Mini Picasso

My husband just returned from Richmond and, as usual, brought the kids a "prize" from his trip. This time, I got a prize too! A magnetic Picasso finger puppet. Words can't describe how hilarious and amazing I think this little thing is. It cracks me up, and he is already my friend. I'm trying to decide if I should take him to work, to give me inspiration and a good laugh, or to leave him in my art room to watch me draw. I have to ask, "Who makes these things?!" but the thought that follows is, "This is AWESOME!!!" A few Picasso quotes to stir your thoughts: Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life... Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up... Action is the foundational key to all success... Computers are useless. They can only give you answers... Art is a lie that makes us realize truth... I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it... I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them... Never permit a dichotomy to rule your life, a dichotomy in which you hate what you do so you can have pleasure in your spare time. Look for a situation in which your work will give you as much happiness as your spare time... The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web... Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working... One must act in painting as in life, directly... Everything is a miracle. It is a miracle that one does not dissolve in one's bath like a lump of sugar... The hidden harmony is better than the obvious... The older you get the stronger the wind gets - and it's always in your face... Painting is just another way of keeping a diary... The people who make art their business are mostly imposters...

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/p/pablo_picasso.html#6UM5u8RiYAQ5Rd4c.99

Daddy's Home

Daddy's Home, graphite sketch...Today's big event is that "Daddy is home!" My kids have been counting down to this day all week. Just as my dad did for my sister and I when he travelled, my husband always brings our kids a "prize." This week he was in rural Alabama, not a place very conducive to buying souvenirs, but he nonetheless came home with some very interesting treasures! Cue the knitted Spiderman finger puppet made in Ecuador. It makes me laugh (it's so odd!), and it made our son very excited. So here's a fuzzy little Spidey: a celebration of homecoming, family and the funny things in life!