creative flood

It's feast or famine here, let me tell you. I've had so much lovely time to think and veg my mind in the past week or so, I've been able to do a tremendous amount of creative work. It helps that things are clean and organized at the house, which keeps the nagging voice out of my head that says I should be cleaning instead of working on this frivolous stuff.

So, a few things I've gotten started/finished:

• my first painting in about 2 years. It's melted crayon, about 18x24", of toys I cherished as a child. My china tea set, a pewter mouse from my dad, a pompom bunny, and Lemon Meringue from Strawberry Shortcake are all sitting on a Barbie sticker book. Joy! The tea set was a real challenge. Still looks kindof chalky grey to me.
• I'm starting my second painting, same size, of hungry hungry hippos. Everything's very local-color right now, but later I'll layer on more subtle colors and reflections. The painting will be the first in a series on the seven deadly sins. Can you guess which sin this is?
• I'm brainstorming ideas about my maternal grandmother's house, not sure if I have enough material for a book, but maybe some essays. I remember her stuff vividly, and have wanted to write about it for ages. Mom gave me this blanket Nanny made, before she (Nanny) lapsed into a Valium-induced 30-year stupor. The crazy thing is that the shell stitch is one of my absolute favorites to make, and these colors are eerily similar to the ones I choose when I work. And I found out that Nanny was also a perfectionist with her crochet, always saying, "I'm going to have to rip this row out..." if there was the teensiest mistake. I do the same thing. No one else notices, but I know it's there. It bugs me.
• last, here's a shot of my sunny studio, looking cheerful and inviting! The windows are amazing, help the crayon stink to leave quickly, and the light is very good. Some anonymous admirer left the Smurf sheet on my door yesterday, which totally made my week! Who are you? How can I ever repay you? It's smurf-tastic.