I started painting stacks of blocks last spring, around the time of Stella's first birthday. We had really gotten into the game of "Mommy will build a big tower and Stella will knock it over!" She'd get so tickled when it was her turn to play. With the air of a seasoned performer, she'd make sure all eyes in the room were on her and then...lunge, crash, scatter! We had the best time. Later on things got even better when she and I started building towers together so "Stellzilla" (as we dubbed her alter ego) could pounce. Now she does most of the building, herself, and the goal is TALL!!! It entertains me how she will pick the longest blocks, such as the long cylinders, to build her creations - they're so difficult to stand on end individually and nearly impossible to stack on end in multiples. Yet, she just keeps trying, regardless of how many other, easier block options I offer her. She's good for about three or four tries to stack those cylinders and then frustration sets in and it's time to work puzzles or just tear around the room screaming with joy.
One of the paintings on my easel right now is an homage to Stella's beloved cylinders, and I intend to work with them for a few paintings to come. However, the photo I've included with this entry is the first stacked still life I painted, back when Mommy was the architect. It's called Stella's Blocks, oil/canvas, 24" x 18". It hung last June as part of the Harmony juried exhibit at the Associated Artists of Winston-Salem gallery.
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