My new adventure!

This is a picture I made years ago featuring my nephew Jesse. Jesse just celebrated his twenty first birthday on Sunday. So I went down to visit with him in his new bachelor pad.  This might all seem very normal except for the fact that Jesse is severely mentally and physically retarded. He has been in a wheel chair and totally dependent on other people his entire life. He doesn't know any other way to be.   When I drew this picture, I wanted it to be a representation of what Jesse was probably doing in his mind at the time. You see he has very little communication skills. So, I always wondered what was going on in there.   Was he dreaming of jumping and playing outside?

I guess I will never know. He lives in a group home now, with three other guys. He seems very happy there.  I seriously worry a lot less about him than I do any of my other nephews and kids. He is very well taken care of and safe.  When you sit with him, I think you get the communication that you need. Life is more simple than you think. In some ways he has already achieved many of our goals in life, a carefree lifestyle, hanging out with your buddies and freedom from financial worries.  God is good. All the time. God is good.

My dream is to be able to teach other kids what Jesse knows. How to bring your thoughts to life outside your mind. Get that down on paper. I think the most primal way to do that is to draw it. It seems simple but, often isn't. We get caught up in what other people think. Jesse doesn't have that problem. He just doesn't care. We are burden sometimes with caring, too much. Which may be something that we can create from to share with others. 

I am sick of painting snow people!!!!

 

Okay, I am ready to escape winter to a more colorful season. I am working on this piece to put up on Ebay tonight 8 pm est.
ID mylittlecornerdesign
I am going to be adding a lot of fun and excitement to the piece with people and animals. So, be sure to check it out on Ebay this week.
Stay warm!
Kori

I had a little time on my hands....

  

What a wonderful weekend!!! We stayed close to the house to let the kids recoup from their various illnesses.  I finished this piece that I painted last year. I stopped the painting in mid paint, so to speak.  It started as a acrylic paint on canvas.  Then, to change things up a little, I used colored pencils on paper to make the skaters. I wanted to make it a little more interesting. Then, I affixed the paper to the background. At that point, it was just two trees, the sky and the clothesline with a heart. For a year it sat in my studio like that......... What to do, What to do? ......... Today, I was feeling it. I put in a house a fence, dog, and some mittens and we have a story. The story is "Firsts." This is their first house, first winter, first skate, and first dog.  The firsts in life aren't always the best but, they are memorable. Hopefully, for these two, the first is magical!!!!  The original painting is for auction on EBay right now under my id "mylittlecornerdesign" Check it out!

What kind of people????

This is a piece that I am working on to place for sale at my website. I am not selling it cheap on EBay so, I can afford to take a little more time to add lots and lots of detail. This is what I love, the detail. However, I am having a hard time figuring out what kind of people I want to include and what they would be doing. I have a black lab, some swans, and a horse drinking from the lake already. What else should I include? Let me know if you have any ideas.

Inspiration

     People ask me all the time where I get the ideas for my paintings. Well, that is something that has never been hard for me to find because, it is all around me. Small towns have always fascinated me.  As a child my father was a candy wholesaler. He would have routes all over western Pennsylvania.  All of the kids had to take turns going with him to work. It was kind of a hated chore but, it did have it's perks. For me, one of them was riding in his big truck and enjoying the townscapes.  I loved to see all of the different houses and wondered about the lives of the people inside.

     It is funny how things stick with you. I now ride along with my husband and look for eye catching houses. The one pictured above we found on our vacation to Ohio. I know that southern Ohio is not the normal summer escape for people but, we really enjoyed it. Bremen Ohio is one of those towns that has very little commercialism. Similar to a modern day Mayberry, very quaint friendly and clean.  I am using  a similar house in a painting I am working on now. 

September 5, 2007

Today is the first day back to work in the studio since the kid's went back to school. It feels like Christmas Day!!!! Of course I still have one at home with me but, we work well together. Boy did I miss this. Getting back to creating art. In my brand new studio. It is perfect because, it is huge. I have all the room I need for painting but also I have an area for yoga, an area for the kids with tv and toys and even a patio overlooking the town.

First thing on the agenda is to complete two paintings I have been working on over the summer. They are both in my Antique style landscape, one in a rural valley and one of a farmers market haunted by the village witch selling tickets to the witches ball. I should have updated photos on my site mylittlecornerdesign.com by the end of the week.

This is my Fifth year selling my paintings online. I am going to change the direction of it somewhat. I want it to be more of an antique style and less cutesy. I have picked out some past paintings that I really love and am going to use these as guides. I am also going to take more time with each painting not trying to stay on a schedule. "I will sell no painting before it is time!!!"
See ya tomorrow, Kori