have a great day and let us know if you painted. xo

First, I wanted to say a HUGE thank you to all of you who offered me your kind wisdom after my post yesterday! You are great and I truly appreciate you! I am re-reading your words and I feel better. Thank you!

Today my painting came from the sketch above that I did with marker yesterday evening as I was outside in the yard with the kids.

So then I started to paint it and it started to look more like an animal print. Wrong brush I think.

I then switched to a smaller round brush with gouache. I think it is a pretty cute pattern.

Before I posted this I was looking at Print and Pattern and I found Kate Thomas. Love her prints and I love that she has an Etsy shop. She has prints with inspiring quotes. I really like this one. It has gotten my wheels spinning. Also, I forgot to share this video

by Danielle Laporte (in case you need a bit of encouragement too), she also has an mp3 you can download and print out to hang on your wall.

Enjoy your day and leave a link if you painted!

This morning I was looking at this print which I LOVE, all her photos really. But as I was getting dressed I remembered the lovely feeling of floating in the water. Weightless, no sounds but the water in your ears, a breeze, the sun shining on you. Longing for that lovely feeling. Free of expectations, demands, pressures, worry. Do you enjoy that too?

I guess you can say we are all floating along on this sea called life. Sometimes the water is rough and other times gentle.

I have been feeling a bit lost lately in this sea of life. I think I may have mentioned it here before. My daughter is off to kindergarten in the fall and there is a real financial need for me to go back to work. We now live where there isn’t an ideal well paying job unless you are a teacher or nurse or you commute far. You see when I left my job as a surface pattern designer I did so with the full intention of raising my kids and letting life be what it will. Crazy I know. But those early days of a new love will do that to you, oh and maybe sleep deprivation. I still want to be there for my kids. To get them off the bus, on the bus, to help with their homework, to tuck them in.

I also have the desire to work. Preferably for myself. I have asked myself if hubby was making more would the desire still be there? The answer is yes. It feels good to contribute to the world, to your family, to yourself.

But then I wonder how? When you read of successful artists they often tell that it just went, it just flowed. I also know, they didn’t give up, and perhaps it took years. I know I have it in me. I know what I am capable of. I know where my passions lie.

I have thought about a freelance design business which is still a possibility. Still love patterns. I have thought about working harder on my paintings and trying again. Maybe both. I know my answers lie within. It just isn’t becoming clear. What do you guys think? What do you do when you feel lost?

Today I decided to paint the plant that my son gave me for mother’s day! I used gouache & acryl gouache. It was fun and I enjoyed not making a copy of the plant, just trying to capture the essence and be loose with the paint.

On a side note I haven’t been doing Friday links but here are a couple in case you are interested.

*I downloaded this yesterday, haven’t started reading it but I admire her and her story.

*In case there is any artist out there that wants a chance to win a big sum of money and have a gallery show in NYC. I saw this.

If you are painting or painted today let us know! xo

I had originally wanted to do a hydrangea painting only but then I got to looking through my Flowers of the World book and came across a nice layout of pink/purple plants. It was fun to do. I think I will go back in and add more color. It is too washed out for me.

Oh, and in case you are looking for more watercolor inspiration, here is an nice interview with one of my favorite artists. LOVE her work! Happy painting! Leave a comment if you have been painting! xo

Day 10…I am not losing my motivation to paint, to blog well, that is another story but you know what? I think it helps to keep me on track, even if I am the only eyes that ever see the post.

I returned to the clover, larger a little bit more detail. I was going to put those grey dashes that are on the left side behind the clover, well I did put them there, but then I decided it was too busy. I like the circle of dashes though.

I have been doing a bit of soul searching but as Elisa says I am choosing to trust. It is the only way!

Share your links to your painting for today below. xo

I literally had only 15 minutes to spare before I had to pick up my little girl. So I worked in my small sketchbook with acryla gouache. I sketched a couple out and just went to painting. I am not done with this subject and want to return to it perhaps tomorrow. This is the ultimate exercise in letting go. I hope you are painting today! Share with us!

Today I went back to an earlier day, back to color. I am kinda starting to like it. I hope your day is going well. If you painted let us see! xo

I started with the pattern and with the ink there is no going back and touching up. So what you put down is it. So I had to be o.k. with it. Then I wanted to try a face. This was hard for me because of the not being able to change it. I just did it from my head but in the end I really like it. It is graphic and you have to just do it and not get too attached to the outcome.

What did you paint today?