Shari Beaubien

Today Is a Red Letter Day!

Yes it is!  And do you know why?...

Today is a RED LETTER DAY because
it's the day that I officially began painting my children's book!

If you've been following my blog for any length of time, you know that I've struggled with this for over two years now.  The book is meant to be a tribute to my beloved Montgomery and the relationship we shared.  While I completed the text not long after he left us, it took me quite a while to get to the point of actually putting paintbrush to paper.  But now I have and I feel such joy I wanted to shout it from the rooftops!  I hope you'll share in my excitement.

I wish I could show the pages to you as I complete them, but because I hope to have this work published in the future, I'll have to regale you with my other adventures - art and otherwise - for the time being.

Here is an example...

Remember our house renovation project?  Well, I've moved on to baseboard removal.  It's not such an easy feat because all of the baseboards are sealed in behind the grout.  But I'm making progress.  Just like the book... one step at a time!

And as the year winds down,
I'd like to thank all of you for taking the time to follow my journey here on this blog.
The fact that you care enough to check in
from time to time means more than I can say.
Thank you.
I wish you all a very happy Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa,
plus a warm and safe New Year.
See you in 2012!

Changes Outside and In

I took these pictures about a month ago when the leaves on our tree began to turn...

I was mesmerized by the golden ochre set against the brilliant blue sky.

I don't have a lot of art to share at the moment because
Steve and I have been busy destroying our house.

Here's an old photo that gives you an idea of the "before"...

Now here's what it looks like today (gasp!)...

Tres beau, non?

I have firmly ABHORRED this peach tile since the day we moved in and I've lived with it for eight years now.  No more!  We decided to finally redo the floors which led to my compulsive need to first paint literally everything that wasn't nailed down.  We finished all the ceilings and as you can see, the green and brown on the walls has been primed.  Next up is removing the base boards in preparation for a hard wood floor.  I can't wait!  But I don't want to chose a wall color until the floor is in, so we're in messy primer-land.

My main motivation for changing the wall colors is that they just don't feel like "me" anymore.  If you've been following my career for any length of time, they really reflect my old palette from my "Folk Art" series.  I find myself yearning for something more cheerful and saturated... more like my "Carnival of Dreams" paintings.  I also wanted to lighten up the walls because I really struggle on wintry grey days in my studio.  The light is abysmal.  Even with just the primer, I've noticed a HUGE difference so I know I'm on the right track.

I'll be sure to keep you updated as things progress...

Boutique for a Cause

The Circle of Care Foundation's annual

Boutique for a Cause

is tomorrow!

5000 Van Nuys Boulevard, Suite #110
Sherman Oaks, CA
(corner of Addison, between Magnolia and Riverside)

Friday, December 2, 2011
10 am - 6 pm

I've done this show for three years now and it's one of my favorites.  It's the perfect place to begin your holiday shopping and support a really worthy cause at the same time.  Not to mention, the Grilled Cheese Truck and Lake Street Creamery are scheduled to make an appearance, too! 

Hope to see you there...