Aster

First painting of the year! Happy 2015! I got new stencils for Christmas--can you tell? I like how this painting has a sort of bohemian vibe.

Amen

2014 Year in Review

It was a wonderful year. It was a challenging year.

I got to meet my brother in NYC and then ride the bus to DC.

I FINALLY met my boyfriend, Johnny Depp. Even wax Johnny Depp is hot. 

Photo credit: http://www.newstatesman.com/

I did LOTS of intense therapy. It was very painful. Healing is wonderful but it HURTS. I can't even tell you how many panic attacks I had. 

 I went to the zoo. I love animals the way most people love chocolate and peanut butter. 

I met two of my favorite bands, Neon Trees and Phantogram. I also went to some awesome shows: Twenty-One Pilots, Morrissey, I took my girls to Paramore, plus I saw Broods, Phantogram, Capital Cities, and Neon Trees.

The man I did my first ever portrait commission for years ago (family aside) was convicted of murdering his wife (who he had me paint a month after he killed her). He wanted me to "immortalize her". Of course I didn't know it at the time. Creepy!

http://www.people.com/article/utah-doctor-martin-macneill-sentencing-murder-wife

I published two books. A silly one with my brother and a novel. It's been a dream of mine since I was twelve. Buy your copy here:  http://www.amazon.com/Pictures-You-Juliette-Caron/dp/1499380771/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401157690&sr=8-1&keywords=juliette+caron

I tried landscape painting for the first time since junior high. 

And animals.

I joined Displate, where one can buy metal art prints. Check it out: http://displate.com/juliettecaron

I made it into my first art directory. That was exciting!!!

Went on a short trip to Arizona. 

Sedona is freakin' beautiful!

And last, but not least, I sold seventeen original paintings and fifteen prints! Dreams DO come true, folks. :)

Antique Store Finds

I love collecting little knick-knacks.

Arizona Trip

The husband and I went of a short weekend trip to Arizona.

Here we are in Jerome, one of our favorite little art towns. 

 Sedona takes my breath away.

I love the red rocks.

Doesn't get much prettier than this, folks.

Art Diretory

Looky! I'm in my first art directory! I feel so legit.

Present Tense

It's been awhile since I've painted a couple. I titled it Present Tense because being newly in love is one of those times that is so magical, it forces you to be in the moment. A lot of us fear for the future, or assume tomorrow brings all the answers. A lot of us are stuck in the past--we romanticize it or we have regrets. But true happiness lies in the present moment.

Gold Eyed Cat

I'm having a lot of fun taking a break from painting women and trying my hand at animals. I'm really pleased with the colors in this one.

Metal Prints Now Available!

Exciting news! Metal prints of my work are now available! Check it out here: http://displate.com/juliettecaron  And you can still purchase traditional giclee prints, canvas prints, greeting cards, tote bags, clocks, throw pillows, etc here: http://society6.com/juliettecaron

Green Eyed Cat

I love cats. But I'm allergic to them. Maybe someday I'll buy a hairless one.

Yellow Lab

I love painting people. It's what I've been doing for the past seventeen years--it's what I'm passionate about. But I'm mixing it up a bit more now because if I didn't I would be so freaking bored. Hence the dog painting.

Clara

I thought it was time to paint another redhead. 

Finding Calm in the Chaos

This painting was inspired by recent personal experiences. I am trying to find calm in the chaos of life. I've been sharing my art for awhile now (and I still feel vulnerable!) but releasing my first book has been a hundred times scarier and it's been an emotional rickety carnival ride--the kind that makes you wanna throw up, the kind that makes you sure you're going to DIE. And then there's the other stuff: Opening old wounds in therapy so I can clean out the puss and finally heal. And the world in general, with all the violence and hatred and clashing religious and political views. If you want to lose your faith in humanity, read the comments on YouTube or on a news article. People can be horrible.

Despite all that, life is beautiful. There's beauty to be found everywhere. Sometimes the best thing in the world is to collapse on a blanket thrown on a patch of grass and watch big puffy clouds crawl like turtles across the perfect blue sky. Let the sun soak in. Feel the gentle spring breeze touch your skin. Inhale the scent of earth and blossoms and lilac trees.

Painting this was therapeutic. The hair and the lightening bolt of skin coming out of the model's cheek were fun to do. Trying news things usually pays off. If I didn't experiment, I'd be bored bored bored.

Meet My Novel

I've wanted to write a novel since I was twelve. I would start writing something, usually three to five handwritten pages, and then think, "This sucks!" and give up. Months later I would try again. I think my record was twenty pages. And then one day, while I was attending college, I read a famous quote by Ernest Hemingway that changed everything: "The first draft of anything is sh*t." I thought, "Wow, really?" It gave me a big dose of courage. It gave me permission to write a WHOLE crappy book--and then I could polish it and shine it and make it pretty later.

About six years ago I wrote my first novel. A whole, 200+ pages of novel. A few months later I wrote a second one. About a year later I wrote a third one. I am now working on a fourth. Reading that quote was a turning point for me.

But it took some time to have the courage to share my books with friends, with family, with literary agents. It took some time before I was ready to release one of my babies to the world. And now I finally have. And I am scared. Really, really scared. But I am also excited. I've wanted this for more than half of my life, after all.

Pictures of You is my first published novel, but the second one I wrote. I know it's not perfect--I'm no Virginia Woolf--but I love it. Writing it was so fun, so therapeutic. I laughed, I cried. I feel like September, Adrien, Chris, Abby and Mary are some of my closest friends. I hope you will like it, too.

Here is the synopsis:

In a moment, September Jones’s life is changed forever. Shortly after high school graduation her best friend, Abby, is killed in a hit-and-run accident. Devastated, September struggles to face each day. She turns to junk food, bad TV and journaling to cope. When September meets handsome, mysterious Adrien, who’s given himself two weeks to write the perfect suicide note, and nice guy Chris, her new coworker who has some troubles of his own, she realizes she’s not the only one dealing with personal demons. Pictures of You reminds us of our human capacity for resilience, forgiveness and hope.

Buy your copy HERE

My First Ever Digital Painting

Yesterday I thought I'd try digital painting. I did self portrait. Although I won't be giving up my acrylics anytime soon (probably never, actually) it was enjoyable trying something new.