"The Pear-fect Pair" - A Still Life Painting of Pears

"The Pear-fect Pair"     4" x 5"     Acrylic on Canvas with Paint Wrapped Edges

 $50 - Email Me To Purchase This "Pear-fect" Painting! =0)

I'm sooo energized this week by the upcoming show on Saturday!!! I wish I had been feeling better for weeks beforehand - oh how I could have had an awesome amount of stock to sell! But it is what it is and I'm trying to do the best I can with what I got - and so here is one more painting that I did just this week in hopes of selling it at the show. =0) I hope you like it - I'm really diggin' painting pears - they're quite a fun subject to paint! I hope you're having a great day and if you end up wanting to buy this pretty little painting today and snatching it up before the show, that's fine by me - just email me and let me know! =D Have a great day my friends and God bless!

"Where the Red Ferns Grow" - A Landscape Painting of Fall in Detroit

Finally, I'm getting back into my groove with these Virtual Paintouts! I've missed doing them so very much, and so this month I made sure to do something for it, even if I couldn't post it til the end of the challenge. Here's what I found on my trip to Detroit, which as usual for these challenges, was surprisingly gorgeous! I came upon this pristine meadow of red ferns with the most stunningly red tree I've ever ventured upon and I was just stopped speechless in my tracks. It was a no-brainer for me - this shot was screaming to be painted, don't you agree?

"Where the Red Ferns Grow"     5" x 7"     Acrylic on Archival Canvas Board 

This was one of those rare jewels to work on, where each stroke made me more and more excited to see it as a finished work. It's always such a treat when you stumble upon scenes like this. Definitely makes me feel all the more ready for the beauty of fall! I hope your weekend has been a good one - mine's been rather... Interesting, I suppose. Haha, oh man, does interesting ever mean good anymore? Oh well. Such is the life of a fibromyalgic.  =/ We could use prayer - we could ALWAYS use prayer, because the pain is mounting along with my fear of another horrible winter ahead of us. I don't mean to sound melodramatic, but trying to stay positive is so much easier said than done... At least I know that with the grace of God we can get through whatever is sent our way, even if that means He has to carry us all the way through. Quite literally in my case, too! Hahaha! Oh, it feels good to laugh when you're scared, doesn't it? Makes things feel a bit less serious and puts you a bit more at ease. Laughing is really quite good for the soul. Plus, it helps you burn calories too, so that's an added plus!  =0)

"Straight Up Falling" - An Expressionist Painting of the Falls in Yosemite

"Straight Up Falling"     2.5" x 3.5"     Acrylic on Canvas Paper (ACEO)

Here's another one of my expressionistic paintings of the falls in Yosemite. I think I could paint hundreds upon thousands of works based on that amazing place, that is if I ever had that much time... And if there were any way at all that our family could swing living there and that I could land a job being their Artist in Residence, oh man, would I ever be all over that!!! Man, how amazing would that be?! To live in that gorgeous park, or almost ANY State Park for that matter, and to get paid to paint on location, do demos, and sit in the lobby and paint in front of visitors - WOW! What a dream come true that would be! Shoot, I would love even just living CLOSE to a place like that! There's something just so special and inspiring about the fresh alpine air, full of pine and dew and wildflowers, that makes an artist's blood boil with excitement. I'm getting excited just thinking about it! =0)

"Purple Falls" - An Expressionistic Painting of the Falls in Yosemite

"Purple Falls"     2.5" x 3.5"     Acrylic on Canvas Paper (ACEO)

SOLD

Well hello there! Today's painting has an interesting little story to it. It is the second attempt at an expressionistic painting that was commissioned by my winner of one of my contests, Sea. I don't know if you remember it, but the first one ended up rather pink, and it wasn't until it had sat on my shelf for awhile that I realized what I created, while lovely in my own opinion, wasn't exactly what she had asked for. The color pallette ended up more along the green and pink scale rather than purple, blue and green.

Luckily I realized all that before sending it out, and even though it was a bit embarrassing, I had to make sure she truly liked it first before I sent it overseas. I was right - the painting wasn't quite what she was hoping for, so I gladly offered to try my hand at it again, wanting to make sure that what she ended up with would be something she would truly treasure. So here it is, my second and very joyous attempt to get things right.  =0)

And you know, even though it was humbling to admit my own error, I'm glad I brought it up to her and not the other way around. It's never fun finding out you didn't please your clients, so if you have the opportunity to make sure they like it beforehand, I strongly recommend it. And now because of all this I  have an extra little painting to sell. If you're interested, here it is:

"Path to Power"     2.5" x 3.5"     Acrylic on Canvas Paper (ACEO)

As for the pretty little purple one at the top of this post, well it will shortly make it's way across the ocean and to her door. How cool is that?! I'm super excited, more than you can imagine, at knowing that my work will be owned internationally. That's AMAZING!!! It's just about one of the coolest things you can hope for with your art, or at least that's how I feel about it. =D

And as for the process behind this work, well, I challenged myself to be more free and loose with both my strokes and my use of color than I was in the first one, and honestly I was really surprised at how difficult that was. I guess working small does come with some restraints after all! No using big brushes here... Hahaha! No, no, no... And the teeny-tiny ones didn't work either, which was even more shocking. What ended up working best was a size 3 round. It allowed me to make small yet overstated brushstrokes and to create a feeling that was more expressionistic in nature than my first attempt.

And now I'm off to work on one of my other commissioned pieces by one of my first winners. Thank God she's a good friend of mine and is being rather patient, because I would be in a mess of trouble if not. It's just taking a bit longer than normal. But luckily I found my sweet spot with it and am on a roll. I can't wait to post it when it's done - her idea was awesome and while it's a difficult painting for me, it's turning out beautifully. Well, I suppose I should let you be the judge of that, but hey, a girl can like her own work, right? Oh I sure hope so...! =0)  Well, take care my friends. As for me, I'm off to paint! =D

"Calla Lily" - A Floral Painting of a Calla Lily

"Calla Lily"     4" x 5"     Acrylic on Archival Canvas Board

I realized the other day that I never did repost this painting after fixing my signature so that it wasn't so glaringly obvious. Here's how it looked before:

Big improvement, right?! I can thank my Ty for that - he's always so honest and straightforward about my work, and I love him for it, even if it hurts at times. But he was totally right on this one, the signature was too bold and took away from the overall look of the painting by creating a fight over the spotlight. The Lily won in the end, and I think you'll agree it looks a ton better for it. And I think I'm getting better with my editing too - the top one is a more real to life version of the painting than the first one, so I'm happy as a clam over here! =D

"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

"Sweet Sunday Morning" - A Landscape Painting

"Sweet Sunday Morning"     5" x 7"     Acrylic on Museum Quality Gessoboard

Oh man, I'm not kidding, this is like the third time this year I've missed the deadline for posting on the Virtual Paintout by only a few hours. Not a big deal - as I'm only doing this for myself, otherwise it would have been done earlier - but still frustrating none-the-less. So I guess I'm an unofficial wanderer for last month, where we traveled to The Azores. It seems that last months location was quite popular, for this is the first time I've ever seen so many paintings before for one location. But I'm still pretty new to this, so perhaps that's why. I imagine it can't hurt that summer is officially in full bloom. If you want to see some of the other works for this month, visit The Virtual Paintout - there are many beautiful submissions that will just blow you away. And even though mines not up there, I sure hope you like it too!  =)

ALSO, before I forget, do you remember this little guy?

"Henry and His Nectarine"    4" x 4"    Acrylic on Museum Quality Claybord

Well, he now belongs to our new winner, BEKAH, from Bekah's Photography!!! Congratulations Bekah, on your new painting! Go ahead and contact me to let me know what your address is so I can work on shipping this sweet little piece out to you. And thank you for answering all my questions and doing my contests - I truly do appreciate it. =)

CONTEST INFORMATION for JULY 2013
And now on to this months CONTEST! All you have to do is simply comment on my Facebook Fan Page on any of my paintings or posts that I will be posting from today up to the very last day of the July. You can write whatever you want, give gentle critique or just say hello, but to enter to win you HAVE TO WRITE A COMMENT on any of my FACEBOOK FAN PAGE Posts or Paintings from the month of JULY ONLY! The more paintings or posts that you comment on for the month of July, the more chances you have to win. And just so you know, you can only get credit ONCE for each of my posts or paintings, so there's no need to blow up my wall with multiple comments on the same one. So head on over and start commenting away! Oh, and as always, you get extra credit for "Liking" my Facebook Page, so if you haven't done so already, go ahead and do so now. The winner for this month will get to choose ONE painting from a marvelous selection of my works that I will be putting together at the end of this month. So get to it and write away, my friends!  Click here to visit my Facebook Fan Page and get started on earning your entries RIGHT NOW!!!    =D

"Henry and His Nectarine" and the Instructions for the New Contest for JUNE 2013

Hi there my friends! I'm sorry it's been so long since I've posted a brand new painting, I just knew this would happen when my new flare hit. But I'm hanging in here, trying to build up my strength every day, and trying to finish up some of the incredible projects and commissions I have going on right now. I have some wonderful new things in the works that I'd love to share with you, but I want to wait until they are a bit more seasoned until I unveil them. So many new paintings are on the way, so many commissions close to completion, and I can't wait to show each and every one of them to you!

But until then, here is one sweet little painting I finished about a week ago. This painting actually has a rather funny story to it. It started out as a humble little nectarine on a plain greyish white background and somehow, I seriously don't quite know how, it morphed into this. Large buildings all aglow with lights (which seem to truly glow in person thanks to Golden's Interference Gold) popped up in the background, and a book-reading little caterpillar seems to have set up shop against a plump, fresh nectarine. I love how playful this turned out - it reminds me of "James and the Giant Peach" which has always been one of my favorite books.

"Henry and His Nectarine"    4" x 4"    Acrylic on Museum Quality Claybord

Oops, I almost forgot to put up this month's contest news!

CONTEST INFORMATION FOR JUNE 2013
So this month's contest is a simple one. I would like to hear from you what types of work you like to see from me the most or that you would like to see more of. Do you like a certain style in particular, or a certain subject for that matter, or do you want to see something made into a series? You could even let me know if you have a painting or a series in mind that you'd like to see from me. Anyone who comments on my blog from today through the 30th of June with an answer to any of these questions will be entered to win this sweet little painting above. So let me know what you think, okay? I hope to be hearing from you soon. Thanks!

And the 3 Winners Are....

"Entangled"     4" x 5"    Acrylic on Archival Canvas Board

Congratulations Jeanette Combs! You've won 1st place for May's Contest! How exciting! And Congratulations to our 2nd and 3rd Place winners, Rachelle Gosling and Sea Dean, as well! Why don't you all go ahead and look through the options below, according to what place you've won, and let me know what you would like for your prize.

My appologies for not getting this out sooner - I honestly didn't realize just how much info needed to be tabulated in order for me to give out the correct amount of tickets to each contestant. But now that it's done I just want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who signed up for my newsletters - I'm so excited to get started on those soon! Thank you for your steady support both now and in the future!

Here are the options for our prize winners:

Jeanette, you may choose any one of these "1st Place Prize Options:"

1. Any available original painting that is 5" x 7" or smaller, unframed
2. A print of any of my original paintings or fine art photographs, in any of these sizes: 5" x 7",  8" x 10" or 11" x 14", unframed
3. A miniature painting, 2" x 2", complete with easel. You may choose from any of these subjects: natural landscape (no buildings), animal (fictional or not, as long as it's not copyrighted), abstract or still life. All the details, including color choices and lighting, will be up to you as well.
4.  An ACEO complete with frame card and frame. You may choose from any of these subjects: natural landscape (no buildings), animal (fictional or not, as long as it's not copyrighted), abstract or still life. All the details, including color choices and lighting, will be up to you as well. 
5. Two sets of 5 notecards, with the phrase (ie. Thank you!, I Miss You, In Deepest Sympathy, On Your Birthday..., Happy Birthday!) on the front as well as any image of my paintings (you can pick two different images or keep them all the same) chosen by you. The insides are blank.
6. A calendar for either 2013 or 2014 with all of your favorite paintings in it.
7. A mug with your favorite painting printed upon it. 
8. A hand painted round ornament with an optional phrase written upon it and either a natural landscape (no buildings) or an animal (fictional or not, as long as it's not copyrighted) for the subject. The ornament itself will be plastic, so that if you have pets or little ones, you won't have to worry about it breaking, though if you really prefer glass I can see what I can do. =)

Rachel and Sea, each of you may choose any one of these "2nd and 3rd Place Prize Options:"

1. A 5" x 7" print of any of my original paintings or fine art photographs, unframed.
2. Two notecards with any of the phrases above of any one or two paintings. The insides are blank
3. An ACEO with frame card, unframed. You may choose from any of these subjects: natural landscape (no buildings), animal, abstract or still life. All the details, including color choices and lighting, will be up to you as well.

"This Little Piggy" - A Figurative Painting by Melissa Adams

"This Little Piggy"     5" x 7"     Acrylic on Museum Quality Claybord

I just love little baby toes, don't you? I couldn't resist painting Owen's sweet little feet when I stumbled across this shot I took of him as a newborn the other day. Have a great one, my friends!  =)

"The Marshlands of Italy" - A Landscape Painting In Oils for the Virtual Paintout

"The Marshlands of Italy"     4" x 5"     Oils and Acrylic on Archival Canvas Board

Important info regarding this work:

My signature on this piece will soon be glazed over with a darker

 green once the paint dries a bit so that it doesn't stand out quite so 

much. Also, the original underpainting of this piece was done in 

acrylics, though it is completely covered over now with oil paints.

With so little going on in my life that I can control in the last few years, I've been searching and searching for anything, no matter how small, that I CAN control. Things have been harder than I want to admit lately. My pain and ability to move and function improved so dramatically at first that I felt like everything should be clear and normal by May, but it's not. I'm still in shock a little, thinking that I still have yet to watch the boys two weeks in a row, and by that I really only mean 2-3 days a week, as I still can't handle a full week yet. I can only really handle one single full day and a half day on my own with the boys without causing a massive flare, and even with that ridiculously light schedule, I'm still not able to do it two weeks in a row, which is beyond frustrating! I honestly thought I'd be almost weaned down completely from the Morphine to Norco, but my pain is still far too intense to make the adjustments in the way I wanted to. It's taking way too long in my book, and I am left feeling hopeless and helpless, not to mention weak and disheartened as well. All of this is one of the major reason's I haven't been able to paint very much lately, why it's so hard for me to get up the energy to pick up a paintbrush, let alone publish a post. It's extremely difficult to set your mind to a matter only to have your hopes and expectations dashed to the wind, and to be stuck in a sort of limbo in regards to healing, where you plateau and no matter how hard you try you just can't seem to get any better past that certain point.

Please don't get me wrong - I praise God for how far He's gotten me and taken me in regards to this all. I praise Him for what He has and is teaching me, and I am trying my hardest to realize that this is all still a matter of grace and trust and patience. After all, this may be as healed as God ever wants me to be. I can only do so much - it is by God's grace that I am as capable as I am in the first place, and I thank Him mightily for every little moment where I can play with my boys, and love on them and cuddle them pain free. I treasure every single moment! But my desire is and has always been to be like the Proverbs 31 woman - a goal far too lofty for me to ever attain now, which causes such deep pain and loss for me as I am unable to be the wife and mother and friend and well, anything, that I know God would want me to be. Trying to find joy and focus on what I do have has been rough for me, and I won't deny that at times it's been all but impossible, but still I will journey on in this new adventure God has set for me, trying to make the most of it and be Holy and Blameless and Beautiful in all I say and do.

And so it is with great joy that I bring you this painting today, a completed work for the Virtual Paintout this month (which was hosted in Lido di Jesolo) created by me in OILS for the first time in so many years that I am actually embarrassed to say how long, though no matter how long it took, it's an enormous obstacle overcome by me none-the-less! I am soooo beyond thrilled to be working in oils again!!! I've been aching to try them out again and to overcome this fear deep within me that I feel whenever I think about using them. I get so upset about it that when I first decided to actually try them out for real yesterday, I had to overcome my own fear and trembling just to get the paints out of their tubes and onto the palette. For the last few years I have been so afraid that if I tried to use my oils that I would mess everything up, so afraid of doing things wrong for so many years that I was almost positive that my paints were all dried up and spoiled by now. But they weren't, which was a huge relief, that was not only amazing but thrilling as well as I started to loosen up and realize that the worst thing that really CAN happen is that my painting doesn't turn out, which of course IS what happened. But you know what - it was NO BIG DEAL! Seriously! No big deal what so ever!!! What on earth was I afraid of?! I can't believe I waited so long to get up the courage to play with these again, though at least I finally did it. Why are we as artists so afraid to try something new or different when the only thing that really can happen is a lost canvas and some wasted paint, while we have so much more to gain from it like freedom and wisdom and both knowledge of our own capabilities and of our craft.

As for my painting, I realized far too late that you really don't need to add so much Linseed Oil (or whatever Oil you may choose to paint with - I've heard Walnut Oil is fantastic as well) to the paints, unless you want it to be a very slick and oily mess that takes forever to dry. So, a few Kleenex's full of paint later, and I was ready to paint on the same board as before, only with not so much oil this time around. Oh man, it was like riding on a bicycle after years and years of it being in the shed. At first, things were very rough, painful even, and extraordinarily uncomfortable, but it didn't take too long before I started remembering some of the old tricks, like using thick, less oily paints for the bottom layers, so that I can use lighter and more liquidy paints on top, as you need contrasting thicknesses for your paints in order for them to stick to one another.

I am so glad I tried to conquer this silly little demon yesterday, so glad that I was able to find joy and peace in something I had been afraid of for far too long. This lie had been telling me for years that I wasn't capable of creating beauty with this medium - it tore me down and said I wasn't good enough, not good enough to paint this way, not good enough to be successful with it. That anything I tried to make would be a hideous flop. BUT IT'S JUST NOT TRUE!!! Like I said before, it was simply a lie, and a silly one at that! After all, I was actually taught how to paint using oils in the first place, so why did I believe the lie that said I couldn't use them?

I think that part of the reason why it's so easy for us artists to listen to the lies about ourselves and our work and give in to our fears is because of the fact that when we do listen to them we aren't required to try, since we think we "know" what will happen. We seem to find solace in knowing that at least if I don't try I won't have the risk of failing, which means I really might be able to do it after all. But if I DO try, I'll know for certain that I can't do it, or at least that's how the logic goes. Well, it's just NOT TRUE! We need to be done with these lies, these stupid, silly little lies that hold us back and keep us from becoming all that we can truly can be! They are wrong! You can do this, and even if the first time you don't succeed, you at least have gained some knowledge as to how to do whatever you were struggling with before. After all, practice truly does make perfect.

It's not like the Great Masters of painting actually got where they were by chance - they had to work for their skills, and work HARD. Success doesn't just fall in your lap - you have to take risks, to recognize the lies and fight back against them so that you can conquer them. Do you have any lies that you are dealing with right now? Perhaps one that you've been battling with for some time now, that you know in your heart of hearts that it just isn't true? If you do, please feel free to open up and let me know what lies you struggle with, and if you've conquered any of them before, let us know what they were and how you did it. For me, yesterday was all about giving up my worries to the Lord and ask Him for His help. I also had to ask Him for HIS confidence, since I was so lacking in mine and always have been. He helped me. Immensely. And He can help you too. All you need to do is ask.

"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:11)

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." (1 John 5:14)

Now this is not meant to be a name it and claim it type of thing. I don't believe that it is God's plan for us to do that, and I don't believe we should treat God like a genie in a bottle. But for those things that God wants us to have, the things that He wants to use in you to bring Him praise and Glory, and that help us to draw closer to Him and bring others closer to Him as well, well it's those things that I believe He will give us if we simply look up to Him and ask. Right now, my greatest prayer for myself is for wisdom. Wisdom affects every single area of your life: your relationships, your money, how you handle your time and resources, how you speak to others and how you respond to every singe situation, no matter how big or how small, that happens in your life.

But I digress. If there are any lies you know you have bought "hook, line and sinker" about yourself or your art, or really about any other aspect of your life, please feel free to let me know in the comment section below. You'd be surprised how easy it is to accept as truth lies about yourself that if you had ever thought of towards another person you'd be repulsed, and yet they are okay to believe in regards to you. It's quite sad, honestly. And it's unnecessary! You can throw off the chains today, my friends, and enter into the truth about who you truly are. Like I've said before and I will say over and over again until I die, all you need to do is ASK!

 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:7-12)

I am learning just how important in my own life my own personal "self-talk" is. I would never even dream of saying half of the awful things I say to myself to others, or of calling others half the things I call myself. They are awful! And this lie was just one more brick on the pile, which made my conquering of it rather exhilarating, leaving me with the feeling of empowerment to tackle more and more of the lies and issues that lay deep within my soul. How I hope and pray that you, too, will take this journey with me by telling me in the comments below what lies you suffer from, and which one's you want to work your hardest on to overcome! Perhaps we can do it together, my friends! =) God bless!

"Cream or Sugar?" - A Still Life from the Paint and Draw Together Challenge for April 2013

"Cream or Sugar?"     8" x 10"     Acrylic on Archival Canvas Board

Here's my first finished painting for the site called "Paint And Draw Together" where artists of all degrees of talent get together and paint, giving each other critiques on their work and ideas for improvement. The theory of the site is that by gathering up like-minded souls one can enrich their own lives as well as others through helpful criticism and compliments for a job well done. Up til now, I've been afraid to play my hand at this, worried about what others would say about my work and also worried that it would be a waste of time, as I have tried so hard to work only from my own photographs and my own references. But the truth is, the greatest artists we have ever seen applied themselves to learning from the masters before them. So I want to be timid no more. I don't want to bite into that lie that it would be a waste of my time to spend some careful hours recreating others' photos or paintings, because the honest truth of it is, so long as I'm painting, any and all practice is a step in the right direction, and I have so, so much to learn!

This month's challenge particularly stood out to me, for I have never deemed myself very good at still life's nor at dramatic lighting, and this held both. So I dove in and am thrilled with the results. Tyler was so sweet too - while I was painting, he stood back and exclaimed, "Wow, Missy. I didn't realize you could paint like that!" That's just about the best compliment a girl could ever get from her man! I was brimming from ear to ear, and I still am at the thought of those sweet words. =)   So my hope for the future is this:  to take this world by storm, that some day, people would know my name and my art and that it would bring warmth into their homes! And so until then, I shall practice, practice, practice until I am blue in the face, with paint smudges of course! =D

Work In Progress - Paint and Draw Together's "Coffee Time"

Work in Progress:  "Coffee Time"

This painting is nowhere near finished, but I just wanted to post my progress anyways. It's based off of a photograph by Lela Stankovic, who host's an amazing site for aspiring artists called "Paint and Draw Together." On the site you get together with other artists and all create off of the same photograph and then critique each other's work with positive feedback and ideas for areas of growth. I have been following this site for a long time and always secretly dying to join along, but I never quite got up the courage to do so, and at the time I so rarely found time to paint that I didn't want to spend my precious minutes on copying someone else's photos. But now as I'm finding more and more time to paint, I finally feel motivated enough to give this a shot, and I especially loved this months picture as it has such dramatic lighting and looks like it's a classical baroque piece. It's stunning. I hope in the end I give her photo some justice, and am already having a blast working on it.

"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! =)

"Adabelle's Caricature for 2013" - A Portrait Painting

"Adabelle's Caricature for 2013"     8" x 10"     Mixed media on Paper

Not For Sale

Okay, so there's a little story behind this one. It is a portrait of an absolutely gorgeous woman, both inside and out, who at one very long time was the nurse of little Levi, who's not so little anymore. This piece was initially supposed to go as a complimentary piece to my "Stylized Self Portrait," but when I had finished it I realized that while it was a pretty caricature, it just wasn't the same style as the other, and therefore needed to be redone. But nothing ventured, nothing gained, so at the very least I got practice and she got a free colored caricature! =)

I'm hoping to post the remake soon, so long as I don't have to try over again. Haha, at least I have the drawing set in stone, it's just a matter of the colors working together now. I hope you're all having a good week and that you have an even better weekend!

"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.

"In the Presence of Greatness" - A Landscape Painting by Melissa Adams

"In the Presence of Greatness"     18" x 24"     Acrylic on Canvas

 SOLD

So here's the piece that's had me in hiding the last few days. It was created in order to be sold at auction for the Royal Family Kids Camps, which is a program that helps foster children to understand how incredibly wonderful and special they truly are. If you've been following my blog for awhile now, you might remember last years piece as well, called "Hope on the Horizon," as well as my Starfish Cake and Henna Cake. The painting was only an 8" x 10", and this year I just really wanted to step things up and go bigger - and boy am I glad I did! I have so many friends who help so abundantly to make those kids feel incredibly special, giving up their time, vacations, earnings, and love in order to help make the Camp a success, and it's such an honor to me to be able to help out in any way possible, even in such a small way as this. I just feel so lucky to be able to use these gifts for something that matters beyond myself and I feel so spoiled that I am able to serve in this way since I get so much joy out of painting, especially when it's used for God's work, though I wish I could have done more.

As for the painting itself, my hope for this piece was to depict a dramatic sense of scale, with towering mountains, a raging waterfall, lush clouds and fields of grass where sheep roam free to graze. I wanted it to cross the line between realistic and impressionistic, and to have an air of dreaminess to it. Not sure if I accomplished all that, but I am happy with how it turned out in the end and can't wait to start on my next big piece. After all, considering how small I've been painting this year, this one is huge in comparison! Haha, well, it was a fun change of pace, and I am sure glad for that! I needed something like that for me to help break up the block I was in, and it really did help a ton! So now I guess the debate for me is whether to keep going small for awhile, to pick up the two larger works I have in process, or to start something huge and epic, like I've always wanted to do. Hmmmm... Decisions, decisions... How fun! =D

Oh, and I know this is kinda silly, but here's a little close-up shot of the sheep. They are absolutely tiny on the painting, and were a bit harder to paint than I anticipated, but I still think they're pretty cute... =0)

Detail of the sheep in the meadow from "In the Presence of Greatness"

Have a good one my friends!

"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. =)

"Little Lovie's Toesies" - A Figure Painting of My 1st Little Baby's Toesies by Melissa Adams

"Little Lovie's Toesies"     Acrylic on Illustration Board     2" x 4"

 Not For Sale

And here's yet another tiny little painting from my small one week collection that I did back in June of 2010. I wanted to challenge myself to use rough brushstrokes in order to create the ultra smooth appearance of a baby's bum-bum and toesies, though I'm not quite sure if it worked. Either way, I still love this little painting and am thinking that someday I'll have to give it another go for my 2nd little guy, so I can put them together in my art room... How cute would that be?

When I think back, it seems crazy how much more motivated I became to create art and really begin my art career after having a baby. Part of it was due to FINALLY being finished getting my art degree and no longer creating art because I had to for an assignment which was a huge thing for me, but the rest of it was due to two other factors. One:  I realized I was getting nowhere fast with my goals in life, which when applied to work, were based around creating art and selling it. And two:  I think that when I lost all my free time by having a baby, I finally realized how precious our time here on earth is, and how little of it we really do have.

How many hours I spent wasted before having Levi hurts me down to my very core, and I still ache for that time back so badly so I could have used it for something more than just lying on the couch watching TV or reading. At the time, I felt like my schedule couldn't get any harder, but I was so, so wrong! I felt like I had no free time whatsoever, but in reality, I had so very much, even with a full-time job or education. But no matter how many people warn you or how many times that you're told not to waste your time being lazy before having babies, to go have fun on your own while you can because once you have them, that part of your life where you can just do whatever you want at just about any time will be almost completely gone. Well, at least for a season anyways. I suppose that changes back once your babies become more independent, but we haven't even come close to that stage yet. Oh man, no matter how much people tell you that having kids is tough, multiply it in your head by a thousand, do it again, and then you might get close to the reality of how hard it actually is.

Of course, there is another side to it. A beautiful, marvelous, miraculous side. You know that time you lost when you have your little one, well it gets replaced with some of the most beautiful, awe inspiring moments of your life. With cuddles and giggles and sweet moments that melt your heart completely. With soft baby bottoms and sweet little toes that just beg to be tickled, and tiny fingers that curl around yours, even if they're too tiny to make it all the way around them. With precious memories that will last forever and moments that you wouldn't give up for all the time in the world. Oh how I love my little guys!!!

But man oh man are they ever exhausting! Where does all that energy come from and why aren't we marketing it and selling it? But anyways, I think that once I realized how important each little minute in life really is and how hard and demanding the life of a mother is, it shook something up in me that made me so much more motivated than I ever had been before. I only wish it had happened years before, but at least it happened! =0)


MY TIP FOR THE DAY
So, if you're finding yourself wishing for more time or not following your dreams because you feel like they are just too lofty for you to accomplish, don't beat yourself down. Pick up a brush or a tool or a pencil and just get to work. Being successful takes a lot more work behind the scenes than I ever would have dreamed of, so if you really want it, you're gonna have to work for it, and work for it hard.

Now, to get yourself started down this road to success, first you need to define what that word means to you, because how you define that word changes everything, and you really need to know what you're working towards. So write down a few small goals that can be accomplished in a day, some bigger goals that may take a month or more, and a few really huge goals which may take years or even your entire life, and try to find little steps along the way that you can make to get from point A to point B. Because success just doesn't happen to you. Even those people who you think catch all the breaks have to work hard to keep their skills up (or at least most of them do...). But seriously, what could you do today that would take only 5 -15 minutes to get you started towards what you want for your life? For me, it was writing out what I really wanted from an art career, such as making my own hours, working from home, getting my art in a gallery some day and also, of course, making money from it eventually. All this helped me gain perspective on what I could do and what I had to do in order to get the ball rolling.

I prayed and prayed and after being told by my husband Tyler as well as my mom about a million times that I needed to just get painting or I'll never get anywhere with it, I picked up a paintbrush and tried to get to work. I've failed many times along the way, and I'm not even remotely close to where I want to be, but I am definitely farther than I was before and I love being able to look back at all my work and see that I actually did something with my time and the talents God gave me. I have a long journey ahead of me if God wills it, and so do you, but like I basically said before, you gotta start somewhere!

So I did what was suggested and I wrote down both big and little goals and just tried to make baby steps towards them. So if you can, why not go out and try to attain what you feel God has called to do, no excuses that there's not enough time or anything like that (well, unless you really don't have any time leftover in which case either your dreams shall wait or you'll just have to schedule some time in your calendar - I think most people call it an artist's date, and it's absolutely wonderful for making sure you make time for yourself and your art!)? There's always little steps you can take, whether it's researching, getting to work on a tiny piece or an abstract just to loosen up, or even just perusing other people's blogs for inspiration, and there's always reasons for not taking them, so it's really up to you how far you go, granted that God desires those goals for you as well.

Oh, and if you really just need that extra nudge, I highly suggest you go check out this amazing blog called Artists Helping Artists that deals with how to become more successful no matter what your goals may be (as you can imagine by the name it's really aimed at artists, so I'm not so sure how much it would help people in other fields, though you could give it a try if you want to). But seriously, it's an amazing site and it's changing the way I view the art world tremendously!

So go out there, make a list or whatever it is that motivates you and helps you keep track of your progress (making a blog or even just a mood board to help you visualize what you want are also great ways to motivate you to move towards your goals) and then get to work!

Happy Painting and God Bless!!! =0)

"Birds of a Feather" - An Abstract Painting by Melissa Adams

"Birds of a Feather"     4" x 5"     Acrylic on Archival Canvas Panel

SOLD

So I've finally discovered one way for me to get out of a slump, and it's painting abstracts! =) They are somewhat mindless, and at the same time challenging, beautiful and extremely fun to create, and I am just falling deeper and deeper in LOVE with them! This one was started a few weeks back and I never got the chance to get it finished. It actually started out as a palette knife painting of a pear and then transformed into this, which may sound a bit odd to you, but I actually like this painting a lot better.

And as for creative slumps, I also discovered recently that drawing out sketches for future paintings also gets my juices flowing like crazy. I love that you don't need very many materials to do this, too, so that you can do it just about anywhere. So great! So, what do you do to get out of your own creative ruts?