Truths

So if you read this blog, you know that Artfest is next week. Whenever I have a free minute, I'm pretty consumed with thinking about it.

Here's are some truths in my head right now:

- I'm nervous but ridiculously excited.

- If you wish for something and then work really, really hard, it can happen.

- Ignoring your fears is really empowering but still scary.

- The idea of teaching and proclaiming "I AM AN ARTIST" has dredged up some "unfun" confidence and identity issues. Who am I to think that I am good enough to teach? Is my art any good? Who am I really? Am I artsy enough?

(Side Note about this one - I think this is normal and expected. I'm trying to take a huge leap that has taken me 20+ years to reach, so it's going to take me some more time to get adjusted.)

- I need to find my local artistic community.

- I want to find a better way to describe my artistic style. I don't think "fun and whimsical" is going to do it for me any more.

- I want to be able to accept that "fun and whimsical" is good enough - even if that's not how I want to describe my art to people who I don't think will "get it."

- I want to quit overthinking everything. (Obviously I'm having trouble with this one.)

- I have so many ideas for things I want to do that my head may just pop. Almost everything I look at gives me a new idea. (For example, just adding the line drawing image above makes me want to do some coloring of my line drawings using PhotoShop to play around with different color palettes.)

This is going to be a bumpy but exciting ride. Hang on!!!

Registration is OPEN!

I'm super excited to announce that registration for Inspire My Life art retreat in Manitowoc, WI is OPEN!!!!

Here is the link to the registration site: LINK

I'm teaching the Don't Be Blue Bouquet class on Friday, July 29th from 6-9 PM... ...and Love Your Letters on Saturday, July 30th from 3-6 PM. More detailed descriptions are available on the registration site or on the "Workshops I Teach" tab on my blog above.

Class sizes are limited to 10 people. I hope people sign up! I'm so very thrilled to get to be part of a smaller retreat where we can all hang out and create.

P.S. Registrations is still open for Art Unraveled in Phoenix, AZ in August and Art Is You Petaluma in Petaluma, CA in September.

Hope to meet you at one of these fun events!

And in other news...

It's been all about Artfest around here lately (YAY! Just ONE week until I am in Washington and headed towards all the fun!!), but I thought I'd also post that I am taking another shot at proposing workshops for Art & Soul. Just sent them for Art & Soul 2012. Yes, you read that right... 2012.

It's hard for me to think so far ahead, but I'm just going to have to get used to it! :)

Time for Artfest Trades

I feel like I'm down to the wire here, but I'm going to get these done!

I'm doing a different take on last year's trades because my poor little overworked brain only had a little time to think up an idea this time. Will show you the final result before I ship myself out for Artfest.

It's all about perspective

You might look around this place our little family calls home and see...

• the sink is full of dishes
• the laundry is in such huge piles that my husband has started referring to them as haystacks
• there's remodeling dust everywhere (and I mean everywhere)

I look around and see...

• a house trying to open up and reach its potential
• time spent building block castles, knocking them down, and building them again
• art projects everywhere and packing for Artfest in progress

This crazy, busy life might not suit everyone, but we're making it work for us right now.

I have some exciting news cooking, but it needs a few more weeks to come together. Can't wait to share!

Harper Doodles

I've been doodling a lot in the mornings lately on materials for my upcoming workshops. This morning my daughter Harper joined in the fun proclaiming, "I want to be an artist, Mama!" Here's her doodle from this morning...
(She's only two, so I'm the one who wrote her name - as demanded by my little artist - and then the date, of course.) :)

Announcing...

I think it's ok to now announce that....

I'll be teaching at Kim Geiser's Inspire My Life retreat at the end of July in Manitowoc, Wisconsin!!!!

The registration site will be up at the end of the month, but the main site is at http://inspiremyliferetreat.blogspot.com/ You can look for updates there if you want some of the general info.

I'll be teaching the Don't Be Blue Bouquet mixed media flowers class and Love Your Letters class.

SO excited!!!

Artfest! It's NOT too late!

Artfest registrations are still open until March 15th, so it's not too late to sign up!

Artfest is such an amazing experience - April 6th through April 10th in Port Townsend, Washington. You won't want to miss the fun!

AND... if you're interested... my classes still have spots available. :)

License to Create is scheduled for Friday, April 8th. We'll be making these funky license plate boxes to hold our all our treasures. (Ok, ok... I fill mine with candy, but they'd be a good place to hide just about anything. Maybe I'll put my trades from Artfest into my next one.)

Game Time is scheduled for Saturday, April 9th. I've been thinking about a cowboys versus varmits theme for the sample I work on demoing with the class. We'll see if that turns out. Or maybe astronauts versus aliens?

I really hope to see you there!

Where have I been lately?

I suppose that says it (sort of). I've been pretty underwater lately. I recently decided to take some positive actions (positive in my opinion, at least) to get my workload under control so I can reclaim my life. It's been very crazy the last six months or so. I'm going to try to fill the next six months with fun and positive decisions to get myself back on track.

Hopefully that means you'll see more of me around here. I miss you.