Paris Love...

Arc de Triomphe

What can I say... Paris was an unbelievably beautiful city, one that's definitely not without it's edgy corners!  I could spend so much time here wandering and dreaming of what it might have felt like in centuries past.  I'm sure it had it's edgyness still then and it's beauty. I felt so much history as I walked the streets and there were things I couldn't keep my eyes off of! I loved every minute of it!  From the sunsets to the river Seine.  it's a true classic...

It was always my intention to head overseas with a bit of humility, my helpful dictionary of translated words and my carefully practiced and pronounced “Bonjour”!  I can definitely say that I didn’t experience anything too negative.  Teller machines around were abundant, transportation was amazing, I got help from workers when I couldn’t get my metro tickets to work, and everyone after realizing I spoke English, was very helpful, even the bartender who got me and my son the barbecue sauce we loved when getting take out.  I avoided the scammers, except for one incident which was kind of like a welcome to paris…(watch your pockets)!

There was an abundance of groceries and little markets selling honey and veggies.  Little cafes everywhere, a few of which I was brave enough to try.  I used my “sil vu plaits” and my “la addicions” whenever possible.  I knew enough French to get by.  I probably ate too many macarons… and the crepes will be in my dreams until I return!  They, along with the coffee, were magnificent!

The Louvre 

Louvre 

Palais Garnier 

Grand Palais 

Veraill

Versailles Hall of mirrors 

Yes the Versailles Palace was that packed!  It was a Friday so I should have expected that but I enjoyed it anyway!  There was so much beauty to see! 

Versailles is definitely worth a visit and something meant for an entire day!  I was in complete awe of its exuberance!  The queens quarters where closed for renovations so I only got to see the apartments that were in that same area!  The queen had her side with apartments for family and servants and the king had his side!  I could only imagine the dreamy place that it was then, they were in their own world so disassociated with the things around them!  

I took so many photos, maybe close to 500 or so, but I wanted to share a few!  I'm a total photog in beautiful cities and places!  

Traveling for me is almost like tasting a new food; you have to enjoy it for what it is! You have to let the culture soak in, welcome the unexpected and afterwards always smile. 

The experience is the treasure…

I’m already planning a new adventure for next year, a longer one, across Italy and a few other places.   

Take care...

beautiful Flora...

One thing I love about photography is how there is always something new to discover!  There is always a new way to see things and being a lover of florals and all things botanical I'm on a mission to push for the loveliest images of them.  I'm sharing a few here that will be available in my shop soon.  As time goes by I hope to curate a nice bunch of them as well as create a few collections of different kinds of lovely images.  

Botanical art prints

The beauty of soft Floral

Yes I'm usually the one sticking my camera into random florals hoping to get a good shot!  

I hope to add more soon and as it turns out I usually find the best shots while on vacation, so cheers to hopping on a plane and finding new things! 

inevitably everything changes...

In regards to most things, and when it comes to art that’s a good thing.  I’ve often gotten stuck thinking that my art had to be whatever I wanted it to be at that moment and not taking into account that it may change. After playing around and making all sorts of things over most of my adult life everything has changed… Always, often and it all sorts of ways.  It does take a little hindsight to see that I believe but as I followed a few artists it slowly started to click, you just have to make art.  Continue learning, continue new processes, continue doing what you want to become and slowly it begins to reveal itself to you, that thing, your thing!  I can’t say that I’ve found my thing but I’m starting to see it down the road.  Your view becomes clearer and clearer as you continue your processes.  But if you stop you start to have this blurred view of what you want your work to express.

It reveals itself in bits, tiny parcels and light bulb moments, all these moments lead, in some way, to other things. And those things lead to other things and so on…  Learning to just explore and let your brain absorb and process sometimes is the hard part of creating.  

I can say this now because I’ve had so many stops and starts over the last few years.  From making hand cut paper collages to mixed media, to watercolors and now acrylic painting I see that everything changes and there is no need to panic.  If you ride the wave, develop your talents and just keep going those changes evolve you as an artist whether you like it or not, and that’s a good thing!

I wanted to stop in a share of few images of a fun photo shoot I had recently.  I had to put my styling and photographer hat on to get some nice photos of my artwork.  Getting beautiful images of your work is a part of the process also!  As a developing artist it's always good to step back and view your work in other settings.

Happy hues...

I think I'm always dreaming about colors, how they fit, what's pleasing to the eyes...then I go about rambling through my stash searching for things that match the colors I'm thinking of at the moment. It't been awhile since I've done some fun color post and I think I might have to get bs k into it,  if not just to keep myself inspired!  I pulled this one from my archives and hope to create more soon.  

It's not new that navy and coral are quite lovely together but that didn't stop me from playing around and making some inspiring things. Navy is pretty much always a fun color to mix with! I've been using it quite a bit in some of my newer artwork.  My newest obsession is navy and lemon yellow!

One of my loves is collage so I was happy to make a little collage card using navy and a few coral colored papers.  I love the simplicity and the organic feel of the flowing watercolor. I could paint for days using watercolors. They have a funny way of surprising you!  I've been working with them for awhile and have only just now started figuring out how to manipulate them better.  I didn't use any glitter on this card just some very dark blues. Watercolor reminds me of clouds in that it goes where it wants and you follow only to be happy at what you see!

I think this set of colors is one of my top favorites, along with a little blush pink.  Wine might be a good color to put in the mix as well!  
Hopefully I can get around again to share some more lovely inspiration. 

I'm off to do a little varnishing and reworking of some paintings!  The afternoon weather we've been having is just perfect for a little tea and painting!

Hey Hey...

Hey hey... I wanted to stop in and say I'm still around!  To anyone that's still stopping by my little page I'm still here.  Once the summer gets underway my schedule gets all out of whack.  I'm sleeping in on days that I'm normally working,  I took a long trip to New York and Paris,  and managed to get a little painting in but nothing on a steady basis.  Usually as august comes around, along with back to school, the vacation and mini trips come to an end and I can get back to my old crafty self.

I created the image here using some things from my stash all inspired by this cute little target dollar spot bag.  I pulled out some watercolored branches and Maggie Holmes collection flowers. Her collections will always be a favorite in my stash!  They never grow old and all the colors integrate so well!  They've always been just my style since my way of crafting is so random.  

I'm trying to work in a few post this week about some things that are lingering on my desk that I hope to finish very soon!  So stay tuned and Happy Summer everyone! 

Glorious Nevada

Glorious Nevada… or should I say Arizona, since on my latest long weekend vacation I visited a little of both.  One of our first stops was a tour or the Hoover dam, formally known as the boulder Dam from 1933-1947 and since been renamed the Hoover Dam, lies between the states of Nevada and Arizona.  The surrounding area is quite impressive and the history behind the project equally so since it was constructed during the Great Depression.  It was truly a site to see!  We stopped along the way to visit the mighty construction and I’m glad we got to see it in the early morning light as it was so pretty to photograph with the mountains in the distance! 

For a long time I have wanted to visit this region of the United States and this area along with the Grand Canyon was at the top of my list.  Hopefully I’ll slowly make my way across to more areas in Arizona and Utah. 

And then there was the Grand Canyon! Always such a show off!  My son commented that it looked like a green screen.  The size of it is just jaw-dropping!  I would love to hike to the bottom and explore for a day or two!  

The West coast in springtime…was not much different from florida, although I did notice the low humidity in the air which I was completely not ready for.  We were in the desert however so I should have expected it!  The dry air hits you and you’re left reaching for a bottle of water or a wet towel to help you endure it.   I was born in a beach town full of flat land, humidity and trees… I can definitely say that I was out of my element and just a tad over my comfort zone out in these desert zones. The views that can be found are enough to make you forget all that for a short period and just enjoy to immensity of it all! 

The first thing I did when I arrived was make my way to this colorful installation.  I had seen it online and really wanted to see in real time so renting a car a driving out to see it was a top priority.  It was such a stunning display in the middle of nowhere!  The sky was showing off and the weather was actually perfect.

It was just awesome getting the chance to visit this side of the U.S for a change and I look forward to exploring more of this area!  Arizona is up next...  Sometimes you have to see for yourself just how beautiful this world is.

Take Care everyone!