Greeting cards & Prints   

Hi there! 

Happy Thanksgiving!  

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. 

Getting together with family and friends, relaxing, yummy food, everyone pitching in with the meal and the clean-up, and this year, I'm even looking forward to Lions football!

I especially love when everyone is finally gathered at the table; the moment before everyone "tucks into" the beautiful meal... wine glasses raised, eye contact, smiles, and gratitude. Toasting each other, and all the things we are thankful for.

clink clink clink.... sip...aaaaahhhh.

I'm thankful for each and every one of you too...

I appreciate your friendship.

Thank you for letting me into your inbox.     

Cheers!  (clink clink clink)  

Inspiration to use in your own creative work....

simply notice...(and then gather) 

I get asked all the time.... 

"Where do you get ideas about what to paint?"

And my answer?
By simply living, and noticing, and then (this is the important bit) gathering the ideas so you can become inspired when it's painting time.

When you observe that odd shaped cloud; see that crazy looking person; see that bright vibrant green against the dark purplish blue.... collect that idea, and deposit it into your art journal.

Your art journal is your very own, personal, idea spark-ler...

I would love to say that I'm organized enough to have just one art journal... and when I've filled it, I begin another. NOPE...Not even close.

I have a journal...
in my purse,
upstairs by the computer,
down in the studio,
next to the bed,
in the console of the car,
in the bathroom (now, that's embarrassing and probably too much info.)
and in the kitchen....

And if I have an idea and I can't put my hands on one of my journals? I write it on any handy piece of paper...Then I tape the paper into the journal when I find one...What I don't do, is let the idea get away.

My journals are full of lame ideas. But I never judge them until it's painting time. (I try not to paint a lame idea.)

The books don't have to be pretty, or expensive, or unlined, or thick pages...they just have to be blank and ready to be filled with inspirations.

Happy collecting!

ideas for "Moondance"

"Moondance"

Here's a link to the explanation, in case you missed it. 

This week, I'm Celebrating:

• sharing the very first

  Thanks for the photo Rhonda!

  art class held at the Oliver Art Center with some very talented artists
• having raised $36 for HARP after just one week 
• pumpkin bread with fresh cranberries, sweet and tart in one bite 
• music of all sorts 
• Christmas shopping online
• made up a squash soup recipe, that was actually delicious!
• meerkats... thanks for reminding me Mary
• videos like this...wow. (thanks Louise) 
• jokes   
• finishing a great book and finding out the author wrote a sequel
• seeing the top of my desk after a cleaning session
• a new pile of wood for the wood stove
• a husband that stacked the new pile of wood for the wood stove 
• hand-made Christmas gifts
• the satisfaction i get from peeling dried matte medium off my fingers. 

Classes....

Classes at Oliver Art Center....

schedule coming soon!  

January 23, 2012, 10am-2pm

"Acrylic 101"  

ArtCenter Traverse City   

February 2, 2012, 10am-4pm

"Acrylic Adventure"

ArtCenter Traverse City

February 16, 2012, 12-4pm

"Acrylic 101"  

ArtCenter Traverse City   

March 5, 2012, 10am-4pm

"Acrylic Adventure"  

ArtCenter Traverse City

Have a Great Week!