Jolie Guillebeau

Kiwis

I like to travel. Not as much as someone I know who is trying to get to every country in the world, but I like to travel nonetheless. I’ve been to 51 countries, and yet I still have a few that I’m looking forward to. One of them is New Zealand.

I remember eating a kiwi for the very first time– I was ten, and my mom brought one home from the grocery store. I was determined not to like it. It was brown and fuzzy and ugly. But then we cut it open, and surprise! Of course, I liked it. Actually, I loved it.

This week, I tried a kiwiberry for the first time. They’re even more marvelous. It’s all the goodness of a kiwi, with no brown fuzzy shell. And it’s kiwi, but in the size of a grape! What’s not to like?

5×7 Oil on gessoboard $65

Sometimes people ask what they can do to support this project, even if their art budget is limited. The best thing you can do is invite your friends to join the newsletter. I love new readers! Can you send me a few? I’d be grateful, giddy and oh so thrilled.

Guiding Values…

Many months ago, Rachelle invited me to a Soulsisters’ Retreat. Ten of us spent the weekend talking and laughing and eating in a beautiful house overlooking the Puget Sound.

One of things that came out of that retreat was a list of my 8 guiding values. I keep it on my bulletin board. It’s just 8 words that point me in the right direction.

I noticed the other day that most of them are 7 letters or less, which makes them perfect Scrabble words. And I just happen to have a few Scrabble tiles scattered about, so naturally that led to a painting.

Courage. And it’s worth 50 bonus points. What are your guiding values in 7 letters or less?

6×12 oil on gessoboard $64. Sold. Join the newsletter list here.

Last week, while I was painting at Muse for Artist-A-Day, a local photographer and photographed my palette for a series of photos she’s doing, and she just posted the pictures here on her blog– it’s kind of fun to see part of the process.

Sunday Series: 9

I miss the sea. As a little girl, I lived near the sea. And more recently I lived on the sea– on a ship. The sea is kind of a touchstone for me. I can’t help but take deep breaths when I’m looking out at the horizon. I find perspective, insight, solace, peace…

A couple of weeks ago, I went to the Oregon Coast with friends. I took my watercolors, and while they hiked, I watched the water and painted and thought.

There’s something about the sea that grants a bigger picture, which is exactly what my dear friend Mary describes perfectly in this poem.

(You might want to click through to see more detail.)

Breakage

6×8 Watercolor on Cotton Fiber Paper on bamboo board. $63

Special rules apply to today’s painting. Everyone wins! On Sundays only, instead of one buyer, I’ll paint a version of this for everyone that requests one, because I think if the quote speaks to you then you should have it.

Each painting will be an original and slightly different from the others I send out, but based on the painting you see above. The only rule is that in order to paint one just for you, I must receive your email by 8pm Pacific time today.

NEW!! Your painting will arrive ready to hang, because I’ll mount it on carbonized bamboo using archival adhesive. Here’s an example.

There will be a nice little keyhole like this, so all you have to do it find a nail and hang it right on your wall! No framing required! Yay!

Want it? Email me here.

Prickly goodness.

Tuesday night we had a few guests here, and Robert Bruce, the witty and smart and kind writer brought us a gift. I was impatient to cut in to it, but then I realized I’d be missing a great opportunity.

How often do you get to paint a pineapple?

6×12 oil on gessoboard $62

How does your garden grow?

We have a little balcony, and I occasionally have aspirations to become a gardener. I buy geraniums and herbs, put them out on the balcony and admire my handiwork. Then I promptly forget to water them.

So last spring, I bought this cute little watering jug at Target. It sits right next to the sink, and then I remember. Now I’m overwatering apparently.

Maybe I should just stick with Charlie the Cactus?

5×7 oil on gessoboard $61

A few people emailed asking about bidding on the painting at Muse from Wednesday. Peter wrote a lovely blog post about me and my work here. You can view all the paintings from the project and bid here.

The Good Stuff.

As you know, I like to eat by candlelight. I also like to use the good china everyday. There is a Guillebeau family joke about dollars per use for the wedding china, and I’ve made an effort to be sure that our dishes have a very low dollar per use ratio.

When we moved to Seattle, we shipped the things that were important and then bought one thing each month for the house until we had everything we needed. Since we shipped the china, we used it for a few months until we bought dishes.  We now have regular, more durable dishes from Target, but I still like to have tea (or coffee!) from the pretty cups.

5×7 oil on gessoboard $60

Yesterday at Muse was so much fun. Lots of people stopped by or watched through the window, and I had a blast. Here’s a picture of the finished painting.

You might recognize a few of those things from paintings I’ve done here recently. This piece is 16×20, oil on birch panel. It’s much larger and more detailed than the paintings I’m doing for this project, and half of the proceeds from the auction go to a local charity benefitting Arts in schools. And yes, you can bid online, so you don’t have to be local to get involved.

Go to Artist A Day to bid and read more about the project.

2010– Hooray!

I gave up coffee for a whole year. 2009 will forever be known as “The Year of No Coffee” for me. What was I thinking?

Actually, it was easy at first. Even though I live in a big coffee town, I didn’t miss it too much. And then in the summer, it was too hot to think about anything other than ice water.

But last fall, as the sunlight began to fade and the cold rainy weather arrived, I began counting the days until January 1. Then I started to worry, “What if my tastebuds have changed? What if I don’t like coffee anymore?”

So on January first, Chris woke me up very early and we shared a cup of coffee together before he left on a trip. And it was just as marvelous as I remembered. I’m so happy it’s 2010 and I can have as much coffee as I want.

8×10 oil on gessoboard $59 Sold. Join the newsletter list here.

And if you’re in Portland, stop by Muse Art and Design on Hawthorne today where I’ll be painting as part of their Artist-A-Day project.  Thirty artists will create paintings to be auctioned off for a local charity benefitting Arts in schools. And yes, you can bid online, so you don’t have to be local to get involved. Stay tuned for details.

A Good day…

My birthday was tremendous. You guys sent nice emails, and I got great presents– including a Rock Tumbler! I’ve wanted one since I was 7, so I was pretty excited!

I also ate so many good things yesterday. There were cupcakes, of course, but there was also pie, and pasta, and several kinds of cheese, and olives, and more cupcakes.

Which is why today I will be eating this:

Mmm, lettuce.

8×10 oil on gessoboard $58

And I know you’re wondering about Brownie Print winners and you’ve been holding your breath for the answer to yesterday’s question, haven’t you?

Mildred and Patty Hill, sisters and Kindergarten teachers in Louisville, Kentucky, wrote the melody to “Happy Birthday to You” 117 years ago. Who knew?

Apparently, a lot of you knew! I had more than 20 correct replies! So expect an email from me today asking you about shipping details.

It’s mah birfday!!

In years past, I’ve celebrated by wearing a pink plastic crown– even on the buses in Seattle, where I was not the oddest looking person even with my crown. But I thought we’d celebrate with cupcakes and gifts this year. What do you think? See below.

First, cupcakes.

6×6 oil on baroque block with finished edges (no framing required!) $57 Sold. Join the newsletter list here.

And gifts: A brownie print for you if you answer a bit of birthday trivia… I’ll even take care of shipping!

Who wrote the melody for the song “Happy Birthday to You”?

Answer and winner tomorrow. Right now, I’m going to eat some cake and open presents.

Sunday Series: 8

Last summer I went a little crazy with the berries. First, I went with friends to pick strawberries and came home with 15 pounds. Then I went to pick blueberries–twice. Add to that blackberries, raspberries and cherries and you have a freezer full of wonderful. We’ve had smoothies all winter and I still have a bit of freezer jam left.

So the imagery of this poem speaks to me, but the most important part is the first line. “I don’t want to live a small life.” If I were going to ever get a tattoo, these words would be on it.

I don’t want to life a small life. Open your eyes,
open your hands. I have just come
from the berry fields, the sun

kissing me with its golden mouth
all the way (open your hands)
and the wind-winged clouds
following along thinking perhaps I might

feed them, but no I carry these heart-shapes
only to you. Look how many how small
but so sweet and maybe the last gift

I will bring to anyone in this
hope of world and risk, so do.
Look at me. Open your life,
Open your hands.

–Mary Oliver

(You might want to click through to see more detail.)

4×6 Watercolor on Cotton Fiber Paper on bamboo board. $56

Special rules apply to today’s painting. Everyone wins! On Sundays only, instead of one buyer, I’ll paint a version of this for everyone that requests one, because I think if the quote speaks to you then you should have it.

Each painting will be an original and slightly different from the others I send out, but based on the painting you see above. The only rule is that in order to paint one just for you, I must receive your email by 5pm Pacific time today.

NEW!! Your painting will arrive ready to hang, because I’ll mount it on carbonized bamboo using archival adhesive. Here’s an example.

There will be a nice little keyhole like this, so all you have to do it find a nail and hang it right on your wall! No framing required! Yay!

Want it? Email me here.