For years I have felt clipped down.
Every time I jump to fly I get cut down by my circumstances and emotions.
I have allowed them control of my life...ALL aspects of my life. As an artist this gives me a lot of substance to work with, but it also holds me back. Way back.
I prelude this post with that because I want you to understand where I'm coming from. As a wife to an amazing man (they're rare and I was blessed with one!); a mother to a baby girl who loves to make you laugh and smiles so bright; a homemaker with a solid, strong house we just can't believe is ours; a gift that I truly just adore, drawing truly is my soul; but I've been depressed, unhappy, at my ropes end over and over again, and I'm beyond tired.
I have talked about this before in past posts, it's not a secret that I keep, and I willingly share it because I know I AM NOT ALONE. Especially as a woman. We all suffer greatly with the multitude of responsibilities gifted to us. And I use the word gifted, because I now remind myself "I GET to be his wife, I GET to be her mom, I GET to do what I love for a living!". Wow, amen to that!
Back to what I'm saying...
my point is I'm done trying. I'm finished. Ta ta, bye bye, no more.
It's over.What better time to say that than the beginning of a new year! Here are some highlights of "wow" moments for me about this year:
15 years ago I graduated high school.I am 33 this year, the same age Jesus was when he sacrificed his life for mine.My daughter turns one January 28th.My husband has been supporting us for 5 years.I am at a place where I know now is the time to just stop. Stop trying to take control, stop making excuses, stop thinking so darn hard about what to do, and instead DO IT. Commit to my life.
Commit to my life.
I want to fly. I realized after years and years, the truth behind why I paint fairies, angels, and mermaids (thank you
Kelly for helping me get there). It's because they are free, or at least symbolize freedom. For a mermaid there is no ground and sky, they roam all of it. For a fairy there is not ground or sky untouched, they grace all of it. Angels can transcend time and realms between earth and heaven. Freedom. Flight. I'm inspired and take a deep breath. Amazing.
Commitment.
I purchased the abilities to have a shop on my website, and the whole site will be changing in the next couple of months. I am so excited to see the support from you, my followers, on Etsy, but to be honest the fees are starting to wear at the income I need to bring in for our family. Plus I will be able to offer so much more on my site, including my book, coloring book, and more. I can't wait!
I also purchased my first e-book,
Flying Lessons, by
Kelly Rae Roberts. I must say, I'm floored by how spot on she is as a teacher and coach. She's very airy, in depth, and in tuned with her creative spirit. I had mentioned her in the past (
read Life Inspired post here ), and how she inspires me....oh buddy does she inspire me. Her words, colors, textures, and how she shares being a seeker of Joy, filled with light, hope, and possibilities. As an artist I truly believe there are those of us who are called to be artisans of light. I KNOW I am one of them. I KNOW who I want to be, deep down inside, just waiting for the permission to FLY.
Her e-book not only helps the business end of things (which she lays it all down and hides no detail from you), she goes deep into facing your fears, finding your inspiration, your passion, your quiet whispering voice just waiting to come out. And then asks you to commit to your creative business. Merging both. Being both. Living with the joy it brings. Loving YOU.
Loving me as ME.
My spiritual path has started this year with a bang of AH HA, it's so much more than the e-book. We found a new church home we are so at peace with, the new messages being given, new tools handed to me, and renewed, meaningful relationships. It's all falling together amongst chaos, and I give all of the credit to Jesus. It's scary to say that in the open because I know what is attached to that in so many ways, on so many levels, but as a former practicing witch, spiritually seeking wanderer, and a highly curious person, it is by his grace I am where I am today. I have to squint to stay focused, but I'm committed. Committed to him and my life.
There is so much more for my business, and to share. Changes are coming visually for the blog (it will most likely be moving) and website, my approach, and you may even see just a tad bit of change in how I paint. Look for it, and let me know what you think. I hope you're just as excited as I am.
Happy New Year everyone!
I'm really excited that Kelly Rae Roberts is offering here ebook for a special one day only price of $89 (regularly $140)!! I had wanted to take her class when she taught it last year, but couldn't fit it in. Luckily, she later offered it as an ebook, so I bought it and read it last summer. I'm always interested in how successful people became successful and this book delivered on that. My goal is to implement more of her suggestions this year.
If you've been thinking about buying it, today is the day! Click the button on the left to order. (This is an affiliate link).
Here are a couple more Sketchbook pages. I feel like I'm running out of steam with this lately, but it has meant so much to me creatively. My sketching has improved with this regular practice.
It's been fun to treat this space as a finished product. Instead of freezing me up, it's had the opposite effect. I haven't sketched like this in ages! Most of my sketches in the past have been created for the sole purpose of filling my portfolio or completing a job. This has been just for fun with the bonus of feeding my portfolio.
Summer has started and we're very excited around here. Lot's of plans, lot's of relaxation on the agenda. I hope to paint on a regular basis if the kids cooperate. They have a list of projects they want me to work on with them. It should be a creative summer around here.
One of my goals this year is to offer more products in my
Etsy shop. As a first step, I'm offering 4 new prints from my collage painting line. Please spread the word. I'm hoping for much success this summer. I have a few surprises to share in the near future. This year has been one of experimentation in my art. It's so freeing to try out different materials and ways of working. Reading other artist's blogs has been such an amazing source of inspiration. Here are a few of my most recent favorites.
Please post here and let me know which artists are currently inspiring you. The collaborative nature of social media really helps with the isolation most artist's work in.
Happy Summer!
I've been painting this week. I was so inspired by Kelly Rae Roberts' book, Taking Flight. I needed a change from color pencil for a while. Here's one of the paintings I worked on this week. Such fun! It's supposed to say "give your dreams wings", but I'm afraid to mess it up. Baby steps here. What do you think?
Here's our little bathing beauty on his first trip to the beach. He loved it.
Sorry I've been neglecting my blog lately. We just finished Spring Break, so I got very little done last week. I've also been working on some things I can't show right now. Here's a sneak peak of something I just finished.
I've also just finished the book
Taking Flight, by
Kelly Rae Roberts. It was amazing. I really just wanted to try another technique to push myself creatively, but I got so much more. This book is part inspirational, part therapeutic, and an all around great read. I plan to try some of the techniques this week. Wish me luck, because my little guy's First Communion and Confirmation are this Saturday.
Helen Keller: Her Life in Pictures
By George Sullivan
Scholastic
ISBN 9780439918152
$17.99
Grades 3-6
In Stores
*Recommended*
In my eyes, most biographies fall into one of two camps. There are biographies (such as the recent and outstanding Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow) that seek to tackle their subject from a unique angle. This is a technique that I am all in favor of - inventiveness is a good thing, yes? Then you have your biographies that set out to plainly and tastefully bring forth the extraordinary accomplishments of a person. In my opinion, this style can be just as difficult to pull off successfully. “Helen Keller: Her Life in Pictures” falls into the latter category. A richly visual work about a woman who triumphed despite being robbed of her hearing and sight.
The story of Helen Keller’s life is well known. Born in 1880 in Alabama, Keller lost her sense of sight and hearing as a two year old. With the help of her teacher, Annie Sullivan, Helen learned to communicate with others. In the words of the author,
“Helen Keller holds a special place among American heroes. No one else is quite like her. She could not hear. She could not see. When she spoke, she could barely be understood. Yet she learned to live and express her thoughts and feelings in a world of sight and sound.”
The book is subtitled “Her Life in Pictures” for very good reason. Nearly every page contains a photograph that provides additional insight into Keller’s life. The accompanying words are straightforward, allowing access to a wide range of readers. Well done all around. A quality nonfiction selection.
Also Reviewed By: propernoun dot net, 4IQREAD, Sarah Miller: Reading, Writing, Musing…,
Find this book at your local library with WorldCat
Was reading Cynthia Leitich Smith's
blog this morning and saw this graphic. Isn't it nifty? If you click on the graphic, a larger image of it will open in another window.
Cyn's first three books are perfect for November reading.
- They are works of fiction by a Native author.
- They are about Native kids and their families.
- They are set in the present day.
Cyn has extensive info about each one at her web page. Click on the title to get to her page on each one:
I said "perfect for November" because this is designated as "Native American Month" but... Read her books all year long! Don't confine them or any/all of your reading/teaching about American Indians to November... Do your part to bring us out of the past and into the present.
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Are you looking for lesson plans that incorporate American Indians? Here's a post from last year that you will find helpful...
With Thanksgiving approaching, teachers across the country are getting ready to teach children about Native Americans. Unfortunately, far too often, November and Thanksgiving (and Columbus Day) are the only times of the year that Native peoples make an appearance in the curriculum. That is not "best practice!" I urge teachers to teach about American Indians throughout the year. Here's one book to help you do that.
A terrific resource for early childhood teachers is Lessons from Turtle Island: Native Curriculum in Early Childhood Classrooms, by Guy W. Jones and Sally Moomaw.
Published in 2002 by Redleaf Press, the book has a lot to offer. Here's an excerpt from the introduction:
"Throughout this book, we have often relied on outstanding children's literature, usually by Native authors, to introduce positive, accurate images of Native peoples to children. It is our view that, with the possible exception of classroom visits by American Indian people, excellent children's literature is the most effective way to counter deeply held stereotypes and help children focus on similarities among peoples as well as cultural differences. The literature serves as a catalyst to extend related activities into other areas of the curriculum."
And here's an excerpt from Chapter 1:
"Omission of Native peoples from the curriculum, inaccurate curriculum, and stereotyping all amount to cultural insensitivity. This is heightened, however, when well-meaning teachers introduce projects that are culturally inappropriate."
Jones and Moomaw go on to discuss projects such as feathers and headdresses, peace pipes, totem poles, dream catchers, sand paintings, pictographs, rattles, drums, and brown bag vests.
Chapter 2 includes a lesson plan called "Children and Shoes" that uses Bernelda Wheeler's Where Did You Get Your Moccasins? and Esther Sanderson's Two Pairs of Shoes. It includes suggested activities in dramatic play (Shoe Store), math (Shoe Graph) and science (Shoe Prints), all of which convey similarities across cultures.
Chapter 6 is about the environment. Featured are two of Jan Bourdeau Waboose's books, SkySisters and Morning on the Lake. In the "not recommended" section that closes each chapter, this chapter says it is not recommended to ask children to make up Indian stories, and explains why.
As a former first grade teacher, I highly recommend this book to anyone working with young children. It is available from Oyate for $30.
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Your sketchbook pages look lovely! I agree, towards the end I really ran out of steam too. It's definitely been a labor of love. I am almost sad to see it be mailed off (this week!). It got me through some stressful times these past 6 months :)