Several years ago while visiting NYC in the winter David and I were tucked into the crowded Bemelmans bar at The Carlyle listening to amazing jazz and staying warm.  I inquired about the drawings on the walls and was told that Ludwig Bememalmen, author of the children's books La Madeline, had done the drawings in exchange for a rather significant bar bill many years earlier.  I was intrigued by the simplicity; of the whimsy--alas, I was smitten.  I adored the color of the brown paint on the walls that he used as his backdrop...

As we flew back to Dallas I thought to myself I can draw and set out sketching over and over a cute little bunny.  It amused me.  And I felt a little lighter just drawing it.

As Christmas came closer I decided brown craft paper could be used to wrap my gifts then I could "paint on the top of the boxes"...leaving the craft paper exposed as much as I wanted.  It was funny and fun but not very good.  The next year I painted a bit more and found that metallic gold over my poorly drawn images made it a bit more festive also with glitter and so there we are!!

One of my favorite parts of painting is mixing colors....it's amazing to me what happens when the paint brush has many different colors in it.  I love achieving the "patina"... and do not feel a piece is complete until I get that "feeling" the colors give me.  It is an emotional "high" and it keeps me going on to the next one.

It's all so fun.  Like playing --and I don't think I ever knew how to play before this!!  It's a fantastic feeling.