Friday, May 15, 2020
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Quarantine and the Stages of Grief
After two months in quarantine, which I’ve experienced by going through pretty much all the stages of grief, you could say I’ve finally arrived at acceptance. Let's face it--the world is a very different place than it was just a couple months ago. We all experienced the initial shock: over the daily and nearly instantaneous shutdown of businesses, schools, and life as we know it. We went through denial: over the seriousness of the virus or its affect on the healthcare system and the economy. Most of us felt some anger : over the loss of our usual routine, hangout spots, conveniences, etc. - and for many of us, especially small business owners, the loss of income or our jobs. I was frustrated to suddenly become a "homeschool mom," a role I never wanted. I also felt so much ange…
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Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Saturday, March 14, 2020
How Coronavirus is Affecting Artists
Yesterday I went to the grocery store. I had been dreading it all week. I knew the toilet paper would be long gone (thankfully, my Amazon shipment came a week ago, before the panic started). But I wasn't prepared to walk in and find that there were no eggs, no dairy products, no meat, no peanut butter (sorry, Everett... your P&J's will have to wait), no sweet potatoes, no bread, and barely any bottled water. The cold and flu aisle was stripped bare, as was the diaper aisle and most of the canned goods. I found most of what I needed, but as I stood in the checkout line, which wrapped all the way around to the back of the store, I felt like telling all the hard-working employees, "Thank you for your service." They had to do something they weren't necessarily traine…
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Monday, March 2, 2020
Child of Spring - FINALIST in the 22nd Annual Portrait Society International Competition!
I got the call last week. Having been a member of the Portrait Society for some time now (10 years, I think?), you eventually learn that you're either going to get a phone call or an email, and what you really want is the phone call! This is my third time being accepted as a finalist, but it feels monumental for me. This year, after battling a lot of depression and stress ( see my last post , oh... and did I mention that last year we bought a house? and moved? With a 5-year-old and an infant?!), I had major doubts as to whether or not I would be accepted. Two of the pieces I entered were paintings that I had labored over for months, and the third was one that I felt like I rushed to finish in time for the competition deadline. So, when I got the call that "Child of Spring" ha…
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Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Through the Valley of Death -- and Back
This is an art blog. It’s also a blog about personal experience, parenting, and life. Once in a while, my posts are more about life than they are about art, but I think the two are inseparable. So… warning: this is going to be long and very personal but hopefully, if you are going through something similar it will inspire you to take action. In the past month, I’ve learned a lot about stress. I learned about a thing called “adrenal fatigue”, about the importance of completing a “stress cycle”, and that it’s not “just stress”, but a physiological condition that if left unchecked, can actually kill you. I learned that in order for a hug to release oxytocin and dopamine (which alleviate stress), the hug has to be heart to heart and ideally last 20 seconds. “What could you possibly be stressed…
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Tuesday, December 31, 2019
2020 Vision
Okay, that pun has already been way overused, but I couldn't help it. Everyone is talking about it: the start of a new decade. So much has happened in the last ten years! I went from being a world traveler alongside my husband, and putting in countless hours at the easel--to being a mom of two, and moving from Texas to Colorado. I made many amazing new friends and connections. I started a fitness and health journey. I found a great church community. I painted a LOT.
In 2019 there were a few huge personal milestones: We bought our dream home! Our daughter turned 5 and started kindergarten, and our son turned 1. From a professional standpoint, there were a few highlights in 2019, including my first feature article in a magazine (the December 2019/January 2020 issue of Southwest Art Mag…
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