Alone time....

" The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd.  The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before."
-Albert Einstein-

Now isn't that the truth!  I have followed the crowd and I have walked alone...both have there place in my life.  Those times that I walk alone; however, are rich will self discovery and new experiences.  I find that I am so much more focused and open to new ideas.  I seem to see the world as though seeing it for the first time.  Maybe it is because I am not truly alone....God is there beside me.  My spiritual rock....it is at those times I'm able to hear him best....whispering in my ear....showing me his world through his eyes in all its beauty.  Whispering to me, guiding me down my creative path.  It is amazing what you hear.....if you are quiet, open your heart and your eyes, and just listen......

Hello Soul....Hello Business

I'm taking an online class....something I have only done once before.  I'm a follower of Kelly Rae Roberts Blog.  If you don't know anything of her, I encourage you to check her out.  She is a great source of inspiration to me.  She and Beth Nicholls are giving an online course called "Hello Soul, Hello Business".  It is about a new way to do business.  I love being an Artist, but I hate the business end of it.  Maybe because I feel I waste so much time trying to figure out how to "sell" how to "market" with no to little results.  Feeling like I'm just spinning my wheels, most of the time.  I'm hoping to find a new sense of direction a new way of thinking and doing business from this course.  I need to be able to combine my passion for painting with a passion for business.  I also want to expand my art beyond canvas.  What do I mean by that..... I love to sew....I love jewelery...I love photography....I love writing and teaching.   I would like to incorporate these "loves" into one fabulously successful business.  I'm not ashamed to say...."I want it all"!  I need to connect with other folks who feel the same way....and connect with folks who can show me a path and light a fire within me.  A fire burning so brightly that it lights my way, my path....to "fearlessly be myself"!

Great Sadness...

My last post I mentioned our travel plans.  Going to go visit my Aunt and Uncle in a few days on our journey south....last night....I learned my Uncle was killed in an auto accident.  It was a one car accident and I don't know how it happened...my Uncle was a diabetic so that could certainly be a contributing factor.  I think we are all in shock now.  Just last month I saw my Aunt and Uncle....gave them both hugs and told them I loved them...so thankful for that moment.  My uncle was a big man with a big heart.  He was always happy to see me...always happy to help with anything.  If he had it and you needed it...it was yours.  He wasn't perfect...he certainly had made some mistakes in his life....but who hasn't.  I was so looking forward to our visit.  My Uncle loved Kentucky Lake...it would have been our first time seeing their place.  I would have loved to have seen it through his eyes...he was so proud of it.  Such sadness...such a loss...I will miss him.  Don't miss an opportunity to tell those you love...that you love them....you never know what tomorrow will bring.

Leopard Part 2

I have to admit that I am struggling with my Leopard painting.  I can't quite put my finger on it, but things are not where I want them to be...

I know I don't have enough variation of color in the fur....right now I'm just getting texture and direction using white.  Once I'm satisfied with that I will add washes of color over the white to add depth and color.  The bridge of the nose.....wow....frustration to the max at this point.  It is too dark and needs transparency.  I think I have redone it at least 10 times....pulling my hair out in the process....LOL!  I feel I'm just pushing to hard on this one.  Feeling the pressure of trying to accomplish a top notch painting while watching the calendar.  We will be heading south soon and I wanted to have this guy finished before we left.  I am also entering a juried art show...they will accept 3 paintings...I have two ready to go and wanted to have this for number three.  They have to be digitally submitted by Nov 1.  In the end, I seemed to be just spinning my wheels.  I think I need to take a break....and STOP watching that calender....IT TAKES WHAT IT TAKES... I need to be satisfied with two paintings and stop making myself so nuts..."sigh"
This will be my first try at a "juried" art show....I'll admit I'm a bit nervous.  Which is probably why I'm trying too hard and worrying too much and looking for an excuse to NOT do it.  So, I'm taking a big breath and gonna relax and just let it happen.....

A little Eye Candy for your morning.....

My Mom and I went to the Indianapolis Zoo yesterday and I captured a few of its inhabitants.  I will have to say though that I was a bit disappointed in the Zoo.  There really isn't much there, but they charge like the larger zoos.  I know I will not go back....too much money and too little "bang"...if ya know what I mean! 

A Beginning....Leopard WIP

I am finally back to my easel!  The past few weeks have been a bit of a blur and I'm sorry I didn't get anymore of our travel photos posted.  That is the problem with keeping two blogs.  Since we were in travel-mode I focused on my Travel Blog and unfortunately the painting blog was left to fend for itself....LOL!
Now we are back in Lafayette Indiana and I have started a new painting.  This guy was having a relaxing day at the zoo in Desert Springs CA.

 The photo above is at the very beginning of my process.  This is the "ugly" stage of the painting.  I wanted to share this because so many folks don't realize just how "ugly" things can get in the early stages of a painting.  When I was teaching, many of my students would want to "give up" at this point.  I always tried to persuade them to stick it out...take a break....walk away for awhile if needed, but come back and keep going. 

This photo is kinda my "trial and error" part of the painting. My reference photo is above the painting.   I'm trying to see what is going to work in terms of color and texture.  The background is pretty well finished....it took a lot of layers to get the depth and value I wanted to achieve.  One thing I have to keep in mind is that the reference photo....was taken through glass.  So the colors and detail of the leopard are somewhat softened and blurred.  I'm going to make the painting a bit more colorful then the photo!  Thanks for checking out this post and as always....questions, comments, and critiques are all welcome!