"Hospitali-tea" - A Sneak Peak at a Commissioned Painting Series based on a Children's Farmhouse Theme

Flower and Butterfly Detail from "Hosptitali-tea"     16" x 20"     Acrylic on Linen

 

Oh what joy I've found in doing this project that was commissioned by my church's Antioch campus for their youth department. It's something I get to do alongside one of my best friends, which makes it all the more exciting to do, and the theme is "Welcome to the Farm," which as you can imagine is right up my alley!

I'm having a blast with the imaginative process of this commission - and the fact that in the end there will be such a large number of works to add to my portfolio is a massive plus! At first all I felt was overwhelmed by the idea of jumping into something like this, but I knew God wanted me doing it, despite how hard it could and would end up being, both related to time and physical effort. But somewhere along the line, He showed me the true blessing of it all- that all the artwork I'd done in my whole life had built up to this moment where I could give back to something far greater than myself - where I could give back to my church and more importantly serve my Creator. He showed me the story of Behaliel and Oholiab, two master craftsmen who were gifted in many different trades in the arts, so that they would one day be able to build the temple, God's resting place, and make it a place of sheer beauty befitting the greatest King ever! I don't know if you know the pure, unadulterated joy of creating with the very one who created you, but it's beyond spectacular, trust me on this!!!

I've prayed so often that God would allow me to become gifted like those special men in that way, that I might be able to serve Him with it, and I have seen such growth in the moments when He takes the wheel and steers for me. It's like you get lost in this creative zone, and if someone were to ask you how to do it again, honestly, I'm not sure I could, because it was so thoughtless, so "in the moment" - almost like I'm floating on air and I'm not even in control at all, but that God IS, that I'd be hard pressed to recreate the exact same thing again. I think that's partly why I never did well doing my work in school settings - I could never ever get totally lost in it, and that's when I do my best. Same thing around certain people - I have to be insanely comfortable with you to be able to paint - otherwise I fidget and get nothing done, it's the oddest thing. I wonder, do any of you out there struggle with this in your own art, from photography to graphic design, it doesn't matter what it is, but do you ever feel this way too? I'd love to hear from you!

I've still got a long way to go before I'm finished with this project, and this here painting is only a few brush strokes itself away from being done, (these little butterfly pictures are just a little sneak peak at it) but I have a feeling I've found my calling for sure! It's definitely children's books and illustrations for me that lie in my future - now I just have to figure out how to get discovered! Hhhhmmmm.... That could be interesting...

Well, I really hope you have a wonderful night (or day for my far away friends) and if you ever hear of someone needing an artist for their new children's or fantasy book, maybe you could send them my way... Hey, a girl can hope, right?

Butterfly Detail on "Hospitali-tea"     16" x 20"       Acrylic on Linen

"Owl Only Have Eyes For You" and "Too Cold to Give a Hoot" - Two Miniature Owl Paintings

"Owl Only Have Eyes For You"     2" x 2"     Acrylic on Canvas

 I can't believe I finally got the chance to paint this week!!!  =D I started on Tuesday, on this sweet little painting of an owl up close, on a 2 inch square canvas. I mostly got to paint in little bits and pieces here and there, intertwined with loves, cuddles, and random spurts of playtime with my boys that were full of awesomeness (and of course Nanny "Mommo" was there – which is what the boys lovingly call Miss Bri – or I wouldn't have even had the chance to paint at all, but I have the Big Spring Boutique on Saturday and I thought I better get my little bootie back in shape and knock out a few small paintings or I won't have much to sell at all so Tuesday ended up being a work day for me). But man oh man, it was so totally amazing!  =0) And boy, can I ever tell you it's been WAY, WAY,   WAAAAYYY TOO LONG! I missed it exceedingly more than ever even realized I would, which rather a shock to my system, and I noticed that after spending forever painting a 2" x 2" I'm still not sure if the reason it took so long was because of the sheer amount of detail or because I made quite a few little rookie mistakes and had to go back and fix them. Still, it was so worth it! 

"Too Cold to Give a Hoot"     2" x 2"     Acrylic on Canvas

 Plus, I got to go back and FINALLY finish up this sweet little winter gem, and given all these crazy storms the last few weeks, it just felt fitting, even if we only ever get rain and no snow in our area. But for those of you in colder climates, I'm sure this feels like home to you right now! I guess I just was in a total owl mood. I really DO like other animals, trust me, I do! My other favorites are Octopus, Frogs, Snails, Inch Worms, Sea Cucumbers, Jellyfish, Frogs, and Moose. I could keep going - I kinda just want to add any animal that lives in the Ocean or the Woodlands, but that kinda defeats the purpose of picking "favorites" I suppose. Ohhhh, I dooo so LOVE Sea Dragons, Black and White Spotted Eagle Rays, and Spotted Bamboo Sharks and Spotted Wobbegong Sharks (also known as Carpet Sharks). Those last few one's are pretty cool - you should look them up if you're bored. 

Anyways, if you live in the area and want to come on down to the Boutique and find some AMAZING handmade, handcrafted goods by many of my good friends and local artisans, especially with Mother's Day and Easter right around the corner, come on down. It's on this SATURDAY the 5th from 9am - 5pm on Atherton Boulevard in Brentwood - trust me, you won't miss it - it will be VERY WELL MARKED!!! So come on down, support some local "starving artists" (hahaha, I'm just joking on that part!), but seriously, come on down and you will have an absolute blast! I'll post the link later for the Boutique so you can see some of the other things people are selling, but for now I have to run. Have an awesome day, my friends, and God bless!!!

"Night Lights" - A Whimsical Garden Painting

"Night Lights"     2.5" x 3.5"     Acrylic on Canvas Paper (ACEO) 

This sweet little painting was actually started en plein air, as funny as that might seem, back at the cabin in Montana this summer. They have some beautiful rows of lavender blossoms that were absolutely breathtaking lining the outer walls, and I just couldn't resist them. Who can?

I never got the chance to finish the painting while we were there, but I'm actually glad for that, as when I got home with it I just started to play around and ended up coming up with this delightful little scene to go with it. I've always had a fascination with Snails, Inch Worms and Fireflies (who doesn't, right?) and I thought it would be fun to make a scene lit by them, similar in a way to how the Baroque painters, whom I absolutely adore, used to light their scenes with a single candle or oil lamp in order to create intensity in their works. I've always wanted to paint like them, and even though this isn't exactly even remotely like their work, I love the fun little flair it added to this piece. I hope you like it too!

It looks absolutely AMAZING in it's black frame, with the white matting adding an extra pop to the colors of the piece. It's sure to delight young and young of heart alike, so if you're interested in buying this adorable and original work of art, email me and let me know! Or you can buy it from my Daily Paintworks Gallery as well.  Well, I hope you have a great one today. Take care!  =D

"Winter Perch" - A Miniature Owl Painting from the "Snowy Owl in Miniature" Series

"Winter Perch"     2" x 2"     Acrylic on Canvas

SOLD

Oh man, I've been going crazy trying to get everything back on track lately with all my commissions right now, and I'm finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Things are moving along rather nicely and I only have a few more piece left to finish. I have the feeling that this weeks postal shipment is going to be a big one. Oh what fun! I am truly sorry for any of you who may be waiting on a painting right now. Please know I am working diligently to finish each and every piece as soon as possible and to get them shipped and on their way to you in no time. That silly emergency surgery of mine sure caused me a lot of grief this time, and I am just beside myself with worry over upsetting any of my clients. I just didn't have the time for this surgery to happen, but the body gets what the body wants and I'm left with picking up the pieces and hoping I haven't upset or offended anybody with my tardiness. Hopefully there will be at the very least a touch of grace extended to me considering my unexpected medical adventure this month. Trust me, it wasn't any fun and I would have MUCH rather have been painting if you ask me. So if you are waiting on a work, please rest assured that I am up and running (or rather, painting) again and I will be getting your work to you as soon as it's finished. I'm going to be updating everyone throughout the week on exactly where I'm at, and I'll be in touch soon if I haven't been already.

Featured above is the third painting in my "Snowy Owl in Miniature" series that was commissioned by a very sweet and patient friend. She wanted it to be snowing in each and every scene, and for this last one she wanted to have an owl sitting upon a fence post resting his wings for a moment. This little collection has been quite a joy to create and as you can imagine I really liked creating this little series simply based on the fact that it's about owls. Here below is the final finished series (at least finished for now - I may make a few more just for the fun of it) all together at last. Enjoy!

If you ever want to commission your own paintings in miniature of your pets or favorite kind of animal, or really of just about anything you'd like, please email me and let me know. I'd be more than happy to work on something with you and you'll be amazed at what an impact something so little can have in a room. They come complete with a miniature easel (with either a light pine finish or a black painted finish) and they come with a rather miniature price as well of $25 each. And the best part is that they fit just about anywhere you could want and they make the most amazing and thoughtful gifts. So like I said, if you'd like your very own miniature masterpiece, feel free to email me with what you would like and we'll work out all the details from there.

As a side-note, I have to admit that I'm having a blast getting to work on so many different projects right now! It's incredible! I hope that you are having as great a time as I'm having, or even more, and that you have a wonderfully productive day as well. God bless and happy creating my friend! =D

"The Anatomy of Me: A Self Portrait" - Whimsical Painting

"The Anatomy of Me:  A Self Portrait"     8" x 10"     Acrylic on Gessobord

Detail of Owl from "The Anatomy of Me:  A Self Portrait"

Detail from Under the Sea from "The Anatomy of Me:  A Self Portrait"

 Not For Sale

But, if you'd like to see my available works or purchase a different painting, 

please go to the tab above labeled "Gallery of Available Works" and email me.

This is a self portrait that I've been working on for some time and that should have actually been done the week of my surgery. I know it's not a portrait in the traditional sense, but it's a peek into my life, my loves, and my passions and what is here on this canvas is truer to my heart than any painting of my physical appearance ever could have been. There are pieces of this that you won't quite understand, but that's part of the beauty of it in my opinion. And some of it is easy to explain. The lantern, for instance, represents my love of camping and spending time outdoors. The whale and ocean scene represent Monterey and the Aquarium, where many of our most special memories for our family have been formed, and will hopefully be revisited very soon. After all, we still need to make up for that botched summer vacation and we still have a few weeks left to try. =)  The owl is there because, well, I just absolutely LOVE owls, and same with the octopus. By the way, the octopus is stylized because when I was younger that's how I used to draw them for my friends, per their requests, and I wanted that aspect of my life to be shown here. There are so many more details with such deeper meanings than this, the tree, the pearl, the starry night sky, the clouds and the waves crashing upon the rocks - each and every element has its place in my heart and a reason for existing in this little world I created with paint and canvas. I wish I could share them all with you, but a girl has to keep a little mystery and intrigue about her, dontcha think?

All in all I really love the way this turned out in the end - I was scared there for a moment, not sure if I could get across exactly what I was going for, but I really do enjoy the way it turned out and it was quite the challenge for me to work on as well. My favorite part of it, well, other than the hidden meanings of course, was in putting so many pieces together into the one whole, with so many small and intricate details laced throughout it, and I honestly can't wait to do something similar to this on a much larger scale, even if I have no clue as to what I would actually do it of. Can you imagine how much I could fit into a scene as large as 48" x 60" if I actually did something like this? I mean, this painting here is only an 8"x10" - not my smallest work for sure, but still pretty small in comparison. Working on something so large would be utterly amazing - and perhaps a deal overwhelming - for me to undertake, but still, SOMEDAY...

Yes, someday I would absolutely love to do a really epic and involved piece, with details that just suck you in for minutes on end until you find yourself lost in it. I've always adored works like that by other artists - it's one of the most amazing aspects of art to me really - to lose one's self in it. But first I have to get over the fear of painting on and potentially ruining such as expensive as a large canvas. I just want to make sure that what I do is perfectly defined and drawn out long before I ever put paintbrush to palette near a canvas of that size. In a way it's silly, really, because I could always rework it until I really like it, but I still struggle with that fear as much as if it were a dog with his jaws clenched relentlessly around my ankle, unshakable and completely ferocious. Why I can't shake it, or when I will, I can't really say. But I sure do hope it's soon!

Do you ever struggle with fears like this? Or even better, have you ever overcome a fear that is similar to this one in some way? I'd love to hear from you, whether it's about something you've already dealt with or are still dealing with. God tells us to not be afraid - that the only thing worthy of fear is He himself. It makes sense - as He holds us securely in His hands and I know He's given me these gifts to use them, refine them, and to harness them to help out others, including my own family. I hate not being able to let go of my fears, my worries and my anxiety. I haven't been more aware of how much of a worrier I am than at my Doctors appointment this week. No, nothing was wrong - no losing of an organ this time! Instead, I'm actually participating in a Bio-Feedback program at the Chronic Pain Center, and while I was there with my Ty, we worked on breathing exercises. Apparently most people breathe slowly, deeply and with consistent timing. Most people also only take between 8 to 12 breaths a minute. Tyler definitely fits into this category. Me however? Oh no! Not me. I breathe so shallowly, quickly and inconsistently that Ty felt like he was going to hyperventilate during one of the tests where I was working on slowing down my breaths. I can't imagine how quickly he'd pass out if he had to breathe at my speed. After all, I take somewhere around 19 breaths a minute right now, which for a person without chronic pain is rather crazy, and for a person with chronic pain it's actually pretty normal. It's crazy how much stress, chronic pain and anxiety change the way your body actually functions on a regular basis. I can't even get close to breathing as slowly as Tyler right now - it's going to take months before then!

Well, it's in moments of awareness like this that open my eyes to how much I am truly unable to let go of my fears or worries no matter what they're about. Even in my art - my go-to "stress reducer" that helps me unwind and close out the rest of the world. Well, at least knowing all this will help me to come to the place where I can actually produce change in my life, I just wish the change was already here. And I imagine this might sound silly to some of you, but I wonder if it would help me to glaze a large canvas right off the bat just so the stark whiteness of it can no longer stare me so harshly in the face? It's worth a shot. And I imagine that just sitting down and drawing something out - facing my fear head on and attacking it before it permanently cripples me - perhaps that would help. I'll let you know what works if I ever do tackle the really gigantic canvases. They just look so amazing, don't you think?

It's getting late and I should probably let you go. I hope you have a wonderful day and hey, if you can you should try to stay tuned this week - I have a few more finished works that I'll be posting up here shortly and I'd love to be able to share them with you. They're little tiny ones too! In the meantime, take care of yourself, okay? God bless!

"Are You My Mother?" - A Whimsical Painting

"Are You My Mother?"     5" x 7"     Acrylic on Archival Canvas Board

Not For Sale

I'm not sure if you are familiar with marine biology, but this little guy is called a Nudibranch, and he's a form of soft-bodied mollusk. I've always loved these little creatures, and think that they are some of the most amazingly beautiful and uniquely designed creatures God has ever created. They simply blow me away! My niece, who's 9th  birthday was this last weekend (Happy Birthday Iris!!!), has a particular fondness for Nudibranchs as well, and so her momma, my sister, asked if I could make a painting of them for her as a birthday present. Of course I jumped at the idea since I love painting sea creatures, especially when they look as whimsical as these do, and it turned out that this painting was quite the treat for me as well. Plus in the end she seemed to really like it, which made my day! =D

It's been so much fun for me this last week or so to get back into working on paintings in my whimsical style - I didn't realize how much I missed it! Hopefully I'll find some time to get back into painting like this on a more consistent basis, or even just find some time to paint period. Haha, one can dream, right? Well, I hope you're doing well on this rather blustery day - I know I'm enjoying the simple fact that I get to enjoy it from inside my house (I never have been one to like windy days,  though I do so enjoy to hear the rustling of the trees and the soft, sweet notes of my wind chimes). Take care, my friends, and stay safe out there!

"Fresh Catch" - A Miniature Owl Painting

"Fresh Catch"     2" x 2"     Acrylic on Canvas

 SOLD

Here's one of the commissions I've been working on lately and just finished up this last week. It's a sequel to my painting "Flying Through the Snow," and is one of the 3 owl paintings that were commissioned to make up a miniature series. I LOVED painting this! And I'm having a blast on the final one as well. I seriously cannot wait to post a picture of the entire series! =D

Below I've included some images to show you what it looks like in real life. On the right it's featured on a miniature black easel (the easels come in black, white or natural pine), and on the left it rests gently in my hand. Kinda helps to give you a better sense of perspective, huh? =)

If you're ever interested in commissioning an original painting from me, whether you want one on a much larger scale or you want a sweet little miniature like this one, I would love to paint it for you if I can. Original paintings, no matter what size, make wonderful gifts, especially for those "hard to please" people in your life who don't seem to need anything and won't ever tell you what they want. Why not surprise them with an original work of art? These little miniatures make some of the sweetest, most thoughtful gifts ever, and they're quite affordable too! They make the perfect gift for people who you don't actually know that well but you still have to buy gifts for, like a boss, a co-worker, or a cousin. And all you need to know is a few little tidbits about them, such as their favorite food, favorite animal, or favorite vacation spot. For instance, if you know where they spent their honeymoon or of a place where they've always wanted to visit, I could paint a picture of that special place for them. If it's Hawaii, then a gorgeous sunset with palm trees silhouetted against the sky would be a lovely token from you, and if they like camping, a mountain lake or view from Half Dome would be exquisite. What a sweet and thoughtful gift, right?! So if you're interested, why not email me or send me a message via Facebook so I can get started on it right away?!  

Make an impression this year by ordering a commission today!  =D

"Siesta" - An Animal Painting of Mallard Ducks

"Siesta"     2.5" x 3.5"     Acrylic on Paper (ACEO)

 Not For Sale

Today's painting is actually one of the prizes for February's contest, where the winner could pick or commission any ACEO by me. One of my winners, Rene, chose to commission a work, and to make it even more fun, she sent me some ideas along with photos for me to choose from. I had a blast picking! And as you can see, I chose her beautiful picture of mallards resting on a bank to recreate in my own words... Well, brushstrokes really, I suppose. Haha. Anyways, thank you so much, Rene, for supplying the perfect photo for me - it was a delight getting to paint this one! And I sure hope you like how it turned out! =)

I loved painting the water in particular, as well as the feathers and heads of the mallards. It's crazy how different colors look in our mind than they do in reality. I started this piece too blue, and then realized after much studying of the picture, that the water was in fact was more of a soft greyish, pinkish, brownish blue color than it was a baby blue, if that makes any sense. I struggle so much with seeing the true color of things, though I think I might be starting to develop better sight for them as I keep painting more and more, and I'm eager to see this skill develop more and more over the coming years. =)

Oh, before I forget, I wanted to remind you about this month's contest - where the prize is a print of your favorite painting of mine - and where all you have to do is use the Facebook "Share" button to show me you want to play. That's right. =) So, go ahead and "Share" your favorite work if you want to be entered to win a completely free print of it.  There's been 2 or 3 people that my husband has seen on his wall but not on mine, so you might want to comment on my Facebook wall or on here if you've shared something just in case, since I'm still having difficulty seeing some of the shares for some reason, and I don't want to miss putting your name down for a chance to win.

Have a great day out there my friends! =)

"Lavender Fields" - A Whimsical Painting by Melissa Adams

"Lavendar Fields"     4" x 5"     Acrylic on Archival Canvas Board

I started this painting last month, as an abstract, but it never quite sat right with me, even after I signed it. Now I know why. =)  I had always seen the potential for this amidst the brushstrokes and after asking a dear friend, Kaylee, if I should keep it as it is or make it something more, she said more. And boy am I so glad she did!

I painted freely, not quite knowing where this painting was going to take me, other than knowing that it was a night scene with a mountain and a glowing waterfall, with trees acting like curtains opening up the scene to a magical landscape. I really love how it turned out, as I was surprised by what my brush led me too as much as if I were watching someone else paint. I think perhaps what I loved the most was the act of losing myself within my painting. =)

Here's the original abstract version:

"Lavender Fields Abstract"     4" x 5"     Acrylic on Canvas

You know, I still really like this abstract though, so in the future I may decide to sell prints of it as well, for those who like a more abstract approach to their art.

"Flying Through the Snow" - An Animal Painting of an Owl by Melissa Adams

This sweet little owl was made as a commission for a wonderful woman from our church. She asked me to create a teeny-tiny painting of a Snowy Owl flying through the sky during the daytime. Of course, with my love of owls, this was a treat to do, and after having just gone to the snow myself, I was truly inspired!

"Flying Through the Snow"     2" x 2"     Acrylic on Canvas with an Easel

 SOLD

Here it is in my hand, to give you a good sense of scale:

I had a blast working this small, but I'm starting to really want to buy a magnifying glass that has some lighting in it as well, just so I can really get in more and more details as I fall deeper and deeper in love with working so small. In fact, a fellow artist friend of mine named Kyra suggested what looks like the perfect magnifying glass with light for me and I'm super stoked! (Umm... Yes. Sorry Kyra. But uhh, I consider you as a "fellow artist friend" at this point with all our writing back and forth on each other's works. Just thought you might like to know. Lol!) Oh, and by the way Kyra's work is seriously AMAZING!!! You should really check out her work here. My favorite works of hers are from her "Alice in Wonderland" series. They are just stunningly beautiful!

Well, as you can imagine, I had a lot of fun painting this one, but now it's onto my next commissioned work. By the way, if you ever want to order a specific painting you want from me, like a pet portrait, self portrait, a painting for your bathroom, or just about whatever, you can contact me via my email address by clicking here, and we'll work something out. I'm finding myself really loving the chance I've gotten to commissions lately, partly because of the surprise that's in it for me in what they will ask for, and yes, partly because of the paycheck. I'm not gonna lie - it feels fantastic making money from my art! I've always wanted a job that I just completely love, and I've finally found mine!!!  =D

Oh, and if you WANT A FREE PAINTING, guess what? If you didn't already know it, my prize for this month's contest is a 9" x 12" Gallery Wrapped Canvas that's commissioned by YOU (granted that you win, of course!) And all you have to do is Like my Facebook fan page, write a comment on it, and then have your friends like your comment after Liking my page, and then you're all set. The person who get's me the most likes wins, so good luck! Pretty easy, right? Ooh, and you have until April 13th to do this, which means you have a crazy amount of time to get them in.   =)

Well, I hope you're having a good night (or day of course). This little night owl needs to do some Yoga and then go to bed, hopefully sometime soon atleast. I mean, it is 1am over here after all... Talk to you later. =)

"Sea Star" - An Ocean Wildlife Nature Painting of a Starfish

"Sea Star"     2.5" x 3.5"     Acrylic on Acrylic Paper (ACEO)

SOLD

Example of What the Frame Card Looks Like Unframed - Comes with an Envelope as Well =)

It feels like ages since my last real blog post, you know, one complete with a finished painting and all, and I can't tell you enough how much my heart has been aching to paint and write and really just catch up with you all out there. I miss you! And I miss painting and feeling that amazing sense of release at creating something beautiful all the way to completion - there's not many things in the world that feel better than that for an artist.

Now, before I go off into my tangent of where I'm at in my heart right now, I just wanted to remind you out there that February is already just about halfway over, which means that time is ticking away for you all to enter this months contest! And this is an easy one! All you have to do to be entered to win one of my original ACEOs like the one shown above (complete with FREE shipping, a Frame Card and it's own Envelope so that it's ready to frame or give away as a gift if you choose to) is to LIKE MY FACEBOOK FAN PAGE and let me know you want to enter simply by WRITING SO ON MY FAN PAGE WALL. Yup. That's it folks. It's really doesn't get much more simple than that!!!! Sooooo.... Here's the link to my fan page, so that if you are interested in being one of the THREE WINNERS this month, all you have to do is CLICK HERE and you're one third of the way done already! Woo-hoo!!! =D


AND NOW FOR THE PERSONAL STUFF...
I have to admit I'm really disappointed with myself this month so far. My hopes for this year were to create 365 paintings, regardless of how I felt or what was going on, (I mean, to a degree anyways - more than anything my hope was to just catch up when life was bad but to not have to miss too many days in a row so that the task of catching up wouldn't be so daunting), but after having missed as many days as I did this month, I feel so lost and I can't see how I could possibly catch up. I had so much momentum going for me, so much so that even my husband was excited about it, and he's a hard guy to get excited about stuff like that, let me tell ya! Lol!

My heart has been so heavy lately with the pain and setbacks and anger and all the emotions that come along with having come so far and then seeing it all ripped away in an instance because of a few mindless words that caused an intensely painful and debilitating flare. My doctors said I'm literally a textbook example of just how much words truly CAN and DO hurt you, and how much emotions play a role on your physical well-being. I've been an emotional wreck lately, and my poor, darling husband has had his hands full with me and my sense of failure as a person, and as an artist, as a mother, a friend, a daughter, and as a daughter of God. This flare has been so painful, and has given me this immense feeling of loss that's almost indescribable. I feel like I've lost everything, and have struggled with immense feelings of worthlessness in every facet of my life, even towards God.

Tyler caught me off guard today with something he said about this though, and I am really grateful for his wisdom and just straight up patience with me of late. I've been broken so badly lately that like I said I even feel like I have no worth in God's eyes. The reason for this is pretty straight forward - God created me to be a mother of my two boys, a daughter to my sweet mother and in-laws, a wife to my husband, and a friend and servant to all those I know, friends, family, and acquaintances alike. He especially has created me with a heart and a desire to serve Him in every way I can, which I was doing through our middle school ministry for which I have a great passion for the girls who are struggling so much to find themselves as they are just now learning to break from the molds their parents have put them in and find who they truly are as independent beings. God even created me with this unbelievably strong desire and passion to paint, to make a career of it, and to use it as a potential ministry when or if the time for that arises. But I'm failing so miserably at all these things. I'm not a mother. I barely get to play or hang out with my kids, let alone teach them the important things in life, like how to be patient and loving and gentle, as well as the other things like how to count and spell and write their names, or even walk for that matter. I can barely do anything with them. And my role as a wife is wretched at this point. My friends, God bless them abundantly for all they do, are doing a far better job of that for me than I am, by cleaning and cooking and helping out with the boys. I don't know what we would do without them, or without my family who have also taken on that role for me. I am forever indebted to them, and the saddest part for me is that there is no way on earth I will ever be capable of repaying them for what they've all sacrificed for me and my family, and so instead all I do is pray for them. And now even my painting, as little and insignificant as it may seem to some, although it's huge to me, has been impossible for me to do lately. My hope and prayer is to get back to the place where I am able to take over all these roles fully again, and there is hope in me that someday I will, but there is also such a great and overwhelming fear that it's not God's will for me to take on all these things again, EVER.

It's His choice - it's His choice to put me in pain so we can learn to love and serve despite it. Some people like to say Satan is attacking me, and I've been guilty of saying the same - that he's attacking me and our family like crazy, because my hardships are just the tip of the ice-burg of what's been going on in our homes lately. But really, I'm learning it's not Satan. Yes, he may be the one physically doing it, MAYBE. But it's God who allows all things, who when Job was tested ALLOWED Satan to take on that role of testing him in order to prove to Satan himself just how wrong he was to assume that Job only loved God because God had given him a charmed life. But God, in His love and ultimate knowledge is the one who allows these things to happen in order to grow us and change us into the person He wants us to be. So somehow, somehow in the midst of all this ridiculousness and loss on my end, I have to find out how to actually BE a mom, and a wife, and a friend, and a sister and daughter and servant and... Well, the list can just go on forever. But I also have to learn how to stop wallowing in this stupid entangling self-pity and ask God to pick me up off the floor and teach me to become this NEW person He WANTS me to be. This is and has always been His hope for my life. It's always been His plan for me. It's not just some hardship to overcome or some difficulty to endure for a time, it's God's PERFECT PLAN for my life. Oh Lord, help me to accept this, but not only to just accept it, but to grow into a beautifully broken testament of your unfailing love.

May the Potter's hands be with you today as well, molding you into the perfectly flawed creation that He has always desired you to be. Have you ever noticed how sometimes the flawed works of art are the most beautiful? Maybe it's just me, but I have. I love those works that while they are beautiful, they aren't perfect and they're that way because it's how their creator intended them to be. It's not so great when it's unintentional flaws, but when they are there because their creator was pleased with them that way, oh how much more desirable and interesting and beautiful those works become in my eyes. Really, it's quite the sight to behold. And you know, if you didn't know they were there, you would have thought it a beautifully intentional perfection in the work, and not a flaw at all. So my prayer for myself and for you today is this: that you will know that sometimes God wants the flaws, that He desires them in you. But don't get me wrong, He wants you to work on getting them worked out, but in HIS way and with HIS help and in HIS timing. And you know, sometimes He says no. "NO, I want that there, just like that, even though it's not perfect." For some things are put in our lives that are less than savory, and their intentions by Him are to make us more pure and useful and more lovely than ever before.

"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Cor. 12:7-10)

I love you all, and I'm sorry if my painting posts end up being a little patchy at times, and if my pouring out of my heart becomes too real, too raw and too emotional for you. My goals are to truly be a daily painter, to post as often as my body and my heart will allow, and to let you see the real me, the me that God created me to be, right out there with no pretty ties or cover-up to make it look better, but with flaws and all so you can know that you too don't need to try to be some perfect human being, because honestly, it's just not gonna happen. So I ask in return that you please won't give up on me when things go badly for me and a week or so may go by between paintings and posts, or if I say something that offends you. I am just trying to be honest with you, and to use the voice that the good Lord gave me. I will be back Lord willing, as often as I can posting my attempts at daily painting as long and as often as I am able. =)  Today hopefully marks the restart of my daily painting journey once again, and I hope that you are still up for joining me on this rather interesting ride. I also hope you're having a fantastic day and I want to thank you for listening once again to my rather epically long posts - we might as well face the fact that I'm a rambler... Always have been, always will be. =D Lol! Well, have a good one, my friends! I hope to see you all tomorrow. =)

"The Strong Silent Type" - An Ocean Wildlife Painting of a Shark

"The Strong Silent Type"     5" x 7"     Acrylic on Museum Quality Claybord

I am just so in love with painting ocean wildlife right now! I'm not exactly sure why I love it so much, but for some reason if I had to paint only one single subject for the rest of my life it would be ocean wildlife for sure. Perhaps it's all those gorgeous puzzles I used to do as a child - I think I had the whole set of them... You know, the "Seascapes" puzzles which featured Robert Lyn Nelson's art. Man oh man, those are some of the most beautiful images I have EVER seen in my entire life! I still have his puzzles buried away somewhere, waiting until the boys are a little older so we can enjoy doing them together (and honestly, mostly so they don't eat up all the pieces. Silly boys!). Seriously, I can't wait to dig them out and go to town on them together as a family!

Perhaps, however, my love of painting ocean themed work is just my simple love of the ocean. I prefer the "cold water oceans" more than anything else (possibly because I've never seen any other kind out here on the freezing San Francisco Coast, well, other than Seattle's coast, which is even colder!) and I seriously think there is little more beautiful in the world than the waves crashing against the shore and the feeling of soft sand between my toes.

And I know for a fact that all of our visits to the Monterey Bay Aquarium has a huge part in my love of painting these works too, as I've said before many times. But either way, I just love painting sharks and octopuses and all sorts of ocean creatures, like jellies and starfish too, and really had a blast painting this long awaited shark painting (on my part that is!). Then again, it was a little mind wracking too...

I really wanted this to be a more subdued, moody painting, where it looked more like a true glimpse of a shark in the murky waters of the ocean, on his own turf. I was hoping to make him look a bit foreboding, trying not to use any truly vibrant colors. But I'm not exactly sure if I went a little too far with it or not. I mean, I'm quite pleased with how it turned out in the end, but the true test is how others view it. That's an entirely different matter altogether. Then again, I guess that's true with any work of art. You never know what people will really like, and what might be your favorite might make others cringe, while the one work you absolutely abhor gets sold the instant you post it on your blog. Sometimes it can be so mind boggling how these things work...

One thing I do know is that I had a ton of fun with all the glazing of this piece, especially building up all the layers of kelp and water. The shark was a bit rough going there for a while, but in the end he turned into a shark, and I can't ask for much more than that! =) And the final glaze of paynes grey with a little baby blue, cream, and I think pthalo blue and burnt umber as well, was quite the experience, let me tell you! Nothing is quite as nerve wracking as covering your entire painting with a thick glaze, and then sitting back hoping you get the results you were going for because if not, you totally just ruined all your hard work.

Well, to be quite honest though, in times when you're debating whether or not to glaze I say it's good to just go for it, because you never know if that final little touch is going to take a piece from mediocre to something absolutely incredible in an instant. And even if it does the opposite, you can always go back and try to make something beautiful from the ashes, rather than just give up, as with all things in life. I feel like that's where I'm at right now with everything in our lives right now. I have this choice to be overwhelmed with all that's happening to me medically, emotionally and spiritually; with this glaze that's been washed over me making me look and feel like a completely different person than I was two years ago, and I can either learn to embrace it and fall in love with the new "me" that I am, or I can fight it and lose all the potential beauty that God is trying to build up in me through all these trials.

Wow, I'm sorry, I went on WAY longer than I meant to on this post, but I don't know, we're just dealing with so much right now and the only time I seem to get out of the house is for all my millions of doctors appointments and that's about it. Seriously, I just got majorly excited about getting to go grocery shopping yesterday, because it's the first time I've been somewhere "non-Kaiser" in FAR too long. So my outlet is this blog, and you, my friends, are the best listeners ever (that is, granted you made it all the way to the end here... If not, I totally don't blame you, not that you'd know it if I did anyways, because you'd have no idea I even wrote all this in the first place! Lol!)!

Well, thank you all for listening and I hope that if the case is that you are being "glazed over" right now through trials and difficulties galore like we are over here, that you will try to find some peace in knowing that in the end, even if it's scary and you don't know how things may turn out, that there is a chance for there to be so much more beauty and wonder in your life because of it than you ever could have imagined before, you only need to embrace it and not fight the change. Easier said than done, believe you me, but it's well worth the effort if you can get there. With the help of the Lord, my amazing family and friends, and in particular a very wise and Godly woman who has been a great encouragement and witness to me in this time, I sure am trying to do this the right way!!! I  really thank God for her and for everyone God has brought into my life who has helped us through all of our difficult times, for we are so blessed by all of you, and it's my prayer that you all have someone to mentor you and help you be a better person.

I prayed for two years for someone to come into my life to help mentor me because I so desperately needed it and guess what? I got TWO mentors, not just one! I am dying to meet with one of them again - we only got to meet shortly, but I know God has some major plans for the two of us, and I know he will use her greatly in my life (and hopefully use me a little in hers as well) to grow me and help me to become more gentle, calm, loving and Christlike. And my other mentor who I've been trying to meet with somewhat regularly is also exactly who God had planned for me all along - she even has a nerve disease much like my own and is helping me and my family to cope with all these crazy painful changes in our lives. And what's funniest about all of it is that when I asked her, I didn't even know her a tiny bit, but in all the time since that I've grown to know her, even as short as it's been, she has shown me so much about embracing the fact that I am not who I once was, but that it's okay to not be the "me" I used to be, so long as I can find joy in that and show love to others as the new "me" that I am now. I have to find new ways to love and serve and bless those around me, and it's not going to be easy (I've had so many ugly, despairing melt-downs over this it's not even funny), but it's my life and I can and will find joy in it because I know in the end that it's what God has had planned for my life all along, even before I was in my mother's womb. I'm Melissa 2.0 as my mentor endearingly calls me, and I love her for it!

I know I've totally talked your ears clean off by now so I'll leave you be (FINALLY, right?! Lol!), and I'm sorry again for the epically long post! I seriously hope you have a great day my friends, and that you can find the joy and peace in each and every circumstance thrown your way! =)

After all, "We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you." (Psalm 33:20-22)

"Miniature Sea Dragon" - An Animal Painting of a Sea Dragon

For Christmas this year I decided to paint my sister a tiny little painting for her bathroom, which is decorated quite beautifully with an ocean theme, though I may have missed the mark color-wise a little bit, considering her color scheme is much softer and consists of cool tans and blues and whites. Well, even if she can't use it in there, this one's small enough to fit just about anywhere, so she can actually just even put it on her nightstand if she really wants to - problem solved!  =)

 I have been dying to paint her a special painting made specifically for her, and even though this was a little tiny one, there was a lot of love built into it! Here's how it turned out, or atleast here's the front view (I painted the sides as well so that it looks good from every angle):

"Miniature Sea Dragon"     2" x 4"     Acrylic on Canvas

Not For Sale

And here's how it looks on it's tiny black easel - it's just so stinkin' cute this way, dontcha' think?

"Miniature Sea Dragon" on it's Miniature Easel   =D

I've been wanting to paint her a seahorse for years now, as it's one of her favorite animals, and I finally got the chance to do it! Her family and ours just celebrated our Christmas yesterday, (a little late -cough, cough - but still) we had a total blast!!! We got pizza, watched those little Hulu special movies of the Yule log and snow and Christmas lights, and had chocolate chip cookie brownies with hot cocoa while we opened presents. What more could a person ask for!?!

As for this painting, I really like how this one turned out, and will definitely be returning to this subject to create a larger one in the future. In fact, I'm so excited about it that I already have the name picked out! And like so many of the seascape and ocean animal images before this one, the image was garnered from my over-abundant album of (unprinted) photos from last year's anniversary trip with baby Owen down to Monterey, California, where like always we just had to visit the Aquarium. Seriously, it just doesn't feel like a trip to Monterey without a stroll around those hugely gorgeous tanks of water filled with the ocean's wild abundance. Boy oh boy, I just love it there! We try and go there every year, and I'm not kidding, every time we go it's still as new and as exciting as the first time, plus with the added nostalgia of special memories from each year we've visited there in the past! I really hope we get the chance to go there again this year, but even if we don't, I'm sure we have enough video footage and photography from it to make up a pretend vacation for ourselves, that is, if we get really desperate... Lol!

Well, it's off to bed for me now. I'm hoping today to maybe be able to get ahead for the week and try to knock out two paintings later today, though I highly doubt that's actually going to happen. I know I sorely overdid it this weekend, though it was definitely worth it, but I may be paying for it more tomorrow than I really am counting on. Oh well, I'm glad we got to have fun, even if it does cause a heap of pain later!

I hope you all have a fantastic night and I hope to be seeing you all tomorrow! =)

How to Sign Up to Follow My Blog so You Can Enter to Win a Free Framed Painting. Plus, "Monsieur Squirrel" - An Animal Painting

"Monsieur Squirrel"     5" x 7"     Acrylic on Canvas Board

So today marks the end of the first week of the 30 in 30 challenge! YAY! I'm a quarter of the way done already! Woot-woot!!! =0)

Gee, can ya tell I'm a little excited over here? It just feels so good getting something accomplished right now, when my days consist of getting so little done due to pain. So, I had my acupuncture appointment today, and boy, was it ever relaxing! The acupuncturist was awesome, and had one of the most beautiful, unique faces I have ever seen. He was a sweet man too, and had that look of having aged gracefully because he's just always so kind about him. You know the type. I actually asked him if maybe next time I could bring my camera and paint a portrait of him, he captivated me so. Surprisingly, he said yes! Hooray! I'm so excited to be able to do this, you have no idea.

So like I said earlier, the appointment went great and was super relaxing, but we've been extra stressed around here as our horrible little "vacation" complete with crippling pain, awful colds passed from one of us to the next and then back again, a death in the family, and not nearly enough improvement on my end with my pain came to an end and we realized this just isn't working. We have to figure something out NOW before Tyler loses his job over this because of how much he has to take care of me and the kids. It's a bit depressing over here.

So, given that, I really didn't get the time to paint today, nor am I really in the mood to, but a commitment is a commitment and so instead of doing a complete painting, I finished up the last little details of the painting I painted a long while back, and then refurbished recently to give to Kelsey as a gift for Christmas. She always loved this painting from the start, even when it wasn't very good, and a part of me always wanted to make it better and give it to her. I'm so glad I did! She was so happy it was awesome! And boy does it look so much better than it did before! We're just gonna say this counts, right? After all, I did technically "complete" this painting today, so huzzah! Okay, okay, I'll stop. Anyways, it's well past my bedtime and my body is aching like crazy so I really must go and pretend to fall asleep, and I'll just have to see you all tomorrow. =)

HOW TO SIGN UP TO FOLLOW MY BLOG   =0)
Oh, and just a note before I go, I noticed some of my friends were having a hard time following my blog and I wanted to give a better explanation of how to do so here. I may have to come back to this again in a week or so if it doesn't work, but here's how you do it. On the right sidebar of my blog (which I believe you can only see from a computer, and not from a phone, though I may be wrong), anyways on the right side as you scroll down you will see in all caps "MY FOLLOWERS - YOU CAN BE ONE TOO!" And under that there is a blue button that says "Join this Site." CLICK on that and follow the instructions. It should be pretty easy, though you may have to sign up for a google account, but I love mine and it's how I follow all my favorite blogs, so in my opinion it's totally worth it! Plus it's free and it's no different than yahoo or any of those other ones out there. And once you've signed up your name (and possibly your picture) will show up in a little square box under the words "Members," and this is how you will know you've done it right. If you don't see your name or picture under the "Members" Title, then you'll need to try again or let me know. I really hope I explained that well, but if not, just comment on my post and I try to work with you from there. Hope you're having a great day! =)

"Doe Eyes" - Painting of a Deer by Melissa Adams

"Doe Eyes"     16 x 20     Acrylic on Canvas

Detail from "Doe Eyes"

I've been wanting to post this painting for over a week now, but life just seemed to get in the way (which is to say, it's been nearly unbearable over here), and in the midst of it all, we lost Tyler's grandpa too. He was such a great man; a man who was deeply loved by oh so many and who loved the Lord with all his heart. He was a faithful servant to the end.

So even though things have been going almost comically, tragically bad in our house of late, at least I can take some joy in the fact that through it all God has provided me with some amazing family and friends who are "being" Jesus to me - who are sacrificing their own precious time and energy to help us get through this miserableness we call life right now, and who are just straight up loving on us more than we even deserve. I hope you know who you are, because I thank God for all of you every day, and without you I'm not sure we'd make it much longer - or that I'd even be here today if not for you. God has blessed us abundantly with His love through you, and it's pulling us through, even if only by a thread.

Anyways, today I am just glad to see "her" here up on my blog, even if I'm not quite sure why this painting is a she to me in the first place. Whatever. Don't judge. You know you name your cars that way too, so I'm not THAT weird... Right? Ooh, I hope not! Lol. Okay, ANYWAYS, I love the fact that I can actually feel her tender eyes staring gently back at me whenever I walk through our playroom where it's displayed, for it's bringing some sense of comfort in this time of hectic need for us. Her eyes are so soft and comforting, and it's nice having her hanging out around our home. I've always wanted to make art that comforted others, and it brings me joy that at least I've made some art that comforts me and brings joy and light into my own home.

You may remember this painting back when it was a work in progress, (Part 1 & Part 2) when it was called "Caught Like A Deer" but that name was just not befitting the personality of this work, and so it was renamed after I painted in her eyes. They just were so gentle that I felt the name no longer worked for her. It's funny how paintings can actually have a personality in and of themselves. I guess it's really just because they capture the essence of the artist and their emotions and feelings at the time they were created, but it still astounds me just how much you can see how an artist feels through their work. It's almost a wonder to me that this painting is so calm after all considering all the storms we've had to face in the last few months. But hey, by the grace of God and with the help of some very extraordinary people, we're still hanging in here and haven't lost ALL hope, though I must admit it's waning of late. It actually makes me wonder if perhaps the reason for the calm I feel woven into this work is that our hope comes not from the things on earth, but from Our God above. For when I paint I find refuge in my God, and there is no greater place for me to be than in His everlasting arms. I love to create with Him, for in so doing I'm spending precious time with my Creator, whose art is far greater than anything I could ever dream or imagine here on this earth.

Well, without further ado (or should I say without further complaining?), I present to you "Doe Eyes," perhaps my new favorite painting up to date. She was a deer we met in Yosemite, so timid and afraid, yet gentle and pure. Nature at it's best. I hope she brings a smile and a light into your home today, as God has allowed her to do in ours.

"Pair of Jellies" - An Animal Painting

"Pair of Jellies"     5" x 7"     Acrylic on Archival Canvas Panel

I've always loved jellyfish and sea-life, as you all can tell by now I'm sure! I painted this for our powder room, and I love how it turned out so much that I am planning some day to make a MUCH much larger painting for our wall (or eventually if I can part with it, for someone else's) filled with a great amount of these beautiful creatures, all tangled up alongside each another. But for now, this little painting will have to do, and since it makes me smile every time I see it, I'd say it's doing it's job quite well. After all, the vibrant colors used within it really liven up our space, giving it a bright and cheery feel!

"The Meeting Place"

Yay! I just finished my sweet baby Owen's little froggy painting, and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out! It's so exciting to be working in series and I seriously can't wait to see where it takes me next!

For this painting in particular I went along with the theme that I started when I made the painting for Levi titled "Do I Dare...?" which was made specially for him to put in his room/nursery (or rather now, their room/nursery), which is themed with something along the lines of woodland creatures. Okay, okay, so it's very much ALL about woodland creatures. Haha, why try to deny it? Silly me. Anyways, I still have one or two (or three) more paintings up my sleeve for this series, but I'm not exactly sure when I'll be able to start on them and I can hardly bear the wait.

I sure hope you like how this turned out little Owie! Mommy loves you, okay?! Someday I hope you'll appreciate this for what it is, a simple expression of love from me to you. But as for now, I just have to figure out some place to hang it where it's not going to get destroyed by you, kiddo! Lol! I love you my son! =)

"The Meeting Place"     16 x 20     Acrylic on Canvas

Detail from "The Meeting Place"

Detail from "The Meeting Place"

"Purple Starfish"

"Purple Starfish"    8" x 10"    Acrylic on Canvas

$400

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I also painted this one a long time ago, back in 2009, and wanted to include it here. We found this little guy in Monterey during our anniversay, and I just had to paint him. For some reason, even though this little guy was found on a totally different trip, it reminds me of the time that we went to Monterey after Levi got out of the NICU. When we were sitting down taking a break from all the walking at the Aquarium, two little old ladies came up to us and asked us how many days old Levi was. I told them over 2 months, and they insisted I was wrong, that he was brand new. It was pretty funny, albeit a little annoying that they seriously would not believe that he was that old. We tried explaining he was born early so it was like he was only a week or so old, but they just kept insisting that he was only a few days old. People can be so odd at times...

Ha, that was a little off subject, but I thought it was funny and wanted to share. So, anyways, this one's not a new painting by any means, but it's new to the blog, so I'm happy. =)

"Do I Dare...?" - Levi's Owl Painting

I finished this painting over a year and a half ago, and I don't know why I haven't posted it yet, but here it is. It was for my son, Levi, and now that I'm working on another one for his baby brother who's on his way, I thought it was past time to get it up here. I'm hoping to finish his brother's painting before he's born, but with how crummy I've been feeling this pregnancy, and the fact that I have way too many pictures to edit right now, we'll see how that works. =P

I'm thinking this is going to be the first in my new series called "The Secret Lives of Animals." Little squirrel is feeling rather daring today... He's got his eye on that tasty acorn, and not even a huge, menacing owl will stand in his way. Let's hope he makes it through this alive! =)

"Do I Dare...?"    16 x 20    Acrylic on Canvas

Blue Jellies

I've been wanting to get to this painting for some time now, ever since drawing it up in one of my sketch books when I was back at LMC, and I finally just got the chance to do it last weekend so I'm super stoked! We went and saw these amazing creatures at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and for the life of me I can't remember what they're called. What I do remember is hanging out with Tyler on our honeymoon in the jellyfish section for over an hour, taking photo after photo of them and trying to stay out of the way of other guests. Now we have way, way too many jellyfish photos to wade through some day and delete, a task which I am not looking forward to. But in the meantime, I will be content with knowing that at least one of my pictures finally got some use! =)

"Blue Jellies"     11 x 14     Acrylic on Canvas