the Creative Thursday blog

Big News!! I'm teaching at Squam in September

Ok, technically I'm still on vacation :)

But this announcement, just released today is too good to not to share with you, especially for those of you who might want to get in on the FUN, ASAP!!!

Through a series of serendipitous events, I will now be teaching my painting class at Squam this September...and hold on... because not only that, but one of the best people I know {seriously}, Christine Mason Miller aka Swirly and I are collaborating...yup, we are teaching a class together!!!!! 

I already cannot wait for September....you should really come play with us, really!! 

In the meantime, back to my regularly scheduled vacation....

{photo by Swirly}

I'm off! on vacation

 

Goodness, it seems I've left you since last Thursday. Usually I like to at least pop in and wish you a happy weekend. But as you know before you go on vacation there is a lot to do, and it seems that when your work for yourself, there's even more than "a lot" to do. But then you arrive at today when you're ready for some time away and it's all worth it. *sigh*

 

Thank you so much as always to my beyond loyal customers who came over to the shop update last Thursday. All of your packages are on their way! Thank you to my students "in the fish bowl", who are making this experience of teaching an e-course beyond wonderful, even more wonderful than I could've hoped for. Thank you to those of you continue to come visit me here....ok now I'm just carrying on, but if you visit here often you know I carry on in my sentimentality from time to time. I'm just heading into this vacation feeling especially grateful for so much.

 

The painting above was painted by me at the age of 15. You can see my signature at the bottom along with '88 for the year. I thought it was a nice image to leave you with because, this lady in white looks like she might be on a vacation of her own, yes? ~ and time away for me is always a chance to reconnect with myself and that is what I'm most looking forward to in the days ahead. 

 

I wish you a wonderful week, and happy 4th of July if you are here in the states and I'll see you back here next week. xo

a sunny gathering + new larger paintings

8 x 24 in.

Remember the days when you couldn't wait to see how much taller you'd gotten? When you marked your height on the wall? Well as you may already know, we have "growth charts" now  {and beautifully designed, adorable ones at that}. In fact this sweet little  group of friends is becoming a "growth chart" for my licensing company. In a few months they will be cheering on the little ones as they get taller!  And in the meantime, you can purchase the  original painting for sale in my newly updated "large works" gallery.

I'm keeping this post short and sweet on this Creative Thursday, because it's a full day ahead. Time for class 2 in the fish bowl!! and I'm meeting you over at Etsy @ 3pm for the shop update. See you then!

{click here to buy original}

twinkle

5 x 5 in.

I've been stealthily releasing a few originals via the daily paintings list. And I say stealthily because I had released the images here on the blog a while back, but had not yet released the original paintings until this past week.

Twinkle is one that is being released for sale today while simultaneously making its first appearance here on the blog. Now that that's all sorted out :)

I was painting today, and I have a whole new series percolating... I have to say that my teaching of the e-course and the questions I have been asking of my students, I am also asking of myself. And I feel an evolution of creating happening...although I don't yet know what that looks like. Ever since just before my trip to Squam, and then of course Squam multiplied it, I have this,  for lack of better words, "bunch"of inspiration within me that is desperately trying to find a new voice and home...in the meantime I'm playing with new blog headers.

{click here to buy original}

Shop Update this Thursday @ 3 pm PST

Just thought you might want to know I've decided to have a little shop update this Creative Thursday @ 3 pm PST. For those of you wanting vases...here you go!

One of the many reasons I do what I do

Apparently I bring a lot of joy to the babies out there, and honestly, I couldn't think of a better audience.

wishing you a happy weekend & happy father's day to all the dads!! xoxo

{thank you to Stephanie & Kerri for letting me share the adorable Lucas & Koko with you}

I will never again believe anyone who says they are not "creative"

by Cheryl

Or that they cannot "paint".

Seeing as how it's Creative Thursday, there's no better day than today to share a bit of what my students created at Squam. 

I've spent the better part of today deep "in the fish bowl" as it is also the official start to my e-course ! ~ so my words are limited ~ and I'd also love to let the creations speak for themselves.

by Marianne

What I will say is that never before have I been so moved by a class and so in awe of my students. I've attended many art classes in my day and none have ever felt like this. I'm sure the fact that I was actually teaching or as I like to say guiding this class plus the beautiful location made a difference, but truth be told these creative women were amazing all around, in creativity, in kindness and in support of one another that was generous and pure of heart. I just kept walking through class, saying in "my usual way", "you people" or "you ladies"  are AMAZING me. :)

by Ali

by Maggie

Some of them had never painted a painting before, EVER and everyone left the end of class with a finished painting if not two.

by Kristin, Lucie & Helen

One of the best parts for me was when by accident some of the paintings ended up resting on the window sills to the studio. I decided to start photographing them when I realized that they looked so good together, that lining them all up next to each other would be a perfect way to showcase them. And voila we closed out class with a little gallery show of our own! 

by Maureen

by Laurie May Coyle

It still makes me sentimental to think of  how proud everyone was of their work, even those that had to overcome their own inner critic to "finish" their creations. You can see it best in the photos above that  Laurie May captured.

Thank you again to my students. It was an honor share the day(s) with you. 

{And a special thank you to Laurie May for graciously sharing her photos with me. Sadly, I realized I did not get nearly as many as I'd hoped ~ too busy ooohing & aaaahing over my students, I guess.}

a return to the beginning + six tiny portraits

As I continue to re-acclimate after my time at Squam and the months of non-stop shows, teaching and projects begin to subside ~  I'm left with a new burst of clarity and an intense longing to get back to my life. 

Getting back to my life means many things at the moment. One is to have my weekends again, or at least a couple of days a week where work is off limits. Another is to basically enjoy my home more than a place to sleep, snack, and clean up between projects.  I want to experience the summer evenings outside before it becomes fall. I want to be more present with Sean and my co-workers. And finally I want to create for me, not that I don't do that already but I spent the better part of the last few months preparing for shows, for galleries...and I've realized that creating in this way is different.

While I'm incredibly honored for the invitations to show my work, I'm just going to go ahead and say it, I think after it is all said and done, I'm ready to return to the way I began. Funny isn't it? You have all of these ideas about where you want to go, what your career is supposed to look like, with a lot of expectations about how all of that is going to unfold; and in the end most of it turns out different than you planned and sometimes you realize that where you were going was really just a journey to return you to a place of appreciation for what you already have. But for this awareness alone, it is always worth the journey, because you wouldn't know if you didn't try something new.

And speaking of new, I've been preparing for my e-course beginning this Thursday ~ which I am very excited about!! In fact preparing for this e-course has been another gift for me to re-align with my original intent behind my creations, this business and my life as it now stands. 

It's commonplace for me to have these bursts of clarity, I'd say pretty much every 4-6 months... but this time is slightly different.  I'm officially on the other side of accomplishments and experiences, I imagined, hoped for and pursued for some time ~ and all I can say is it's an interesting place to be....and I think I'd like to dip my toe back into daily painting...

{click here to buy originals}

flowers for you

If I saw you today, I'd give you big bouquet of Farmer's Market flowers. happy sunday.

swoon

6 x 6 in. 

Seems I left you with quite a few words this week, so I'll keep this post short and sweet.

Just a little painting I finished that will be showing at Black Maria Gallery's Swoon group show opening tomorrow night here in L.A.. Some very cool art! {I know, I got a sneak peek when I dropped my painting off}

wishing you a happy weekend. My big plans...I am hoping to finally get my suitcase unpacked :) 

{click here to buy original}

also available as a print at Etsy