"Promise Me You'll Remember"

"Promise me you'll always remember, You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." ~Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh (A.A. Milne)

"Have the Courage to Follow Your Heart"

Simple Truth Tuesday

"Your being here on earth matters and it can be meaningful" - Oprah

This is about all I can muster right now. I have so many ideas for the blog, but haven't had time to get them together. Until then, I will continue with these simple, yet profound truths. Happy Tuesday!

Simple Truth Tuesday

Simple Truths Tuesdays

I am going to start on a new adventure on the blog! I am going to call these weekly posts "Simple Truths Tuesday". It is my intention to post at least once a week, even if just a little blurb, quote or single pic. Here is the first:

Down on the Farm

Lucid Dream Team made an appearance at the Nada Farm Event this past weekend. We really had a great time and met some great artists/ exhibitors. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, even though Andrea had been to the sale/event/classes in May. It really is on an old farm, they weren't kidding! Chickens roamed the grounds, there were horses in the back pasture and sales galore in the barn. This inspirational piece of prairie was simply divine!
We truly got a taste of what an outdoor show can really be like....in this case, even though the weather was unseasonably warm for October, it was also crazy windy! Good thing we had plenty of weight on the tent (thanks to my husband Aaron) and a couple of good stakes in the ground. Both days were absolutely beautiful and it was invigorating to be outdoors. I even got a chance to paint en plein air on Saturday. Even though the farm is out in the middle of the country, there were people lined up outside of the gates both days waiting to be allowed in. I never knew such an event and community existed in Northern Illinois! It was really exciting to be a part of the event. I hope we can do it again sometime!

Check out Tattered Tiques for more pics of the event!

Autobiography

If anyone ever thought, "Hey, where does Lizzie get her inspiration?" I think this painting answers that question. All of my paintings are based on some part of my life. This one happens to be of myself and my daughter. When I first started it, the piece seemed a little somber or sad when I wanted quite the opposite. I hope I was able to turn it around.
The quote in the background says, "If I could keep any moment it would be this, watching you and holding my breath at the wonder of it all." I found this quote by Brian Andreas and knew it was perfect. If you've never seen his stuff before, check it out here. I love his tender and true descriptions of life.

Back to School

I have been trying to get as much done as I can before Sept 17 & 18 (in time for the Rockford Artists' Fair) and haven't been as successful as I'd like. School officially started yesterday and I inevitably shifted my focus to seating charts and lesson plans. I did manage to finish this piece though. It is my largest and most detailed piece yet.The words on each girl say, "Never forget who you are little star" and "Never forget how to dream butterfly" (lyrics by Madonna). I'm not quite sure if they are sisters, friends or mother & daughter...not sure if it matters.

Finally Finished...Again

You may remember this piece from way back in March, when I thought that it might be done....but, oh no, it was not! It has been nagging me quite a bit since then. It looked a bit incomplete and the message seemed to be unclear. I have been hunting for a mother/daughter quote to top it all off, but had the hardest time. Yesterday, with the reality that summer is coming to a close and the Rockford Artist Fair is coming up, I got into high gear. So here is what I found:
It was actually a quote from a book on friendship. The words read, "I only wish you could see what I see when I look at you." (by Kobi Yamada). When I read that quote, it all clicked into place for me. My original intention with this painting was to show that deep connection between mother and daughter and it turned into sending a message to my daughter. I have so many wishes for my daughter, but one the biggest ones has to be that she be gentle with herself.

Biz update

It's been a little while since I've mentioned much about the 'biz'. So I thought I'd let you all know about what's been happening around here.

First of all, I've teamed up with Andrea to be apart of Lucid Dream Team. Her blog is here. Our business blog has yet to be created, but I will let you know when it is up and running. While we create different artwork, we will be going in together on craft fairs and our Etsy adventure.

Speaking of Etsy, we launched our Etsy shop! I have only one item for sale as of today, but it is a start. I am so excited to get our stuff out there!

Andrea & I also had our very first art fair at Edgebrook in June. We learned the joys of setting up the tent, arranging all of our artwork and taking payments via our smartphones (that was pretty cool). It was a great way to spend my birthday and I look forward to many more.

I also had my first gallery opening at River Valley Community Church at the end of June. It was a small show featuring 4 artists, but I was so proud to be a part of it! It was really awesome to see all of my work in one place and I really felt a sense of accomplishment.



And the last bit of news is that I will be participating in the Rockford Artists' Fair on Sept. 17 & 18, 2011 here in Rockford, IL. I did apply for the Greenwich Village Art Fair, but didn't get in :(. That was a pretty big blow for me, but I moved on to plan B. I am super-duper excited to be involved and am gearing up as we speak.

Phew! That was a lot. Can't wait for all that is in store for us as we move forward in this adventure!

I know, I know

"My Mother's Prayers" 5"X5" mixed media collage

I know it is Father's Day, but I had to share this piece with you.  I just finished it this week.  I had been meaning to finish it before Mother's Day...and, well, you know how life happens.  Even though the quote says "I remember my mother's prayers and they have followed me."  I could easily substitute "father".  I have known from a very early age that my parents diligently prayed for me.  And, yes, their prayers have followed me all of my life.  I am so grateful for such faithful parents and grandparents.  What have they prayed for me?  That I will always know that someone loves me.  That I will grow up to know the joy of having my own family.  That I will always be the best Lizzie I can possibly be.  The prayers are endless and I will never know them all.  What are some of your parents' prayers for you? 

I Did It!

I applied for the RAM Greenwich Village Art Fair.  I can't believe I actually did it! I have been preparing for quite awhile for this and the deadline was today.  It is in the mail!

Although this is not my 'official' application, these are the images I submitted.  Besides producing enough artwork to show, I had to buy a tent, make some display boards and actually set up my booth in order to take a picture of it.  The whole booth part is the most nerve-racking and unpredictable part.  It is totally outside of my knowledge sphere, but I'm getting there.  It feels incredibly amazing to have this stage finished and has taken quite a bit of courage and just plain work to complete it.  Now I wait for a response. 

Winter, 12" X 15", Acrylic on Canvas

In the meantime, I continue to paint.  This is my most recent piece.  It is a little different than what I had been doing, but I like the direction I am headed.  This is an acrylic painting on a sheet of unstretched canvas and it is purely painted, no collage or mixed media.  It is also a little larger than my other pieces.  To me, she tells more of a story than the others do.  The girl stands peering out the door in the warmth and protection of her environment as winter is visible just out the window.   I have a couple more paintings in mind that include windows and doors and I am excited to get going on them.  I can't wait to see what comes next!  

Done, done and done...i think

Dare I say that I think I am actually done with these three pieces?  You might be sick of seeing the same ones again, but if you scroll down, you can probably see a difference.  Although I have not been starting a lot of new pieces, I have been working on finishing these. 



Begin Now, 12" X 12", Acrylic painting on wood panel



This piece, "Begin Now"  started out as what I affectionately called "Sparkle Girl", but she has come a long way.  The girl really beckons you to take action now.  As George Eliot said, "It's never too late to be who you might have been".  So now is that time in my life where I have begun to take the first steps towards "who I might have been".   



Mother & Daughter, 12"X 24",
Acrylic on wood panel

I am still unsure whether this piece is truly complete.  I had done another mother and daughter painting over last summer, but I think it really lacked the tenderness of the relationship between a mother and daughter.  In this piece, I tried to show how the the warm and protection of the mother gives the child a confidence and assurance.     


Nurture, "12" X 20",
Acrylic on wood panel

 This is another painting that I continue to revisit.  You may not notice much of a difference besides a name change, but for me, there is a huge difference.  I mainly worked on balancing color and adding contrast in the vines.  I still don't know how to 'read' the painting myself.  At times, I see the same tenderness as the painting above.  Other times, I see a disaffected, detached girl and then I will notice the peace on her face, the peace that come from a knowing and certainty.  She seems to mirror my own thoughts and feelings.  Despite my changing feelings about her, I know that she is taking care of those things that are most important to her with a quite strength. 

More to come later....

More works in progress

One of reasons I renamed this blog " A work in progress" is because I am always so excited about what I am working on that I can never wait until it is finished to share it with others.  So here are two of my latest paintings.

This first one, is really almost finished.  The only problem is that it needs a little bit more.  There are two issues with that:  1.  I'm not sure exactly what to add to finish it and 2.  I don't want to ruin it with whatever I decide to add.

  

"Growing", 12" X 20", acrylic mixed media painting on panel

Here is the second painting.  I was calling her "Sparkle Girl" for awhile until I came across a quote from Francis Bacon, "Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand-and melting like a snowflake...".  So now her title is "We only have this moment".  

This is my first 'commission' of sorts - well at least my first painting started at someone else's request.  She still has more work ahead of her.  I can't wait to see what happens next!

   

"We only have this moment", 12" X 12", acrylic on panel

Nurturing

So here is a sneak peek of my latest painting.  It is just a sneak peak because I'm not quite sure how to finish it.  I am going to give it some time and space to grow.

The end...and the end

I finally finished this one!  When I started, I had the idea of using balloons to symbolize letting go of.  I originally intended to represent how we need to let go of the things that no longer serve us or that are negative in our lives in order to open up a space for growth and goodness.  As my grandpa grew sicker over these past few weeks, it was clear that the idea of letting go took on a new meaning for me. 

So as I enter into this time in my life when I am forced to let go of him, I am gentle with myself, knowing there is no right or wrong way to let go.

Courage

So this year I beginning on a new adventure that will take a lot of courage.  I am embarking on starting my own business and in doing so following in my mother's footsteps.  The business plan, details and money are not secure, but I have committed my heart.  So here we go!