Moab, Arches, and Canyonlands Plein Air Paintings

Ahhhh... Moab!  I do love my solo trips to the desert. Seriously. If you've been following me and my work for a while, you already know that the desert is my happy place. In the past few years, I've visited several national parks such as Death Valley, Zion, and Joshua Tree, and each one has provided healing and solace for me in exactly the way I needed at the time. Earlier this month, I took a four day trip to Moab. No, I don't camp. I love a hot shower at the end of the day, and I like to cook my food over a real stove. So I always rent a small Airbnb with a full kitchen and wifi, and I make that my home base for a few days. Because my desert trips take place most often in the winter or colder months, the sun goes down by 5:00 or so. In the morning, I get up extra early, hike a… Read more »

Moab, Arches, and Canyonlands Plein Air Paintings

New Painting: "A Child Will Lead Them"

I've already posted this new painting on social media but in today's post, I'd like to share a bit more the story behind it and also some of my painting progress shots.  While my son finally got into a full-time daycare this past April, I had my 7-year-old daughter home with me all summer. My ongoing struggle always seems to be how to balance motherhood with doing what I’m most passionate about: painting. If you’re the type who believes art isn’t necessary, then it’s easy to write off my struggle as ridiculous: of course family and home should come first. Why are you still painting at all?? But if you’re like me and art is as necessary as oxygen… then you know the struggle is real.  This summer, I started taking Cecelia along for more and more of my painting excursions. I though… Read more »

New Painting: "A Child Will Lead Them"

New Places = New Inspiration. Oh, and traveling with kids...

Last week our family of four took a 2400-mile round trip spring break vacay to San Diego! This was our first big trip since Everett was a baby, and we had some idea of how it might go but knew that it would be a gamble. How does one survive those long hours in the car with a 2 1/2 year old? (Aside from figuring out how to purchase six different Disney movies on Amazon Prime, our 6-year-old, by the way, was an angel!) We packed ALL the snacks, ALL the puzzles, ALL the activities, and of course, the iPads loaded with ALL the ABC's and Sesame Street games I could find. In spite of a couple incidents of Everett getting sick in the car (both times it was in Utah on those curvy mountain roads), Cecelia asking to ride every roller coaster we passed by, a few bouts of toddler tantrums, and St… Read more »

New Places = New Inspiration. Oh, and traveling with kids...

What Happens When You Get "Unstuck"

I thought I’d follow up my last post by sharing some of the positive results of having spent some time in the desert. Recently I listened to the “Three Day Effect” on Audible. I highly recommend. It’s a 6-episode documentary that talks about the benefits of spending at least three full days immersed in nature. I have already known this about myself, that I need regular escapes to the outdoors. But what’s really cool is that there is now tangible evidence proving that extended time outside—that magical number of 3 days or more—can offer so much more than vitamin D! It can open new pathways for creativity. It can help you get “unstuck.” Case in point: I started this 36x24” oil painting of my son Everett, at the beginning of August… so, about six months ago. I really hoped to get it done in t… Read more »

What Happens When You Get "Unstuck"