In the studio with Valentina Dorsa

Valentina Dorsa greeted me at the door with a smile, a cute-as-can-be Chiweenie pup, and a (very welcome) offer of a (delicious) espresso. It felt like home right away.

Valentina is a painter who uses accessible, mixed media to create rich, diverse work -- sharpie pens, spray paint, salvage wood, packing supplies, and craft-store-variety acrylic paints are all present and in use in her studio, and her collection includes darling pocket-sized studies of cacti from the American southwest, as well as bold, texture-rich drip paintings that sometimes hint of poppies, sometimes of lanterns, and sometimes of an underwater wonderland. Both of these series are informed by her travels around the world, which have landed her in (among other places) Hong Kong and Britain. But perhaps her most striking -- and personal -- work is a collection of self-portraits based on selfies taken with her phone. Valentina has been on an introspective journey of self-(re)discovery, and as part of it, she has taken on this deeply intimate, beautiful project that allows her to reflect on her own body and self-identity as an individual, a parent, and an artist.

Valentina's work is on display at Dolce Neve Gelato, Reclaimed Wood ATX, and my favorite local restaurant, Lenoir.

She'll also be at West Austin Studio Tour (May 13/14 and May 20/21). Go check her out!

To inquire about artist-at-work sessions, click here.

Flying colors at Rubypearl Clothing

Trish Hurless of Rubypearl Clothing has so many ideas that they literally can't fit inside her South Congress dressmaking studio. A one-woman operation and a visionary with patterns and colors, she creates one-of-a-kind dresses, shirts, and various etceteras for girls and women. Oh, and did I mention, she makes these stunning garments by hand, after scouring the thrift shops, flea markets, and garage sales of Texas for unwanted scarves, belts, and clothes to repurpose? Yeah. She's a badass.

Within 10 minutes of arriving in her workplace, we were laughing like old friends while silk and tulle flew through the air. Trish was searching for a specific vintage dinosaur scarf that was buried in her stash of rich, textured supplies. She didn't find it (until later), but in our brief time together she did build a sweet-as-honey yellow dress from scratch and intricately hand-embroider and bead a firey hot pink number -- all while chatting with me and jamming out to Tom Petty tunes.

Trish's dresses are available directly through her website, as well as locally at SparkleKids, Terra Toys, and Wee.

To inquire about artist-at-work sessions, click here.

March (a 365 project)

March is a month of festivals in Austin, and this year we checked South by Southwest and HONK!TX off our list for the fourth year in a row. But this year we also skied, beached, swam, and covered ourselves in powdery red sand, all in one month. We had tender quiet moments reading books at bedtime and pooping on the basketball court at the park. We gazed at bulldozers, sang our hearts out in the car, and made each other giggle. We enveloped ourselves in the stunningly glorious outdoors and in the warm love of our good friends. So long, March. See you again next year.

This 365 project attempts to capture a little slice of each day of 2017. Babies don't keep, after all, and the months just keep rolling by.

Friday night magic at HONK!TX - Austin Storytelling Photographer

We tell everybody that it's our favorite festival of the year, and that's saying a lot for a town like Austin.

This is our fourth HONK!TX, and it just keeps getting better. The musical talent and skill in each of these ensembles is truly impressive, and the stone cold style and flair is unparalleled. I love watching the magic myself, but when you throw in a bunch of preschooler music lovers, the experience is magnified many-fold.

Images below are from one of our favorite festival bands, Minor Mishap Marching Band, and an all-female first-time group that totally blew us away, Filthy Femcorps. 

Can't wait till next year!

A morning with the Lambert girls - austin family photography

If you've never heard the Loudon Wainwright III song "Daughter," you should go listen now. I'll wait. Every time I spend time with a family of girls, this song runs through my head.

I first met Iyla when she and my own daughter were in the same infant swim class, 3+ years ago. It's fun being back in touch. Our girls share a passion for swimming, imaginative play, flouncy dresses, and running wild outside.

Iyla now has a baby sister, Eloise, who is obviously some kind of genius. I kid you not -- this tiny, eight-month-old thing poops on the pot. The highest marker of intelligence, right? But also: Eight. Months. Old. What. The. Hell. Right??

Clearly, mama Jules is doing something right. These girls are both damned adorable, totally adoring of their mother and each other. Mornings in their home are peaceful, gentle, and full of sweetness. Here's a little peek at our time together last week.

it's more than just bluebonnet season, y'all!

It's not just bluebonnet season, y'all. It's creek-splashing season. Hiking season. Outdoor music season. Gardening season. Bike-riding season. Campfire season.

And yet. Why are all of us Austinites compulsively drawn to plopping our children down in a field of bluebonnets, taking slightly-awkward portraits there, and then putting our cameras away until our summer vacations?

Don't get me wrong. Bluebonnet portraits are a time-honored tradition for Central Texans, right? But here's the thing. There's so much more activity and content to our glorious springtimes. 

This year, let's all put our real life in our record books, shall we?