Lucy

The second commissioned pet portrait I did this month.

Caribbean Cruise

 The husband and I went on a Caribbean cruise to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We had a blast!

 The Bahamas was gorgeous and relaxing.

 Jamaica was our favorite. It was a magical day at Blue Hole, Dunn's River Fall, the flea market and we went snorkeling for the very first time. 

 We loved snorkeling so much, we went a second time at the Cayman Islands. We never got bored of the aqua water.

Lastly, we did a little shopping in Mexico.

Rikki

I did my first ever pet commission of this sweet dog, Rikki. 

Tropical Sunset

I took a community oil painting class for fun and because I miss painting with other artists. (Sometimes I really miss the sense of community I enjoyed in high school and college.) So being an acrylic girl, this was my first oil in years. I gravitated toward a tropical scene because I'm going on a Caribbean cruise in a couple of weeks. I'm sooo excited!

Zuri

Zuri is a beautiful, strong, confident woman. Her hair was a lot of fun to paint. Zuri is the Swahili name for "beautiful".

Washington/Oregon Trip

A couple of weeks ago my family and I went on a road trip to Washington and Oregon. We stopped in Idaho to visit my grandma. 

 Seeing the Fremont Troll was on my bucket list. It was sooo cool!

Getting my feet wet at Madison Park. 

I finally saw the Space Needle in person! So cool. 

I love how artsy Portland is. 

 I was in heaven at Music Millennium. I adore huge record stores. #keepportlandweird

We got to try so many delicious vegan restaurants.

Cannon Beach was dreamy!

One of the most beautiful beaches I've been on!

This dog loved it, too. 

The forests were truly magical.

Luna

I titled this piece Luna because her white-blonde hair is shaped like a crescent moon. The moon represents femininity and the crescent moon, change. The moth in her hair symbolizes sensitivity. I've always felt different and couldn't figure out why. I recently learned I'm what's called a Highly Sensitive Person. I read this article recently and it fits me almost to a tee. Learning moths represent sensitivity makes me love them even more. Although Luna is feminine and sensitive, I tried to show strength and determination in her expression.

Runaway Rabbit

I felt inspired to paint a rabbit who escaped a carousel and ran away. He was tired of going around and around on the same track and ready for new adventures. I decided to stain it with watered down raw umber, focusing on the edges, to give it a antique and darker feel. 

Painting and writing is so cathartic for me. Like the bunny, I want to runaway. For years, I've felt my heart belongs to the ocean. I long to move, but the timing has to be right.

Poodle

I'm a sucker for a poodle. Not only are they one of the most intelligent dog breeds, they are hypo-allergenic, not to mention adorable and soft and snuggly. At one point my late grandma had FIVE poodles! My great grandmother also loved them. It's in my blood. I want one, but it will have to wait. For now the stray cat we adopted will have to do.

Masquerade

One of the things on my lengthy bucket list is to attend a masquerade. There is something sexy and mysterious about them. The mask itself is symbolic. We all hide behind masks of some sort.

Europe Trip

In May I got to go to Europe with my parents and sister. It was my first time visiting in over twenty years. This time my sister and I spent a few days in Venice, Italy, before joining our parents on a cruise that hit Croatia and Greece. 

 Venice was dreamy. 

 Riding a gondola was on my bucket list. I loved it!

 I loved seeing all the masks. I want to attend a masquerade one of these days.

 Santorini, Greece was so lovely. 

 This was my first time on the beach in five years.

 Gorgeous view in Santorini.

The Acropolis in Athens, Greece. I learned about this in school. It's cool to see the real deal. 

 Nice view of Dubrovnik, Croatia.

 Split, Croatia.

My bodyguards. :)

Transformation

Recently I've experienced a transformation. Years of healing have occurred (thanks to my Savior, Jesus Christ and His Atonement, alternative therapy and life coaching). I am happier and more confident than I've ever been. For most of my life I was afraid of revealing my true, authentic self. Fear of rejection and being judged paralyzed me. Emotionally I was a hermit. I was afraid of trusting, making friends. I was afraid of exposing my art and writing to the world. It was traumatic, sharing my talents. But then I realized the world needs ME (and YOU). The real me and you. Not some phony version of us. Not some recluse who refuses to show up. So many people have shown up and blessed my life immensely by sharing their authentic self, their vulnerability, their talents, their friendship. It's time I stop hiding under by covers or behind my couch and let the world around me experience the real me.

These days I decorate my surroundings to inspire myself and those around me. I made this wall collage in my bedroom a week or two ago. The butterfly theme represents transformation. The lovely butterfly ladies were created by a favorite artist, Sofia Bonati. I did the watercolor in the lower left-hand corner. Not only is this wall lovely to look at, it's a reminder of who I truly am. A reminder to be authentic, vulnerable, me.

Affordable prints of the above works can be found here.

Mr Seahorse

This was a fun, spontaneous one. I'm really digging bowler hats and seahorses lately. 

Self-Portrait with Fawn

From time to time I paint a self-portrait. Honestly, I'm not a fan of what I come up with most the time. My goal was to create a self-portrait I actually like. It's awkward to see my own face painted, but overall I succeeded--I don't hate this one. The past year has been the happiest of my life, so I wanted that to reflect in the work. I appear happy and I included a lot of symbolism to illustrate the exciting changes in my life.

The iris stands for hope and faith. The deer is my spirit animal. The bowl of citrus fruit represents cleansing and new beginnings. I added feathers that are inspired by native Americans to symbolism bravery because I've overcome so many hardships. There is a tiny seahorse in the painting that means friendship. I've been able to heal from all my loss and let people back into my life.

Nighttime Cafe

I've always been a huge fan of Van Gogh's Cafe Terrace at Night so I decided to paint a nighttime cafe scene of my own. This is an artsy cafe in Los Angeles. The strings of light really make the scene magical. 

Layla and Her Guitar

I'm pretty behind on posting! Lots of catch up posts starting with this one. This was my first creation of 2016. It pays tribute to my intense love for music. I was aiming for a whimsical, boho feel.