Illustration Friday "Lesson"

It has been a long few weeks. I have a post with details coming soon, but right lets just say it involved an unexpected basement renovation. There are always lessons to be learned but sometimes you need distance from the sweat and frustration before they become clear.

This illustration is of a pillow study done for one of my drawing courses on cross-hatching. It is a technique I rarely use but I always loved the effect in that great childrens book "Where the Wild Things Are."

The Daily Pic

The idea of "home" has been on my mind a lot lately. What kind of home would meet my family needs? What kind of home do I really want? As usual I am always inspired by nature. This simple structure that my son painted a couple years ago has weathered with age. That seems to have only added to its character and charm. I think the birds that live here would definitely agree.

The Daily Pic

This little guy was found in my garden. It's funny how the smallest things can slip right past our eyes. He was having a nice lunch on a peice of seed packet.

Illustration Friday "Journey"

"I am not reggae, I am me. I am bigger than the limits that are put on me. It all has to do with the individual journey. " Ziggy Marley I love this quote. The statement" I am bigger than the limits that are put on me," is such a powerful statement. We all have limitations, poverty, illness, others perceptions, but bigger than those limitations is what makes greatness. It is what inspires others. It is what defines a lifetime. It is what makes the end reward so much sweeter. Here is to all of us, chipping away day by day at those limitations until they come crumbling down and the journey along the way until they do.

Daily Picture

I am going to start a new daily post called "The Daily Pic." The name pretty much speaks for itself! I have been so inspired by spring and all the beautiful photography opportunities and I want to share them here.

This is one of the bushes out in front of our house. I love the way the rain drops shimmer after a Spring rain. If anyone knows the name of this could you share it with me? It was here when we bought the house.

Thanks!

Clearance Sale!

I try not to be too spamy with my blog posts, but I wanted to let everyone who stops by know about my huge clearance sale at my Blue Leaf Boutique. Use coupon code: SPRINGCLEAR50 at checkout to get 50 percent off your purchase. I'm running this sale through Sunday so don't miss it. My prices are already very low to stay competitive in the growing handmade market but this is rock bottom. I have some great new items I want to add to my shop but need to clear some inventory first. Pick up a Mother's Day gift, Easter gift, gradution gift and maybe a treat for yourself!

Illustration Friday "Bottled"

"A bottle of wine begs to be shared; I have never met a miserly wine lover." Clifton Paul Fadiman

I don't care for drawing bottles. All the reflections. All the ellipses. It can be truly painful. It is not my cup of tea. I could have taken the not so literal route for this weeks theme but I decided to face my pains head on, with one caveat. If it was going to be painful, it was going to be quick. I decided to draw a cluster of bottles in 15 minutes flat. I wanted to test my skills to see how much detail and finishing I could muster in a limited amount of time.

My strategy was simple. First do a quick outline to get basic bottle shapes, size, and layout. Second do some minimal shading to add shadow and a bit of dimension. Lastly go back and add small bits of detail to the labels, etc.

How do you think I did? How would you have approached it?

Overcome Doubt

The blog TinyBudda recently asked the question "How do you overcome doubt?" Hmmm. Perhaps I don't. Perhaps I just learn to live with it. However, that is not a very empowering answer. So I'm going to write a new chapter and it will go something like this:

I keep moving.

Action is decisive and purposeful. It unkinks the knots in your mind and in your stomach. A path almost always reveals itself.

I keep dreaming.

Dreaming reminds me that I have goals that must be acheived, or what is the point?

I believe.

I believe in myself. I believe in my creator. I believe in having a purpose and a destiny to fulfill. I believe in a kind universe that wants the best for me and for others.

How do you overcome doubt?

Slate Blue

I am not usually a blue person. I gravitate towards the warmer end of the color palette. In fact, I usually group all cool colors into the category of "the color of institutional bathrooms." Harsh. I know.

But I have had a change of ways. A complete 18o on this thought process. All of a sudden I am dreaming of ways to incorporate more blue into my home. Not just any blue, SLATE BLUE. I don't know what it is about this color, but I am hooked. I am working on some new pillow covers. Just repainted a front entry piece, a coat rack, and some curtains all with variants of this lovely color. Here is a look at my painting project yesterday to repaint the shelf in my front entry (that just happened to be picked up at a yardsale.) Before it was just a typical wooden shelf that I didn't look at twice. Now stunning (in my opinion) just because of the color.

What are your thoughts on slate blue? Check out other frugal but beautiful ideas at The Shabby Nest for Frugal Friday!

Teaming Up

I just teamed up with Brittany from the Love Stitched Blog, to be a sponsor for the next month. Look for her post on Saturday to list her great new sponsors for the month of April.

This got me to thinking about all of the great relationships I have developed over the past several months in growing my Etsy shops and blog. Coincidentally all of these relationships were with women with similar paths to mine. Most of us are mothers and most of us are artists in some form, be it design, fine art, or crafting. These similarities could have allowed us to be competitive with each other or maybe even hostile. But I have found nothing of the sort, instead I have been surprised with every one's welcoming supportive demeanor. It is so encouraging as an artist and even more so as a person, to find such helpful, kind, and supportive women out there cheering each other on, making someone believe that living the dream is not only possible but is being done. Thanks ladies!

Let me know who are the people that have supported you in living the dream?

Illustration Friday "Duet"

"The Eastern Male Bluebird uses more than 50 song phrases to woo mates and stake out territory."