Brown paper packages tied up with strings, these are a few of my favorite things. And Daniel Smith paint. And recycled Laduree tea canisters. And well used paint brushes. And single stem flowers in vintage blue bottles. And. And. I could go on but that is today’s still life. Life that is still. This was an impromptu photo I took last week of a few gems in front of me. It was one of those happy surprises where I realized that my work station had become a miniature still life and maybe that was the painting, the moment to capture, not the elusive image I was searching for on Pinterest. And it was. I painted it twice and today, maybe thrice. My best most heartfelt pieces come when I feel a personal connection to my subject. My heart does a little dance and giggle (my heart giggles!) when I remember my visit to Laduree in Paris, a complete and total meltdown of joy paralysis and the definition of losing one’s cool. And here it is, years later, making a ballet pink cameo with it’s buddies Paint Brushes and Daniel Smith Acrylics. Painting is a snapshot of life for me. When I started painting and turning paintings into greeting cards, I subtitled it (because not so secretly I want to write a book and books have subtitles so why not companies…??) “An Illustrated Life” because that’s what my images capture. A patchwork snippet of life, the simple and joyful sweet spots. Merci, bonjour, and ladureee to the croque monsieur. C’est la vie. Still. xo