Where have I been?

To say that I have taken a break would be a misrepresentation of how I've spent my time, but you could say I have taken a break from painting. We moved over the summer from Arizona to Utah, our 11th move in that many years.  The weekend after we moved I found out that I was expecting baby number five which turned out to be babies number five and number six.  We have been building our dream home, running kids around, growing twins and anticipating our 12th and final move after 12 years of marriage. During most of this time Nate has been working in Arizona 2 to 4 days a week. We hope to close and move into our house in the next few weeks. I am so excited to move into my new home and use my new studio; however, with a move, newborn twins and six boys to take care of I can't promise that I'm going to be doing much painting even after moving, at least for a few more months.
Despite all the craziness, I have managed to have some great painting experiences the last couple months and I will post my paintings soon- Especially since I just learned how to use my iPhone to post on my blog :)
Here is a sneak peak at my studio. The main room is about 35x35 feet, plus it has its own bathroom and nice sized storage area. I'll have to give you a more detailed tour later.

A few more recent paintings

Citrus and Blue

Recently, I was able to go to a workshop in Scottsdale with Daniel Keys.  It was SO much fun.  The inspiration and the vacation I got was very much needed.  This is what I painted when I got home.  I've worked on the lemon and left corner a little more since I took this photo.

Movin on Up

Here is my second attempt at the "Morning Ritual" Painting idea.  I like it a little better.  It has flowers. 

Morning Ritual

Not the best painting, but it is a lot better than it was a week ago. I had a heart to heart with my husband a few weeks ago. I was feeling really discouraged about art and life. There's just not enough time in the day to do it all- But I did get some inspiration for my thesis and subject matter. I want to portray those simple little things in life that make being a woman, and a mom, both challenging and great. Our days have so many mundane tasks, but there are countless blessings in the process. I thought this painting would be a good start as it represents how I survive. Water (with a bit o lemon to get me going), scriptures, journal and even a hint of a planner there on the left side). The dishtowel is there primarily for color and eye flow, but it does represent my morning jobs (laundry, dishes etc.)- Oh, and that orange thing, is actually my fancy sugar bowl. I guess, even though we try to avoid it, we all need a little sweetness in our lives. Each morning as I wake up and prepare to face the day, I am filled with so much hope at what I am going to do that day and what I want to accomplish. I am always up well before the sun- sometimes at 4 am. If I miss this crucial morning prep time, I am wandering around aimlessly for the rest of the day- never quite able to focus. I wish the painting would have turned out better, but it is a good starting place after a small summer hiatus to move and get my kids on a good home school schedule.

Roses

My roses bloomed overnight, I think, and I got so excited to paint them. I did all 3 of these paintings tonight after my kids went to bed. I didn't spend much time on them, but they are still my favorite paintings I've done this semester :)

California Here I Am

Here is a painting of my sister Kristin. It was a fun palette knife experience. My two yr old kept saying, "Aunt Kristin needs a face".

Pears

Back to painting again. Baby Troy is already four months old and fits right in with the big boys.

What I've been Doing Lately

So I just thought I would give you an update of my life. I am just about to have baby #4. I'm in classes this semester, homeschooling, and still getting all settled in after our summer move. I've been doing art, but not so much painting. Here are some of the projects I've been working on for my Color Theory class. Every color you see was painted separately and cut out and carefully mounted.

Orange Path SOLD

This is the last painting I did before we moved from Annapolis to Kingman. I really liked the finished piece, but I didn't get a good image of it. I sold it at my show.

More Quick Still Lifes 30-45 min SOLD

"Orange Flowers" SOLD

I painted this yesterday in Louis Escobedo's class at the Easton Studio and School in Easton, MD. I only have two classes left before we move. I will sure miss the weekly painting sessions. I think my weekly retreat to this beautiful and quaint Eastern Shore town has been my saving grace for the past several months- great people, great music, great subject matter, and yummy food at one of the local places, and painting, painting, painting. It has been something that this pregnant mamma of 3 who is always trying to bite off more than she can chew really needed.

Quick Study "Carolina"

Quick Studies, "Waiting" "Back Creek Boat" SOLD

Tulips

Caroline SOLD

Portrait

Sedona

Arizona

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Jake the Leprechaun

Luke

Alley

Beary SOLD

The beloved stuffed animal.

25 min studies (SOLD)

More Quick Studies 30-60 min

"Stepping up to Pink" SOLD and "Roses" SOLD

More fun paintings from Louis Escobedo's class in Easton, MD. I'm getting better. I felt like the process of the rose painting was more successful than the final piece, but I think I am improving.

QUICK Studies 25 min SOLD

I'm in a great class this semester called Quick Studies. You have to set the timer and paint like the wind. I've been doing 5-10 paintings each week. These were all done in 25 min.