Now this is DIFFERENT

I just stumbled across a new artist that i have a crush on. It is a little strange. But I LOVE it. take a look.....

This is called "Balloon Boy" by artist Mark Ryden. Here's another one....

This is "Nurse Sue". Kinda strange, huh? Now take a look at this.....

"Cloven Bunny". I love the way the little girl's eyes are glazed over, staring out at nothing in particular. And look at her hand doodling absentmindedly in the blood of the cloven bunny... like this sorta thing- broken and bleeding stuffed animal bunnies- is a regular occurrence and, frankly, quite boring at this point.
Ok. now look at this........

"Fetal Trapping in Northern California"
So. Yep. Thats another precious little girl intently studying a miniature Abe Lincoln as he extracts a fetus from the "belly" of a tree. And I love it. Mark Ryden uses Abe Lincoln often in his art, as well as stuffed bunnies, bees, and meat.... heres a cool quote from his website in which he talks about his art, inspiration, and process:

I believe to get ideas you have to nourish the spirit. I stuff myself full of the things I like: pictures of bugs, paintings by Bouguereau and David, books about Pheneous T. Barnum, films by Ray Harryhausen, old photographs of strange people, children’s books about space and science, medical illustrations, music by Frank Sinatra and Debussy, magazines, T.V., Jung and Freud, Ren and Stimpy, Joseph Campbell and Nostradamus, Ken and Barbie, Alchemy, Freemasonary, Buddhism. At night my head is so full of ideas I can’t sleep. I mix it all together and create my own doctrine of life and the universe. To me, certain things seem to fit together. There are certain parallels and clues all over the place. There may be a little part of Alice in Wonderland that fits in. Charles Darwin, and Colonel Sanders provide pieces. To me the world is full of awe and wonder. This is what I put in my paintings.

Click on this link and visit his website for a larger collection of his work if you so desire..... do you think i'm wierd for liking this stuf? I haven't completely pinpointed it, but I'm drawn in by his use of nature, the color palette for sure, his sense of humor, and especially by the adorable children and their innocent responses to totally bizzare situations. I'll leave you with a few more of my favorites....

Walnut Tree Nymph

Dead Characters

The Ecstasy of Celia

Tears

GAH. when is she gonna stop talking about her DOG?

Hmmmmmmm. long time no write. What have I been doing, you ask? Well. It goes a little something like this....

5:30 wake up!
5:45 take Hazel for a walk to wear her little puppy bootie out.
6:30 shower and stuff
7:30 go to work
12:30 home to give Hazel a wee wee break and a quick smootchie
1:30 back to work
5:00 home to play with Hazel and wear her out again before...
7:00 class!
8:15 back home for some dinner and maybe see the hubs (but maybe not cause he's working on a movie this month)
9:30 finally sleeping.
(3:30am possibly waking up for a midnight wee wee break with Hazel- tiny puppy bladders! aaaagggghhh!)

so thats my life. heres the stuff i don't do since Hazel came into our lives...

1. grocery shopping- not that i did that before Hazel got here, no, that was Clarke's job. But since he started work on this film (which i haven't really even written about and will do so in the near future) he doesn't even have time to brush his teeth. So thats become my job. (not the teeth brushing- the grocery shopping) So we have been eating alot of takeout and fast food. you can't go to the grocery store with a puppy. and you can't leave a puppy at home unattended. we crate her during the work day, but once i get home she is ready to play! so, no, i don't go to the grocery store.
2. run various errands - like going to the bank, buying stamps, clothes shopping, hair cutting.... nope. those don't get done either. not enough time in the day. I do go to PetSmart and PetCo and PetWorld to purchase a new chewie toy at least once a week, because, of course, i can take Hazel there. So my dog and my cats do still eat good food and have sufficient toys on which to chew or claw or bat about. Clarke and i however stick to crap food and have no new toys on which to chew or claw or bat about.
3. visit my friends- I'm not sure i have friends anymore. Except for Hazel.
4. sleep- i don't sleep that much due to mid night wee breaks and early mornig walk-abouts. But that part is getting better. As she gets older her bladder has to get bigger, right? And I know she can't maintain this level of energy for the rest of her life, right? Ye GADS, I hope I'm right.

I'm being a little dramatic (as usual). I do still have a few friends and I did find time to grocery shop last tuesday. And I have to say that I am seriously enjoying my walks with Hazel- shes just so darn cute and smart and sweet- she brings out the best in everyone she meets- how do dogs do that? Having a dog has changed my life for the better. And this puppy stage doesn't last forever. (right?) So I am enjoying every moment with my sweet Hazel. And as soon as Clarke wraps on this shoot, we can have fresh veggies again on a regular basis :)

Side note: I'm doing something creative this weekend! I've got 2 cans of saddle brown spray paint, and 1 can of sunshine yellow paint and I have been ITCHING to get messy! Expect to see a few Fabulous pictures later next week....