All In!

I've been enjoying a long blogging break over the holidays ......

I hope 2013 is the 

MOST HAPPY AND CREATIVE NEW YEAR FOR YOU!

And yes, I've gone through my usual ritual of not setting resolutions for the New Year

but choosing a "guiding word" instead.

But not after my other usual ritual of changing it 3 times.

It's finally revealed itself to me as two words, not one.

It's "All in" . . . with a capital A!

"All in" as in engaged, passionate, wholehearted, super-creative - "ALL in"!

And the things I'm "All in" for are numerous,

but actually they're just the things that make me feel my happiest and most joyful.

So I guess I'm "All in" for happy, "All in" for joy!

My husband chose "Adventure" so you know I'll do my part to make that happen!

How 'bout you?

Have a guiding word or phrase for your new year?

Bloggy Break

I've been a little absent here as of late and 

just realized that I have intuitively taken a little "bloggy break".  

Therefore, I'm hereby making it "official". . . ta da!

I'll be taking the last few weeks of summer to "fill the well".

I intend on coming back feeling refreshed, inspired and ready to BLOOM!

See you in October!

How Things Change

Today, this painting looks like this . . .



Just yesterday, it looked like this.



Not a lot of change, but a bit of blue is good, don't you think?



And for a week, these little cross paintings had no "jewel" in the center,
no glint of gold within the lapis blue,
nor much shading to speak of......



But now, they're different - a little more depth, a lot more sparkle.
Just like my life since discovering I'm an artist -
which wasn't long ago . . . feels like just yesterday.

Surrendering to the urge to create has changed me.
No more corporate sales gigs, no more business suits . . . just paint spattered jeans and ruined manicures.
No more "9 to 5" - I seldom watch the clock anymore.
No brainy sales strategies to implement - instead, I let my heart lead.

Don't get me wrong . . . my "previous" life was not bad - not at all!
I enjoyed my success and had great friends, great clients.
It brought a life I couldn't have otherwise had, including my marriage and our home.

One blessing has been finding my "Art Tribe" .
They seem to see me . . . they understand my SoulTruth.
They understand words like SoulTruth!

I'm so very grateful for these enormous shifts.
I am happy to wake up every day curious . . . excited to see what's next!
Don't you just love how things change?

Mystic Art Medicine

My recent trip to Sedona, AZ yielded many extraordinary gifts. The first came wrapped in a warm, gracious and glowing package called "Cher Lyn".

Cher Lyn is an intuitive painter with whom I had recently become acquainted. She lives and shows her work in Sedona, so a few of us made plans to meet to see her work before our painting retreat began. I was thrilled when Cher Lyn said she'd meet us all at the gallery!!

Cher Lyn's work is incredibly profound......deep, mystical and healing. While her work made an enormous impact on me, the time Cher Lyn spent with us was remarkable. She spent well over an hour in conversation with us. She spoke of her daily dedication to her art - of how it has impacted her life, teaching her many life lessons. We were all deeply moved. Her visible passion reinforced our own longings. In her, we saw that our own calling to make art is true and real. I wish I had recorded the conversation - I don't think she realizes the effect she had on us all.

Cher Lyn told us of one epic work she'd done that took 11 years to complete! She generously shared a book filled with images from that painting combined with her written word......a complete story. This was an art form I'd not seen before - I could've sat with that book for the entire day.

Cher Lyn went on to explain other paintings - a self portrait that evolved through many stages, that also took much time to complete. Most, however, take months, not years, to come to completion. I realized that the hours I typically spend on a painting may not be enough to achieve the depth I want . . . I am still learning.

I hope you'll visit Cher Lyn's site and discover for yourself this gifted artist process. Don't miss a single page-it's filled with wisdom and beauty.

Thank you Cher Lyn - thank you for your time, your generosity and your guidance. I'm truly longing for more!!

******

Photo provided by Lisa Wilson.


Seated left to right are:
Lisa Wilson
Lisa Hofmann
Indigo Carlton
Me
Cher Lyn

Summer Break

Hello lovely ones!

Just a quick note to tell ya what I'm up to. I've decided to take a summertime break from blogging through July (maybe even August - OMG).

Feeling the need for a little un-plug! I'll be taking this time to do some deep internal listening - a rejuvenation of mind, body and soul - a summer of unbridled joy, love and art-making. Remember our summer breaks as kids? Wasn't it divine?

I know I'll return with oodles to share, including plans for new adventures! But this is not without fear of losing touch with you, I must confess. Know I'm thinking of you and hoping your summer brings a soul-break of your own filled with fun, laughter and a few laps 'round a cool blue pool!

XOXO!

How ya like me now?

The Colors of Love

A Weekend With John

MUCH In Progress

and nothing close to finished!





I love it!



The messier, the more colorful, the more creative chaos, the better!

A little of this, a little of that . . .

Up early with coffee and a sketchbook . . .



Drawing "fashionistas" inspired by fashion mag photography . . .





Then on to piling up stacks of hand painted papers - what do ya suppose I should do with it?



a little of this . . .



a little of that . . .