'Twas the last day of 2018, December 31, 2018, to be exact.  It was a gorgeous day in the 70s here in sunny Florida.  I was off from teaching so I packed up my easel and paints and headed to the springs near my house with an old student of mine.  We tromped around looking for a good place to set up, which took a while since there was so much beauty to take in!  Then, this bridge caught my eye.  The light, the reflection - I was mesmerized by it!  I set up my easel nearby and began to paint. It felt so good to be outdoors in God's creation, taking it all in and pouring it all out onto my canvas. I wasn't really thinking about much as I painted, just freely putting down the paints, feeling  joy, peace, and rest!

When I went back to my studio, I realized since it was the last day of 2018, it was somehow significant that I was attracted to this bridge to paint.  Bridges can be symbols of transition, I mused. Smooth transitioning from 2018 into 2019 where there is rest, peace, light, and hope, this was my outer artistic representation of my inner feeling or perception.  I believe God works in and through us when we are open an available.  This is my prayer for you, as you view the work of my hands, that you, too, would bridge/transition into a place of rest, peace, light, and hope this upcoming year.  

God bless!

Laura 

"Transitions" 8" x 8" oil on canvas

Watercolors beckon to me like a beacon in the night. My soul loves the freedom with restraint they afford!  I never know how it is really going to turn out.  My goal is to expect without expectations. Will it be an epic fail or a cacophony of joy? Who know?  Who cares?   I choose the things I can control like color, texture, value, line, space, shape, form, how I layer my colors or if I am going to do wet on wet or dry brush, but I let go of the rest.  When I try to control things too much, it never turns out.  I literally watch the magic unfold however, when I lay the paints down with heart of humble surrender. 
Do you have areas of your life you are trying to control and they are causing you stress?  Maybe it's time to quit fighting, surrender,  let go and let God!  Enjoy the process and be blessed!
Laura

These little birds remind me of winter where I grew up in Minnesota.  I now live in Florida but the memories of these cute little birds and the clear, cold, blue skies still live within my heart. 

I like painting birds.  It might be kind of funny that I  like painting birds because my maiden name (and now I use it as my middle name) was Bird.  It was my nickname growing up and as you might imagine, I heard lots of jokes about birds. My dad used to call me "Tweety."  It makes me smile just thinking of him. 

For this painting I used Golden Open Acrylics.  I am starting to like them almost as much as oils.  They are easy to use and I love the open working time!

Hope you are having a good start to your new year.  I cannot believe it is already January 15 - mid January of 2017!  

Laura (Bird :) 

What joy to ring in a new year!  Here is my last painting of 2016 delivered just in time to be hung for Christmas for a sweet friend and collector who now owns three of my original pieces. Do you see the peacock in the painting on the bank on the left?  When I went to see the space where the painting was going to be hung, her young son was so excited because there was a peacock in their yard.  I ran out to snap some photos and decided to add him to the painting because I was so touched by the excitement of her son who dragged me around the yard with my camera for at least 45 minutes chasing this peacock. What joy!

Today I am planning my painting goals for 2017.   Not only do I want to serve others by painting commissions, I would like to paint more people, animals, and places I enjoy visiting!  I want to grow as an artist and expand my territory.  I want to paint everyday life and how people are engaged in it to capture the essence of 2017 in America. I want to reveal the heart of God in this everyday life and reveal more of His nature and character in a way people can relate to. 

If you have any ideas or things you'd like to see painted in this genre, please feel free to share. This will be a humbling challenge for the year. Any prayers would be greatly appreciated.  Meanwhile, know I pray for each and every one who reads this blog that your life may be touched and healed in every area of you life. 

Enjoy and be blessed,

Laura

Painting "live" is not for the faint of heart. People love to watch you.  You have to be quick!  It is like taking shorthand.  Capturing the essence of the moment is of utmost importance.  There is nothing like being present at the scene to grasp an innate creative concept that you as an artist will carry out both onsite and back at your studio. 

Last weekend I attended a bar mitzvah for a wonderful young man named Robert.  Several years ago I painted for his sister Sarah's bat mitzvah.  I was honored to be invited back to paint for Robert's.  

I will post the final painting after I finish in my studio.  I will add the main characters to the painting including the parents, grandparents and other family members plus Robert's best friends. They will be doing the Horah dance and having a good time.  I had my camera to capture these moving images. I have some great ideas to make this painting a special painting he will cherish and pass along to his children's children!  One thing I'll mention but I don't want to ruin the surprise of the final version for the family so won't divulge too much, however, Robert likes NASCAR.  His parents got Jeff Gordon to do a video a personal message to Robert. A scene from when Jeff Gordon spoke to him is going to be painted on the TV screen I have blocked in on the left side of the painting.  I am so excited.  This is the benefit of attending the live event. You get the WHOLE flavor of event, not just a snapshot of an event to paint from.

Someone asked what I charge for this. I initially charge $75 which basically covers my fee to attend/paint "live" at your event for approximately three hours. Then, depending on the size of the painting, I will charge you the balance when the painting is complete.  The average painting is 2 feet high by 3 feet wide whereby the balance is $475.  A smaller painting of 18' x 24" is $400 and 16' x 20" is $375.  Many hours are spent in the studio finishing the final painting. It is truly a joy to bring the memories of the event to life.

Be blessed!

Laura

Do numbers drive you batty?  If you are an artist, chances are, they probalby do.  I would rather eat nails thtan crunch numbers.  But, as I am learning, numbers are important, especially when we want to sieze each moment of each day with all that is within us.  And that, as an artist, is what we do.  We sieze moments, hold them in our hand, translate them to our paintbrush and celebrate them on canvas.

When we number our days, our blessings, our gifts, it is a way of giving thanks: 

Number 1, thank you for reading this blog.  I appreciate you and celebrate you. 

Number two, I am grateful to have hands; hands that type, hands that paint, hands that love. 

Number three, I am grateful for the cold weather (that everyone is complaining about here in Florida,) because it is a breath of precious memories of my life in Minnesota, which I cherish. Plus, it inspires me to paint snowy scenes with a heart of gratitude!

I am learning to number my moments, my days, my life in small chunks of blessings, and this, is what I have learned is how I can give thanks to God for every good and perfect gift from above. 

There are 357 days left of this year.  I started a journal last year, a five-year journal.  I had no idea when i started writing in it last year that this year, I would look back with such thanksgiving and that the lightbulb of the grace of God would be turned on.  Each little thing I wrote down was a gift:  "Had breakfast with mom.  Went to the new Publix for groceries.  Made a whole chicken for dinner."  Yes, that's how I wrote in the thing.  Nothing profound, just ordinary life.  These are, however, precious memories I recorded that would have slipped away in the blink of an eye.  

Won't you join me in recording the moments, the days left in 2014?  Grab a notebook and let's go!   Now, it's time to pick up a paintbrush and record moments and life's celebrations on canvas.  Won't you join me there, as well?  See you in the studio!

I so much appreciate you. 

Love,

Laura 

The 2013 Orlando Garden Tour House #10 was a beautifully landscaped home.  Each home on the tour had a local artist painting on location and this one happened to be the one I was assigned to.  The porch was made of slate and the greenery exquisite.  The water feature, the stairs and the doorway have a lovely symbolism and spoke to my heart!  Many people walked by and chatted with me as I painted.  It was a pleasant day despite the rain!

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain." Unknown 

When you get a chance to dance, dance; when you get a chance to paint, paint!  Enjoy and God bless!

Laura

Remember the U.S. Forest Service's "Hooty Owl" from the 70s/80s  whose motto was "Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute"?  This cute little Barred Owl (also known as the Hoot Owl) lives in my back yard.  They live all across North America; do you have one in your back yard?  I love how they hoo hoo hoo hooooo; "who cooks for you?" 

This bird or prey is only one of few in the eastern U.S. owls that has brown eyes instead of yellow.  I thought his eyes were deep, warm, and intriguing.  Just looking at him, don't you just want to ruffle those cute little mottled feathers?

First I sketched him in lightly in pencil on watercolor paper.  Then I started with his eyes, building the brown color in layers of cadmium yellow mixed with ceruleum blue, burnt sienna and burnt umber.  Next the feathers got their layering from light to dark, leaving the white of the paper in some areas.  Finally I finished up with the background washes and the branch he was perched on.  I decided to keep the background interesting with light layers of cool blues, soft pinks, and pale greens, just enough to contrast the dark, mottled brown body of this cute little guy and help me convey the love and gentleness I felt in the soft pinks and baby blues.

My students and I have drawn many owls over the years.  I was inspired to paint this particular Barred Owl, however, because I am at my terminally ill mom's house right now helping to care for her, and she loves birds.  She has had a bird book in her house within an arm's reach in every house she's lived in.  When I was little, she could name every bird that flew into our feeder by sight and by sound.  I told her about this little guy and how he hoots every night in my back yard.  I painted him so she could see him and appreciate him, through my eyes of gratitude though she'll never see him.  Hope you enjoy him as well... I am grateful that you have stopped by to connect.  Please leave a comment if you "give a hoot!"

Making. Magical. Memories.

That's how we roll.

"Michelangelo's" make magical memories with their brushes.  They are the magnificent 10-12 year olds who come to paint with me once a month at my home studio.  The are really a wonderful group who soak in every little brushstroke I make as I lead them through a painting.  They make me smile and I love their energy, their heart and their willingness to push through the sometimes painful journey of learning to paint and draw. 

Look at these paintings from our last 4-hour workshop held February 8, 2013:

Aren't these students amazing?

Enjoy...

Live, Love, Paint!

Laura