Letting Go

Wednesday night was a night to release. To let go. Thank you Pixie Campbell.
You have begun a powerful movement for women to entrust what they can control and to let go of what they cannot. A visionary for us all.

goodbye 2011. hello 2012. i am ready to take in what you have to offer. i can't wait to fly above like peter pan. to see the world through the eyes of a child again. there is joy. i believe! 

Now to choose my word for the year. Last year was my first year to have a word......"Dreams". do you know what yours will be....? i have some pondering to do.

Happy New Year everyone!

ps. Announcement, dates, details, and all the juicy tidbits about my online course, Paint Your Story will be up at the stroke of midnight. Sunday, January 1st, 2012 - 12AM

Paint Your Story

"It took me four years to paint like Raphael and a lifetime to paint like a child" -
Pablo Picasso

Announcing my first online workshop:

Paint Your Story!

coming Spring 2012

dates, details and Intro video will be up January 1st

Woodland perfume

Woodland perfume sample set and larger bottles are coming to the Understory next week. On monday or tuesday of next week I will launch 3 new perfume blends to my shop. Owl, Bird, and Rabbit. If you love Bear or Fawn....you will love Owl.

Owl wears warmly on the skin with earthy patchouli, rosewood and immortelle as the base notes. Frankincense and violet leaf play in the middle. Evergreen slips in to recall the cool mornings as soft sandalwood and musk warm your heart. A brisk note of teakwood and vanilla briefly intervene at moments. A beautiful wearable earthy, musky blend. If you have always wanted to wear an earthy oil but never thought you could, this is the one for you.

Rabbit is one of my new favorites. It is reminiscent of a bunny scurrying through the snowy brush as the dawn breaks. Paws dusted with smoke, fragrant greenery mixed with warm Amber. Hints of vanilla sandalwood offset with patchouli honey and black rose become a resting spot for the hint of smoke.
Douglas fir and wild mint capture the snow and fragrant understory of the rabbit's lair.

Bird is grounded by exquisite Neroli and vetiver. Oakmoss continues to ground the blend as soft notes of peach and white musk play on your nostalgic senses. Black raspberry interlaced with vanilla cream comes in at the end with hints of vanilla and orchid. As the bird nibbles on berries, he is surrounded by leafy green trees. As the sun warms his feathers, he bursts into the sky for his next journey.

They will be available separately as samples, the larger 1/4 oz amber bottles, and as sample sets......

I'm so thrilled with this new series of blends. Thank you to all of you who have tried the oils and left the most awesome feedback. You guys rock!!

ps. the new banner features a photo from the amazing Lisa Parks.........

Shop update TODAY!!

Today at 10am central time.....i'm doing a big shop update with lots of dolls, original artwork, and a couple of new prints. Here is a sneak peek of some of the stuff.....

get your browser ready!! all the items will list at 10am (central)

Everything will list at once. (all items are in draft mode just ready to go LIVE!!)

I am super stoked about this new line of work! i love the rawness....the sad faces...

and the primitive-ness of the dolls.

go now to get ready!!

Giving Thanks.....

As we celebrate Thanksgiving with our families, I want you to know how thankful I am to each and every one of you who have supported my art over the past 4-1/2 years. It was back in March of 2007 that I first opened my etsy shop and it has been the most fun and rewarding 4 years of my life. I have you to thank. Because of you I am living my dream.

I'm offering a coupon code in the shop now through Friday 11-25 midnight.......use BLACKFRIDAY2011 to save 20% off everything in the shop. 

 new ornaments in the shop

and some inspiration winged girl postcards

Understory

Remember me mentioning working hard on a new venture....? Well, I'm here to announce what I've been working so hard on this last month.

I have just opened my new etsy shop!!! it is fragrance inspired by my artwork and long-time love of oils. i have always had a good nose palette stemming back from my childhood when i adored everything that "smelled-good". I loved collecting candles, smelly erasers, smelly markers, and strawberry shortcake dolls.


Right now, I only have a few fragrances available and a couple of amazing bath salts!! But stay tuned for more fragrances and other surprises!!!

 here is my shop announcement: (my little sister helped me name the shop.....i struggled with finding a name that told the story of my shop as well as one that had not already been taken. I think this is perfect)
The Understory is the growth layer lowest on the forest floor mostly underneath tiny twigs, leaves, and small plants. There, closest to the soil, the understory has many complexities and indeed stories to tell. My shop is inspired by the nostalgia of my childhood and the simple everyday pleasures. My blends take shape visually and olfactory.

 snow princess - bath salts

Lemon Lime Love - bath salts

 snow princess sample

Guides - sample set

something new

New paintings will be hitting my etsy shop on Monday.

 bear

 henry

 little stitched sally

Shaman bunny

I have been working like mad lately on the new venture and its pretty much taking my every waking moment. I had a bit of a breakthrough yesterday to the point where i said....."i can do this...i can really DO this". I wake up in the middle of the night because i can't sleep. the excitement is taking over. i have been drawing and brainstorming and calculating. yes, a little!

sometimes i find that when i come hear to my art blog....i don't feel i have much to say anymore. i feel like a broken record that keeps repeating itself. i start to type and i say to myself "i've already said this" or touched on this in some way. is it because we are creatures of pattern? I just have this weird feeling that this new batch of paintings will be close to the last of them before the end of the year. its so funny feeling my hands type that. although i will say i have several backgrounds on canvas already waiting to be tackled. i don't know. i feel my focus has shifted just a bit to get this new shop up and running.

its weird because yesterday i received an email from Teesha telling us that 2012 will be the last artfest and i could so relate to the words she wrote. 

a shift. 

a new direction. 

still doing what i love.

but something new.

i can't wait to see what the future holds for Teesha and her retreats.....

and i can't wait to tell you what I've been working on!!!! it feels like when i first started painting. 

the newness.

the butterflies. 

the beautiful planning.

the organizing. 

i hope to have new shop going by sometime in December. but i have so much work to do. and in saying that i may be absent just a bit from this blog until then.

happy creating my friends.