Make Today Count

A new chair that I just finished. I think the message on the back says it all - "Make today count". That's my plan for today - how about you?

A BIG Mirror

We met Carol in Seattle during our Holiday sale. She had a special request for a custom-mirror to brighten up a very dark hallway. Specifically, she wanted it large to fill the space, useable, and in the general shape of a traingle - however, not too geometric with soft, flowing lines. A reflection of nature, with maybe a fish somewhere because they are both Pisces. This is what I came up with. The H looking symbol by the fish is the symbol for Pisces. The mirror measures in at 6' 6" tall and 30" wide at the top. Jewels and small mirrors add an extra little level of texture and sparkle. They were thrilled with the results and so was I. Getting it packed in their small Prius to take back to Seattle was an act of engineering all on its own - but we figured it out. I think it will do the trick and brighten up that dark hallway, as well as give Carol a great mirror so she check herself out before she heads out for the day.

Custom Name Plaques

Recently I was commissioned to create a couple of custom plaques with baby names on them. Butterflies and princesses were to the be themes for these little girls. Full of bright colors and lots of pinks and purples.

A few new paintings that I finished this week . . . both are 12 x 12 canvases with acrylic.

These will part of my next 2 sales. The first will be on April 25th from 10:00-4:00 at the Irvington Tennis Club in NE Portland. Mothers Day is right around the corner!

A few new paintings that I finished up this week . . .

"Dreams Can Take You Anywhere . . ."



"Soar" . . .

"Celebrate". . .

"Andiamao a Mangiare!" or "Let's Eat" . . .

"Music and Magic abound . . ."

It has felt really good to paint. These are all on canvas - size 10 x 10 and 12 x 12. A few messages to myself during these crazy times.

My braing has been exploding with ideas and things I want to do. Then I sit in the studio and I go blank. I was so happy to be able to pull some of the ideas and get them down. I hope you enjoy them!

Eat Cake!

Once again, almost a month has passed since a post on my blog. But in my defense, I do have a pretty decent excuse this time . . .on March 9, 2010 at 2:56 my oldest daughter gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. What a miracle that was.

I was blessed and honored to be able to be present through the entire experience. To watch her labor and turn herself over to the miracle of the human body and to allow it to do exactly what it was meant to do. To bring life into this world.

The experience was one of the most emotional things I have ever experienced. I have four children and was certainly present for their births. But I was a little preoccupied and had a slightly different vantage point. This experience was life changing. That may seem a bit dramatic, but it truly was. I have never felt such a spiritual experience and I am grateful for that opportunity.

I think the most miraculous part of the experience was witnessing the moment, during labor, when my daughter transitioned from young woman to "mother". It was a visable change - and she has accepted the new role with grace and integrity.

So I would like to formally introduce you to Cameron Davis . . . the newest man to steal my heart!

Besides not attending to my blogging, I have not spent much time attending to my art as of late. I have doodled and dabbled - but not enough to make my happy. Over the last 2 evenings; however, I have worked on changing that.

I spent a few evenings in the studio painting. Not working on inventory for a show, or a special order . . .but just painting for the pleasure. WOW! It felt really, really good!

The little mermaid girl is a reflection of the way I have been feeling lately - somewhat overwhelmed and beaten down. This was a reminder to myself to quit sweating the small stuff, don't get discouraged and to just "Dive In!".

This painting was in honor of my father. On March 20th he celebrated his 78th birthday. There comes a point in your parents life where you just can't buy them any more "stuff", but you still want to honor them on their special days. Instead of gifts that he doesn't need or have a place to keep, I like to make my parents a wonderful meal and give them the gift of family time. I love to cook dinners for special occasions and I love to bake - especially cakes. I pride myself on making cake from scratch and feel that it tells the person that I love them enough to go the extra mile. Silly maybe - but its the way my brain works. And there is nothing my father likes better than devils food chocolate cake. So that is what I made him - a moist, dense cake from scratch with a delicious fluffy chocolate cream cheese frosting. So these are my new words to live by . . . "Sometimes, the only answer is to MAKE CAKE!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/lauriemillerdesigns - PS - check out the new Etsy shop. I still have a lot to learn, but it's a start!

An Oceanside Weekend

This last weeked the family spent a few nights on the Oregon Coast - we were blessed with mild temperatures and sunny skies. A truly soul-recharging weekend. The photos speak for themselves. My favorite is the first - a beautiful "painting" created by Mother Nature in sand, full of texture and organic content. Although you can't tell by the photo, it was changing as we watched it. There appeared to be some type of an air pocket (maybe a clam or some other creature) in the middle and the water from the wave that had just receded was filling the hole and bubbling out. We stood taking it in for several minutes.

While there I went to the Latimer Quilt and Textile Center (http://www.latimerquiltandtextile.com/) to look at the work of this woman and left there feeling inspired and regenerated. I bought her book - her approach to art is unique and beautiful. Having seen a clip of her on OPB's Oregon Art Beat, I was impressed with her unique style, and I had perused her blog and website - but nothing prepared me for the intensity of color and detail that we saw in person. She lives and works in Sisters, OR. and if I get brave - when I go to Sisters next fall for the Harvest Fest, I just may get brave and look her up and see if we can get together for a cup of tea. . .