Mixed-media, 16X20 on canvas, $200 (US s&h $25)
11×14 art prints available in my shop

I’ve been in Frida mode this week.  I checked out a book from the library about her and then the hubby and I went to the Nickolas Muray and Frida exhibit at the art museum here in town.  Muray took many of the most famous portraits of Frida.

I am always inspired by Frida, so I thought I’d do yet another portrait of her. This painting is 16X20 inches on canvas, bigger than what I usually do.  I used my painted papers to make her flowery crown.

I will be making large limited edition prints of this painting and the original is for sale too.  Email me if you are interested.

I’m feeling so much better today.  I had my massage yesterday and it was absolutely wonderful. It took me a while to relax, and the therapist had to keep telling me to “let go” over and over again. I don’t know why I was resisting so much. When I finally did let go, all the tension released. Ahhhhh…..

  When I got home, after the massage, I painted the above spread in my journal. A reminder to myself to relax, let go and find my center.

I’ve always had an unfortunate tendency to carry stress in my shoulders and back. Whenever I feel tense about a situation or person for an extended period, I can feel it build up and up until I can hardly bear it.

My shoulders feel like triple knots, shooting small bolts of pain down my right arm, head and lower back. Ugh!!

The minute I walk into my home though, half of my pain melts away and I can feel my body sigh in relief. I open up my art journal and a teeny bit more dissolves away as I get lost in colors and shapes. I am so happy I made time for this over the last few days.

Tomorrow, I’m taking the day off work to do a bit more self care. A long session of yoga for my back, time with my beautiful guys and an appointment with a massage therapist (a much needed gift from my hubby). I have a big week coming up and I want and need to be in tip-top shape.

I finally had a day to get busy painting. I’ve been waiting all week to finish these little houses.

They are painted on 2×2 wood blocks and will soon have a thin layer of encaustic wax on them.

I have a full work week, so my big list of things-to-do will have to wait. I do hope to squeeze in some evening art journal time though. A little de-stressing therapy, if you will. Wish me luck.

“Home wasn’t a set house, or a single town on a map.
It was wherever the people who loved you were, whenever you were together. Not a place, but a moment, and then another, building on each other like bricks to create a solid shelter that you take with you for your entire life, wherever you may go.”
~ Sarah Dessen

I’m in the process of making more little art blocks with paintings of small houses. I love painting small like this and find it very comforting to work with small dabs of paint and teeny paint brushes. I have four more houses in the works.

I’ve also been very busy with several other projects that I hope to roll out over the next month, before school ends.

* Embroidery patterns for sale like this, this and this
* I’ll be running my Art of Giving e-course in June again, so if you missed it last time, stay tuned.
* Weekend workshop e-courses. Short and affordable, with projects that you can complete in one weekend or maybe a week.
* A”yART” sale to help clear up some space in my studio.
* and lastly, a very much needed update in my etsy shop next week!

New pages in my red rosin journal.