Sunday, March 23, 2008

ITALY!

Come to ITALY!
I am beyond thrilled to announce that I am co-teaching a painting & mixed-media class with the amazing Kelly Rae Roberts in Tuscany! yes, Italy! This October!

Join us for a week of creativity & painting bliss~ relaxing in the beautiful city of Cortona, with day trips to Florence to explore the galleries & flea markets! Not to mention leisurely Italian meals and wine and lovely accommodations. Dreamy! I cannot wait to experience this amazing opportunity with some of you!

Postcard on Italy class!

*learn more about the trip here!
*read the luxurious itinerary here (hello wine & chocolate tastings!)
*read about Kelly & me here
*register here! space is limited so please sign up as soon as you can!

Now is the time to take flight & live your creative dreams!

xoxo
mati rose

Monday, March 17, 2008

his name is REYNALDO:)

and the winner is.... that one guy!

you are probably are that ONE GUY who reads my blog, besides hugh that is, who randomly chose the winner! horray for you!

so hey, "that one guy" send me your snail mail address (matimcd at hotmail dot com) and put the kitten en route.

that was fun. i'm glad i didn't base the winners on the names, because holey toledo there were some smokin' ones!!!! if you have a minute read through them!

thanks for playing all!
xoxo
m

Thursday, March 13, 2008

tiny tiger kitten up for adoption...free!

hi guys,

thank you for your kind words.

tiny tiger kitten 4

i want to really show my gratitude by giving away this little tube-socked guy to someone lucky! (it's acrylic on canvas, 4x4 inches & retails at $75.)

last week i WON marisa's giveaway and it made my day. truly. i never win! i mean i don't think i've ever really won anything. plus, her art radiates goodness and i would love to have it near & will soon!

so to pay it forward...

please leave a comment here with what names pops into your head for this little fella or lady. whatever comes to mind first. it doesn't have to be cool or clever, no pressure, i'm just curious & like names! then i'll have hugh randomly draw a name out of his hat. yay!

i hope you participate because this one needs a home! i'll announce the winner monday evening 7ish west coast time.

tiny tiger kitten stare off

additionally these two little guys are available individually at nahcotta gallery so please contact them if you're interested.

***also, i'm honored to be officially in the modish shoppe and participating in poppytalk's handmade market! check out the beautiful wares of all the artists!

xoxoxoxxoxooxoxoxoxoxox

mrm

ps- i just got back from evan b harris' show and it is beautiful-- delicate & subdued and even better in person if you can.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

facing fear is scary. yo!

i faced some deep seated personal fears yesterday and came through on the other side. i want to share some wisdom that got me through it.... ask for help, acknowledge how scared you are no matter how irrational it may seem (really listen to that scared part of yourself), write down your safety net... i wrote on a piece of paper all my loved ones (and i feel incredibly blessed that it was teeming over and names crammed into the sides) if the worst case scenario were to happen how they would catch me. and carry some mementos that help: sweet smelling jasmine i picked from a tree and a bright red leaf i found on my walk. nature helps ground me, in my pocket. i also brought my husband along for some hand holding. and i said a few prayers even though i'm not sure who i was praying to. it all helped. there's that saying.. "there's nothing to fear, but fear itself", but man that is real.

phew.

true blue friends are huge too. i have been so grateful of my growing & multi-dimensional friendship with the amazingly talented and real kelly. i feel she gets me and vice versa. we can talk low brow tv, indie flicks, painful bits and dreaming big all over a split pizza. thank you kelly. we are very excited to share news of a project we've been working towards that hopefully includes some of you too... soon!

kelly & mati photobooth
some homemade photobooth pics of us from the other week. silly.

interesting that in order to celebrate fully it's also necessary to look straight at what's holding you back. for me at least. to embrace the vulnerabilities & the successes simultaneously feels weird, but entirely present.

tomorrow i'll share some shop news. till then. be kind to yourself. you are loved & safe.

sweet dreams,
mati

Friday, March 07, 2008

childhood inspiration

i'm feeling sick today, so i'm grasping onto happy images. it helps.

i'm always always always inspired by what children create. i feel so lucky to be teaching two adorable kids ages 6 & 8 who are adding their energy, pipe cleaner creations, gocco valentine's and exquisite corpse drawings on my wall. i set up pillows and a small table so we can all create and it makes me happier to be in my studio when i'm by myself as well. a place to sit on the ground and get down to business with no "pressure", only play. where will my imagination go today? and letting it. so easy to glean this lesson from the kiddos.

i teach art once a week.

so of course when monika elena bought my elephant print and told me she was a photog i checked out her site and LOVE her joy filled work. especially these diptychs which show these little ones exploring through paint, strawberries and the natural world. i love how in the moment they look. completely uninhibited. a true gift of a photographer to be able to capture that! monika travels between SF and DC so look her up if you want a photo shoot for your family.

monika elena
monika
monika


i also am swooning over small magazine. it's perfect.

and i really want to see the movie "my kid could paint that".

hope you delight in these images as much as me. thank you for your kind emails about my article in "cloth, paper, scissors" available here and on news stands now. i am working on responding to everyone. know that your words are uplifting & mean a lot to me.

xoxoxo
mati rose