My Child Prodigy and a little Art Angst

This is what my mixed media child prodigy did with her therapist a couple of days ago! She's so cute. She comes running up to me with it in her hands calling, "Look! Look!" Then she hides her face in my waist because the excitement is too much for her.

How sweet is that???

Right now she is busy on the kitchen floor (wish I'd mopped it somewhat recently...) with some black beans, a dixie cup, and a skinny pirouette cookie tin. She was originally just happy as a clam playing with the tin, then Mommy decided to stir the pot by adding beans to make a shaker. Then I realized she was going to want to pour them out and needed something to put them in so I gave her the dixie cup. Who knew it would be such a party? There are beans everywhere. I may regret this later.

Quick! Run over to Gina's blog! She's got the best collection of old TV show theme songs on her blog. It cracks me up!

This morning I sketched this quickie self-portrait without actually looking at myself. It didn't start out to be me, but partway through I decided to make it me. I don't actually look like this. This person is much better looking than I am! Considering the poor quality of the sketch that's sort of frightening, isn't it? The nose is too small, the glasses are too big and there appears to be about 9 inches between the eyes! (to name just a few problems...) I've always meant to take part in one of those self portrait challenges. I'm thinking I might just declare, "Damn accuracy! Full speed ahead!" and paint this. I've got to get on that horse sometime. Why not now? (well, later this afternoon) I love the people that other people paint, like Kelly Rae Roberts (Yep, saw her in Cloth, Paper, Scissors this month - that's where the inspiration came from this a.m.) and Judy Wise (whose blog is awesome). I think my biggest issue as an artist is the fear of doing something "wrong." I see people who just seem to exhale art and I'm envious of their freedom. Okay, and their industriousness, because I'm sure they never just want to play Wordo on their computer for an hour the way I do sometimes!

Here are the ornaments I made for JoAnna Pierotti's niece in Iraq. I hope she doesn't mind that the star is sort of patriotic looking. At first I thought it was a good idea, but then I thought she might want more Christmas-y colors. Anyway, I decided to send this and to make my little Christmas ATC into an ornament.

While I was making the little snowflake I had a thought that it might make a great little kit to sell on Etsy and eBay. So I made some other snowflakes and developed a couple of kits. I'm not sure if I need to put explicit directions with them, or do you think it's pretty self evident? I have one on Etsy right now and I'll be putting another one on eBay today or tomorrow.

I think they're cute and I thought it might be a good project for kids to make handmade ornaments for the grandparents. I'm unsure of my pricing, but I don't think they're too much. And they're priced as low as they can be, really. Let me know what you think. Price is always a sticky point, isn't it?

Well, I've got to stop this uncharacteristically early blog post and go run my 900 errands. I sacrificed my shower for computer time. Hopefully the public can stand to look at this mess I call my hair and face.