Jala Pfaff

Untitled 209

2012-01-31T12:36:00.001-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5.5" x 5.5".

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Those of you who have a blog, do you ever look at the Traffic Sources/Keyword Search part of your stats on blogger? It's hysterical. You can see all the different ways people accidentally end up on your blog. Some of them are completely mystifying. Yesterday people did Google searches for angry indian woman face and don't kiss me and ended up on my blog.

I had an incredibly unpleasant weekend and am very glad it's over.

I don't think Fennec was concerned...

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I adore his napping positions.

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Block prints for saris, India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 208 (Scrambled Eggs)

2012-01-25T16:46:00.000-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 6" x 6".

Art purchase inquiries: please email me: jala [at] jalapfaff [dot com].

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In India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 207

2012-01-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5" x 6".

Art purchase inquiries: please email me: jala [at] jalapfaff [dot com].

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Sleepy skinny Rumi.

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In India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 206

2012-01-21T22:24:00.000-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5" x 5.5".

Art purchase inquiries: please email me: jala [at] jalapfaff [dot com].

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Rumi update: the reason for his weight loss is still a mystery. Poor skinny little guy. The ultrasound showed nothing out of the ordinary (and he now sports a shaved pink tummy), though it ruled out quite a few possibilities. I'm currently waiting for results from an additional blood test, to see if he has a rare condition called pancreatic insufficiency. We're running out of hypotheses...

The vet also suggested doing a dewormer on Rumi just in case, and since I have to do the process with Rumi, I figured I might as well do the same dewormer with Fennec, since Fennec has had mysterious abdominal ailments (bloating, diarrhea) pretty much since we got him. The deworming is meds mixed with their food three days in a row, then wait two weeks, then another three days in a row. And yes, they both were dewormed before, but apparently it can be a good thing to do several times.

Fennec and Gadjo share a nap kind of afternoon.

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Me update: the divorce stuff is difficult and I can't really say anything about it here because The Husband sometimes reads my blog.

Still looking for a place to live avec animolecules, and a place to do art. Sigh. A lot of work/time put into the search so far, and it's still fruitless.

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In Bihar, India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 205

2012-01-18T15:13:00.000-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 3" x 9".

Art purchase inquiries: please email me: jala [at] jalapfaff [dot com].

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Does this look comfortable?

Or this?

Rumi update: His bloodwork showed that it's not a thyroid problem, not a blood sugar problem, not a heart problem (the three top guesses, previously) but that for some unknown reason(s), he has inflammation in his intestines and/or pancreas and he is not able to absorb his food/nutrients properly, so he is hungry all the time, eats, but keeps losing weight. Why would this have started just a few months ago? I have no idea. He is having an ultrasound of his innards tomorrow. Hopefully we'll get some info from that.

You know what's sad? He's not allowed to eat anything after 10 tonight, all the way 'till the ultrasound's finished late tomorrow afternoon. And he's hungry all the time! Poor baby.

Good luck to the ultrasound people to to keep him from wiggling during the whole procedure. Rumi is a perpetual motion machine. Maybe they tranquilize kitties for ultrasounds? It seems they would have to.

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In India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 204

2012-01-13T18:25:00.001-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5" x 6".

Art purchase inquiries: please email me: jala [at] jalapfaff [dot com].

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Took Rumi in today for a re-weigh. Sure enough, he had lost more weight, about another half pound. You can see his little hipbones. :( So they took blood. I should hear about his blood test results on Monday or Tuesday.

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In India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 203

2012-01-11T16:44:00.001-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5" x 6".

Art purchase inquiries: please email me: jala [at] jalapfaff [dot com].

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He just kills me with his nonchalant, lazy, trusting, furry orange self. Just kills me.

I'll be taking Rumi back to the vet to reweigh him this Friday, about a week early. He just looks so thin. I arranged with the vet that if indeed he has lost more weight, then they can take blood right then and save an additional trip.

Not that Rumi would mind an extra trip, of course. He loves going traveling and meeting people.

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In Bihar, India. I looked up and there were hundreds, maybe thousands, of dragonflies circling around above me. Creepy.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 202

2012-01-08T17:40:00.002-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 4" x 5".

Art purchase inquiries: please email me: jala [at] jalapfaff [dot com].

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Still looking for a place to live and do art. Dealing with a lot of insomnia and increased frequency of migraines.

Also now dealing with a yucky recurring plumbing problem in the house which the other day decided to reappear with a vengeance. Can no longer use the downstairs toilet at all, and it's a tricky and nasty business to take a shower (because it doesn't want to drain, and because water and gross stuff comes up from underground too). Lately I'm showering by balancing on a small pile of bricks I placed in the shower stall (which puts your head too high for the water coming out, so then you're balanced on bricks under your feet, while practicing mild contortionism trying to bend your head down below the water spout...).

Of all the kitty combinations witnessed around here, this pair is by far the most common. They are truly inseparable best friends.

I'm still worried about Rumi. It's getting close to the time (another week or two, I believe) to bring him back to the vet to reweigh him. He looks to me like he may have lost even more weight. Maybe he'll have held steady, which would of course be preferable to continuing to lose. But from the looks of him, I'd say he probably hasn't gained any weight. After reweighing him, if he has lost more weight, then I think the next step is blood tests. My best guess would be hyperthyroid, but it seems to be kind of unheard of in a young cat.

Gadjo's FHS has been noticeable but not out of control--it seems to happen maybe a couple of times a day, but each episode is fairly brief.

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In India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 201

2012-01-06T02:11:00.000-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5" x 6".

Art purchase inquiries: please email me: jala [at] jalapfaff [dot com].

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In India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 200

2012-01-01T15:29:00.005-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 3" x 5".

No sales at Trident Cafe yet so far either. The other day I went there to hang out (not because my work is there right now, but because it's my favorite cafe in Boulder) and it felt strange to be surrounded by my own works. It felt weirdly familiar, as if I were still at home, or in my own studio, where I am always surrounded by the same works. As I sat there, I worried I might overhear patrons talking derogatorily (I'm sensitive, yes) about my art on the walls. I needn't have worried--sadly, in two hours, I didn't see a single person out of perhaps 100 people even glance at the art on the walls. Sigh.

In my experience at least, it is hard to sell art. Especially abstract art. (Although Open Studios has been successful for me. I'm guessing that's because many people that go to Open Studios are going with the intent of actually buying something for their homes, and also many of them decide ahead of time to go see, e.g., only abstract artists during those two weekends in October.)

In museums, in cafes, in shows, I have often overheard attendees deriding abstract art, laughing about how their "four-year-old kid could do that;" "why would I pay money for just scribbles and blobs of color;" "I could do that myself without even trying;" etc. (They're partly right--kid art can be fantastic, thanks to the combination of lack of self-criticism, absence of self-consciousness, spontaneity, purity of intention, lack of preconceptions, etc. See Loriann Signori's utterly delightful recent post about teaching kids!)

It's hard to hear those things--whether heard about my own work or overheard in front of a Twombly at MOMA--though it seems to be a common sentiment. I've had people even at my Open Studios see my realism work and exclaim that they can't believe I'd wanted to stop doing that and instead do what I am doing (and passionate about) now.

I always wish, when I overhear these types of comments, I were able to take those people right at that moment, sit them at a table with some art supplies, and say, "Fine, go for it, let's see if you can indeed produce a simple abstract painting that's interesting, compelling, emotional, lovely, exciting, 'without even trying.'"

It's hard to stay true to what one cares most about, art-wise. I myself have had plenty of times when I wondered if I were going down the wrong artistic path. I suppose in terms of selling art, I have. Other than on a million-dollar (Rothko, Diebenkorn, de Kooning, Frank Stella, Joan Mitchell, Frankenthaler, Brice Marden, Josef Albers, etc.) scale in the investment art world--other than on that scale of famousness, well, realism and even semi-abstract always outsell abstract by a huge margin (i.e., in local shows, non-famous-NY-artists shows).

I've found it's often even hard to get an abstract work juried into a show. One of my art teachers at the classical art school told me she thinks it's because many people, including some other artists and art jurors, don't understand how they're "supposed to" react to, or judge, or "understand" abstract art. And so out of fear of seeming ignorant, they simply reject it automatically and move on to art they're more comfortable with. For me (as long as something is competently executed in terms of, say, materials), it's just a pure matter of instinctual response to any given abstract painting. I might love it, hate it, or just shrug out of boredom. I think many people think they are supposed to "figure out" what an abstract painting "means." They think there is some kind of hidden message and they're worried they'll be exposed as not intelligent if they don't "get" it. There may be some abstract paintings like that out there, but frankly, I think those paintings are a minority. Mostly I want to just assure people that any reaction they have is appropriate. Gut reactions are the best reactions. You don't want to think about it. (In my perhaps crazy opinion, the best abstract paintings are the ones that stop your conscious thoughts. You should emerge from viewing them feeling slightly dazed in a pleasant way, as the chatter of your left brain was finally silenced even if just for a few moments.)

It is true that sometimes abstract paintings can be better appreciated by learning about the context [social, technique, materials, etc.] in which they were created--but I maintain the perhaps radical opinion that what matters is just your own gut reaction to a piece. Does it fascinate/repel/surprise/compel/bore you? How long do you spend staring at it? How much of that time spent staring at it is just feeling, as opposed to thinking analytically about how and why the artist made it?

The way I finally figured out what I really wanted to do in art (for the moment--this of course can and will naturally morph!) was by asking myself two questions: 1) when I'm in a museum or a show or looking at art books, what am I most drawn to and feel most excited about looking at? and 2) if I knew I only had a year to live, would I choose to paint realism or abstract? ...and suddenly the answer is perfectly clear to me. I don't know why gazing upon, say, two blocks of color in a rectangle should give me goosebumps, but when it is well done, it simply does.

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I love my skeptical Moji. He'd tell those art critics a thing or two.

From the archives: baby Gadjo!

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In Hyderabad, India.

Untitled 199

2011-12-30T14:56:00.000-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 4" x 5".

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I like Gadjo's perturbed look here, as Fennec decides to take up more space.

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Found abstract. At the weavers', Hyderabad, India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 198 and art show at Trident Cafe

2011-12-29T00:54:00.003-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 4" x 5.5".

"It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child."
--Picasso

I just hung a show at the Trident Cafe here in Boulder. Please stop in and check it out if you're downtown (Pearl and 9th). Now through Jan.17.

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This cracks me up--Gadjo and Fennec were wrestling half a second before this moment of sudden relative stillness.

Fennec's papasan lookout (spying on Miss Lemon).

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In India. Tired driver.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 197

2011-12-26T17:45:00.000-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5" x 6".

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Still haven't found a new place to live or do art. Still looking.
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I adore Fennec's sleeping positions. I also love his unapologetic laziness.

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In Bihar, India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 196

2011-12-24T18:25:00.000-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5" x 6".

I framed up some of my recent pastels for another upcoming show. Here are some of them. Each is in an 11" x 14" frame:

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View out the back door a couple of days ago. A little blizzard, we got.

I still haven't dug the car out, actually.

The life raft has become a bit overfull. Someone will end up hanging off the edge...

Happy Festivus.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 195

2011-12-20T14:34:00.000-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5" x 6".

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Bursting at the seams: my studio (at least for however long it's still mine to work in).

Still haven't been able to find a new studio space. And when I do, I can't even imagine the process of trying to move everything--especially all the hundreds of unframed pastels pinned up on the walls.

In this photo, on the left you can see, pinned on the far back wall of the studio, about a fourth of my finished, unframed smaller-format Rothko-esque pastels.

On the right, a couple of large oils in progress on the floor, and pinned up, some slightly larger, even more minimalist Rothko-esque pastels I've been doing lately (none posted yet). I think they're 9" x 12". When it's time to frame any of them, I'll probably need to get bigger frames than the current 11" x 14" frames I usually use; I think a bit more white mat around them would be better.

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Another lazy day on the green sofa.

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In Bihar, India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 194

2011-12-18T00:07:00.000-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 3" x 5".

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In Bihar, India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 193

2011-12-16T18:16:00.001-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5" x 7".

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This divorce thing is hard, and painful.

But here I still am.

Thanks, everyone, for your continuing support, including emails and comments.

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Baby Lynxie, from the archives.

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In India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 192

2011-12-10T02:41:00.001-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 4" x 5".

"Art is the elimination of the unnecessary." --Picasso.

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In India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 191

2011-12-08T19:09:00.002-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5" x 6".

There's an ineffable quality, a mood, about this little painting...that I was unable to capture in the photograph.

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A great deal still remains to be sorted out in terms of the divorce...but if nothing changes, then I will probably be giving Miss Lemon and Lynx to The Husband, and trying to find a new home for beautiful Cleo (who is rarely featured in the blog, because she's rarely around and because she's hard to photograph since she's all black). I would keep cats Gadjo, Rumi, Fennec, and dog Mojito.

The beautiful black Cleo Bean.

If anyone knows anyone who could consider giving Cleo a loving new home, it would be wonderful. Cleo is beautiful, super smart, young (4? I can find out exactly if I dig up her original Humane Society records), perfectly healthy, and up to date on all vaccinations. She is not feral at all--she's friendly to people, and forms an amazing bond with her special person. [I feel horribly guilty about even considering giving her up. I know how much she loves and trusts me. :(]

But our girl Cleo is a mostly-outdoors cat. She needs her freedom and independence, and a relatively traffic-free territory to patrol. She comes inside only to eat, to sleep on the coldest nights, and just to hang out, nap, or say hi every now and then. She loves to hang out in my studio while I paint, and is the only one of our cats who is allowed to do so, since she usually just curls up somewhere and doesn't mess with the painting supplies too much. One of her favorite activities is to help and supervise if you are gardening outdoors.

Cleo has always been fine with our dogs, but she doesn't like other cats. Hence the problem (and hence the reason you don't see her in photos like the ones below). When I move, whenever that is and to wherever that may be (so far, no luck in finding future places to live with the animolecules or to paint), I am not going to be able to keep her indoors in a small place with all the other cats for a long enough time that I would feel secure that she knew she now lived in a new house and new neighborhood. Her new home, ideally with no other cats, would have to be able to keep her indoors for a few weeks, and build trust and bond with her, before starting to let her out. She does use the litter box perfectly when indoors, and uses the great outdoors as a litter box as well. She puts on an amazingly thick, plush winter coat, and in summer she sheds that and is just a little sleek thing.

She's a wonderful girl, and she deserves a wonderful situation. Please ask around amongst the people you know and trust. Thank you.

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In Bihar, India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 190

2011-12-05T14:59:00.001-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 4.5" x 5".

This is the counterpart to the previous one, Untitled 189. They're exactly the same size. They weren't meant to go together, but I did them one right after the other and then realized they should go together. I think they'd look great each framed in the same way, and hung in the same room on different walls.

Here they both are:

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Just what it looks like: Gadjo was just minding his own business and Miss Lemon decided she needed a foot warmer. Notice Gadjo's "annoyed ears."

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In India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 189

2011-12-03T20:32:00.000-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 4.5" x 5".

This one and the next one I'm going to post (Untitleds 189 and 190) make a really nice pair. I'm going to be framing them and about seven others for my next show, which I will be hanging on Dec.28.

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I'm a little bit worried about Rumi. He had his annual checkup recently, and has lost 10% of his body weight--and he was already a very slim cat. It's strange, for a young and otherwise apparently healthy cat. The vet wants me to bring him in again in about 6 more weeks to reweigh him. He's a very hyperactive cat and I think maybe he just burns off more calories than he can hold onto. His symptoms sound like hyperthyroid, but usually only senior cats suffer from that; Rumi is still a spring chicken.

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In India.

Square 1

2011-12-02T19:32:00.000-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5" x 5".

Something a bit different... For the last couple of weeks, I've suddenly gotten into a groove of doing squares. Perhaps I've gone from channeling Rothko to lightly channeling Josef Albers.

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Boulder peeps, if you're out on East Arapahoe, please stop by Ozo Café (near 55th) and see my art show, which will be up all of December.

Gadjo is a curler-upper. Fennec is generally a sprawler.

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Chai break. India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 188

2011-11-30T04:18:00.000-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5" x 6".

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"Hi there. I am a very serious guy." (Not.)

Blorp.

And now, from the archives: Baby Rumi with Miss Lemon. Ohhhhh....he was so tiny. I want to hold him in my hands. I can't stand it!

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In Lakshadweep, India. I miss that place. Too bad it's such a very long trip to get there.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Lynxie's hard-working afternoon

2011-11-28T04:04:00.001-07:00

Lynxie labored strenuously the other afternoon, keeping tabs on the squirrels in the elm tree outside the living room.

Biiiiiiiiig stretch...squirrel vigilance is tiring.

I started laughing out loud at this point, and Lynxie was mortified to realize I'd been taking pictures of him.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 187

2011-11-26T15:16:00.000-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5" x 5.5".

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Head cold status: Day 3 same as Day 2. Day 4 same as Day 3.

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Miss Lemon is a very clean girl.

It's that little smile--it kills me. Every. Single. Time.

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In Hyderabad, India. I was going to crop this but I think it's fascinating to see just how much is going on.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 186

2011-11-25T14:42:00.001-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5" x 5.5".

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Day 3 of a nasty head cold. Am wiped out.

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Boyz 'n the papasan.

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American dance troupe at Golconda Fort, Hyderabad, India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 185

2011-11-22T00:19:00.000-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5" x 5".

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The half-awake Lynxie monster...

...and his adorable back feets.

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Loom equipment. In India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 184

2011-11-18T14:49:00.000-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5" x 5".
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Found abstract: Indian pavement.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 183

2011-11-17T14:29:00.003-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 4"x 6".

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I was going to do a general update on things today, but I'm unfortunately living in migraine land today. So, maybe next time.

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In India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 182

2011-11-15T21:37:00.003-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 4" x 5".

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In a supermarket in India. Cool produce. They got pretty mad about me taking a picture. They just didn't get that it was simply an artistic photo.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 181

2011-11-12T15:19:00.000-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5" x 7.5".

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Notice: Only orange animals allowed on the couch today, thank you for your cooperation.

(That's Mojito and Fennec.)

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In India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 180

2011-11-10T15:55:00.002-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5.5" x 5.5".

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This just does not look comfortable to me. That lowest paw is a front paw. He's at an angle in the papasan, with both back legs and one front leg bracing him.
And yet he stayed like that, sleeping, for quite a while.

...Whereas this guy always looks comfortable.

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India. All dressed up and waiting for the menfolk to get their hair cut.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 179

2011-11-07T14:17:00.001-07:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5"x 6".

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From the archives: Baby Lynxie.

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Basmati, king of rice. India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 178

2011-11-05T21:33:00.001-06:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5" x 6".

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Who's becoming a big, sprawling kind of boy?

A little back feet stretch. I love their little prong toes:

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This photo is actually from last year. But it's already looking a lot like that out there.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 177

2011-11-03T18:48:00.004-06:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5" x 6".

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A dear friend, the most amazing woman, M, just found out she has breast cancer. Everyone please send some really good thoughts her way. M, un abrazo muy grande para ti, querida. I'm glad she has a very strong support system. She has a wonderful husband and she just celebrated a major-milestone birthday with a whole lot of friends, and the love for her at that party was palpable. A nicer person you'll never meet.

Now, let's try to relax anyway, shall we? Fennec and Rumi will show us how:

Who, me? Oh, just looking wolfy while guarding a bunch of messy human shoes. (Mojito.)

I have such naughty, naughty animolecules. We just bought a brand-new (fortunately, small) packet of kitty treats the other day, and the next morning, this appeared on the floor:

I know who the culprit is, too. It's Gadjo. I have several times found him on top of the refrigerator where the cat treats are kept (er, used to be kept). He's so athletic. He can leap straight up to the top effortlessly.
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Taken in India, in a shop that takes passport photos on the spot (somewhere in a not-too-distant post, I showed the back room of that shop, with a comb and hair powder ready for any comers).

Anyone know why it's more expensive to get your photo taken if you're German??

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 176

2011-11-02T21:13:00.000-06:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5" x 6".

The background color of this piece is a little more blue in real life than it appears here.

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We got totally pounded with snow again last night--exactly one week later. It's making me feel weary and hibernate-y.

Fennec feels the same way.

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India: street barbershop, waiting for a client.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 175

2011-10-30T13:54:00.001-06:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5" x 6.5".

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In India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 174

2011-10-28T13:48:00.000-06:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5" x 6".

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Fennec looooves Mojito.

But then, Fennec loves everybody. He's just that kind of guy.

Below: The Jazzy Man, about a year ago. I miss you, Jazzy Wazzy.

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Found abstract, on the sidewalk.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 173

2011-10-26T16:17:00.001-06:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5" x 6".

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Things still suck here (but I am taking the good advice many of you had, though I may not write about the specifics here), but this guy makes me smile: here's Moji at Coot Lake a couple of weeks ago. I can't believe this photo came out--I had a very enthusiastic wet dog barreling at me full-speed, and a was doing a one-handed photo with an iPhone that doesn't have a very good camera to begin with.

Moji loves fetching in water more than anything in the world.

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We have had the most beautiful weather imaginable for almost two months.

Still in shock over waking up to this today. Big branches are breaking all over town (including on our deck) due to the sudden heavy snow (first snow of the season, and it is a huge one!). It went from 80 degrees a couple of days ago and will be only 15 F tonight. Boulder never does anything halfway.

And there really is only one good way to deal with it:

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 172 (Key Lime Pie)

2011-10-25T04:04:00.000-06:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5" x 6".

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Things are still bad, as you can imagine. But...(cue dramatic music) the blog must go on!

Oddly enough, I'm super creative in the studio right now. I have such a backlog of pastels now to post, I'm set for a long time. It's funny, I mentioned it to my acupuncturist when he asked about my creative energies at the moment, and he laughed and said another client of his who is also an artist, during the divorce process was also ultra-creative, but then once his life settled down again, his creative energy really waned. I told him he shouldn't have told me that. My take is, all the current riled-up energy is finding focus once a day, which is great.

I'm always amazed at how my blogger artist friends out there rally when any amongst us is having a tough time in their life. Thank you all. It is really helpful, all the emotional support.

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(Below) This is looking down at the floor in the kitchen while trying to cook. This is often the scene. It's hard not to step on him sometimes. He is such a total goof. He's also the only kitty I've ever had who finds the bustle of feet in the kitchen a great place to lie down, sprawl, and roll around.

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Random photo I took with my phone in the spring on the Pearl St. Mall. When I first moved to Boulder, I hung out there all the time. Now I rarely go, in fact kind of avoid it. It's just "where the tourists go" to me now.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 171 ... and de-lurkage!

2011-10-20T21:07:00.001-06:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 5.5" x 6".

I never tire of color. Sometimes bold, other times subtle, as here. Pastels are such an ideal medium when one is as obsessed with color as I am--they're so pure and so immediate.

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I've decided it's time for a de-lurkage! It's been quite a while since we last had one here. Like spring cleaning, it's time to reveal the dust bunnies (aka lurking readers). (After de-lurking, all you lurkers are then allowed to go right back to being lurkers again, no problem.)

This is merely for my own amusement and a little ego boost. I've not been getting many comments lately (or managing to respond consistently to them when I do), and so much difficult stuff is going on in my life that it's the perfect time for me to know that in fact people are out there and looking at my art and reading and checking in on my animolecules.

So, if you are a lurker and feel brave, please temporarily de-lurk, if only for this single post and solely for my amusement! Cheers.

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It's a difficult life, being a kitten in this household.

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In Hyderabad, India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 170

2011-10-18T22:41:00.000-06:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 6" x 10".

I think this is the largest of all the pastels (in this style) I've ever done.

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Some days gravity is particularly strong.

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In India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 169

2011-10-16T01:53:00.001-06:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 3"x 5".

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Two cuddle, one daydreams.

I never get tired of seeing those two pairs of ears--pink and brown--together.

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In India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 168

2011-10-15T15:28:00.000-06:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 4" x 5".

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Look how big Fennec's gotten (pic below)! I think he probably outweighs Gadjo now. Gadjo is now one year old and Fennec is...I don't remember...6 or 7 months, maybe, and is definitely going to be a big boy.

Gadjo has turned out to be one of those long, lean, lithe (but overall not very big) Siamese I've seen before (but never had one). When I pick him up he feels almost weightless, like he's build from little bird bones. He likes to be held balanced along one of my forearms/hand, and folds his long slim legs up in a complicated origami, which always makes me laugh.

What beautiful, amazing creatures they are. Not a day goes by without me being utterly in love with cats.

By the way, it's been a while since I mentioned the possibility of Gadjo having FHS (Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome). For a few months there, it seemed he was symptom-free and I had stopped holding my breath and thought perhaps he had escaped the disorder after all. But out of the blue, he had some bad episodes a few weeks ago. Just as I was about to give up and try some meds on him, his episodes began diminishing again and now they are almost nil. He does seem to be a high-strung cat, certainly the most nervous and hyperaware one I've ever had--traits of many Oriental breeds, apparently. In a way, FHS is kind of a magnification of those traits.

My guess right now is that he does have the disease, but if we are very lucky perhaps he won't have a severe case. If it ever gets bad enough, I will try him on meds, but it would be great if we didn't have to. What worries me most is it usually doesn't develop until a cat is one or two years old or more, and little Gadjo showed symptoms before even turning a year, which makes me fear an especially severe case. My poor darling. I'm just happy when I see he's having a day with no or few symptoms.

Fennec, on the other hand, is your classic laid-back big orange guy. My vet says there is a real tendency for male orange cats to be especially mellow and sweet and easygoing. Fennec certainly seems to be headed to fulfill that destiny.

I'd only ever had two male orange cats before, two brothers that were not at all laid-back or mellow, but I suspect they were somewhat feral when we got them, and we ended up not keeping them, giving them to a friend (of course we had too many cats anyway [!]), as they were very alpha and had been causing problems with the rest of our cats as they grew up. I had named them Uno and Dos, and unfortunately Uno disappeared from my friend's one night, but Dos is still there and very much cherished.

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At the weavers' cooperative, Hyderabad, India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 167

2011-10-12T20:29:00.001-06:00

Pastel on PastelMat, approx. 4" x 6".

This one also is very new, and was sold during Open Studios. Thanks, Boulder peeps, for supporting your local artists!

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Gadjo gives Lynxie a thorough chin bath:

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I had just washed these little tomatoes and was about to eat them when I realized they look like a little Chihuly installation. Had to go get the camera.

I can eat them now.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 166

2011-10-09T12:35:00.003-06:00

This pastel got sold yesterday. It's a very new one, and a bit larger--about 6" x 10".

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Today will be the last day of Open Studios 2011. I'm sooo tired! but it's been good.

The coolest thing that's happened this weekend? A woman bought two of my pieces and they will be hanging in the same house as some original Wolf Kahns!

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In the state of Bihar, India. You have to try to imagine this scene with its multitude of ravenous mosquitos and accompanying climate: temp in the 80s or 90s, and humidity of about 100%. Ugh. We gringos are not made for the tropics (case in point: Fitzcarraldo).

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 165

2011-10-06T13:43:00.000-06:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 4" x 6".

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The bath...

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At the weavers' cooperative, Hyderabad, India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 164

2011-10-03T23:26:00.002-06:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 3.5" x 4".

I really like this one. It feels somewhat Diebenkorn-ish to me.

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The first weekend of Open Studios went very well, though I haven't even remotely recovered from it yet. Good thing there's several days to recuperate before the next weekend. Thanks, all you Boulder peeps who've already come to visit the studio!

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Thank god for cats. I wouldn't make it through life if I didn't have them to make me laugh.

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In India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 163

2011-10-02T00:29:00.001-06:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 4" x 5".

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Don't forget, if you're in Boulder please come visit my studio this weekend or next for Open Studios.

Thanks, everyone, for the compliments on my previous post. I'm loving seeing some of the recent pastels framed and up as a group! I sold a few things today but, surprisingly to me, none of those.

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The love between these two just kills me.

And speaking of killing, I really wish Rumi wouldn't sleep like this. It's very disturbing to walk by the couch and see this:

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Pastel paintings en famille

2011-09-28T15:37:00.002-06:00

There's some glare and perspective distortion and whatnot, but you get the idea. Here's the framed-up pastels hanging and ready for the weekend (Open Studios). I realized all my frames were black and the same size (11" x 14"), but not all were the same kind of frame. Oh well. I still think they look pretty great.

It makes me greedy--wishing I could see all my pastels framed, not just a small percentage.

Art is weird, though, no? in the sense that here I've chosen what I think are some of my best works, that I love, and now I have to hope they go out the door, never to return--in order to be able to afford frames for the next round.

And now here's a random assortment of recent pastels, just to give an idea of how they look in a group:

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Fennec contemplates whether it's worth the effort to get fully back onto the couch...

Apparently not.

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More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Night moon

2011-09-27T19:33:00.000-06:00

Pastel on Sennelier LaCarte, approx. 4" x 9".

Been a while since I did a moon. This is called "Night Moon"--redundant title? Not really, because the last couple of moons I did were Day Moons. Oh, and there was a Solstice Eclipse one too.

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I love the special bond between Rumi and Gadjo. From the moment they met, they were two peas in a pod. And they still are.

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In India, at the weaving cooperative.

Don't forget, these next two weekends are Open Studios here in Boulder. Come visit me if you're in town. I'm Studio #92 this year.

This Friday night is the reception at the Boulder Public Library, 6 -8 pm--see one piece from each of the 129 participating artists.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 162

2011-09-26T15:10:00.000-06:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 4" x 5".

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I had some dreadful problem with my iPhoto library. I still don't understand what happened or how The Husband patched up the problem or if the problem is fixed now for sure. But I am happy to be able to blog again today finally!

Coy boy on the couch.

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In India.

I thought this was some sort of tombstone. The Husband said it's something to do with telephone cables. Or electricity. Something like that.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 161

2011-09-20T14:21:00.002-06:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 4.5" x 5".

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I'm not sure, but I think some crime has been committed here:

No India pic today, as I'm having trouble with my iPhoto library.

So here's a bonus animolecule photo: more Fennec weirdness! (He was just hanging out like that when I walked past the couch and had to do a double take and look for the camera.)

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Unititled 160

2011-09-17T15:29:00.001-06:00

Pastel on Sennelier LaCarte, approx. 2" x 4".

No, I didn't go back to my previous pastels style. While organizing my studio for the upcoming Open Studios, I decided this is one of the twenty or so I'm going to frame, and realized I had never shown it here, so I had to photograph and name it.

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How do they sleep in these positions?!

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More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 159

2011-09-15T18:36:00.000-06:00

Pastel on PastelMat, approx. 5" x 6".

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The other day Fennec decided to climb the fit-ball that I was sitting on (in lieu of a chair when working at a desk)...with his claws.

It immediately ripped in multiple places and all the cats spent the next hour or so, fascinated and a bit scared, alternately running away and then coming back bravely to whack at it with a cautious paw, watching it deflate and listening to it hisssssssssss...

If you ever saw the old film classic The Red Balloon, well, it was kind of like that.

(Yes, it's dead and I had to order another one. I hope he stays away from it this time.)

Cats can cost you quite a bit of money in wrecked stuff, but at least they usually entertain you while doing it.

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In Bihar, India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 158

2011-09-13T15:02:00.002-06:00

Pastel on PastelMat, approx. 5" x 6".

This one's a personal favorite. I find it fascinating that sometimes vivid harlequin colors can all get along so well.

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Boulder Open Studios is coming up again soon, the first two weekends of October. I have a lot of work to do in terms of organizing, framing, cleaning...lots of cleaning...oy.

Please come by during those two weekends if you are in Boulder!

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I love how kittens can fall asleep in any position.

Mine never sleep as strangely once they're adults.

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In Bihar, India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 157

2011-09-11T21:39:00.001-06:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 4.5" x 5".

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It's the little curled-up back feets that just kill me here...

Fennec sleeps in many positions. They all show off his cuteness.

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In Bihar, India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 156

2011-09-08T20:44:00.001-06:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 4.5" x 5".

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Thank you so much, everyone, for the outpouring of love, sympathy, and empathy. We miss Jazzy every minute and always will, but are trying to keep at the forefront of our minds how lucky we are to have had him in our lives, and for so many years.

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[Sesame Street song paraphrase:] One of these things sleeps not like the others, one of these things just doesn't belong...

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At the handloom cooperative, Hyderabad, India. (That's the commanding hand of The Husband's sister-in-law/business partner.)

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Beloved Jazzy Wazzy. February 1997 - September 6, 2011

2011-09-06T21:39:00.002-06:00

This afternoon we had our beloved old golden retriever Jazz put down.

He had slowly lost much of the use of his back legs over the last few months, and a few days ago he mostly stopped eating and let us know clearly that he was done with this old, joyfully-used-up arthritic old shell of a body. He became more peaceful in the last few days than he had in perhaps the last year or two.

Such a great soulfulness he had, I feel he'll come back as a monk or spiritual leader of some sort.

He had nothing but love for all beings. Please give your animolecules an extra hug in his honor.

I'm not sure how I'll paint without him. He was my studio companion.

We love you, Jazzy Wazzy (aka "Wazzle Dazzle"). But you always knew that.

After we made the dreaded appointment with the vet, The Husband took Jazz out for a last romp at Chautauqua Park. Jazz got to get his feet muddy, go out on a windy trail, and roll in weeds--three of his very favorite things to do.

I thought it would be hard for me to watch this video (I saw it after we put Jazz down), but I find it soothing, and fascinating that instead of just running around having fun, Jazz really seemed to be surveying his "kingdom" (it's a trail he's run along many times in his life) and taking it all in very deliberately and consciously.

Most of the video is just him standing and looking. At about 1:27 he decides he needs to go roll around in the weeds.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 155

2011-09-06T02:56:00.002-06:00

Pastel on PastelMat, approx 4" x 5".

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Fennec--all boxed up and nowhere to go.

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Embroidery ladies, Jaipur.

I can only imagine the gossip that must go on when the same bunch of women gets together every day for hours.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 154

2011-09-01T18:21:00.002-06:00

Pastel on PastelMat, approx. 5" x 5.5"

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If you're in Boulder this weekend, come to the big outdoor festival Sat-Sun-Mon to our SLOWCOLOR booth and check out our naturally-dyed linen garments.

I suspect Gadjo will sleep through it.

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Industrial iron, India.

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

Untitled 153

2011-08-29T15:16:00.000-06:00

Pastel on UArt, approx. 4" x 6.5"

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Gadjo seems to have found the just-unpacked shipment of naturally-dyed linen SLOWCOLOR scarves.

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Bulletin board in Finland (photo credit: The Husband).

More art on my website: jalapfaff.com