Thankfulness

I am still sick as a dog. Thanks to a dear friend who hooked me up with some awesome drugs (all legal) I can actually swallow without too much pain. I am heading to bed now. Will put some more photos up tomorrow.

Old scraps and some vodka thrown in for good measure

This was a commissioned piece I did for my friend Kathe. Her fiance loves Stolie vodka so much he named his wymarang Stolie. The piece measured 2'x 4'.

My first attempt at scrap booking. I won a contest with this one.

My second attempt at scrap booking.

The letters are crooked in the picture above, so I added the one without crooked letters for good measure.

Third attempt. I also won a contest with this layout. I was tickled pink.

Fourth layout.

I thought I would pound the H E double hockey sticks out of the old adage, "Out with the old, in with the new." I figured I would post a few of the old scrap book pages I did in the past. Also included are some old paintings. So there are no more falling on, "I did a painting!" Like a year ago. I tend to fall on the fact that I have done work in the past. Sometimes I know this might seem silly but I scare myself into unproductiveness. I will lay it all on the line, I have the worst confidence in the world when it comes to many things. My creativity is sometimes my biggest nemesis. I don't know why I terrify myself into not painting or crating art. I am sometimes crippled with the fear of failure before I even start a piece. I probably need therapy, lots and lots of therapy.

So here's to dusting out the closet of "old work" and ringing in the new year with new work. Hopefully in this process I will come to the realization that I am way too hard on myself......we will see.

Can I get a break?

Sloan made this tea set the other day when grampa David was here.

Prepping the new wooden canvas.

I don't know if you can see the tiny dot on Aris' thumb, it is where I took a chunk out of her finger while cutting her tiny nails. Can you say parental guilt? I felt horrible. It bled for like an hour. Visions of Julia Childs in that old Saturday Night live sketch, where blood is squirting everywhere. It was all over her sleeper and sheets. It was just a tiny nic but you would have thought I took off the whole tip of her thumb. Horrible.

Popeye chillin with Dean while he practices the guitar.

I have to say that this whatever that I have at the moment is kicking my butt pretty hardcore at the moment. I sound like a 65 year old smoker, or like I'm trying to sound all saucy and raspy with a wee bit of Darth Vader thrown in the mix. No fever yet, so not much a doctor could do to help me. It's just a case of the wait it outs. As I promised I am downloading some photos as I type.

Time for me to take Sloanie to school. Hope everyone has a great day.

Still Sick or man I can't wait to feel better

Although I am still under the weather, I still managed to clean and organize the kitchen. I started a painting today. I also spent time with my little ones and managed to drag myself out of the house to take Sloan to ballet. Imagine all that I can do once I feel better. Who knows, I might even be able to start exercising.
I promise to post some more photo's and rad art work by little Sloan. Part of the mass organizing effort in the kitchen is so Sloan and I can have more space to create (look for before and after photo's tomorrow).
I am kind of at a loss when it comes to creativity these days. I will admit I am overwhelmed at where to even start. I mean, I sometimes don't even feel it's fair to call myself an artist anymore. The more I look at artists I admire I just feel like a looser. I was looking at art today on line, I always try to stay on top of whats going on in the art world. I think artists are creating all this amazing stuff. What do I have to paint about? Pause. Silence. Brain fart because now I am just a fat mom who used to be a kick butt artist and now all I do is give orders to small creatures in cute pink clothes, wipe poopy butts and runny noses, clean up toys and do laundry all day long. Pause...........hold on.........all those things are attached to three really amazing and beautiful little girls. I will paint what I know. All I know right now is what I am living everyday. So I am going to start a series of paintings on motherhood. The first one is quite large, mostly so that I can get this canvas out of the garage so Dean will have more space. They say truth is often stranger than fiction, and I believe that to be true. My days are always filled with strange yet beautiful experiences that make my "mommy" job very rewarding. With all the crazyness in my day to day life, I should never run out of ideas to paint.

A lovely visit with Grandpa Dave

I thought that I had taken more pictures of David with the girls but I guess I didn't. There were a few others but they were so blurry I deleted them. I will have to make sure that the during the next visit we get way more pictures. We did have such a nice visit with David and we can't wait for him and Roberta to visit again in the next month or so. I guess when all is said and done, we are so blessed to have such an awesome family. I love you guys!