the Creative Thursday blog

E-course Registration is Open! + My Intention as a Teacher ~ day 13

Why do I want to be a voice in the world?

If you're on the email list, follow the blog, twitter, facebook...then you know! I have decided to teach a second session of the e-course "In the Fish Bowl :: Life as an Artist Online". beginning this fall September 24 for 6 weeks. I "officially" opened registration today, and I've also added an FAQ's page to answer some of your questions. Class is already filling up, so be sure to reserve your spot soon. You can register right here.

Also a big THANK YOU to Maya for sharing a heartfelt review of her experience taking class "In the Fish Bowl" ~ truly one of the nicest testimonials anyone has ever written about me. 

thoughts about my TV moment ~ day 12

So, so interesting how whenever you "step out" of the momentum of any creative expression that you commit to daily or frequently. It can feel like you are starting all over again. 

For those of you who missed my "seconds" of a TV appearance last week. You can watch it online right here.

I'm on T.V. ~ day 11

Well tomorrow morning that is. LIVE on the KTLA morning news show @ 9:30 a.m. PST. 

Wish me luck!

In the Pages of "Where Women Create"

When they say that magazines prepare their stories months in advance, it's true. 

I don't know if you remember, but last April I was photographed for this gorgeous magazine that made its debut November 2008. This is now the 4th issue of "Where Women Create", the Autumn 2009 edition which arrived in my mailbox yesterday. Apparently all of the prior issues have sold out, and I can see why. Stampington's magazines are more like a book that you want to keep and return to when you are seeking inspiration. And you will most certainly find it in the pages of Where Women Create. Having had the chance to visit with the editor and creator, Jo Packham, I can't even begin to tell you how much love has gone into the creation of this magazine. It's an honor for me to included. Thank you Jo!!!

sock monkeys + a Cup Of JO

I discovered Joanna's blog via Sharon and I'm officially hooked. She's the kind of blogger, I wish I could be, wit + brevity + loveliness and sincerity (I think I have the sincerity down :)) ~ and she finds the coolest things online. Not to mention she has a giveaway every Wednesday...and today she's giving away the "sock monkeys" print. So head on over for your chance to win!

Also in the spirit of sock monkeys. I included them on a mug and bowl (above!) in the newest batch of ceramic creations that will be released in the upcoming week. And more wall art below. Now that my choice of prints has grown and continues to grow...I've been trying to organize my Etsy shop, and the first thing is to group some together to give you an idea for print combinations. The sock monkeys series is an obvious one, since I now have 4 of them. One more day left of the print sale if you want to snatch up some sock monkeys of your own.

Happy sock monkey Wednesday!

Lions, Tigers and Bears :: Lion

5.5 x 7.5

I've had these oval wood panels for months and from the moment I saw them, I had this idea of painting animals in more of a portrait style. As I've mentioned before on this blog, it's always fun for me to mix things up creatively and try something new. So this is the first in a series of three...and by the title above, I'm sure you can guess what the other images will be.

Still basking in the excitement of yesterday, I'm off to paint ceramics...bowls this time!

Also before I head out, I want to say a quick thank you to some bloggers, Indie Fixx(thank you Jen for ALL your support this year!), Etsy Stalker and The Red Deer, who have included my work in some really fun Etsy groupings. With Etsy growing at the rate that it is, I love that so many people are selecting and sharing their favorite creations, so we can easily find more beautiful work! One of these days soon I'll have to return the love and post some (because I have SO many) of my Etsy favorites. Until then, my list of thanks is endless to all the people who continue to share my work. THANK YOU!!!!

(click here to buy original)

sock monkey tree

5 x 5 in.

Sock monkey, Olive, Oscar, baby bird, all topped off with a peep ~ that's what makes a sock monkey tree.

I know you are enjoying the recent realism pieces and I plan to explore more, but this morning I was working on a tiny sock monkey commission and they're just so much fun, I had to include one in today's painting. And if you read my earlier post below then you know why a little familiarity mixed in with the new creations is good for me :)

I realized as I was working on this one, that the process of painting is another good analogy for experiencing change. Inevitably there is a moment in every painting, right about midway through, where the I don't like the painting at all, where I'm not sure that it will turn out the way I hope ~ this is when I keep going to the finish and every time I'm happy with the completed piece.

Also a quick thanks to the Editors over at Martha Stewart for including me in the additional favorites list of "Best of the Blogs" ~

and hey! happy creative thursday to you!!

*Edit* later today I decided to list a couple of the new "realism" series as prints over at Etsy.

(original is sold)

window of opportunity

6 x 8 in.

Considering my recent experiences, the symbolism in this one should speak for itself :)
I also thought it would be fun, and challenging for me to experiment with inserting my characters into more "realistic" settings and see what happens...and so far, I really like this one.

So then! I've had a good few days of taking my moment combined with having some serious fun. Friday was a blast ~ or as I like to call it the "best Friday ever" an entire day that began with surfing, (also my best wave riding yet!) followed by fish and chips with beer at an Irish Pub, playing the WII at our new best friend's house (I learned that I have an aptitude for the ski jump but not necessarily singing on American Idol), having my hair braided and styled by their daughter, and getting a chance to see her wonderful art, followed by a yummy dinner that was made for us (having dinner made for you is always sooo nice, and the older I get the more I realize just how nice it is when someone cooks for you!), accompanied by a lively conversation and ending with a whole day away from home and the computer. The change of scenery combined with a lot of new experiences...was especially good for me as I was completely lost in the day and it was GREAT! I think I would like more of those days and more days for painting which I hope to be doing a lot of this week, so stay tuned.

hope you had a fantastic weekend...there was and still is a tiny touch of fall in the air and that is also very exciting!

(click here to buy original)

(on a quick side note, I almost forgot to mention that last week I was invited to share more of me via this interview at this inspiring blog called Indie Fixx. If you've made your way over from there, helloooo!!! and thank you again Jen!)

Early Work ~ Lewis & Clyde

5 x 5 in. each

Last week over the holiday weekend ~ I did manage to do some studio re-organizing, and along with that I've also decided to release some art from my personal collection ~ "lewis" and "clyde". These are two of the first animals I painted that ultimately lead to my present style and characters. The lion is my first "lewis" ever. Looking back now, it is really fun for me to see the subtle evolution in my own work. While I usually list my originals over at my website, I've decided to list these two over at Etsy. Maybe they will go to a new home together, as they make a perfect pair.

We had an especially nice weekend ~ hope you did too! And thanks for all the stories you shared at the Riley and his love for chicken post ~ Honestly what would we do without our furry little friends?

Also I want to send out a few thank you's to Jan, Erin and Holly for spreading the word about Olive ~ and to everyone who has purchased originals from the Enormous Tiny Art show ~ as of this morning there are 4 tiny friends left. As always I truly, truly appreciate all the support and enthusiasm you all send to me every day! thank you.

where women create

Do you ever have times where everything feels so exciting, it's hard to focus? Today is one of those days. Let's say the last 3 days have been brimming over with excitement, that and cleaning, especially the windows in my studio. One project, I'm not ready to share yet ~ but, oh am I looking forward to the day that I do share it! The other excitement is that if I can remember correctly I finally "surfed" officially yesterday, meaning I stood up on the board and road the wave in on two feet, not my knees or my stomach. I say that "I think" I remember because when you finally stand up after many, many, many attempts the excitement causes you to go into momentary shock and there by lose your memory temporarily. I do remember wobbling to keep balance, so it must have happened! Our surfing friend, John is my witness.

The other news that I am ready to share, is that today I spent the most inspiring morning with these wonderful ladies, Wanelle, Jo, and Marina while they photographed me and my studio for the first issue of "Where Women Create". I think the universe heard my request for more "real", authentic feeling magazines, because this is it. In fact, it's so "real" the inside of my studio cabinets and drawers were even photographed. Now you know why I was cleaning my studio windows this weekend, and all the organizing I did earlier this year came in handy ~ as my drawers were at least half way decent when opened :) And after meeting Jo, the owner, editor, publisher, in person today ~ I know this magazine is going to be FABULOUS!! It is another extension of Stampington, who publishes many titles, among which, my new favorite, Artful Blogging. The best part is that this magazine, is Jo's dream, thirty years in the making.

So, it's now afternoon and after some food, always good for focus, and a quick nap I think I'm ready to finish my large painting I've been working on, among other things that need getting done, that is if I can survive the heat today. While I love that my studio is a sun room, let's just say that it gets a little hot in the summer time, I mean spring time...it already feels like summer here. Alrighty then, with a fan blasting on me, I'm off for some creating and messing up of the studio I spent yesterday afternoon straightening. I just wanted to pop in and say hi and share some excitement. I hope you had a lovely weekend where ever you may be.