Send Some Holiday Love

Christmas is almost here, and we're all running around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to get all the obligatory gift shopping and merrymaking crammed in. But please, take 5 minutes and do this one little thing.

It's so easy- just drop a Christmas card in the mail, addressed to

Ed and Betty Vogel
425 E. Coleman Rd.
Clare, MI 48617

Why? Well you can read the whole story over at the blog of their granddaughter, Mrs. Greene. It's Miss Betty's last Christmas, and her family is trying to harness the power of the internet to brighten her days and show her how much she is loved, even by total strangers.

One of the things Mrs. Greene has requested is for people to send drawings from their children to cheer up her grandmother. Obviously I'm a little old for that request, but I decided to send a drawing anyway. I couldn't help myself. As a kid, when my grandparents' health was failing toward the end of their lives, I would spend hours making art to hang in their hospital rooms. I've never had the right words in times like that, but I could at least make them smile with my little gifts.

I hope this makes you smile, Miss Betty. Merry Christmas.

Scientific Illustration: Cicada

Take a look at my latest piece, a small painting of a Costa Rican Cicada. I've always loved scientific illustration and this little guy was super fun to paint.

A Grinch's Guide to Holiday Shopping: Support the Arts!

Well, the holiday shopping frenzy has begun for another year! As a retail survivor, I must admit that I am not a huge fan of the holidays. Blasphemy, I know. But something about hearing the Macy's holiday playlist repeated three times a shift broke me, resulting in 'Nam-style flashbacks whenever I hear Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas."

Holiday retail PTSD aside, I swear I'm not a total Grinch! I've always loved making or finding the perfect gift for friends and family, and the holidays are a great opportunity to support the things you believe in: handmade gifts, local businesses, and the arts. So for all of my fellow Grinches out there, I'm going to be sharing my suggestions for awesome holiday gifts.

As we all know, the last few years have been hard on the arts. Why not support your local arts programs and treat your loved ones to an actual experience? Memories last forever and don't take up space in your house. It's cheesy, but come on- your mother-in-law doesn't need another kitchen gadget or decorative vase. Instead of the latest fleece onesie/sartorial embarrassment, consider: 

• Tickets to a local symphony performance
• A one-year museum membership
• Season passes to a community theater
• Tickets to the ballet
• A workshop or class from a local artist or musician
• Tickets to a film festival or a gift certificate to the local independent/art house movie theater
• Passes to an art or music festival in the area
• Something cool from a museum shoop

How do you support the arts at the holidays?

photo by Jessica McGowan via High Museum of Art on Facebook 

Dragon*Con Art and a Gallery Wall!

Every year at Dragon*Con, I go through the same routine. I tell myself I'm not going to buy anything, I'm going to save money for once, I don't really need anything anyway... And then I wander into Artist Alley and all self-control goes out the window. I've discovered quite a few new artists that way, and this year I went a little crazier than normal and bought a gazillion prints.

I finally got them into frames, and, along with some of the other framed arty things we had lying around, my husband and I hung them all up on one super awesome gallery wall. The enormous blank space over the couch had been empty for way too long, so we decided to throw everything up there and see how it looked. It definitely outs us as mega-nerds right off the bat, but anyone we invite over probably knew that about us anyway!

(Please pardon the awful phone photos in this post!) Since you can't really see them well, here are the prints I bought at Dragon*Con:

ShiShi by Leslie Ditto

Time for Spring!

The weather here just can't make up its mind. Yesterday felt like spring; today was dark and chilly. I'm ready for some color, so let's hope spring arrives soon!

Here's a little something for those of you in need of a break from gloomy winter weather. I did this piece as a wedding gift for a friend- two cute little birds in a cherry tree.