In with the new...and out with the old....a skin is shed....But the only way it can be shed is to truly let go...& move forward...and the only way you can move forward is to forgive...
As I watched this inspring video sent to me by my dear friend Rak (founder of the Humanity Healing Network); Entitled Forgiveness & the Freedom of Letting Go, I felt compelled to write this blog post...
I've learned that forgiveness takes strength, & to forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love....it brings with it a great peace, happiness & contentment...
May you go forth in the new year & know that you too can begin again & again... Happy Auspicious New Year everyone....may your year be filled with love & wonder!
I'm always looking for new, cool, ways to promote myself. I found this article from the U.S. Small Business Administration to be very helpful! They published an article with 100+ Marketing Ideas to promote your business...
Here are a few below:
Never let a day pass without engaging in at least one marketing activity.
Determine a percentage of gross income to spend annually on marketing.
Set specific marketing goals every year; review and adjust quarterly.
Maintain a tickler file of ideas for later use.
Carry business cards with you (all day, every day).
Create a personal nametag or pin with your company name and logo on it and wear it at high visibility meetings.
Stay alert to trends that might impact your target market, product, or promotion strategy.
Read market research studies about your profession, industry, product, target market groups, etc.
Collect competitors' ads and literature; study them for information about strategy, product features, benefits, etc.
Ask clients why they hired you and solicit suggestions for improvement.
Ask former clients why they left you.
Identify a new market.
Join a list-serve (e-mail list) related to your profession.
Subscribe to an Internet usenet newsgroup or a list-serve that serves your target market
Hey there! I haven't posted in a while & decided I'd like to post something nature inspired in light of the beautiful summer breeze this evening...
Upon reading one of my favorite clothing company's (Free People) blogs, I discovered some nature inspired art that I thought was pretty inventive & wanted to share...
The project is called 'Little Drifters' and was organized by a company called booooooom & the Vancouver Sun. Participants were asked to gather pieces of driftwood, twigs, leaves, berries, dandelions, pine cones, feathers - pretty much anything that can be considered 'natural' - and build a little boat using only these materials! They were than asked to take their boat to a body of water & take a picture of it. I find them wonderfully creative & fun to view - each one has its own individual personality. I love the idea!
I actually already grab little pieces of nature here and there that inspire me. Whether it be seashells from the ocean to turn into jewelry that I wear, driftwood from the sand to use in decorative arrangements, or flowers from my garden to wear in my hair, nature has and always will play a strong presence in my inspiration for art. It is my root, my essence, & I study it not only to draw inspiration to create, but to draw answers for life.
Enjoy some of the photos below: (P.S. Here's a link to Summer Breeze if you'd like to listen while browsing.)
I guess I've been in a Hawaiian mood lately... :) I was inspired by a friend to create a painting which I gave away as a gift & wanted to share with you!....
The painting includes stylized plumeria and my signature swirls...
It's been a while since I've posted last and I just wanted to share some current artwork with you! :)
As you know I'm working on a massive frame for my sister...The frame will include beautiful & poetic symbolism and imagery that means something to her & I....
When I asked my sister about her favorite flower she told me it was a tiger lily....it only made sense to me that would be her answer....they are beautiful, fiery, & wild....like the personality of my Leo sister :)....
I believe I'd like to add some text to the photo....such as 'her beauty was wild and vivacious....like that of the tiger lily....'
I welcome your love, thoughts, comments & suggestions...
I wanted to share with you one of the newest paintings I've created inspired by my love for the sea, seaweed, the ocean, love, and seashells. I went down to the ocean last weekend and drew this whimsical image...I than colorized it in the computer and added texture with special paper. Once finished, it reminded me of a quote I had always known & loved; "May your joys be as deep as the ocean, your sorrows as light as its foam". To the right of it are pictures I took of the sea and my environment that day....you could look at them as inspiration...The is one of many paintings I am creating for a larger frame I am giving to my sister to remind her of home while she is in Germany...I will be sharing the rest of them with you in additional blog posts...
It has been a while since I posted last...over the next couple of days I will be posting on my blog some of the arts & crafts I've been up to over the past couple of months. This painting, which consisted of ink & watercolor on paper was created for my sister....one of the strongest women I know. Strength & perseverance must run in the family, for when I created this gift for my sister, I knew I wanted to show her that although it felt like the storm would never end....that her roots are only growing deeper as she becomes more grounded...until the storm passes....
Light is shining down onto the tree....and underneath the ground you can see the roots are much larger than the actual tree itself....Inside the roots of the tree are a sun symbol, to represent warmth, a flower to represent happiness, a peace sign to represent a peace of mind, & five peas in a pod to represent our family.
Signed prints are available of this piece for only $15! Please visit my website for more information.
