AEDM: Day 7

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I'd like to start this post by thanking Tracey and Molly for giving me the "Tell Me About Yourself" award...  Thank you both so much - I am very honored that you thought of me!

The first part of this award is to share 7 things about myself that you might not already know.  Well, since I have been wanting to play along with Andrea's interview I thought I would answer those questions... It is actually 10 things, so I hope you don't mind!  

(I really admired the creative way Molly shared information about herself, and I fell in love with Karen's artsy answers to Amy's interview questions.  So, since I was feeling inspired, I created a page in my sketchbook that answers Andrea's questions.  You can click on the image at the top of this post to see my answers, or you can just read them below.)

1. What should you be doing right now instead of sitting on the computer?

Cleaning my studio!  (See question 2!)

2. What's the messiest area of your house?  and dare you to show us...

My studio.  If I don't clean it soon, the next time I venture in there I will most likely not come out!  Pictures?  I'll have to dig my camera out first!  Ha!

3. 5 simple things that make you happy right now, above and beyond the obvious like your family and your health...

squeezy bear hugs

perfectly ripe avocadoes

smiles from strangers

great big belly laughs

an extra hour of sleep

4. When did you last cry?

By the time you read this, I will probably have already cried again!  Ha!  I cry a lot... I cry when I am happy, sad, scared, angry... You get the picture, I'm sure.  The only thing I do more than cry?  Laugh!  I laugh 

a lot!

5. Favorite book...

Impossible.  Seriously.  I loooove books... all kinds of books!

I could never choose a favorite.

6. How many pets...

I have 2 cats - Mona and Lisa.

7. 2 Goals... one huge and unrealistic one, and one achievable one...

I believe in dreaming big and I have been very fortunate to see seemingly unrealistic dreams become achievable ones!

My current goals involve art, kindness, and book ideas...

(I know it might seem like an elusive answer, but I am superstitious and I am scared of jinxing myself!)

8. 5 things in your purse besides money and a cell phone...

I don't carry a purse - I like to keep things in my pockets.  Sometimes I carry a great big bag with my sketchbook, art supplies, and camera, though.

9. The emotion or feeling you hate the most...

Jealousy and the feeling of inadequacy that often accompanies it.

"Comparison is the thief of joy!"

-Dwight Edwards

10. If you could have 50 pounds of anything except money or gold what would you want?

I'd be very curious to see what 50 pounds of feathers would look like, but what I'd really love to have is 50 pounds of paint, or canvas, or pencils... 50 pounds of art supplies is as good as gold, as far as I'm concerned!

The second part of this award is to give it to 15 great blogs.  Well, the truth is I read a lot of great blogs and I'd love to know more about all of them!  So, if you're reading this and you'd like to play along please grab the award and leave your link in the comments so I can learn more about you!  If you've already accepted this award from someone else, I'd love it if you would leave your link in the comments too!  (It's not necessary to answer these specific questions, but if you'd like to you can find them here.)

Grateful

 I have always been enamored with the idea of gratitude journals.  In the hustle and bustle of daily life, it is easy to lose sight of all the reasons to be thankful.  This post is my online version of a gratitude journal entry - it is dedicated to some of the things that are making me smile today...

I would like to start by thanking MaddyRose for giving me this award.  Every day is Christmas over at her blog (she creates the most amazing Santa figurines) - Who wouldn't love a daily dose of that magic?!?

She also shares my sense of humor... On my lovebug post she left the following joke:

How do lovebugs get from here to there?

They fly United!

Ha!  I definitely appreciate someone who can make me laugh!  Thank you MaddyRose!

Normally (as part of my award acceptance), this would be where I write "7 Things About Myself", but in the spirit of gratitude I would like to offer "7 Things I Am Grateful For" (in no particular order):

1.  I am grateful for this amazing package I received in the mail from my dear friend, Jenny Blair!  I was so blown away by her thoughtfulness I actually cried.  Her artwork is amazing and her heart is big... very, very big... truly.  Please be sure to stop by her wonderful blog and etsy shop and show her some love. 

2.  I am grateful for the love and support of my family and friends.

3. I am grateful for my home (even with it's seemingly endless and ever-growing list of DIY projects)!

4.  I am grateful for the ability to do what I love.

5.  I am grateful for the big bright sun that is finally shining.

6.  I am grateful for the creative people at Ben & Jerry's who continue to amaze me with their incredible flavors...  "Cinnamon Buns", "Late Night Snack", "Clusterfluff", and of course the classic "Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough".  (Seriously, I think coming up with new and unique flavors would be an unbelievable job!)

7.  I am grateful to all of you... my beautiful blogging friends who take the time to leave me such thoughtful comments, make me laugh, and never cease to inspire me!

Which brings me to the second part of the award...

I would like to give this award to all of you!

You can take this award and post it on your blog (please be sure to leave a link in the comments if you do so I can learn more about you too).

or

 You can just tell me something I might not know about you (or maybe something you're grateful for) in the comments!

Sunday Sketches... More Angels!

An Angel Fish with an Angel Food Cake!

(I'm finding it difficult to let go of the "Angel" theme. ha!)

Please be sure to stop by Sophia's blog to see the heavenly offerings of my sketching buddies.

And don't forget...

The bidding for Inspiration Avenue's Charity Art Auction to benefit Angel Faces starts today!

Since I'm on the topic of angels, I would like to take this opportunity to thank a couple:

First, Rhonda gave me a "Stylish Blogger Award".  I think I first 'met' Rhonda during the One World One Heart Blog event, but now we party together every Friday for PPF.  Rhonda was the one who inspired me to create my "Helping Hands for Japan".  Rhonda always has lots of fun projects going on at her blog, Roban Studio!  

Thank you Rhonda!

(I already received a "Stylish Blogger Award" here, but I am very thankful to you for thinking of me!)

And last, but certainly not least, I would like to offer a great big "Thank You" to Lisa Stubbs of 'Lil Sonny Sky for sending me the beautiful mermaid print pictured above!

Lisa is an extremely talented artist that creates amazing fabric art and original hand squeegeed screen prints (like the one I received)!  Be sure to check out her etsy shop - it is filled with treasures that will make you smile from ear to ear (I know I am)!

How did I find myself in possession of this wonderful gift?

I am a regular reader of Lisa's blog and was delighted when I saw the fantastic mural she was painting at her children's school!  (You can see the mural and it's progression by clicking here.)  By her week 10 "loo update" post, she was nearly finished and looking for caption ideas for her sea inspired mural.  Well, you know how I love to play with words (and I can't resist putting my 2 cents in either! hee hee)...  The bonus:  The person who came up with the caption that she decided to use would win one of her mermaid prints!  I'll give you one guess who won!

Me.  Lucky, lucky me!  Wheeee!

I love, love, love it - Thank you Lisa!

The Creation of a Painting...

If you would like a chance to win this original painting click here.

Sorry, this giveaway has ended.

I am also happy to announce that I have been named this week's Wizard of Whimsy over at the Whimsical Wednesday blog - such fun!

Blog Love

You may remember that in last Sunday's post I mentioned receiving a "Stylish Blogger Award" from Pavinee, Sandy Coleman, and Jehanne.  Well, my good fortune has continued since I first mentioned it and I have also been given the award from Jenny Blair and Nelly.  I am so completely thrilled that they thought of me - they are such wonderfully creative bloggers with such beautiful art and words to share... it is such an honor to receive the award from each of them!  Please make sure you visit their blogs to see what I'm talking about.

My first official duty as a "Stylish Blogger" is to share 7 things about myself, so here goes...

1.  If my mom had gotten her way, I would have been named Sunshine.

2.  My family calls me Honey - not just as a nickname, but as an all-the-time, introduce-me-to-friends-that-way name.  The reason:  When my sister Stevie was a baby and learning to talk, she heard my mom calling me "Honey" and thought that was my name... it stuck.

3.  Most of the time I wear two different socks.  I have a huge collection of fun and colorful socks and it seems like a shame to have to limit myself to just one design at any given time.  Plus, as an added bonus, it solves the problem of what to do when the dryer eats one - I don't ever worry about having to find a match!

4.  I am accident prone... very.  I have had stitches in my head three times.  The first was after I did a flip off the bed right smack into the dresser, the second was a freak miniature golf (yes I said miniature golf) accident, and the third (and, knock-wood, last) was a horrific rollerblading fall.

*Bob wanted me to add that although I am very accident prone, I am actually quite agile 20 feet in the air on a ladder.  (I had a lot of practice when I was co-owner of a mural/decorative painting company!)

5.  I don't high five.  Seriously.  I am a very enthusiastic person and love to celebrate in lots of ways - a hug, a dance, a cheer, even a low five... but a high five?  Sorry, I love ya but I'll leave you hanging.  (Like I said before I'm accident prone and high fives can be very dangerous!  Ha!)

6.  My favorite ice cream is Ben & Jerry's Cinnamon Buns.

7.  I start every studio session by listening to "Tinfoil Girl" by Kathleen Smith.  It's a little ritual I have.  It always puts a smile on my face.  After that I may put on my painting playlist, or I may hit shuffle on my super-duper eclectic ipod.  I love all sorts of music from good ol' rock & roll to 80's dance music, but I always start with "Tinfoil Girl".

My next task as a "Stylish Blogger" is to pay it forward.  I could very easily give the award to all of my fabulous blogging friends - they all provide me with endless inspiration.  But, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to some blogs I've recently come across that you may not have heard of.  In no particular order...

Have you heard of Dueling Banjo Pigs?  Very funny.  It's a collection of over 500 pigs by different artists.  If you're an artist, you can play along too and have your "Banjo Pig"  posted on their blog!

Let me just start by saying, How can you not love a blog with a name like Plucky Chicken Heart?!?  Mari's writing is so funny - I can always count on her blog when I want to get my laugh on.  The illustrations in this post had me laughing out loud!  And I shared this post with my entire family over the Holidays.  If you're looking for some fun, check it out.

U.Du.Art is a very fun collaborative blog between Jenny and Todd.  I love the light-hearted, whimsical nature of the drawings they do.  It always brings a smile to my face to see a painting of a donkey in a sweater or a cat in a tank top!

On the psychopooch blog, Jennie Yin creates fantastically fun illustrations and doodles.  Her inspiration is inspired... Facebook status updates.  Love it.

At the beginning of January I mentioned Charlie Corrigan's blog, Domestic Icing.  Well, I thought it was definitely worth mentioning it again - Charlie is currently halfway through her challenge of creating an original every day and she is doing it in style!

Gumnut Inspirations is the new website of Nutty, a blogging friend that I've mentioned in the past.  So, technically her blog is not one that I've recently discovered, but she has built an amazing new website that I think deserves a shout out!

Finally, I would like to mention a blogger that many of you already know...

Eva from the to be determined blog and I are up to something... We are dreaming up some fun... We are co-conspirators in some playful plans...

Until we iron out the details that is all I can say, except..

Do you like to play with paint?!?

Sunday Sketches and Surprise, Surprise...

More Sketchbook Project Pages!

"If you weren't stuck in a cave  ...you'd be home by now"

I dug deep into art history for the inspiration for this page - all the way back to the Lascaux cave paintings in France:

The next page is a good illustration of how I'm feeling about the looming deadline for The Sketchbook Project...

"If you weren't suffering such angst  ...you'd be home by now"

This page was based on Edvard Munch's "The Scream":

After this emotional painting, I felt the need to move on to something more tranquil...

"If you weren't in someone else's garden  ...you'd be home by now"

This page was inspired by Claude Monet's "Water Lilies, Green Reflection":

(The theme for my sketchbook is "...you'd be home by now".  If you'd like to find out more about my inspiration, you can find it in this post.)

Don't forget to stop by Sophia's blog to see what my friends have been sketching this week!

p.s.  I want to thank Pavinee, Sandy Coleman, and Jehanne - they all nominated me for a "Stylish Blogger Award"!  My first two duties as a "stylish blogger" are to write 7 things about myself and pay it forward to 15 other blogs I've recently discovered.  Well, I would like to do it "in style", so I will be creating a post much like the one here after I complete the sketchbook project. 

I appreciate your patience as I work, work, work like a madwoman to get my sketchbook finished.  Stay tuned because as soon as it's done I'm all about sharing some blog love...

Sharing Some Blog Love

This post is dedicated to ewe, and ewe... and ewe!

When I started this blog I wondered if anyone would read it, if anyone would be interested in what I had to say, or interested in my art... I have since discovered that by putting myself out there I have entered into a wonderfully welcoming community. 

I am amazed at all of the support and encouragement I have received since starting my online journey. I feel truly blessed and am so grateful for all of the new friends I have made. I love reading all of your fabulous comments and with each new 'follower' I feel as if the size of my heart has increased.

In addition to all of the love that you guys show me here, I have also discovered so many creative and inspiring blogs... It seems like everyday I find a new treasure! I love to read about the experiences of other creative people (like you, and you, and you).

So, to all of you I say:

Thank you for your support
Thank you for your encouragement
Thank you for your kindness
and
Thank you for your endless sources of inspiration!

You may remember me mentioning that I received an award - here it is. Thank you again to Carol the Gardener! 
In the interest of sharing the blog love and "paying it forward", I would like to highlight some blogs you may or may not have heard of.  I think you'll find them as fun, interesting, and inspirational as I do...

Day 16 of 365 Still Life w/ Tomatoes and Plate 14x11 oil on canvas by Kate Boone

Art Everyday - 365 Quickies and Other Work by Kate Boone

Kate Boone has taken on the monumental task of creating a painting every day for 365 days. For those of you that paint, you know what a challenge that will be (I know that for me, there are some days when it just isn't happening)! I find Kate's blog fascinating because not only is she sharing her beautiful art with us, she is sharing her feelings about her creations and the creating itself. I think Kate is very brave for being so open and honest with her readers... Her daily paintings and musings are definitely something to look forward to each day.

 

 The Kat Eye View of the World

I have a confession to make... I live vicariously through Kat of "The Kat Eye View of the World". Kat travels the world, camera in hand, and posts (at least) one of her beautiful photos every day. While sitting at my computer in my little corner of the world, I am able to travel the globe through the lens of Kat's camera. She pairs her amazing photographs with wonderful writing (and sometimes she includes photo tips).  In addition to her blog, you can visit her flickr page to get a glimpse of her world.

  Today's Splotchmonster: 360 by Steve Loya

a splotchmonster a day

...keeps creative boredom away! Every day at Steve Loya's blog, two new splotchmonsters are posted. One of the monsters has already "come to life" at the creative hand of Steve, and the other is left blank so anyone who chooses can download the image and play along. You all know how much I love silly, so I can't help but be drawn to a blog that places it front and center!

The Sketchbook Project" Doodleheads

This blog was created by Sophia at Blue Chair Diary (of Sunday Sketches fame) as a place where Sketchbook Project participants can 'meet' and share their pages and their thoughts.  As an artist, I know how lonely the creative process can become cooped up in a studio with only your own opinions...  Which is why I think this blog is brilliant!

Kindness Girl

I believe that really good things are worth repeating, which is why I can't help but share some more inspiration from Patience Salgado's blog!  (When you watch the video you'll see what I mean) You may remember me talking about her "guerrilla goodness" in this post last month.  In case you missed it or you haven't visited her site yet, be sure to head over there - you're sure to be inspired.  It's never too late to share some kindness!


And, one final piece of blog love:
Make sure you stop by Kelly Berkey's blog  - she posted the finished pieces for "Stretching to Sketch"  (they're fantastic!) and the new challenge photo... Come join the fun! 

Stretching to Sketch: Revealed

The drawings above were created for "Stretching to Sketch" - the great new challenge hosted by Kelly Berkey. You may remember the start to these drawings that I posted for Sunday Sketches....

My friend Mr. Toast requested a closer view of the hands.

While working on the mixed-media drawing, I started thinking about the loving gesture of the hands, the vulnerability of the pose, and how Kelly is revealing herself to all of us through her beautiful photos. Then I remembered that this week's Theme Thursday prompt is "reveal"... All of the thoughts I had seemed to mesh together (I love it when that happens).

Unfortunately, not everything in my studio is falling into place... I am sorry to say that my moleskine is still in pieces on the table. Taking it apart has turned out to be a bigger undertaking than I originally thought... But, I continue to remain hopeful that it will all work out in the end.

On a lighter and happier note (I certainly wouldn't want to end this post with my sketchbook woes), my new friend Carol the gardener has given me an award. She likes my painting paired with my silly... Cool. Since I'm new to all of this (and have never received one before) I am shocked and flattered all at the same time. Thank you so much Carol!