A much needed update...

Good Day my friends!

It's been too long since I posted here but I've recently been thinking about Heart Tree Art again and all things considered... not a lot is new in that realm since February anyway. But, here goes nothing... a much needed update.

I have though, been to Tofino, Whistler, Europe, Ontario, Quebec and Vancouver a few times. I've been busy playing and working and I will have you know, much to my dismay- not painting!

I just haven't been feeling it. The book was rejected by Orca Publishing for this year, so Lori and I are back to the drawing board as far as publishing is concerned. I didn't expect it but that little project took a lot of creative energy and now, after 4 months and a whole lot of travelling, am I feeling back to my creative self.

I've been doing a lot of soul searching and am realizing now that there is something very powerful to be said for the theory of living in the moment and making the joy in your life. I'm really appreciating good friends and the beauty in the world. I have been given the opportunity to spend my days at a very incredible workplace where I learn something new all the time. I really should blog more often as there are always little nuggets of wisdom to share from the group of people I work with. Like, living in the moment and appreciating that I am a healthy, vibrant young "chicken". :)

I'm working with my friend Toni to get my artwork out in the world a bit. She has a great new business - Rainforest Tours- http://www.victoria-hiking-guides.com/ When they have a trade show or display they have been using my artwork to decorate- which is totally awesome and I am so excited to be able to return the favor someday. I'm thinking I'll paint one of the photos from their brochure and create a display for them at an upcoming show. Who knows but really, if there is any way to support my friends I am ready and willing. So, check out their website, go on a guided hike or let me know if you know someone visiting Vancouver Island who might be interested in the best West Coast tour experience ever!

I went to the grand opening of the Cedar Hill Arts Center last weekend... What a great space. I'm not too sure if it is what I thought it would be- I wanted a space to go work on art surrounded by other creative people... maybe a storage space but mostly just space. Seems to me it's more of a teaching space.. I need to do a bit more research. The grand opening was all about the kids and fun play... so I can't say it was what I expected either.... but I can most likely get what I need from it once I get more involved. Fun! hmmm... how to create an artistic community....?

Perhaps I need to cultivate creativity and the rest will be easy. That said, my crafty ladies are the best creative community ever- so I can't say I'm alone.. in fact... far from it!

Merci Beaucoup!

At the moment, I'm in a phase of sharing the book's original paintings with friends and family and acquiring feedback.

I just wanted to officially thank everybody- you are making such great comments!

Crystal, Austin, Caron, Nyssa, Toni and Mark... Thank You.

Especially Mark, he's been there for me all along letting me know here and there his great opinions. You really did help me shape the artwork that will become my first book and I love you.

On another note...

What is a good title for this book?

The end is only the beginning

I have been one busy girl... what with 5 months passing us by since my last post. In a nutshell, I've been having an absolute blast at life, yoga and work and working really hard to put out this book.

I finished the original works (all 8 of them) just last night and took them to Lori's tonight to show them off and get some feedback on what's next. Needless to say, Lori's family is just fabulous and after sitting and chatting for an hour, we came up with some great options for where to go from here and what needs to be improved on before the book can be complete.

Wow~

What an incredible journey this has been thus far. From the very beginning it really feels like some cosmic shift in the universe is bringing it to be. I think I must get back to the drawing board... re-do the newest page, add a tongue to the snake and go back to that lovely place of gathering feedback and hopefully, fingers crossed, will then call it complete!

The next step is having them scanned and inputting the story. What fun. ;) This will be my chance to play with photoshop! Yeah!

So... after all... today I love progress. Feels like gold.

Things I like today

I like it best when the sun is shining or its raining. snowing is cool too but I'm not such a big fan of cloudy. Although, cloudy is pretty good for taking pictures...

On a more important note... I am learning a lot about myself with a clearer head then past...
Firstly, I really really like art dates. I really really like doing my art with people around. I'll just put it out there in the universe that I am grounded in working on projects when I can chat with a friend and feed off each others creativity...just sayin' I always thought I was a solitary artist... but nah...
I have had a few really great friends pass me by and what I would love more then anything right now is a sign. A sign that garden street lives on. That good friends are forever. and perhaps some company in my studio.
That's what I like today. I also like bedtime. Goodnight.

Inspirations

I was talking with a good friend today about blogging and about how incredible it is when people can manage to take time out of life more often then I to write down the thoughts crossing their minds and the experiences that grace them. Me, nah, I'de rather be living!
I've had a great summer full of sunshine, friends and fun. Now that the rain is back, I've been back from vacation for a week, and I've done a bit of painting, I feel like I might be up for the challenge of keeping up with a blog. Don't expect anything daily or anything but if I'm lucky I should be able to make this a weekly commitment. Let's hope so.

So, projects on the go...
I have 5 of 8 animals of the West Coast complete and ready for showing. Now I need to get to work on those incomplete three so that I can get them all scanned and ready for decorating. Plan is to eventually do 26. Wish me luck.
I've also been working on the "Palindromes" painting... and have had a bit of a lightbulb as far as the colour and composition and about... getting past the fact that I absolutely hated the thing. :)
I have the underpainting done for another jellyfish. No jelly though.
I have one absolutely huge-mongous canvas hanging in my stairwell waiting for my attention.
Another painting, this one again for kids rooms, basically 3 quarters complete.
I have inspiration out the wazoo and no discipline to make it a priority. My mind wants to release these great ideas and yet chooses to do things like...
clean my house, hang out with my friends, work full time, work out and do yoga, relax and watch dexter or movies or the like, work in my garden, go hiking or camping or whatever it is that comes up and gets in the way. I've been told I just need to make it a priority.

And so... here goes. I feel a new era beginning, an opening of my heart and mind to something new. Do I get to choose what it is?
If so, I choose time. I choose to make the time in my life to complete some of these things that I've started, to blog more, and to appreciate what I have.
Isn't it all about appreciating what you have rather then wanting what you don't?

Cheers friends. Enjoy.

Progress

Progress Update for today.... I went to the beach. :) May write this blog and then work on a page or two of the book.

I have been done the storyboard for a few days now and am just starting work on the original pages of the book. I'm super inspired for a page with the boy swimming and also a page with a snake all curled up around the story... just need to find the time to get to them!

This week I'm planning on working two jobs and not having any time for myself or for my art... BUT, when I'm done, I will have the extra money to buy a kick ass digital SLR and therefore will be able to take kick ass pictures of my art and post them to the blog.
I also had a thought that I will get so into photography I will neglect the art even more then I already do... but lets just wish that thought away together and maybe I will finish some of the million projects I have going instead.
Recently, I painted over the piece I called "palindromes" (see earlier blog post) and as it stands, the piece looks great just white. The texture really stands out in a super neat way and it's quite "trendy" (or likely not so trendy because... I have no idea what that actually means.)
I also printed the African Animals on a baby onesie and a friend of mine gave it to another friend for her baby shower. Apparently, it was the hit of the party and everyone was stoked on it! yes!

I've also been thinking the missing link to this puzzle is marketing!!!

Marketing... dun, dun, dun (insert ominous music here)

So, I'll be back at the art part of it in about 7 days and working at finishing a few unfinished works and trying really hard to use up some of these oodles of inspirations!
Wish me luck and send me lots of energy... it's going to be a wild work week!
work... sleep... eat... work...

Dreams and dabbling

Hi Everybody!
Welcome back to the world of Heart Tree Art! My apologies for a hiatus with no particular excuse... although I have been painting and busy and extra tired... no excuses.

I do however, have some great news!

I have been commissioned... to illustrate a kids book! This is so super cool because it's a dream of mine to be a published illustrator and also really awesome because the writer and I connected over some cosmic shift in the universe. All in one day, we both mentioned to the same person about our dreams and a publisher approached her to say they are looking for kids books. And thus, this awesome news was born!

I have most of the materials I need and a copy of the story to work from... so my next step is to create a storyboard and get going with the work!

It's about a boy who LOVES camping, is incredibly imaginative and sees all kinds of obscure things in his adventures! And whats more... I LOVE camping! And, living on this best west coast... I have lots of inspiration to pull from and the ideas are keeping me awake at night!

This is too cool. I will have to keep you posted on my progress and am thinking I need to talk more about my dreams in order to make them come true more often.

For now, I must be getting busy... lots to do and paint and enjoy!