Seasons

The other day, my husband was cleaning out one of our closets and found this painting. I started them 2 years ago and forgot about them. I wanted to do a set of paintings that portrayed the four seasons, so I thought I would put a twist on it and do seasons in Florida. The changes in seasons aren't very noticeable in Florida, so I wanted to do changes in weather. One with clear skies, one with white clouds, one with dark clouds, and one with a storm. As you can see, I didn't get very far with it. At the time I felt like I really messed up the palm tree and I didn't even attempt to start the other ones. Looking back on it, I actually like the palm tree. I still want to try to do these paintings. don't know if I will try to finish the one I have or if I will just start over.

Sold...

I sold a painting! A family friend asked me to paint her a cross, so I painted the Palm Sunday Cross for her. She gave me $35 for it.

I'm sort of excited.

Yesterday, I took six of my paintings to a store nearby to see if I could consign them. They told me that the owners would talk it over and see if they wanted to take them. I left there feeling pretty confident that they would. I got a call a few hours later saying they didn't want them because they just didn't sell a lot of canvases usually. I was sort of disappointed, but I didn't take it personally. Today, I went to pick them up and the woman I had spoken to the day before couldn't have been more cold to me. AND I noticed that there were a ton of canvases in the store. Then I was offended.

I was feeling kind of down, but I tried not to let it bother me. I just have felt sort of down lately in general for various reasons. On my way home, I decided to stop by another store that sells art called Restless Native. The owner was filling out paper work, but I introduced myself and asked her if they were ever looking for new artists. She said she was appointment only but asked how many paintings I had. I told her only about 6. She said to bring them in! I did... and she decided to take all but one! Who knows if I'll sell any? I couldn't be more excited about it and I'm very thankful!

Knitting...

So like I said last time, I haven't really painted in a while. One thing have been trying to learn how to do is knit. I've crocheted since I was like 12. I know its very "grandma" but I think its very relaxing and not very hard. Its practical and allows you to be creative.

My mom and I heard about this knitting store in Sarasota called Picasso's Moon. All you do is buy the needles and yarn and the owner of the store teaches you how to knit for free. According to this woman, I am making a purse. When I'm finished, I'm going to felt it in the washing machine so the colors will blend together and it will hide all my mistakes. I guess it will be a dark yellow.

I'm glad I'm learning how to knit, but I have to say that crocheting is much faster and easier. This purse seems to be taking forever, but I will be sure to post a picture when it is finished.

Its Officially Springtime!

I never thought I would be so happy to have hot weather again! It has been the longest and coldest winter I've ever seen in Florida. Thank you Lord for some springtime and beach weather!
I painted this a few months ago. It took me about 10 minutes to paint. Its nothing special but its sort of cute. I thought I would post it in honor of amazing and beautiful weather that we are now having.
I haven't been seriously spending a lot of time on painting lately, but I hope I will get back into it soon... Right now I'm going to the beach.

Palm Sunday...

I finished this one a few days ago, but I thought today would be a good day to post it... because its Palm Sunday. I like the way the branches turned out. I didn't really think about it when I was painting it, but I guess its sort of significant to have the cross with the palm branches.

More Leaves

I started working on this one this past summer. I was almost finished with it, but for some reason I let it go for a while. I just started working on it again. It just needed a little cleaning up. So I finally can call it finished!! I think I like it. I copied it from a picture I found in a gardening magazine...

I haven't worked on the sea grape leaf again...

Joyful, Prayerful, Thankful

So its been a crazy month. I quit my job, had 2 health scares, and got food poisoning within the last few weeks. I haven't painted in a while. I have been bouncing back and forth between anxiety and depression. But I have a new motto and it is to "Be joyful. Be prayerful. Be thankful." It has made a huge difference in my life.

This is something I did when I was a senior in high school. It is probably my favorite thing I've ever done. I don't think I can top it. I guess I reached my peak at 18. I think I was just a lot more patient back then. I wish I could be that way now.

I have picked up that old 12x12 canvas that has already been 2 different paintings. I have to say, I'm not too impressed with what I've done. But I will say, it looks a lot better in person than it does in this picture. I realize it looks a little splotchy and "cartoonish" but I will do my best to fix it!

It's a sea grape leaf I found on the side walk one day when I was walking. Even though I hope to move someday soon, I realize that I am very fortunate to live in a place that has sea grape leaves!

Finished Peacock Painting

This is the first painting I've finished in forever! And I like it a lot.















16x20

Unfinished Peacock Painting...

It feels like forever since I've written anything, but it hasn't even been a week! This is what I've been working on lately. I am really liking it so far... what a change for me. I had to simplify the bottle because doing it exactly like the one I have turned out to be more complicated that I thought! I am hoping to finish it next week...

Peacock Feathers

So I sadly have to admit that I gave up on the Celtic cross. I really just grew to hate it. I thought it was embarrassing and really saw no hope in fixing it. I painted over it with grey. You can still see the outlines... I'm just putting that canvas aside altogether for now. I think my main problem with the Celtic cross was that I had no idea what I was going for. I did not draw it in advance, which is what I usually do. So learning from my mistake, I drew what I want my next painting to look like. I bought this bottle at an antique store a long time ago... and who doesn't love peacock feathers? I am hoping for the best with this one!

Celtic Cross

This is one of the first crosses I painted. I'm not really sure what inspired it. I obviously am a Freida fan and I have recently started loving all things Mexican. I just love the bright colors I'm really intrigued by those skeletons for some reason! I also have always been fascinated by Catholicism. I think it has something to do with growing up watching The Sound of Music all the time.

That painting of the tree that was meant for the turtle has become this Celtic cross. I'm not sure how I feel about it right now. Its a little uneven and I don't love the colors I've picked. I will keep working on it though. I am hoping it will turn out and I won't have to start over again.

Turtle Painting Fiasco

Last weekend, my husband and I went to an art show across the street from our house. Walking through the different tents, I noticed one with carved wooden Maasai men. As soon as I saw them, I knew where the artist must be from... so I went up and asked him "Are you from Kenya?" and he said "Yes!!" We talked for 15 minutes and it turns out that I had visited the town where he is from. Meeting him made my day! I wanted to buy one of his stone animals, so I got this little turtle. It may be a tortoise. I don't really know. I thought it would be a great subject of a painting.

This is what I started to paint. Then I realized, I couldn't really see a turtle in this painting. I just hated it... so I went over it with turpentine and now its gone. Now that I'm looking at it again, I don't think its that bad and maybe I should have kept it! I will probably paint another cross... and I'll just have to paint the turtle another time.

12x12

Elephants

I have been collecting elephants since I was about five years old. A family friend, who is like a grandmother to me, collects them and she is the one who got me started. She is supposedly leaving me her huge collection in her will. I've had most of my elephants since I was a kid, and I don't remember where I got most of them. Hopefully, I will always remember that my husband bought me this cute elephant lamp for Christmas this year.

So because I love elephants, and I am on this new painting kick, I decided to try painting an elephant using the lamp as a model. This is what I came up with. It looks a little childlike, but I think its cute. I wanted him to be on the Maasai Mara, because that's the best place for an elephant to live. If you ever start an elephant collection, it's important that their trunks are upward. Elephants with their trunks down are bad luck!11x14

Africa

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to take a trip to Kenya. This was one of the best trips I have ever been on. If you ever have the chance to go to Africa, you should go! It was so amazing to see things in person that I had only heard about or seen on TV. Kenya is such a beautiful place and has some of the most wonderful and kind people.

This was one of my favorite pictures I took while I was there. I started a painting of it 3 years ago. As you can see it isn't finished yet. I am too afraid to paint the people! I just want it to look right and I've never painted little people like that before. So who knows if it will ever get finished?!

11X14

Painting Through Life

I have enjoyed art all of my life. I didn't study it in college, but I have taken a few classes. Most of my appreciation of art comes from my mother. I have been painting for several years, but I never looked at it as more than just a hobby. Recently, I decided that it was something I wanted to really pursue. I still don't really know what that means... but I thought a good step in showcasing my art would be through a blog.

This quote by one of my favorite painters has become my motto about my art:

"The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to, and I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration."
-Frida Kahlo



I am used to painting a lot of landscapes. Lately I have been painting these crosses. It has been so much fun coming up with different designs. For the Cross With Branches, I used pages from an old book to collage the ouside of the cross. Collage is something I had never tried before with painting, but I had seen it done recently and thought it looked so pretty. Let me know if you want one of the crosses!


Cross With Leaves- 8x10

Cross With Branches- 11x14