A Trio of Roses

A trio of roses received is a gift of the words "I love you."

"A Trio of Roses"    2.75"x2.75"

Miniature easel included in the purchase price.

All works are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by the artist.

My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

Prints of many of my paintings are available in my Etsy shop. 

Let me know if you're interested in prints of my paintings.

  I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

I'd love to hear from you...feel free to leave me a comment.

State of Peace

Peace...not so much of that other kind of piece.

Stay tuned for more Texas themed art! 

"State of Peace"

Miniature easel included in the purchase price.

All works are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by the artist.

My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

Prints of many of my paintings are available in my Etsy shop. 

Let me know if you're interested in prints of my paintings.

  I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

I'd love to hear from you...feel free to leave me a comment.

Yellow Rose of Texas 1

I've lived in Texas almost 50 years, and even though her politics make me grouchy at times, I can't help but love this big state of ours. (And, yes, the state being blue...subtle touch, right?...is a dream of mine.)

Stay tuned for more Texas themed art!

"Yellow Rose of Texas 1"

Miniature easel included in the purchase price.

All works are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by the artist.

My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

Prints of many of my paintings are available in my Etsy shop. 

Let me know if you're interested in prints of my paintings.

  I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

I'd love to hear from you...feel free to leave me a comment.

Through the Eyes of a Child

Life can be magical through the eyes of a child.

Except when it's not.

"Through the Eyes of a Child"

Miniature easel included in the purchase price.

All works are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by the artist.

My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

Prints of many of my paintings are available in my Etsy shop. 

Let me know if you're interested in prints of my paintings.

  I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

I'd love to hear from you...feel free to leave me a comment.

Motion in Stillness

We all have super powers. Today I found out that hummingbirds can hover, and fly backward and upside-down. I think that's pretty awesome. I love discovering the super powers...we all have them, you know.

"Motion in Stillness"

All works are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by the artist.

My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

Prints of many of my paintings are available in my Etsy shop. 

Let me know if you're interested in prints of my paintings.

  I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

I'd love to hear from you...feel free to leave me a comment.

Scars Tell our Story

Scars tell our story...sometimes you can see them and sometimes you can't.

Through October 20th I will be donating 50% of my original art sales to the Citizens' Climate Lobby (CCL), Texas 21 Chapter. More information may be found here. Let's make the climate great again!

"Scars Tell our Story"

Miniature easel included in the price of the painting.

All works are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by the artist.

My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

Prints of many of my paintings are available in my Etsy shop. 

Let me know if you're interested in prints of my paintings.

  I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

I'd love to hear from you...feel free to leave me a comment.

Illuminate the World

"You have to find what

sparks a light in you so

that you, in your own way,

can illuminate the world."

-Oprah Winfrey

"Illuminate the World"

Miniature easel included in the purchase price.

  All works are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by the artist.

My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

Prints of many of my paintings are available in my Etsy shop. 

Let me know if you're interested in prints of my paintings.

  I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

I'd love to hear from you...feel free to leave me a comment.

The Buddha Walks Among Us

I've often heard it posited, "We wouldn't recognize Jesus if he walked among us." But I've never heard anyone wonder the same about the Buddha. Perhaps it's just because I live in the states, Texas no less. But as I worked on this piece, at first a sketch that quite resembled the Buddha as I think of him, then morphing into someone who would fit in quite well here in Austin, it made me wonder.

"The Buddha Walks Among Us"

And here it is on its miniature easel. 

 And if you're curious, this is my original sketch.

All works are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by the artist.

My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

Prints of many of my paintings are available in my Etsy shop. 

Let me know if you're interested in prints of my paintings.

  I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

I'd love to hear from you...feel free to leave me a comment.

With her Best Friend

I took my dog, Hazel, out for a long walk this morning. She gets beside-herself excited when any of us get the leash out. And she loves absolutely every single thing about going walking.

Except...bicycles that zoom by and scare her, some birds that sound really scary and weird, and cars that loudly vroom overhead when we're under a bridge.

Except for all of that Hazel loves absolutely every single thing about walking.


I finished working on this painting this afternoon. Here's the final version and the last few steps that lead up to the end. And I only have a few photos from the tail end because I was so into it that I forgot to take pictures during the majority of the process. Oops!

"With her Best Friend"

You can see that I've added tons of details...all over!

I adorned her hair with flowers and a feather
and added details to her dress.

I think she's done. Just need to paint the
edges of the canvas black.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

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

With her Best Friend

After over four years of painting each and every day on our kitchen table or some other flat surface (not counting our hallway walls, that is), I finally splurged and got myself and easel! I feel like I'm a grown up artist now! I got it all set up right by our floor-to-ceiling windows last night, put a blank canvas in it, and went to bed. Then first thing after I ate breakfast and walked the dog, I started painting. What a nice thing it is to stand while I paint. And an incredible thing to have our kitchen table back!

While I was painting my big guy came in the room and said, "You need to move all your art stuff over by the easel." I have two shelves and an antique desk devoted to my art. So while Dave and my little guy were gone, my big guy and I moved all the furniture around in the living room. And it's fabulous! I love my wonderful big guy!

The painting I'm working on is inspired by Marie Laurencin. I think this may be the last one in the class I'm taking. I'll definitely revisit her style, I love it!

After painting the canvas gray, I sketched out a woman and a dog.

I began adding some color to her flesh, dress, and background. 

I added more details and began working on a fan.

I began working on her face, added a scarf, and continued working on the dog.

I'm excited to work on it more tomorrow!

 Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

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

Three Times the Love

So here was the little guy's plan for tonight.


5:30 - Workout at the gym with mom.

6:30 - Go shopping a the thrift store.

7:00 - Go back to the gym for a second workout.

8:00 - Go to Target.

8:30 - Go back to the gym for, yes, a third workout.


Now while the kid gets major points for both working out with his mom (me) and for wanting to go thrifting, I'm choosing to be a total spoil sport and here is the plan that I say I'm willing to do.


6:30 - Go shopping at the thrift store.

7:30 - Workout at the gym with mom.


Little guy: "OK, I think a light workout is good tonight."


An hour workout is a "light" workout. Being 48 is so different than being 16.

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!

My Heart Swells

It was like old times today.

When my kids were little we'd all load up in my car, or on our bicycles, and head up to the neighborhood elementary school. I worked there as a teacher and they learned there as students. It was an awesome one-stop-shopping experience. And then my big guy moved on to middle and high school, and then my little guy did the same, and then I was left at the elementary school all alone (not counting all of the students and staff that remained, of course).

But today my big guy was subbing for the woman I work with and my little guy was there volunteering for track and field...there we all were under one big roof again!

My day was made!

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!

Love and Wisdom

My big guy turned twenty yesterday. It was a rather lovely pairing having my first born's birthday occur on Mother's Day. I'm usually not one to go in for celebrating that holiday, but celebrating the birth of my kid...well, that's the best way to celebrate being a mother.

And I celebrate all that he has been, all that he is, and all that he will be. Love you, kiddo!


This was a special request from my open studio tour over the weekend. Hoooooo knew that owls were so popular?

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!

Say "Hello" to my Little Friend

So a funny thing happened during WEST. One of my owl paintings was bought on Saturday...and the next morning this little fella hatched.

HUGE thanks to everyone that stopped by this weekend!!! Dave and I loved every second of it. If you missed it this weekend, please come see us next weekend. Click here for studio tour info.

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!

The Wonder of Quilts

I painted this miniature quilt for a lovely friend of mine whom I've had the great pleasure of working with for the past eleven years. Lucky, lucky me!!! Oh, and she happens to also be a fabulous quilter.


But then, of course, my mind wanders as I gaze upon this wee little quilt. You see, I had a fabulous quilt experience just this morning. We had a washing machine mishap as I was about to leave for work this morning. Last night I'd cleaned out the little filter thing and I thought I'd gotten it completely back in...but the water rushing out of our laundry room told a completely different story.

I ran and got towels. I ran and woke up Dave. I ran and got more towels...and more towels...and more towels! And even with every bath towel we owned spread around on our floor, it was not enough.

So I ran and got two of our quilts. And those quilts had some super soaker soaking up power!

And then my mind wandered again and I thought, "Now I get why toilet paper is 'quilted'!"

...Yup, my early morning "aha" moment.

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!

Surrounded by Love

Last weekend I attended a reception at a gallery where some of my art is on display. It was incredibly wonderful. The most delightful folks were there...other artists (my mom among them) and folks that appreciated art (my husband among them). It was positively blissful to be in a space filled with such a love for art.

Honored, humbled, and deeply grateful....

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!

Noticing...

I went to the main grocery store in my hood today after school.  It's the grocery store where I go to buy, for lack of a better word, crap.

Yes, there are things on our shopping list that the family wants but I can't find at my preferred stores.


Anyway, at this particular store, where I often feel thankful that there's security on the premises, I always find myself gifted with awesome/strange/beautiful happenings, and this afternoon was no exception.


- I saw a fella pick up what looked like a wallet and immediately take it to a lady who had just gotten in her car (bonus points because she is a friend of mine and we'd just chatted...though I hadn't noticed the dropped wallet).

- I saw a family posing for a photo in front of a display of toilet paper...on purpose!

- I saw a lady who was likely in her 70s with pink and gray hair...I want to be her when I grow up!


Good times!

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!

Lit Up

Year after year we've put lights up on the outside of our house for the holiday season...sometimes a big display of lights and sometimes small.  But for some reason, last year Dave and I never got around to it at all.  Now it wouldn't have been any big deal except for that our house is on a corner and all three of the other corners were lit up.  We felt the friendly pressure, though not enough to actually do anything about it. And one night we came home and our house had lights!  One of our delightful neighbors had decorated one of our bushes.

So what did I do today? Well, I ran out front and wrapped one of our trees in the very same lights that my neighbor had given us last year.

Feeling quite festive and accomplished...and sparkly.

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!

Blissfully Frozen

Due to the kid's athletics schedule these days we find ourselves out and about during the wee hours of the morning when it's still around freezing temps.  We heat up a blanket in the dryer, get in the car, snuggle up, and we're off.  And we always...always...see tons of people working out on our way.  Some are running, some are doing yoga, and some are doing some sort of boot camp/crossfit thing. 


Little guy:  "I'm concerned about these people's mental health, mom."

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!

Post Revolution

So a year later my big guy finally saw the clip of me on NBC's "Revolution". 


Me:  "It's on Netflix now, check it out."

Big guy:  "No, mom, I'm busy.  I'll look at it later."


Later...and by later I mean about an hour after I'd fallen asleep and was happily dreaming-n-drooling.  A puddle on my pillow is a sign of some good sleep happenin'.


Big guy:  "Hey, mom!  I just watched you...that was cool!  You looked a lot like the star of the show."


The star is in her early 20s...he was instantly forgiven for waking me up.


Until...

Big guy:  "You both looked dirty."


I'm good with it.  This forty-seven year old broad is happy to look like a dirty chick in her 20s any day.

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!