6th & ROYAL BROUGHAM

I started a new painting today. It's of a building in the Sodo area, I couldn't remember exactly where, but I kinda remember the general area. Anyway, I needed more info about what the power poles in the area were doing. So, after I laid down the foundations of the painting, Lucy and I decided to go looking for the building to take another picture of it.

We took the bus into town and then started walking south. On the way, we passed this public art I've never seen before.

It's a 20 foot tall cyclone fence. The artist has installed thousands of little white plastic circles in the holes of the fence to create pictures. They are like the pixels in the picture. Very cool. What a great way to de-uglify and add interest to a plain ole' cyclone fence.

Can you see the face?

VALENTINE'S DAY

I went up to the studio today with every intention of working on my Year of the Ox etching, but I just had to sit down and paint this beautiful bouquet of flowers from Darrell.

I must admit I brow-beat him into sending it to me at work this year. I've always hinted I'd rather have flowers sent to work, then get them at home. If I'm working, I'm there for almost the whole day. This year was no exception. I'd enjoy them more at work where I was going to be spending my whole weekend.

When I mentioned it to him this year, he says, "I don't know the address"....Wham, he got it sent to him in a great big-fonted email. No excuse now.
Anyway, I painted this with a big brush, really fast and loose.

I like it, and now I'll have the flowers forever!

This is 12" by 9", acrylic on canvas.

Thank you Darrell.
He's so sweet.

CHOP MARK

Darrell and I went to the Pike Place Market for breakfast and on the way in I saw this nice Chinese gentleman selling custom made chop marks. He's probably always been there - but this was the first time I noticed him. Probably because I now have a dire need for a chop, and I keep putting off making my own! I will be sending out my Year of the Ox postcards soon. He asked me to write my name, I wrote out my whole name (as above) he paled! I said how about just the last name - he asked how to pronounce it, then I guess he made the symbols that phonetically sound out Peart. Pe-art. Cool. Darrell likes it, t00, he says we can both use it.

It came in a nice little silk box and I also got some of the red ink. He carved it from a square of marble that had a Monkey sitting on top, since I was born in the Year of the Monkey.

PS - I don't remember which way is up! If anyone can read it, could you please let me know? Thank you!