calendar and cycles

Pintameldia's calendar for 2011 and a close up of one of my favourite girls inside it As a surprise gift I got Esti's calendar in the mail the other day. I love it Esti, Thanks! I'm home with a feverish son these days, as I tend to be this time of the year. Life goes in cycles and it becomes even more evident when you can check what happened last year by reading your own blog posts. Not only do I seem to be struggling with making new paintings in January/February - I seem to be utterly surprised that someone, like every year, interrupts my creative studio days (feverish son). What is really encouraging though - if I follow the same pattern - is that I will get the flow and make a number of good art pieces in the end of this month.

snailmail delight

She had checked that I still had the same post address - so I had a tiny suspicion there might be something coming my way. But I still got happily surprised when I opened the parcel from Thereza this afternoon. I just love her colourful fresh style - and so does my son. Thereza had heard of his envy the other times ... and sent the Chickens especially for Max.

anna the red's bento gallery - food for the child within. I especially love the one's with Totoro!

objects of envy

Last week I got a parcel from Thereza, she sent me some gifts for the new year. And she was very sweet and included even a colouring book for my son! But that was not enough for him. Just like me, he loves Thereza's imagery, and confiscated the house for his room. Clearly that was meant for him too ... she just forgot to write it. Earlier this week I got a parcel again. Anairam had send me lovely gifts all the way from South Africa. Someone was full of envy "why do you get all this and not me?" I said "Give and you shall receive", but that didn't work on the son. Now the banner "have fun make art" hangs next to his easel, because as he put it "everything that is yours, mummy, is mine, right?" Thereza and Mariana, thank you for cheering up two people at home with tonsillitis!

postman ...

just in time for the new year I got an oversea letter filled with surprises [I'm so happy that I'm not just getting invoices in my letterbox any more!]. Nathalie sent me a print of one of her paintings and one of her sensitive and poetic photos. Exchanging gifts like this with someone you've just met blogging is so nice!

Thank you Nathalie - you gave the new year a great start!

an early Christmas gift

Totally unexpected.
A parcel on my hallway floor when I came home.
For me.
From far away.
I must have been a good girl...

Aris makes the most dreamy, but still not sweet, paintings/drawings. It's different, it's Aris. And now she sent me a 3dimensional painting. I love that you can turn it around and get a new way of seeing it. Thank you, Aris!

2 x bright day

I don't know why, but I've been feeling kind of tired and sad lately. But today the bright sunlight - on its third day back after weeks of darkness - managed to penetrate into my head when I biked to my studio. Suddenly I could laugh about my seriousness.

It was pit dark when I came home after picking up my son at preschool. But there was the second sunshine today awaiting me: a parcel from sweet Esti. She sent me one of her beautiful t-shirts and some of her "so-much-esti" pins... Thank you, Esti...

How can I keep being sad now?