"Sunburst on the Isle" - A Landscape Painting

"Sunburst on the Isle"     5" x 7"     Acrylic on Museum Quality Claybord

Here's my second submission for the month of January for the Virtual Paintout. You can see my first one for this month here. We went to the Isle of Man, and as I said earlier, it is one of the most beautiful places on this planet, and I didn't even know it existed. Granted, I always say let's go up to LA and down to San Francisco, so I clearly don't have the best geographical sense or knowledge, but still... =P

I have loved painting along the coast of this Isle, and when I stumbled upon this particular spot I just knew I had to put it down in paint! I can't take all the credit though! I had one of my dearest friends over, Megan, who's son was in the NICU both at Walnut Creek and at Antioch with Levi, and who Tyler actually drove home from their high school graduation (what are the odds we would both have our sons two months early in the same place, especially considering she lived in Sacramento at the time?), and she played the PERFECT art critic today. She was amazing! Helping me to see what should go here, what shouldn't go there, and where to make highlights stronger or less obtrusive, and this painting is all the better for her incredible feedback. Thank you SOOO much Megan, you were an incredible helper and my work is so much better because you were here! You're totally gonna have to come over while I paint more often because I think I've honestly tapped Tyler's patience out with asking him constantly what he thinks. Poor guy!

So, I have some majorly good news today! One of my paintings got selected today for the DPW Facebook picks of the day!!! (You can see it as it is on their page for Jan. 29th if you click here - they picked "Misty Mountains Majesty and it seems to be right next to a painting of little nakie kiddos running through the water, if that helps you find it. Hahaha, so great...) Anyways, I am so thrilled I could just explode! I mean, little ole me has one of my paintings up there with FAMOUS artists - I just can't believe it. And I know some people probably think it's silly for me to be so excited, but I am just thrilled with the fact that other people actually thought my work was good. MY WORK! Woo-hoo!!! I couldn't be happier for this little step in the right direction, as it confirms for me in my heart that I'm going the right direction with my art, and I'm just hoping and praying this leads someday to even more paintings up there on that special little wall. How cool would that be? But even if I only get this one, I don't care, I'm just happy for my name being up there with all those fabulous artists!

Here's the screen shot of my painting as it appeared on their blog page. Sorry, just wanted this on here for my own personal records. =)

MY TIP FOR THE DAY:
I can't tell you just how important it can be to find someone who you can show your work to that will GENTLY tell you the truth about it, without causing you to get hurt. Sometimes those closest to you are the best people to go to, and sometimes they're not, but it should be someone who knows at least a little bit about art, even if they don't make any themselves. And it can sometimes be best to not have it be someone you are personally competitive with, because that can cause problems in and of itself. So, do you have a muse or a critic that helps make your work better than it would be without their help? Do you have someone you can turn to that will lovingly help you see where you can grow? I know I have more than one, and I love each and every one of them for being so honest and helpful, even when it hurts. So, as Levi says, "If you don't have one, get one!" (Lol, sorry, he just watches WAY too much Toy Story - it's his all time favorite!)