Year of the FairyTale

I'm so excited to announce that I am guest artist over at Carla Sonheim's  amazing "Year of the Fairy Tale" class!!

She asked me to illustrate Blondine, Bonne Biche, and Beau-Minon...(a french fairy tale)

I read through the short 17 page story and couldn't help myself but to paint it right away. The story had me captivated and the images kept coming. Although this is not my normal method of painting..(i normally paint intuitively)....I so enjoyed this process. Thank you Carla for asking me to be a guest in your beautiful class. If you'd like to find out more about the class and to sign up go HERE. 

Ps. I do an interview and video of the below painting.

what is clarity?

I had a dream this morning. I say this morning because it was as I was waking up. I dreamt of going to work for a company. It was like something out of Minority Report. I started working right away and the first thing I remember was that me and 2 colleagues were in a conference room having a meeting. Next door, we heard some commotion and then the door latch shimmed and the door came open. We saw folks next door playing loud music, dancing, and having fun. I got up from the table and started to join in from our room. My supervisor, who looked very much like Rhea Pearlman, walked in just as I was cuttin' a jig and instantly the life drained from her face. She asked me what I was doing and I told her, I was joining in. That the company next door had the right idea to have fun and get work done too. I then proceeded to further explain that if our company tried to do the same thing then they may get better productivity and employees that actually enjoyed their job, hence lower turnover. Oh the sour look my supervisor shot me! I was instantly reprimanded and she left with the door slamming behind her.

The next day, I went to my locker to find that I got demoted from my position. I was now in charge of making sure there were fans positioned and located where they needed to be.....locker rooms, break rooms...etc. (yeah, crazy!) So off I went with my fan buggy (it looked like one of those giant shopping carts from Sam's) making sure everyone was being fanned who needed fanned. I was stopped by another colleague and she stated how lucky I was because she worked for a year and a half doing odd jobs like this for the company until she was promoted to the same position as my old job. So a few days go by and I get the feeling I'm being tested. So when I sign into work the next day,  (mind you the signing in process was a retina scan, fumigation, and bodily organ testing all done from inside a small locker) I am told that if I want my old job back that I'll have to do a written test.

I report to the specified space for the test. I watch from below as people are being brought up on small platforms to this high space. Very official looking. I instantly remember that I'm afraid of heights. I feel very vulnerable and nervous. So up I go.  There is another girl with me taking the test. We take our seats that are on something like a barstool. Over comes one of the test-giver helpers with something in both her hands. She opens her hands and asks me which pen or pencil would I like to take the test with. I answer that turquoise pencil there. She shoots me a horrified look and I realize she thinks I answered wrong. She then lays all the pens/pencils down again and she says, Now which one would you like to take the test with. Again I answer the turquoise pencil. She says "fine!" I shoot her a puzzled look and back to the test giver. As she was walking away she says "well that wasn't what you had in your locker". I am instantly aware that I am being tested in more ways than one. I started off the test by answering wrong. Or in their opinion wrong.

We start taking the test and when I sit down at my desk, I see this teeny tiny pencil that is graphite on one end and a light yellow colored pencil on the other....a dual ended teeny pencil. (great! no eraser like I thought I was going to get!) "Mind games" I think to myself. So the questions begin and all I can remember are very SAT types of questions and questions about the company that I probably answer wrong.

the tiny pencil.... :-)

But the last question was "what is clarity?" Instantly I know how they are wanting me to answer. I am suddenly sure that I will answer this very important question differently than they are wanting me too. This company tried to control me. There were "right" things and "wrong" things. And things "you really shouldn't do". Up yours, company X!! So I began to write with my tiny pencil what Clarity means to me.....

As I wrote, I began writing with such power and fervor....the paint on the test board started to come off (...testing boards...not paper...lol!)

I wrote "Clarity is when you become aware on a level that everything comes to you in an instant. Time is suddenly non-existent. Because Clarity doesn't exist in realms of time or space. Clarity can only be achieved through stillness and is a gift from the Divine"

As I was finishing up and putting the period on my sentence I woke up. I am sure I failed that test with that company. But I passed on so many other levels. The most important One.

I am so laughing at how vivid and real the dream was. I hope you enjoyed this peek into my subconscious .... :-D

Primitive Portraits

I'm so thrilled to announce a new class offering, called Primitive Portraits!

Primitive Portraits is all about getting back to the basics of painting faces. Deciding to leave your work a bit raw, simple, and undone is refreshing and exercises the muscle of restraint. I have found through art making that doing less really is the secret. But also, doing less is tougher than you would think. We want to keep working and tidy up the face/painting. It feels good sometimes to busy ourselves and overwork a painting. Come join me as we discover the raw, simple side of ourselves that says it's ok to let it speak for itself. 

Register HERE

and then click on the "join group" button

I truly feel life imitates this area in art. Deciding to come just as you are…..is enough….matter-of-fact…..it's the most beautiful part of you. The real you.

Class begins March 31.

The class will be structured like this:

Each Monday I'll post a new exercise video for you to watch and have time to create.

There are 5 exercises and I'll be posting 5 mondays beginning March 31.

$49 early registration through March 24th

Regular registration begins March 25th - $59

You will receive 1 year access to the classroom

New journal work

Time away from Facebook has proven productive. It's helped to focus my energies and new ideas and possibilities are revealing themselves to me. I am finding being Still is really the most important time in my day. I am still when I'm walking the poodles.....yoga in the mornings and evenings....in the bath.....driving....in the studio....basking in the sun on the porch. These moments are the ones I cherish the most right now. My time spent with God through Stillness is.....IS......

Recent journal work

There is aliveness in quiet.

There is every answer in stillness.

In solitude I'm never alone.

Disney Journal Pages!

I'm back with another update from Disney. I wanted to share with you all the journal pages I created while we were there. It truly was a beautiful balance between experiencing the parks, savoring all the cherished moments with fellow creatives, and diving into your journal. I just had to show off the journals a bit too. The first picture is of the cover. Tangie's husband Dave created these beauties for each of the participants. By the way, if you really LOVE these journals…(I know I do) then you can get your very own HERE.

First photo is credited to Kathryn

inspired by Mickey's Magical Map

Disneyland map…..I taught a short class on how to create these lovely watercolor maps.

I drew this in the animation academy. I don't follow directions too well and drew her alongside steamboat Mickey….(below)

journaled this after we rode Haunted Mansion.

I am a bit obsessed with the bride with the hatchet. "till death do us part"…. :-)

another animation academy Alice which I colored with the peerless afterward.

And a California Adventure map

another Alice….obsessed much?!?…lol

a neat page where I was cleaning off my brush….

Journaled after riding Pirates with my new friend Cindy.

Pink!

Teacups

Mulan

inspired by Kathy Yurek's flowers and 

Mickey's Magical map show

portrait of a darling girl I spotted walking around Fantasyland

by herself. She had a gorgeous fair complexion, a dark bob haircut with blue

streaks, and a bold red lipstick. I even saw her the next day as well. 

I'm calling her a contemporary Snow White.

Bride from Haunted Mansion.

peerless watercolor palette - sheet 1

palette - sheet 2

ps. After this retreat I am feeling a some sort of shift happening within me. I'm not sure I can define it at this moment. But regardless, it's there. I have decided to remove myself for the time being on Facebook. I'm not sure how long my absence will be. 

This shift and the answers can only be found in stillness….in the quiet moments in the sun on my porch…..being with my poodles….and walks in nature, listening to the vast number of species of birds that our Creator put on the earth.

Being still. Being in my breathe. Being quiet. Being with my Lord. For there lie all the answers.

Disney Retreat

I am back and rested from the Disney Retreat.  I am so blessed and thankful that Tangie asked me to be a part of this amazing retreat. We had a great group of ladies, as well as my husband Tim and Tangie's husband Dave. The first day we met for Mexican food and chatted and really just got to know each other. Also, Tangie organized for us to meet later that evening at Californa Adventure lodge....where she presented us with the most beautiful and inspiring packets ever! Dave made all the journals that were constructed with watercolor paper and Disney golden book covers. In heaven. I wanted to do a twirl around the courtyard (like the little girl in a princess costume that I saw earlier that day....she twirled and twirled with no worries. She was just being. She didn't have a care in the world. And at that moment I believed she was the happiest person on the planet. And I was as well, witnessing that beauty of a child's wonder!)

And just allow me for a second to sing the praises of our leader and Disney expert extra-ordinaire, Tangie..... She had the best put-together itinerary for the 4 days that we were together. It was evident that she did her homework and went step-by-step through the park planning our days together and the time spent at each perfect journaling spot. I imagine her being lead by Tinker bell herself as she planned and created each and every detail.


I took lots of photos of our time together.
and psssst.....I hear we may be doing this again in October

 Cindy and I waiting for the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

This was the first ride we did as a group.

(check out the dude behind us…photobomb….lol!!)

 I made this journal page shortly after the pirates ride over in the Saloon.

That's what I loved so much about this retreat is that you get a chance…and take the time to

journal while inspiration is fresh in your mind.

 loved the "square" trees over by Alice

 yes!

Innoventions entrance

 Teacups were closed for the evening because of the rain.

but it made for a wonderful shot.

 Tangie and I getting ready to demo at the Rainforest cafe

The dreamiest room ever!

 All of our Journals - made by Dave Baxter

pinch me, I must be dreaming. 

When we opened the kits our eyes became that of a kid again.

 Walt's Apartment in the Firehouse on Main Street

They leave the light on 24/365 - symbolizing Walt's presence still

(made me tear up….)

 me inside Walt's apartment. This was part of the "Walk in Walt's footsteps" tour

 Mulan journal page - inspired by Mickey's Magical Map show

 My sweet, beautiful friend Cindy and one of her Mickey ears self portrait. 

Serious love for this girl!

 bride from the Haunted Mansion

 Lightening McQueen - Cars Land

 Tim's Drawing in the Animation academy

He does much better than me. I don't follow directions to well :-)

The next 3 shots are of Alice's Mad Tea Party 

 Sammy Baxter, Tangie and Dave's daughter….

crazy awesome drawing/painting skills 

this girl possesses!

 one of my favorite parts of the retreat was hanging out and journaling

over at the big thunder Jamboree in Disneyland

The older, more obscure characters also made a showing.

 My dear Cindy girl, rocking her orange ears and shirt (orange being her favorite color)

 ooo bee doooo….i wanna be like you--oooo. walk like you, talk like you

at Mickey's Magical map show

(check out the awesome trumpet player on the right…)

Tim and I in a Pooh honeycomb

 sunset over Cars land….sigh….dreaming of being there now

A spectacular ending to a retreat that I'll never forget. 

I will post all of my journal pages very soon!!