Our Life in a Painting

You may remember my Inkerview a few months ago with the very talented painter, Jon Hoffman. If you missed it, be sure to check out his creative and inspiring work (complete with links to his sites) here.

Well, much to my surprise and delight, soon after running the Inkerview, Mr. Hoffman so graciously painted a very special, one-of-a-kind piece for me and Steve. We absolutely LOVE it and will always treasure this whimsical, beautiful, carefully crafted jewel.

What makes it so special is all that Jon incorporated into the art that reflects our lives. Since he already knew a bit about me (my tattoos, things I dig, etc.), he asked me for a little background about Steve and our relationship, so I sent him an email with a small synopsis of our history together, things we love, and traits that make us tick. Like:

• We met when we both worked at Penguin's Frozen Yogurt as teenagers in the 80s
• Our first date was a Sugarcubes concert (when Bjork was still the lead singer) at the Hollywood Palladium
• We got married in Ireland in 1991
• Steve is obviously well-known for his long beard and glasses
• He graduated from law school a year after Aidan and Shea were born
• Steve now manages 9 pool supply stores in Southern California
• We used to own a skateboard shop in the late 1990s/early 2000s called DB Ride Shop
• He loves Orwell and has the word "proletariat" tattooed on one wrist and "vegan" on the other
• We have matching wedding ring design tattoos
• He's also a Dr. Seuss fan and has one of his quotes tattooed on his arm

Jon set off to work and captured many of the aforementioned tidbits, in a marvelous and surreal setting. I was so thrilled to receive it and it makes me smile every time I see it. I have it hanging in a spot that my desk faces, so it is a very common sight in my day-to-day adventures.

I just wanted to share a photo of it with you and thank Jon publicly for being so generous and thoughtful.

Oh yes, there is indeed a tiny amount of fuzz growing atop my head. You can ask me what I’m doing…but I’m really not sure myself yet (ha ha). I just needed a change. I’m sure it won’t last long - it never does. But yeah, I’m trying. ;)