March 26, 2008
Old but colorful news
We went to the butterfly exhibit the 2nd day it was open. Most of my pictures are just like everyone else's, so I spared us all the cropping and posting. But I will share a few.
I did get this pretty cool closeup of a Buckeye that perched on Eminoodle's hat:
click on it if you want to see it even closer up at flickr ...
Buzz liked them - except when they landed on him:
And, while this isn't a dazzling photo, it was exciting ~ one landed on me, way down here by my thigh, and worked its way all the way up to my shoulder, over my back where I couldn't see it.
on the way out, the girls and I - who were walking home - jumped off the ledge for awhile. I really wanted to do this on LeapDay, but was a bit late.
I should jump more often, I like mid-jump hair. And do you like my new "girly" coat? And how it matches my boots? I'm quite pleased with them. :-)
Last colorful news doesn't fit with the rest, it's the old "hack it into the same blog entry or it'll never get posted" routine.
WAaaaaay back in 4th grade we had a chalk drawing assignment. It went to tour somewhere, as Elementary school Art is known to do. There wasn't a mall in town way back then, so maybe it was the Big City Mall a half hour away, or maybe it was one of those cool Mezzanine Library Art Shows I always loved. But anyway. After it was gone, my art teacher said someone contacted her because they wanted to buy it. As a budding artist, I was thrilled. She helped me set a fair price, and I never saw the picture again. I didn't forget about it, though, once in awhile something reminded me of those old days when I thought of myself as an artist, and that I had actually SOLD a work of art.
So anyway. Back in the dead of winter '08, on some bitterly cold day, I got a phone call. Some lady said she had just talked to my parents, and had been at an antique show / flea market. Well, if you know my parents you would have hung up right there. We all know they weren't at a flea market or antique sale. But I didn't hang up. Turns out SHE was at a show, with her friend, and her friend saw this framed chalk drawing. And looked on the back. Where it still had the original school art display sticker, with my former name, address, and phone number. So the lady bought it, took it home, and sought to reunite it with the 4th grader who made it. Fortunately for me, my parents still live at that phone number, and gave her mine. She gave me the drawing for free, happy to reunite it with it's owner.
So here it is! Are you so curious?!?!
I'm sure some of you are struck by the smudgy nature of chalk, some of which was at the advice of the art teacher, as I recall, and you are thinking, "messy."
Others of you, surely, are struck by the delicate artistic balance and signs of budding genius (like the clever signature, complete with exclamation point!) Uh huh.
And the rest of you are stuck thinking, "What IS that?!" because you want to understand and it looks a little abstract, which bothers you. Right?
It's skunk cabbage!
nifty, eh?
So now you know a famous artist.
Er. An accomplished artist.
Yeah.
As a result of the return of this work of fine art, I will in the future need your decorating advice. But not today, all this typing is too much for my poor weakened state.
Posted by Kim at March 26, 2008 12:42 PMOk, that is all too cool that you got that back! I mean, really, what are the chances?
Posted by: Chris at March 26, 2008 5:12 PMWOW! First I was rather impressed that you took your kids on a cool outing. Then I was more impressed that you had cool matching coat and boots, as did your dd. And the jumping was very cool. But the ultimate cool is that I know an artist--an artist that has not only sold a work of art, but that work of art ended up in a "market" and was rebought and given back to the artist.
(see Kerri off to look for anything she might have that would have this artist's autograph..an old card? and old mailing envelope?? oh dear, has Kim ever even mailed me anything....... is it enough to say, I have known her... online for nearly ten years..... how will I prove this relationship when she is Rich and Famous????.... oh dear.... )
Posted by: Kerri at March 27, 2008 5:43 AMI'm sure I've sent you SOMEthing, Kerri ... A check for books, maybe? I remember writing your name on something, LOL -- all those books you decluttered to my house, I'm sure!
I promise not to disown our friendship when I'm rich and famous, and will, likewise, try not to embarrass you now that you've come out of the closet as my friend, LOL
Posted by: Kim at March 27, 2008 7:32 AMtoo funny! I love the shot of Buzz with butterfly - he looks (and acts) SO much like Mac. And the skunk cabbage story... priceless. It is a good picture, even with the exclamatory signature. ;o)
Just think, if your parents last names were 'Smith' or Jones' nobody probably would have given the sticker "Kim Smith" a second glance, to try and reunite it with its owner... probably wouldn't even know the child was a relative of that mushroom hunter guy or the butterfly lady or however they knew mom and dad!
Posted by: kelly at March 27, 2008 8:42 AMOh, that is wonderful. The whole chalk painting story is just wonderful. (The painting is wonderful, too!) I've never known anyone who got anything displayed (I've known of people, but you're the first) anywhere, much less sold, much much less sold and returned! That's the kind of thing I'd want to put in a book I'm writing to my grandkids!
I adore the matching boots and jacket. See why I love winter? It's much more cumbersome to coordinate umbrellas and kleenex. You jump like a model, too.
Posted by: Peggy at March 27, 2008 10:04 AMThat is so cool about the picture! What are the odds?
I remember Aaron hating the butterfly house when he was 3. All those fluttery things freaked him out. He still isn't keen on having one of the butterflies land on him.
Posted by: karen at March 27, 2008 10:22 AMI love your coat and boots...do they come in purple too? :-D
Jeans? ;-)
Posted by: Rosanne at March 27, 2008 5:09 PMHey, that painting is terrific! I don't think I could paint that well now, I can't believe you did that in the 4th grade.
I like your boots and coat too.
My ds didn't like the butterflies landing on him either. We have a butterfly conservatory out our way and a few years ago we went on a class trip. He stood very, very, still when one landed on his head.
Posted by: Daisy at March 27, 2008 9:34 PMHi Kim! *waving wildly* :) I hope you are doing well today. I really enjoyed your photos here today. I LOVE the first one - that is excellente! :)
I love the story of your art finding its way back to you after all of these years. How cool is that?!
Thank you for your sweet words on my puddley photo. :) Bunches o' hugs, Robin
Posted by: Robin at March 29, 2008 12:33 AMWay cool, to get that painting back. Wow! It was good, too. AND I love your coat & boots, almost to the point of covetousness. :-) It is nice for us moms to wear perky things every so often, lest we get stuck in that blah-drab-middle-aged-mom rut.
Posted by: 40winkzzz at March 31, 2008 11:38 PM
Your pink jacket and boots are FUN! I celebrate skunk cabbages and am glad you, as a young girl, immortalized them forever in the much sought-after pastel known as "Skunk cabbages". They are one of the very first signs of spring here, earlier than crocuses and daffodils, though also more stinky. : )
Posted by: Judy at April 1, 2008 4:08 AM
