fingerless mittens are so hott right now...

so I decided to make some for my mother in-law for Christmas in her favorite shade of purple... purple, oh purple, purple is everywhere too!..the 90's fluorescents are back...all you have to do is go into H&M or Forever 21 and it looks like Barney the dinosaur threw up in there. So... since purple and fingerless mittens are so the rage right now and I live in LA and I am so hip and cool and only follow trends I decided to make some for me too. I like them lots... even if my finger tips are still cold.

3 artists...

While in Utah, I visited a small art exhibit downstairs in the BYU library. It was a perfectly humble square little room with three walls. My sister Jennifer's work was there along side Cassie Barney and Carla Jimison. Really, I don't think there could be a better three-some. I was filled to the brim after I left that little place.
Cassie's work has always inspired me and even though I have only met her a few times, I feel as if I know her. I hear about her and her big creative family through my family and I read her blog regularly to give me a boost of vava-voooom in my life... Thank you Cassie...oh, and I love the piece above so very much...please give it to me. Okay? Thanks...

Jennifer is the oldest sister and I am the youngest sister with a space of 16 years between us. She has always amazed me with her talent. She has those artist hands, you know the ones, they are beautiful and whatever they touch turns to beautiful... okay, except for maybe her kitchen cupboards. heehee. Her ability to capture a mood, a face, an expression through paint or pastel or whatever medium she chooses is amazing.

As a kid I remember her staring at people when she thought they weren't looking. She would stare into them, into their profile and the shape of their face. Sometimes she would stare at me and I loved this. To think she might actually use my face or parts of my face in her next painting was exciting. I always wondered what she was thinking and how it all worked in her head, her observing and then putting it on paper or canvas. It was so natural to her and the end result was always something wonderful. She would take photographs of what inspired her. I would see the photographs strewn about her studio, her studio that always smelled of turpentine. For many of her photographs she would have the person sit in our sun room on Locust Lane and tell them to hold still and just look natural. This was always hard for me to do. How do you look natural when someone tells you to? Jennifer was already in college when I was still a kid. She was getting her art degree and sometimes she would come home from BYU and talk to mom out loud about how her professors would critic her art. At times this was too much for her to handle and she would cry.

I also remember her and Carla. They were always such good friends. I would listen to them talk on the phone and sometimes I would go with her to Carla's house and sit in her studio while they talked and did artsy craftsy stuff. Carla wore a long braid down her back and wore very little make up. Her house was always full of interesting and creative things. Perhaps it was because she was always working on interesting creative things. Whether it was a painting, or jewelry or furniture restoration. You can't see any of the detail in this pic, but I loved this print...

Thank you, thank you...you three artist ladies. I love you.

Kath