New work and reflections on Motherhood

BAD! Kitty Art Studio

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New work: Quiet place series #3 'the Urban OM'

24" x 30"

Acrylic

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The quote that inspired the work:

" We put thirty spokes to make a wheel: But it is on the hole in the center that the use of the cart hinges. We make a vessel from a lump of clay; But it is the empty space within the vessel that makes it useful. We make doors and windows for a room; But it is the empty spaces that make the room livable. Thus, while existence has advantages, It is the emptiness that makes it useful."

~Lao Tzu

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Above...my newest work. Painting an empty spot...I have this series of quiet place paintings...they are a place internally that I visit and sit and listen to nothing, feel nothing, want nothing...just really quiet places...lately when the world gets too fast, and dirty I have been going to this little spot in my mind's eye...a slightly beat up, warm and almost grimy urban spot where I can look at a bare patch of wall space and think of nothing. For some reason I have been picking this place in my head...and to me... is welcoming because of this vibration of the world and it's spinning and moving and grooving...all except in this little spot in the sun. It's a really magic spot...I can hear the world spinning, but in this little corner, this bare patch on a side street in my mind...it's quiet, imperfect and full of peace. I don't know I just really have been digging it, so I painted it out with my own favorite graffiti too...I need a peaceful place sometimes.

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Mothers day at the house of Testosterone.

I am the only female in our home. I have three sons and Mate Man. Being the girl is good. Mother's day has always been a frugal Mom's dream day for me. We have been a less than spectacular in the money department household. I am a practical Mom. That means that Mother's Day is the one day of the year that all the young Men in the house get to tend to my woman-ness...because for the rest of the year...I am one of the guys. So, this year the guys asked me what I wanted for my Mother's day present...being that most years it's things like...I want to have the furniture re-arranged without any complaining, or I want to go for a hike all day in a place I have not seen before, I want to stay in the studio all day, without talking to anyone and when I come out I want to eat a nice meal in a clean house with no fighting, name calling or hitting involved before, during or after...or at least not that I can hear...or the dreaded...I want to go garage sale shopping all day with everyone and not hear one time "do we have to stop at this one too?!".

Ok so, this year it was stuff...I really don't often ask for stuff. There was shock and awe amongst the males. They all had a passing look across their faces for a moment...of "Oh shit is she going to ask for something girl-ish?" Which was replaced with a look of great relief (on the little men's faces, the big one just grinned because he knew all along it would be fun), because of my list.

This is the list of things I want:

1. One bucket of pre-mixed drywall mud.

2. A new fancy trowel for spreading present #1.

3. More industrial size two-part Resin.

4. 1 sheet of 1/2" plywood.

5. A new fancy long bristle with a tapered end, 1" house painting brush.

6. For them to all leave together to go to the hardware store to buy all this stuff, and for them to get something to eat, and have a good "guy" time of it, leaving me alone in the studio on a wonderfully warm and sunny Sunday Morning...my one day off a week.

So...Mother's Day pretty much rocks around here, and I love this holiday. Being a human replicator machine is good...at least one solid day of every year. :)

Happy Mother's day to all you Mom's out there.

I'm off to enjoy some Me time.

Heather

www.badkittyartstudio.com