the bump at 14 weeks

I know, I know, I'm being so silly about it. But I had this much of a belly when I was almost five months along last time. Course that one was all baby. This one is, well, let's just say I'm going have pancakes for dinner again tonight. Mmmm. Pancakes.

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more from the archives

It's art day and I'm utterly stuck and unmotivated with regards to the San Di Flor piece, so I'm going to haul a few more images out of the vault:

Jen With Peacock 2001

It's pastel on paper, and I believe I traded it for a massage. Well worth it!

These next two are part of a phase where I was really into doing the female figure, but didn't want to paint hair. I don't have a good reason why, other than I just didn't know how, and Jason endlessly made fun of me for my Bald Ladies.

This one is struggling with her wings, because, um, let's see... she's not sure she's Ready for the Responsibility:

What is a Hero 1999

And these three -- Fates? -- are playing out a racially charged drama wherein the white woman is dissing the women of color. See? She's all, "Talk to the hand!" but she's ashamed, too. (Full disclosure: I was involved in an anti-racist workshop in San Francisco at the time) Now it's hanging at my friend Naomi's house, and has been lovingly renamed "The Booty Painting":

But Some of Us Are Brave 1999

This last one I still like quite a bit. She is a dancer and was my best model. I love how simple it is:

Naomi in Blue 2003

Now talk amongst yourselves, I'm going back to the easel.

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thickening, part two

Well, I'm just going to let it all hang out.

Because already my pants don't fit. And because the other day a clerk at the store said "Congratulations!" and I was all, sorry? Until she looked at my little pouchy belly and I realized I LOOK PREGNANT. Already.

Which is a ridiculous thing to be complaining about, seeing as how the first time around I couldn't wait to show and to show off. I tried to explain it to Jason, which made it sound even more ridiculous, but it's like it can't be real yet... Because it's not baby bump, it's lasagna-and-pancakes-and-cheesecake-for-dinner bump. So, great: I just look thick, and my belly button has popped out too, making an irresistible lift-the-shirt-and-poke-the-bump game for Auden, who recently discovered that We All Have a Belly Button.

"Is this partially hormonal?" Jason asked, meaning my concern about it, not the actual pouch itself.

Humph. I'm hungry. Let's go shopping.

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San Diego, I hardly knew ye

Remember this painting? No? Last time I worked on it was over a year ago, and even then it had been in and out of storage for a years or more. I think I may be setting a record here.

Well, when we left off, it looked more or less like this:



Too neat, too boring. I wanted the kind of haphazard abstract genius that you see on the sides of warehouses that have been graffitied and re-painted a dozen times. I wanted a jumble of markings and blocks of color. So, okay, this happened:



A step in the right direction! I really liked it! It was fun to mess it up! But then I really messed it up:


I was like, oh, I'll work in some other San Diego elements and make it kind of like a collage of my experiences there. Flowers! Hummingbirds! Stucco buildings! Right. How about some fish tacos and a drawing of Jason writing his dissertation?

But now it looks like I over-thought it. Really it's best if I do as little thinking as possible when I paint.

Ugh. It's hard to have a painting sitting in this stage where I don't like it. But then again, when I get back to it I'll have an even better excuse to mess it up some more.

"I think it's funny that you're doing a painting about San Diego now that we're in Milwaukee," says Jason.

What will happen in the next episode? I can never predict! Stay tuned!

little news, big news

If I had a nickel for every sentence that pops into my head and tries to become a blog post, I'd be, well, I'd be a well-paid and prolific blogger, that's what.

But I can't even sit down at the computer anymore without a squirrely and button-pushin'-y kid demanding to get up into my lap and wreak havoc with the control key. You know, demanding without words, which sounds like "eh! eh! eh! EH! EH! EH! EHHHH!" Which I can handle for all of none seconds before reeling back on the rolling chair yelling AHHHRRRGHHH OKAY let's read a book or push a truck or rip up some paper or hide the phone under the couch cushions or ANYTHING but go near the computer and anything related to it. Ahhrgh. I don't know why I think I can get anything done when he's awake.

So that means naptime is the time to write, except that naptime is also the time to feed myself, clean the house, make phone calls, and possibly make art. And diddle around and read stuff. I really have a lot I want to talk about, you guys, but it'd be easier if you could just come over, k?

So while I want to write a novella, what you get is a list:

• Auden is now using sign language to tell jokes. Like, he puts a piece of hot dog on his head, signs "hat," and then grins and shakes his head no, no, no. It slays me.
• The only thing he says with any consistency is "dahw-wayyyy," which I think I figured out is his best imitation of the Itsy Bitsy spider song (you know, dahw came the wayyyy and washed the spider out) It's totally cute.
• He's also discovering temper tantrums! Like, WHY hadn't I thought of this before now? I'll fling myself to the ground and wail when I can't get what I want!
  
• I finally got my motorcycle repaired, and rode it home the other day for the first time in TWO YEARS. I am a bad-ass, people.
• I sold a painting from Starbucks last month. I'm not supposed to be associated with them IN PRINT, so you didn't read about that here.
• I'm showing this painting at Hanle Production Studios for Milwuakee's gallery night on July 24th.
• Oh, I'm putting more stuff up on Etsy soon.
• Oh, and I'm pregnant.

Ack!

Yes, it's true. Whew. I've been sitting on that one for a while.

I found out about six weeks ago, so I am more or less adjusted to things (read: I have gotten past the shock and HOLY SHIT of my first reaction), but I am still of two distinct minds on the whole subject.

One is like this: ooh yay I love being pregnant and wow magic and cute belly and people love you and ooh tiny baby and gurgly nuzzly soft sweetness and maybe this one will be a girl and ooh!

While the other one is more like this: Now I'm REALLY never going to make art. Or sleep. Or bathe on a regular basis. Crap. And why doesn't anyone tell you what's going to happen to your boobs after you stop breast-feeding?

But okay, really. It's awesome. Auden gets to be a big brother a few months shy of his 2nd birthday. Errr, wait a minute... terrible twos + brand new baby. I'd better blog now because you are not going to hear from me after February of 2010.