"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

"Path to Power" - A Landscape Painting of Yosemite

"Path to Power"     2.5" x 3.5"     Acrylic on Canvas Paper

SOLD/Not For Sale

Today's painting was made for Sea Dean, one of my three winners from last month's contest. She chose as her prize for me to create an ACEO painting made in the colors and style of my painting "El Capitan." I figured if she liked that particular painting so much then I ought to try creating a painting from a different part of Yosemite for her, to give her almost a painted tour of the park. That probably sounds silly, but she lives overseas as it is, and I don't know if she's ever had the chance to come visit the states. That's why I thought it'd be fun to give her another glimpse of one of the most beautiful parks in the world over. Sea's a painter too, and hosts a rather entertaining page on Facebook for both artists and art lovers alike called "Get Your Art Out There." I would have provided the link to it but it's a closed group so I don't think I can. But if you look it up and want to join, all you have to do is type the name into the search bar on Facebook and let Sea know you want it. It's that easy!  =)

I wanted to shout out a quick reminder that today is the last day to enter to win a painting for this month. All you have to do is comment on this or any other post from the month of July, 2013. I have to say it's my easiest contest yet! So go ahead, you never do know if you might be one of the lucky ones! And congratulations again Sea. This pretty little piece will be on it's way over the oceans and to your door as soon as possible. I so love giving my works a new home - and to send one over-seas is absolutely thrilling!

Well, take care of yourselves my friends! And stay tuned - there are still more new paintings to come this week. I'm finally back in my groove, trying to get all the works out that were promised before my rather unexpected surgery. But it's starting to come together, thank the LORD, and with each new work I finish the more excited I get over being able to eventually jump into one of my own art projects that's been brewing in my mind for some weeks now! I can't wait to begin! Lucky for me though, I've loved all the commissions too and sadly I think I'll miss them once I get over this wave of them. But still, it's a win-win for me, no matter how you look at it.

I hope you are having a great day out there and I hope that in some way you might be able to carve out some time for yourself to spend creating something yourself - that it would be a time of refreshing both your body and your soul, and that in the end whatever you create is absolutely beautiful, even if only to you. Hey, I have plenty of those! Haha. But yeah, it just feels so wonderful to pour your heart into something real and at the end be able to hold something you've made in your hands. There are few things better than that! Well, have a wonderful day and God bless!

"Pure Power" - A Landscape Painting of a Waterfall in Yosemite

"Pure Power"     8" x 10"      Acrylic on Canvas with Painted Wrapped Edges

I painted this a few days ago and meant to get it up on the blog yesterday but just never got the chance to do so. Such is life. =) But here it is and it's one of my new favorites, and my hubby's too! It's from our trip to Yosemite in 2011, and is one of the many gorgeous waterfalls we were blessed to see on that trip. They were so full that year - sometimes you don't get so lucky and the falls are pretty weak if the rainy season didn't go very well that year. Ahhh, but in 2011 it had rained like crazy and the raw power behind the falls was so incredibly majestic and awe-inspiring to behold. We just stared at them forever!

Today I'm feeling pretty lucky to have the wonderful chance to be able to paint today, though that doesn't mean I'm free from having any appointments. My pain just isn't very well managed right now, if you haven't been able to tell from the fact that I've barely even been capable of painting much lately. But I'm really hoping that after today my doctor and I will make some big strides in the right direction with managing all this raging pain. One exciting thing I've found in this process is a wonderful video on Amazon prime on using Tai-Chi as meditation for healing, where you simply clear your mind and do breathing exercises, much like the Bradley method for childbirth. It's incredible so far! Knocked this girl right here out cold twice, and considering how hard it is for me to find sleep, it was a wonderful thing for me to experience. This is going to be on my daily watchlist for sure!

FEBRUARY CONTEST
Oh man, I seriously cannot believe that this month is over in two days! Where have I been...? Oh yeah, curled up on the couch in pain. Whatever. =P Anyways, have you made sure to like my page and tell me on my Facebook wall that you want to enter my contest to win one of three ACEOS complete with a frame card? Because if you don't tell me you want to enter this month's contest then I don't have you down for it. And there are going to be three winners this month, which is even more awesome because that means you have an even greater chance of winning!

But you know what the very best part is, one that is quite unexpected for me? Because I had been planning to paint so many more ACEO's this month than I was able to because of my fibro, if you win and there isn't one I've made that you really like for your home, then you get to commission your very own one from me, which means it will match your house PERFECTLY!!! There are a few restrictions of course as to the subject matter, but not to worry, I'll let you know what they are when you win. SO GO ON, CLICK HERE, LIKE MY PAGE AND THEN TELL ME THAT YOU WANT TO ENTER THIS MONTH'S CONTEST!!! It's so easy even my mom can do it! Lol! =D Sorry mom... =P Anyways, good luck to all of you! I hope you're having a great day out there! =D

"High in the Treetops" (ACEO) - An Expressionist Landscape Painting

"High in the Treetops"     2.5" x 3.5"     Acrylic on Acrylic Paper (ACEO)

This one started out as an abstract painting of pinks, yellow and purple, and then turned into this after my Ty told me that it looked more like just a background for another painting. So, here's the "other" painting then. =)

He was right though. It definitely looks better this way. Thanks babe!

"Misty Mountains Majesty" - An Expressionist Painting

"Misty Mountains Majesty"     5" x 7"      Acrylic on Museum Quality Claybord

Not For Sale

PRINTS will be available soon from Fine Art America

Only 4 more days left for this challenge, meaning only 4 more days for you to follow my blog as a member and enter yourself to win one of my paintings from my "30 Paintings in 30 Days" Collection. Time is going way too fast for me right now!!!


Oh man, this is the third painting in a row that I've gotten in by the skin of my teeth, where as soon as it published the submission link for Leslie's Blog Post for Day 25 closed. This is craziness!!! But here it is, and I rather like how this one turned out. Actually, to be quite honest, I like it A LOT - it's one of my very favorites from this month! =) It's from our trip to Montana back in 2011, from which I have an extensive wealth of gorgeous photographs that not only need to be made into prints, but also that are just begging for me to paint them. I seriously can't wait to spend more and more time delving deeper and deeper into the possibilities of all the works I can create from just that trip alone. It's a bit overwhelming, but in a good way. =)

MY TIP FOR THE DAY
So this is actually a rather silly tip, but I'll put it up here none-the-less. It's the exact opposite of my last tip, in which I explained that you can indeed use a brush to blend pastels into beautifully soft gradations of color, and keep yourself clean in the process. So, for today, I would love to encourage you to do the opposite with your paints. Put your brush down, scoop up some paint on your finger, and revert back to your childhood for a moment and finger paint with me - trust me, you won't regret it! Your finger is a fantastic blending tool for just about anything, and you can use it to achieve beautiful, painterly strokes in both acrylic and oils, as well as lovely gradients where the foreground fades into the background in an almost seamless manner. And the very best part about it - it makes you feel like a kid again!!! =D I love the feeling I get when I blend with my fingers, for it's a feeling of continuous youth, where the possibilities are endless and where your imagination soars as it did when you were young. It's a wonderful feeling! So, if you're feeling bold and don't mind getting a little (or a lot!) of paint on your hands, I say you should give this a shot. =0)

I have found it especially useful to actually pick up a little extra paint with your fingertip and start your blending from there, so that you don't just pull up the existing paint from the surface you are working on. Then you softly blend it in, swirling your finger around gently on the surface, picking up colors from here and there and adding more paint with your fingertip as you start to run dry, which you will know is happening by the amount of friction created. Try to make sure that your paint is running smoothly, and not dragging and catching or you'll get what I call "skips" where the paint not only pulls up but also jumps around without adhering to certain places where you want it to. Or if you want that to happen, just go for it. That's the joy of creating isn't it - that the sky's the limit?!

Well, I wish you the best of luck with this and hope that if you try it, you would find the little kid inside of you, just waiting around hoping and hopping impatiently to be set free. Because when your inner-child has been set free and you can look at the world from a child's perspective, you will see things completely differently, with great joy and wonder, and you might even be able to find joy in situations you never could have possibly imagined before.

Even the Lord prompts us to be more like little children, to have faith like them for the kingdom of heaven belongs to those like them. It makes perfect sense if you think about it - children are so pure and unspoiled (though they are definitely not without sin just like we aren't, let me tell ya! I definitely have a two year old running wildly about my house every day... =/ Lol!). But the way that they see the world and how they can trust with great abundance and unwavering faith makes it so obvious why God would want us to be more like them. How great would it be to trust without holding anything back? To jump blindly into our Father's arms, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that He WILL catch us and protect us from harm. To be completely devoted to Him and love Him and others without reservation. Oh how I wish I could be like that! Someday when I see Him face to face I know that I won't be able to do anything but that, but oh how I wish that I could be that way now...

"Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.' " (Matthew 19:13-14)
 "He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:2-4)

"Stylized Self Portrait" - An Expressionist Painting with Pastel and Graphite

"Stylized Self Portrait"     8.5" x 11"     Pastel and Graphite on Paper

SOLD

PRINTS will be available soon from Fine Art America

I decided that now that I'm 29 and all (yup, only one year left until the infamous 3-0!), that I wanted to try out something a little different today. I mean, for me, that's what this 30 Day Challenge is all about - trying out new styles, new tools, new techniques, and of course, new subject matter. So, that led to this... Me. Stylized. I hope you like it, because just like me, it's a little different and not quite perfect, was quite challenging to work with, a bit overstated, and yet soft and sweet as well. I don't know, half the time I find myself to be this annoyingly loud, overwhelming and energetic person, and the rest of the time I find myself to be gentle, soft, calming and sensitive (though I wonder if other people ever see me that way?). If I could only see and know how other people perceived me, I imagine that would be quite interesting... Although interesting usually isn't that great of a thing, depending on how people say it, am I right?! Lol! Oh man, anyways, as a little side note, I worked with what I thought to be a very limited palette of yellow, yellow ochre, orange, salmon, red, brown, white, black and aqua, (limited in the sense that so many of the colors were on the yellow, orange, and red spectrum of the color wheel) which was not only quite a challenge but was also an awesome learning experience as well. I think I shall be testing out trying to work with more and more limited palettes a bit more often from here on out, because I know that in doing so one can create amazing harmony within their paintings, if they can learn the tricks of how to use and mix colors to their fullest potential.

Well, it just so happens that I took yesterday off for my birthday, not so much by choice but by necessity really (I guess I'll be doing twice the work today to make up for it, because I am WAY too much of a perfectionist to let one of these days slip by without at least trying to get a painting in during this challenge, not to mention I just really want to have all 30 on Leslie's wall by the end so I can say I truly did it!).  So today I had my 6 hr. weekly commitment for my chronic pain class over in Martinez, and oh boy, was that ever exciting... =(  And when I got home from that, we had to go pick up a prescription, but had to transfer it first and then had to wait around for it and then... You get the picture. Anyways, I barely had the chance to even see my family today, and even when I did my pain was a little too intense to do very much with them. However, I did have two particularly sweet moments that I will treasure forever! The first was waking up to my husband and my boys, huddled around my bed singing "Happy Birthday" with a cupcake flavored pop-tart in one hand, and a tray of good ole fashioned plastic cupcakes in the other, that Levi had baked up in his oven specially just for me. Apparently, he couldn't wait, and "ate" one on the way up the stairs, but it was so adorable my heart melted right out of my body into a little puddle on the floor. I LOVED every second of that special moment, and will treasure it forever!

The second memorable moment was after the boys went down to bed and I got out the fine china, decorated the table, and ate take-home Chili's that was a gift of some good friends, Rachel and Jeffrey, (complete with cheesecake too - oh yum, yum!) by candlelight with the man who has stolen my heart time and time again. We sipped tea and talked, and it was beautiful.

So I guess my birthday wasn't too bad of a bust after all, if I focus on the sweet little moments rather than dwell on all that didn't happen today. I love my family and friends, and was shown so much love by them all today and that is what truly matters. And the simple yet astounding fact that God even allowed me to merely just wake up one more day, and to have these sacred little moments to treasure with those I love, for that is truly something never to be taken for granted!

MY TIP FOR THE DAY:
So today's tip is that you can actually use a paint brush to blend soft pastels (maybe everybody on earth knew that except me already, but I just found that out and had to try it immediately!)! My take on it is this: what was once a very frustrating medium, (cough, cough... Pastels, those messy little stinkers!) is now loads of fun so I thought I'd pass the info on to you just in case you didn't know about it either. Of course you can always use your handy-dandy finger, but for some reason the brush lends to some gorgeous blending that I couldn't have possibly achieved without it, so it's worth a shot. Well, unless you're like one of those majorly impressive professional pastel artists, and then I'm sure you can do a ridiculous amount more than I could possibly even ever dream of, in which case you're probably laughing at this tip anyways. =0)  But, if you're like me and have seldom ever used this medium before, I found this method to be so much more fun than I even expected that I could hardly believe I was even using pastels in the first place! So next time you're fussing around with pastels and possibly getting all irritated with the fact that you're entirely covered in them from head to toe, like I tend to be, grab a paint brush and get to work. It sure is less messy this way, that's for sure, and I just absolutely loved the results! I will definitely be trying this again with some other styles of pastel painting as well as pastel forms, like oil and crayon (who knew they had pastel crayons?! So excited over here!!!), and I seriously can't wait to get to work on more of them! And this coming from someone who normally hates working with pastels, so that should say a lot right there! =D

"Under the Starry Sky So Blue" - A Whimsical Painting of Mushrooms at Night

"Under the Starry Sky So Blue"     5" x 7"     Acrylic on Museum Quality Claybord

Here's my painting for the day, and on time for the second day in a row too! I was lucky enough to get the day all to myself to paint and exercise (yes, you heard me right, I'm allowed to exercise a tiny bit now!!! Woo-hoo!) and it felt absolutely and ridiculously amazing. Thanks momma for watching the boys so I can try and get some healing in over here - it's helping a TON!

Like I said before, I'm super excited to be allowed to exercise a little now. Nothing huge mind you, more like the type you do in Physical Therapy. What am I saying, it's EXACTLY the type you do in physical therapy. Haha, I'm such a nerd. Anyways, my PT said I've finally graduated from what he calls "Baby Bear Mode" and can officially begin my "Momma Bear Routine." It's weight lifting and stretching and weird little slow leg lifts and bicycles and things of that sort, along with no more than 15 - 20 minutes of slow walking a day, but oh man, it sure feels good to be getting some strength back into my bones! And another huge joy is the fact that my PT was actually proud of me for how quickly I was moving along and for all my hard work. I wasn't expecting that at all! Honestly, I thought the opposite was going to happen because no matter how hard I tried over the last 3 weeks I just couldn't work my way up to lifting 5 lbs. with my legs - I could only get to 3 lbs. So I'm super stoked to be moving on and up the ladder as far as my therapy is concerned, and I am also eagerly awaiting my next acupuncture appointment as well because I absolutely loved that and my body did too!

I just wanted to give you all my happy little fibro update, because it's so good to finally be starting to get my life back even in little increments, and I am just super overjoyed over here! Thank you all for all your prayers through all this - they mean a ton to me and I know they are helping. In fact, my PT says that if all continues moving along at this pace, that I'll be back to good shape (not pain free by any means, but with a 60-70% improvement which is the best we can hope for) in mid February rather than the end of March. Sooo AWESOME!!!

So like I said, I'm super excited to be back on track a little with my life, and though the pain is still raging underneath my medication, at least it's finally, FINALLY under control and I can start to reclaim some of my life back. Well, in baby steps anyways. But I will seriously take whatever I can get, because anything is better than where I was back in December, which was probably the worst and darkest month of my entire life, bar none! We're moving forward, baby, and I'm super glad to have you all on this journey of recovery with me! Trust me, it gives me such great joy to not have to do this all on my own.

Well, it's off to bed for me, because WE'RE GETTING BABYSITTING TOMORROW!  What, what!!! =D Awww yeah! That's right. We finally get to go on a date and spend some time alone with each other before 9pm at night, and I am so stoked about it I can hardly stand it. But I really don't want to ruin it by staying up to late, so good night y'all! Hope you all have a fantastic day today and God bless! =D

"Entangled" - A New Abstract Painting

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

This was supposed to be my painting for yesterday, but I never got around to doing it, let alone posting it, because things have been absolutely crazy around here lately. So here it is today, a day late but still as pretty as can be! =0)

I've been dying to paint this particular painting for years now! It was originally one of my favorite abstracts from my little sketchbook that we used in our advanced drawing class at LMC for our daily drawings. I remember loving the once formidable task of drawing out a sketch every day, though I felt like I never really had the time to put much of myself into it... And that was before kids... Oh how naive I was! If only I could go back in time and shake myself by the shoulders, screaming, "You have NO idea how good you have it right now! STOP WASTING SO MUCH TIME!!!" I could get so much more done. Ahh, but alas, I'm pretty sure just about everybody I know wishes they could do that too. =P

Anyways, the drawing was originally done in pastel back then, on pure black Strathmore Artagain paper (which, by the way, is one of my favorite papers to draw on EVER, especially with oil pastels!), but I am much more thoroughly pleased with the amount of pizazz this has as a painting, especially with the deep blue-green coloring that I added around the edges. I feel like it not only adds to the depth of the piece, but it also adds to the overall composition as well, making it so much more dynamic and interesting. I absolutely love it! This is definitely going to be redone as a MUCH larger painting some day when I have the time. =D

Well, hope you're having a great day! See you all tomorrow, Lord willing!

"Around the Edges" - A Floral Expressionist Still Life Painting

"Around the Edges"     4" x 5"     Acrylic on Archival Canvas Panel

So today's painting is a bit late again, but better late than never. And it's quite a bit of a departure from my normal style, but I'm really loving this journey of discovery I'm on, and of trying new things and not being afraid to experiment. It's quite freeing really. Unfortunately (or fortunately for those who think I ramble too much anyways... Cough, cough... Tyler...), I'm seriously too tired to type right now, so off to bed for me. Hope you're all enjoying a good night's sleep at this time (granted, unless you live across the world and it's the middle of the day, in which case, top of the morning to ya!) and I will see you all tomorrow, Lord willing. I have so much fun stuff to talk about, and I seriously can't wait! But alas, I have to. Lol! Sleep... Is... Calling.... Me. Must... Answer...!!!

"Beads of Dew" - An Expressionist Painting

"Beads of Dew"     4" x 5"     Acrylic on Canvas Board

I'm running super late on posting today's painting, because most of my time was spent relaxing after having overdone it yesterday, and the rest was spent on working on another painting I'm not quite finished with. This one actually isn't finished yet either, but only because I'm waiting to apply a special layer of glass beads to the top after the paint dries. But still, as a stand alone I still really like how it turned out and can't wait to see how it changes after adding that extra "umph!" I'll repost it on here as soon as it's really done. =)

Well, it's off to bed for me. I am beyond exhausted and have a whole day of appointments tomorrow, quite literally. And when I say literally, I actually mean literally, not figuratively (such a pet peeve over here!!!). Yup, I have appointments from 11am to 5:30 pm. And they're about an hour away, or maybe a little less depending on traffic, so.... Yeah. Quite the day.  =/

Well, good night all! Wishing you all a great night's rest! =)

"Trouble Counting Sheep" - An Expressionist Painting

"Trouble Counting Sheep"    4 x 5     Acrylic on Canvas Board

My insomnia started again a few nights ago and I'm really hoping this doesn't become a routine again. I was up until 3 the night before and then until 5am the next night, and I just really don't like these hours, especially with kids in the mix! But one positive I got from my weird sleep cycle is this little gem, which is very expressive of how I feel at 4 in the morning after trying to get tired for hours to no avail.

Last night was much better atleast, due to a quite awful cold that had me sleeping nearly all day and night, so at least today I'm back on track - yay for that! Hope this lasts!!! The sleep hours, not the cold mind you! Lol! Hope you all are having a fun and healthy day! =)

"El Capitan" - A Yosemite Expressionist Painting

As I sit here tonight, struggling in my pain and stiffness to find that elusive thing called sleep, I'm hoping that life is finding you well, and that in your own struggles, now matter how big or how small, you know that there is a God who loves you and is there for you always, all you have to do is ask. Sometimes it seems so very easy to believe the lie that your pain isn't really THAT bad, especially compared to someone else's, that your struggles aren't as hard because you haven't had to deal with something huge like others seem to have to do. That even if what you struggle with may be small in other people's eyes, that it may feel small compared to "what's his face who has to deal with whatever THAT is", that for you, your hardest struggles are indeed HARD, and they are yours and you have every right to feel overwhelmed by them. Please don't ever compare yourself with others in a way that hurts you rather than encourages you to try harder (I say this even while I am working on this myself) because it will only make things worse. It is okay to feel like what you're going through is hard. Like I said, I'm learning that myself right now. What I'm struggling with might be nothing compared with someone else, and yet to me, it's unbearably hard. But there is a God who gives us hope and strength and courage, and it is promised in His word, "Come near to God and He will come near to you." (James 4:8a - which is, by the way, MY FAVORITE VERSE OF ALL TIME!!!) Let him carry your burden for you, as I, and my family with me, are learning to let Him carry ours. "'Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.'" (Matt. 11:28-30) God bless!

Here's a picture from our trip last year to Yosemite with my amazing mother and our awesome family. I loved that trip! It was such a sweet time to grow together as a family - to watch Levi lose himself in nature, because boy oh boy does that little man ever love to be outside!!! And to see my beautiful nieces and my sister and brother-in-law (who is really more like a brother to me than anything else) in the element that brings out the best in all of us. We are such a camping family. I think we were all born for the mountains, but for now, our little yearly trips will have to suffice.  =)

Ahhh, Yosemite. There is something so magical about that place. Maybe it's the way the mist hits your face and drenches your body as you stare mystified at the power of the waterfalls before you. Or the beauty in even the simple little wonders there, like the rocks and ferns and, well, in everything around you. And for me, it might even just be my momma. I mean, when we go there, it's like I see her caught perfectly back in time as a young girl, just barely out of her teens, and I see life through her eyes so clearly. She used to work in that park, and I love every story she has to share about it. I eat them up like crazy... Like the time a bear came knocking on her cabin door while she was all alone, and then proceeded climb up on her roof and stick around for awhile, scaring the living daylights out of her. Or the fact that she knows so much about the park, so much more than most people could ever possibly know without having lived there themselves. It's magical to me, and I love it! I hope I captured even a hint of that in this simple painting - even a hint of the immense beauty and majesty that God so lovingly poured out in abundance over that land. I have so, so many more paintings to come from there and from all of our other special haunts - so many more expressions of the joy I feel in spending time in God's great wonderlands with my momma and the rest of my family, and with our mighty Creator Himself - and I can't wait for the chance to make them and share them with you!

"El Capitan"     8 x 10     Acrylic on Canvas

By the way, momma, you totally inspired this painting (you know, just in case you couldn't tell by what I wrote)! I love you and want to thank you for giving me such a love for the beautiful wilderness that God created!

"Tower Falls" Expressionist Style Yellowstone Waterfall Painting

I've been having fun lately trying out a much looser style of painting in hopes of 1) being more painterly in my strokes and expressive of my emotions, 2) learning more about color mixing and combinations 3) being capable of finishing a painting in one sitting (because boy does that feel exceptionally good and with little ones, it's nearly impossible to find time to paint!), and 4) eventually getting accepted onto my favorite painting blog of all time, dailypainters.com. Getting on that blog has been one of my major life goals the last few years, as I absolutely love that website! My other major life goal that I've had for a few years now is getting into the Marcus Ashley Fine Art Gallery in Tahoe. I absolutely love that gallery, not only because of the type of art they exhibit, which is absolutely gorgeous, but because of the feeling of the gallery itself and the way that the staff is so willing to walk around with you and talk about the art and the artists who make it. If you are ever in that area, you have to check it out - it will not disappoint you! And if not, they have a fantastic website as well - definitely worth your time to visit! (I provided the link above)

So as I said before, this particular painting was very exciting to paint, and I thoroughly enjoyed using large strokes and partially mixed colors. It's not a style I would do exclusively, because I really find my identity as an artist in the style that I do for "The Secret Lives of Animals" series as well as my more even more whimsical paintings like "If I Could Give You the Moon," but I do absolutely love how it makes me feel to paint this way, and I am sure you will be seeing many more like this one in the weeks to come. =)

"Tower Falls"     8 x 10      Acrylic on Canvas Board