11 Years of Paint Party Friday!

(A piece from the archives.)

This week's celebration at the PPF blog is bittersweet...

As we celebrate the 11th birthday of our paint party, we also prepare to say farewell to the weekly meet-ups. When EVA first approached me about starting the blog, I never could have imagined the community that would be created. What started out as a fun way to paint more with accountability and encourage others to do the same soon turned into so much more. Through Paint Party Friday, we have made lifelong friendships with artists from all over the world. We have shared moments that extend far beyond the canvas... we've celebrated joys and supported each other through sorrows. It has been an honor to be the co-host of a party that has helped people connect more deeply through their art. 

(A collage of some of my favorite PPF pieces from over the years.)

I would like to offer a great BIG thanks to all of the artists that have shared their art with us over the years. In addition to admiring all of your fabulous work, I have learned so much about bravery, authenticity, and vulnerability from all of you... It takes courage to put yourself out there, and our goal at PPF has always been to provide a safe space for you to share the art of your heart. My wish is that you continue to share your art and let others see all of the things that make you so special. Saying good-bye is hard, so let's not...

Please come say 'hi' on Instagram so we can keep in touch!

(A piece made many moons ago that still holds true today!)

Before I end my final Paint Party Friday post, I want to give a HUGE shout out to my amazing friend and PPF co-host, the incredible EVA!

Thank you so much for trusting me to be your partner in what turned out to be an unbelievable journey... none of it would have been possible without you.

xoxoxo

A Halloween Story

 At the beginning of the month, I got a crazy idea to create a (mostly wordless) Halloween story on Instagram one day and one sketch at a time. When I started I had only a very vague idea of what I wanted to happen.

This is the result...

20 Years Ago Today

I am sharing this post as a reminder to myself (and anyone else that might need to hear it) that dreaming big and not being afraid to go for it can lead to some pretty amazing adventures.

Today marks the 20 year anniversary of that time this mural (and my friend & business partner, Zoë, and I) were on the Oprah show after a whirlwind trip to Racine Wisconsin (and Chicago!) to paint a surprise mural for one of Oprah’s angels, Julia Burney (now Witherspoon).

In April 2001, our mural and decorative painting business was still just a fledgling company... I was a young, wide-eyed dreamer who was only a few months away from getting married. When Zoë and I saw Julia’s inspiring (and close to our hearts) story, I had no doubts about what I wanted to to. I wanted to volunteer to paint a mural for her new reading center, so I immediately emailed Oprah... No second guessing, no hesitation, no questioning whether or not it was a crazy idea.

Looking back, there is a lot that I can learn from my younger self. So, to celebrate this special day, I thought it would be fun to share some of the things that I knew then (without even realizing it!!), but need a reminder of now:

1. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. So, you might as well PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE.

2. POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS, if you...

3. DREAM BIG, WORK HARD, and GO FOR IT!

4. It’s okay to be nervous... Feel the fear, but DO IT ANYWAY! And, finally...

5. FORTUNE FAVORS THE BOLD.

If you’re interested in reading more about my time on Oprah, you can find the whole story on my website HERE.

I would love to hear about what big dreams YOU are dreaming today!

(Please share them with me in the comments!)

The 100 Day Project: Days 61 - 100 (Highlights)

Finishing up 2020 with the last of #The100DayProject2020...

(To see previous posts about the project, please click HERE.)

62/100: High on a hill were three party goats, weird.

Layee odl layee hee hoo!

(This is the colored version of the last image of my last post.)

62/100: You never know where you're going to see a party animal...

66/100: What does a well-mannered duck bring to a potluck?

Cheese and quackers, of course!

67/100: Did someone say garden party?!?

72/100: Close En-COW-nters

73/100: The party was great until...

The balloon drop.

81/100: A squirrel in a king costume.

85/100: A parrot in a cowboy costume.

87/100: Hang in there!

88/100: #100DaysofPartyAnimals Election Edition

89/100: Festive or a moosetake?

91/100: Hanging around...

94/100: Woo-hoo! 2020 AFC East Champions! Go Bills!

95/100: Holy mackerel... It's SANTA CLAWS!!

96-99/100: It all started with a question...

What is the squid emoji doing?!?

Is he... A French Impressionist Painter? A disco dancer?

Or maybe a football player?

100/100: Happy Moose Year! (I know, I know, it's a stretch...)

For my final image in the series, I thought it would be fun

to come full circle by re-interpreting day one’s character

in the looser style I’ve been playing with lately.

Having a moose in his underwear also seemed like an appropriate image

to finish off 2020 since one of the surprising (and recurring) themes of the year

has been a general lack of pants... (It’s definitely been a year like no other.)

Wishing you all the best in 2021 (with or without pants)!