Strength - Art Journal Inspiration

Some of you who know me are aware that I have lupus and have been living with this illness for 13 years.  I've been through chemotherapy to help kidney disease which is now in remission (yay!).  Early menopause from the chemo unfortunately took away my chance of having a second child a few years ago.  I've had to quit my full-time teaching job as well, something I worked really hard on in college and in my graduate program.  Often I'm in lots of pain and moving my hands, neck, feet, legs, etc. can be really really hard some days.  I cannot handle being in the sun or heat.  Let's just say, my life has changed drastically.  Sometimes I give into a personal pity-party - it's hard not to some days. But through all this I am learning that I am a strong person. And, yes, I occasionally have to remind myself of that in my art journal.  An affirmation, a reminder that I can handle this.  I'm surviving everyday, sometimes even thriving I guess. Though I wish I were cured, I still do feel so much joy about life and the gifts I have been given.  This is the only way for me to deal with struggles daily.

I'm hoping that even though you too may  have some major or even minor obstacles or stressors, that you know you really are strong and can handle them.  Sometimes I have to remind myself to breathe, maybe walk away, even whisper gently to myself "it's okay" and these things help put me back in a strong, capable and hopefully calm frame of mind.

When you are struggling and think you just can't handle one more thing, what do you do to help yourself?  Are you good at reminding yourself how strong you are?  Think of all the challenges you have faced in your life - you are strong.

Painting as a Getaway and Stress Reliever

My summer off is coming to an end and to be honest it's been a bit stressful and anxiety-ridden due to my health.  I'm not going to complain or go into big detail right now because I need a break from that.  I do want to share what I've been doing to try to ease my worries and some struggles running through my busy mind.

First of all, I wasn't painting every day and it really makes a difference.  So a few days ago I reminded myself that even just "messing around" in my sketchbook, not with the intent to make a finished, polished piece, would be a little therapy that would do me good.  It bugs me that I KNOW painting helps me but I still sometimes just don't do it.  Hello....just do it, right?

(Polka climbing rose from my garden)

Aside from painting and just playing in my art journal, I also KNOW going outside even for 10 minutes can give me a new perspective.  I have some beautiful flowers growing all around me and some shade (which I need) so I can enjoy the things I planted but still stay out of the sun that tends to give me a hard time.  Sad to say, I actually sometimes have to force myself to get out there, pick a few flowers or sit in the shade and read a good book...why?  If I enjoy it and it restores me, why?  

(Zinnias planted from seed this spring)

Do you have any things you try when anxiety or worry get the best of you?  I'd love to hear new ideas if you have them.

February Love...Valentine's Day

I don't want to use the word "love" lightly, because I truly really love mostly people in my life, but since I am a passionate person, I guess I do "love" many things.  This month all my posts have been about people or things I love.  Since it's Valentine's Day, of course, I'm going to share a few more things I LOVE and that really give me joy.

 My sweet daughter and my funny husband...This is our past Christmas card (well one version).  We take a picture every year and I thought we needed to spice it up a bit and be a little funny.  Shane is actually wearing my mom's Christmas sweater--no he doesn't typically wear lady's clothes.  Most recipients loved it except one couple who seemed very offended...oh well...this is us most of the time, so we thought it is more fitting than just sitting there smiling nicely for the camera.

Oh, yes, I guess, that cute little lapdog Mazie I love too...most of the time!  She is high-maintenance to tell you the truth, but she has brought lots of joy to all our lives.

Aside from these two loves of my life, I have the sweetest little niece that I'm completely enamoured with---which brings me to another love--BABIES.  I am drawn to their big, smiling eyes, their chubby cheeks, chunky legs and their pure joy.  I am still sad that I could only have one baby of my own, but my little niece gets lots of love and attention by me.  How could she not?  Look at her!

In addition to these lovable people in my life, I'd like to share one more thing that brings me great joy...

PAINTING of course.  Here are a few of my favorites that I guess I do "love" either because of the intent behind them or just the feeling I get from how they turned out.

 

© Jill's Dream Artwork (this one is still for sale in my shop too!)

© Jill's Dream Artwork

Above, I really loved the process of making it because of the colors, the inspiring and motivational quote AND the leaves and flowers are actual pieces from a journal page I created, so there's a lot of "me" in it.  It is truly one of my favorites--it sold at a boutique I have things in and I wish I could've met the person who bought it because I like to meet the people who buy my creations.

I'm also taking an online painting class called True Free Spirit given by the wonderful Mindy Lacefield.  It's pretty much out of the zone of what I typically paint and I'm loving this class--it's whimsical, funky and teaching me to be free and child-like!  Here's a sample of a few things I've created or am still in the process of creating in this fun class.  No they aren't perfect...but I'm really having fun learning new techniques, using new supplies and expanding my horizons.

I hope you have tons of people, events, hobbies and "things" in your life that bring you joy and love.  Happy Valentine's Day!

Getting Ready...Trying to Find Focus

I've been pretty busy lately getting ready for three different things that are taking place really close together...these kinds of times are when I really need to prioritize and focus.  Those of you who create know that can be hard because many of us have a few projects or paintings going on at one time so just working on one and getting all the things done for ONE event in the order they are going to happen just doesn't happen.  

This Thursday I have an event close to home called "Wine, Women and Shopping" at Shorehaven in Oconomowoc and I'm going to be showing some new items so I've been feeling a bit wacky getting them done.  I'm trying to get more art pendants, hand-painted picture frames and wood mounted prints ready as well as working on original paintings for a minis exhibit which are due in less than two weeks for an event at Artbar in Milwaukee.  

(picture frame for the silent auction at Wine, Women & Shopping)

(a few pendants made from my paintings)

(one of the minis for Artbar, Riverwest Milwaukee)

Also, I was accepted for a holiday exhibit at the Waxwing in which I've already got some work, but I need to prep a few new things as well as update my bio and inventory.  I love working on all this stuff but I find myself getting wrapped up in one thing like painting some minis and then I realize, hey THIS Thursday is the first event I have to be ready for--put that mini away!  As much as working on all of this at the same time is energizing and exciting, I will be glad when Thursday is over for sure.  I'm actually waiting for an order of cradled birch wood panels from Dick Blick which I hope come today--I need to mount some little prints, varnish them and have them dry by Thursday afternoon.  

But right now, the sun is shining so I'm going to take a walk and rejuvenate myself to do some more prep when I get back.  Have a great fall afternoon! 

One of my New Favorite Quotes

I love quotes...they inspire me to look at things differently, more positively--they can put things into a better perspective for me when things are frustrating, disappointing or even sad.  They also inspire some of my artwork.  One of my new favorite quotes is a portion of a poem by Osho.  I love the imagery of this..."let your life be a painting/let your life be a poem."  I've done two mixed media paintings with these dreamy words--here is one of them:

When I think of poetry I imagine powerful words, strong images, scents, feelings, music, memories, hopes, disappointments, honesty...
When I think of paintings I think of color, impact, feelings, emotions, music, love, honesty...

I guess these are all the things of life and then some...some beautiful, some messy--life.  What a great image in my mind.

This moment...enjoy it

I'm the kind of person who very easily gets trapped in the past or the future.  Whether it's daydreaming about an amazing vacation to Jamaica from a few years back, or worrying about what my relationship with my daughter will be like when she's a full-blown teenager, I'm rarely in the present moment.  I've read books on the subject; I jot down quotes to remind me, but still I struggle with this daily.  How about you?

Having something in plain-view does help me instead of jotting down some "words of wisdom" in a notebook that gets shoved somewhere on my painting table.  Since I love creating paintings with quotes on them I decided to do a little one with "enjoy this moment" collaged on it.  I'm sure there are others out there like me who need some reminders too, and why not have it be in the form of "art"?

I'm really wondering if you have any tips for staying present and enjoying the moment I am in instead of dreaming of the past or worrying about the future.  I'd love to hear them...share if you can.  Thanks so much!

Flower Love

If you stopped by yesterday you might know that I'm participating in a blog challenge hosted by the lovely Lori Moon and it's all about flowers.  Some of my favorite flowers are lilacs, tulips and peonies, but I love them all!  Yesterday I shared two of my favorite photos I've taken, and today, I'll share one painting I made with a flower as well as another floral photograph.

This one I called "Organic" and is a collage and acrylic painting of an abstract flower dancing in the breeze.

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This is from a potted yellow rose we gave to the secretary at my daughter's dance studio who fell and broke her ankle.  I LOVE yellow, just about anything yellow, especially this vibrant rose. 

Thank you for visiting today.  What are some of your favorite flowers?  If you have a chance, stop by the other bloggers and see what flowers they are sharing.

On the Studio Floor Right Now

I've been aching to paint bigger lately since I've been doing so many little canvases since last fall.  I pulled down a 16 x 20 that I wasn't happy with and decided to cover it with big brushstrokes of a magenta shade and was hoping to just see where it would take me.  One of my struggles as an artist is painting freely.  I often think way too much while I'm painting and thinking often gets me stuck wondering what to do next.  I just want to "go with the flow!"  Well as I was letting myself paint big magenta strokes I started make loose shapes and it sort of took on the beginnings of a girl.  Hmmmm...I've always wanted to paint girls but hesitate because of my inexperience painting people.  After I saw the face and neck taking a bit of shape I had the feeling that I wanted her face to be framed with flowers so I got out one of my stencil sheets and put down some light blue flowers.

Then today I added some teal and yellow ones as well.  As you can see, I just haven't taken the leap into drawing her facial features yet.  Something is holding me back.  Not sure if it's fear of doing it "right" or if I just need to see if that's really what wants to be created here.  What do you think?  Any tips for me on the face or should I not even do a face?  I'd love to hear what you think of it so far and where YOU would go next.

What's Going on Over Here

Not sure if you remember but we were in the process of remodeling our daughter Isabella's bedroom a while back.  Her theme is Paris, mostly with deep pink, light pink and black.  I promised to post some after pictures.  Well, after all this time it's STILL not completely done, so no pictures of the finished product yet!  My husband has been hunting for the past six or seven weeks so things have been getting done little by little--really little by little.



She has a nice wide spot above her bed that she wants me to do an Eiffel Tower painting, so I finally just started working on that last night on my brand new desk from IKEA.  Here's a peek at the start of it.  The only other thing she requested in the painting was a pink poodle, so I have to find a perfect spot for that as well as add some more detail.  Just wanted to show you the start of it.  The one below is the painting just a little bit futher.  I'm enjoying painting with only two soft lamps lit and Christmas music playing in the background.  Must be the new desk that's making me feel so peaceful or could it be that I  have been reorganizing the office?  Hmmm....it's amazing what getting rid of clutter can do.

Also, my dad built her a homemade bookshelf when I was still pregnant, but it's light periwinkle and soft yellow, so that's also on the project list for me to finish.  I've been sort of procrastinating on this one too, but I want to get moving because she has books and trinkets all over the house that need to go back to their home on the bookshelf.  I'm thinking of painting it white and having the inside back of it deep pink with some black diamond-shapes or some pattern.  On the side that can be seen when you walk in the door I was thinking of adding some black and deep pink and maybe painting or putting a stick-on black chandelier.  Any ideas of what would look cute to funk up the bookcase?  I'd love to hear them.

I also just ordered some materials to make some of my favorite paintings into little glass tile pendants to add some new items into my etsy shop.  Prints are on the horizon too as I got a new Epson printer and Photoshop Elements.  Hopefully I can keep going on all these projects and start the holiday shopping, decorating and cookie-baking as well. 

I hope you'll stop by to see the updated painting and finally her completed bedroom.  Thanks for visiting today!

Overwhelmed at the Moment!

Like is a bit crazy here right now.  I'm thrilled but I'm a bit overwhelmed.  I'm thrilled that I'm going to be showing my paintings in an exhibit in Milwaukee but I'm overwhelmed that I need 10-20 of them by Halloween.  You'd think that wouldn't be a problem, right?  I have tons of paintings completed, right?  Well, this show is a mini's exhibit.  All under 8x8 inches.  I have nothing under 8x8 inches.  I'm not going to turn down this opportunity, but wow, this is not how I'm used to creating I guess. 

I have three done and am working on five more right now.  I ordered ten more 6x6 canvases from Dick Blick and they should be here within a few days (I hope).  This is a picture of an 8x8 I've done, which is the smallest I've completed.  I included it because it is one of my dreams to show my work in an exhibit and that dream is slowly coming true!

If anyone has any advice on dealing with creating art under pressure, I'd love to hear it.  Please!!! 

I do have a few more artist interviews coming soon, so please stop back and check for those too!

New Bedroom on the Horizon

Lots of "stuff" going on over here.  First of all, we are in the midst of redoing Isabella's bedroom.  She's now ten and hasn't had a change since she first got her big-girl bed when she was three. 

For some reason, she's obsessed with Paris and the Eiffel Tower so that's going to be somewhat of a theme for her room.  Years ago we started replacing all our oak woodwork with white mouldings, baseboards, etc. and didn't get to her room yet.  Welllll....now we are. 

Last Sunday we tore out the carpet (lots of orange vomit stains from a night of too many Cheetos, Doritos and sour cream and cheddar chips at a cousins house-just won't come clean).  So, we're opting for wood laminate flooring for her.  Looking for a cute area rug--any ideas for some girly rugs that aren't too pricey?  She's still opting for girly colors, mostly pink, maybe some light lavender polka dots on the walls and wants a light blue ceiling to look like the sky. 

I bought two prints from etsy artists a while back--one with a cute weiner dog looking out a window at the Eiffel Tower by DJ Rogers Fine Art.   Isn't he a doll?

I also bought this print by one of my favorite artists, Karen Fields called "Bistro Paris Dress."  We've framed it in black to give it a bit more of a grown-up look since we want this room to last through the teenage years. 

Also, I fell in love with this personalized canvas with her initial "I" and Paris details as well from the shop Owen and the Princess.

I want to post before and after pictures when it's all finished.  We still have to lay the floor (just the underlayment blue stuff is down so far), paint the walls, ceiling, install and paint white new baseboards, trim around windows, doors and new closet doors.  Oh, and find new bedding!  So, we're going to be pretty busy the next week or so.  Hubby wants to get it done before he goes hunting (I think so he doesn't feel so guilty leaving us so often). 

Thanks for stopping by today!

Pink Trees in Paris

I just finished and sold this painting titled "Paris Dream" this weekend.  Didn't even get a chance to post on etsy, just on Facebook and a friend of a friend liked it and bought it for her little girl. 

I've never been to Paris but I hope  plan to someday.  My daughter is slowly changing her bedroom to a Paris theme, so that's what inspired me to paint this, but I wanted to add some whimsy so the trees are pink.  Even though it's not perfect, I am happy with it's cheerfulness and color. 

Have any of you been to see the Eiffel Tower yet? 



Big Flowers

I finally finished this painting of flowers--it took me forever.  The roses gave me a hard time--I wanted them to have texture and actually look like roses.  I like it because the flowers and vine of blue berries are larger and it's fun and freeing to do bigger scale things. 

I still haven't named it yet--nothing is popping into my head when I look at it right now.  Any ideas from anyone?  I'd love some !  Really.  I would.  Seriously.

Be True to Yourself

I was the kind of young girl who liked whatever "the leader" of our group liked.  I hardly EVER stuck up for myself or my true likes or dislikes.  I look back at myself and feel so sad for that girl who just didn't have the confidence to be herself.  Having a daughter of my own I really try to instill confidence and originality in her based on my childhood of being a scared follower.  That's what I guess I was--a scared follower.  I was scared to be outed from the group.  I was scared that if I stuck up for myself, AGAINST the "leader" I would be embarrassed and singled out.  I was scared of not doing what everyone else wanted to do.  I didn't want to stand out for being different.  I hid my true self.

As an adult I now know how important it is to be an original and to be true to what is right for me even if it's totally different than everyone else.  I now like to be an original.  It makes life much more interesting, doesn't it?  One of my new paintings is below and it's a reminder to be true to yourself.  I think it would be perfect for a young girl who's just starting to find her true self.



Dream Big Dreams

I'll admit I'm a daydreamer.  I dream about the Caribbean Sea, those stilted huts in Bora Bora and becoming a successful artist, just to name a few.  I also dream of life being easier financially and health-wise as well. 



I encourage my daughter to dream big dreams and tell her that she can do anything she dreams or wishes.  Hopefully this message will stick with her as she gets older and possibly less confident as she enters her teen years. 

I found this inspiring quote by Gail Devers and think it's perfect for my new butterfly painting and for my daughter who will be ten-years-old next Tuesday.

"Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.”

I know some people just aren't dreamers.  They are practical and serious, but I can't live that way. 

I have to dream.  I think we all have to dream.

Love, Love, Love

Happy Valentine's Day!  May you receive hugs, kisses and sweet moments with those you love.

Do What You Love

I love the follwing quote about your "higher self" telling you what you should do in your life.  Is it possible that we could all be more happy and grateful if we knew what we loved and were able to do it? 



"What you LOVE is a SIGN from your higher self of what you are to do."
 

~Sanaya Roman

 What do you find yourself drawn to?  What signs are being shown to you?  Are they screaming it or just whispering?  Are you pushing the signs and whispers away?  I'm constantly drawn to visual things, like photography or nature and babies and eye-stopping paintings with vivid colors.  I always felt like I wanted CREATE something, anything.  Now I'm working everyday more and more toward what my higher self is telling me in the form of painting and now I've started drawing too.  I'm not saying this decision has been easy.  A lot of life changes have been made, namely financial, but I know I'm healthier and happier for doing what I love, even if it's just a little painting each day.  Having some serious health problems has opened my eyes to the fact that life goes so quickly and I don't want to come to the end of it and have regrets.

Are you doing at least a little of something that you are drawn to.  If not, why not?



You Have my Heart

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching--tomorrow is already February!  I just finished this painting and titled it "You Have my Heart" which I think is a great message to the love in your life.  After I finished this painting, I now picture it in a girl's bedroom probably because I have a daughter.  I also think it's important to let our loved ones know how much they mean to us, so a daily reminder through a painting is a great way to do that I think.

I hope this sweet painting finds its way to a little girl's room or in someone's home and displayed where the family can see this loving message.

Painting for Chloe

My neice Chloe just turned 10 and my brother and his wife surprised her with a newly remodeled bedroom, furniture and everything.  They sent me a picture of the bedding and I created this painting based off the throw pillows.  I don't get to be as creative when I'm trying to match something, but I'm pleased with how the painting turned out.  Tonight is her party and I'm looking forward to giving it to her.  I hope she likes it!

Fairy Garden - New Painting

I just posted this new painting entitled Fairy Garden on etsy today.  I actually started it months ago and it's just been sitting among a bunch of other unfinished paintings.  Since I'm feeling ready for spring, I thought this colorful one would be a perfect one to finish.  My daughter actually likes it for herself, but we're going to be redoing her room soon and she keeps changing her mind about color choices, so I'll do something else for her when she decides on definite colors.

In other good news, the painting that I posted yesterday, called Girl Power, already sold today!  That has never happened to me--a sale so soon after posting.  Thanks to Lisa in Ohio!

I'm very excited about my future and being an artist.  I recently contacted Bonnie Rose of the blog A Life Unrehearsed and she got back to me a few hours later with some great encouragement.  It's so heartwarming when an artist gets back to me, especially since many of them don't.  You should check out her blog as it's colorful and encouraging.

Lastly, the Packers are playing the Bears today for the spot in the Super Bowl and we're so excited over here.  GO PACKERS!!!