On we go

So here is a collection of randomness... lovely little snippets of our days that somehow never actually made it onto a post. There just don't seem to be the right words to describe the cuteness of leg warmers on a almost 2 year old, the beauty of a wreath of Euonymus framing Lavender's pretty face, the way sun tea seems to taste better than tea from the kettle, how a puppy looks at you with those big sweet eyes or the way paint dries on tiny hands....
so when words fall short, the camera comes out.
And on snipping pics I will go.

At long last

At very long last these pieces are complete. Now that I have journeyed with these works to a place somewhat resembling completion, I take a step back. I realize that they don't look like too much... in a great way, I think.
What I mean is that throughout history, silhouettes have been used to preserve moments and capture memories. And they always seem to have an unencumbered simplicity about them that communicates nothing but an effortless, humble, everyday kind of beauty. Perhaps this is their nature... they are frank in their intentions, source and purpose... and their very presence is so often a testimony of a familial love. Maybe all these things are why I love them... they are unpretentious and made for a home, the antithesis of a vacant gallery space... and yet they are just as lovely in composition and form as a great work of 'fine art.'

And ya know what the most amusing thing is... hidden behind these simple silhouettes lies hours and hours of studio time, fine paper swatches, beeswax test strips and multiple silhouette sketches. No one will ever know how many 'test runs' were put put to critique and failed before the ones you see made it onto the canvas.
I guess nothing worth doing is ever easy.

Thomas the Train gone wild

This past weekend we took little Laughfer Daffer to the Thomas the Train event at the Chattanooga Railroad (thanks townleys!!!). And as you can see, I got a little camera happy. Maybe I was just a bit too giddy about all the free kiddie activities. The place was totally sensory overload ville.... giant bubble wands, train sets, Thomas tattoos (seemingly temporary), a petting zoo, an inflattable jumper and other stuff... I'm sure the is something that I'm leaving out.... like some poor teenage kid trapped in a giant Sir Toppem Hat costume getting toppelled by an onslaught of pre-schoolers! eh eh eh
And as you can imagine, they loved it.... the funny thing was that I think they liked all the free activities more than they got into the actual train ride, which ya gotta have a ticket for! I guess it's the same as those first christmases... when they like the box more than the actual present... don't ya just love that about little people???
So, for all you Chatt town parents out there... this little outing is definitely worth your while... you just can't beat all that activity filled fun for free yo!

And one last thing... you gotta make sure to think of all your old school photos when you check out that last one of Lavender and Matthew in front of Thomas... totally reminds me of my old prom pics!!!! so funny!!!

This makes me want to make BIG art