A Rainbow Touched My Heart...

One day I was driving around running errands and I saw... a rainbow. Only it wasn't a real, prism-in-the-sky kind of rainbow. It was a logo on a local park sign. But I thought it was cool. So I jotted it down in my notebook for future use, and let it go.

But when I was working on this piece recently, the space to the right of my little blond-headed girl needed something. I wasn't sure what. The elements at the top of the page were rather "heavy" which is why I made her dress black... to balance that all out. And i really liked the cloud, so I wanted to keep that element in there somehow. And then I thought of the line in that Andy Grammer song that goes...

"...only rainbows after rain..."

And bing! The multicolored image from my journal popped into my head. And although I was planning to use it with a shooting star... why not a rainbow straight to your heart?

It worked as the perfect element to fill up the space and I loved the story that went along with it...

"The storm passed and then a rainbow touched my heart."

That's kind of how I feel when life hands me something that I didn't think I could handle... and then I get through it and feel so much more empowered. And I thought this was a great visual reminder of that sentiment.

Fishing With Love...

When you are fishing with love... you can catch whatever you wish! And so catching a few hours of paint time this weekend was exactly what I was fishing for. After all, if I don't love myself enough to let myself play every once in awhile... who will? So I gave my permission!

I couldn't wait to get started! I had these oddly rectangular canvasses for awhile and wanted to do something interesting with them. A whimsical fisher-girl seemed like just the right subject for this substrate. I began with a bluish-greenish monochromatic palette and let it fade into the background, so the girl and fish would stand out!

I'm not sure why I made her eyes so big! They looked a little more proportional in the sketch... but I went with it... chalking it up to a bit of whimsy. Whimsy never hurt anyone!

The pops of color were exactly what I was looking for, and the fish turned out even sweeter than I thought he would. I must confess though... that I drew him on a separate piece of tracing paper until I liked him. This little goldfishie is the 3rd iteration of my original attempt, and a sweetly creative expression of exactly what I was fishing for (with love)! You see... I'm trying to discover my own personal style. And like any good fisherwoman...patience and perseverence is what I need!

Holding On To Love...

Recently I've been creating lots of work with wild colors, patches of paint, a multitude of marks, and an abundance of ephemera. And while that kind of art is very soothing to my brain right now... I just needed a little break (very little!).

I had seen an assemblage in Somerset Studio magazine that used a turquoise, red and white palette and those colors made my brain sing! I decided to use them in the simplest way possible — adding a touch of black — so the colors were as much the star of the piece as the elements in it.

I wanted to make art that was graphically illustrative work with a strong message. Starting with a wood panel, I burnt in the outlines and then painted with a few layers of paint for each area to add just the slightest hint of visual texture. A bird, a heart, land, and sky. The simplest of elements with a mighty statement. Holding on to Love.

Drawing from Nature...

Over the weekend, I decided to get out of the house and go immerse myself in Nature for a bit. So I took a little trip to a local park and brought my sketchbook so I could practice drawing... from Nature. Other than a single class in college (with a not-so-great teacher), I don't think I've ever sketched something that was right in front of me. And so it was time to be brave! I really enjoyed myself and was impressed with the results (pats self on back).

And I just loved being back in a natural setting on such a warm, sunny, Fall day... that I left a little something behind to express my gratitude.

Random Acts of Kindness...

Last week, a friend of mine, Kecia Deveney, did a blog post about Random Acts of Kindness. She pointed out that the holidays were a perfect time to give the gift of kindness, and shared her own personal Christmas story. Kecia also asked us to share our own stories — which made me think of my absolute favorite — and so I thought I'd share it with you...
 
About 6 years ago, I was in Atlantic City attending the Artiology retreat and staying in a hotel about a block from the boardwalk. It was dinner time when I arrived so shortly after, I went to the boardwalk to get a bite to eat. On my way I found a red rose boutonniere that someone had dropped. Of course being someone who picks random objects up off the ground, a beautiful red rose with a hint of baby's breath was no exception. I had no idea what I would do with it, but my the palm of my hand was a better place for this lone flower than the sidewalk. 

Just a few moments later I was about to pass by a homeless person sitting on the boardwalk. He asked me for some money... but I had another idea. I cupped my hands over his hands (hiding the rose) — and then waved them over his like a magic trick — revealing the rose. He went, "oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!" and was just awestruck. He was so appreciative of the gesture, he couldn't stop smiling and thanking me. He blessed me and I continued on my way. Smiling. 

Sometimes when I need an instant smile, I think of that moment. To be able to lift someone's mood with only the tiniest of gestures is a gift we all have. So why not give the gift of a Random Act of Kindness? What a great way to get into the holiday spirit!

I'd love to hear about Random Acts of Kindness that you've done, or that have been done for you!