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"

New Painting: Inheritance

My baby girl isn't a baby anymore. She is a full-fledged toddler, walking like a champ, going up and  down stairs, saying new words, and giving me real hugs and kisses! There's nothing she loves more than to snuggle up in my lap while I read her a book (or twenty). These times are so precious, and I love watching her personality unfold. It's becoming quite evident that she has been since birth the person she is and always will be. So who is this little person? She is my stoic little bookworm. She is careful, cautious... which is probably why it took her so long to start walking (she was 15 months old when she took her first independent steps). But it's also why she's so good at walking now; she hardly ever falls. She is deliberate, and a good observer. In fact, she'… Read more »

New Painting: Inheritance

Painting from Life: My Toddler

Someone sent me a gentle reminder this morning that while it may be worthwhile to fight for my painting time, it's more important to be spending time with my daughter and enjoying every second, especially while she is young. I completely agree. And I suppose for my blog readers it does seem like I often complain about lack of studio time or not being at the top of my game. Since this is an art blog, I try to post things that are relevant to art, so it can be frustrating when I don't have any new work to post. In truth, I am enjoying every moment with my daughter while she is young, and painting is all part of my desire to capture that. In my life, creating art has been my way of "possessing" or capturing moments. For example, as a young girl, horses were my favorite anim… Read more »

Painting from Life: My Toddler

New Painting: A World of Possibilities

I never thought I would put a rainbow or a smiley face in a work of art. But that's just what I did this week. I had this crazy idea. It started when we had some guests over, and I had the front door open so that Cecelia and our dog Bella could watch them come in. Cece put her hands up on the door and stuck her nose to the glass. It was one of the cutest things I've ever seen, and I knew I had to make a painting of it somehow. The view of our neighborhood outside, however, presented a problem. Our front yard consists of dead grass that we've tried and failed to maintain every year for the past six years. Beyond the road, there is just a mailbox, a tall fence, and the unattractive backside of a brick house. So I had to do something else with the scene before me. It occurred to … Read more »

New Painting: A World of Possibilities