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. 

Dogsdogsdogs

I love this picture my brother sent me of my niece, Dakota, just waking up from a nap on my dog pillow. Order your dog pillow (or print) from my society6 shop here.

Garden Gnome

I've been collecting cool random plates to make a wall collage and I wanted a gnome plate. I looked at my options online and wasn't too impressed with the selection or prices, so I made one of my own. Garden gnomes make me smile. They remind me of Amelie, travel and kitsch.

Katie

My new friend Katie commissioned me to do her portrait. She threw out a lot of ideas and it was a fun challenge combining the elements. Usually people request a true-to-life portrait, but Katie wanted hers to be more whimsical, with huge, dramatic hair--and a dark bohemian look. I was able to use symbolism, colors and movement to portray her personality.

Ferris Wheel

I've been trying my hand at landscape painting. Because sometimes you gotta mix it up a little. My sister and I went to a carnival earlier this summer and I took a photo with my phone. I loved the photo--and the memory--so much, I thought it would be fun to paint it. I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

Sketches

Sooooo, lately I've started sketching again. I suffered from adrenal fatigue and drawing really helped me stay awake at church. These are a handful of my favorites. 

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