01. Sellwood Soap Company. It’s not hard to be drawn to local consumption here in Portland. I started using a brand new bar of lemon soap from Sellwood Soap Company this week. Very luxurious! So soft, and it smells like summer (I’m still hanging on). I have my eye on their Working Hands Soap for post-painting cleanup. Sellwood Soap on Facebook.

02. Pattern. It’s becoming very apparent that pattern/surface/textile design is the direction I should be headed right now. I’ve felt subtle nudges for about a year, but it is now turning into a steady pull. I’m happiest painting small intricate pieces. I am drawn to geometric works of art and patterns. If an artist has a section of patterns on their website, that is the first place I look. The image above is a section of a larger painting I completed last spring in a painting class. Someone in critique said that it looked like fabric. I’m not entirely it was meant it as a compliment, but I took it as one. I’m excited about learning as much as I can about pattern/texture and trying new techniques. This is going to be my focus for the week.

03. Pumpkin Quesadilla Recipe. I’m going to make this recipe this week. I’ll probably swap out the canned pumpkin for mashed up sweet potato.

04. Creative Courage. E-course starts tomorrow. I’ve been excited about this course for weeks. Looking forward to adding this class to my DIY school schedule.

05. Curious Comedy Theater. I saw the Neutrino project at Curious Comedy in NE Portland last night. I’ll mess it up if I try to describe the concept in full, but essentially the movie you are watching is filmed while you are watching it. The best part was that they filmed the last scene of the movie inside the theater, using the audience. I’m probably biased because my boyfriend is involved in the show, but I thought it was a very cool format. This show runs through mid-October.

06. After the Jump. This is my new favorite podcast. It’s by Grace Bonney of Design Sponge. I’m catching up on episodes, and enjoyed 13 (Work, Life and Balance) and 16 (Finding Your Voice). Listening to this podcast makes the physical therapy exercises more bearable.

07. Exactly. “I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it.” ― Alice Walker, The Color Purple