"Invasion" by Jason Kotecki. Oil on canvas. 20x20 inches. Original and prints available here. I love macarons. I only had my first one a few years ago, but it was love at first bite. Not only am I always on the lookout for ways to get them in my belly, but I decided it was time to get them into some paintings. They’re so cute and colorful, after all, and perhaps keeping myself busy painting them would help distract me enough to keep me from eating them. I like the whimsy that comes from playing with scale; making something smaller or bigger than it would be in real life. Perhaps this reflects my early fascination with dollhouses, dioramas, and Micro Machine cars. One day, as I was doodling in my sketchbook, it occurred to me that a macaron looked a little bit like a flying saucer, and that was all she wrote. My imagination concocted a great scene in which an army of macaron UFOs descended upon a field of grazing cows. Naturally one would have to be taken as a specimen for …
Archives for July 2017
Sarah Stone Weber, July 2017 Adultitis Fighter of the Month
An Adultitis Fighter is someone who rallies against rules that don't exist and engages in ruthless, senseless acts of silliness that undermine Adultitis and its unadventurous version of adulthood. Once a month, we shine a light upon the most remarkable among us, holding them up as a dazzling example of what we should strive for in this epic battle against a formidable enemy. Sarah Stone Weber is a woman giving Adultitis a run for its money. She spreads joy everywhere she goes, and has a knack for taking ordinary circumstances and injecting them with fun and playfulness. You'd never know this, but she has been dealt some significant health challenges and overcomes them with her Adultitis Fighting perspective. Part of this may be credited to her sidekick, Baboo. He is an adorable stuffed monkey, but shhh...don’t tell him he’s stuffed, he doesn’t know it! He has a Facebook page (with 69 friends), in which he shares pictures of their travel shenanigans, such as adventures like …
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That Time My Painting Got Ruined Right After I Sold It
"Monkey Business" by Jason Kotecki. Oil on canvas. 16x20 inches. Prints available here. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. The scene was the Escape Adulthood Summit and I had just sold one of my new oil paintings. I was elated. It had been only a year since I first offered originals for sale, and this was the first of three I'd sell in one day! I proudly added a "sold" sign to the canvas, a badge of honor that would be on display for the rest of the event. Later that day, I heard a disturbance in the Force. Someone had inadvertently knocked over a few of the paintings. I calmly walked over to the scene, planning to reset them on their easels. No biggie. But my gut turned upside down when I grabbed the sold painting and discovered a huge gash in the canvas. It had fallen onto -- and was impaled by -- a smaller easel below. The hole it created made it look like it had come face-to-face with an angry art critic named Freddy Krueger. I was sick. Mostly …
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2017 Escape Adulthood Summit Recap
Adventure. That’s what the fifth Escape Adulthood Summit was all about. But not the kind of adventure you encounter when you google the word “adventure." You know, like scenes of people hanging precipitously from a cliff’s edge with one hand. We talked more about everyday adventures; the opportunities to try something for the first time and see the magic in seemingly ordinary moments. Nothing against mountain climbing or sky diving, but we wanted to challenge attendees to embrace adventure on an even wider scale. Once again, this year’s shindig was held at the beautiful Barn at Harvest Moon Pond, nestled within the rolling Wisconsin countryside. Kim and I welcomed another sold-out crowd with hugs and high fives. It was exciting to see new faces and old friends — some of whom have been to all five Summits! Of course, Golden Tickets are required for admittance. Goodie bags and personalized name tags awaited each guest. I think those name tags are …
Why Your Superpower Might Be Hidden in Plain Sight
Superman doesn’t have to think about flying in order to soar above the clouds. Spiderman doesn't have to practice sticking to a ceiling. The Flash doesn't have to put in any extra effort in order to run really, really fast. While the rest of us marvel at their extraordinary abilities, these heroes are merely doing what comes naturally. Which begs the question: What are your superpowers? Everyone has at least a few, even though they may not feel particularly talented or special. The problem is that they're often hidden before our eyes. We overlook our own superpowers because they come so easily to us. For instance, I have worked to develop my talent as an artist, but it's something that has always come easy to me. For a long time, I discounted the value of my gift because, after all, if it comes easy to me, it must be easy for everyone else, right? Not so much. The world needs you to share your gifts. Don't let Adultitis fool you into believing that what you …
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