Here are a couple of things I've been working on this week. I'll be bringing them to Knoxville on Saturday and Chattanooga on Sunday :). The above one is called 'Talking to Clouds' and the one below is 'Peachy Keen' which I thought was quite appropriate for the the Peach Market on Sunday :). I really love both of them although they're very different. Talking to Clouds is really neat because it looks like the telephone lines are going through the clouds - I don't even know how I did that lol! It had something to do with the settings on my camera and brightness of the clouds - the light somehow overtook the telephone line in spots so that it looks like the clouds are covering the wires. I tried to think of all kinds of names for it - Stairway to Heaven, How We Talk to God, Communion With Clouds.....I could go on and on - I finally decided on 'Talking to Clouds' to keep it simple. 'Peachy Keen' - well, it's rather self explanatory :). I love the warm, peachy colors and the vintage feel. It's fresh yet old-fashioned at the same time.

Thank you Chattanooga for the warm reception :)

Neighborly

So Chattanooga was awesome, I'm definitely going back this week. I'll probably make it regular Sunday thing now :). All the market goers were very friendly as were the other vendors (with the possible exception of one who will go nameless lol - backhanded compliments anyone?). But it was a great day, I met so many people. I also felt good because a lot of my customers told me their stories and explained what the particular photograph they bought meant to them. That it reminded them of something from their childhood or something that recently happened to them or their wedding day...there were a lot of little stories exchanged in conversation. I love that I can give people something they can hold onto that corresponds with something special in their life or from their past, it's that emotional connection to my work that makes it all worthwhile for me. I truly truly truly think it's important that we don't forget those parts of ourselves that believed in the magic of blowing dandelion seeds, or making wishes, or just laying in grass looking up at the clouds in amazement and awe. I think we get so caught up in our day to day rushing around or our immediate problems that we sometimes forget that all of that is still out there just waiting for us to notice it and believe in it. So when you go outside today, don't forget to look up - at the clouds, or at the birds sitting in a neat row on the wire on your way home from work, or just notice the happy little dandelions popping up in your yard (or your neighbor's yard if you don't like them in your own lol). It will make you feel lighter and happier inside :).

I'll also be at the Knoxville Market on Saturday - I hope to see everybody there!



The Seduction of Clouds (not in my shop at the moment)

Busy Week

Busy, but I have no excuse for not posting. Is procrastination an excuse? Nah, probably not. Well, let's see. I had Friday off work and now Monday (tomorrow). So 4 days in a row...awesome! I've gotten more focused as far as what I want out of my life the last few days. I've decided my day job is going to be a not so fond memory some time in the near future. By the end of summer at the latest. My art is doing really well right now. I was invited to set up a booth at Riverfest this coming Saturday. Riverfest is apparently a shin-dig being organized by a real estate company in Florida to highlight everything our area has to offer (by 'our area', I mean TN). There is a high end developement on the river and they're having several local artists set up booths, a band, food, etc. and they're bring all their clients in to tempt them with this gorgous real estate. So hopefully there will be some people there interested in buying art to decorate their new bare walls :). I just got an email from the woman organizing it a couple of days ago so right now it's a huge scramble for me to try to get everything together that I need to get. I send my art to the printer when somebody orders it, I don't have frames, mats, anything. But I want to sell my art framed and matted when I sell it at a booth or a gallery or whatever. The problem is our mortgage is due at the moment and I can't afford the mortgage and the art. I've ordered the prints but it remains to be seen how I'm going to pay for it all when I get the frames. I just have to trust that the money will be there, that it will all come together. I know it will. I sold 4 pieces of art in my Etsy store the last 3 days. I'M SO EXCITED!!!! I feel like I'm on my way, the universe is bringing it all together for me. Has anyone read "The Secret" ? Somebody gave it to my boyfriend and I'm reading it for the 2nd time now. It's full of interestingness. It's a life altering book. It just brings it all together for you :).

I've done a whole dandelion series of art. I'm in luv with dandelions right now. I actually sold one of them today in one of my larger sizes (happy, happy, happy). Here's all my new photographs:

I guess I HAVE been pretty busy the last few days lol. I talked to my mom the other night, she's all excited about the Riverfest thing. She's excited about me opening my Etsy store period. I've finally found my niche, the thing that I'm good at that makes me happy. I'm looking forward to it all :).

I actually have more time to post now...

I'm loving my new banner! I changed the banner at my Etsy shop too. It all feels very very spring time. Had a good weekend. I made baked chicken curry last night. You just take chicken breasts and douse them with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Then you take curry powder and rub them down really good until they're that beautiful yellow/gold curry color. Then you let them sit as long as you can so they can marinate. It would be really good if you have one of those flavor injector things so you could put all the yummy curry flavor inside the chicken too. Or you could let it marinate overnight....I didn't have time for all that lol. Then put it in the over at 400 for about an hour (these were bone-in breasts) and voila, an easy supper. I made mashed potatoes and corn with it. It was quite good.

I have to tell this funny story, my daughter Chloe has the job of changing the kitty litter. This new kitty litter we have is very sandy and goes everywhere in the laundry room when she changes it. So I told her to take everything outside and change it this time. So she proceeds to take the litter box and the bag of kitty litter outside, changes it and puts everything up. WELL, apparently, the bag of kitty litter had a hole in it because there is kitty litter all over the laundry room, a trail of it leading through the kitchen, to the foyer and out the front door LOL. So much for that plan.

I want to talk about some things I bought from Etsy and the awesome sellers I bought them from. I ordered some make-up from Mixology , it was the "White Girl Sampler Pack". That way you can try a lot of different foundation colors before committing to one. I have to say it's awesome. I've never used mineral make-up before and it lasts forever! Even at my job where I'm on the go all day and have zero time to freshen up, it's good till the end of the day. I ordered some eye shadow from her also, it's just as long lasting. It came with this luscious freebie ~ some lip balm in what smells/tastes like chocolate mint. Love It! It feels all tingly when you first put it on and anything that makes me tingly, well, that's a definite winner :).

I have some new art in my shop, so here it is :

There's a wide variety this week as you can see lol. I love the carnival ones, and of course Astro Boy. The sky one is called "Morning Has Broken" , I think it's really pretty. The clown on is called "Goin' to the Fair 1952" , it's meant to look very weathered and old. The one at the lake is "Vintage Vacation Photo", somebody spilled their martini on it lol.