Countdown to the Crafty Underdog show

Ok, only two more days until the Crafty Underdog show!  You can get a preview by checking out the website http://thecraftyunderdog.com/.  Art, craftwork, food, music, a McMeniman's pub, the Mission Theater...what's not to like?  I will be there with a table set up and if you're in the Portland area I hope to see you, too!

Here is a little peek at what I'll have on hand:

paintings for your Valentine!

cards!

 

oh yeah, and dolls, too!

See you there!

WIP?

Oooh!  Thank you for the comments!

Here is another face I painted yesterday.  Must be the other girl's twin sister.  I haven't decided if it's a work in progress or if I'll just leave it alone.  I kind of like her as is.

New paintings

I've been painting my brains out and loving it!  I'm getting ready to do and art and craft show this weekend, and I've also been submitting work to big art fairs and art competitions.  Here is one painting I finished yesterday.  The competition is for the program cover of an educator fair.  Win or lose, this was really fun to work on.

 

Her pose and proportions are a little bit wonky, but I like it like that!

The theme is Math & Science in Bilingual Education.  The artwork is mixed media with collage, acrylics, and pencil.  Wish me luck!

Crafty Underdog Show

Coming SOON!  I am getting ready to do the Crafty Underdog Show at McMenamin's Mission Theater on February 12th!  I will have dolls, paintings, cards, and magnets.  In honor of Valentines, some little Sweethearts can be expected!

I hope to see you there!

Check out Crafty's info on Facebook here.

Ok, back to the studio!  

xoxo  lulu

Victoria B.C.

Rob and I took a mini honeymoon/hockey tournament trip last week to Victoria in beautiful British Columbia.  We left Portland at 4:00 a.m. just as our snow storm was changing into rain.  I thought the snow would all soon be gone as we drove along.  I was wrong - the storm continued and was much worse as we traveled through Washington.  Interstate 5 was like riding over a washboard, Rob said.  More like hitting speed bump after speed bump, I'd say.  From Kalama to Centralia there was only one lane, but even after it widened back up to 2 or 3 lanes it was scary as trucks and cars lost sight of where their actual lane lines were and our little car was sandwiched at times between 18 wheelers.  Good thing Rob was driving as he is from Minnesota and knows what to do when the car starts to spin out.  It would not have been pretty if little Miss California had been driving!

Ah, but once we got past Seattle things were better, and Victoria herself was just lovely.  Robbie and I took a snow walk. I saw...

the wind watching over us...

 

sea paint...

 

snow encrusted boots after I fell into a drift...

 

snowy houses and streets...

 

icicles...

 

cute Victorian architecture...

 

a little car under the big red berry tree...

 

this cute guy...

And lovely stillness, 

blue silence,

and breath.

progress!

My studio clean up has taken days, weeks!  But finally enough progress has been made to be able to function again.  Emily came over to work on her little elk creature, and I have finished my Visigoth Warrior Woman sufficiently to send in photos for the ADO goth challenge.  I had fun turning this medieval queen into a Visigoth warrior.

First, I made a wolf pelt cape for her, to keep her warm at winter's camp.  You will see further down that she also wears fur on her legs and lower arms.  (But no animals were harmed in the making of this doll - her cape is really a woolly felt, not a real wolfy pelt!)

Next , she needed her armor for battle!  I read that the Visigoths were known for their round shields and short swords.  I decided I would paint them to look bronze, although the actual materials are paper clay and foil.

Do you see her hidden dagger tucked under her skirt?

Emily says she looks like a real bad a.. Properly fierce, n'est-ce pas?  I will need to borrow her sword to cut through the rest of my junk and have this organizing madness behind me for good!  Or at least, for the next six months...

Next on the agenda: a review of 2011, before 2012 begins!

our merry little christmas

I celebrated my first Christmas as Mrs. Murakami! Christmas Eve was shared with my extended family at my brother Steve's beautiful home.  Christmas day it was just our little family, and I have to say, it was one of our best Christmases ever!  Although the weather was a tad damp, it did not dampen our spirits.  Rob took us girls out golfing for the very first time in our lives.  I never thought I would like golf, but it was a blast!  Even when I swung hard at the ball and it rolled a mere five inches!  Lots of laughter and whooping cheers every time we did manage to catch some air and distance.  Sorry no pics - it was wet outside!

But I do have pics of the great indoors, and they do show how merry our time together was.  This is what Christmas with family is all about:

The smiles,

the hugs,

some wishes coming true,

cuddles,

nurturing,

 

 getting goofy,

 

 a little friendly competition,

and lots of joy!

 Here's to a wonderful new year, too!