Cactus Monday: A visit by Cactus Mundi to My Daughter's Art Opening

Cactus Mundi had an evening outing last night. We went to my daughter's Art Opening. She is Kelly Kerrigan and has a show for the month of December at the gallery at the Belcourt Theatre, an art film venue in Nashville. You can visit her blog and see each of the 24 acrylic on canvas paintings.
http://kellykerrigan.blogspot.com/

Here is Cactus Mundi who jumped right up on one of the paintings to look over the crowd.

Kelly had a great time at the celebration.

Of course Milo and the whole family were there. Milo became a wild Wild banshee after about 40 minutes. So Gran and Granddaddy came to the rescue. Paul scoped him up so we could whisk him off to our house. After he was scurried off Kelly could enjoy the lime light and then she and Paul could go out to dinner afterwards with their friends. We had a great time too partying with Milo at our house.

Milo thought it was very cool to sit on my scooter and honk the horn. Not sure this was a crowd pleaser so I turned the motor off. Worked well till he learned to turn the key back on! It was sure time to get him out of this venue.

My stamping buddy and long time friend Toni came for the fun.


Jeff, over 18 years ago he was a high school student of mine, now a life long friend. He is the one who took most of the photos.

Jackie on the right another Judy long-time teacher friend could not stay away from the funky art.


Kate who made it a real party.



It is amazing to me that several of my students from years long past are now my good friends. Tammy came in from California to visit her family but found time to drop by Kelly's show and see me for a short visit. Another one who was my student from over 15 years ago. Teaching is a wonderful profession. You leave behind the amazing legacy.


Seth made the hour plus drive in. He was so much help to Kelly helping her get her studio together and made this show happen. Thank you Seth!

Below are some details from the show.
Following is Kelly's Bio explaining why she is so passionate about her subject matter for the paintings:

I am Kelly Kerrigan, a 35-year-old Nashville artist. For the last 6 years I have been creating hand made lamps out of vintage ladies undergarments. My Tramp Lamps have been a great Internet success with over 500 unique lamps made for customers all over the world including many celebrities such as Aerosmith, Robert Zemeckis, and Imogen Heap.

My home studio in south Nashville is a great space for all my artistic creations that include lamp making, toy-morphing/assemblage art, as well as painting. The space also provides plenty of romp room for my son, Milo Sparks. I started painting at Austin Peay State University where I majored in Theater and Art. I have worked as a scenic painter for several local stage production companies. I spend all my time now painting, making lamps, morphing toys, and being a parent to Milo along with my partner, writer and graphic designer, Paul Kerrigan.

This collection of new paintings at The Belcourt Theater is filled with animals dressed as icons from film, music and fable. The personification of wildlife and house pets seems to be something we read about and enjoy when we are children, but as we grow up, stories and books focus more on real people and real life human situations. For me, subject matter can be just as intense and emotionally engaging if we put animals in our shoes, literally. Who is to say they do not go through similar emotional events in their own lives? I hope that I can embrace the narratives that are generally restricted to childhood stories and bring the audience of my work back to a time when animals were the heroes. Making an audience laugh is the main goal of all my creative endeavors. I am available for all kinds of custom artwork. Please visit www.TrampLamps.com to find out more.

Cactus Mundi Vists art store and Thankful Monday to Blog friends

Kelly and Milo took me for just a few minutes yesterday to buy some Christmas presents for some of my budding artist little friends. Cactus Mundi came with us. He says Happy Cactus Monday to all. For more Cactus Monday fun see Terri's blog.

For me everyday is Thankful Thursday. I have not been feeling well the last few months. Not much up to painting or posting on my blog. Apparently the word went out through Margaret (Peg) and Teri to my blogging friends. This Halloween was Milo's first Halloween that he is walking and aware of chocolate!
Below are the ATCs with pumpkin and Halloween themes that arrived in the mail the weeks before the holiday. Just amazing.
I taped them on to a string and hung over the archway in the kitchen. I have just not been able to take them down. Everyone who comes into the house admires the drawings but also stand in the kitchen and reads the greetings on the backs. The are over come that these gifts came from so many and from all over the world.
Thank you, thank you to you all. You make my life so bright.

I am posting this as part of Cactus Monday so hopefully all of you will see how grand it has been.

Took my scooter in the back yard Sunday Fall Photos

I have not been able to walk in the yard lately so Lew and Kelly got out my scooter so I could wheel around and take some photos. I turned off the scooter and put Milo in my lap. He loves to blow the horn.

Here are some photos I took of fall in our garden.

There are two enormous elm trees, one in the front and one in the back of the house.

This island of the Nasturtium in the middle of the fall leaves.
Amazing that through the cold nights and frost all around Nashville
it has not killed the blooming flowers in the yard, yet.

You have to click on this one to make larger to notice the yellow butterfly blending into the yellow flower.


The coneflower also had one more spurt of blooms.
Never remember having these bloom on a 70 degree day in mid- November.


The Lantana were magnificent all summer and are still around, amazing.

IT WAS SO GREAT TO BE OUT IN THE GRASS
even if my feet were not touching the blades of grass
but the running board of my scooter.

Cactus Monday: Saguaro In Casa Grande Ruins, Arizona

How about we call this Milo and Gran hanging out together in the desert.
I like that.

Another drawing from Casa Grande Ruins
Watercolor in Moleskin
for Cactus Monday

It says painted '90 but I did it today and got my numbers reversed when signing it . Ding Dang.

My excuse is that I have had pneumonia since a week ago today. Feeling much better, temperature free for two days. Hopefully this icky stuff will be gone soon. Milo has visited for two days and that has made me feel better. So named these two Saguaro after Milo and me!

For more Cactus Monday fun see Teri's Painted Daisies blog.

Paul won the logo contest for Burton/Wolfe Entertainment company

Paul Kerrigan, our son-in-law won the logo contest for LeVar Burton's new movie/video production company. You may remember LeVar Burton as Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge from Star Trek-- The Next Generation. He was also the host of Reading Rainbow on Public Television and in the mini-TV series, Roots.

The new production company is called Burton/Wolfe entertainment. The announcement about the logo is on LeVar's twitter page:
http://twitter.com/levarburton

See Paul's website at http://meepcamp.com/index.html
The logo is posted there and check out the Love link on the Menu bar, more Milo and Kelly photos. Just lovely.

Cactus Monday:Ocotillo cactus and ground squirrel

We visited many of the National Monuments, Ruins, and Parks in our treks across Arizona since 2000. One very interesting place was Casa Grande Ruins. They had a lovely visitor center with picnic tables. We had lunch and watched the round tailed ground squirrels play in the many holes around the area. (Help me on this, I think they are round tailed ground squirrels?) There was also a wall-like row of Ocotillo cactus in bloom. Our visit to the Casa Grande Ruins was on our very first trip to Arizona. We were so enthralled with all we saw we have been back many times--it is our favorite vacation destination.

During my last Chemo therapy session four weeks ago I did these two little ATCs that kept me occupied.

Ocotillo cactus with watercolor pencils
ACT format on some kind of linen paper
This is not my favorite paper for watercolor pencils, real grainy

Photo taken at the picnic area

Round tailed Squirrel Watercolor Pencil Drawing
ACT format

Photo taken in the picnic area Casa Grande Ruins

Cactus Monday: Pink Flower

Did this today at the hospital during a three hour wait for some tests. Sketching makes the time go by a lot faster. I did three small cards. Will post others later.


From Photo taken at the Tucson Botanical Garden several years ago.
Watercolor pencils and Micron pens.
ATC format 2.5 x 3.5 on watercolor paper