My whimsical world!

Hi! If you have been following my art work for the last year or so you already know that I love to live in a whimsical world!

I thought I would use a blog to show that work as it progresses and to explain why I paint what I do.

This is not something you would catch me doing a couple of years ago! I was very shy about my art, I didn't want anyone to see it except for my husband and son. Why is that you ask? Well there are  two main reasons. The first one is that I didn't feel confident about my talent. I had never gone to art school or even took any art classes in my whole life. The only instruction I remember getting was in third grade when we still had art classes in schools. I remember drawing some birds and the teacher telling me that I had some artistic abilities. I remember that, because it seemed that I rarely had a kind word of encouragement in school so it really stood out for me.    

I spent most of my life daydreaming away. I didn't realize that it was a coping technique that I had developed. My dad would always ask me what I was 'thinking over there' and I would always say "nothing". However, I was usually drawing something in my mind and imagining a different little world or telling myself a story. We traveled alot when I was a kid since my dad was a traveling salesman and his territory was spread across most of Colorado, Wyoming, parts of Montana and at one time most of New Mexico. This gave me the opportunity to see so many interesting sights which I quickly turned into stories and pictures in my head. Which leads me to the second reason why I was uncomfortable about people seeing my art. You see many of the things I put on canvas are a part of me, they are the stories and pictures I have had in my head for a long time and when you put part of yourself out there to be seen, it can be a scary thing!    

  I have always found trees to be fascinating, they are like natures sculpture to me, they are also like a metaphor for life to me as well. They survive no matter what hits them. I have seen them grow straight out of a rock. They are twisted from the wind, rain, ice, snow and they even survive lightning strikes and sometimes fire. As I am sure you have noticed I love to paint trees! 

Here is a piece that I have been working on ...

a few more changes

and just about finished.

I struggle with photographing the art work. We just moved and I have not found the best light to photograph  my art yet. I will keep working at it! Hopefully soon I will find the right lighting!   Have a really happy week everyone!