Sarah's Paintings

I met Sarah on a ThumperTalk.com Girls Weekend party 3 years ago.  She was my age, rode a bike by herself, just like me, [meaning, without a boyfriend/mechanic] and by the end of the weekend she invited me over to her house for next weekend, to ride. 

I remember thinking how cool her house was, she had all these paintings, tapestries, and handmade things.  It turned out we had everything in common.  She paints with acrylics - so do I!  She sews - so do I!  She makes her own jewelry - I always want to! She cooks - I cook!  She likes colored socks, sculpey clay, shiny things - the list never ends.  By themselves, lots of these things are common, but she also rode a dirt bike. 

Few years later, we both picked ourselves up a boyfriend/mechanic (ha!) off the internet, but we still ride together whenever possible.  We spent the weekend at her house up in Palmdale, CA, where she rents a giant house with tons of wall space (for same amount Jesse and I rent a 2 bedroom, but I'm not bitter or anything.)  I love that her walls are all hung with her paintings.  (Kinda like my house, except, I have, like, 3 walls, all full.. but, still, not bitter or anything).

I've told her about Etsy, but she says she doesn't ever want to sell her paintings.  She paints what makes her happy and gives a lot away as presents, or, in my case, when asked.  :D  So I ran around her house, taking pictures and putting in orders. 

I am all types of behind on my bloggy, I was actually gonna post these last week, but I stuck my camera card into my makeup case, and since there's no reason for SD cards to be anywhere near eyeshadow, I had a hard time finding it until an occasion for bright green eye shadow came up.

She (like me!) likes awesome colors and awesome sunsets.  We've sat at campfires, looking at sunsets, talking about how cool they'd look painted and hung on our walls. 

A lot of the stuff is inspired by trips and travels and cool places.  I like that it probably reminds her of trips she took, more than a photo album on a bookshelf.  And it reminds me that it'd be cool to make some photo albums.  If I am too keep all my trip pictures in Picasa, really, what's the point.. 

I liked the "little ball paintings" so much she gave me one. 

Here's the one I got:

I like it in my living room, it goes nicely with the bright yellow wall, bright pink chairs, and green curtains. 

There are also some abstract fun ones, on occasion featuring pieces of glass or other decorative stuff glued on. 

 

Of course, dirtbikes must be involved..  This one was a litle risque, so it is currently housed in a closet, but it makes me giggle every time I see it. 

And, one of my favorites, inspired by a trip to India and their art:

I think she should paint me one.  I'd have to get rid of some furniture to make walls space, but Jesse's pretty used to moving stuff around when a Feng Shui mood hits me.  (Read: when I unexpectedly drag home yet another 'piece')

I personally don't like Koi fish, they are like oversized gold fish, and not anywhere near as cool as sharks or squid, (or awesome Batwing Fish that grace a certain chick's forearm..) and nonethelss get a lot of exposure in art and, puzzling-ly, tattoos..  but the painted ones look cool.  

Few years ago, I picked this one out of her closet: 

When she gets tired of them, she stashes them away, (or if they feature naked body parts that we aren't sure are OK to display large scale over a dinner table).  Sometimes, she repaints over them, or adds stuff to the existing painting.   I acquired a giant elephant painting, from the pile of stuff to be painted over. 

Tragically, as an elephant sized picture, there's only space in garage, but I am working on it.  That and a giant old picture frame (which Jesse argued could NEVER fit in the truck, and had to be proven wrong) straight from Connecticut.  She doesn't like the look of framed canvas, and I do.  Especially with frames that spent some 50 years hanging out in an old Connecticut attick.  Win!