Creativity's journey

The background photo in the above piece came out of an old family photo album and really was taken in the 1950's in San Francisco.
The illustration is a watercolor of my own creation.
I'm hoping to do a full series called 'Frisco in the Fifties because San Francisco and its history are so dear to my heart.

I am coming up on the three year anniversary of this blog and also the anniversary of me embarking on the journey of self-discovery and re-awakening the artist within that had stayed dormant for a decade.

The journey has been interesting thus far. It's far from over. I don't think it ever will be... thankfully.

I'd never been very open about my creative process (I'm really a cynical introvert by nature). The blog changed that... a lot. I think it has forced me to create differently and explore niches and avenues that I otherwise wouldn't have.

Hubby is convinced that all artists are "tortured souls" to some degree or another. I admit that I have my fair share of artistic torture and angst. Here are some questions I ask myself that probably other creatives do too...

When I'm tortured about submission rejections of my work I ask,

"Do I want to be a trend-chaser or a trendsetter?"

When I'm tortured about my agent not calling or emailing I ask,
"Does it matter if my art sells?"

Or I ask,
"If I license my artwork, have I sold out?"

Or this is a favorite,
"Does anyone like my work besides me?"

When I sit in front of a completed painting I really like, I ask,
"Where did this come from?"

The funny thing about blogging my creative journey and deepest creative musings is that its out there... in perpetuity... for all to see. That's pretty scary, because if my creative journey suddenly takes a detour or a complete U-turn, readers that are "along for the ride" may feel like they're getting whiplash. Of course, those that are creatives themselves know exactly what's going on because they do it themselves. At least I hope they do.

"'Frisco in the Fifties: Shopping at I. Magnin" is available in fine art prints and canvases by clicking here

Simply strawberries

Sometimes there's nothing more elegant,
yet so wonderfully simple,
than freshly picked strawberries from the garden.

Faith, hope, and charity

The three things I can't live without... but have such a hard time cultivating sometimes.

Happiness is...

I draw a lot of inspiration from vintage art and photographic images of the past. My mother's family were early adopters of amateur photography back at the beginning of the 20th century, and I am fortunate to have digital copies of the hundreds of photos that have survived 100 years or more. As a kid, I would look through old photo albums as if they were picture books. I've been hooked for a long time.

Two subjects I am drawn to are my own Grammy (Little Elsie) and her baby brother, Jackie. The illustration piece above is directly inspired by them (see the reference photo I used below). There have been a few iterations of this illustration over the past couple of years as I've played with it and tweaked it trying to find the right look for the original pencil sketch I did in my sketchbook. This week, I think I finally found it with watercolors.

As I worked on this piece this week, I realized that a lot of things in this world have changed over the years, but it seems that the relationship between a big sister and her baby brother are still very much the same. Baby brother still disrupt photography sessions of all-girls birthday parties. And big sisters still love them despite their shenanigans.

"Happiness is being a big sister" is now available as
greeting cards, fine art prints, posters, and canvases by clicking here

Together forever

As I worked on this piece I could not make up my mind whether I wanted to add text to it or not. So I decided to do two versions--one without text for prints and canvases to hang on the wall that didn't have a specific theme and one for cards and prints that would be used to celebrate a wedding or anniversary. Works for me!

Both versions available as cards, fine art prints and canvases by clicking here

Take a breath...

...make a wish and believe

Available on prints and canvases

Celebrating summer's arrival

One of my favorite film scenes is in the Disney movie "Pollyana" when everyone in town gathers to have a summer night fundraiser and the residents are riding their bicycles to the town square with lighted oriental lanterns swinging above their heads on poles.

The thought of summer nights always "tickles" the child down deep inside of me and makes me a bit giddy for a fleeting moment.

Something about celebrating al fresco in the warm air of a summer's evening does that to me.

I don't know why... Frankly, I don't care why... I'm just glad it does.