playful wings.....a video time lapse.

so, i have FINALLY figured out how to use my flip video camera + imovie. you have no idea. it's been quite an adventure. and now i'm fully addicted. and i mean that. look for many more future videos from me. because this. is. fun.

in this video, i show one painting (called playful wings) from start to finish with the nifty time lapse feature. so, so cool. you'll see a lot of finger painting in this video, yes you will. because it's my favorite way to paint. have i mentioned that before?

if you're interested in this original painting, it's for sale over on my website right here. or if you'd like a matted/signed print, then head over here. thank you!

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ps - please welcome new advertisers: mondo beyondo, demdaco, louise gale, rembrandtz gifts, and val's art studio.

pss - many of you have written to say that the comments were not working in the giveaway post. i believe the problem has been corrected, so be sure to enter. i'll announce the winner on monday :)

!!!! giveways...(SIX winners)

Alisa Burke is offering a free slot in her current online class Adventurous Accessories- where you will learn all kinds of creative and simple ways to make unique fashion forward accessories from simple materials. Class includes 20-30 video demonstrations, photos, projects and lots of inspiration and unlimited access to the class once it has ended.

In addition Alisa is also giving away one of her hand made clutches. The Stitched Circle Clutch is made from hand painted and dyed fabric that has been stitched full of colorful circles with free motion stitching- A totally unique piece of art to carry!

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What is Courageous Living? from Kate Swoboda on Vimeo.

One lucky reader will win a free spot in Level 1 (which is the first 10 weeks) of Kate Swoboda's e-course called The Courageous Year.

In Kate's words:

"The Courageous Year is an e-course that starts in January 2010. While it is called "The Courageous Year" because a series of courses spanning the year are available to those who are interested, there's no obligation to take an entire year, especially if that seems like too much to take on. The course is designed to be taken in levels, with each level lasting ten weeks. Each level builds on the next, such that one year from now, someone who started from the beginning could be supported for an entire year in stepping into their vision for themselves and making THIS the year that they do something they've been telling themselves they wanted to do.

"Level 1 runs from January 18-March 27th. Lessons will be self-paced and fit perfectly with busy schedules because you can do as much, or as little, as you wish.

"On the website, I mention that this "isn't a Stuart Smalley kind of e-course." I am a huge believer in the power of positive thinking and affirming our worth to the world, while also acknowledging that for me, simply repeating affirmations was not enough. I needed real tools for creating balance in my life so that I could fully embrace myself and step into the fun of magical thinking--tools for dealing with emotions, tools for self-care, tools for my relationships and friendships. I believe that this course will be really helpful for anyone who knows they want to make a change, who feels it deep down inside, who has perhaps even tried a few times, and something has derailed the process each time.

"Last, I'm excited to create something that keeps bringing in fun and PLAY! as part of the process of growing our lives. Who says it all has to be drudgery?

"Courage is: being afraid, doing it anyway, transforming.

"What's included: The course includes private access to weekly lessons, handouts, audio and video, scheduled conference calls that you can join in on (specific dates and times will be announced to participants), access to discussion boards, and your own personal server space to create a profile and document your process. Participants will also receive special, discounted rates on any retreats or workshops held through my coaching website, Your Courageous Life. Lessons will be delivered in English, and participants from around the United States and the world are invited to join in!"

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Artist Allison Strine is giving away THREE of these pendants (with chains). She's also offering 20% off to all readers (convo her over on her etsy site that you saw this offer here).

Here's what Allison says about the story behind this pendant (hilarious):

"Wouldn't this be the coolest thing to come true? I would dearly LOVE to be able to take a deep breath and blow all the fears and insecurities out the window. Then I'd tiptoe across the fields happy and light and freeeee! Like a tampon commercial. But the worries n fears are part of me, and I'm thinkin I'm kinda stuck with them. Maybe I need the magic wand to turn those insecure thoughts into dust! So this piece is to embolden and strengthen and remind me to ignore those scared voices!"

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Recap:

*one commenter will win a spot in Alisa Burke's online class, Adventurous Accessories

*one commenter will win an original handmade clutch (photo above) by Alisa

*one commenter will win a spot in Kate Swoboda's online class, The Courageous Year

*three commenters will win the pendant/necklace from Allison Strine

giveaway rules:
* to enter the giveaway, leave a comment in this post - but there's a twist. please just leave a one-three word comment. using just 1-3 words, tell us the first thing you see when you look up. the very first thing (for me, it's a book called My Grandfather's Blessings).
* just one comment per person, please.
* i'll announce the winner on monday.
* go!

because

that's what we are. brave girls. all of us :)

three years into painting...some thoughts

(it reads, "graceful wings, graceful spirit, discovered." -->print available here)

sometimes, i can't believe i found art just 3 years ago. in some ways, it makes me sad to think i lived through all of my 20s without it. i was just out there floating around, waiting for the right circumstance when i would finally bump into myself. of course, i also know that everything that happened in my 2os, including all of my work in the social work field, has led to a perfect marriage with my artwork. so i'm grateful, but still. i wish i had been making art in my 20s.

when i was in highschool, i remember my art teacher telling me how surprised she was that a local curator had chosen one of my drawings for a small student show in my city. i remember being so excited that my work was chosen, but also deflated by my art teacher's response. her surprise wasn't in the form of "wow, congratulations, kelly!" but rather, "i'm not sure why yours was chosen, but it was." i didn't attend the opening. in fact, i never told anyone that my piece was one of the few that had been chosen. as time went on, i remember having the distinct feeling in highschool and college that the arts were for people more talented than me, for people who seemed to know what they were doing, or for those who out-shined me in drawing and painting. my heart yearned to be one of them, but i didn't believe i was. not even close.

all of these years later i still know that there will always be people who are more talented, who really do know what they're doing, and who really do out shine me in painting + drawing. but what i've learned is that all it takes is a bit of passion, courage, and commitment to make a dream come true. anything is possible.

three years into painting, i'm starting to believe that not knowing what i'm doing has actually been a bit of a gift. i've been so naive and green and unaware of that giant mountain i've been climbing that in some ways, i've been protected by the cynicism and judgement that often come with trying to make a dream come true. but the truth is is that keeping that beginner's mind is starting to be a struggle. the deeper i step into this life, the harder it gets to stay open + connected to what wants/needs to be expressed. tricky, tricky. but i'm up for the challenge. i hope to always be making art because it feels like a living dream. it really does.

wise.

the friction wants me to notice its offerings. what do you really want, it asks. and i answer:

i want to remain open.

i want to embrace aging.

i want to forgive by accepting what is good about him/her/them,

i want to own the beautiful fragility of my broken, cracked pieces.

i want to say yes to the light.

i want to notice the small moments that make all the difference.

i want to be light hearted in the wake of intensity.

i want to say thank you.

and hello. and i notice you.

i want to be fearless, yet soft.

seasoned, but green.

i want to learn, not assume.

with my words and with my life, i want to be wise.

i'm in the mood for a list...

lately, in no particular order:

* i've been having to write it all down. or i forget it all.

* i've had a lot of time to myself, alone. sort of feels like i've been on vacation all by myself. a bit freeing, with a bit of lonliness mixed in, while feeling adventurous all at once.

* i've been loving fall. the colors change the whole city for me. love, love, love.

* had a sneak peek of new product coming in january. i want to do happy dances and show + tell you all about it. but i can't. i have to wait. but oh man, i seriously cannot wait to show you. i hope you love these formats as much as i do.

* been working with anne (from demdaco) on new product ideas for summer 2010 and even brainstorming for ideas for 2011. i love this part of my day when i'm researching, dreaming, scheming, wondering about what could be..

* been trying to catch up with my family and friends. life has felt so full lately with back to back events that it's been hard to stay afloat and reach out. i hate that feeling.

* wondering when LOST will come back on tv?

* working hard on the e-courses i'll be offering early next year. nearly one year ago, i told you i was thinking about it. and i asked for your input, remember? it's hard to believe it's taken me this long to commit, but i've fully committed, things are in motion, and now i can't wait for registration to begin. i'll keep you updated.

(liz elayne, and me - photo by the lovely + talented vivienne)

* spent a day with liz elayne. we talked, ate, and painted. and she helped me solve a problem i've been trying to solve for weeks (thanks, liz!).

* realizing just how much of a shut - in i am. i really should get out more often and leave the house at least once a day. but it's so cozy in here....

* got tearful today when a friend told me about getting engaged. love really is the only thing that matters.

* been wondering about portland. still miss it.

* feeling less and less guilt about things i used to feel guilty about

* took over the dining room with my art supplies. thinking it's where it should all stay. i just really love creating in the middle of the house (between the kitchen and the living room). it's messy but it's also so inviting to sit down and paint. so, i've been painting more and more. and that makes me happy.

* feeling like i need to take some time and tend to a few relationships, as well as tend a bit to myself. lots of nurturing and tending to over here.

* wish i could figure out how to make just one cup of tea out of fresh ginger root and lemon.

* looking forward to an upcoming trip to kansas --> austin --> south padre island --> houston

* feeling really grateful for john, our health, our families, and our everyday lives. sometimes, i think i should pinch myself.

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also, please welcome our new advertiser, elizabeth williams jewelry.

a tricky life.

i love this recent painting. it doesn't happen with all paintings, but this one was hard to part with. maybe it's her hair. or the handwriting. or the birdie. i don't know, really, why i'm called to her, but i am.

i'm in a funny phase this week. i think i've had so much movement in my life these last few weeks, that i'm having a hard time settling. there is a vague sense of not really being present that is a bit unnerving, like i'm just going along with the motions. moving from one trip to the next, one event to the next, one project to the next. and the element of not feeling 100% well has me feeling restless, but i suppose it's also a much needed gift forcing me to slooowww down. it always happens that way. the body is its own best compass. which then leads to a heart re-calibration, too. funny how that works.

so yes, that's where i am. a little dull. a little vacant. a lot of quiet. a bit slow. getting some physical rest while waiting for my brain to catch up and turn itself down a notch.

my whispers lately are saying:

get to the gym.

stop the crack. i mean sugar.

paint everyday or at least every other.

embrace, embrace, embrace while at the same time, let it go, let it go, let it go.

it's a tricky life, no?

the be present retreat and pushing through

(that me in my apron and my cowgirl boots. photo by andrea scher)

i want to tell you about how sweet this retreat was. how uncomplicated it was. how solid and brave the 24 other attendees were. i arrived as a teacher, but i learned so much.

i loved andrea's class where i sat with a sweet dear heart name chrissy to help her uncover her core values (an exercise andrea led us through). earlier in the day, andrea asked what we'd like to invite into the day and i said intimacy. minutes later i was engaged in such a truthful and heartful exchange with chrissy where we spent a good amount of time speaking eye to eye, face to face, about all thing things that matter the most: grief, service, community, capacity, wholeness, honesty, discernment.

what a gift.

(the beautiful chrissy. photo by valerie [i think]).

the next day, during the painting class i taught, i invited the ladies to step into my style for the day - to learn a few techniques to take home, cultivate, and then make their own. i warned them that each painting would go through what i call the ugly stage. i talked about how this was to be inevitable if we fearlessly created, if we didn't allow ourselves to be attached to our pieces, if we gave ourselves the gift of non judgement as we dove in. often times, i think about the ugly stage (and every painting has one) as a metaphor to the messy, not so pretty, times in our lives. the trick is to have faith, not stop, and push through. we have the choice. it arrives every single time. the choice to give up, or the choice to trust the process and work our way through. it's a big challenge, in painting and in life. it's why the creative life is so relevant to our everyday lives. it's all connected.

it's what makes teaching so rewarding: the witnessing of the pushing through. because when we do, gorgeous artwork is born on the other side. and shifts occur within that would have never otherwise shifted. i'm telling you. this stuff is real. and will make your heart huge if you're willing to begin. to simply begin.

(student works. photo by mindy [i think])

on the last nite, liz led us through a ceremony i won't soon forget. as i sat at her feet, petals falling nearby, i was incredibly moved and honored to have taught at her retreat but more importantly, to have her as a friend.

(liz elayne, and all of her truth)

thank you to everyone who attended. my heart has expanded. truly, it was an awesome few days. i was telling andrea one evening as we were brushing our teeth that i hadn't laughed that hard, that long, in such a long time. we all cracked one another up. we told stories. we cried. we unearthed. we woke up. we re-evaluated. we shopped for cute hats and arm warmers. we listened to our breathe in liz's yoga class. we ate cupcakes. we pushed through.

of course, within 24 hours of returning home i came down with a sore throat and the sickies - happens just about every time i go somewhere. so i'm taking it easy over here (in between updating the shop with more wall canvases, catching up on emails, and other fun stuff). i'm hoping to be 100% again soon....

oops....the giveaway winners

just returned home from the be present retreat on the oregon coast. oh my, it was lovely and so perfect in many ways (loved my students and i learned so much, too!). but right now i'm a little embarrassed that i forgot to announce last week's giveaway winners. so, before i forget, let me get straight to it!

beth, you win the gallery wrapped canvas from color inc pro lab!

amy souza and lesley, you both win $50 worth of goodies from brush dance!

emily, you win the a beautiful print from kate of inspired naturally!

winners, please get in touch with me so we can get your goods out to you!

more stories from the rainy oregon coast coming up next :)

i'm off to the oregon coast for the be present retreat where i'll be teaching, learning, soaking in the comfort of creativity and a whole lot of rain. i'm thinking there will be lots of hot tea, conversation, pajamas, and rest. i'll be back with stories and photos next week!

what i love about you is your raw honesty - your vulnerability, your courage to tell us how you're really doing. sometimes releasing it out into the world lessens the worry held in our hearts, as if we're being buoyed somehow by unseen yet strong supports and graces.

for all of you struggling with overwhelm, critical decisions, heavy relationships, financial burden, illness, anxiety, vocational struggle, creative ruts, and unending tiredness....hold on, hold on, hold on. you are not alone. you are more than your struggle. and you are deeply, deeply loved.

sponsor giveaways (four winners!)

so, here's the truth. when color incorporated - digital pro lab offered to give away a gallery wrapped canvas (you choose the image - usually a favorite photograph you have) to one lucky reader, i thought "cool". but they also offered to send me one of the canvases prior to this giveaway so i could see the quality for myself. i took them up on the offer and headed to their website where i ordered a 10x10 gallery wrapped canvas. instead of choosing a photograph to put on the canvas, i decided to choose a high res image of one of my recent paintings. the result is above - one super high quality, stunning canvas that looks like an original painting. wow!

for all of you artists out there looking for a way to put your images (photos, paintings, scrapbook pages, etc) on a gallery wrapped canvas, i'd highly recommend them. here's a link to all the information/pricing on their canvases.

one lucky reader is going to win a 10x10 gallery wrapped canvas from color inc - you get to choose whatever image you'd like on your canvas. perhaps it's a favorite photo or one of your paintings. pretty cool, eh? there's more: they're offering all kelly rae blog readers 25 free 4x6's - just use promocode: krr09

two more readers will win $50 in merchandise from Brush Dance - the stationery company i work with for cards, journals, datebooks, calendars, and more! also - brush dance is offering all kelly rae blog readers 20% off all orders placed on their website - just use promocode: KRR.

what i love about Brush Dance stationery is the way they combine the work of artists with inspiring quotes of poets, and writers. lots to choose from over on their site.

next up: sponsor Kate of Inspired Naturally is offering one lucky reader a 5x7 print of their choice (examples of images above, but be sure to check out her entire portfolio).

Kate says the following about her art and her creative journey: For me, art has and always will be a great passion in my life. From as young as I can remember I have wanted to create for the sheer joy of it. My artwork both expresses my love of nature and my creative heart. I seek to produce artwork that people can enjoy, and perhaps encourage them to look at their surrounding more closely. It is only when you begin to really become aware of the natural environment that you can appreciate and discover the beauty around you. My hope is to continue noticing the unnoticed and using these quiet ideas as a basis for my work.

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giveaway recap:

*one commenter will win a 10x10 gallery wrapped canvas from Color Inc - Digital Pro Lab.

*two readers will win $50 in goodies from Brush Dance

*one reader will win a 5x7 print from Kate of Inspired Naturally

giveaway rules:
* to enter the giveaway, leave a comment in this post. tell us how you're doing today. really, how are you?
* just one comment per person, please.
* i'll announce the winner in just a couple of days.
* go!

like, totally random.

(cover of october issue of underwired magazine - a KY magazine all about women, their creative pursuits and passions. thank you, underwired! ps - image available as print right here.)

lots going on over here. just when gina left, my friend brene arrived for a quick visit (so fun). and now i'm getting ready to head out to teach at the be present retreat with andrea and liz tomorrow! i'm really looking forward to this retreat and being back in manzanita oregon with a bunch of inspired, creative souls.

i'm in a major list mood....so here we go!

* digging seattle, big time. and their chowder. i could eat soup inside a breadbowl everyday of my life and be content.

* am i the last to know about regina spektor?

* it's cold here in the norhtwest. cold. heat is on, always.

* loving the arm warmers that have come out. and the scarves.

* on the hunt for super flavorful tea like tazo's sweet wild orange tea.

* totally digging this idea.

* and this wild and brave idea.

* got tix to see brandi carlile's upcoming seattle show!

* loving every piece of art inside this shop. all of it.

* totally in love with this sheep painting by eli halpin that i bought recently:

* also really in love with this elephant wall canvas that jen mercede gifted to me recently (major squealing involved):

i'm loving fall. everything is changing and i love how that happens. i'm a seasons girl. this is my first true autumn back in the northwest since 2005 and i'm milking it for all it's worth. yes, i am.

other news:

* it's official: i'll be offering a range of online workshops in early 2010. couldn't be more excited. stay tuned! and be sure to sign up for the newsletter (link above) if you want to stay informed.

* check out my latest article in the current issue of Somerset Life - i write about Lovebomb and the importance of being seen, really being seen.

* bookmarks are back. totally love these and they're perfect for gift giving!

more soon!

bff gina

(me, gina, and our husbands on my wedding day. she and her husband brian married us which made it super meaningful)

i've known gina 23 years. we were 12 when we met, barely into the 7th grade. i remember the moment i met her, when i thought she was so pretty, so wise, so unlike the other 12 years olds on that first day of school. and she was. throughout the years, especially when we were teenagers and in our 20s, she was my saving grace, the sage, the person who often told me i wasn't broken, that i was more than my struggle. i believed her.

as we grew older and more like sisters, she was the person who gave me space when i needed to grow up, when i needed to go my own way, when i needed to really investigate who i was when we weren't together. through the years, our hearts have always remained connected. we've never not been in one another's lives, and we've always understood the other's story, and needs, and joys. there is something tremendously comforting about having a sister friend who knew you when you were an obnoxious teenager, who knows your family through and through, who has witnessed what your struggles have been, and who clearly sees how far you've come.

i believe in choosing our family of intention - our friends, our tribe, our soul sisters. for me, this all started when i was 12 years old, when i met gina, when i began to understand that friendship had the ability to make us feel settled and at home in our spirits no matter what else was happening in our lives. and that our friendships - the people we choose to surround ourselves with - gracefully hold the divide between all the experiences we travel through in our lives.

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ps-the winner of the giveaway is sara of soul spackle! sara, get in touch with me so we can get your book out to you!

because it's true.

my bff gina is here in town from atlanta. the trail of house guests continues and my life is one big adventure lately because of it! such fun....i think i'll share photos of gina and i together when we were 12 years old in my next post. i was 12 and wearing head to toe acid washed denim the day i met her (first day of 7th grade, 2nd period, mrs durant's life science class). it was 1987. what can i say? whenever we tell the story of meeting one another for the first time, we sound like some old couple reminiscing on the early days. over 20 years later, we're still heart to heart...i am so lucky.

love, in every way, is the only thing that matters.

book giveaway: Nature Inspired by Tracie Lyn Huskamp

earlier this year, at artfest, my mom and i took a class called nested visions taught by tracie lyn huskamp. tracie is what everyone says she is: warm, spirited, talented, and did i mention warm? in her class, my mom and i had the best time creating bird nests (from real horse hair!) to go in our beautifully collaged shadowboxes (here's what my mom made - before the it was inserted into a shadowbox - super cool). we both looovvveed tracie (and tracie's mom-in-law who co-taught the class)!

here's a photo of me and my mom in tracie's class (when i had hair!):

fast forward until just a few weeks ago and tracie's book, Nature Inspired, just got published! omg! and it's gorgeous, gorgeous. check it out:

what i love about tracie's book is the way it inspires you to sloooowwww down. it's all about really noticing + capturing the elements of nature that call out to us, and then making gorgeous projects from what we've gathered or what has inspired us in the outdoor world. i've gotten into a good habit of taking my camera with me for neighborhood walks but i love how Nature Inspired gives me tips on how to take better photos of what i see, how to perhaps collect and preserve some of what i see (fall leaves, flowers!), and then how to use all of those elements in projects for my home or for gift giving.

totally loving all the projects she takes us through in her book, like the nature assemblages and gathering/collecting journals. sneak peek above and below:

congratulations, tracie! it's a wonderful book sure to inspire those of us who want to celebrate and connect with the natural world!

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lucky for us, tracie is offering up one signed copy of Nature Inspired to a lucky reader. to enter the giveaway, leave a comment in this post. also, be sure to check out tracie's blog if you are interested in a signed copy of her book!

giveaway rules:
* to enter the giveaway, leave a comment in this post - but there's a twist. please just leave a one-three word comment. using just 1-3 words, tell us what's your favorite thing (or what are you inspired by) about being out in nature.
* just one comment per person, please.
* i'll announce the winner in just a couple of days.
* go!

dreamer

(dreamer, print available ---> here.)

because that's what we do. we dream. my head has been so on fire lately with dreams that i'm losing a little bit of sleep, i'm forgetting my keys, i'm barely there in conversations (not good), i'm lost in my thoughts. the more i dream, the more i trust the process: dream --> believe in it ---> do the hard work ---> be patient --> watch + feel it unfold. it's a process that has deepened my faith and created a sense of adventure to my everyday life. of course, there are a ton of bumps along the way but lately my day dreaming is in full effect. full. maybe it's the change in seasons. seattle is so gorgeous right now with fall color, changing weather, and a crisp chill. makes me happy to wear tights and boots just about every day. the scarves and mits came out just in the last couple of days.

more soon - awesome giveaway coming up tomorrow!

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ps - for those of you who ordered datebooks and calendars, the first round of pre-orders have shipped out. if you ordered both both items, please know that they'll arrive separately in two different packages. thank you! the second round of orders (those of you who ordered last week) will ship later this week. they are selling like hotcakes (thank you!).

also, please welcome our newest sponsors artist andrea schroeder of abc creativity and artist alisa burke!

an awakening....

(recent painting. "it was the brightness in her life that she held close." original sold, prints available here)

every once in awhile i receive an email that takes my breath away and births a major awakening in my life:

My husband died 9 months ago. We were together for 10 years, married not even a full year. I am 27 years old and live in Wisconsin. On what would have been our first wedding anniversary my girlfriends took me to San Diego…to “get away.” I often wonder if one day, I will be able to get away. On my trip I saw one of your prints; I bought it, a gift to myself from my husband. My husband was a graffiti artist, and appreciated all art.
I call it my anniversary painting. I recently bought two of your original paintings! While I don’t have a lot of money, I was determined to do whatever it took to purchase your paintings. I just received the confirmation that they were sent and for a moment… I was happy.
Know, in my sad gray world, your paintings bring beauty.

Thank you for that moment of happiness,
Sarah

in the very instant that i finished reading sarah's email, i realized something hugely important (in between tears): i create art to heal the pieces of me that need nurturing. and in turn, my healing experience (the actual art) becomes a portal for someone else's healing experience. and it goes on and on like a circle of healing...from one person to the next.

it was an aha moment i had to share because this is what we're all doing out there in the world with our gifts and our art and our words and our beings. we are nurturing and healing ourselves with our various work/craft/being which then goes forward out into the world to become a part of someone else's healing experience. i can't think of a better way to live...we are indeed all connected inside this deeply meaningful circle of of giving and receiving. it gives me chills.

my friend andrea often talks about how we each bring our own medicine to the world. i love this concept and i suppose reading sarah's email awakened me to the perspective that my art is the medicine i'm giving to the world. it's a medicine that i can offer up only because it's healed my own broken pieces during its creation. that's what art is. whether it's writing, crafting, or creating a life lived well by loving well, then it's art. and art saves lives (as jenny wrote so eloquently about on her blog recently). then, like grace itself, the art you put out into the world not only saves and nurtures you while you create and live it into being, but then it becomes a medicine for the world, for someone else to receive for their own healing. i can't tell you how deeply this has rocked my world - a deep aha moment for me, for sure. thank you, sarah. so much.

of course, i responded to sarah's letter and we've exchanged a couple of emails telling one another our stories and both thanking one another for the other's medicine (she gave me permission to share her email with you). i wish her eons of comfort and love during her grief journey and i am deeply honored to have played a small part in offering her a moment of relief and happiness with my art.

so today, more than ever, i'm aware of my medicine. your medicine. and how it creates a wide circle of healing and nourishment for one another as we go about our days, some of us in the very center of the hardest part of our journey. i am so thankful for all of it.

it's the brightness in our lives that we hold close.....

my heart is full today and new plans for selling originals

possibilitarian, original for sale ---> here!

so much to say, but first: the giveaway winner from the last post is flutterbugartgirl who said she was most looking forward to "kissing my soulmate". i'm loving that the winner (who was randomly selected by hugh [mati's husband] telling her when to stop her finger scrolling down the screen of commenters) of the true love necklace wrote a comment about kissing her soulmate. if that's not a moment of magic coincidence, then i'm not sure what is. love it. thanks to all who entered and big thanks to mati + kristen for the giveaway. if you can't live without a true love necklace, be sure to get yours over in mati's shop!

it's been a bit crazy busy over here with visitor after visitor (which is a craziness i love). my in-laws have been in town which has meant a lot of home cooked meals (thank you, marilyn!), and exploring parts of seattle that we haven't seen before. highlights have been discovering the ballard market (where the poem store stole my delight), yummy chowder (i'm a sucker for bread bowls), and paulsbo (where i met the lovely dani who owns a sweet stamping store called rubber soul). i've also been painting in the dining room again - i painted the above piece today while my sister-in-law and my mom-in-law painted right next to me (bliss).

in between outings and time with family, i've been getting ready for the original painting sale which was a great success today. huge thanks to everyone who bought an original! these sales are a ton of work, and i always get incredibly nervous just before they launch - i suppose it's a mix of excitement and hopeful energy. but i'd be lying if i didn't say there was a bit of fear involved too: what if they don't sell? what if they're too expensive? inexpensive? what if they don't relate to anyone's experience? what if, what if, what if. but we must do what we must do. and for me that means putting my life and art and heart inside the seams of a painted collage and sending it out into the world. thank you so much for all the support. i am amazed by you. and it means the world to me.

(just breathe - found just down the road from my seattle neighborhood. love.)

all of this got me thinking....beginning today, i'm going to start putting original paintings up for sale as i make them (instead of all at once). i'd like to try this on for awhile and see how it goes - i have a feeling that it'll be a much calmer experience (for me and the buyer) if there wasn't the element of fast paced madness that comes with listing them all at once. with that said, the above painting (which i made today and love, love, love) is up for sale in the originals section of the shop!

i have so much more to say and to share...more soon. but huge thanks. my heart is full today.

xxo