Getting Back To My Roots

So, in all the years I have been painting and creating art, I've always loved doing portraits the most. Even as a kid in school, my portrait work was what I enjoyed the most. I was always fascinated by the minor differences in peoples faces, and how I could almost imagine a personality to go along with the person I was painting or drawing.

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Once I got into college, I relished the life drawing classes. I so loved seeing peoples different bodies, young and old, fit and fat. They were all beautiful in their own way! Even my photography would go primarily be of those subjects.

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After school, I went into mural painting. Although I did do some figurative work, most of my painting was of very different subjects, mostly decorative. Don't get me wrong, I love decorative art, I never quite got the philosophy that pretty art was somehow inferior to beautiful paintings. That tended to be the mindset while I was in college, my work was discriminated because it was too "pretty". That didn't make much sense to me when I studied the most famous artists throughout history, such as Michelangelo and Da Vinci, whose work was both beautiful and meaningful.

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Well, after all of these years I have been going back to my first love of portrait work and figurative work. I am really excited about doing some of this, although I have no intention of stopping my decorative work either. I feel that any art and creative process that makes me and my viewers happy is well worth doing:)

Get Along Little Doggies

Wow, I am happy to report that I have completed my sweet little puppy portrait:) A very sweet customer wanted her cutie pie doggies to get painted into a formal portrait. I will say, this was a very enjoyable painting to create. It also served as a terrific escape from my hectic life.

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I have enjoyed working these past months so very much, and had forgotten just how important it was for me to remain creative. After the birth of my three children, I had let my creative side stray a bit, but am very happy that I have it back. The funny thing, I never realized just how important the process of making art was for me. I used to think it was the final result, but now I am all about the actual actions. Mentally, it has done wonders for my sense of self, and well as my internal happiness meter.

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Go do something creative today, it will do wonders for you as well:)

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*hugs*

The begining of a New Addiction: Painted Easter Eggs

Well, as if I wasn't busy enough with a house full of little kids, and trying to start my little craft business, I've discovered my new favorite craft. Decorative egg painting!!! I will not pretend, they are in fact wood. I just didn't have the heart to paint something that couldn't last forever. I really enjoyed painting them so much! I have discovered the joy of miniature painting, and I have to say that I just can't stop. Hopefully next year I'll have them ready in time to put in my etsy shop, but for know my family and I got to enjoy these. Hope you like them, and hope all of you had an amazing holiday!
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Happy Spring!!!

Falling Flat on My Face

Did you ever hear the term "falling flat on your face"? Well, this actually happened to me this week. So I love being busy, and having a project. This year I decided to create a life size gingerbread family to represent all the members of our household. Last year I painted the snowman family, which we are hanging in the family room. With all I try to do during the holidays, I was a bit frazzled. I went outside to check out my finished gingerbread family, and not really paying attention to what I was doing - whoosh- down I went. As I was falling in my front yard, I was certain I would catch myself before actually falling on my face. But no, face down going straigh into the ground. Lucky for me, my face fell into the mulch and not our crown of thorns. Of course, the first thing I did was look around to make sure nobody saw! I've got a few bruises but my ego got it the worst.

Now I should have gone back to bed, and cancelled the rest of the weekend at this point. But no, I just kept chugging away. We were having our cookie party on Sunday, which most everyone bailed out of anyway. Good thing, since during the party our oven exploded. No, I'm not kidding, there was an actual explosion inside the oven while we were baking cookies. My mother, being who she is, was very concerned that we might loose a batch of cookies and opened the smoking oven to retrieve the cookie sheet. Everyone went crazy. People were running out the door, my daughter was dropping and rolling (even though she was in a different room). Thank God, my husband had the presence of mind to throw the electric switch. We finally got things under control and has to cancel the rest of the cookie swap.

My silver lining is, even though it is one week before Christmas, and we have 30 people coming for dinner on Christmas Eve, I'm getting a new oven!! A bright shiney LG oven to match my refrigerator! Oh, the cookies I'll be baking this weekend! I can't wait, and I'll be walking real carefully when I go outside.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Can you hear it? It is the tiny little voice telling you that Christmas is almost here. Something like 18 more days - OMG!!! I have so much to do, I'm not even sure where to start. Every year it seems like there is less time to prepare for the holidays, they just keep getting here faster and faster. Or is that just me getting old?

O.K., time to quit complaining, and time to get busy. My dirty little secret is I just love all the craziness! I love having a million things to do, I love being busy. My husband thinks I am insane, and after 10 wonderful years of marriage (our anniversary just passed), I have managed to get him involved with crafting. If I had a mustach, I would be twirling it right now. I am so proud!

This year for our anniversary I convinced my husband we should make gifts for each other. After all, what could show our love better than something from the heart. I can't believe he actually did it. He sent me out for the afternoon last week (major bonus!) and he stayed home with the kids and made me presents. He even baked me a cake! Poor thing tried to melt chocolates, but he scorced them and it seized:( But the kids were still so excited, they told us they really like crunchy chocolate.

In all fairness, I thought I should make him something that was out of my comfort zone. I did a scrapbook of our years together. I have to say I have an entirely new admiration for you scrapbookers. I never quite understood how hard it is, or how creative the process could be. Well, this has been an amazing weekend! And now I get to really focus on the holidays:)

I'm so excited about all the projects I have planned, including making a life size gingerbread family for my front yard. I found a craftperson on etsy to cut out the gingerbread pieces for me. I've already started painting them and can't wait to see how they turn out. Pics to come!

Enjoy getting into the holidays everyone!