chalk it up!

....sooooo, have you ever drawn on asphalt? with chalk? in the rain? i did! as you know, i participated in the columbia festival of the arts this past weekend and for a few hours on sunday i left my booth in jess's capable hands and stepped outside to draw with chalk. i was totally winging it. i brought brushes and a spray bottle (a lark) and figured out i could use them to smush the chalk into a paint of sorts. the image is based off of one of my illustrations ("new thunder") and i am pretty pleased with the way it turned out. ESPECIALLY since half way through the process, it started raining and i had to fashion, in a macguyver-y way, a tarp made out of towels and garbage bags and plastic shelving. in the end, my butt was wet and asphalt dimpled, BUT, i won first place and took home a very pretty penny. well, a check... look at my confused/bemused schrinchy face in this picture. its just chalk, dana... its just chalk.

things that make me go "happy"

patterns patterns everywhere...

aj and i just got back from a wonderful little trip to sweet little helen, georgia. my parents are (finally!!!) freeing themselves from the soul-sucking miami and moving to northern georgia. helen is an alpine (read: looks like germany as featured in "it's a small world" at the magic kingdom, but with more candy stores) town in northern georgia, and was the site of many of our family vacations "back in the day". on our last full day down there, we went a-hikin' at anna ruby falls (i use "hiking" very loosely because it makes it sound more woodsy) and having just been discussing quilting (really), we walked through these beautiful shadow patterns, which we both decided should be the basis for the next quilt mom makes us. the moral of the story is: inspiration is everywhere; and you should make efforts to hike more.

busy bee!

so, the summer is a good time to be active in the studio--- since that's where the air conditioner is. i like to keep the studio a comfortable 60 degrees (you can't work with wool in anything higher). but in addition to knitting up a storm, and yes, i have knit a storm, i am also sitting myself down at the desk to draw, cut, collage and make (both art and messes). look at the fun clutter!

it took long enough!

happy spring! so, i've been slow with the upkeep of this little blog-o-mine. but i'm here now, to let you know i am committed to our cyber relationship. true, it won't be lengthy, because i have some applications to fill out and mail, but keep an eye on this page and i promise i'll fill it with information you never even knew you needed, some time so soon. xoxo danamarie

i call this one "still life with knitimal arm"

so you see, it really is contagious

this is estelle. my best friend. and i purposefully saved the whole "opening of the giant box of yarn that came in the giant brown truck today" experience for after nap time. look at all that beautiful, tasty yarn!

"excerpts"

for anyone who has ever wanted to own a piece of art, but didn't have the space or the cash for anything TOO big... i am proud to introduce "excerpts", a collection of original 4" x 5" drawings (gathered from and inspired by my sketchbook), signed by me and presented in plastic sleeves. they are only $3 each or 2 for $5. (such a deal!). they'll be making their public debut at the columbia festival of the arts.

introducing knitimal cozies!

you know how the other day you were stamping around the house, cursing at the ceiling because your ipod's face was scratched? and how minutes before, you were flipping out because your new cell phone was just sitting on the table, all exposed and in danger of being scuffed or scraped? and how you called the local government and asked them what the deal was with the fact that small electronics are so expensive, so fragile and so NOT covered in adorable woolen skins? well friends, curse no more! i bring you... knitimal cozies, in sizes and shapes perfect for your various MP3 players, cell pones, and other small, but very important, electronics.

yarn shopping!!!!

aren't sheep beautiful things? i dream of a farm teeming with llama and alpaca and sheep... sheep that i'll dye in advance, as part of their baths, of course. it would be both economical and also really pretty. imagine them all sleeping in a meadow. like cotton candy under a tree. but alas, we live in an apartment in baltimore city so the sheep dream is a distant one. for now, i go yarn shopping. yesterday i went a-yarn-shoppin' to prepare for the big summer knitimal stock up i need to initiate. oh yarn. sweet, sweet beautiful yarn.