Well the parade of new Pippin designs continues. I took a break yesterday in case anyone was at risk of Pippin-itis. I wonder how that would affect a person? Good luck if it is the same as I get: A total obsession with colours like hot pink, lime green and mango orange, sudden outbreaks of kitchen dancing whether music is out loud or in head, and prone to prolonged giggles at cute jokes, particularly if they relate to pirates. Alexa told me this one the other day: What is a pirate’s favourite animal?: An aarg-vark. It’s OK to laugh out loud when you’re all alone, right?
These definitely aren’t pirate ships but I had fun with them. The nine boats came from a drawing I had done on my iPad and had been itching to get to. The lower border demanded to be water instead of my typical wonky line border. A couple of seagulls insisted on flying through. I think I was just the paintbrush holder for this one.
I pulled out a couple of the boats to float on their own. It’s been nice to see the Smalls canvases as a format sell so well. I like to think of all the ways they might get made up. Some probably get made up into Christmas ornaments. These boats would look cute as year-round ornaments hanging on a driftwood branch. A shopowner at a show was planning a customer’s dog leash holder that had three little seagull Smalls inset. I like it when people think up cool things to make from Pippin designs.
As well as pirate jokes I do like my bunnies — my youngest was born in the Year of the Rabbit – and had been thinking about these guys for a while. They’d look cute with fluffy little tails wouldn’t they? I think that, much more than I used to, I’m designing to the ways stitchers might decide to work on the canvases. It feels like a bit of a whew for me actually. I want the designs to stand on their own painted but it’s nice to know a cool thread or stitch or finishing can take them to another level.
Nine shirt and ties came out last year and now I’ve pulled the Smalls out. Now that I’ve got finishing running through my mind wouldn’t they look cute set into a tie rack? Or hanging from one?
There are a few Halloween nines already in the line, the bats, witches’ hats and boots, and it was time to add a new one. I designed spiders to keep the balance of creatures to clothing in line. Cuts down on squabbles. (I think I might tip it in the creature direction next, as black cats are starting to whisper in my ear.)
I joined spiders up with the others on my kitchen table to see if they all got along. The things sitting around them crack me up. A tube of white acrylic painting from the other type of paintings I do, a roll of frog tape from literally painting the wall, and a book on the Canadian Group of Seven painters who so inspire me. All the types of painting I do hanging out together. I feel blessed to so often hold a paint brush in my hand, although after an epic ten-day house painting marathon in December I think I’ll resist that particular type of brush for a bit. (Summer memory from a photo shot a few months ago: the leaf shadows across the designs are from the blackberry vines that went rogue this summer – more rogue than usual—and got away with peeking in the window all summer. If I don’t get out and wield some control this year my house might get swallowed.)
Although how cool would it be to reach out the window to pick a bowl of breakfast blackberries? Eat them while dancing in the kitchen. Laughing about aargvarks.
Tomorrow I properly introduce you to the bears I’ve been hanging out with.