thisishowyoumademe-blog - Tumblr blog

[thisishowyoumademe-blog]

"I'm a lonely painter // I live in a box of paints" Unfortunately me typing that on my iPhone does not have the lilting melancholic truth as Joni Mitchell crooning, but it does explain how I feel most of the time. I end up stopping suddenly in my seemingly purposeful strides (ha fooled you random stranger) to take a picture of a piece of metal or a small wooden door in a brick wall--because that's a painting. Now that my friend and brother brought my real paint to me, Joni Mitchell's "words" are even more real. Without a studio, all my paint in is my own room. Painting is usually the first thing I do when I wake up and the last thing I do before I go to sleep, and my body and hands are constantly covered. If oil paint soaking into your skin is toxic then I'm screwed. If not, don't be surprised if next time you see me I've turned into a gloobular dollop of color. I stared painting on these doors because they were what I had, and it's been AWESOME. It's super cool turning them back and forth and seeing what shows up on either side--another level of the paint controlling me, ya know. Plus it sits on glass and wood in a very different way than it does on canvas (surprise surprise) and I might be in love. I'm toying with the idea of finding some more doors to paint on and leaving canvas behind in the metaphorical dust of artistic progress. I like that there are two sides to door, and I like the way we go through them, open them, to get to an experience on the other side. Plus, in the last year I've had to say to myself many many times, "when one door closes, another one opens." To some extent it's true, but I'm also tired of hearing that phrase, even if it's just my mind speaking. Why not open the door back up and actually explore what was on the other side of it? Maybe it wasn't a door worth opening in the first place. Maybe it was but it is hiiiigh time to slam it closed. Maybe it's worth sticking something in so that it doesn't close completely and you can come in and keep looking later. Wowkay, getting far too metaphorical here. Point is, I like the vision of a gallery full of people opening wildly colored doors that lead to nowhere and everywhere.

[thisishowyoumademe-blog]

#thankzeus for Swedish candy and sunshine after being detained in immigration from 7pm-4am, and also for the location tag. Story to come soon at akellz.com (en Slug and Lettuce Harpenden)

[thisishowyoumademe-blog]

2560 and 2568 9th Ave W temporarily relocated to Stockholm. Ahh yeee. (en Skeppshomen)

[thisishowyoumademe-blog]

Danke para todo especialmente los moretones. Os echare de menos un poco #TUFATAL (en Soria (Cast.León))

[thisishowyoumademe-blog]

1 blind mouse, some hot springs, and a pair of almost naked old Spanish people (en Pozas Termales De Arnedillo)

[thisishowyoumademe-blog]

@alejandra91c 's little person #TUFATAL (en Soria (Cast.León))

[thisishowyoumademe-blog]

Me pretending to be normal while wandering through heaven i.e. Richard Serra #loony (en Museo Guggenheim Bilbao)

[thisishowyoumademe-blog]

That's SO Rosie #snow in España baby (en Soria (Cast.León))

[thisishowyoumademe-blog]

This is where Spanish people spend their lazy Sundays #zeepueblo (en El Royo, Spain)

[thisishowyoumademe-blog]

Es estar en España. #nofilter for this marvelous place babyyy. I took this on the north coast, but I'll be an au pair for the next three months in Soria, so hmu if you wanna know something about chorizo (apparently it's the city). (en Playa De Isla)

[thisishowyoumademe-blog]

I finally saw all the animal friends in Durham with Kelsie!! and said goodbye to a United Kingdom I will now fondly remember as full of bright sunshine, excellently executed coffee (shoutout to Flatwhite Cafe) and stupidly green grass, since of course that's how it looked on my last day. For the next months I will be Soria, Spain, pictures &etc naturally to follow. (en Usher Moor durham)

[thisishowyoumademe-blog]

I have stood on the (very decomposed) body of Voldemort. No grass grew from his remains. No joke this is in a graveyard in Edinburgh across the street from where jk Rowling supposedly wrote Harry Potter aka changed the world. #theboywholived (en Edinburgh, United Kingdom)

[thisishowyoumademe-blog]

Not pictured: Penelope, my amazing imaginary travel companion who watches my stuff for me when I go to the bathroom in cafes and bars. #Penelope #ridinsolopluspenelope (en Edinburgh Castle)

[thisishowyoumademe-blog]

Can't visit Bedfordshire without a trip to the zoo! #grandmashouse (en Whipsnade Zoo)

[thisishowyoumademe-blog]

After two marvelous weeks in quite possibly the most marvelous city in the world (London, duh) I've moved on to explore other parts of England. Many thanks to @veezkneez and co for hosting me! #mayfordroad #mayfairfilter #londonsky (en Wandsworth)

[thisishowyoumademe-blog]

When you're the weird loner tourist in the corner drawing at the trendy cafe, and perfectly content (en The Old Shoreditch Station)

[thisishowyoumademe-blog]

So that's why Londoners actually use umbrellas~when it rains it RAINS and a Seattle girl's rain jacket just doesn't do it. (Notice that my shirt is soaked through--from under the rain jacket and a sweater...) very grateful for warm coffee and more grateful for warm gooey brownie. (en The Schoolhouse)