Tales of this City

 My birthday has passed and I did get one year older.  My son Ezra came for the weekend from CA on his way to live in Edinburgh, Scotland.  Ezra likes to celebrate so we gathered up Jonah and headed for the airport for the flight coming in just before midnight.  Ezra was bringing his cat Bodie to live with Jonah.  We feasted on a very late dinner which was the first meal of Sat, my birthday complete with cake.  I had bought one slice at La Brioche which we shared.  Farmer's market found us enjoying Michael Arnowitt's music, eating tamales, and chocolate cake from Wise Owl...she makes the best old fashioned cake.  I was having a good birthday!  Dinner at Kismet kicked it off well and then Ezra came back here to make a flourless chocolate cake for the next day Easter, brunch with some friends.  I boiled a few eggs in onion skins and the color was a hit with all.

So Ezra is now in Scotland, missing his girl and his kitty, awaiting his next job in Sierra Leone.  I am back to taking care of business, ads, shipping off scarves sold on Etsy (YES!), finishing off taxes, and painting another small painting 4x4 for SPA's auction.  Unfortunately the image was just too blurry for this post.  Studio Place Arts will be having its BASH, Big Arty SPA Happening on Friday, April 27--7-9 with 3 art shows, music on 3 floors, and food.  Meanwhile look at what is happening outside my studio window.  Big roadwork!  Street is closed and it is noisy.

 So all have to come through the back way, through a parking lot, past apartments.  My camera just happened to be in my hand.

 Janet's bird was watching from the third floor porch.

 Here's our back door and the back stairs up to my second floor studio.  I really love having this entrance off the back porch.  I can sneak in almost unnoticed and get some work done on these busy days when I have so many things to do in the morning that my afternoon studio time is cut short.

 Funny what the eye takes in and frames out when the camera is raised.  I never saw this storm drain look so intriguing...maybe that is just for my eye right now.  Will it appear in my work...this design...?

 I can be quite surprised what does appear in my work when I see it from a distance or by a small image here on this post even.  The 2 paintings offered here are both 12x12 and very blue, especially the first, which I did start while on my ocean trip.  I knew it wasn't complete but just this week I removed it from the wall and added the finishing layer.  Painting 2 is not finished, 3 layers, 3 days, and more to come as part of its tale.

Gosh it is good to paint.  Someday people will want to claim these paintings for their homes.  I am trying to put a positive spin on my tale of 2 paintings.
Spreading blessings as well as paint...happy Spring!