A r c h i v e

Our last day in Paris we wanted to spend as immersed as possible, avoiding the crowded areas and admiring the charm of the quaint Montmartre neighborhood.

There were so many pictures we took on this day that I considered painting, but these two captured it best for me. Continue reading...

My son’s friend took a trip to Africa with his father to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. What started as a casual hobby of hiking through state parks, led to this goal to achieve something bigger.

On his trip he took photos of the nature he encountered, which included several of the lilac breasted roller. A few years ago I painted my first bird, which happened to be a lilac breasted roller. I painted it for a project that would be my return to painting after a 10 year hiatus Continue reading...

It’s our first full day in Paris. Only one thing on the agenda- find the Eiffel Tower! I woke up full of excitement! We followed the general guideline of our map to get us across the 18th Arrondissement to the 7th. Knowing it was a trek, we thought it would be a good way to see the city if we walked the whole way. No other plans but to enjoy our day together, and immerse ourselves in the romantic city streets. I was so anxious for my lifelong dream of seeing the Eiffel Tower in reality, but tried not to rush there so we could enjoy the sights along the way. Continue reading...

It was our first evening in Paris. We just spent the afternoon wandering through the park, having ice cream, and watching swans swim around a pond. I was on a cloud of disbelief, trying to process the reality of this day. Walking hand in hand with the man of my dreams, through the city of my dreams, this is all too good to be true, I thought as we walked back to our hotel. We stayed at a little boutique hotel, just down these steps and around the corner, to the left. We walked this path each night as we made our way back to the hotel after a long adventure around town. The energy from the cafe lights, inviting you into their doors, and the commotion from the patrons gathering with friends, was so enticing!  Continue reading...

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with all things french. Visiting Paris was always a dream of mine. When I was a teenager I had black and white posters on my wall of the Eiffel Tower, and a collection of books and photos of Paris. Those posters probably started my admiration for black and white photography. I love the way they capture a moment, making it feel like time is still standing still in that very spot, just waiting for me to walk right into it. I spent years day dreaming about being in those photos, walking the cobblestone, romanticizing the most romantic city in the world.  Continue reading...

Every couple of days I like to peruse the Nextdoor app, mostly to see what pets have gone missing so I can keep an eye out for them in my travels around town.  But instead of a pet in need of rescue, this time someone posted looking for an artist to paint a statue to look like their dog.  I love painting dogs, so I volunteered my services!  Continue reading...

I can't be whole with only half. These two are my everything. They always ask, “Mom, who’s your favorite?” The oldest will say the youngest, and the youngest always agrees.  But no mom could ever answer that question.      Continue reading...

My grandmother passed away last week. I was so flustered inside with grief and sadness, I couldn’t process any of it, so I sat down to paint. This is exactly why I paint. To sort through the weeds of my emotions until I find the clarity to heal. Thinking of the the last time I saw her, I started to paint another peacock.  Continue reading...

My husband I recently traveled to Northern Sonoma County, to celebrate our 5 year anniversary. The first day of our trip, there was a massive power outage in the area due to the high fire risk. We were concerned at first, thinking we traveled all this way and wineries may be closed, but fortunately it worked to our advantage!  Continue reading...

As I scoured my brain to name each bird in this series, nothing really felt right. I took a step back and remembered these are my Moody Birds, and knew the name would need to come from my heart, so I asked myself – what do these make me feel? What was my mood when I created them? In turn, I realized these are a direct reflection of the feelings I had towards myself during the great egg event.  

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In the middle of yoga one Wednesday evening in March, I received a text from the President of our Art Society.  She asked if I ever painted on fiberglass, to which I responded, “No, but I’ll paint anything! What’s up?”   In networking with the mall, they asked if she could help them with an upcoming art exhibit as one of the artists dropped out last minute and they needed someone to fill the spot. The project was a painted Easter Egg display. I graciously accepted, not thinking twice about it, or realizing what I signed up for!  Continue reading...

During my “break” from art, I didn’t keep my skills sharp. When I finally found the time and the inspiration to pick up my pencils again, I felt like I was starting from the beginning. My confidence in what I was able to create was gone now, but my desire to keep trying and keep learning was still with me.  So I picked up my pencil anyway and just started to draw.   With each page of my sketchbook, it slowly started coming back to me, and led me to dog portraits.   

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