Rachael Rossman: Watercolor Portraits of Man and Beast

Firsts

Rachael — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:49:21 +0000

I painted a hairless cat. My first one. Technically, he’s a charcoal grey Peterbald; his name is Esau, and I think he’s quite grand.

He belongs to actor Mayim Bialik, whom I met at the MTV Movie Awards Gift Suite in June. You’ve seen her in everything from Blossom to Beaches, but I must say my most recent favorite is her role as Sheldon Cooper’s um, love interest? in The Big Bang Theory.

In West Hollywood, June.

So Mayim has this amazingly regal Peterbald cat. His appearance is really quite arresting; my kids saw his photo and weren’t sure if he was a cat or a dog, which I thought was funny. He reminds me of a drawing you’d see in an Egyptian pyramid, and I was glad to paint him.

Esau

Completed: July 25, 2010

Soundtrack: The Cranberries

Beverage: Coke Zero

Weekend Update

Rachael — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 02:35:41 +0000

I’ve probably titled three or four posts “Weekend Update,” but only because I want to be Tina Fey when I grow up. Short of that, I think I’ll just keep painting.

Meeka

Sutter

Darla

Completed: July 25, 2010

Soundrack: Storm Large, Crazy Enough

Beverage: Coke Zero

A Sense of Occasion

Rachael — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 19:36:03 +0000

Why yes, we do wear tutus to make art in this house.

Doesn’t everyone?

Bundle

Rachael — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 22:54:49 +0000

I am a bundle of nerves. I have been for days. I drop things. I snap at people. My kids are back to calling me Mad Mom, and only half jokingly.

Someone spilled an entire bottle of glue on the wood floor and let it dry.

There was a glob of jelly on the carpet.

My husband made five pies and only one for us and now there’s not any left. And I’d like a piece of pie.

I answered the phone, “Hello, this is Cinderella!” because I was literally on my hands and knees scrubbing the floor when it rang.

My son made a “nest” for Ron Weasley that consisted of an old litter box, a good sheet and two pieces of pepperoni.

I could really use a nap.

Sophie

Completed: July 23, 2010

Soundtrack: It was too early for music this morning

Beverage: Dutch Bros. Iced Mocha

Muse

Rachael — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 20:08:45 +0000

This painting has been rattling around in my head for months. Months. Before Evelyn Evelyn released an album. Before I went to the concert in May.

I knew exactly what I wanted to paint – an image as haunting as the album and its concept. My daughter and her big brown eyes would be a perfect stand-in for the conjoined twins at the story’s core.

I bought and embellished a tiny hat.

I convinced my daughter to pose for me. (She never needs much convincing, really.)

I painted it in my head a hundred times.

And this week, I stayed up late – and painted it for real.

HarperLyn HarperLyn

Completed: July 21, 2010

Soundtrack: The Cranberries

Beverage: Margaritas

A Productive Weekend: In Pictures

Rachael — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 22:42:48 +0000

We repurposed a bird feeder.

We played.

We built a fort.

We picked 15 pounds of pie cherries.

We employed child labor.

And we painted. Well, I did.

Drake

Completed: July 18, 2010

Soundtrack: Jonny Lang

Beverage: Coke Zero

Dear Universe,

Rachael — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 01:02:28 +0000

Dear Universe,

I would like to paint more horses.

Cheers,

Rachael

Gidget

Completed: June 13, 2010

Soundtrack: Glee Soundtrack

Beverage: Diet Coke

Bonjour!

Rachael — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:13:46 +0000

According to Twitter, it’s Bastille Day. Everything I knew about this holiday was forgotten somewhere between now and 9th grade history class, so the only thing French I can contribute is this.

French Bulldogs.

: Martha Stewart’s French Bulldogs, Sharkey and Francesca. As seen on marthastewart.com.

Au revoir.

Close Call

Rachael — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:12:20 +0000

This weekend I was away visiting the kids, and my husband was doing a triathlon in Washington which meant that for 36 hours our cats were without people. Here’s how it usually goes: Steve gets really ticked off and spends a few hours upon our return scolding us and acting all superior; Birch stays indoors but sometimes gets so upset that he pukes; and Ron goes about his Ron Business.

But when my husband got back Saturday night, Ron Weasley was nowhere to be found. He called and called him, but no luck. And even though he’d probably never admit this to anyone, he actually got in the car and drove around the neighborhood thinking Ron would recognize the sound of his engine and come running back.

No luck.

He told me this on Sunday morning before I started my drive home and the whole way I was worrying about that damn cat. I got home and still no Ron. I called him. No Ron. I shook a food dish filled with kibble. No Ron.

We were just about to get in the car to go to dinner when Ron Weasley bounded out from behind our maple tree like he’d been there the whole time. We half-heartedly scolded him, but mostly we just snuggled him and said ridiculous things like, “This is your home! Are you too good for your home?” (Apologies to Happy Gilmore.)

He spent last evening curled up on my desk watching me paint these cats. I guess my punishment for leaving town is over.

Simon

Lucy

Completed: July 12, 2010

Soundtrack: The Dresden Dolls

Beverage: Coke Zero

Details

Rachael — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 04:26:01 +0000

I left my kids today. They are spending a sizable chunk of their summer vacation with their grandparents because 1) I don’t want to pay a babysitter if I don’t have to; and b) they have fun there.

So that’s what we’re doing.

My kids are being juggled between two sets of grandparents (in the same town) during the week, and on the weekends we drive down to see them or meet my parents for a roadside hand-off at the DariMart we’ve determined to be half-way.

It was really great the first week, my birthday week. The husband and I were invited out, we watched movies, I blasted music with expletives. But then it got lonely. Quiet. And boring.

We miss those little monsters.

The drive home today was a quiet one. The weather was beautiful, my podcasts were queued, my tank was full - but I drove slowly. I circled around parts of town that were out of my way. I snapped photos. I found comfort in the dark details of the coastal town where I grew up.

I hope you like your artists dark and brooding, because that’s how I’m spending my summer vacation.