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!!!

Happy Spring!!!!

The Easter Bunny arrived with a big smile because he got to eat the yummy delicious carrot that my daughter left for him. He also arrived with lots of treats and goodies for my three cutie pie kids. This year, I helped Peter Cotton Tail by painting great little wooden totes for my kids to fill on their egg hunt. I used my most favorite wood crafter on etsy (http://www.woodshed.etsy.com/) to make me these awesome totes. I asked him to make something like a basket, that I knew my kids would love. As always, he delivered me the most perfect items just waiting for my paint brush! I'm really happy with the way these came out.

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Etsy also helped the Easter Bunny fill up the baskets with great goodies. The most adorable cupcake soaps, in such scrumptious scents by www.conniesboutique.etsy.com. These soaps smell as good as they look, and actually made my daughters beg to get in the bathtub last night. I also got them the cutest Boo Boo Bunnies, by www.MindysEmbroidery.etsy.com. My kids all likes this, but one of my daughters insists on wearing it as a bracelet:) I also ordered adorable little clips for the girls hair (my poor son really get cheated out with all the girly stuff) by www.MyFamilyTies.etsy.com. They are so beautifully crafted, and my oldest daughter refused to wear the clips I made to match their dresses because she had to wear the ones by myfamilyties. Last, the amazing crafters on etsy even dressed my kids! I purchased two gorgeous Easter dresses by www.Cherrylane.etsy.com.

Thank you so much etsy!!!!

Getting Back to Business

Well, it has been a crazy couple of months, but I'm finally getting back to working my butt off - God I wish that saying could be true*wink*.

I have some new projects in the works, including some interesting wearable art. I'm very excited to see where these new creations take me creatively, but that will be a while longer before I have any samples to show. In the meantime, I've been feeling in the mood for some sweets, and have gone and created another delicious little cupcake box to keep all of your treasures in. Also, totally loving the handpainted yummy banners. Hope you guys like them too!!!!

Almost 2009

The New Year is upon us and I am so grateful for the wonderful year I've had. Life is good! I'm praying for good things for everyone and great blessings for the next year!

Cheers to all!!! And HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!

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.