This post is a copy from my Art Blog: I take a little cactus character around with me to visit fun places

Cactus Mundi had an evening outing last night. We went to my daughter's Art Opening. She is Kelly Kerrigan and has a show for the month of December at the gallery at the Belcourt Theatre, an art film venue in Nashville. You can visit her blog and see each of the 24 acrylic on canvas paintings.
http://kellykerrigan.blogspot.com/

Here is Cactus Mundi who jumped right up on one of the paintings to look over the crowd.

Kelly had a great time at the celebration.

Of course Milo and the whole family was there. Milo became a wild Wild banshee after about 40 minutes. So Gran and Granddaddy came to the rescue. Paul scoped him up so we could whisk him off to our house. After he was scurried off Kelly could enjoy the lime light and then she and Paul could go out to dinner afterwards with their friends. We had a great time too partying with Milo at our house.

Milo thought it was very cool to sit on my scooter and honk the horn. Not sure this was a crowd pleaser so I turned the motor off. Worked well till he learned to turn the key back on! It was sure time to get him out of this venue.

My stamping buddy and long time friend Toni came for the fun.


Jeff, over 18 years ago he was a high school student of mine, now a life long friend. He is the one who took most of the photos.

Jackie on the right another Judy long-time teacher friend could not stay away from the funky art.


Kate who made it a real party.



It is amazing to me that several of my students from years long past are now my good friends. Tammy came in from California to visit her family but found time to drop by Kelly's show and see me for a short visit. Another one who was my student from over 15 years ago. Teaching is a wonderful profession. You leave behind the amazing legacy.


Seth made the hour plus drive in. He was so much help to Kelly helping her get her studio together and made this show happen. Thank you Seth!

Below are some details from the show.
Following is Kelly's Bio explaining why she is so passionate about her subject matter for the paintings:

I am Kelly Kerrigan, a 35-year-old Nashville artist. For the last 6 years I have been creating hand made lamps out of vintage ladies undergarments. My Tramp Lamps have been a great Internet success with over 500 unique lamps made for customers all over the world including many celebrities such as Aerosmith, Robert Zemeckis, and Imogen Heap.

My home studio in south Nashville is a great space for all my artistic creations that include lamp making, toy-morphing/assemblage art, as well as painting. The space also provides plenty of romp room for my son, Milo Sparks. I started painting at Austin Peay State University where I majored in Theater and Art. I have worked as a scenic painter for several local stage production companies. I spend all my time now painting, making lamps, morphing toys, and being a parent to Milo along with my partner, writer and graphic designer, Paul Kerrigan.

This collection of new paintings at The Belcourt Theater is filled with animals dressed as icons from film, music and fable. The personification of wildlife and house pets seems to be something we read about and enjoy when we are children, but as we grow up, stories and books focus more on real people and real life human situations. For me, subject matter can be just as intense and emotionally engaging if we put animals in our shoes, literally. Who is to say they do not go through similar emotional events in their own lives? I hope that I can embrace the narratives that are generally restricted to childhood stories and bring the audience of my work back to a time when animals were the heroes. Making an audience laugh is the main goal of all my creative endeavors. I am available for all kinds of custom artwork. Please visit www.TrampLamps.com to find out more.

Milo had a great Thanksgiving

Lewis, Kelly, and Paul cooked all day for our Thanksgiving day dinner. Milo ran around and thoroughly enjoyed having all the family together and the excitement in the air. This was his first Thanksgiving where he could have his chair at the table. We love all the firsts that happen each year.

He had all the fair that we enjoyed: Lew's fabulous cornbread stuffing, Paul's mashed potatoes, Kelly's sweet potato casserole and Macaroni and cheese. We bought fresh green beans that Judy took 40 minutes to cut into French style while sitting in her recliner. They were good but did not have the flavor or texture of the canned ones we are so used to. There is something important about keeping exactly the same dishes and have that tradition of the familiar.

Milo enjoyed the ginger snap cookie even more than the labored over turkey feast. Go figure! That will change over the years.

Kate mailed us a Thanksgiving decoration of a handmade turkey. Well maybe it looks more like a Turkey/Snuffalufagus from Sesame Street. I just did not have the steam to get the Thanksgiving decorations out of the attic--these include a series of vantage glass turkeys. So Kate's Turkey/Snuffalufagus was our only Thanksgiving decoration--very thoughtful for her to think of us. It made the table very festive. Milo liked it, of course not as much as his cookie.

Milo Playing in the little balls in the pool

We got this little pool and the balls for Milo about 6 months ago. We had not gotten it out in a while. He was not as taken with it as when he was younger.

Now he is in to throwing the balls to me and Lew. That was fun.

Judy's scooter pulls Milo's Wagon: Huray for Fall

Fall is such a great time to be outside.

Milo thinks it is fun to carry the colorful leaves around the yard.

MOVIE BELOW

See the movie of Judy's Scooter pulling Milo in his wagon. He liked it at first but when the scooter bumped and jerked over all the twigs and pecan shells on the way back he got frightened and started to cry. He quickly forgot about that when he learned he could stand by the scooter and honk the horn.

I turned the motor off and let Milo sit in my lap and honk the horn.
The scooter is just not stable enough to let him ride in my lab.

Milo and my scooter in the back yard

I have not been able to walk in the yard lately so Lew and Kelly got out my scooter so I could take some photos. I turned it off and put Milo in my lap. He loves to blow the horn.

Out to lunch with Milo and Kelly at the Cheese Cake Factory two weeks ago

We went to the Apple Store to get some gear for our new IPhones, then ate lunch at The Cheese Factory. Milo thought he was cool in his new Giraffe hat. Thought he might wear this for Halloween but he was a cute Lion instead. See the Halloween post for those pictures.

He learned to sip through a straw a couple of months ago. He loves to get drinks with straws. This was pink lemonade. Of course his favorite thing of the meal was splitting a big piece of cheese cake.

I love to talk to Milo and Kelly on the Web Cam phone

Here is a webcam photo Kelly grabed off the screen.

The are so pretty and handsome!!
Well, maybe I am a little biased. Ya Think?

Happy Pumpkin Day: What a fun holliday

Milo, Kelly, and Paul had a great time Trick or Treating with the Tidwel Clan. Nobody had more fun than Milo who is now on the road to thinking Halloween is the best Holiday ever! Kelly was just happy to have an excuse to Trick or Treat again!

A little hard to recognize Paul under his “redneck” makeup. He got the first prize of the night for his costume. I loved the tattoo sleeves but he had taken out the really great teeth.

There were so many people in the house, I realized later I did not get photos of Kelly. ding dang. She was so cute in her witch too-too outfit. I also did not get pictures of most of the Tidwell clan. I hope others got some and will send to me so I can post here.

Jewel and Bailey looked soooooo cute!

Jackson was James Bond. Kelly made him an MI-6 ID card, very handsome in his tux. I some how missed getting photos of all the other great costumes --the kids were moving around the house so fast. Ellen, the Nanna of the clan did not get to come or she would have organized my photo shoot.

This is Milo looking out the front door after all the Tidwells left (about 15 of them).
Milo was sad to see all the Trick or Treaters go.
He did not understand that his bedtime was approaching and he could not go back on the road with the big kids! Sometime it is just a Bummer to be the little tike.

Lewis Pulls Milo in the Wagon

Lew took the afternoon off to help baby sit Milo.

He pulled Milo in the back yard...then in the front yard...then in the back yard... and so on... and on... Till Lew decided maybe it was time to go back to work where it is not so strenuous!

Then our friend Seth took over. To the back of the yard, back and forth!
Then when Kelly came to pick Milo up it was her turn, back and forth.
Finally, it was time to go home to be in the wagon another day.



Milo and Seth far in the back yard admiring the beautiful fall leaves.

Movie: Milo pulls wagon and wagon bites him

Milo enjoyed his new wagon. He was much more interested in others pulling him than trying to tug it around. He kept calling to Seth and Granddad to come pull it. He wanted to keep the handle up, well until it fought back! Life is just full of little lessons.