It's Finished!

It's done! My painting for Hunter's Wish is done! Still have major issues with my blog, so, still no links, sorry! If you don't know what I've been working on this for PLEASE read my last few posts.

"Take A Big, Deep Breath"

9x12 mixed media on cradled hardboard

This painting, although it is meant to help raise money for Hunter, for me, is all about Perrin. I used roses to represent Perrin's disease, cystic fibrosis.The message is intended to inspire, uplift, and remind whomever looks at it to just breathe. But for me it will always have a deeper meaning, as Perrin never really just took a big, deep breath without effort. I also used the closest thing to "Laker yellow" as I could stand. I'm sure Perrin would be seriously bugged about that but it's not like it's the easiest color to just slap on a painting.

Well, there it is. The raffle will be at the Blue Hashi on Monday night from 5-7. Please come out and help Hunter go to Disney World with his twin brother (who also has the same disease, by the way) and his parents. Hope to see you there!

Still Working

Still working on my painting for Hunter's Wish. I'd love to give you a link but my blog hates me lately and I cannot figure out the problem. AND since I could spend the rest of my day banging my head on my keyboard, while trying to figure it out OR actually finish the painting, I decided that I would just have to tell you to look at my two previous posts if you need caught up and get this painting done. Sorry. I wish I was more technologically saavy. I've never had to try to figure out a problem on my blog before. I just typed my stuff and pushed "publish" and it all magically appeared on my blog. Now that it doesn't, I'm not real sure what to do about it.

The raffle for this painting is coming up quick, so I better get back to work. I'll be back with another update.

Progress

Still working on my little painting from my last post. So far it has been painted, rubbed with alcohol (hated the color), painted again, rubbed with more alcohol, painted one more time, sanded, transferred on, and bubble wrapped! It's always an adventure, but I want LOVE it when I'm done. I hope whoever gets to take it home from the fundraiser loves it too. Don't forget: If you are anywhere near the Blue Hashi on October 3rd, to come out and help support Hunter's wish. By the way, if you are wondering what his wish is, it is to go to Disney World with his twin brother (who has the same disease) and his parents.

I'll be back with more progress. Have a great day and do a little something to make your own wish come true for you.

Honored to Honor

The other day I received a call from my pal Jen. Let me just say right now that Jen is awesome. She is a crazy, amazing runner and athlete. She runs 50 and 100 mile marathons FOR FUN!!! She also started "Butt In Gear" and sponsors a couple of local runs. She set up the runs to raise money for Make A Wish and specifically works towards filling the wish of a local child and right now she is working on Hunter's Wish. Isn't he the cutest little guy? That smile could keep me going for days. Well, Jen asked me if I would be willing to donate a little art to the raffle on October 3rd. She said she just had a feeling that she should call me and I told her I know why.

You see, it has always been a secret dream of mine to walk into the Make A Wish office, checkbook in hand, and write a check that would cover all the wishes they had that day...anonymously. I LOVE Make A Wish and I have since the day they granted my friend Perrin's wish so many years ago.

Perrin was born with Cystic Fibrosis and I don't think he ever took a clear breath of air in his life. Perrin was also a sports fanatic. He loved them all but wasn't able to play them much because he couldn't breathe if he ran. He did get to play baseball (with a designated runner) and it made him so happy. But the thing he loved more than anything was the Los Angeles Lakers and Magic Johnson was HIS guy. Make A Wish sent he and his family to Los Angeles, took him to the Lakers locker room, and introduced him to Magic Johnson. Then after the game, Magic Johnson sent him the shoes he wore. By the way, I am still in awe at how BIG those shoes are. Needless to say, it was one of the happiest days of Perrin's life.

So, the piece I am donating is in honor of Perrin and his wish. Here's the beginning.

This is the first layer of collage. I am using a primed cradle board for the first time and I LOVE it!

I have used a map of California (specifically L.A.), an old encyclopedia entry on cystic fibrosis, a vintage book page about roses (the symbol for cystic fibrosis), and "wish" from an old dictionary. I thought it so fitting that "wisecrack" was just above "wish" so I made sure not to tear that off. That made me smile. There is also a page from a book on how to draw a baseball player, a chapter from the Bobbsey Twins titled "The Fresh Air Camp" (since all he really wanted was to be able to breathe), an early stat page that listed the NBA champions up until 1988 (it didn't list the year that MY Bulls beat HIS Lakers though...closest I've ever seen him to tears), and a corner of a book page with the date June 13 (since that is the day that Perrin left us 10 years ago).

I miss that guy. He was really my brother's friend but he just became part of the family and we were all happy when he was happy...and Make A Wish made him happy.

I'm not 100% sure where this painting will go when it is finished but I am sure it will have 100% of my heart put into it. And if you are in the area please help us fill Hunter's wish. Come out to the Blue Hashi on October 3rd and don't forget to check out http://buttingear.net to sign up for the Wish Walk Run on October 15th. Let's make this little guy happy!

What's On My Kitchen Table?

I live in a small house that is the perfect size for our little family but not exactly the perfect size for all my projects and the collection of supplies that goes with them. My desk has usually got at least one work (let's be honest here...it's more like many) of art spread all over it. Therefore, my kitchen table, which is also quite small, frequently ends up being project central when I have something big in the works. So, in what might become a regular (definition of regular for me: whenever I take a moment to snap a picture, download it, post it, write about it, and still have time to actually finish the project) feature here at my little neglected blog, I ask, "What's On My Kitchen Table?"

Drum roll please....

It's juice box robots!!!!

My kids and I are making these for my son to take to preschool for his birthday treats. I saw the idea posted on Pinterest (oh, how I love Pinterest!) HERE from THIS clever blog and knew they were the perfect treat for my little guy. He is a very picky eater and even doesn't like most treats, but he LOVES apple juice, Laffy Taffy, and chocolate. My daughter read all of the Laffy Taffy jokes as we went along and both my kids collaborated on their own joke. "What do you call a Laffy Taffy with no jokes?"

"Taffy!!"

That's right they are hilarious. So stay tuned for future installments of "What's On My Kitchen Table?" Odds are that it's not dinner! (Ha! My kids aren't the only funny ones around here!)