It's November, home of my favorite holiday! This month I'm spending a few minutes each day writing about something for which I am thankful. Batch number three.
Color!
The Crayon-Bow Crayola Color Chart, 1903-2010. Click image to view source in its original interactive glory.
I may have a touch of synaesthesia, because I want to treat the above chart like a mix between a koto and the wallpaper from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
Seeing Art in Person
Austin art lovers enjoying an evening out.
Anyone who's been in an art history class will have heard a professor bemoan the fact that we learn about art by looking at slides, textbooks, and, horror of horrors, the Internet. Now I don't think these media (or the professors) should be thrown into the sea. But experiencing a work of art in person really is a horse of a different color.
I live in a place where I have a lot of opportunity to do just that. I recently attended Art Night EAST, a special preview event for the annual East Austin Studio Tour.
Living With Art
I have seven pieces installed in my bathroom.
Artists don't just make art - we're collectors, too. My art collection began with small pieces given as gifts or in trade with my fellow art students. It has grown to include significant purchases and even commissions.
You know what I love? Going to someone's house and seeing art in their bathroom. Think about it - how many rooms in your home do you use every day without fail? If my art ends up over a collector's toilet or kitchen sink, my heart swells because I know that person wants to look at it every single day.
Pretty In Pink, photographic print by romy owens. Three guesses where this one hangs.
The Austin Modern Quilt Guild
You may know that when I'm not painting, I'm quilting. After moving to Austin, I googled local quilting groups and discovered the Austin chapter of the Modern Quilt Guild. I didn't know it yet, but I was already a modern quilter!
The AMQG deserves a whole post just to list all the cool things they do. I'll just say that I'm eagerly anticipating QuiltCon.
Seeing Artists at Work
Palette Peelins.
Imagine a masterpiece, centuries old, on a pedestal at a museum. It looks as though it appeared there by magic. We don't get to see all the mistakes the artist ever made before they got that one right. Unless the artist lets us peek behind the curtain.
Whenever I get to see the inside of an artist's studio or sketchbook, I know I'm learning something.
Art Blogs
The power of the Internet as a tool of communication still amazes me. It's my primary source for new contemporary art, and historical art that's new to me. If you'd like to start reading some excellent art blogs, I recommend Beautiful Decay, Illustration Art, Lines and Colors, Bibliodyssey, Robert Lange Studios, and especially:
The Near-Sighted Monkey
Do you know Lynda Barry? Wow. I mean, she's just so awesome. Want to learn things about creativity, drawing, writing, comics, and yourself? Follow along at The Near-Sighted Monkey. Barry has also published a handful of books, all of which I recommend.
What are you thankful for? Express your gratitude in the comments below.
Read Coffee, Sleep, Paper - In Gratitude, Part 1
Read Boundaries, Bracelets, and Biz Coaches - In Gratitude, Part 2
Read It's the Little Things - In Gratitude, Part 4
Read Bonus Gratitude!
As the Bat Flies
Improvisational patchwork quilt created for 
Friday night food truckin'.
