mati rose

everything is going to be okay.

2012-02-08T15:31:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning for the first time feeling like everything is going to be okay.

It's been 2 months since my husband moved out. I've been waking up every morning with amnesia and have had to remind myself of my new life.

This morning I awoke in my room and saw this beautiful burst of sunlight and flower pins and hairclips that I had hanging and remembered what I loved. What inspires me. What makes me get up in the morning.

In writing my Painting book I realized that I was writing medicine to myself, my future self. As Helen Keller said:

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing".

Furthermore that the adventure and the daring part is just about aligning yourself to what makes you feel alive.

My husband and I had a beautiful and complex relationship where we loved each other and were artistic allies. There is so much mystery to people. There is so much that I won’t understand, but what I do know is that we must continue to “show the world our magic” and align ourselves to our own truth and aliveness.

Today I decided to paint my own magic for the first time in my studio in months and it felt AWESOME.

I realized while writing my book that what you put on your canvas is really a mirror for your life. By being daring on my canvas, my life broke open in a new way and is waiting for me to begin.

xoxoox

Get Your Paint On: Beyond The Basics!

2011-10-21T15:53:00.000-07:00

Hello friends!

Just a reminder that GET YOUR PAINT ON :: BEYOND THE BASICS starts this Monday, October 24 and it's not too late to register!

This five week course is just $139 and includes:
-Tons of video demonstrations by Lisa and Mati showing you how to paint in their own words and with their own hands!
-Lessons include using inspiration, transferring images, color mixing, layering technique & creating depth and dimension with paint
-Cohesive, supportive online environment with fellow classmates plus Mati & Lisa offering feedback and support

Use this course however you like! It's open to ALL levels!
-Take it at your own pace! (no strict schedule)
-Participate in the course environment to the extent you are comfortable (you don't ever have to post images of your paintings if you don't want to!)
-Take the information that is relevant to you and use it how you like

We'd love to have you! To register, go here or just click the button below. You will have plenty of time to get your supplies and get ready to paint during the first week of class.

See you in class!
Lisa + Mati

The Ladies Independent Design League (LIDL)

2011-10-11T18:02:00.000-07:00

photo by Stefanie Renee

Every Monday morning I am lucky enough to meet up with my artistic support group aka LIDL aka the group that keeps me sane in the midst of crazy deadlines!

We usually meet at the same beautiful coffee shop on the water, but several Mondays ago we met at Miss Amelia's poolside! Not too shabby a way to begin our week, eh?

We go around and we each have about 15 minutes to talk through what we're working on and to brainstorm new ideas for one another and offer support and accountability for our deliverables. I love my Monday mornings and this creative group so. IF you work alone as a freelancer and long for a group like this, I highly recommend it! Let me fill you in on what everyone's up to right now:

This week Amelia is getting ready for her "Mini Hipster Plushie Workshop" that will be featured at the Inner Sunset Street Fair on Sunday, October 16th from 1-3pm. Join GoGo Craft this weekend if your looking for a good reason to get off your couch, explore a cool neighborhood, and make something cool!

Cindy Ann's been busy doing a lot of work creating lil' birdies, even though she has a crazy scary fear of pigeons. She has also been embracing the halloween spirit.

Jen is back from Europe (Istanbul, Brussels and London), full of inspiration and ready to start working on some new prints. But first, she has to finish a few paintings for her trip sponsors.

Stef is in the middle of giving her website a fresh look while getting ready to head off to Shuttersisters Camp! She can't wait to come back with inspiration, new tools and new friendships!

Our other Steph has been training her new intern, Christel, in prep for APE 2011 last weekend! She has never felt so excited to get her business into shape. They're currently working on line-sheets (thanks, Stitch Labs) to help expand her business into the wholesale world for the holiday season!

Willo (of WilloToons.com) has been a busy bee this year! In fact, you can read her Hello, October blog post all about it.

In the last month, in particular, she's been rockin' & rollin' with several fun projects:

Design & Social Strategy & Coaching for feistyelle, a beautiful eco-friendly jewelry line

Marketing & Social Strategy for Stitch Labs, a startup that's revolutionizing inventory management for small businesses

Vector illustrations for The Climate Corporation; apparently drawing wheat, corn & soybean growth charts is surprisingly fun!

Gearing up to speak at the Summit of Awesome for the 3rd year in a row... this time in Baltimore, October 20-22!

With all this going on, she hasn't had a lot of time to put into WilloToons Connect, but she did publish her third episode with Marianne Elliott last month, and if you haven't watched it yet... it's a must see! Marianne is such a beautiful guide and inspiration for helping artists like us find our way back to self-care. Speaking of, in case you missed it, I was featured in Willo's second episode, where we also discuss self-care, the importance of perspective in artistic process, and there's a sneak peek of my new book coming out!

And me, what do I have to report? I'm on VACATION for the first time in months and just saw a double rainbow in the Seattle skies!!!

My little lucky ellie is HUGE in NYC!

2011-09-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

photo by Stefanie Renee

A few friends tweeted me photos* recently of my lucky elephant art displayed in NYC on Pier 1's windows! I never thought that when I started making art that I would have my art sprawled across several windows in Manhattan! Wow!

photo by Stefanie Renee

Than the other day my husband Hugh was shopping for a basket at Pier 1 and said, "Wait, that's my wife's art all over the gift cards!". Yay! He brought one home for me to see! I love how it folds open and the actual gift cards have my ellies on them as well.

*If anyone out there lives in NYC or is visiting and can take a higher quality photo, please, please, please do! I'll send you some love in the form of art. Thank you!

it's been so long.

2011-09-14T17:28:00.000-07:00

hi.

i have so much to talk about from this summer i don't even know where to begin! it's been an amazing and hectic summer. thank goodness for the calmness of fall. bring it!

i miss you and this space. in short, i'm revamping my website... to be launched soon, writing a painting book, illustrating 2 kid's books, teaching online and running a studio! phew!

for starters i'm posting over at our teahouse blog weekly. check it out.

don't you love our calendar?

photo by stef, our resident THS photog :)

be well,

mati rose

willo + me

2011-07-27T10:00:00.001-07:00

ok bare with me, i'm a little shy on camera... but i love my friend willo and we always have the best conversations while hiking, biking and at LIDL our design league, that i gave a taped interview a whirl. willo and her team did a great job putting it together!

here's the trailer:

go here for the whole one with SNEAK PEEKS of my book cover in progress!!!

much love,

mati rose

love notes + a sunny yellow picnic

2011-06-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

it's a beautiful day here at teahouse.

mati

Get Your Paint On! Summer Session

2011-06-06T13:37:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, June 7th, is the last day to register for our summer session of Get Your Paint On!

Get Your Paint On: A Five Week Painting Class

with Lisa Congdon and Mati McDonough

June 12 - July 17 2011

Lisa + I had so much fun teaching this online class this past winter! It was incredible to witness the incredible paintings that students shared from around the world. The support, growth and enthusiasm within the class was awesome! I truly can't wait until June 12th to begin again and feel inspired :)

xoxo
Mati

WHAT PAST PARTICIPANTS HAVE SAID ABOUT GET YOUR PAINT ON...

"Thank you so much for offering this class, it has been wonderful and inspirational, just as the community that has grown around it. I appreciate you both sharing yourselves so openly and helping us all no matter our level of skill or expertise."

"Thank you so much for this wonderful class. I've been wanting to start painting for a LONG time and this class finally gave me the kick in the pants to DO IT. I am so glad I signed up. I learned so much. Mati and Lisa, you were so encouraging and made this a really fun experience (even when painting was frustrating)."

"Yay! As a newbie I was so worried that I was going to be out of my depth, but the two of you & everyone else made this space so relaxed and easy to take risks and the support and encouragement made me want to paint more and more and more. I have loved every moment and will be looking out for the next class. Thank you!"

"I am really going to miss this class. The dialogue and inspiration,and assignments have really reignited my love of creating."

"I really appreciate the way this painting class is set up. It's so good to learn to work with assignments. There is definitely a good thing going on here with all the creative community being built as we're able to bounce ideas back and forth."

"Thank you to you Lisa and Mati! I have been so happy inside since I started painting. I have always known that I have this creative molten magma inside of me and now it is getting to come to the surface. I'm loving it!!"

teahouse studio life

2011-05-26T14:05:00.000-07:00

well hello,

it's been a few months now and i'm finally feeling like i'm settling into a routine at our new studio space. this morning we had our first writing class with laurie wagner and i feel like i experienced a little bit of church and returned to myself after weeks of feeling flurried. it dawned on me how this is all really happening. how after so many years of risk-taking, sacrifice and preserving my dreams to live full-time as an artist; that right now all my dreams are coalescing and being realized. and i'm so happy that we have a space to share with other artists, dreamers and explorers.

we took a leap of faith with this studio space and it has been awesome to see how people have responded and how organically and right everything feels. it has also been a tremendous amount of hard work getting it together and essentially starting a new business while being full-time artists!

we have hosted several parties, a benefit for a sweet kitty, craft nights, a bike mechanic class and several incredible weekend classes. we now have a gallery page with our classes with flora + tracey and regular bits of our studio life taken by my studio-mate stef. we have some really amazing ones coming up! i'm truly excited about all of them and hope they are all a go... we need folks to sign up for them! i really want alena hennessy's to happen because i've been a long time admirer of her work. so sign up folks, if you're on the fence, so we don't have to cancel them due to low enrollment pretty please!

here are some shots of our space i took today after a long hiatus with my camera (and blog!). the teaset and omg! pillow were gifts from my sweet hugh from his trip to england last week. and the coffee table i found on the street that i have BIG plans for ;)

here is the view from my painting desk. isn't it nice and airy?

come stop over for some tea real soon!

xo
m

An Update!

2011-03-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

Hi friends!

How are you all? I've been busy as usual doing a ton of fun projects, but I realized it's been forever since I've updated this blog!

Here are just a few of the things that have been keeping me so busy:

Teahouse Studio

Tiffany, Stef and I are *nearly* all moved into the studio and we're almost ready to have you all over for some tea! In the meantime, be sure to check out our website because we have some uh-maze-ing workshops scheduled including:

I'm excited that I'll be getting to take all of these! Don't you want to join us?

Get Your Paint On

Lisa and I wrapped up Get Your Paint On at the end of February and we had such a great time teaching everyone! The students were amazing and everyone had such a great time! We'll be offering the course again in May, so be sure to sign up for the course newsletter to stay informed and get all the secret special early-bird registration dates!

JOY Retreat

I'm heading to Oregon tomorrow to teach at the amazing JOY Retreat in Manzanita. I can't wait to spend some time on the coast with a group of really amazing women!

OH! and PS: Did I mention that I'm writing a BOOK?! Nooo? Well, guess what...

I'm writing a book! Hooray!!!

I am thrilled to finally be able to completely spill the beans about this dream project -- and now you guys know the truth about what's been keeping me so busy!

I'm also in the midst of redesigning my website with an online shop, so for the sake of my sanity, I'm going to keep my etsy shoppe closed until the website launches this summer...

Stay tuned for lots of news though, and I'll do my best to update the blog periodically to keep you guys in the loop and give you lots of sneak peeks of great things to come!

Also, I'm looking for a summer studio intern to help assist me with all these creative projects.

Drop me a line if you're interested!

xox, mati

GYPO: Get Your Paint On!

2011-01-30T16:33:00.000-08:00

We are launching our on-line painting class tonight at midnight!!

I'm excited and nervous that everything goes with out a hitch... sort of like the first day of school for me!!

{Composition by Victoria. Painting on left by me + right by Lisa. Photo by Stef}

Our get your paint on classes start next Monday January 31st and runs through March 4th! Registration will only be open a couple days into the class– through Wednesday, February 2.

You can sign up right here and find your inner artist!

Get Your Paint On: A Five Week Painting Class

with Lisa Congdon and Mati McDonough

January 31 to March 4, 2011

Wahoo!!
Mati

Fearless Women

2011-01-20T16:55:00.000-08:00

Isn't that the best subject line ever?!

This post is twofold: One to announce our new art studio and business-- Teahouse Studio!!!

{deliriously happy here}

Stefanie, Tiffany and I officially signed the lease and popped open a bottle of champagne to our new endeavor that has been in our dreams for a long time! We are over the moon excited to build a community for artists, women and tea + champagne drinkers alike. hee.

Here's a link to our beautiful new studio space-- there's a bakery, yoga and lush green grass for picnicking. I can't believe my new studiomates made a website, facebook page and twitter site all in an afternoon!

The second part of this post, is to spread the word about this amazing organization and dreaming big retreat NEXT weekend! Tiffany emailed me earlier this week to let me know about an upcoming retreat put on by the Fearless Women Network (I so wanna join!) that is all about creating space and energy behind your dreams.

As an artist and small business owner, people often say to me, "You're so lucky! I wish I could work for myself and live my dream!" To which I say, you can!

But it's hard. It's hard to take that first step. So many people out there, women especially, don't always allow themselves the space and the courage to find out what they really want to do.

Having a plan is the first step in finding your way.

And that's where this Ideation Retreat comes in. You get to join 15 women on a 2-day discovery session in the beautiful Marin Headlands that includes full creative freedom, yoga, hiking, laughing, talking and a really safe space to let your dreams emerge.

Can I say that again: a really safe space to let your dreams emerge.

The retreat is being held January 29-30 and you can go here for more information and here to register. Be sure to enter the code ReadyToCreate (because you are after all!) to get 25% off the registration fee!! It's a super deal already, but getting the whole two days (meals & lodging included) for only $318 is really a steal. It's a steal and investment. In your future.

Are you ready to make that leap ladies?

xoxox
Mati

part 2

2011-01-18T09:11:00.000-08:00

a few more friends sent me photos of my work after yesterday's blog post! thank you!

baby ben's room with my old school monkeys, giraffe and elephant trio (love the striped wall):

amanda's inspiration line with my believe print:

tracy's after with my violet feather power block...

super inspired by her before and de-cluttering process!

ohh ahhh

2011-01-17T17:13:00.000-08:00

I love, love, love when people send me photos of where my art ends up! It's the best feeling in the world to see it! Please feel free to keep sending them: matimcd(at)hotmail(dot)com

Here are some recent snaps:

Stylin' Justina's corner with my feather power print in ochre.....

Foxy Susannah's corner with my original Fox & Hen painting....

Gazing Viggo's room with the "Before You Go" print....

Cutie Will's room with a triptych of a lion, sun and kitty as custom mounted art to wood gallery blocks....

Yay for art! Thank you so much to everyone who bought art during my newsletter sale!

xoxox
Mati

it's true

2011-01-10T22:06:00.000-08:00

a corner of my studio captured by my friend stef, who having just peeked, i saw she has some wildly beautiful photos and poems happening on her blog right now.

xoxo

mati

Dream Lab with Mondo Beyondo & Brene Brown

2011-01-09T17:40:00.001-08:00

I'm writing this quickly all fuzzy with an ear ache... because I truly believe this class is going to be incredible and potentially life changing, actually most likely it will change your life for the better.

Both Mondo Beyondo and Brene have absolutely changed mine. I took the first class of MB over a year ago and so many of my big fat scary dreams have come true with doing the dream work.

Brene's book "The Gifts of Imperfection" is a must read.

Listen to her Ted talk too, so good....

It starts tomorrow! Sign up for the class with me! Click on Dream Lab 2011!!!!

nourishment

2011-01-07T08:12:00.000-08:00

photo credit

after much thought, i finally decided on my "word of the year"= nourishment! last year (well mid-year really) i chose abundance and i feel it really happened in every aspect of my life, including dress size unfortunately;)

i feel sick for the 3rd time with a cold this winter, which makes me stop and think about what lesson am i learning? well first to slow down and take measures to boost my health... which led me to nourishment of my mind, body and soul.

v nourish [ˈnariʃ, (American ) ˈnə:-]

to cause or help to grow, become healthy etc.

adj nourishing

giving the body what is necessary for health and growth

an alphabetized (bc i'm funny like that) list of what nourishes me that i want to bring into 2011...

*acceptance

*accountability

*art

*clean

*cozy

*ease

*friendships

*gardening

*gratitude

*green

photo credit

*health

*letter writing

*love

*order

*quality

*reading

*rest

Paola Navone's summer refuge on the Greek island of Serifos (a feature in Elle Decoration, August 2010 via Poppytalk

*running

*self-care

*smoothies

*soaking

photo credit

*soup

*sun

*support

*yoga

xxoxo

mati rose

ps- what are your words of the year if you have one?

pps- all these photos are from my pinterest! love!

Get Your Paint On!

2010-12-29T17:44:00.001-08:00

I'm thrilled to announce my painting ecourse with my pal Lisa Congdon! We've been cooking this class up for a long time and it's exciting to finally put it out in the world! Read more and sign up below or here too!

Get Your Paint On: A Five Week Painting Class with Lisa Congdon and Mati McDonough

{lisa and mati at their joint art show in 2009}

www.lisacongdon.com and www.matirose.com

ABOUT THE COURSE

Want to start painting but don’t know where or how to begin? Feeling stuck in your existing art practice and need a little kick in the pants? Wondering how others approach their painting process? Seeking a community of like-minded folks with whom to share your painting experience? Want to be inspired by weekly artist interviews, painting prompts and chock full painting lessons?

Get Your Paint On may be for you!

Artists, illustrators + close friends Lisa Congdon and Mati McDonough have joined together to bring youGet Your Paint On, a five-week online course in painting. Lisa and Mati will share what they have learned painting professionally. They’ll share their unique and colorful approach to painting in a warm and welcoming environment. This class is designed to support both beginning painters and more experienced artists.

WHAT THE COURSE WILL COVER

The course will be conducted in a safe, private, password protected online environment. Each of the five weeks, we’ll focus on a different topic:

Week One: Selecting and using materials

Week Two: Choosing subject matter and style

Week Three: Using color

Week Four: Creating beautiful composition

Week Five: Virtual show and celebration

{one of lisa and mati's collaborative paintings.}

The course will have lots of information to get you going each week, including:

1) A detailed post by Lisa or Mati about the topic for the week. It will include information, tips and important ideas. We’ll post videos, images and photos that help to elaborate on the topic for the week.

2) A painting assignment that is connected to the topic for the week. Participants will have one week to complete the painting assignment and post it to the private group for viewing.

3) An interview with an established painter or illustrator about their work and process.

4) Inspiration for the topic area.

{painting by lisa}

HOW PARTICIPANTS INTERACT IN THE COURSE

Participants will have the opportunity to make comments and ask questions each week on the topic area. Participants are also encouraged to post images of their weekly paintings in our safe, private flickr group and are encouraged to leave questions and positive/ encouraging feedback for their classmates. Mati and Lisa will comment and answer questions posed by participants as the weeks unfold.

{painting by lisa}

WHO ARE MATI AND LISA?

Mati McDonough and Lisa Congdon are artists who also happen to be close friends. They live about 9 blocks from each other in the Mission District of San Francisco. They are passionate about painting, creating community, COLOR (especially hot pink) and are extremely excited to teach Get Your Paint On! Frequently, they are asked to share their art-making knowledge and technique and so they’ve joined together to present this five week course.

More about Mati:

Mati McDonough went back to art school when she was just shy of 30 years old to study painting and illustration at the California College of the Arts. She made art from the time she was very little growing up in Maine, but never considered herself an artist until recently. Now at 34, Mati has had over a dozen art shows, taught painting classes in Italy, Santa Cruz and Utah, had her art and illustrations used for Patagonia, University Games, i-Pop for Madison Park, as well published in numerous books and magazines worldwide and is now happily represented by Lilla Rogers Studio.

More about Lisa:

Like Mati, Lisa did not begin making art seriously or professionally until she was in her 30's. 10 years later she makes most of her living doing professional illustration. Her clients include Chronicle Books, Random House, Running Press, Harper Collins, Pottery Barn Teen, Target and Urban Outfitters. She is also happily represented by Lilla Rogers Studio. Lisa also maintains a thriving fine art practice and shows her work regularly in galleries across the country. She is incredibly grateful to wake every day and paint for a living.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. When does the class start and end?

January 31 through March 4. It is 5 weeks in length.

2. How much does the course cost and how do I pay?

The class costs $99 USD. You will be paying for the course through Paypal (scroll down to see payment link). Paypal automatically converts currency for you.

3. Can you give me a general description of how the course works?

The course is structured in five weekly increments. Sunday evening, the course for the following week is posted in a safe, private, password protected online environment. Each week will include some information, food for thought, technique and tips, artist interviews and of course, a painting assignment! Participants can comment and ask questions in the course environment, and they have a week to finish each painting. By Sunday (though it can be done at any time during the week), participants will post their painting for the week in a private flickr group for other members of the group to see.

4. What if I don’t complete an assignment?

All we ask is that you try your best to complete assignments as you have time in your schedule and are comfortable.

{painting by mati}

6. What will I need?

-A computer

-A scanner or camera to capture images of your paintings.

-An email address

-A sketchbook

-Five painting surfaces (thick paper is fine, as are canvas or masonite)

-Paint (acrylic or gouache)

-A Flickr account (this is easy to set up and free)

-Time to paint (a minimum of a few hours a week)

7. Do I have to check into the class at specific times?

You do not have to check into the class at specific times. You can access the week’s assignments when your schedule permits. We’d love it if everyone checked into the course environment and read updated material several times a week, but we realize this isn’t possible for everyone.

8. I’ve never taken an art class before and I don’t know how to paint. Is this class for me?

Absolutely! This course is designed for people interested in exploring painting, regardless of their level, whether you are interested in getting started with painting or whether you’d like to take your art practice to the next level.

9. Will other people see my paintings?

The course will include a private space where those taking the class can post their own work and view the work of others in the class. We do encourage everyone who pays for and participates in the class to share the work that they make for the class. Sharing your work is an important part of the process of learning to paint well. That said, mean, critical comments will not be tolerated in the course environments. We hope to create a safe and positive environment for sharing work.

10. Will I get direct feedback from Mati and Lisa?

This class is not designed for regular individual feedback (given the number of participants, this is impossible for us), though we will be logging into the course environment and flickr group to look at work and comment as often as we can.

11. What can I expect to get from the class?

You will receive weekly input on various topics including: using materials and choosing subject matter, defining a personal style, using color and personal symbols in your work and creating an appealing composition. Mati and Lisa will share their expertise and own tips and tricks with you each week, including photos of their processes. They’ll share interviews with accomplished artists. You’ll experiment with approaches to painting. You will get an opportunity to form a group with like-minded others and swap, share, discuss and exchange.

{painting by mati}

HOW TO REGISTER

1) Click on the "Add to Cart" link below to pay. You will be redirected to Paypal to complete your purchase

2) Within a few minutes you should receive an email from Mati and Lisa welcoming you to the course and giving you all the basic information you need to prepare for the course (supplies you'll need, login info, etc.).

ARE YOU READY TO GET YOUR PAINT ON?

Renegade Craft Fair!

2010-12-14T19:01:00.000-08:00

Come by local Bay area folks to Renegade! I'll be at booth #203 pretty close to the entrance (note the event is changed and at the concourse this year, NOT fort mason!). I'll have many gifties and stocking stuffers for you!

I'll be sharing with the talented Lisa Solomon and her biz partner Candy of Modif/y who have a new endeavor of upcycled cashmere cuteness... hello elephants :) and other lovelies like fingerless gloves. i want it all!

Also I'll be hanging with my dear generous artist friends who are gonna help me out Tiffany Moore, Stefanie Renee Lindeen and Jennifer Hewett! Plus next to me will be the super crafty & talented duo Jenifer Lake and Katrina Rodabaugh.

Come say hello to us all!!

Also, my last day of shipping is Friday, December 17th!

For 20% off use the Coupon Code: BIRTHDAYFUN

I'll be offering in person discounted prices at Renegade too :)

oxoxxo
Mati

mini cupcakes and a birthday month sale!

2010-12-09T17:16:00.000-08:00

sweets,

i've been remiss in writing here. there are big exciting things brewing and dream lists to write for 2011 and a birthday month to celebrate. and holiday parties. and children to babysit for. and paintings to be made. and hikes to be had. and movies to be enjoyed. and music to download. and letters to be written. and life to be lived. dishes to be washed. baths to be had. fights to be fought, kindly. and through out it all, you are here.

thank you.

in gratitude i'm offering 20% off in my shop for the ENTIRE month of December off of EVERYTHING, including this print below. Just enter in the code: BIRTHDAYFUN

xxx
mrm

Happy Mati Day & a sale!!

2010-12-01T14:11:00.000-08:00

Hi friends!

It's Mati's assistant, Tiffany here with some news!

Today is Mati's birthday!!!

While Mati's out celebrating her awesomeness, I wanted to do a quick post to wish her a happy birthday, but also to let you all know that we're celebrating Mati Day (ooh, did I just invent a new holiday?) with a 20% sale on everything -- even originals -- in her shop! Just enter the coupon code BIRTHDAYFUN upon checkout and the discount is yours!

Since I am a little bit late in posting this today, I be we could convince Mati to keep the sale running through tomorrow...she's going to be too busy celebrating anyway to worry with details such as these ;)

And, I'd like to add this little note to Mati too on her day:

Mati, thanks for being such a huge inspiration to me. I've learned so much working from you and look forward to many more years of good talks, friendship, and laughs. You are such a true person and your sweet spirit comes through in everything you do. Thank you for being who you are! It truly is a blessing to be your friend.

{end Tiffany's sappiness now!}

ps. BUT if y'all want to be a little sappy in the comments to wish miss Mati a happy b-day, that's totally allowed! Promise she won't mind!

pop up shop

2010-11-26T20:47:00.000-08:00

humbly seeking imagery

2010-11-22T18:22:00.000-08:00

me in ttv by andrea

did i tell you about taking pictures like elephants in the rain at the laundry mat? we looked at the images upside and backwards and tiny like herds of humble elephants bowed down with long trunks as the rain pitter pattered on our hands. hula taught us a ttv class after her show recently and it was AMAZING. i took a bunch of photos, but have only processed two thus far.

one of katrina (love her beret, scarf, ring and rarely captured pensive stare):

and another of ms jen and her mister bob (mustaches at the curiosity shoppe!):

all of it makes me so, so, so very excited for our upcoming joy retreat with polaroids, painting and cooking! there may still be some spots left...

i wrote about kindness over here. and hula wrote about my new painting series on one of my fave design blogs~ poppytalk. there are still some treasure seekers originals in the shop too.

be well,

mati

you are beautiful!

2010-11-19T11:47:00.000-08:00

yes, you!! my darling assistant fanny gifted me this on tuesday. i love that i awake to it on my dresser under my mirror every morning. i believe there are more in her awesome etsy shop. i also adore my original mindy painting (i think her name is carissa, the painting's name!)... more in her sweet shop. both of these girls i met as students at the artful journey retreat and they are making art like gangbusters!

and check out the furtherest ring on the right... the hot pink + green number... andrea's sweet girl ava made it for me:) feeling loved.

i also wanted to say a big THANK YOU for buying any art and mention i have new prints in my shop too!

i'm writing this in advance as i'm actually away at hot springs right now with no wifi or cell service. hope i don't go bananas! i'm clearly addicted ;)

xxxxxxx

mati

photos by the fantastic bob lake

NEWEST TREASURE SEEKERS ARE UP!

2010-11-18T10:04:00.000-08:00

My newest sea series is now available in the shop! Limited edition prints are available from the last series too. Thank you! xxxx

treasure seekers part 2

2010-11-17T19:38:00.001-08:00

my newest batch of treasure seeker paintings will be available tomorrow, as in thursday, november 18th at 10am pacific standard time!admittedly, i'm a wee bit obsessed with boats and shades of turquoise right now!

begin...

i love how you can line up the seas in them...

wide ocean sea bloom...this painting combines vintage wallpaper with contemporary patterns, beautiful shades of blue paint sanded to show layers with a silver leaf boat and charcoal pencil. Not to mention the fuschia blooms~

sea wall...

with this series i'm connecting the dots between my childhood on the maine coast and today on the coast of sf. my papa named a boat after me and i think that was formative in my thinking of myself when i was little. here's the name plate still hanging in my childhood bedroom~

ships ahoy!

mati

fun stuff

2010-11-10T13:32:00.000-08:00

* registration is now open for the JOY retreat i'm teaching at up on the oregon coast... painting, polaroids and cooking! and the sea :)

* my friend cindy featured me recently for her sketchbook stories on an illustration i did for the cute magazine "baby bug"!

* toffee magazine is out! they did an interview with me for their current issue! you can download it here for only $2.95!

xoxo

mati

process + perfectionism

2010-11-03T10:53:00.000-07:00

i want to share some shots and thoughts of a good art day.

it begins with coffee on the back porch (this is when the basset hound behind us is not barking) and 3 pages hand written of the morning pages a la julia cameron. I have her complete set: The Complete Artist's Way: Creativity as a Spiritual Practice, which looks like a bible and sort of is for artists!

i wanted to share this excerpt on perfectionism from julia that ties well to my earlier post about flow--she speaks about her artistic process in writitng:

To the critic, ease feels foreign--and suspicious. Work should be work, shouldn't it? Surely nothing can simply flow?
Damn the colloquial! Every thought, each sentence, must be carefully weighted. Nothing can begin without knowing the ending. There is no room for exploration, for ambiguity. The critic is a nervous man. The critic likes known routes.

The critic believes in product, not process. Do not try to simply rough something in. Forget sketching. That's not good enough. The critic does not like us to have the joy of creation. It is interested in fixing things, not in creating things. It insists there must always be something to fix.

Julia then moves on to talk about the two functions of the artist, the creative impulse and the critical one. She calls the critical one by the name Nigel, which is funny if you have an english friend named Nigel like I do!

Nigel in her mind is stereotypically:

...a gay man with impossibly high aesthetic standards. My work is never good enough for Nigel. He is always with a red pencil. According to Nigel, who has never been known to say anything nice, it is the critic's job to be critical.

I love the idea of naming and separating the critic from the creative process. Letting the creative process be a time where you can do no wrong. Make no mistakes. Be completely imperfect. Then later bring on in Nigel to edit when you're ready!

After I do my morning pages-- I bike on down to my on to my studio that's about 6 blocks away and start by seeking inspiration.

Then I do a bit of staring at my paintings from different angles and seeing what they need.

then turning up the music (feeling particularly fond of the weepies newest Be My Thrill lately, thanks to andrea's rec) and playing in paint!

xxxxoox
mati

hbd fanny!!

2010-10-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

i want to wish my intern turned assistant crafty fanny a super happy birthday!!! here she is super cute in her bike dress on my back porch in her sweet red sandals that i have too :-)

Can you see my meyer lemon tree behind her? Totally in love with it as well as CF.

And here's another shot of cutie Fanny behind the scenes making the magic happen.

xoxoxo
Mati

From Orchards, Fields, and Gardens

2010-10-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

Come by this Saturday to celebrate my friend Shash's Book launch of From OFG:

Here are some photos from the inside from talented folks:

I have a drawing and some photos in it too that I'll post sometime soonish :)

Hope you can stop by if you're local!!

xxx

ps- I'm taking a sick day today if you're tryin to get ahold i'm laying low...

i lost my initial treasure seeker blog post...

2010-10-25T18:58:00.000-07:00

i'm not sure where my previous post went, so i'm seting off on another journey seeking! i'm starting a new batch of paintings and re-writing this so i remember my mindset :) my blog is often just as much for me to document my life as it is to share to you. sometimes i think of things in blog post time... like oh yeah, that was 5 posts back, so a couple months ago. hee.

here's the bare bones first step towards my second series... take comfort fellow painters that they start like this... they will evolve greatly over time, i hope! it kind of pains me to post this... but i'm being brave!

pretend you're a feather powered pirate at sea... soaking in the turquoise deep sea waters as far as the eye can see. you are surrounded by jewels, sea flowers, bold bohemian silk scarves that are faded by sun and sea salt. your ship is sturdy and you have a baby elephant on board that snuggles with you at night to keep you warm. maybe a super hot pirate too ;) you're blasting your favorite sea tunes into the night. you feel alive, calm and full of adventure. you raise your sails in the sun of day and stand at the helm of the ship. you sail up to tropical islands where you fill your treasure chest with more exquisite booty. you drink fresh coconut and mango juice as you sink into the warm sand, hear the waves lapping, feel the nourishing sun warm your skin and take a nap.

i hope my paintings evoke a sense of wonder, jewels, sun and sea and fill you up to help preserve your treasures.

here are some photos of some previously finished pieces that i deleted earlier too;)

fun and easy= flow

2010-10-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

my sweet, wise, beautiful very pregnant superhero friend andrea led some friends and i through a core values exercise a few years back... mine was, no surprise here, that i'm a treasure seeker. i wasn't really sure what that meant to live that out at the time, but as i paint it, it's coming into focus.

i believe dear kelly rae's core values phrase was brave in sadness and brave in love. i borrow this sometimes personally too to help me. i think she's shared this sentiment on her blog before and don't think she'd mind me telling you ;)

and andrea's i believe was fun and easy. i am just starting to understand how this can apply to my life more fully too.

andrea recently shared this in her interview that i linked to a while back. i love this concept she explains below:

MK: How do you nurture your creative spirit within the boundaries of the “do more with less” mentality of minimalism?

AS: I try to live by the law the buddhists call “The law of least effort.” This basically means
that more effort does not equal more results, but right effort equals right results.

I don’t like to pain over my work… write when it’s not coming, sit for many hours
at the computer trying to wring something out of myself when I really just need to fill the well and be replenished.

I listen closely to my intuition, live my real life as much as possible, and write in bursts
from the richness of my actual life. This is how I nurture my creative spirit. I listen for when there is a story that wants to be told.

i had a skype conversation with my brilliant smart agent/mentor Lilla recently about how can i "step things up"? and she basically said i'm doing everything right (thank you) and that i should paint things that are fun and easy for me~ smooshy color, line and what comes naturally to ME, not to others-- that's where your authentic voice lives.

it was a very big A HA moment. paint what is easy to me? wait, i don't have to WORK at it? make it perfect? make it like math? i can keep it mysterious and evocative and fun? i can play with color and paint and go off on little painting explorations? love. it.

thank you for helping me piece together these puzzle pieces friends.

intermixed are close-ups that my friend bob lake (the fantastic jen lake's mister... if you're in the bay and need a photog-- hit him up!) took of my recent treasure seeker series, which means, high quality prints soon y'all!

smooch,

mati

hula's show at arkay workshop!

2010-10-18T16:57:00.003-07:00

i'm so excited to spread the word of andrea corrona jenkins' solo show entitled "built like this" opening this friday at arkay workshop!!

i am such a big fan of andrea aka hula and hot damn, it's about time she had a san francisco show! i've been helping behind the scenes to organize this! hope you can come out friday. it's gonna be really good. think art, good people, music, cupcakes and vino.

there's a nice write-up and preview on poppytalk :)

xxxx
mati

my ellies

2010-10-18T16:28:00.000-07:00

thank YOU to everyone who bought my art! i've never had that happen so quickly-- over 10 pieces sold in under an hour and i am so. very. grateful. my heart is swelling at your generosity.

here are a few elephant paintings that are still available!

wish big, sweet darling! (little bear not included)
i love how the purple elephant is crackled like real ellie skin!

gallop and leap into a wish (m A letters not included)

and the cutest pretend game... ellie-go-phant

i also wanted to share some photos my lucky elephants in people's homes. if you've ever bought my original paintings or prints, i'd looove to see how you display them.

please send them to me:

matimcd (at) hotmail (dot) com

i'd love to see where the treasure seekers end up! hint, hint!

here's ali edwards' daughter anna's room. she commissioned an original elephant. totally an option for you too :-) i love painting ellies in any color. email me about that too! xmas is coming!

here's the rest of anna's dreamy space

i think i may have shared rosie's room before, but it's so cute, it's worth sharing again. she got that ellie canvas through oopsy daisy (they just emailed to say that their canvas sides are even thicker + more high quality than ever)! or a large print here.

andrea corona jenkin's daughter ava's room with my large red ellie print or smaller ones too!

i love me some ellies.

xxxxx
mrm

to a young painter

2010-10-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

To a Young Painter

by jen lee

Trust yourself. Your vision. Your hand.
And when your eyes wander in comparison,
close them.

When the world wants you to strategize,
do not apologize for letting your heart lead,
for letting your canvas bleed out
your questions and your fears,
all the desires that you clutch.
You can throw them into the world
like a great flying disc,
letting them land in light and shadow
and colors that surprise.
In images that do not apologize for their honesty.

Give yourself. Your vision. Your hand.
And when your eyes see what is true,
open them.

my talented writer friend jen lee wrote the above and i had to share. she's good, eh?

TREASURE SEEKER SERIES IS NOW LIVE!

2010-10-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

ready, set GO!
xosososo mati

blooming sf

2010-10-10T17:26:00.000-07:00

i was downloading my iphone photos recently and noticed nearly 1/2 were flower shots! it was kind of cracking me up. I thought I'd share a few here because they have such inspiring colors for paintings! Not to mention their shapes and patterns. here's the rest of my emerging set.

take 2

2010-10-07T20:41:00.001-07:00

a fellow twitter-er sent this flipped ;) thank you dave! and thank you all for your heartfelt comments. it makes me breathe easier to know you get it too. sigh of relief. xxxoxox

a long post on cultivating happiness & perfect protest!

2010-10-06T10:51:00.000-07:00

I had the thought recently that i work very hard to be happy. How happiness does not always arrive when i wake up (i'm quite often a grumpy morning riser). It's a "wicked pissah" to use east coast jargon, when I have to wake up super early and don't have time to be sloooow, piddle and drink caffeine.

This thought occurred to me because I hope I put out there in the world my happiness. My paintings are happy (maybe some are dark or have a twinge of sadness too) and I use a lot of exclamation points sometimes to communicate excitement!!!! For those of you who don't know me personally or know my life story, you may think i'm super. happy. all. the. time! Not so. I consciously work at it. Not by denying the sh**t in life, but by looking at it and working to transform it and connect with others around it in a healing way.

I've been reading Brene's "Gifts of Imperfection" since I got it a couple of days ago. I've underlined the heck out of it! one of the things she wrote that spoke to me was the idea that we are " ...worthy now; right this minute. Worthiness doesn't have prerequisites."

These were some examples that spoke to me:

* I'll be worthy when I lose 20 lbs.

* I'll be worthy when I can make a living selling my art.

and this one really got me thinking...

* I'll be worthy when I can do it all and look like I'm not even trying.

Um, how many of us have had that thought? That the things that matter most to us, we often want them to look effortless and like the opportunities fell in our laps!

To be real... when I lose weight, it's because I've been diligently cutting back and exercising A LOT. Right now I'm enjoying food A LOT and exercising occasionally, and if I were to lose weight I would brush it off like it was no big deal, when it would mean 100's of hours of exercise and willpower devoted to it.

The 2nd example is HUGELY pertinent around feeling worthy for me: when I can make a living as an artist... and not just a meager living, but one where I have stability, savings and comfort and ABUNDANCE. I work so hard trying to make a living as an artist, and yet don't share here my horrifying to-do lists and energy spent making my art look EASY. Nope.

Not to mention the years of torment deciding to follow this path and believing I could, years building my portfolio, many thousands and thousands of dollars going back to art school and the years upon years of living rent check to rent check as an artist couple buying supplies and paying for a studio space to create. Oh my, I could go on, couldn't I? As all you artists know, it ain't easy, yet we may make it look like it is and perhaps that's a disservice. I obviously love making art and it is my passion, but it is absolutely not easy and has required a whole lot of sweat and tears and dedication. It's been totally worth it, but not easy!!

The other aspect of my life that I pretend is effortless is being happy. People, I have therapist(s), an acupuncturist, a creative coach, a supportive art agent, and a ton of creative support groups and friends that I regularly attend to keep me sane/happy and I work very hard being intentional and looking for happiness in all the ordinary spaces. Plus I have a regular practice of gratitude here and in my journals.

Recently I wrote a list of tragic things that I have experienced in my life (we all have them) and it filled a page and it was ugly. Then I remembered I have dozens of gratitude journals filled to the brim. Mixed in with sketches and venting, but I have so much gratitude for it all. All of it. I'm especially proud of the hard work it's taken on my path to be happy, healthy and whole.

here's a Perfect Protest pic of me and my AWESOME intern fanny (who um MET THE AVETT BROS this weekend!!). we realized after painting this giant canvas with our fave collective color turquoise, that oops, it's backwards in the iphoto :) alas... to imperfections!!! we are too busy writing backwards to be perfect!

translation: we're too busy getting our paint on to be perfect and too busy having fun to be perfect!

(don't fanny and i look a little like sisters here?)

XOXO

Mati

New Creative Sponsors and Spaces available!

2010-10-05T13:47:00.000-07:00

Hi friends,

I'm excited today to share some new sponsors with you:

The Declaration of You

Michelle Ward and Jessica Swift have paired up to create a new e-course: The Declaration of You. I just signed up today and am really looking forward to creating my own declaration of myself! The fun starts on October 25, so be sure to sign up soon! I can't wait to be classmates!

Kelly Rae's Flying Lessons e-book

It's no secret to you that the lovely Kelly Rae is one of my favorite people in the world! I recently took her flying lessons e-course and was blown away by the amount of invaluable information she shared. She really poured her heart out into this one and everything she's learned along her way to success. And did you know that she turned that course content into an e-book?

I think that this book would be an amazing tool if you're just starting out on your journey or are already on your path.

I'll be sharing additional new sponsors as we go!

Sponsorships available for only $1/day!

I have also opened up my blog to sponsorships from you! I'm offering these for only $1 per day, so if you sign on now, you'll get the rest of October for only $25! Or reserve both October and November for $50! Please email me at matirose (at) gmail (dot) com to get started :)

Thanks so much!
Mati

The Creative Life....

2010-09-21T16:53:00.000-07:00

Oh man, It's full with highs and lows and dreams come true and ego attacks.... I commend you all out there for keeping on and taking breaks when you need it, and for enjoying the ride!

During this past week off-line and stepping away I've felt extremely grateful for so much lately, especially the supportive folks that i've connected with who share my woes and celebrations equally. My mom said something to the effect of when times are hard people either fight or flight or women tend to FLOCK. I love that. I see a painting coming with that one!

Gratitude list:
*all of you who bought my original art!
*dahlia season

*my children's book critique group

*my rockstar intern tiffany aka crafty fanny
*my tres early monday morning ladies biz group

*helping out at an awesome boutique
*my dentist who said today "my job is to help you love your teeth!" (a gentle reframing of "not to make you feel guilty for not flossing")
*andrea's minimalist knitting interview on minimalism and passion... YES!

*a collaboration with lisa congdon to come and her "don't stop believin' " sign below

*my new organic long sleeved mandala shirts from Patagonia above-- gonna try to get some for my shop too!

*turquoise paint... turquoise anything really!

*baby feet and well babies in general

*farmer's market saturdays with jen and shash
*lemon curd chocolate pies (with lemons from our meyer lemon tree out back)

*kelly's belly

*planning a FUN art retreat in the spring

*veronica mars marathon! now that i'm caught up with friday night lights :)

*tracey clark's luminous interview on the creative life with jaimie ridler

*helping to plan an SF art show and photo class for hula... deets to come!!

*one more weekish of our show up at Rare Device-- go see!

happy tuesday to you :)

mati rose

THANK YOU :-)

2010-09-15T16:21:00.000-07:00

Quickly peeking out from my blog break to say THANK YOU for the art sales!
I let my newsletter readers know first, that I'm having a 40-50% off sale on ORIGINAL ART right now! I'm making room in my studio for some new work!
xooxx
mati

unplugging and smelling the flowers

2010-09-11T16:42:00.000-07:00

flowers from my new awesome intern!! i've hit the jackpot in the intern department every time!

and who doesn't love a squash party?

i know now to anticipate the post-show blues. last week was rough! it reminded me again, in my quest for balance, that i need some time off-line and to dive into some big exciting projects i've had on my plate for a while. and to experience REAL time. so i'm taking a week off the internets. no blog, facebook or twitter or flickr till next week.

time to:
regroup
reflect
create
dig deep
be outside
ride my bike (i'm back on it!)
go apple picking
bake pies
see friends
sit on my porch and drink my coffee
and smell the flowers!

oh and please sign up for my newsletter if you want to hear more about exciting projects to come!

till next week xxoxo
mati

SPIN show party pics!

2010-09-08T17:22:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from the SPIN opening party! It was super fun. Art is for sale here :)

Thanks to those who made it out! It'll be up till Sept. 28th if you want to stop by!

I feel really proud and happy with this body of work! Especially given the short amount of time (and my injured arm with my bike fall) to make it. Yay!

Shashy took more pics and Victoria wrote a nice post too.

Mati Rose

SPIN

2010-09-01T15:18:00.000-07:00

my show with jennifer judd-mcgee at rare device is now up!! wahoo!
hope you can come to the opening party tomorrow night as in thursday if you're local!

1845 market st in SF!

opening:
sept. 2, 7-9 pm
running:
sept. 2-28, 2010

The work is now available for sale on-line at Rare Device here too!

here's my new work in the theme of a twist on vintage games :)
bonus, the window is decked out in real vintage games! pics coming soon.

many thanks to jen, lisa and rena of RD and my new intern tiffany for all your help & cheering on!

It's What You See that Matters

2010-08-30T17:29:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!

My good friend Lisa Congdon is teaching a 3 day painting class in the mountains of Oregon... swoon! I would so love to be part of her class. Lisa is someone who I've admired from day one for her generousness, talent, passion, color and fashion sense and big smile & heart.. aww. I love her and her art and cannot sing enough praises for her person and how phenomenal this class will be!! You will learn so much! There are only a few spots left-- hope you can be the lucky one :-)

San Francisco mixed media artist Lisa Congdon is teaching a three day painting workshop in the Siskiyou Mountains of southern Oregon! Sponsored by ACE CAMPS, this workshop is a once in a lifetime experience! Lisa will work with you to explore how to create their own paintings of the natural world—as you see it—through your own distinct vantage point. Lisa will lead the group in exercises designed both to help you see the idiosyncrasies in the natural world and to draw and paint them in your own unique ways. Participants will learn to recognize and honor their own personal perspectives and translate them into their paintings and drawings. Environment will be easy going, enjoyable and safe! Delicious meals and time built in to relax and enjoy the woods are part of the whole deal.

Lisa’s daily sessions will include walks in the woods, observations, discussions, and exercises in painting and drawing.

Artists of all levels, from beginner to experienced are encouraged to participate.

Space is limited, so sign up today!

east & west coast represent

2010-08-26T16:26:00.000-07:00

I'm excited that next Thursday, September 2nd my and Jen's SPIN show opens on the west coast at Rare Device. Then Friday i'm part of the 8th!! Enormous Tiny Show at Nahcotta! If you're on one of the coasts, hope you can make one of the openings!

SPIN

2010-08-18T15:02:00.000-07:00

part of why i've been freaking out lately is that i have a show coming up in about 2 weeks! and it's really bad timing to fall off my bike and hurt my painting arm. alas, today i woke up and with some rest and space looked at where i'm at... and i think it's gonna be good. i like my work and while i still have a lot to paint, i'm excited!!

so my joint show with jennifer judd-mcgee at rare device on 1845 market st in SF!

opening:
sept. 2, 7-9 pm
running:
sept. 2-28, 2010

i chuckled at liv's comment and it's truth: But what is the one requirement for riding a bicycle? You have to be balanced or you are destined to crash. Looks to me like the Universe dressed up as Captain Obvious and is doing everything possible to get you to rest a bit!

thanks all for your kind words and support on my journey here!

hugs,
mati

i love my bike

2010-08-16T20:41:00.001-07:00

my lovely bike- photo by adam aufdencamp

thank you all for getting my earlier post. i'm sitting here grateful for my bike and my physical body. i fell really hard today on my bike and strained my right arm (my drawing, painting... i had no idea how much i relied on it arm!). after all my freaking out earlier and late nights in the studio i feel reminded to slow down and remember what's important. deadlines will come and go and i'll do the best i can, but i need to breathe and appreciate the now.

if i'm not getting back to you... it's because i'm icing my arm every 20 minutes and watching "mad men".

be well and ride safe!

mati

honoring your freakouts

2010-08-13T19:10:00.000-07:00

print available here

I've been super slammed lately with projects. They all feel exciting and equally important. They have me working at least 12 hour days, from 10-10 usually. It feels alive. It feels overwhelming. It feels like I'm freaking out!

Today I realized that I have been pretending that I'm balanced! I naturally have a very calm and collected front (I've been told) and try to hold all of it together and minimize what's happening in my life. I recognized today that I don't have to do this. I can let on that I'm freaking out! I can honor this state of being! It's the most authentic thing to do.

It's like when I used to waitress I would never delegate my tasks of running for the ketchup, check or drinks to anyone else and continue to take tables and then low and behold I'd be in the weeds! I feel like I'm in the weeds right now. Working in the studio late on a Friday night.

I have this fantasy that this weekend I can bake all my friends meyer lemon pies... the one with a new baby, my pregnant friend, my inlaws, my friend who's turning 40... the list goes on. And of course the fantasy continues to spending quality time with all of them. I have this fantasy that I can be the good friend who listens to all my friends woes and never burden them with mine too. Isn't that silly? What kind of boring friend would that be?

I guess it comes down to valuing myself and my work. I find myself deferring to others when they talk about their big life issues-- babies, relationships, careers... even other artists work "Oh yeah, your show is a really big deal! It's so exciting!! Mine is just a little one. Oh you don't have to come". Enough. Enough of this self-deprecation and humility! I think it's time for me to own up and honor my own enoughness and freakout like the awesome freak that I am! I hope you give yourself permission to do the same!

Happy Freaky Friday the 13th xxxx
Mati

oregon coast

2010-08-10T18:11:00.000-07:00

sigh, i miss this place and the beachy mems. i'm loving all the pinks & yellows... in my pal hula's textiles and collage and the sweet girl herself.
xoxox
mati rose

From Orchards, Fields and Gardens

2010-08-09T21:48:00.000-07:00

artwork above by Oona Ratcliffe, Jill Bliss, Gwen Shlichta and Sarah Rubens

Over the weekend I got a sneak peek of my friend Shash's new book and it is stunning, simply breathtaking:
From Orchards, Fields, and Gardens: Art and rememberings celebrating sustainable agriculture and good food

Chock full of beautiful art and stories on gardens and food. I can't wait to pour over the pages with my own copy! It's thick too! It features over 11 authors and photos and illustrations from over 21 artists (I contributed both an illustration and photos!) with 84 pages printed on recycled paper.

Shash wrote about the project on her own blog these words:
I've been working on this thing for ten months. I often feel that I lack faith that things will work out ok, and this lack of faith makes me not take risks. I worry. And I envy people who believe there's a greater, loving force out there. They must feel more secure. Making this book has tested my (non-religious) faith. But I think it has also generated faith, because each step in the process yielded positive responses. Two friends encouraged me from the start. People I asked to contribute to the book agreed to do so—amazing! When I suggested edits, people didn't seem to think I was a meanie! When I asked (via snail mail because he doesn't do computers) Wendell Berry if one of the contributors could include stanzas from one of Berry's poems, he promptly wrote back, and he agreed! When I asked a long ago ex for help with a final edit, she agreed! When I asked for printer recommendations (after not feeling confident about the one I'd planned on using), a friend sent me to a helpful, flexible, fair, green, family-run press. This project has forced me to ask for help and to let go/not put so much pressure on myself when I can't meet deadlines. I still feel quite nervous about the final product (wondering if I made good design choices, etc.), but I'm also very excited and grateful. Thank you book contributors and friends!

Her words and hard work are such a testament to what can happen when you go fourth to pursue your creative dreams! I'm seriously so happy for Shash. I remember one day when she came over and we drew mind maps of creative ideas... and now hers has become a reality.

Oh yeah, It's available for pre-order here and get $4 off the regular price!

xxx

genuineness trumps cool every time

2010-08-05T12:07:00.000-07:00

feather power in black, original available here

everyone has a story and beauty can be found in the most unsuspected places. this i believe.

i have a wide range of friends. i subscribe to a wide range of super low brow (people mag) and high brow (the new yorker) reads. i thoroughly enjoy block buster rom coms and obscure black and white documentaries. i may sound indiscriminating, but i think it keeps it real to take in the wide range of culture.

it's one of the things i like about my husband hugh too. he has such a range of friends and interests and in particular movie tastes! hello, when i first met him he had seen all the oscar contenders! and he likes the more avant garde flicks too.

anyway, i think it extends to my art too. sometimes i feel like making more edgy pieces and other times more accessible ones. in the end i have to follow my own impulse. mostly, i try to make art that makes me happy in the hope that that happiness extends beyond me. sometimes making dark paintings make me happy and other times sweet bright ones do the trick.

all that to say, i try to be genuine in my actions and intentions in life and relish taking in the wide swath of what the world has to offer. incongruities in life keep things interesting!

be well,
mati

cute chubby baby birds & bouncing balls

2010-08-04T11:11:00.000-07:00

Baby Birds original available here

so many of my friends are having or have recently had babies! it's a really exciting time! in particular i want to welcome to the world my friends kate & eric's new baby william ezra! hurray! i'm so happy that i'm able to gift my friends art for their babies rooms. i can't think of a more satisfying feeling as a artist, to think of children growing up with my art and having it be part of their sense memory. i feel like i have such strong memories from childhood that i may tap into more often than most in playing with paint and drawing child inspired animals.

speaking of play, i've been taking andrea & jen's dream lab and on a daily basis am encouraged to play and rest. is anyone else taking it? it's been a serious treat! new sessions are coming up too!

case and point, saturday i was struggling with a painting and had been for days. silly really to sit and struggle because you know it's definitely not going to turn out good with that mentality. anyway, we have these great young studio mates for the summer (21 + 22 year old guys) and they have continually been reminding me to take breaks and play. on saturday i heard outside a continuous, but random tapping against the concrete and looked out and one of them was bouncing a beach ball by himself. he seemed so curious about how high it'd go and was so obviously playing. such a good idea to take a break to get physical and play and let your mind wander, right? other times i've seen them throwing a basketball back and fourth, making chalk art and the coolest thing by far is creating a communal and live "newspaper" on big chalkboard walls outside the studio doors. they've brought such energy to the studio that i didn't even know was missing! they also really remind me and make me miss my little 20 year old brother andrew who is studying abroad right now in new zealand.

Peep original available here!

anyway, i'm so tangental. i loved reading your comments on yesterday's post! totally embrace your "J" or "P" and inner introvert or extrovert... it's really all good and just a tool to help us understand ourselves best, eh? i also am excited to be in the company of so many people who get the being alone bit. my friend commented on the video something like "i miss my quirky alone time. can i still be quirky and alone with a kid and husband?" i think that raised a good point... how do we carve out that alone time or fuel ourselves when we cannot literally be alone?! good question! i don't know, but i think it's about taking just a minute or 2 and really just paying attention and being in the moment. whether it's watching your child on the playground, reading a book, taking a quick nap in the grass, walking down the street to the post office... when your mind is open and curious to the moment, i think you can be fueled just like being alone.

xoxoxo
mati rose

ps- i'm on quite a roll of listing original art in my etsy shoppe lately. i'm clearing out to make room for all the new paintings i'm making in my small studio! plus, it's an obvious part of my abundance talk is to do the work and make it available for sale (sometimes i forget that part! no one can buy my work if i don't make it available, hello!) convo me if a piece calls to you and you need to pay in installments... i'm flexible. although i'm listing so many of them for a steal of $50-100! also get in touch, if you're interested in a commission of something similar in my shop too please!

Teatime

2010-08-03T13:00:00.001-07:00

Taken on our friend's Olive Farm in Tuscany

I'm disappearing into paintland for 2 upcoming shows and an exciting collaboration to unveiled soon with my good friend Lisa Congdon. In the meantime I'm trying to post daily with a quick painting and hello from me. I realize how quickly I'm moving these days-- I totally just re-read and corrected what I wrote yesterday because I had written it so fast it was illegible. So I'm going to try to focus and sloooow down and make time for tea and treats. I wish the same for you all!

I just got a sweet text from a new friend about how she was inspired by my "gentle spirit and movements towards abundance... and that it reminded her that it was not only ok, but absolutely necessary to usher in that abundance". I am likewise really inspired by her witnessing and acknowledging this for herself. YES, I think part of this abundance talk is to encourage others to do the same. I also really appreciate that she noticed how I was gently ushering it in. It's easy to think you have to be aggressively hunting it down and go against your true nature. And I can't help, but think A Bun Dance like a reader pointed out!

If you haven't read Kelly's post on this topic, it's powerful.

Another thing I wanted to share is this great poem and video about being alone.

As an artist I spend a lot of time alone and crave it when I don't. Yet also really love my friends and am in the complete middle of the introvert/extrovert on Myers Briggs, but if I had to choose I think solitude fuels me... INFP case you wondered. hee.

And you, any Tuesday news, thoughts on Abundance, solitude or your Myer Briggs results?
xoxox

supporting one another

2010-08-02T14:16:00.000-07:00

Elephants in Love

I've had an inspiring day so far! I met early with my Monday morning ladies biz group--a small group of artists and crafters who share resources and offer accountability and support.

Then I met up with the lovley Lacy and Leigh of Curly Girl who's visiting from Boston at Tartine. What a treat!

I love how when women artists get together there's so much sharing of knowledge and stories of what's worked for folks in their creative path. I'm always so interested in how people got to where they are. Where that creative burst of genius came from to inspire them to do what they do. What have been the struggles and successes and how they balance the ebbs and flows of being an artist and entrepreneur. We learn so much from one another!

Happy Monday :-)

Original for sale here

SPIN

2010-08-01T21:01:00.000-07:00

This is my first piece for my joint show SPIN (a twist on vintage board games) at SF's own Rare Device opening September 2nd with the awesome Jen Judd-McGee from Maine. I've collected so many vintage games already from the Alameda flea, Oregon antique malls and from collector friends. This piece in particular I was going for the look of how these vintage games are literally worn and faded and imagined my own "spin" on a sun and rain game.
I have a lot of painting ahead of me, but I can't wait!
xoxo
Mati

mercy/ merci

2010-07-30T12:19:00.000-07:00

I like this definition:
mer·cy
Compassionate treatment, especially of those under one's power; clemency.
A disposition to be kind and forgiving: a heart full of mercy.
Something for which to be thankful; a blessing: It was a mercy that no one was hurt.
Alleviation of distress; relief: Taking in the refugees was an act of mercy.
~from Old French merci

This original painting is dear to me and available now for sale in my shop!
XO

New Canvases!

2010-07-28T17:52:00.000-07:00

I have 6 new pieces of wall art available through Oopsy Daisy! Some of the actual originals are available in my shop too!

Be well,

Mati

birds on a wire

2010-07-27T16:03:00.000-07:00

I love these birds on a wire with Chicago sentiments.

It has been a fave print of many over the years and now the original is available for you here!

xo
mati

abundance

2010-07-23T16:07:00.000-07:00

i welcome this word into my life this year wholeheartedly.
YAY! anyone else care to join me?
photo by andrea scher.
lettering by kelly rae.

soaking it in & integrating

2010-07-22T16:13:00.000-07:00

i just got back from nearly a week with dear friends on the oregon coast. i'm trying to catch up with everything that feels backlogged and simultaneously savor the lessons learned during rest and play and loving friendships. i started out my day emailing and prioritizing my day + week and then felt my achy shoulders from the flight and late night coming home and decided i needed a bath (you don't have time my gremlin protested!). then blending up a peach smoothie was in the works (the day is slipping by she yelled!). then i needed to answer more emails, but decided to take my pillows and laptop out to the sunny porch. i'm giving myself a pass to work & play together= it's really good, people. i'm resolved to be a better boss to myself and try to slow down & listen and be more like miss millie.

all my emails are bouncing back

2010-07-14T21:52:00.000-07:00

and it's nearing 10 pm and i'm still working... time to call it a day! soon my friends, i'll be back with more paintings.

here's a shot of outside my studio taken earlier with my iphone. i love it here.

our studio sale...

2010-07-12T17:42:00.001-07:00

was a great success! thanks everyone who stopped by & to those who wished us well from afar!

i'm exhausted now and catching up on everything else...

here are some shots (that don't have the best light, but you get the gist!).

my wall of birds!
my kid friendly wall!

hugh's silhouette work & silkscreens!

hugh's pink paintings & our collabs below!

Cheers,
Mati

learning to meditate

2010-07-09T15:17:00.000-07:00

i listed this painting today that is about learning to meditate for me. let the lace elephants parade on by and parachutes and tigers try to distract me... i'm calm and centered as they pass on by:-) i'm not looking for answers... or "ansfers", just listening to my inner quiet.

i sometimes listen to pema chodron audio tapes in the morning before painting to center myself. painting is also a form of meditation. being present with color, texture, collage and imagery. i like that. i think about what it would be like to visit pema's monastery in nova scotia... it kind of scares me to think about being quiet and meditating for so many hours in a day, but that's probably precisely why it would be good for me!

my meditation painting measures 18 inches by 18 inches painted with acrylic, silk-screen and collage on wood panel that is 1 1/2 inches thick, ready to hang. it's available here!

and in person at our shop sale sunday! you can see the scale (on the bottom left) in this photo below. hope you locals can stop by!
this Sunday, July 11, from 12-5!

We'll have art and prints available at bargain basement prices. And we'll be serving mojitos! We'd love to see you!

H&M's Studio
2498 Harrison St @ 21st

Note: Sunday is *also* Sunday Streets in the Mission! So Harrison will be closed to traffic, which will make for a really beautiful day!

NYC sidewalk lilacs & peonies

2010-07-08T14:55:00.000-07:00

When in Manhattan last month I took tons of iphone snaps for inspiration. One of my favorite sites were the flower stands on multiple corners near our hotel. Delicious combinations!

Here's a large painting in progress inspired by the lilacs & peonies...

I'll post it when I've finished too and list it for sale!

sweet flower dreaming,
mati

summer sale!

2010-07-06T16:41:00.001-07:00

hi friends,

i'm having an in person studio sale this sunday, july 11th from 12-5pm!

Compound 21

2498 A Harrison Street (cross street 21st)

San Francisco, CA 94110

and an on-line sale too! all of my prints are $25 (regularly $35) and sets of prints are $60 and originals are greatly discounted too!

as i'm gearing up for sunday i'm working on completing larger paintings and will hopefully show you their progress the next few as part of my painting a day.

i added a new painting to my etsy shop today that returned from the patagonia show! it measures 10x10 painted with acrylic and collage and is on sale here!

be well,

mati

doily dreams

2010-07-05T13:21:00.000-07:00

detail of one of my fave doily paintings

as many of my past students & studio mates can attest, i LOVE spray painting doilies & lace! i remember the summer i discovered the technique through experimenting a few years ago and could not stop spray painting through doilies (i bought a garbage bag full of them at the thrift store!) and other found objects... like a pretty patterned rubber place mat and weird vent thing that had a petaled pattern! once you start looking for inspiration in this department it's everywhere!

here are some more explorations (the 2 on the right are already sold):

silver doily love, measures 4x4 inches on canvas (above)
available HERE

tangerine & the ocean measures 4x4 on canvas
available HERE

i think what i love most about this process is they layering and mystery involved in the outcome!

xoxo
mati

extreme gratitude

2010-07-02T09:50:00.001-07:00

sea bloom measures 10x10 and is available here
SOLD

i am feeling extreme gratitude this week for all of the on-line art support from my amazing customers who continue to support my art! thank you. i could not do any of this with out you.

i am very excited that by putting a painting a day out there for just 4 days... that 3 out of the 4 originals have sold! WOW! thank you! it helps me keep going in every way. also every order you've ever made from my etsy shop has meant the world to me. every small magnet order, repeat customer and kind thing you say about how happy and (fill in the blank) having my art in your house touches me deeply.

much love to you all & happy independence day!
xoxoxo
mati

baby seal pup

2010-07-01T13:28:00.001-07:00

well hello,

i just listed this little guy here. i'm under deadline today, so i think it'll be my painting of today even though i made it earlier!

i simply love the spirit of this one. it will soon be stretched on canvas through oopsy daisy and available nationwide with other sea creatures! now's your chance to own the original if you so desire!

SOLD

the original is available here. it measures 10x10 inches on 1 and 1/2 thick panel so it's ready for hanging. it's painted with acrylic and vintage collage all the way from Australia-- thanks to Cathy aka Tinnie Girl!

there are also prints of the baby seal + sets of sea creature prints here.

happy thursday!
mati

transfor-mati-on

2010-06-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

is it just me or do other folks see their names in words? auto-mati-c is another that comes to mind!

to me, today's painting feels like it's about transformation. i've been doing a lot of research on elephants lately for a kid's book i'm trying to write. elephants are symbols for all sorts of luck and especially white elephants. elephants grieve and remember their bones, are matriarchal and they paint! how amazing is that?

butterflies are also symbols of transformation and i find it funny that i truly struggled recently painting butterflies... then it dawned on me that i was having my own painting transformation through out it.

so interpret the painting as you will... it's 8x8 on canvas with a 1 1/2 inch side. it's painted with acrylic, ink and silver leaf and available HERE!

xooxo
mati rose

ps- i'm glad so many of you related to my previous painting of the day. i felt a bit sheepish about listing it because i thought it might be too revealing of my grumpy morning character!

today's painting

2010-06-29T16:31:00.001-07:00

"i'm cute, but pissy before coffee".

quite different than yesterday's, eh?

SOLD! this pissy kitty measures 6x6 with acrylic on a wooden panel available here!

XO

my art in rosie's room!

2010-06-29T11:57:00.000-07:00

i loved seeing this nursery on facebook that a friend pointed out to me of her friend's daughter's room! how cool? rosie has a BEAUTIFUL room!

this elephant art is stretched on canvas and is from Oopsy Daisy! you can put in your zipcode and see where they are selling it closest to you. or online at various stores like this one. also my elephants are available as prints OR you could commission an original elephant of your very own too!

i started a personal flickr group to collect images of my art in your homes. please feel free to email me with photos you have at any point: matirose(at)gmail(dot)com

thanks!
m

ps i feel so encouraged by your comments about my every day painting practice! i borrowed the idea from my friend and inspiring artist marisa! i'll post a new painting later on today...

a painting every day

2010-06-28T17:06:00.000-07:00

hello everyone,

thank you so much for your kind words about my beginning paintings! i've "killed" some of them already with the ugly phase, but so many are coming to life in totally new and unexpected ways.

i've decided to finish a small painting every day & list it in my shop for under $100. i'm excited about this as a practice for me to loosen up and experiment and to offer more affordable work!

i thought this was a good painting to start with as it has the words "grow" in it. which i'm trying to do... and i think especially in painting if you're not trying to do so, you could get very bored!

SOLD

"grow" measures 10x10 with 1 1/2 inch thick sides and is available here!

xxoxo
mati rose

beginning paintings

2010-06-26T14:33:00.001-07:00

i start painting the backgrounds in a mad whirl of color and energy with no idea where it's all going. i cover my immediate area with inspiration; even my own to remind me of past mark making, color and imagery. does anyone else do that?

i've been painting so much lately for specific purposes-- themed shows & illustrations-- that these paintings are just for me to get back to what i love. i have 2 shows already lined up for september, so while i need to get working towards them i also want to experiment and feel back to the basics of gushy paint love that make me feel alive.

i'll keep you posted on their progress.

xoxoox

hello summer why are you so grey today?

2010-06-24T14:04:00.001-07:00

fortunately you are warm and bright in my studio!

here's my new postcard:

and a new big click magnet made by ipop and available in my shoppe:

these magnets are great to put on magnetic inspiration boards in my studio:

see a bit bigger here.

happy weekend!
mati

making my day

2010-06-22T16:07:00.000-07:00

sometimes i get letters in my inbox that make it all worth it. read the blog post behind this piece here. see the original here. thank you wise young boy. i agree, it IS exhausting!

happy monday

2010-06-21T15:45:00.000-07:00

hi sweet people,

thank you for your nice comments after my silly post. i don't wear a lot of makeup, but a little color is fun & so similar to painting. and thank goodness, the plumber came and i can take baths now.

i had a fun and packed weekend. i felt lucky on friday night to spend time with these wise women. saturday we helped my sister in law at her yard sale (she's moving to alaska!) and had burmese food with our dear friends kate & eric. kate's pregnant and about to pop! sunday was filled with brunch at the park and galavanting in the streets. they closed down a bunch of streets to cars in our neighborhood the mission so we biked and walked down around all day in the sun. i came home exhausted with a burnt nose and flip flop tan and fell asleep straight away after calling my dad. happy be-lated father's day out there!

for those of you who get my newsletter i apologize for the repeat, but there are some new things in my shoppe:

*first off, i have some new art!

*there are just a handful of these glass collaborative necklaces with jenifer from sprout studio!

* i'm offering SETS OF 3 prints pre-curated for your walls discounted $30 from the original price!

<3 <3 <3
mati rose

instant pick me ups

2010-06-18T13:22:00.000-07:00

i'm all about quick happy easy fixes to boost your mood. if the flower garden didn't work for you from my earlier post here are a few more superficialcalifragilstic ideas!

background: i'm dealing with a burst h20 pipe/ plumber, 4 loads of laundry and shipping today. not to mention when i'm working from home there's a halfway house next door with a crazy man talking on the porch at all hours and and and a basset hound howling in the back, not to mention home construction across the street and constant pounding and drilling. i know, i know... i live in the city.

1) my lovely (and sadly now former) intern's cutie headband. i miss you jenny!

2) a large baubley ring

3. sparkly eyeshadow (the talented & gorgeous jonatha brooke tipped me off on this one aptly named "midnight cowboy")

4. a little sunkiss blush... i'm liking "the balm" bronzer (which a sweet woman who bought my painting hooked me up with a bunch of freebies from her company!)

5. korres lip butter. i'm wearing mango & like quince too.

6. anything hot pink. i think my ruffled tank is just old navy, but it makes me happy.

ps- no mean comments please! NO i have not showered... our plumber is working on that sitch! yes, i'm i'm this awkward stance bc i'm showing you my baubley turquoise ring from venice glass blowers and simultaneously plugging my ears.

pps- i remember when i first started this blog 5 years ago i'd never show photos of myself and i think i was in my late 20's and at least 20 lbs thinner. what was i thinking?! i guess i'm less self conscious as i grow up. i suspect i'll be piling on more baubley rings, hot pink, sparkly eye shadow the older i get.

my mom's flower garden

2010-06-18T12:47:00.001-07:00

a little pick me up for your friday xoxox

lampshade love

2010-06-16T13:17:00.000-07:00

while i was in maine my mom had the good idea of revamping her plain beigey lampshades. of course we didn't start until the day before i was to leave and the adrenaline kicked in!

my mom primed it first with a coat of primer and then we went to town with regular old house paints and brushes. my mom is so resourceful. i swear. i was doubtful when i saw the crusty old buckets of house paint and dull brushes, but it totally worked. the painter snob that i now am felt reluctant since i have spent hundreds... ahem thousands... of dollars over time on high quality paint and tiny delicate brushes and was doubtful that we could make it look good with less than that. yet with my mom's vision and a couple of coats we persevered! maybe it will inspire you as well to bring out your paints & brushes and liven up your lampshade!

i'll share more photos of my family's colorful maine home in a later post!

xoxox

excerpts from "....simple list"

2010-06-15T11:48:00.000-07:00

1. it's really simple really, to paint is to trust to believe in our instincts; to become.
2. painting is an investigation of being.
4. painting is an act of devotion. a practiced witnessing of the human spirit.
5. paintings are about: paint, observation & thought.
10. light is the true home of painting.
13. painting, like water takes form. paint is a film of pigment on a plane. it is not real in a way gravity bound sculpture is real. it is however real. painting comes to reality through illustion which allows us to make a leap of faith; to believe. to believe in a blue which can be a wing of a bug or a thought. it makes our invisible visible.

by squeak

found scrawled onto notes of mine so pardon punctuation and lack of accuracy to the source.

new england artists

2010-06-14T16:34:00.001-07:00

While I was back east I had the privilege of hanging out with some talented folks! I love getting a window into other artists worlds and inspiration.

Susy Pilgrim Waters (also repped by Lilla) graciously hosted me in Boston after Surtex in her beautiful & color filled artist home. I love this picture below taken in her studio...

Susy took me to some great spots. A sweet shop in Brookline called pod and out for lunch at her dear friend's restaurant Matt Murphy's (YUM!) where she had beautiful bunny paintings up. Susy also has paintings up next door at Pomodoro (run by the same owner & i highly recommend both if you live in the boston area) and seen on her blog! Thank you Susy for so much fun!!

Later on in our vacation Hugh & I met up with another sweet & super talented artist friend Lisa De John (repped by Lilla too). We stayed with Lisa & her also super talented artist husband Scott to ring in 2010. Like Susy, Lisa & Scott's home is gorgeous and filled with lots of art & mid-century modern style. Lisa gifted us this awesome owl which available in her etsy shop along with other treats!

While in Maine we popped over the bridge to Portsmouth, NH to Nahcotta one of my favorite shops to see the amazingly supportive & wicked inspiring owner Deb. I just read her mission statement on the shop blog. So good and inspiring me to write one!

We believe a sense of humor, compassion, art, integrity and pets are integral parts of a happy life. We believe in the importance of being inspired. We believe that the things that make you feel are just as important as the things that make you think. We believe in connecting - with our neighbors next door and across the world. We strive to make art accessible to anyone and everyone because things of beauty enrich our lives in ineffable ways. We love what we do.

Isn't that good??! Half the reason I'm writing in this blog right now!

I also wanted to mention that Hugh and I bought these awesome placemats at Nahcotta illustrated by Jen Judd-McGee and another by Matte Stephens as a housewarming gift from my mom. Thanks, Mom! They are so cool-- you can even color on them with markers :) Perfect for when our nieces & nephews come over, but really we too are such kids at heart.

One night Deb and I drove up to Portland, ME to have dinner with the aforementioned Jen Judd-McGee & Betsy Thompson (fellow ETA show pals too!). I loved hanging out with all of them and what an easy connection you can have with folks you never see, but admire their work so.

I love the simplicity, color and composition of Betsy's collage work. I can totally see a kid's book in her future. This print available in her etsy shop is especially humorous: Sardines with Confucius

Jen's work continues to amaze me with the intricacy and pattern and continual growth. She's now illustrating maps for the beautiful Maine magazine now too. Go Jen! A while back I bought this print from Jen that frequently inspires me in my studio. Available in her etsy shop along with so many other beauties!

Last but not least, we hung out with my artist relatives Jamie & Marty and their incredibly talented daughter Daisy (she's already seriously surpassing me in the drawing department at age 13!). Jamie gifted us this image of Hugh & I walking together after our wedding... in the Navarro river up in Philo, CA. Honored to have this hanging in our home.

Okay that's a pretty good wrap of the artist friends we hung out with on our vacation back east!
xoxoox

Blame Sally Awards

2010-06-11T17:06:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share this post by my Husband Hugh from his blog!

The poster design that my wife Mati McDonough and I did last year for our friends in the band Blame Sally just keeps getting awards. Earlier in the year the poster was featured in the Society of Illustrators 52 show and annual. Now it's garnered another honor: it is in the 3x3 Professional Show for 2010!

(If you've never seen 3x3 magazine, you should check it out. When it comes in the mail we rush to open it, fight over who gets to read it first, and linger over every page. It really is a beautifully designed, loving homage to contemporary illustration that is a must for any artist or designer.)

The t-shirt version — printed on gorgeous Alternative Apparel shirts — won best swag from the Independent Music Awards in 2009:

You can get your own copy of the silkscreen poster from us here, and you can pick up the shirt from Blame Sally here.

Mati and I don't put our artistic heads together that often, but when we do we get an awesome product. (I guess that's one reason the marriage works, right?)

new art in the shop

2010-06-09T15:28:00.000-07:00

new prints for you here! xxx

Sweet Playspace

2010-06-08T13:12:00.000-07:00

I was in disbelief when a couple friends wrote me saying they saw my art in Better Homes & Garden's May issue. I thought, no way, why wouldn't I know about it? Must be someone else. Sure enough, when I finally tracked down a copy there were 2 of my prints in this cute playroom as a great feature of a home in St. Paul, MN where I spent 4 years at my alma matter. Love to see where my art ends up. Here are the 2 pieces featured and available in my etsy shoppe:
Yellow Lucky Elephant and Tutti Bird

Surtex oh Surtex

2010-06-07T15:37:00.001-07:00

I've been wanting to go to the New York surface design show called Surtex for years! I love textile design and pattern making and I really wanted to see the show in person. Last year however I chickened out due to the cost of the flight, hotel and NYC livin' and for no real "reason" to go.

This year i finally took the leap and went because my new fantastic agent Lilla Rogers Studio was showing my work alongside her other talented artists! A highlight of my trip was meeting so many of them in person!!

Here are a few shots of Lilla's booth and my banner. Thankfully there are better ones here by Print & Pattern. Here's another great booth & recap by Jessica Swift who I enjoyed meeting tremendously.

enormous tiny

2010-06-02T11:34:00.000-07:00

it's funny i'm on vacation here in maine (right over the border from new hampshire) where the headquarters of most of the enormous tiny shows are, but this time it's in LA! go figure!

these are my new eta paintings available here!

i really really will post some pics soon from surtex, but it's hard to focus in this vacationland.

xoxoxo

and the winner....

2010-05-21T09:14:00.000-07:00

of jenny's adorable headband: CEB who was picked randomly by hugh and commented love!

it goes perfectly with this photo kelly took of me a couple days ago at the dreamiest store in NYC... ABC Carpet & Home. It's like Anthropologie on steroids with 6 floors and triply expensive. Sigh. Much more to report from my Surtex trip soon!

Please email me CEB at matirose (at) gmail (dot) com with your address :)

yo-yo headbands

2010-05-11T21:48:00.000-07:00

Aren't these the cutest?! My insanely creative intern Jenny has launched a new business called Jenuine Ruby! These are her adorable daughters modeling her new yo-yo headbands. I just ordered one for myself and can't wait to wear it. It seems like an easy way to hair happiness.

Jenny is offering a GIVEAWAY! The winner can choose any headband from her shop. Leave a comment here to be entered by May 20th!

xoxo

peeking out to say hello

2010-05-05T16:56:00.000-07:00

i've been quiet lately! it usually comes with busyness, but i've also been feeling lost for words on what to share. i'll start with myself in my new bathroom. it's a wonder what a new perspective will do. our old bathroom was tiny, dark and had a loud fan (6 years of this). our new bathroom is light filled, with a clawfoot (i feel i yell this from the rooftops) and large counter for my baubles and view outside to our lemon tree (this i yell too). it does wonders for my self-esteem. who knew?
xoxox
mati

ps- i also recently got a hair cut-- about half of it! it was long and just hung down droopy. now i wear pigtails + have heaps of new gray hair to boot.

Patagonia Tees & Show!

2010-04-21T11:42:00.000-07:00

These new Patagonia shirts of mine are out! I have been wearing mine constantly. I love the fit and organic cotton feel--nice long torso and very flattering neckline! I also really appreciate Patagonia as a company. I like that they value sustainability, use organic cotton, make small orders and treat their artists really well!

I'm excited to be part of this rockstar show at the Patagonia Ventura store with some talented folks who design their shirts!

Also I got sent photos of a store siting of these kid's shirts in Massachusetts ... very cool!

where i've been lately

2010-04-07T17:34:00.000-07:00

roadtripping to palm springs with 2 girlfriends, snuffly sick and moving to a new beautiful & quiet apartment with a lemon tree.... all in one week. yes, it's possible. insane, but possible.

highlights:

the glowing red entry of our hotel

bliss

flights of bacon- dr pepper & jalapeno!

after a long day of moving treating myself to lilacs

mixing up my monsters and girly things

our lovely lemon tree in our new back yard

oh and i love

xoxoxoxo

i adore pattern making

2010-03-23T17:47:00.000-07:00

I am new at this whole pattern making business, but I love it. I'm gearing up to show my work in May at Surtex. I hope to double my collection by then! I'm thinking of printing sample fabric through Spoonflower like I've done with the woodland one in the past... which ones would you like to have, if any? Here's the full set with a few details and colorways.

insta-happy for me & maybe you too

2010-03-17T17:48:00.000-07:00

* necklaces

loving the layering

* garlands

* baths & potions

i am beyond excited to move to a new home soon with a clawfoot & a lemon tree soon!

* biking

sadly, these beauties are already out of stock :(

* music

* pretty pretty patterns

xoxoox

Originals for SALE!

2010-03-11T16:31:00.000-08:00

I just listed this series of butterfly and sea animal paintings in my shop! These sweet little guys are all painted with acrylic and collaged with paper, fabric and ephemera. All are painted on wood panel with 1 inch thick sides that are ready to hang! These would be perfect in any room to bring it color, but especially your baby or kid's room!

Artful Blogging

2010-03-10T16:11:00.000-08:00

I'm flattered to be included in the latest issue of Artful Blogging with photos, art and an article written by me that shares my story of being an artist and blogger. It is beautifully printed and in good company with talented artists like Shari and Abby to name two.

Here's a sneak peek! Available on newstands in bookstores or on-line.

to beginnings!

2010-03-03T18:27:00.001-08:00

i just went back into the archives of my blog-- so glad i never erased them-- and was cracking up and how candid and funny they were. i kind of miss that girl. i've gotten so, um, all biz on this blog. i did read this little gem that i thought i would share in regards to where i felt when i started 5 years ago and how i have come more into myself, but am still always growing art and life wise. aren't we? after teaching recently and then conversations with my interns... i thought this was pertinent to share. xooxox

it is weird being at the initial point of my transition as an artist. knowing that growth is inevitable, and to some extent i am in charge of how much. hoping not to dissapoint myself. not to judge too harshly. to put all of my body into it and have patience with my learning curve. to realize that my work will in some way be unique. trying to stay in the moment and not anticipate. wanting to grow more into myself, fully and strong.

playing around with pattern

2010-03-02T16:00:00.000-08:00

Wouldn't this be cute on baby clothes? I'm gearing up with my pattern making for Surtex- the big surface design show in NYC in May! If you like this pattern it's available for licensing. Please contact my awesome illustration agency Lilla Rogers Studio.
xoxo
Mati

paint me happy

2010-02-24T19:53:00.000-08:00

and because I couldn't resist sharing some of the joy filled faces with finished books from the weekend.... I wish I had one of everyone in the class!