I was looking recently for a piece of art for my best friend's baby room. There are so many artists with so many great works on Etsy, so of course I looked there first. I wanted a piece that didn't' necessarily say 'baby' and that could grow with Henry or could be displayed somewhere else in the house if he ever wanted to change his room up. Henry's room is a jungle theme, in green and brown. When I saw Amanda Kindregan's "See Ya Later" print, I knew it was the one. Below is the frame job. I think it will fit in Henry's room perfectly.
I love Kindregan's style. There is a sweetness, a whimsy about her work, and each piece is its own little vignette, with a story and a soul. Here are a few more of her works that I just adore.
I can't believe how much Little Bear has grown! She turned six months old yesterday, and already takes up half of the sofa. She's gonna be a big girl! She likes to situate herself like this, standing on the sofa with her front legs draped over the back so she can watch me when I'm on the computer.
I recently finished watching "Rivers and Tides," a documentary on Andy Goldsworthy, who is one of my favorite artists. For those not familiar, he works with only natural elements to create amazing sculptural works. These works are made outdoors, and part of what makes them so special is how nature reacts with them. Some works are consumed by the ocean, others are blown away by the wind. Others will stand until they crumble in a lifetime far beyond our own.
IMAGES: FROM RIVERS AND TIDES
It's the simplicity of the work that is so exciting. You see him use lines and circles over and over in new ways. It's amazing that something as simple as a line of sheep hair against a dark stone wall can have such a visual impact. The same goes for the chains of dandelions or leaves he lets float down the river. You would have to be there to see what happens to these works, and the expert cinematography of the film certainly shows you more than you would see in another medium. But after the shot ends, you may still be left wondering what happened to that art Andy just spent all day creating. Andy is so connected to nature that he is not concerned with what happens. He says that nature doesn't erase his work, it just makes it better than he could.
When I see photos of Andy's art, I crave the knowledge of just how it was created. That's the thing that makes this film so special to me. You get to experience Andy's technique. He can spend all day creating these works, sometimes only to have them fall apart before he is finished. "I often take it to the very edge of its collapse," he says, "and that's a very beautiful balance." Though that's quite a zen attitude, you do hear him curse when things go awry, and you certainly feel his loss and frustration. But like any loss, he takes time to grieve and then starts again. The very nature of his work assures us that it was going to be destroyed eventually, and there is much appreciation that lies in the moments it was whole.
Another thing I love about Andy is that his art is not bound by form. He makes things, of course, but sometimes his art is movement, and lasts only seconds. An example of this is when he crushes rocks laden with iron into powder and introduces them strategically into the river, so that you watch a small waterfall become bright red. The color seems alien, of course, but when you remember that the rocks come from the river, the experience reminds you just how connected things in this life really are. This is just one more way that Andy finds the hidden beauty in nature, concentrates it, and shows it to us for just fleeting moments before it's reclaimed.
This beautiful film by Thomas Riedelsheimer left me in such a wonderful, calm state that I watched it over several days to savor the feeling it gave me. I wish I could really convey that to you, but I know I come up short. So see this film for yourself. As Andy says, "Words can do their job, but what I'm doing here says so much more."
To see a larger version of "Diagonal Shadow," click here. 
IMAGES: PROVIDED BY BABY BURRITO
It was VERY hard not to buy myself the Art Nouveau blanket, pictured below. This bright, bold pattern really suits me, and would be great for a boy or a girl. But it just seemed like a bad idea to buy baby things before I had a baby. I've known a few people to have a difficult time getting pregnant, and I didn't want any bad luck. But when I do get pregnant, this blanket is the first thing I'm going to treat myself with! 
IMAGE: PROVIDED BY STEVESTER
