hello december....

and hello to you out there on this first day of december...

yes i am still around and trying to be productive, i hope you are too

today i'm feeling gratitude for all the good in my life: the people, the places, the happy moments, the sad & silent moments too (for they make me appreciate the happy ones even more)

i came across this somewhere, a few fill-in-the-blanks to help prompt you into practicing an attitude of gratitude - mine, just off the top of my head, are shown in blue

i'm grateful for... LOVE
my life would be dull if it weren't for...all the crazy, fun, fascinating, talented people i've met
the following people make my life richer...because they...(these could be people you personally know or people who simply inspire you) there are a lot of people i could list here but i'll simply say this: you know who you are because i've already told you so and why
i don't know what I'd do without...coffee :>
i appreciate the following things about myself...honesty, creativity, sensitivity, giving, determined
this year I've been blessed with...TIME (and at certain points it felt like a curse because it seemed to go so slow with no progress in important areas of my life, but now i see it as a necessary blessing in disguise to help me move forward in the right directions)

in the spirit of the season, i've decided to host a giveaway soon (for my 200th post) so please stay tuned for that... sneak peek below, handpainted wood tiles w/magnets, each one features my original art, no two are exactly alike. they're mounted on blank greeting cards for gift-giving. i'll be giving one or two of these away & the rest will be for sale in my new Etsy shop very, very soon :>

Much to do these days so I've been absent a bit in blogland. I'm sorting through my work and finishing up some WIP pieces in anticipation of my upcoming solo show here at our local gallery in September. Did I say that? Yes, my own show -albeit a small one, but a display of my work nonetheless...

Just finished the sketch above for another portrait, maybe in pastels on pale grey paper? maybe mixed media on canvas...



Also I wanted to share a gift that I received in the mail a few days ago from the super lovely and insanely talented writer/life inspiration guru, Brené Brown. You simply must visit her blog, Ordinary Courage here - I guarantee you will go back for more after just one visit. I applaud her amazing candor, real-person sensitivity and honesty to many issues we all struggle with.

She hosts the wonderful TGIF (Trust, Gratitide, Inspiration Fridays) with random giveaways and I just happened to be 1 of 5 lucky recipients of a 'graffiti bird'. Brené intuitively selected a bird for each winner and she couldn't have picked a better one for me :> These funky, inspiring birds are created by a wonderful artist, Dori, at Dreaming Bear Designs, you can visit her etsy shop here.

Back to work my friends, when the dust settles I hope to catch up with y'all...

Day 4: 'White' and Illustration Friday - 'Pale'

affirmations journal - 'learn'

"Most of the time life whispers only soft clues, gently suggesting the path to follow. Heed the whispers. LEARN the language. When you comprehend their meaning, dreams can be attained and hopes fulfilled." --anon

The affirmation word for this entry couldn't have been more aptly titled, I am learning so much through this January Art Journalers challenge. Through myself and others....so many creative, sharing souls...I feel like I'm part of a much bigger picture and that at least for now, I am not alone on this wonderful journey...

I left the area around the arch until the end and then I was too tired/done with this to finish it. However, I did love working with this pale, serene, almost meditative color palette, I can see why Misty loves it so much. It was really hard to capture a good scan or photo of it though. Which brings up a good question because I normally don't work in such a light color palette - how do you photograph light-colored pieces for reproducing?

Oh yes, I have the winner of my recent giveaway - it is Becky of Sweet Cottage Dreams, congratulations! My daughter helped and pulled a name the old-fashioned way, out of a [cowboy] hat, this is Texas after all *smile*.

Thank you again to all who entered, you are each truly inspiring and lovely - I wish I could send something to everyone.....I've decided to do monthly GIVEAWAYS because I loved this one so much, look for a reminder in February!

January Art Journalers - Jan. 5th

from my affirmations journal - jan. 5th 'connect'

A little late posting my journaling for Misty Mawn's January Art Journalers Group. It seems like everytime I want to commit to something like this, my attempts are thwarted in some way - unexpected commissions, everyday life, blah, blah, etc....No excuse but certainly a reason :>

I hope YOU are finding time to journal everyday, or every second day or once a week or a couple of times a month....you get the picture. Journal whenever & wherever you can -- embrace & nurture your creative time, no matter how much of it you have and what you end up creating!

By the way, don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY! All entries must be in by January 14, 2009 to be eligible. Read all the wonderful & inspiring AFFIRMATIONS everyone is embracing for this brand new year. You can enter at the January 1, 2009 post below - good luck!

2008 Review, Affirmations and a GIVEAWAY

Happy 2009! I don't know about you but a brand new year always makes me feel slightly giddy and most definitely hopeful. We rang in the new year quietly here which suits me just fine. There's a certain pleasure celebrating in a quiet & reflective way, at least for me. I'm not one for resolutions either, I like to list affirmations or mantra words instead - I find them easier to embrace and put to work.

The year 2008 was a hard one for me. There were many good changes personally and professionally, but it also brought a life-changing decision and upheaval when we moved our family cross-country to the Southwest. Like anything new & unfamiliar it involved some uncomfortable feelings and emotions. And much like grief, I found that if I could just let myself feel it, I would accept it and move on. I still struggle with it some days...


**click to enlarge**

I took a look through all of my journals and around the studio at my creations for 2008 and made the mosaic above. It features some of my favorites (and apparently yours too from the feedback here & Flickr faves). As I added each one to the grid, I could see a pattern emerge -I need to do more of these! Certain things kept popping up: faces, hearts, legs & shoes, the color red, shades of blue & green, nature, birds, trees - very interesting... Most pieces & sketches make me smile while others have me asking myself "what was I thinking?" lol. In order to review and critique it properly, I decided to ask myself a few questions. I hope these questions will help you too if you're trying to evaluate your work:

What were my influences, ie. what was holding my attention at that time?

What made my pencils & brushes 'sing'?

Which pieces nurtured & replenished my soul?

Do I feel accomplished & proud of any in particular?

Is there a media that isn't working for me? Rather, where are my strengths?

What am I wasting my time on trying to master?
I was gentle with myself on this one as ANYTIME you are creating ANYTHING it isn't a waste of time, however I tend to be stubborn and keep at something even when I'm not enjoying the process of it any longer :>

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One last thing, I am now officially announcing my GIVEAWAY starting today. All comments must be in by January 14th to be eligible. The GIVEAWAY will be the winner's choice of a fine art print (I'll have a few to choose from) and of course I'll tuck a few other goodies in. To enter, leave a comment and share an AFFIRMATION that's worked for you, or maybe one you're ready to embrace for 2009 (special note: please be sure to include a way for me to get in touch with you, otherwise I'll have to give it to someone else!) I'll also be posting this on Flickr for all my fine FLICKR friends there.

My wish for everyone in 2009 is that it brings YOU everything your heart desires...and more :>

Dec. 3rd: Silver Love

I gathered up all things silver within reach of my work table and heaped them all onto silver crepe paper - I love that stuff, bought it a few years ago by the roll and have used it for giftwrapping and also for making the most sumptuous ruffles for paper ornaments.

I think our tree will be silver & aqua with touches of pink this year. I want to try to create an icy wonderland look because I am missing the snow that used to herald in the season every year for my family :<

I've decided to post festive photos, artwork or delish recipes every day leading up to Christmas and in the spirit of the season, I'll also be hostessing a GIVEAWAY. This week I'll be posting a 'show & tell' on how I altered a storebought ornament (you can just make it out in t he pic above, top left, it's the bird & cage orament) so c'mon back!