Saturday, May 17, 2014

Untitled 288



Untitled 288.  Pastel.  Approx. 4" x 4".   Purchase information: jala [at] jalapfaff [dot com]
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Long time no blog, I know. I haven't literally disappeared--just been kind of exhausted running around trying to deal with stuff, make ends meet and keep me and my animolecules afloat. So far, we're all still here. Have you missed us?

No time to paint lately, either. The pastel above is from a couple of months ago.

Relatedly, I decided not to participate in Open Studios this October. It was a hard decision and makes me sad, but this year I just don't have the funds to apply or to participate (two different fees), or the physical and mental energy to do all the work that's involved in getting ready for, and actually doing, those two weekends. 

I'll try to remember to send out an announcement about it in the fall, so that anyone who was planning on visiting will know I won't be in it. 

I'm always happy to make appointments for people to come look at my art anytime, though, so please let me know if you'd like to.
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The only bad thing about the cat bed is that they're in it so often, they don't cuddle with me as much now! 

 The size difference with my cats always amazes me. Gadjo and Rumi each weigh about eight pounds. They're both still underweight--by one pound (Gadjo) and two pounds (Rumi)--but at least they haven't been losing any more lately.

Fennec--and this is a major accomplishment--is a little below 18 pounds. His heaviest (19.6? pounds) was when he turned 1 year old and I took him for his one-year checkup. The vet hadn't seen him since he was 12 weeks old, and her jaw practically dropped to the floor. For a while, Fennec's head looked too small for his body. It's starting to be more in proportion now.

What can I say, Fennec is a monster. I have to remember to bend my knees when I have to pick him up (and I never pick him up just for fun, the way I do with the other two). When I have to trim his claws, it's a full-body contact sport. It's like wrestling a puma. He would've given Steve Irwin a run for his money. (Fennec is truly a very passive, mellow, sweet cat...except when you try to mess with his raptor-sized talons.)



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Gorgeous Easter eggs, no? 

I saw these at a friend's house and remarked on the wonderful, rich, deep colors. She said (and I love this--both for her ingenuity and because this is such a Boulder anecdote) she had everything prepared to dye the eggs, but then realized she was out of vinegar. 

...So she used imported Italian balsamic. Those were some sophisticated, expensive Easter eggs!


More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

6 comments:

Shelley Smart said...

Gosh, where's the "like" button?

Happy to see a blog post from you! And your animolecules!

Sad you can't do the Open Studios thing.

And I love those Easter eggs! I tried to do a few with natural ingredients. DISMAL failure! They just looked moldy! LOL

Jala Pfaff said...

Aw, thank you, Shelley! Sometimes I wonder if anyone sees these posts, or if I'm just blogging to a void....
Aren't the Easter eggs an amazing color? If I dyed Easter eggs, which I don't, I would totally try the balsamic!
"Moldy" hahahahah!

Viviane said...

So good to see the new post Jala!

Fennec looks really great - Has he gone to the gym? He looks fit!

Good to see the other two pals use the kitty bed as much as they do; have you considered getting another kitty to cuddle with you? How about Mojito - not the cuddling kind? ;-)

In Switzerland, we used to save onion peels (the outer most ones) and then use them to color eggs. Not very bright in colors, but fun to do all the same. I think you might do this in the USA as well, no?

Good to see your post Jala!

Ann Reyes said...

Yes, I did miss you, Jala! I love to see your paintings and your precious critters. Hope you have the time and funds to pursue your art. I'll have more time after June (quitting one of my jobs...). Yea! I will be able to paint again!

Sheila Vaughan said...

Hi Jala, I usually check in when I'm checking the blog roll but I don't leave many comments these days. I really like your pastel works. I like most your decision to be intuitive about colour. That is totally right in my view. And of course I love to see the animals. I have a little rescue cat myself now. They carve out a big chunk of our lives don't they.
Take care - I don't blame you about cancelling the Open Studios thing. We don't really do that much up in the north of England but I can see it could be a massive hassle. Pick up the pastels as and when you can!

Jala Pfaff said...

Viviane - Hi! How nice that you're checking in on the blog! Fennec is indeed fitter than he was. He has discovered the joys of wrestling--with Mojito. I hope you're kidding about getting another cat! This apartment is already too small. Moji will cuddle, but the thing is, I don't really like cuddling with dogs because they don't smell nice the way kitties do. :)

Ann - Thanks so much. Glad you dropped by! Congratulations on having more time soon to paint. That's wonderful.

Sheila - Thank you very much! I haven't been checking my blog roll hardly ever lately, sorry I haven't come to visit lately... What is new kitty's name? Glad you have a little feline companion.