See the Wonder

My younger daughter Samy worries.  If you met her, you wouldn't believe it.  She is so outgoing, warm and connected.  She is a wonderful actress and singer, and wouldn't hesitate to launch into a song if you asked her.  The last thing you would think is that she worries, but she does.  For example, while doing her summer assignment on The Giver (a great book btw!), Samy had to list 12 milestones or traditions that children in the book celebrate.  She couldn't even begin, because she could only think of 9.  What about the other 3?  She couldn't stop focusing on what she didn't know -- even though what she did know was so much greater. 

We all do this -- we focus on what we're not -- not thin enough, not pretty enough, not good enough.  Even many of the amazing artists whose blogs I follow are hard on their work -- and I think it's beautiful!  We all have so much to offer -- so much to give -- and so much to celebrate.  Embrace your positive.  That is my message for today!  In that spirit - here is my contribution to The Diva's challenge to use Mooka and Assunta in a design.  I hope you like this butterfly, a caterpillar no longer.  Ta Da!

 

I am participating in Artists in Blogland's ATC swap.  I never made an ATC before.  In fact, I had never even heard of them and wasn't sure what the point of doing them was.  But then I received these adorable cards in the mail from Marcia Beckett and I was so thrilled!  Aren't they just beautiful?   UPDATE: ATC means "Artist Trading Card" -- a phrase I only just learned myself.

Receiving them made me so happy, and also inspired to create the 6 I needed to make for my part in the swap.  I used these fashion ladies I painted once upon a time, and embellished them with bits and pieces of some of my other paintings and voila!  I liked them so much that it was hard to part with them -- but off they went to Utah, Kentucky and Germany.  It is so fun to think that my artwork is going around the world!  Receiving and making ATCs was so enjoyable that I'm going to make some more!

One of my big fears is painting big... Because of my work as an illustrator for greeting cards and tableware, I've never painted bigger than what fits in my scanner -- so 11 x 14 is the max.  But I have decided to tackle this fear, and also explore the intersection of yoga and art by taking Flora Bowley's e-course "Bloom True."  I just signed up!  It starts September  10 and I'm very excited.  

Imagine; mixed media on canvas.  16 x 20. $250

So that this course is not too much of a shock, I bought a few big canvasses.  This one is 16 x 20.  It's called "Imagine," and is mixed media on gallery stretched canvas.  Digitally, I added the words "you see the wonder of the fairy tale," which is a lyric from "I Have a Dream" by ABBA, one of the songs in Scrapping the Music's August challenge.  (The original only has the hand painted "Imagine" on it.  And it's for sale!!)  If you haven't visited Scrapping the Music yet, check out their August challenge -- it is so much fun to be inspired by music and lyrics, and the Design Team is so supportive.

Linking up to Creative Every Day, Paint Party Friday, and Artists in Blogland (links are on the sidebars).  Cheers!

Thank you for visiting! If you are so moved, please leave a comment. Hearing from you means the world to me.