We're In A Magazine!
Paco and I are featured in the Summer edition of Where Women Create, and I am so excited to share it with you.
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A nomadic Artist, living and creating in a self-converted van, I paint in a jubilant riot of color to harness the splendor of landscapes through which I travel.
When your favorite watering hole is frozen over, but you still to fish.
#dogsofinstagram #cutedogs #dog #dogsdoingfunnythings
I didn`t paint this entire painting in the van. The first few days of work took place in a lovely mountain home belonging to some gracious friends.
I carefully covered the walls and floor with plastic and carved out a little studio space in the living room.
Knowing my time was limited, I painted nonstop to get as much done as possible. It was great to leave all my paints and supplies set up so I could easily pick up each morning where I left off the night before.
Paco had a comfy couch to relax on and wide views of the outdoors to patrol for chipmunks.
I can finally reveal my latest commissioned painting! 🥳
Everyone, meet "Bristlecone Bliss."
To say I enjoyed painting this is a huge understatement. I was thoroughly enamored with this painting as it came into being, and worked all hours of the day to get it `just` right.
The clients love ancient bristlecone pine trees as much as I do, and I was thrilled to include two gnarled beauties in this painting. For research, Paco and I camped up near the bristlecone pines in Alma, CO, where I took a bazillion reference photos. These two trees live up on that windy ridge.
At 3` x 5`, this painting proved to be another fun challenge in the van. I was lucky to have friends who let me set up my studio at their family mountain home in Estes Park for a few days, and I used every minute of my time there to paint, paint, paint. Then I finished it in the van- well, outside the van- on my homemade easel. I`ll share process shots in the next few days.
Prints of this beautiful painting will be available soon so they can brighten homes everywhere. 🥰
#art #artistsoninstagram #bristleconepine #LandscapeArt #Colorado
I`ve been painting ornaments nonstop, and that`s fantastic.
Every year, I paint ornaments and sell them both online in my shop and in brick-and-mortar shops across the country.
This year, one of those shops ordered 200! 🤯🥳 As exciting and wonderful as that is, I am only one person, and a person who apparently doesn`t paint exceptionally quickly. 🤦🏼♀️
To speed things up, I sketched out several designs on the very first batch of blank ornaments. Then, I traced those sketches onto wax paper (super high-tech and fancy, right? But it`s what I had). I transferred each drawing onto a new ornament using carbon paper.
Even though the designs are repeated, no two ornaments are the same - not even if they started with the same sketch. The colors are always different, and paint tends to do what it wants, resulting in different lines, shapes, and unique designs.
I delivered the third batch of 50 ornaments today, which leaves 50 more to go. 🙌🏼
Don`t think that means no more ornaments, though. I think I`ll be painting ornaments in my sleep at this point, because tis` the season for holiday markets and online gift sales! It`s a wonderful time of the year. 😁🤪👩🏼🎨🎨🖌️
#holidaygifts #breckenridge #gobreck #colorado #art
@wirecutter just released their favorite throw pillows, and while mine didn`t make the list, I think they`re every bit as stylish and comfortable.
Did you know you can get my art printed on a throw pillow? Well, now you do!
Available in three luxurious sizes and an array of designs, you`re sure to find a piece that will add that perfect pop of color to your room.
Here are some photos people have submitted of my pillows in their space.
I even have a pillow in the van, and if it can survive vanlife, you know it`s high quality!
All pillows come with a zippered, removable, machine-washable cover.
So, what are you waiting for? Add that final touch that ties your room together or makes the couch just a little more nap-worthy.
Link to all pillows in the Art Shop link in bio.
#throwpillow #giftidea #art #interiordesign #homedecor
A handful of snapshots taken during our morning walk. It`s no wonder my phone`s storage is always at max capacity.
Some morning walks are slower than others. If my mind is filled with thought, I tend to move more slowly as I process, mull over, even talk out loud to work through a stumbling block - but don`t worry, not in the schizophrenic sort of way. Sometimes talking aloud as we walk is also a bear deterrent, which helps me feel less crazy.
Regardless of the speed or time of day we walk, I always take an abundance of photographs. Most will never make it to a social media post, but they`re all part of a now enormous library of colors, textures, memories, moments, and more that fuel inspiration for paintings.
Today`s forecast showed rain and snow and very cold temps all day long, so when I woke to gorgeous blue skies and temps that didn`t even require a coat, we set out for a long, slow ramble to soak it up.
We`re camped in a vast burn scar from an old wildfire. I don`t know how long ago it happened, but the ground is covered with blackened trees tossed and scattered like the toothpicks Dustin Hoffman counts in "Rain Man." Despite all of the death and decay that stretches across the horizon and runs up and over mountains, new growth is everywhere. Small pine trees sprout up all around, and flowers, mosses, and grasses break through charred earth.
There`s so much beauty to be discovered when I move slowly and take the time to notice. It`s one of my favorite aspects of this van dwelling lifestyle, wandering through new landscapes, discovering new terrains and treasures without feeling rushed.
#vanlife #exploremore #naturephotography #slowlivingforlife #theartofnoticing
It feels like fall came and went in the blink of an eye.
The aspens burst into brilliant golds, and then suddenly, they were gone.
This quiet morning felt magical.
Snow dusted the mountains overnight and the morning sun broke through thick clouds to thaw the frost.
Such a beautiful morning walk.
#vanlife #mountains #colorado #autumnvibes
Dog sitting is fun for both of us.
Paco gets to play with dog friends and sleep on sofas.
I get to set up my art studio and leave paints and brushes and paintings laid out so I can easily and quickly pick up where I left off. 👩🏼🎨
This morning, the weather was perfect, so I left the door open for the dog to enjoy it, too. I could hear Paco before I saw him, and watched in delight as he zoomed in and out of view.
A perfect start to the day. 🥰
##dogsofinstagram #dog #dogstagram #happydog #dogsdoingfunnythings
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