days (3) Giving some art to our guests before they left (4) The MN/FL connection

Random...scribble...art (beginning)

Side Project Alert...I made...this.  
(shown in progress, Saturday night)

Not really a fashion illustration...not part of my monthly series...just working with the idea of the scribbles, but using color.  I also wanted to revisit my Graphitone pencils...which I love.  

Not sure...but there may be a few more of these pieces...stay tuned!

...and then it was time for the my favorite Sunday ritual...'wake and draw'...starting at the beach.

Wake....Draw...

This is kind of my Sunday routine.  Wake up at 6:30...regardless of how late I stayed up the night before...have a few failed attempts to go back to sleep (grrrrrrr)...quietly getting up, getting ready and heading out to the beach with my art bag.

Today I worked on my CED for the day, completing most of it, but it was kind of windy, and I also wanted to add some yellow colored pencil, which I didn't have on me...so I eventually put the art away and spent some time reading my recently bedazzled 'Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible'

Side note...today's flower reference was plumeria...I was thinking about a flower clip I bought in Hawaii when I added those to the drawing.

I have been wanting to take the cut out of Tim from the book sleeve I removed and have it laminated...so on the way to my next creative destination I made a pit stop to laminate the cutout and even add a caption bubble.  What did it say?

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'Make it work', of course!

(1) Bedazzled book...dazzling view (2) Tim at the beach before, and... (3) after the laminating makeover, 'major wow factor!'

...next stop?  Yep, Barnes and Noble...

...my Sunday morning ritual includes a trip to Barnes and Noble for an iced coffee and alone time with the latest Harper's, Vogue and anything that inspires me. I always pick 3-4 magazines and then become so immersed in one that I don't even open the others.  Today I was looking at the Summer Fashion and Beauty Issue...and this article on Valentino caught my eye....the clothing...the styling...the props...the poses...I just kept turning back to that article, so I selected one of the models to draw...then drew her twice.

Artin' at Barnes and Noble...

...final pics from the Saturday and Sunday

...and well...that is it.  

A weekend spent with my husband (of course!), the cats, good friends, some naps, a little Tim Time, and my art.

Perfect.  Now bring on the new week!