Adventures of the Mind

All of my life I have been a book lover and avid reader. For me, reading spurs creativity in so many areas of my life–including my artwork. The worlds you can visit and discover in a book are never ending and can take you away from the stress of daily life. For those of you who love to read, here are a few of my favorites that I read in 2012: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern; Twelve Times Blessed Jacquelyn Mitchard; An Invisible Thread by Laura Schroff; Body & Soul by Frank Conroy; The Postmistress by Sarah Blake; The Help by Kathryn Stockett. And waiting on my nightstand…Gone Girl! Can’t wait to start it. Let me know your favorites and what you have waiting in the wings!

Spread a Little Kindness

A couple months ago I became aware of Sherrie Gahn and her wonderful story. This inspiring woman has done so much for the kids at Whitney Elementary and is such a wonderful role model for all of us. She inspired this piece I've been working on...hope to show you the finished version soon! If you don't know Sherrie's story, I encourage you to check it out at http://www.villageofhopelv.org/Sherrie_Gahn.html

Artwork is all hung at Fortunate Discoveries on Armitage in Chicago. It's a great new space with a wonderful collection of artisans - so happy to be a part of it. Stop by and see everyone's terrific work! Here's a photo of my space. http://www.fortunatediscoveries.com/

I admit it - I've been an absolutely awful blogger lately. I always have the best intentions and they go right out the window! I need a few extra hours in the day. I hope you'll check out and vote for my first fabric design at Spoonflower.com! My entry is called Whimsical Garden. It's in the Hand Drawn Contest (under the Connect tab). There are lots of entries, so you'll have to page through to find mine. Hope you'll vote for my design! Just click on my image and a green box appears around it - that's your vote. As they say here in Chicago, vote often! http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric_items/new?design_id=1170020&show_comments=trueI

Illustration Friday – Heights

This piece, called Room to Grow, seemed perfect for the IF theme of Heights. This whimsical pair of mom and son shows there's always room to grow to new heights.

Illustration Friday – Shades

This piece is perfect for the IF theme this week, Shades. One of my favorite places is Door County, Wisconsin - and this was the view from our rental a while ago. The sunsets were amazing...shades of twilight in this piece called Door County Getaway.

Whimsy and the Mixed Media Journey

This coming Monday (March 19), I'll be presenting a program at the DuPage Art League (218 W. Front Street, Wheaton) called Whimsy and the Mixed Media Journey. It will include a little bit about my creative journey, my musical background, and how I ended up creating whimsical works of art. I'll also be doing a demo on how I create my pieces and what media I use. This is an interactive program as well, so come with a sketchbook or journal and a pencil!

There's social time at 7 p.m. and the program starts at 7:30. Hope you can stop by for some creative fun and a couple giveaways too!