Want to help make a stranger's day?

"The Phoenix", Oil on Gessobord,   6"x 6"

Participate in this auction in my Daily Paintworks Gallery!

A friend and I went to this cafe for breakfast when I was teaching a glass class out of town.  A man came in while I was there, he was apparently mentally challenged and he looked cold and hungry.   I asked him if he was hungry and he said no but I could tell that he was.  He wanted a small cup of water.  

We secretly bought him a coffee and bagel and left without him knowing.

I think about this man often, wondering if he is cold and hungry a lot.

I want all of the proceeds from the auction sale of my painting to go to this coffee shop in Benton Harbor, Michigan, to start a sort of "kindness fund" in honor of that man. 

 It would be a great way to offer any random person the opportunity to have a free cup of coffee,  be warm, and feel cared about for awhile.  

Please, please share this story, and put in a bid if you're inclined.  You can do so by clicking the link under the photo.  You could get the painting and help a lot of people in the process! 

 It's going to be so great to surprise them...

Remember the Soup Nazi? Today's Landmark Painting Challenge: Wilson's Restaurant in Findlay, OH

Wilson's Sandwich Shop in Findlay, Ohio
Photo reference credit: Andrew Thomas Lee


  Well, today's painting challenge was to paint a local landmark, and I chose to paint Wilson's Hamburger Shop in my hometown of Findlay, Ohio.  My family came here a lot when I was a kid.  It was here before McDonald's, Burger King, or Wendy's, and popping in for a cup of coffee and a slice of pie is still a daily routine for many people here in Findlay.
What does this have to do with the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld?  Read on....

As a kid, we used to go sit down with Mom to 'hold the table' while my Dad went up to order.  I always got a 'special', which is a burger with lettuce, tomato, and mayo, and a malt or a 'frosted'.  It seemed like forever passed by while we waited for our food, and we would impatiently jump out of our seats at the table and go for a spin on one of these stools until we were dizzy.  Wilson's was always loaded with old people, and there weren't many kids around.

It wasn't until I was older that I realized that Dad didn't want us at the counter for a good reason.  The staff wasn't so patient with kids, especially the 'stool spinning' sort, and you had to order correctly to make them smile.  There is a certain way to do it, and you don't dare 'stray from the way'.  Ha!  So here is entertainment at it's best, a blog post with video!  You can check out the true scoop on Wilson's in Findlay by clicking this short video  link (starring my sister-in-law Angela), and then take a look at some of the Soup Nazi scenes, have a laugh and decide for yourself!

What about Wilson's? 
Seinfeld's Soup Nazi Scenes

 By the way, if you'd like to buy my painting of Wilson's Hamburger Shop, you can bid on it this week on Carol Marine's Daily Paintworks, bidding starts at $15!  

Bracelets, Friends, and neglected beads

Bracelets, friends, and neglected beads...

"Choo Choo" bracelets made with my double- hole fused glass beads

watch for these on ETSY in the next few days

Years ago, I started making beads. I know that's a huge surprise to all of you... Anyway, I absolutely love making them. I fuss over the color schemes, the glass particulars, etc. enjoying all of the parts, but after they come out of the kiln something unfortunate seems to happen. I pore over them for awhile, seeing the beauty in each individual one, lovingly noticing the uneven edges, the chance air bubbles, the new color I couldn't wait to try...

Then I pile them in a coffee can or plastic tub where they sit.  
Sometimes for years.

I discovered that while I really love making the beads, I am not a fan of putting them together into bracelets. I don't forget about them, in fact, they are on my mind a lot more than they appear to be. I tend to fool around 'getting ready' to make bracelets, laying the beads out in a nice order, second-guessing which vintage beads look best, wondering/worrying whether anyone will like the finished product. It stresses me out. Also, I hate dropping the little parts and chasing them across the floor only to drop them again and start over. Frustration takes over and back in the can they go. Usually, I wait until they have been neglected for a very long time, then force myself to spend the time to put them together.  
When I finally get to that place, I find that putting bracelets together it isn't horrible.  Once I get going I really do enjoy it in a lot of ways.  (not the dropping stuff part though) The finished bracelets come to life with much more beauty than the individual beads. I like looking at them and feel some accomplishment.  But most of all, when they are taken home with someone who loves them, the circle is made and I have the desire to do it again.


This brings me to the friends part...
Like beads, I appreciate and truly enjoy the individuality of people in my life, getting to know the 'little parts' that make up the person. I have no problems making friends but being an art hermit of sorts, I often find myself struggling with maintaining my friendships; neglectful in my ways of developing people (the beads) into relationships (the bracelets). My coffee can holds a lot of important people. I fool around 'getting ready' to spend time making relationships into something tangible.  I don't deal well with drama (chasing parts across the floor), and am easily rattled with wondering what the 'bracelet' will be like in the end...
My friend Kristen came over this week to put together the beads she made in my studio into a bracelet for her mother. Of course, here was me falling out of my seat at the table going on "ughh I hate putting them together, you can use my beads but you have to string them yourself, don't make me go there ",etc. 
(I know, it's totally pathetic.) It was then that I realized how beads and bracelets and relationships can be alike.  I put the bracelet together while enjoying my friend's company. Time flew by and it was just what I needed to make me see. 

Kristen's Beads

Kristen's Bracelet