Last Day of May! Flower Challenge

I can't believe it's May 31st!  I have been participating in Lori Moon's blog challenge here and there so I figure I HAVE to post on the last day.  This sure has been a month full of flowers, outside and in the blogging world.  Today I'm going to share a collage I made on PicMonkey of some of my favorite flower  photos from this spring.  I hope you enjoy them!  If you can, get outside today and enjoy the flowers around you.

heART Exchange - Off to California!

As I said earlier in the week I am participating in the heART Exchange sponsored by Louise Gale.  We had to create something from the heart with the theme "from my heart to yours" in mind for our partner.  Since we don't know each other (yet) I had to sit with this idea for a little while before I decided what to create for someone I've never met nor talked to even online.  Her name is Nicole and she lives in California and is part of a production company that "inspires women and girls."  I also noticed she mentioned having a sweet five-year-old daughter.  Well, we already have two things in common:  one of my goals in creating art is to inspire girls and women and I have a ten-year-old daughter who I think is pretty sweet as well.

Since I love quotes, I decided to find a saying that universally we could all relate to and I came up with "I Wish You Love."  I know, it's not exactly a quote, but it's a phrase that sends warm wishes to someone.

Here's my little creation.  It's a 5x7 collage/painting on canvas board that I hope will bring a touch of happiness to her and her family when they see it.  Creating this with a loving intention in my heart gave me that extra excitement that comes from creating with a specific person in mind.

I'm hoping Nicole will enjoy receiving this little creation from my heart to hers in a few days!

Thanks for visiting my blog today.

Dance Till the Stars Come Down...

I found this quote over a year ago and just fell in the love with the imagery that came to mind for me:

"Dance till the stars come down from the rafters" by W.H. Auden

For some reason it gave me visions of a rustic party in a barn with holes in the roof where stars could peek through.  I also envisioned twinkling white lights strung up throughout and only white candles lit for any other source of illumination.  I've never been in a barn party (that I can remember) so I'm not sure why this came to mind--I think the word rafters did it for me.  I decided to do a little painting with this quote and someone from a dance supply store bought it for their bathroom (of all places)!  It made me happy though--my painting was going to be in a public place!  Yay!

Now almost a year later I showed the photo of the painting to the owner of my daughter's dance studio and she commissioned me to do a much larger one than the original.  It's not an exact copy--that's hard to do when you switch sizes sometimes.   I'm going to deliver it to her tonight.  I really hope she likes it and I look forward to seeing it hung where all of us parents wait and watch our girls dance.

See ya Bright Eyes

Me and my paintings were in a craft show this past Saturday at an area church (I know--bad grammar).  Long story, short:  craft fairs aren't my thing.  I need to stick with art shows.  But I did sell one of my newest paintings called "Bright Eyes" and I was actually sad to see her go.  She went to a good home--a girl my daughter knows who already owns another of my giraffe paintings--so I'm glad this seventh-grader Hailey was thrilled to get her. 



However, I just finished her (Bright Eyes) about a week before and didn't have her sitting around very long before she was sold.   I really was proud of her and giraffes are my favorite animal, so it just felt weird to get rid of her so quickly! 

Do you know what I mean?  I know she's just a painting, but it was hard, believe it or not.  Have you ever created a piece of art that was ultimately for sale, but it was hard to let it go? 

I guess maybe this is telling me I need to create more giraffes?  Hmmmm....

Thanks for visiting today and I hope you're having a good week.  We're having amazing fall weather in Wisconsin all week--the 70s--so I'm looking forward to enjoying these days before the cold finally sets in for good.

Organic - New Painting/College

I've been trying to experiment with more "organic" or carefree paintings and collages and here is one I just finished that I ended up really liking.   Also, I've used the color BROWN too (oh no)--hardly ever do that! 

I titled it "Organic" because it just makes me think of going with the flow and the natural world.  I didn't try so hard to be precise and enjoyed layering paint and paper for the background and watching the paint run organically down the picture.  I've probably never used the word "organic" before in my life, so sorry I've said it so much, but that's just the word that popped into mind when I finished this piece. 



Hope some of you out there enjoy it!  

Thanks for visiting today!

Paper Star Nights

About five years ago I found this quote on a bulletin board in the waiting room of a doctor's office and just had to copy it down.

"Under paper star nights

we take walks for

ice cream cones

and listen to the songs

of crickets in their

hiding places."

There's just something about the summer night imagery here that makes me feel like ahhhhh.  I picture a dark night, full of stars, walking under big leafy trees with someone I love and hearing those beloved crickets, the only sound around. 

I did a painting/collage with this quote and sold two paintings (but with slightly different backgrounds) right away.  It must have been just as powerful an image to the buyers as to me.  I just finished another one called "Paper Star Nights III" and hope it draws someone else in as well.  







It Is Time - Believe

One of the earlier quotes of the Soul Restoration class is "It is Time" and it has stuck with me.  It is almost a command to get yourself together because it is time--no more procrastinating, no more hemming and hawwing--NO MORE EXCUSES!  I think I needed that.  It has pushed me a little harder to continue working with my art and working with my true self.  I feel like I'm examining myself more, but not in a bad or critical way. 



The word BELIEVE has also become more prominent in my thoughts because of this as well.  It is for you as much as it is for me.

BELIEVE...that you are perfect the way you are--really you are.
BELIEVE...that your dreams are special and important.
BELIEVE...that you are loved.
BELIEVE...that it's okay to be different--it's even better to be different than the rest.
BELIEVE...that you are beautiful.
BELIEVE...that everything will work out at the right time for you.

It is time for us to believe in ourselves.