Pablo is in the house

WE  ORDERED AN ART PRINT online and we waited. After a month, Pablo Picasso's Rest finally arrived and we promptly took it to a local art gallery where they did an awesome job block mounting the print. Everything about it is sexy. The rawness of the strokes, the colors, the subject. It is Marie-Therese Walter, Picasso's French mistress and the mother of his daughter, Maya. She figured in a wrestling match with his other mistress, the photographer Dora Maar. Knowing all that, Rest doesn't make me feel particularly tranquil.

But here it is, and I love it. My son Jamon loves it too. Mostly because he can actually touch it. Caroline, who's older, agreed to sit with me while we propped the print on the couch so we could discuss. "Oh, it's just a girl Mommy," she said. "And she's just tired and she's sleeping. That's the story." That is the story. For now. But oh Linny if you only knew. You and your ribbons. 

I'm not too sure where this gorgeous scandal is going to end up. I'm just happy we're starting to have some art in our apartment. To be very honest, I haven't really decorated in about...six years. Six. Long. Years. We were doing great in year one, slowly collecting furniture and other basics. But then the kids came, and all I could think of was child-proofing.

Of course there are worse things. But my kids are starting to self-decorate their room with stickers from the loot bags of friends' birthday parties and I cringe with guilt. They are such imaginative, spirited children who deserve a space of their own that speaks of who they are. And it would take so little from me. A small budget, some handiwork, some paint, a bit of time. I've run out of excuses actually and I promised them that we would finally do it.

They will have art on their walls. Much like the rest of the house. Prints, photos, maybe even letters, a paper mache animal head, or two. And paintings small and large. Like Waterproof, this large oil by Filipino artist Azor Pascoguin.

We bought this painting one day. And when the actual artist came to deliver it, I didn't know what to do with myself. This unassuming, talented painter was literally larger than life, easily beyond six-feet tall, with a ponytail and a beard and a deep voice like an actor's. I was very awkward. We talked about the painting (predictable), but I just wanted to take his picture (I didn't), and kept thinking NOBODY told me you were coming! You, with your painting and your bass!

Anyway. I've got some decorating to do, and if this painting is the starting point, then it's all downhill from here.

Do you have any paintings or prints? Any favorite artists? Any decorating projects coming up? I'd love to hear about it. 

And thanks for reading.

* Society6 is another favorite place for art of all sorts. Also, here's the strange and beautiful work of my brother, John.