I've recently rekindled my love for the public library. I admit, I don't really check out books, per se, but mostly DVDs and CDs. It's free, and like a little slice of heaven.

In other news, I caught my fourth bouquet this past Saturday at my friend's wedding. I felt the only fitting thing to do when I returned to my hometown was to check out Sam Cooke and listen to his voice as much as possible.

Enjoy.

On Saturday, I was in a wedding in Memphis. I arrived there Friday for a bridesmaids' luncheon and went to the rehearsal dinner that night. The next day we had to be at the church at 2 for the 5:00 wedding. There was much excitement, much hustle and bustle, and I knew it was going to be a fun weekend.

However, I knew that there would be sadness in the midst of it all as well. 

A family friend passed away last Thursday evening and his funeral was held the morning of the wedding. In one day, I sat in two different churches under two very different circumstances.

I realize the situation could have been more dire for me personally. It could have been my wedding day, or it could have been my father who passed away. Even though I had distance from each situation, I still felt so much sorrow for my friend who lost his father and, at the same time, so much joy for my friend who was getting married.

The older I get, the more I see joy and sorrow run side by side.

Also, the older I get, the more sentimental I become. This weekend made me reflect on the distance I feel from certain friends that will always mean so much to me, but who I rarely speak with or see anymore. Those friendships have run their natural course, I know that, but there's a connection I'll always feel toward the friends I knew when I was younger.

Now I more easily accept that some friendships are only for a season, I even expect it. It doesn't mean I like it, but I get it now...

... by the way, none of these thoughts have to do with the fact that three of my best friends just moved away. Nooo. Nope.

{here are some old photos I dug up this past weekend}
















{^ hiking in the Smokies}



{^ Easter Sunday tradition}



(^ Halloween- a knight, a unicorn, a dragon, and a ballerina)






















{^ I'm the kid with the worm on her overalls. I don't even know.}

I just added a couple of new items on my Etsy shop. Hooray! They are drawings in shadow boxes I made using salvaged tin ceiling tiles.



The one above is of the IGA Grocery store in Fort Sanders, a historic neighborhood in Knoxville, Tennessee. The building is in bad shape, so I decided to send some good vibes its way by making a drawring of it.






















The one below is of Flynn Paint, formerly one of my favorite buildings; it has since been renovated in a hideous manner. I like to remember it the way it is drawn here, the way it was when I adored it.



I use salvaged materials from the Knox Heritage Salvage program, which I manage, to raise awareness about the importance of historic preservation. Part of the proceeds from these items goes to KH, which is a non-profit. You can learn more about their work at www.knoxheritage.org.

These babies will be with me at the Market Square Farmers' Market THIS Saturday, August 6 from 9am to 2pm. If I still have them, mention this post and I'll give you 20% off.

My parents' 35th(ish?) anniversary was in late June and so my sisters asked me to make a painting of their house to celebrate. I've been extra busy the past couple of months so it's taken me a second to get to it, but that only means it will be even more of a surprise when they receive it a month and a half after their anniversary (I'm looking at the bright side).

I don't typically share photos of my paintings in progress only because I work in layers and things change so much throughout the process. It's nerve-racking for me to show someone something that will look completely different in the end, BUT, I'm making an exception today.

Below is the photo I'm using. A winter time photo shows more of the house.



I drew it out last week and began painting it yesterday. At this point, it sort of looks like a 5 year old got their hands on it, but hopefully in the end, it will be nice and whimsical, happy, folksy and bright... or at least something they will enjoy.



As I make this painting, I have images in my head of two paintings my parents own of the Memphis homes I grew up in. They are by the same artist. Mine is the same size as those, but it won't share the same style. Hers are watercolor on paper and mine is acrylic on panel. Mine will end up looking a lot like this.

I'll post a photo once I'm done, for sure. In the meantime, if you speak with my parents, please don't mention this. And, parents, if you are reading this, I commend you for your savvy computer skills.

I think about cartoons a lot, my love for them as a kid, how I think about them now as an adult. I watched cartoons every Saturday morning growing up, but the ones I think about most often were on VHS tapes my mom would buy for my sisters and me. My parents still have the tapes, but they are in Memphis along with the only VHS player I know still exists.

My affinity for children's books and cartoons most likely stem from the fact that, back then, they offered much needed respite. They allowed me to take a break from days full of shy and awkward moments and helped my brain to rest. I would visually dissect each scene with my eyes, looking past what was going on in the foreground to all that was happening in the distance. I was just as intrigued by what illustrators decided to do with the space behind as I was in the space up close- Were there tiny houses in the background? Do the colors fade? Did they merely use a pattern as the backdrop?

If I had to explain why I make art, it would be tempting to lay a bunch of children's books out on a table and show cartoons for an hour. The way I viewed these things as a child reminds me of making work today. They each instill calm and focus and help me to become lost in contentment, because, for a glimmer of time, I quit thinking about how to be content.

Today I had a hankering to see the Bread and Butter Panthers from my past, and I found them. I watched this particular Merry Melodies Cartoon, A Day at the Zoo, over and over again as a kid. It's great to see it again.

I adore their little hands in the second frame; I cherish them.

I've come across some pretty amazing things while researching architectural salvage online. Here's a little treat I've never seen before:

A Tub Sofa



I can't say that I'd ever want one of these, but I'm a strong advocate for creative re-use, and this is a fine example.

On a different but similar note, anyone in the market for a 30.5" x 60" antique cast iron tub?

Email beth@knoxheritage if you are.

Today, I'm featuring a painting I made about my favorite M. Ward song because I just found out I'm going to see him for the first time in September at the Bijou. I'm very excited.
















Long Distance Phone
2011
acrylic and latex on salvaged wood, framed
approximately 6"x12"
$55 {you may purchase this painting here*}

I wanted the painting to have a similar feel to the song- folksy, nostalgic, simple.

*a portion of the proceeds from this painting goes to Knox Heritage