Create Your own Journey

After watching all six of the Star Wars movies that are currently out on DVD over two weekends (whew!), I'm now finding myself longing for adventure. It just rubs off on you, right? Lucky for me I can avoid space battle adventure and instead dive into all sorts of new media adventure in my art work. Yup, feeling like the force is with me.

This painting is part of a year-long online art class (instructor Ivy Newport). 

"Create Your own Journey"

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Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

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All Flowery and Fabulous

I finally finished a project I started back in December. Lucky for me, my family is completely groovy about me taking over our hallway as my own personal canvas. Here, after a two month delay due to I don't know how many distractions and a small dose of laziness, is our air conditioner closet door!!

Stop by and check it out!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale 

(though not this one as it's attached to my house).

 

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

The Quiet Door

Several years ago Dave and I got a new microwave. It was pretty. It was just the right size. It cooked food just fine. And we hated it.

For some reason this microwave was not designed with teenagers in mind. Yes, teenagers. You see, teenagers tend to want to eat at all times of the night on the weekends and of course this involves microwaving. Well, our microwave was impossible to close quietly. No matter what you did, there was always a very loud "CLUNK!" when it closed. And this woke us up. Every. Time.

So when this loud closing microwave expired in the middle of the night this weekend, in a very stinky/smoky way I might add, my only requirement for our next microwave was that it close quietly.


And the very next day Dave came home with a brand spankin' new microwave. It is pretty. It cooks food just fine. It closes quietly. And we love it.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

He is Not Amused

So we've had our cat door for a couple of weeks now. Our little cat, Tommy, is pretty much grooving on it. He can go out when he wants, come in when he wants, and exercise his independence as the awesome teenage cat that he is.

Pug, on the other hand, is not amused. While he understands the concept of independence, he prefers to have things the way they've always been.

You know, the way in which the humans were his minions. He could stand at the door and stare at it and we'd get up and let him out. He could stand on our back porch staring in and we'd open the door for him...and he'd invariably stand there a while considering if we were worth of his presence...or not.

With the cat door we humans are no longer, well, minions.

Bless his stubborn little feline heart....

 Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

What Kitty Cat Wants, Kitty Cat Gets

Our cats want in. Then they want out. Then they want in. Then they want out. And on and on and on....

So my brilliant husband installed a cat door. It should all be fine and dandy now. The cats should be totally independent. Right?

Well, perhaps someday, but for now here's how it goes.

The cats want in. We go outside and shove them in the cat door. The cats want out. We shove them out the cat door. And on and on and on....


Our cats sure have well trained humans.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

A Wee Little Bit of Home Improvement...Kali Style

Because drawing, painting, and glittering flowers by day isn't enough for me (I've been doing this, here...check it out!), and because my family is super cool about me turning parts of our house into a canvas...well, I painted a door in our hallway.

I keep threatening offering to paint my teenage boys' doors, too, but thus far they've turned me down. Ya, I don't get it either.

While I'm not selling this door, you might be able to talk me into painting one of your doors.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Front Porch Friend

There's a toad that lives on our porch.  I walk out at night to get our cats in (coyotes have been hanging in our hood lately) and there's always a toad right there.  It's a super friendly toad in that I'll-tolerate-you-picking-me-up-and-I'll-pee-just-as-a-matter-of-routine kind of way.  And there must be some great eatin' 'round these parts because over the last month that toad has gone from small to medium to BIG. 

I brought this up to my family and went on and on about my amazement.  And they were utterly and completely unimpressed.


Family member:  "There are three different toads.  A small one, a medium one, and a big one."

Me:  "Oh."

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

They Open and Close

Sometimes we have a crowd of teenage boys here overnight...well, often, actually.  Last night was one such night. 

Now, the last time we had a gang here they pretty much pulled an all-nighter.  That's all find, good, and fun.  Except for the fact that they all went to the bathroom over and over and over, and each time they did, they closed the door.  LOUDLY! 

Well, I'm no dummy, this time when they were all gathered in the kid's room playing video games after a raucous game of basketball, I went  in there and gave them a lesson on how to close a door silently.

And you know what?  Those boys closed the bathroom silently all night long.  They are awesome!  But what they also did was go to the kitchen over and over, and open and close the cupboard doors over and over.  LOUDLY!

I'll be preparing my new lesson plans promptly.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Blank Canvas Dreams

As my big guy came out of his room today as I was putting a sealer on the hallway mural I did last month.


Me:  "Hey, you should let me paint your door."  I was seriously craving a new big painting project.

Big guy:  "Sure, you can paint it."  And then he went into the bathroom.


And my mind started whirling with excitement.  I never thought he'd say, "Yes."  I'll paint flowers!  No.  I'll paint skateboards!  Maybe.  I'll paint it all cool and graffiti style!  That's a fit.


Me:  "I'm so excited!  I'm thinking about colors.  What do you like?"

Big guy:  "White, mom.  You can only use white on my door."  And he went back into his room.


Oh....


And then my husband, who is a most excellent co conspirator, pointed out that there are tons of different shades of white.

Hmmmmmmm, I just might be able to make this work!

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I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Love in da House

One of my favorite things about summer is that I'm around to see so much more.  And one super sweet moment just happened.  Tommy, our kitten cuten was asleep on our bed.  Hazel, our 85 pounds of pure love dog was, too.  My little guy came in, carefully picked up Tommy and lay him atop Hazel, and then leaned into them giving them both a big hug.

Little guy:  "So much adorable packed into one hug!"

Love!

Click here to purchase this piece.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Three Years of Creating

It was three years ago today that I began this adventure in creating.  I'd come off of a particularly challenging school year...and by challenging, I don't mean bad.  By challenging I mean filled with many, many opportunities for learning and growth.  I had been so focused on my role as teacher that as summer started and I should have felt relief, instead I only felt lost, unable to find myself again.

So one day I just started creating.  And I haven't stopped.  And I'm forever grateful for that challenging year.  What a gift it was!

Thanks for going along with me on this wonderful journey of mine.


P.S. When I created this door painting I was thinking of how when one door closes and another opens, which door we choose when we have an opportunity, and whatnot.  But then I realized that I'm not all that deep, after all.  I just happened to be listening when the creative bubble rose up in me. 

Click here to purchase this piece.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!