The Day After Christmas and All Through the House ...

This was a hard year to catch the Christmas spirit. Other than a few internet purchases, I really didn't do any shopping ahead of time. Which is odd for me as usually I am 90% done before Thanksgiving. But Christmas shopping was definitely a Me & Mom kind of thing and my heart just wasn't ready. Luckily the Saturday before Christmas my oldest daughter came home and we did a marathon trip to the "Lifestyle Center"and got most everything. It was fun. We had a really great time being together. I hadn't had much just the two of us time recently so it was quite special.

Our Christmas celebration started early. Autumn left for Sweden right before Christmas so we had a partial early Christmas on Sunday. (Yes the day right after the shopping spree -guess what I did Saturday night) Matt read the Christmas story from the Bible and Santa filled the girl's stockings with goodies. We exchanged gifts with Autumn that evening; herr biggest surprise, a Madewell leather purse.

Christmas eve, Carey Anne, my youngest daughter, and I went to my brother Robby's house and had soup with him and his family after church. They made traditional plum pudding and eggnog. 

Christmas morning was nice and quiet. Pete made a wonderful frittata from various left-overs and we oo'd and ah'd over all the presents. Carey Anne got a juicer so we had Champange with strawberry, carrot, and blueberry juice. Yum!

Now, the day after Christmas, I am heading over to Robby's house again to visit him and my youngest brother, Patrick who just came in from Baltimore. My middle brother and his family will be here late tonight. I've got to get the makings for our big dinner as Saturday we will feast (as if we hadn't eaten enough already -lol) Then Patrick heads back home Sunday and we will head to Mississippi to visit my Mam-maw, who just turned 97 year old about a week ago.

That's a quick update. I hope you and yours have had a very Merry Christmas and that this coming year will be your best ever!

Hugs and Kisses,

Laurie Anne 

Adventure Girl (Part Three)

Adventure Girl (Part Three)

Well here it is; the final touches. (If you want to follow the whole process; start with Part One then Part Two and finally finish up here with Part Three)

More details on the face and feathers, a little more contrast with white acrylic and black ink and I am ready to scan the canvas. Then Photoshop Time for a few minor tweaks. I decide to try the face paint again. I tend to think of it as war paint -you know life is a battle field and all -but in a good, ready for anything kind of way. This time I copy some of the blue from the background and paste as thick and thin stripes. One of the nice things about photoshop is that with layers nothing has to be permanent if you don’t want it to be -a touch of the mouse and on and off they go.

I apply translucent doodles in red and black on to the girl’s top with custom brushes. I use the dodge and burn tools to to darken the edges and intensify the contrast between elements.

The painting is now complete. Here she is -my brave little warrior girl ready for her grand adventures. Part Phileas Fogg, part Tom Sawyer, part Pocahontas. Poised at that point in life when you truly become yourself. You are ready to take on the word armed with open eyed optimism and fabulous feathers. No doors have yet shut. It is such a scary but exhilarating moment. The world is full of endless possibilities. You feel both small and large. Almost invincible. It is a time for bravery and courage. You are powerful.

There are the obvious milestones in our life when we stand at these crossroads; the transition out of  elementary school then from Jr. High to High School and finally graduation. There is your first big trip, first time living alone, or becoming a parent. There are also those scary transitions like when you quit a stable job to follow a passion. Complicated transitions like the ending of a marriage. Sometimes these times of empowerment don’t have an actual outward sign at all; it is a blooming of the heart and you just know you are ready; Ready for whatever is next. The risk of remaining in the bud is more painful than the risk to blossom.

Finally as the last bit, I have played around with the colors and shapes of my adventure girl; skin, hair, eyes, mouth to reflect the rainbow which is us. All ready for our story to continue.

As girls, young and old, fair and dark, we embrace change and the beautiful possibilities that are yet to come. We will seek the unknown and laugh as the wind tousles our hair, keeping our minds curious and our hearts open.

Quote for the day: I have no idea if it is original or something I copied long ago as it comes from one of my journals but I really like what it says. "Courage doesn't always roar; sometimes it is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow."

... & flash is not working again so no music for today. drats :(

Adventure Girl (Part Two)

Adventure Girl (Part Two)

I’m really in the mood to paint but work and getting ready for the garage sale are taking up lots of my time. I’ve been getting up early so I have an hour or two before work for artsy play. I have to set a timer (usually for my music to stop) so that I don't lose my self in my imaginary world. When I create time often becomes relative. I may look up and it has been 15 minutes or just as easily several hours. On the weekends, I can think I am stopping for lunch only to find out it is really suppertime.

I’ve got an idea to try and capture that moment when you sort of become yourself. There is this quote “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” by Anais Nin that has been in the back of my mind a lot lately. (Aside: now she was an interesting lady) It is the same quote I referenced a post or two ago.

Funny how certain things stick with you. Usually there is something personal there -often exactly what isn’t necessarily apparent at the moment but only revealed when seen backwards throughout the filter of time and then it is so obvious, often an AHA kind of thing.

Well, I begin to collage on new elements. I use pages from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “Around the World in Eighty Days”because I want to give the piece a feeling of both innocence and excitement. I play with some of my new supplies -a Tim Holtz stencil for texture and distress paint daubed in dots. I also drizzle on fluid acrylics and scribble on watercolor crayons.

The artwork is feeling a little better already. Next I have a painting that my talented daughter Autumn created for my Mom last Christmas. It has these ink and watercolored feathers that will be perfect for my girl’s hair. I scan them in to the computer, adjust to the appropriate size then print. I add them to the canvas with Matte Medium (Love me some Matte Medium!) I stamp out some text, real messy-like and play with its placement but the words I’ve selected are overwhelming the picture so I try several different ways of minimizing the words yet keeping its meaning. It takes quite a few tries before figuring out the right words and placement.

A few days go by and finally the yard sale is over. I can get back to painting again. I haven’t actually attached the text yet because I still need to paint the hair. First, I try a short red bob and black face paint.

The next day, I evaluate and decide I should stick closer to my sketch with a long braid but instead of a sun, I will add a flower in her hair and colorful little dots to the background. I also make the feathers brighter and attach antique lace to her dress.

I’m not loving the black face paint so I paint over her cheeks with white acrylics. I have to wait till the paint is thoroughly dry before I can continue to paint. It is always a bit scary when you make such a drastic change this far along in a painting. If I didn’t make the adjustment though I’d be settling for something I wouldn’t ever be quite happy with. It is also an appropriate part of the process. I feel like my girl is going through adolescence which must include a smidgen of awkwardness.

Once the white paint is dry, I have to add color to her cheeks, then shadows and highlights. I also have switched her eye color from blue to green. The canvas is almost complete. I finally commit to the wording (which has changed yet again) and attach the text and quote.

Only one more installment to go… Are you ready for part three? Won’t be long -I promise.

Music for Yesterday is Colbie Cailet's Try

Music for Today is Taylor Swift's Shake it Off

Music for Tomorrow is RaeLynn's God Made Girls

(YouTube is working again so here is music for all three posting of Adventure Girl at once -just incase it is a odd temporary thing and goes away again.)

Adventure Girl (Part One)

Adventure Girl (Part One)

I have started this post half a dozen times (even finished it once) but I always get sidetracked or lose where I’ve written it. What is it with me and completing things. Goodness. But this time I’m actually typing as I compose so my chances of success are a bit better.

I wanted to share the making of my adventure girl. She didn’t start as you see her now. No, she began during the last art festival. I love getting to paint while outside and since I have to man my booth there is no guilt that I should be doing something more urgent (like cleaning, paying bills, patching sheetrock, etc) I do have to make sure I don’t get too absorbed and miss a sale or a chance to visit with the festival goers, but all in all it is a very pleasant time to paint. 

Well back to the painting, I rather absent-mindedly began my background, sort of devoid of any real direction.  I then drew the face in my sketchbook. The kids at the festivals love to “help” which I think is fun. My initial painting with my faces is pretty loose so if the kids want to add a little pink here or blue there, I know I’ll be adding more color later so it’s all good. Once the face, neck, and arms are painted, I cut them out and add them to the canvas. I decide to do the hair by painting around where I want hair instead of actually painting the hair itself. At this point, I’ve got to pack up and its a week or so later before I can even unpack. My girl is pretty bland. I use my palette knife to splatter a little yellow for a bit of pop. (See the picture below) A spatter of yellow, pop does not make. Boring. Now I’ve got a hint of creative block -where do I go from here.

Insecurities flow in. I’m not really an artist at all. I’m not even much of a painter. I’m boring. I’m bland -no wonder I can’t paint. All those self depreciating damaging statements come vomiting out of my inner critics mouth. I think I’ll just surf the internet -I get into comparison mode. I’ll never be as good as that artist, I’ll never be as creative as that artist, Why do I think anyone would want to have my art? It is a black hole, I tell you. I’m also physically over tired and emotionally overwhelmed with my parent’s passing. I’m struggling to keep a dark depression from sitting on top of my head. I keep feeling like I should be better, but I cry at the drop of a hat.

Finally I give myself a break. I refocus my morning devotional time. I also spend a week doing nothing much but vegging out in front of the tv, eating frozen fruit and pre-made dinners after work. I don’t know if that is healthy but it seems to do the trick. I’m not quite as droopy and life doesn’t feel as overwhelming. It is odd how when you are in that dark place, you know life is good and it is only a temporary perspective issue but in the midst, the hole feels so big and the shovel so small. Intellectually you know that today’s problems are the same as yesterday’s and tomorrow’s and it will all the ok but emotionally what a roller coaster.

Now again back to the painting…. I’m ready. I’m excited. I’m bursting with ideas. I buy some cool supplies with a Michael’s gift card saved from last Christmas. I sketch up some ideas and gather up the items I want to incorporate into my painting.

Cliff-hanger……. Next post with more in-progress photos and final art is coming soon.

No Music for today: My computer is now so out dated that I can no loner access you tube I think it is -time for Santa to do a little computer shopping for under the tree!

We Are Family!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just a quick post to say I am so blessed and to share a couple of this year's Thanksgiving pics as well as one of my Mom & Dad. 

I actually typed up a real Thanksgiving post but I did it in pages and now the file is corrupt and I just don't feel like trying to recreate it :( but the main focus was even though it has been a tough year, I am so grateful for my family, my friends, and all the amazing blessings that I tend to be so busy and distracted that I simply overlook them. 

Nashville with my crazy family was wonderful; the weather was lovely and we spent lots of fun moments together... Saw the Rockettes, the Predators game, Mocking Jay Part One, played Frisbee Golf and Crimes Against Humanity (totally inappropriate but hilarious), got Mani/Pedis and ate way too much Turkey. The kids (grandkids) gave each of the siblings a Spirit Bag in honor of Mom & Dad with special little gifts from each one. David and Stephen took some of Dad's shirt's and had each of the girls an apron made. We talked and laughed (yes, I cried a bit) It truly was a special time.

Music for Today: Chris Tomlin "Indescribable"

Mom & Dad (with Miss Hattie)

More Music for Today: Sister Sledge "We are Family"

Flourish, Soar, Fly!

This is a very personal piece I am sharing.  One that I created as a photoshop blending of two pages in my art journal.  I just listed it on etsy as a grandmother asked if I had anything appropriate to give her granddaughter and I think this one would be perfect!

This painting is of a younger and older version of one person (myself) or a daughter and mother/ grandmother or even an aspiring artist and her muse/ creative spirit or mentor.  I love art that can be taken in many ways depending on the circumstances and mood of the viewer -so even though I will explain some of what this piece means to me, it can mean something wholy different to you and that is just plain awesome! 

The older woman represents the wisdom, creativity, and the traditions which experience and perspective bring. The young girl is wide eyed, optimistic, and just beginning her life's journey. There is a softness and innocence in her unblinking stare. She is holding a mirror gifted by the older woman for reflection and self-awareness. Isn't it interesting how different events seem, when viewed through the lens of a little time?

The older woman is floating in prayer or meditation allowing her life to flow and transform her younger self or cherished one. Through her hand, she is passing along strength and fearlessness. She is holding a heart with the words wisdom and joy because I believe these are two attributes most easily gained through experience, both good and bad. Sure it is easier to be happy when you are young and the world is your oyster (as it should be) but joy, inner joy is so much more than a smile. It is deep and can not be stolen by circumstances. What a gift! 

The butterflies and open flower represent change, a bloosoming into all that you can be -beautiful and free. I love the quote: 

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." -Anais Nin. 

So true, isn't it?  We are bound primarily by restrictions in our minds, not reality, but invisible chains are even harder at times to break than ones of fiber or metal and sometimes it helps when others lovely remind us of this fact. We really are free. We really are strong. We really are Enough!

The little houses represents where we come from. Our past; the people, places and events that shape our future. The brushes and pencils are for creativity and self expression. The words, Soar, Flourish, and Fly, well they kind of speak for themselves. What beautiful affirmations and inspirations. Be wholy who you are. Do not fear, you have all you need within you and around you.   

S  O  A  R ,   F  L  O  U  R  I  S  H ,   F  L  Y  !!!!

I hope this piece speaks to you. Let it remind you or someone dear that they are amazing, they can do anything they dream, and they have a responsibilty to share thier gifts with the world.  I believe in you whether you are the young one, the old one, or both. Dare to be yourself!


Morning Music: Express Yourself (Say Yes) - Jon Batiste and Stay Human
I am feeling a little jazzy this morning and Jon Batiste with Stay Human are the perfect indulgence!

Grand Festival of Art

Hello!

The Grand Festival of Art in Fairhope was this past weekend. It was located on the grounds of Faulkner Junior College. Very park like... nice. It was a lovely break from a very stressful work week.

I got to enjoy the amazing almost autumn weather while manning my booth. Still a bit hot in the sun but the humidity was down and you know that crisp fall scent -so distinct, crisp, slightly fresh even - well I got a whiff of it. My favorite season hands down. It makes you want to bite an apple, sip some hot chocolate, throw on a scarf and cuddly sweatshirt or sweater (the one that is a little too big and has been washed so much its baby bottom soft but fraying along the edges), light a fire, climb a tree, ride a bike, plant some mums, daydream in a hammock ....  Oh Yeah my favorite season!!! Welcome Autumn!!! I can't wait to create a few fall inspired paintings.

But now back to this past weekend, the pace was pretty slow but enough to do ok especially since my expenses didn't include gas or a place to stay. The nice thing about the slowness (and beautiful weather) is that I got to create this little beauty here. It is a small canvas with mostly white acrylic, graphite and watercolor crayons (easy to carry along type supplies)

"Out on a Limb"

At first I wasn't going to have a girl on it. In fact, I painted a dragonfly with a top hat to befriend my birdie originally but it was missing something. So even though I was quite proud of how my dragonfly's wings turned out, I painted over him. Sometimes you've got to go with your gut and adjust. I love how her body is a little plumper than most of my girlies. Also even though my scrap stash was quite limited at the show, only a small ziplock baggy full, I think I found the perfect hair. It is from part of a large scale purple flowered scrapbook sheet. I pinched out the center from one of the flowers and Ta-Da ... Here she is! Out on a Limb with her Bestie Birdie!

Music: God Only Knows (Mixed Artists)

Simple Things

Hello Dear Ones! I've a new painting to share :)

Life can feel so complicated and it is so easy to lose our joy.  I created this little piece is a reminder to take an emotional step back, breathe, and count my BLESSINGS.  I've been lost and overwhelmed lately and so often it truly is the simple things in life which re-center us - goodness knows I need a bit of re-centering. 

This painting was concieved from a comment/request from a lady on etsy who is going through a rough time right now.  Her husband recently left and I can relate to her pain. Dreams shattered hurt worse than broken bones.  She has three daughters; the blondes are twins so how fun to create something positive to celebrate this beginning of her new path in life. 

Joining this sweet little family are birds, flowers, and stars all under a waning moon. There is also a butterfly in the mother's hair as a nod to my mom's transformation as she passed from this earthly home to her eternal one along side my dad. Creating art helps me process life and heal from still raw emotions. My heart swells when I think  it might also brings a bit of light and joy in to the live's of those who view it :)

I've included snippets of items from my own MOM in this piece: leaves cut from a sympathy card, words cut from one of her favorite "tea" napkins, the moon and stars cut from a watercolored sheet that she had doodled on, and finally the daughter's tops which I cut from another of her tissue paper and watercolored sheets. The background music applied to the wood board (a scrap sample from work) is "Across the Universe."

I've included a few photos to share my meandering process of creating art. Notice in the first photo I've finished most of my background and am playing with the girl's placement on the panel. I painted the faces separately in my mixed media pad then cut them out so I could see what layout worked best with the patterns that had evolved on the background. Also I wanted this painting to be a little brighter and softer than most of my work so I used almost only white and yellow acrylics along with watercolor crayons until near the very end. In the next photo, I've change the orientation completely and am almost done. I've collaged on manipulated scrapbook papers for the hair. The bottom photo is the finished piece; I've added the stars, the pink birds' cheeks and highlights to the girls' faces. I also rubbed a red pastel only the edge of the panel. I hope you've enjoyed seeing some of how my art comes together! Prints are available on Etsy if you'd like a copy of your own :)

Music for today: of course "Across the Universe"  by the Beatles, and sung by Rufus Wainwright and sung by Fiona Apple :)
Below: my initial inspiration sketch tucked in one of my many journals.

Happy Things

Hello! I've got a quick question for you: What things make you Happy? Well, while going through the books and magazines to ready my parent’s home for an estate sale, I came upon an issue of Country Living where author Mary Randolph Carter had written an  article and within  was this marvelous snippet, “… I’ve learned not to let guilt or someone else’s taste overcome the pleasure of my desire. Let yourself fall in love with something that simply makes you happy.” What a wonderful statement. 

How often do we let something other than our heart dictate what we like? Glitter is tacky. Primary colors are for kids. Sweet is unsophisticated. Pastels are passé. Whatever. So many rules for what we are supposed to like.

Yes, as we become more educated and are exposed to new experiences, we are able to understand and appreciate items that at first don’t draw us in. In the realm of food, think coffee, red wind, and caviar. Rare is the person who adored any of those at first but then once the taste is developed … mmm! In art it is similar; some works become more amazing once the context and concepts are understood.

I remember the first time I read the book “Seeing is forgetting the name of the thing one sees” by Robert Irwin. A light bulb went off and non-representational art suddenly became much more accessible and interesting. I could appreciate what before had seemed only simple, or ugly, or boring. Well, unless it had pretty bright colors then I'd probably liked it regardless -just call me MAGPIE.

Which brings me back to my original topic (yes, detours are the rule here in my blog, not the exception)  As new horizons open up before us, we shouldn’t let that child-like “gut” love be covered up. You know that almost instantaneous reaction to something that calls to you. Maybe it is cute, or nostalgic, or simply brings a smile to your face. That’s the beauty -it doesn’t matter what it is that makes it sing. That unconscious reaction is personal and unique, just like you.

A few of my own happy things :)

Indulge you inner self occasionally and sprinkle little things you love about your space: a tiny toy car tucked up on a shelf, a bouquet of bright paper flowers on the night stand, a quaint painted rock placed by the fireplace, a dried heart shaped leaf pinned to a bulletin board, a slightly rusted antique watering can nestled in the garden, a sweet little art print (yes, like any of mine -hint, hint) displayed beside your computer, whatever makes your heart fuzzy inside. Cost, importance, or permanence isn't important. Don't get caught up on whether your mother-in-law will approve or if it is going to match your sofa. 

For me, creating and viewing the etsy treasuries as well as pinterest boards is a digital way of collecting these "happys". While creating art, it is getting lost in decorative papers, swooshing creamy paints on with my fingers, and tweaking the tiny details to give just the right expression to one of my girl's faces. In life, it is spending time savouring special relationships and enjoying everyday moments: laughing, dreaming, dancing ... -but that is getting too broad for this little post to share tonight, but definitely something to ponder for another day though.

Ok now I am sort of jumping around in thoughts again but I've had a notion to set up a framed print in my hall and make a ritual of switching out the image with the seasons and holidays. (The connection: It makes me happy) I already kind of do this for Christmas as I have a couple favorite holiday prints from old calendars and small originals I've collected through the years that I bring out and display for the month of December then tuck back into storage the rest of the year. It's fun and I look forward to seeing them. But now I really think I will start a little collection of my own art as prints all the same size that I can switch out of a designated frame each month. Maybe it could be the beginning of a calendar set. Hmmmm -I'll have to think about this :)

Well good evening (or morning or afternoon depending on what time a day it is when you read this) I hope your week is full of happy surprises!

Music for tonight (an oldie): Gary Wright singing Dream Weaver

And below, the finished Ashton Artwork with collaged bits of Go Dog Go and Across the Universe Sheet Music. I posted progress pics in an earlier blog and figured it might be nice for folks to see the finished product (or almost finished as I did a little more but this is the last scan I made before sending it off)

Hello Sunshine :)

I'll start with the sadness: My beautiful Mom passed away. It was so unexpected and I am still numb. The sun peaking through the clouds is that she is with my Dad dancing in thier heavenly home. She was missing him so.

We had confirmation that Mom had cancer on Monday and on Tuesday, she went in for surgery to stop internal bleeding which she never awoke from. The other little sunbeam in the thunderstorm is that she never had to endure what was going to be a very very hard stuggle.

Now some happiness: I am off to the Bahama Islands for some much needed R&R with my youngest daughter. Time to heal and process.

Song for the day: I'll Fly Away

Painting -Frame and All!

Hello -I know it has been a while! 

Don't judge -I've got work reviews coming up and am having to do the evaluation forms so I am stressed enough. I hate filling them out. Are you good at this, can you do this well, rank yourself 1 to 5. Then lets compare each question with what each partner ranks you on each question. Oh how I love working for the man. Dreaming of escaping into my own little beautiful worlds. Dash the looming deadlines, impersonal emails, carefully worded questions.

Aw... the bliss of losing myself in to my art. Pretty colors, creamy paint, possibilities :)

I picked up several paintings/frames a while back from garage sales -totally chosen because of price -so much cheaper than buying canvases. I had already painted and textured the backgrounds. The picture above are the two I have left to complete. I think I've left these two for last because I really like how they have started out so I'm a slightly paralyzed as what to do on them. This is a problem sometimes with my "do backgrounds ahead of time" process. When I get one I really like then if I stop, I can have a hard time getting back to them -sort of a a mental -I don't want to screw it up issue. Much easier to start painting on a not so great background because I can only make it better. Weird -huh?

Well, I just painted and collaged on a sweet little girl this weekend. I was really feeling the need for positive affirmation and I loved the idea of being enough. Accepted. I've been struggling a little lately with this. I fully know I am. (Praise my Lord for proving this through his sacrifice) But sometime knowing something and feeling it are two different things. I thought this would be a quick painting but it actually took longer than expected. I like it though - a sweet little painting, nothing to deep or dark.

I think if I was to do it over, I might use a frame without the seams as collaging my pieces over them feels a bit "applied" and because of the seams it is hard to "blend" them into the whole. I could definitely see this in a little girl's room though. Shouldn't each of us know that we are enough and that it more than opinion, it is unshakable TRUTH.

Below is one more of my frame paintings. "The Agreement" This is a favorite of mine. Pretty intuitively painted. I keep it in my guest room which is striped with tangerine, gold and blue. It goes so perfectly and no I did not plan it that way. You can see a little "zeti" influence. I adore Tesha Moore and this gives a slight wink in her direction.

It is time to head to work now so I've got to wrap on up. Praying to stay calm, positive, and productive -& may your day be this way too! It is a glorious morning. The sun is shining and blessings are sure to fall, just got to keep my eyes open and my arms wide.

Music for the morning: John Legend's beautiful song "All of Me" with Lindsey Stirling!

Unedited

S H A R I N G 

UNEDITED PAGES FROM MY ART JOURNAL:

I am a bundle of half secrets, and partial truths.

I am like an onion made of layers and layers of skin. Is there a core, a center? Or if peeled would there be nothing. How much is real?

I live double lives. How many of me are there? Are we the same? Is my essence me? I want to be known. But who am I? How can I build a relationship, if I don’t risk exposure. What am I hiding from? Who am I so afraid of?

We only love what we know. If I am unknowable, how can I expect love. Life is about trust. Once shattered, how can it be rebuilt.

It is NOT better to be safe than to be open but it is much easier. Safe is an illusion anyway. Life will never be safe. Who wants a safe life?

I say I want a passionate life. A truly passionate life is not shrouded in mist. I can fool myself by doing … so busy … accomplished … so exciting … so empty. Take away the masks -what is underneath. How can I let others in? Slowly, one layer at a time.

"Found Phrases: Diary of My 13 Year Old Self"
&
"Half Hidden: Broken or Breaking Free"

Painting Little

Hello & Good Evening!

Just posting a quick up-date on a few projects. First I've started a page of ATCs. I hadn't done many lately and just felt the need for a little swapping so I've got to get two with the theme "Serenity" out this month (yes, I know the month is almost over hence the hurry) I love to paint little sometimes. Such immediate gratification -well as immediate as any artsy thing I do. I am not the speediest to say the least. Can you guess my totem? The Turtle: slow but steady, has a tendency to snap when provoked, and likely to tuck back into its shell. Both of land and sea. Oh definitely the turtle. Now, I've always like redbirds and owls as well but you know, why buck my nature. Some things just are :)

Next to share: I am working on a custom piece of artwork related to the book "Go Dog Go." I've got several variations mocked up and I've got to decide which to turn into the final piece. I am letting Sheri, who commissioned the piece choose if she likes. I can visualize finishing anyone of them.

Any comments or thoughts from the blog'osphere? Just when I think I have a fav, I change my mind. Once a selection is made, I'll collage on then tweak and blend and add more paints and probably some pastels. Could include words depending -we will see.

Anyway, it is getting late and I am starting to yawn so I'd better turn out the light! 

Have an Artful Evening! 

Peace Out!

Music for tonight:

A double feature by

Iggy Azalea

"Impossible is Nothing"

&

"Fancy"