While walking this morning

I couldn't help but take my camera. Shadows again were intriguing me.
I also loved the contrast...freezing temps but wonderful sunshine.

More shadows...

I love taking pictures of shadows. I've been intrigued with taking shadow pictures for years and never tire of seeing how light filters through the windows. I think my favorite images are of Cooper and his crazy looking shadow.

Cooper's spot

is right in front of the fire. Each morning he can hardly wait to take his nap....

My sunny wake up

when I walked into my kitchen this morning. I loved the amazing shadows that the sun was casting onto my cupboards.

Driving to Portland

I just had to take this picture from the car window. I love Oregon.

Particularly in this joyous season,

when art brings so much extra in our lives, I hope you’ll consider the value of art, every day in our community. Our downtown has lasting visual interest because of all its historic buildings. Salem’s cultural nonprofits provide year-round programming that deepens daily life and ignites imagination in our children. Art and culture give so much to community, now’s the time to give back. Please consider donating to any cultural nonprofit. When you do, you’ll have the opportunity to earn the reward of a 100% tax credit by matching that donation with a gift to the Trust. You give twice but it only costs you once, since your entire Trust gift returns to you on your 2009 taxes. On December 23, the Statesman Journal praised the value of this remarkable program, http://tinyurl.com/yd34ul2. By December 31, double your cultural support at no additional cost: www.culturaltrust.org
Merry Christmas and thank you all for supporting the Mary Lou Zeek Gallery and our wonderful artists.

For our latest project...

we are helping our son and his girlfriend remodel a 1908 home in Northeast Portland...when I say "we" I mean my husband and the two kids. I usually go up and ooooh and aaaah at all the hard work that's gone into this project.
I love remodeling. Usually when my husband and I plan a project I get to have fun with creating the ideas while he does all the work. I leave in the morning for the gallery and when I arrive home I see things transformed. Lucky me.

Now with this new house project I have been able to watch my youngest son do some transformations with the guidance from my husband. Bringing two individuals together, working on such a massive project has been astonishing.

First I must say that my husband is the linear thinker, sequentially starting at point A and moving in an orderly fashion. My son is the creative one, the child that moved me to tears with joy when he wanted to cover a refrigerator with astro turf. At that point in time I felt like I had succeeded in raising this child. No...he wasn't going to Harvard, but he was a creative thinker...I couldn't have been more proud.

This house started with rough floors, ripped wallpaper, boarded up windows and many other problems. Now the kids have moved in and are creating their own memories. Adam couldn't have done this without Kristin. Everyday I see their creative minds coming up with ideas and I can't wait to see the progress.

Gallery girls...

Today the gallery staff celebrated the holiday together at my house. It was great getting together to talk about families and life.
From left to right....Tina, Mary Lou, Shelley, MiKayla and Roz. These great people are the creative glue that holds the gallery together. I couldn't do it without them, they ARE the best and are also wonderful friends.

Nice things do happen....

in these economic times. We recently were contacted by Holly Eyre for a unique gift idea for her husbands business, Jim Eyre Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon. She wanted to stimulate the local economy and buy handmade artwork from our artists. She arranged to purchase 80 pieces for gifts to be given to clients.
We contacted 4 talented artists (Pat Horsely, Natalie Warrens, Barb Campbell and Cindy Jenkins) and had them create 20 pieces each. This shows Holly with all the packages! Thank you Holly!

Silly fun....

Some days we have a bit of fun while working at the gallery. Lucky for us we know a wonderful photographer friend named William Bragg, he stops in every so often slinging his Brooklyn accent throughout the gallery.
On this day we twisted his arm to take this crazy photo of Shelley and myself to help in one of our promotions. Of course we found a zillion things to correct when viewing the photos.....wrinkles, "do I really look like that?" or....we can't use that photo cause my eyes look crossed! After much fuss we realized that our friend William was a master with photoshop...Thanks Will.