The Man Who Loved Cats and Jazz Music

On November 29, 2020, a beautiful soul left this world. His name was Amos Roe, and he was my high school piano teacher. He was also my mentor and friend. It’s been almost 20 years now since my twin sister and I had our first piano lesson with Amos, but I remember it like it was yesterday. Amos lived near North Freedom, Wisconsin, in an old weather-beaten white house set deep in the woods. He had several barns and a windmill, and a small pond that he liked to ice skate on in the winter. Parked in front of the garage was a small blue car with a bumper sticker that said in all caps, “KILL YOUR TELEVISION.” The long gravel driveway plummeted down so steeply that I always wondered if our car would make it back out. Whenever we arrived for our lessons, a warm light would be on in the kitchen, and… Read more »

The Man Who Loved Cats and Jazz Music

Madonna and Child Painting on Copper

"Candle of JOY" - 12x12" - oil on Artefex copper panel Luke 2:19 “But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.” Hello again, world... it's been a while. I have lots to write about, but for now I want to share a special painting of mine that is currently being auctioned off to raise funds for the Illuminated Messiah Bible , an outreach project by Tim Gagnon at Gagnon Atelier . Tim has interviewed me for his Modern Masters podcast a couple of times ( here and here ), and he is doing some really amazing things with his art and his ministry. So when he asked me if I'd be willing to participate in a fundraiser, to help get this brand new Bible printed and into the hands of lots of people around the world, I said YES! The painting is one of four pieces created… Read more »

Madonna and Child Painting on Copper

Painting Peonies with Anna Rose Bain (Trailer)

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Painting Peonies with Anna Rose Bain (Trailer)

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… Read more »

Quarantine and the Stages of Grief

Portrait Fundamentals with Anna Rose Bain (Trailer)

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Portrait Fundamentals with Anna Rose Bain (Trailer)

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… Read more »

How Coronavirus is Affecting Artists

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… Read more »

Child of Spring - FINALIST in the 22nd Annual Portrait Society International Competition!

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… Read more »

Through the Valley of Death -- and Back