Magic Rules.

Magical dust and swirling branches for a little girl's room. Out of well over one hundred murals, I believe this is the first time I've painted licensed characters... that was the most challenging part of the day because there is a fabulous piece of existing art to measure my efforts by. I am only concerned about the thoughts of a four year old critic though and I am sure I'll find out her delight or disappointment tomorrow. Wish me luck!

On another note:

This summer, I am hoping, will be filled with not only lots of relaxing and fun but some education as well. So to make sure that happens, the kid and I have been listening to tween lit on CD.

We have found the most fabulous book that I am enthralled with... it's called Rules by Cynthia Lord. The book is about a 12 year old girl who not only has the challenges of entering her teens but she has the responsibility of helping care for her younger autistic brother. It's funny, lighthearted, heart warming and delightful. I plan on reading it after I hear the entire thing. In fact, I think it just might be the first read for a book club for adults who read children's lit I am forming!

How about you? Do you read children's literature for fun?

Great Quote:

"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful." - Albert Schweitzer

Albert, you are brilliant!

Wednesday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for eye opening conversations!

Martha, Martha, Martha.

Be still my heart! Martha sent me a message today telling me about her new paint collection at Home Depot. She knew I've been wanting to paint every single wall of my house and since I was struggling with the color selections out there, she sent help just in time. There are colors with names like...

Agean Blue

Sea Glass

Sharkey Grey

Bay Leaf

Crevecoeur

How's a girl to decide? Maybe she'd be so nice as to come by and personally help me select colors, you know... since she's got my email and all!

Phonetics and Pixie Hollow.

This is a computer sketch of a mural I am painting tomorrow. It is of a really big tree, a magical tree with swirls and twirls for branches and twinkling dots for fairy dust. Hopefully, the mystical magic will transpire from my brain to my hand and lastly to the wall. Tinkerbell and her sidekick Terence will be lurking about as well in this creation of Pixie Hollow. If it turns out well, I'll post photos tomorrow of the actual mural.

This is my son at the Padres' game tonight next to a Stand Up To Cancer banner. People were signing it and my son wrote, "I miss you PaPa and Ant Cindy, Love Kainoa." How cool is that? I just love the phonetic spelling of little kids!

Tuesday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for a well needed message to pull me out of a downward spiral. Thanks!

Change is in the air.

"You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself"

- Jim Rohn

And then some days it's just better to curl up and cover your eyes!

Monday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for someone pointing out that I am somewhere I don't belong, because quite frankly I thought I was the only one who saw it.

Cherries just for you!

Happy, Happy Birthday Barron and Chris! (An original cupcake painting from Cindy Johnson!)

Sunday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for the opportunity to start each new day with a fresh new outlook! (oh, and TWO birthday parties to attend!)

Right now.

What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new.

Right now.

Saturday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful to be able to choose to go to bed early and start new tomorrow.

Eyes of Discovery.

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes." - Marcel Proust

Friday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for voyages of the body, soul and mind.

Touching Souls.

"We need to find God, and He cannot be found in noise and restlessness.

God is the friend of silence.

See how nature - trees, flowers, grass - grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence...

We need silence to be able to touch souls." - Mother Teresa

How about you? Have you touched a soul today with silence?

Thursday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for silence in a very noisy world.

Blue Hawaii.

"If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things in nature have a message you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive." - Eleanora Duse

Wednesday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful my soul is alive.

Sights unseen.

The magical land of Hawaii holds many surprises... such as floating dragons that guard the shores...

lovely wedding chapels tucked into grandiose corners...

cheerful, darting koi that peek up at you as you approach...

and last but not least, skies that burst in color...

Sorry for my absence, life has interceded anything that resembles slow and restful. When right smack in the middle of chaos, there sometimes can be a clarity of what really matters in life. Somehow, I thought these photos touched on that... if only for a second.

"You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present." ~ Jan Glidewell

How about you? Do you pay close attention to the life around you at the present moment?

Tuesday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for unscheduled days.

Monday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for an escape to the movies.

Sunday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for this day.

Leaving on a Jet Plane.

"All my bags are packed and I'm ready to go..." (Thanks John Denver!)

Yes, it's true, the kid and I are hopping on a plane with our packed bags. Unfortunately, we are traveling to be with our family due to an unexpected family emergency.

Oh, and they just happen to live in Hawaii.

Although the circumstances are not the best, the setting... well, it'll do. I am hoping to play around with my new camera lens and get some interesting photos. Tomorrow also just happens to be the one year anniversary of my sister's death and I know she would be very happy I'll be thinking about her in the land of paradise. Did I mention my family members live in Hawaii?

How about you? Do you get ruffled by unexpected trials or do you try to make the best of it?

Saturday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful to be able to hop on a plane for an adventure.

Creative Boot Camp Day #13

Random Word Prompt:

Smile

Things that make me smile.

1. Paintings of food.

2. Homemade fabric dolls posed in public spaces.

3. Crooked dog smiles.

4. Finding hearts in random places.

This ends the Creative Boot Camp Challenge. I am planning on going back to finish all the days that I missed but not to a set schedule. Did I feel this challenge was inspiring? Well, yes and no.

Yes, in the fact my good friend participated in it also and we had some discussions about the topics. I loved having someone to bounce ideas off of and talk to about this. It didn't feel so solitary as much of my other art challenges can. I work alone and find myself alone quite often and although I prefer to work that way, I do miss the comradeship of working with others. A bit of a quagmire I find myself in.

No, in the fact that I have been participating in my own challenge for about 3 years now and my mind has been trained to work this way. I am in the practice of thinking about words and drawing, painting, and photographing them already. On the days I didn't participate in the challenge, it felt like homework and something closer to drudgery so I chose to forgo the challenge for that day. Overall, the boot camp is a great idea and I would do another one but now I know to leave room to stop or say no if it's not inspiring me. I've learned it's OK to say "no" and stop saying "yes" all the time ... and that is the best lesson of all.

How about you? Can you say "no" without feeling guilty?

Friday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for the gift of friendship.

Creative Boot Camp Day #12

Random Word Prompt:

Smooth

Smooth. This is a fun word. Things in my life don't tend to go very smoothly but I so enjoy a hint of smooth whenever I can. Much like the smooth side of my car.

I wish I could say I was smooth when I saw Alisa Burke, a fab blogger I follow, at JoAnn's today and went up to speak to her but mostly mumbled. I've been wanting to meet her as she lives right here in my town and I heart her artwork very much. Cool and smooth, I was not. Fumbling fan, I was.

I wish I could say I was smooth when I found out this morning a family member is quite ill. You'd think all my experience with death and dying would make me cool and even. Smooth and composed, I was not. Shaken and torn, I am.

I wish I could say smooth is part of my everyday vocabulary. Nope, it's not. Life is rough and tumble, mixed up and tossed about, full of unkempt thoughts and ideas. It's good that way, trust me, but when a little smooth walks in and oozes about, take some and enjoy it. It's like a breath of fresh air!

How about you? Do you like a smooth life?

Thursday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for snuggle time with the kid.

Creative Boot Camp Day #11.

Hush. You must never wake a sleeping child!

That was the word prompt for today's Creative Boot Camp assignment. Along with this word, we are to track the times in our lives that have been instrumental in our creative walks. When was the era of our most creative freedom?

This question is hard to answer. Of course there are times where I couldn't express my creative thoughts fast enough... almost like I was on fire. Then there are more times when I have just had to act creative and hope the energy was not far behind. This entire walk in life has mapped out mountains and valleys of creativity but I'd have to say for me... it all started when I was young. Very young. Youth was the launching pad for this creative life.

Much like the sleeping child, you must never hush your creative spirit!

Wednesday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for a new car! Squeak!

Creative Boot Camp Day #10.

Full Bodied.

Journal Prompt: "Today, I would like you to dial up your senses. I want you to smell every smell, hear every sound, see every piece of beauty, feel every touch, and taste every flavor."

Full senses. What does that really mean? When you smell the scent of mock orange blossom in the air, can you hear and taste it as well? When you see the most amazing shade of turquoise that takes your breath away, can you feel the color on your fingertips? Or does full senses really mean experiencing each individual sense on it's own to the point where it is saturated and drunk with sensation that you could not possibly feel, taste, hear, smell or see one more second? Personally, I think it could be both. I've smelled a fragrance before that I could literally taste and I've seen color that I could feel without touching anything. Today however, I focused on one sense at a time, becoming full to the brim. Full bodied.

How about you? Are your senses full?

Tuesday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for lovely, lovely people to dine with tonight for a special occasion.

June's winner!

I "believe" the June Give Away winner is...

Hooray! Random.org picked lucky number 7. I think I'll be having another give away soon so check back! Thank you for all your lovely comments!

On another note:

Out of the line up of summer reads, I picked House Rules by Jodi Picoult to read first because these all are library books and this is the first one due back. So far, it's good. Not quite stay up until 3 am good though, but I'm not that far into it. I'll keep you posted! I'm just so happy to be reading for the pure pleasure of reading!

Monday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for lunches with long-time friends, clearing the air with someone who has been misunderstood, and funny little boys.

New Books on the nightstand!

Just picked up a few novels to jump start my summer reading. No more heavy, become a better person, intense reading around here for a while... only light, interesting, stay up until 3 am because you can't put it down kind of books.

My three picks:

How about you? Reading anything interesting?

Be grateful.

Hello friends. Sorry about the lack of post yesterday... I've been feeling out of sorts (in SO many ways) and I just didn't want to bring that along to this platform. So for today I have this lovely image from the invisible children blog that is a gentle reminder that we need to be grateful for every single little tiny thing in our lives. We've got it pretty darn good.

On another note:

I am so fortunate to have attended an art opening at the Subtext art gallery in San Diego last night with some fun-tastic friends. I really wanted to a.) sit at home and clean b.) escape to a dark theater and catch a movie or c.) have a drink and go see some real art. I am glad I chose option c. The other two actually DID sound appealing but the better thing to do was option c.

How about you? Do you surprise yourself when you opt for the more uncomfortable option?

I will announce the winner of the June Give Away... the Believe canvas tomorrow! So, if you haven't left a comment but would like this canvas... leave something in the form of a comment and you'll be entered up until midnight tonight. Check back for the winning name!

Saturday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for a small but welcoming art community in San Diego.

Sunday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for meaningful messages everywhere I look.

Winding up the week

There have been a lot of personal things going on this week to keep one entrenched in life, leaving not much time for creative ventures. Sadly, life can get that way whether we want it or not. The Creative Boot Camp got pushed back, painting was shelved and illustrations quickly were forgotten. Thank goodness for photography!

Tonight, I created some food, and trust me, that is quite a feat to create something that others ask for repeats of! This easy chicken meal is so good, you will have your peeps begging you for more. Trust me, you'll be a hero without much effort!

Cut up skinless chicken breasts into 1 inch chunks and toss into a large Ziploc plastic bag. Mix 1 cup of mayo, some seasonings (garlic salt, pepper, etc.) a dash of Dijon mustard and a little bit of soy sauce in a cup and stir well. Add the mayo mix to the bag of chicken and make sure it all gets coated thoroughly. (In the mean time, hold back any thought of vomiting from touching raw chicken and mayo!) Let sit in the fridge for 4 hours if possible. When it gets close to dinner time, put the chicken pieces on skewers with cut up onions and veggies you have on hand. Grill for approx. 25 minutes and serve. Mmmmm, tasty!

Here is the raw chicken just added to the hot grill.

The kid (with a shaggy hair cut) waits patiently.

Final masterpiece...

Really, it's super duper good! How about you? Do you like easy recipes that make you shine in the kitchen?

On another note:

I started to participate in the Creative Boot Camp Challenge but my efforts were completely blown off course early into it. I really want to do this and I suppose it doesn't matter if my timing is a little off. I'll be starting over next week and this time I have a plan!

Along with creating some sort of image that represents a word for the day, journaling and writing is part of the exercise. I think I'm going to journal on my canvas and paint over the words. Whatever the word is going to be, I am going to paint some sort of dessert that speaks that word to me. Maybe I shouldn't be so thoughtful about this, but when I just dove right in... I froze. This may be a gentler path to take while still challenging myself. We'll see. Anyone want to join me?

Friday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for this week to be over! Hello weekend!

I wish for you...

My childhood friend is going through a difficult time and I wish for her a little bit of brightness. I wish this for all of us... as life can be challenging at times.

Thursday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for bits of inspiration when I need them the most.

Cute AND comfy!

Sometimes, there are things in your life that really help make life a little more comfortable but are just plain ugly. Much like this electric heating pad. It's really ugly. The gross polyester cover slides around and doesn't offer much in the form of protection from the heating coils. So, the cuteness police were informed!

Look what can happen with some very cute fabric and some thread!

AND it's even darling on the inside. With two layers of quality cotton, those burning heating coils are a thing of the past! Hello to cute and comfy!

How about you? Do you find yourself improving little things in your life?

Have you left a comment to be entered in my Give Away for the "Believe" canvas? The drawing is midnight on Sunday... go here for more details.

Wednesday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for an early morning chat with best friend, coffee with another lovely friend, lunch with the kid's previous teacher and an afternoon with my son. Can it get any better?

You-the world.

"To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world." -Josephine Billings

Which do you want to be?

Double Dipping.

Recently, very recently, I bought a new lens for my camera. It is a Tamron 18-200 zoom and it's fabulous. I still don't know what it can really do but it's been fun playing around with it.

Great quote to share:

"This one step - choosing a goal and staying to it - changes everything." - Scott Reed

Tuesday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for a clean bill of health.

Day 1 of Creative Boot Camp.

The inspirations for Creative Boot Camp, an on line challenge I am participating in for two weeks, are posted at midnight eastern standard time which means I could really get a head start around nine o' clock my time since many on the eastern coast would be asleep. However, I chose to wait and when I was supposed to make my art for yesterday, I felt creatively stumped. We are instructed to write a letter to ourselves, the self two weeks down the road when this exercise is finished, and also create something that represents "ivory."

The letter, no problem. Got it. The "ivory" inspired art? Hmmm, stumped. So, I thought I'd submit a photo of an all white flowers bouquet I bought myself last week (shown above.) Then I thought, why? Why would I do that? It doesn't stretch my imagination, I'd almost be submitting it just to make sure I did it on time. There's no thought or growth in doing that so I decided to paint instead.

Paint something that inspired me. So I ripped some inspiring literature, painted over it in whites and creams and outlined a city scape with black lines. Inspired yet. No.

Then I painted over the scene with turquoise and green and more white with some glaze. Inspired? No. I'm letting it dry to see what happens next.

So, now I am a day behind, so I thought I'd start on today's subject, which is "picnic." I painted over an existing painting with some green and some burnt umber and some glaze. Inspired? No. It's drying though.

I am hoping to get some inspiration soon because at this rate, I'm going to have two weeks worth of unfinished canvases and some crappy meaningless letter to myself. Maybe today is not the day to be doing this... I am starving and grumpy.

How about you? Is it hard for you to be creative when you are hungry?

Monday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for an inspiring meeting about an upcoming project I might partake in.

June 2010 Give Away!

June brings warm weather, school endings, outdoor dining and give aways! Life Without Novacaine will be giving away a painting reproduction from my Inspiration Series that was sold at Target for 5 months. If you would like this 7.5" X 15" canvas, just leave a comment from now until Sunday June 13th. At midnight a winner will be randomly drawn... will it be your name?

Leave a comment... any old comment will do!

Sunday's Gratitude:

I am so grateful for the opportunity to stand up for myself although it felt really wrong because of how I would look.

Need some fun in your life?

Are you ready? Ready to explode in a creativity festival? Um... yes... that sounds divine. Join me over at Creativity Boot Camp for a two week session of gettin' your creative groove on! It's free, it's fun and it'll be life changing. Hoo-yah!