Time Out!

Well, like it or not I have been forced to take a short time out from all normal activities. It still amazes me how a little pneumonia can knock you right off your feet. Despite my efforts to continue with every scheduled event I had on my calendar this last week, I was forced to cancel quite a few, including some photo editing and finishing a few oil paintings I had started several weeks ago. I am kinda bummed, to say the least. Normally when I am forced to take a sick day I look at it as an opportunity to work on some art or read a book... not this time. I just haven't been able to find the energy to put towards much of anything. There have been some high points. I got to attend both my girl's swim lessons, something I haven't gotten to do in the past. Down side is I forgot to take my camera so I didn't get any photos for their scrap books. Hopefully I will have another chance to get some pictures before they are done for the summer. Tomorrow it's back to work and I am hoping this also means I will have more art to share with you soon. For now I will continue to pray for energy and healing while I add more projects to my to-do list.

Traveling - New Orleans, LA

Continuing with my favorite travel photos, here are some I took in New Orleans earlier this year.

Traveling - Las Vegas, NV

Here are some more of my favorite travel photos. These are from our trip to Las Vegas, NV last year. As you can probably tell, I am often drawn to architecture and water.

Looking Up

There are certain things I love doing simply because they are relaxing. One of my top favorites is simply pausing long enough to enjoy the world around me. The painting I am sharing today is a reflection of these moments but it is also a reflection of who I am. I claim to have grown up a country girl. By all rights I am not sure this is entirely true, however in my heart it is most definitely who I am. While I can't say I ever lived on a farm, I did grow up in small towns and I worked a fair share of my younger years in the hay fields and raising cattle. Some of my fondest memories consist of sitting quietly listening to the wind in the trees and watching the clouds pass by. These moments are the inspiration for this watercolor painting. Watercolor is not a medium I work with very often but I do love experimenting. What I love about this painting is the perspective. I picture myself laying on my back under the tree looking up into the sky. The warm sun shining down as a cool breeze drifts by. A peaceful moment I can loose myself in.

Photography and Traveling

I am not sure if I am the only one with this problem, but I often struggle with documenting my travels. I am not good with journals and deciding what to take pictures of has always frustrated me. However, within the last five years I have discovered a new approach to photographing my travels. My goal is to seek out images which inspire me or capture my attention, rather than images which I think represent the location I am visiting. You know the ones, the stereotypical photographs you could easily purchase a postcard of instead of actually visiting the landmark. I have been amazed at how liberating this approach is. The pressure to capture the typical touristic image is gone and what is left is the desire to find new and exciting inspirations without worrying about relevance to location. Last year I had the chance to visit San Fransisco for a second time in my life, the first was in high school.While the pictures I took on my second trip may not represent the San Fransisco image, they do inspire me. It is through that inspiration I am able to connect to the memories of my trip. A much better outcome than those wannabe postcard images I used to strive for.