March 27, 2009
Scenes from a very sweet time in Seattle*
Ben in the cockpit, Canon Rebel Xti
The adventures started with Ben fulfilling his lifelong dream of flying an airplane to Seattle.
Kelly Rae, in her kitchen in Seattle, Canon Rebel Xti
The adorable Kelly Rae hosted us at her beautiful house. Every wall and every nook of her gorgeous home is so artfully done... (you can see a tour of her house here) I am now dreaming of flying her to Berkeley to give my house a little makeover.
The Diamond family, Seattle, Canon Rebel Xti
At the end of my trip I had the pleasure of photographing the Diamond family. They were playful, romantic and totally natural in front of the camera.
fort, Canon Rebel Xti
Kelly Rae, John, Matt and I pulled out all the stops and built Ben the most amazing fort in their living room. It even involved bamboo and duct tape! Ben was thrilled beyond belief while we were building it, squealing and jumping up and down and eating olives in the middle of the action. It felt like a magical moroccan tent. Of course, by the time we were done, he was over it. :)
Isn't that just how it is though? It's all about the process of creating, of getting ready for the party and not the party itself.
Kelly Rae and Ben in the kitchen, Seattle, Canon Rebel Xti
Ben and Kelly Rae at the kitchen table. Don't you love those letters up on the wall? I'm going to start hunting for some for our house.
Me with camera, photo by Kelly Rae, Canon Rebel Xti
Me with my trusty extra appendage, my Canon Rebel Xti
Me and the family, by Kelly Rae, Canon Rebel Xti
hands after painting, Canon Rebel Xti
The best part though was getting to paint with Kelly Rae. I told her to pretend I had never painted in my life and to just tell me what to do every step of the way. We painted side by side like this for a couple of hours and it was glorious. Every time I would get stuck, she would tell me exactly what to do next, Just reach into this bin, find some pretty paper you like and paste it on the canvas. Don't think about it for more than 5 seconds, okay? Five second rule.
She was such a kind voice to have over my shoulder while I painted. There were never any mistakes, no wrong turns, only the next step and the next. I hope to carry her voice with me the next time I paint.
Loved that you had so much fun painting with Kelly Rae! Isn't it relaxing? It is sometimes scary or hard to start (the desire to just plop down and (gasp!) rest somewhere is so tempting), but it is like taking a mental vacation! I have a book just out called, The Artist Within, A Guide to Becoming Creatively Fit! It is about making art making accessible to everyone! It is not about creating the perfect product, it is about getting into our right brain where we are totally present, relaxed and open to divine inspiration--the flow! Let me know if my publisher can send you a comp copy!? Creatively yours, Whitney (I blog at www.creativelyfit.com)
Posted by: Whitney Ferre' at April 4, 2009 09:49 PMIn this day and age, I'm glad that the flight crew was willing to let Ben sit in 'the driver's sear'! It seems like airlines have such a fast turn around time these days, that they hardly have time to breathe between one flight landing and another flight taking off...
Posted by: Jennifer at April 3, 2009 02:52 PMHow lovely that you got to spend time with Kelly Rae (I had the pleasure of being at several fun gatherings with her when she was living in the Bay Area. She is awesome.
I would LOVE to see the painting you created.
By the way Andrea, if you're ever at Speesees on a Monday or a weekend, please pop into 3 Fish Studios down the hall to say hello. If Ben is with you, we have loads of fun art supplies for him to play with!
Posted by: Annie Galvin at April 2, 2009 02:34 PMevery bit of this post makes me happy.
(and i am jealous you got a painting lesson from kellu rae AND got to meet jen diamond!)
so darling....
mccabe x
Posted by: mccabe at March 31, 2009 10:59 PMThe tent scene is priceless! Instantly brought back memories of my kids.
Posted by: Alyice Edrich at March 31, 2009 07:26 AMThe tent scene is priceless! Instantly brought back memories of my kids.
Posted by: Alyice Edrich at March 31, 2009 07:26 AMsuch a great family trip! thanks for sharing!
and *the 5 second rule* is such a smart idea! don't think, just do, keep going, and going, and going. yes!
Beautiful! I love, love, love that they built a fort for Ben and then talked you through the painting. She's a gem. xx
Posted by: Marianne at March 31, 2009 02:11 AMOMIGosh....the tour of Kelly's house made me very very happy...oh such colour! I am craving colour now.
Posted by: Leslie at March 30, 2009 12:55 PMmy fav is that last shot of kr's hands. swoon.
Posted by: tracey at March 29, 2009 07:27 PMThis is a delightful post.
Posted by: linda at March 29, 2009 06:41 PMHi Andrea - So glad you got to visit Kelly Rae in her new home. Fabulous photos of you and your family. And your photos are fantastic, as always. I especially like the one you took of KR sitting at her kitchen table. Such joy in that image!
Posted by: Paris Parfait at March 29, 2009 07:30 AMHi Andrea - So glad you got to visit Kelly Rae in her new home. Fabulous photos of you and your family. And your photos are fantastic, as always. I especially like the one you took of KR sitting at her kitchen table. Such joy in that image!
Posted by: Paris Parfait at March 29, 2009 07:29 AMBeauty and magic surround you. Thank goodness you are in the world!
Posted by: Trisha at March 28, 2009 10:11 PMWant to see painting, please!
Posted by: Kathleen at March 28, 2009 06:59 PMbeautiful photos from what sounds like a beautiful weekend! xo
Posted by: stef at March 28, 2009 04:10 PMLove that you guys got to spend some time together. That fort is awesome + so is the family photo. Owe you an email and a call :).
Posted by: Ali at March 28, 2009 08:22 AMwhat a nice trip!
love the pics kelly took of you with your family and with your camera, how fun!
what a nice trip!
love the pics kelly took of you with your family and with your camera, how fun!
Lovely happy photos, Andrea.
Posted by: Shelley Noble at March 27, 2009 11:26 PMeverything about this post is ADORABLE.
i recognize the yellow jacket-- i borrowed it too :)
everything about this post is ADORABLE.
i recognize the yellow jacket-- i borrowed it too :)
These are awesome pictures! Thanks for sharing your adventures! I needed that today!
Posted by: Grey Street Girl at March 27, 2009 07:33 PMOh... I really like this post...
It took me out of my world for a minute and I forgot all my days work. I think I am going to view it again.
Thanks
This entire post makes my heart happy happy happy~*
Posted by: Cath at March 27, 2009 05:52 PMAndrea - The photos of you are magic. You are radiant. That bright yellow coat on you just makes your face pop even more. And that family portrait is fabulous. Loved reading about your trip and her house - makes me think about every wall here and how I can give it an upgrade!
Posted by: Catherine Seiner at March 27, 2009 03:28 PMAndrea - The photos of you are magic. You are radiant. That bright yellow coat on you just makes your face pop even more. And that family portrait is fabulous. Loved reading about your trip and her house - makes me think about every wall here and how I can give it an upgrade!
Posted by: Catherine Seiner at March 27, 2009 03:27 PMGorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!
Posted by: Sarah at March 27, 2009 02:43 PMSo beautiful & fun!! I'm loving those hands...makes me want to give painting a try! ;) xoxo, ~ M.
Posted by: Mariella at March 27, 2009 02:23 PMSo much fun! Were you on the monorail in the family pic? I'm glad it was working for once!
And yay for collaborative painting! I'm inspired.
Posted by: Jolie at March 27, 2009 02:11 PMThat sounds and looks so lovely. It helps me visualize the kind of things I want to have in my life. I especially like the art session. What a wonderful way to play and let your subconscious run free with art.
Love the paint on your hands.
Posted by: rowena at March 27, 2009 11:26 AMsuch fun and beautiful photos--thanks for sharing your little vacation with us! :)
Posted by: mary catherine at March 27, 2009 10:32 AM