a portrait a week

I've missed a few weeks but as a friend said to me 

"it's better to do something imperfectly than nothing perfectly". 

I love the dreaminess in my children's faces in these photos. It's not often that you see this quality in an adult's face. After the events this week in Boston I was looking at my kids and wondering at what age they would first learn about the twisted nature of some individuals. I was thinking about my friends with older children and curious about how they are talking about this situation with them, as well as about Sandy Hook. 

Have you had to talk to children, or other friends, about these recent events and how have to handled it? 

What do you want for your children to know in the midst of tragedies?

This is part of the portrait of your children once a week for a year over at Che & Fidel.

going forward

As you can tell I haven't written in a long time.

It's not because I've lacked the time, or for lack of ideas, but truth be told, it's because I'm changing things up in the Messy Lab Studio. When I started this blog I was following up on two things I love and hoping that with more research and exploration I'd know which way to go, what to invest more time in, and what I love more.

The two things are:

1- making a mess with kids, exploring sensory play and art projects.

2- making my art and illustrations.

I kind of knew that #2 would win out, but I've wanted to explore the idea of having a messy lab studio physical space where children could come to explore art making.  A friend sent me a link to Mucky Kids Art Studio in Boston and it's been a source of much inspiration. HOWEVER, many things have held me back from pursuing this fantastic idea, namely the fact that I'd not be able to do my own work. It sounds rather selfish when I type it out, but really I want to try and make it work. Can I, me, Johanna, make a living doing what I love doing more than anything else in the world - - making art.

SO, here goes...this blog is now going to be much more about illustration and art making. Sorry for the switch up, but life does that doesn't it?

I'm going to keep the Freak Flag Fridays, and pick up where I left off with the 52 weeks project, but I'll be doing some experimentation with the tabs and what I include here. I'm not one for showing products, so much as exploring process, studio spaces and projects.

I'll leave you with this fantastic video from UK illustrator, Sam Brewster. He opens up his process and gives encouragement about how to start your career.

Here

it

is.

giveaway winner

Happy Friday everyone! Karina is the winner of the print giveaway. Congratulations!

Freak Flag Fly 03.22.13

Yes, I know, I know. I missed last week! I actually was painting this one last Friday and couldn't get it to where I wanted it to be so I saved it for today. 

It was quite wonderful that I didn't post it last week as this morning I bumped in to two of my favorite ladies in my neighborhood, one of whom directly inspired the Freak Flag posts. Emily is a fire cracker, inspiring everyone she meets to be better, bolder and brassier. I am a huge fan of hers. 

This morning she, and my dear friend Eileen, both had pink earrings on. Not the soft demur baby pink, but neon 80's pink that makes you giggle and remember the pink lipstick and batwing top you wore at 16. I said "I think I have to do a pink freak flag painting today". When I got home I remembered that I had this one to use. Perfect!

Just a reminder: That's exactly what Freak Flag Fridays are all about. I want to celebrate the beauty, mystery, wildness, weirdness and oddity in all of us. 

6 year old in the house

My little boy turned six this past week. After a month of family sickness (strep, flu) we were all (almost) healthy and able to celebrate with a small party and  cupcakes at school. When my parents came for the following weekend we went for a warm wander through the conservatory in Garfield Park. It was a welcome warming of the bones during a brutally cold March.

The new 6 year old took off in great joy through the green moss and winding paths shouting "we're in the jungle, we're in the jungle". I only wish we were. This March has been particularly cold and windy. I don't even remember the month of his birth in 2007 being quite so awful. I love reading blogs in Australia, like Che and Fidel, or my two sister's blogs in the UK - Playdohandpoo and spooninginthekitchen, as it reminds me of other seasons and temperatures!

My in-laws in Mississippi have seen daffodils come and go already, and we are still waiting for their green heads to break through the earth here. What signs of spring have you seen near you?

These are part of a portrait a week series on Che and Fidel.

Freak flag #3

“I used to think I was the strangest person in the world but then I thought there are so many people in the world, there must be someone just like me who feels bizarre and flawed in the same ways I do. I would imagine her, and imagine that she must be out there thinking of me too. Well, I hope that if you are out there and read this and know that, yes, it’s true I’m here, and I’m just as strange as you.”  - Frida Kahlo

I have come across this quote from Frida Kahlo three times in the past two weeks. It must have been revived recently and I can understand why. It speaks to all of us who for one reason or another have at some time (or most of the time) in our lives felt odd, an outsider, bizarre, or different. I know that's most of us, and instead of fighting what makes us 'different' - embrace it! 

That's exactly what Freak Flag Fridays are all about. I want to celebrate the beauty, mystery, wildness, weirdness and oddity in all of us. 

This collage will be  is available as an 8"x10" print on my etsy shop soon.

Please leave a comment or follow my blog and you'll be entered to win a print of this weeks collage. 

Have a great weekend.

a photo a week

Action shots. Well, these are aren't all that action-filled, but for sick kids climbing on a sofa and jumping on a trampoline constitute action. I love M's tongue sticking out. It's her cheeky sweet self.

This is a funny one of R as he's coming down from a big bounce and he has some serious trampolining concentration on his face. RIght now he's refusing to have his hair cut. I have been trying all sorts of bribery just to get a tiny trim, but he's having none of it and can smell a bribe from a mile off.

This post is linked to Che and Fidel's lovely project 52. A Portrait of my kids once a week for a year.