i'm back!

I am back from my trip home to Oregon and despite spending the day feeling grumpy, resisting my to do list and coping with transition- I am feeling quite inspired, hopeful and really excited for things to come!

peek inside my sketchbook

I have found through lots of experience- that I need to create. Rarely can I even go a couple of days (even when traveling) without designing, photographing, painting, making or drawing something - ANYTHING!! It is good for my soul and it always keeps me inspired and warmed up for the next project that comes along. While in Oregon my daily exercise has been sketching some of my favorite beach houses around town- here is a little peek inside my sketchbook.

a few quick updates

All kinds of things are happening over here- my head is spinning and I am afraid I will forget to give updates- so it is time for a much needed break for business!

I am so EXCITED that I will be teaching at the first ever CREATE retreat designed by the Cloth Paper Scissors editorial staff! The retreat is August 25-29th at the Rosemont Hotel- just outside of Chicago. Registration recently went live and I will be teaching 2 classes-

Living Large

August 25th

9am-4pm

The Trashy Clutch

August 27th

9am-4pm

and I will selling all kinds of handbags and handmade goodies at the Artists Faire during the evening on August 27th!

I am in the midst of getting everything together for my next online class- Color Your World and more details are coming this week- I PROMISE! I am actually waiting to hear about some changes to the Ning network, the site where I host all of my classes and as soon as I have details I will be opening up registration and just might be having another online class sale ;)

I am diving in head first to writing my next book and the months of May and June will be dedicated to lots of creating and writing- more to come...

my perfect kind of day

my perfect kind of day =

green forests, trails to beaches, hours of beach combing, tide pools, lots of photos, unplugging from the computer (and all responsibility), my husband by my side and adventure.

save the arts please

Yesterday I had the pleasure of speaking to the middle school art classes here in my hometown about studying and working in the arts. I am from a SMALL town on the Oregon Coast where it seems opportunities, income and influence is limited and now with our current economic situation, this area (that often struggles anyway) has been hit hard. Visiting the middle school was a bittersweet experience because I went knowing that this was the last year of the art program- yep budget cuts. But I was grateful for the opportunity to talk about being an artist, show my art and answer questions about pursing an arts education with the hope of inspiring at least one young person to stick with their interest.

I am a TRUE example of a lifetime of education in the arts- both in school and outside of school. Thankfully my parents recognized my interest in art at an early age and nurtured that desire. My longing to learn as much as I could seemed to always be met- I took drawing lessons, I had supplies, there were opportunities to explore different mediums in school, I had good and bad art teachers but art was ALWAYS AN OPTION. By the time I got to high school I knew I wanted to be an artist, I identified myself as an artist and art was my ticket to college, to opportunities and out of a small town. I received a scholarship to college to study art and the rest is really history.

Yesterday after the happiness and high of talking about being an artist wore off- I found myself thinking about what I would have done if art programs would have been taken away from me, if my parents never recognized my passion, if nobody stepped in to help me find my creative voice, if I never had teachers or community members invest their time in supporting me and it made me sad, like really, really sad. While it frustrates me to no end that art seems to be expendable- right now this is the reality that we are living with. I say that it's up to the rest of us to step in where government and education are failing. It is up to us to save the arts and perhaps this means not only speaking out but getting involved, volunteering our time and creative skills, sharing our own stories, being proactive parents and mentors, investing in creativity, stepping outside ourselves and putting the things we believe into action.

always tomorrow

I often find in my life that ideas, plans and decisions succeed- while others don't quite work out the way that I expect or envision. Today, some paper boats I made (while they did float) not only failed but were completely destroyed by strong winds and a rising tide- SO SAD! Sometimes things just don't go as expected but there is always tomorrow to try again!

inspiration: oregon coast paths & trails

In 5th grade I had to memorize the poem The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost (not an easy poem!) and to this day it is one of my favorites AND I cannot walk by a trail or a path without repeating it to myself. The last few weeks in Oregon have been spent outside and something that is quite common in this area are little trails carved into wind swept sand dunes, up the sides of mountains, winding through forests, along side streams and in backyards. I couldn't resist photographing and sharing some of my favorites paths and trails.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim

Because it was grassy and wanted wear,

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I marked the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

-Robert Frost

today

Despite getting completely drenched during my morning workout- I couldn't have asked for a better way to start the day!