What's in store in 2014...

Lots & lots of things keeping me busy lately! So much so that my art has kind of taken a back seat! But all that is going to change this year & I am super excited about it! I have big plans for myself & my art in 2014!

First of all, at the very end of last year, I decided to leave my "post" as a member of the Altered Pages Design Team. It was something I had been struggling with for many months, but felt that I needed to do so in order to focus more on my art. Jean (the owner) & all the team members are so very talented & I look forward to lurking about to see where their talents take them this year!

So, on to what I've got planned for the year so far…in no particular order!

TEACH more classes
TAKE more classes
MAKE more art to sell on Etsy & other places
Get to know some new friends better
Join the Castle Rock Art Guild
Enter some art shows
Publish more work in magazines
Learn Spanish
Travel to New Mexico & Peru
Organize my home
Get healthy
Help out at The Magpie's school fundraiser & PTO stuff
Cherish the heck outta my hubby, daughter & my family & friends!
& probably a million other things I can't think of right now!

I've already gotten a jump start on a few of those things:

In February, I will be sharing my passion with some 8 year old's at my very first kids b-day party! A friend from Denver asked me to come up with a "sunset & tree" painting to teach to the 7 girls at the party, here's my take:

I used a pretty abstract tree stencil from Stencil Girl but I think the birthday girl wants one more realistic. So I am either going to find another stencil or we will just draw the tree during the party. I was so flattered they asked me & hope it leads to more parties with kids!

In addition to that gig, I will be hosting my 2nd "Mixed Media Mama's" in my basement in February as well! No sample yet, but I've got a few ideas to share with them!

I have also begun work on my first "commissioned" piece…remember this painting?

 Well, my good friend Loretta bought that one from me!

hanging on her dining room wall!

I feel very blessed that my friends think my art is good enough to hang on their walls!

 My other good friend Rebecca also wanted that painting, but we decided it was too small for where she intended to hang it…so off to paint one similar but larger (4ft x 4ft)…I started it the other night:

It's beginning to look like it might be a little more dramatic! Plus, I feel that I am growing so much as an artist, that I can't wait to see how different it is from the first one!

I had big hopes of going to a workshop with Donna Downey at her studio in North Carolina this Spring, but with Nick climbing Mt. Rainer again in March & then another BIG climb in June/July to Peru (which I am tagging along for a little bit (SO EXCITED), but more about that later!), we decided that it was best to forego that venture. 

BUT...

The thing that has really got me pumped up about my art in 2014 is that Nick let me sign up for a YEAR long (YES -A WHOLE YEAR!!!) online class with Donna Downey!!! {This is an early b-day present from Nick! Thanks honey!}

The class began last week & even though I am still waiting for my big art journal to arrive, I just HAD to get started, so I pulled out an old journal & began…she even featured my work on her blog this week with some of the other students! So COOL!!!

I love taking online classes because I can watch, rewind & watch again until I feel comfortable with the techniques being taught (AND, Donna Downey has created her classes so that you can actually DOWNLOAD them - They NEVER expire!! Worth every penny!)! 

Another great thing about online classes is the community of artists you meet through Facebook. I love that we share our opps-moments, our tips & our triumphs with each other throughout the course of the class. I have made many wonderful "friends" doing these classes & hope to meet  a few of them someday!

I loved the technique she taught us so much that I just had to try it out on a canvas yesterday…

"Gypsy Soul"

Wow! I'm exhausted just writing all that down!

Oh, and I hope to get back on my WIP Wednesdays this week as well! So be sure to check back in later!

That's it for now!

Cheers & thanks for stopping by!