Increase the Diffusion of Knowledge- Harford County Artist

Washington D.C.

Last night was one of those memorable nights as a mom; the moments that grab at my heart because I know I won't have many more opportunities for evenings like this with my two oldest children. After dinner, my oldest daughter, a senior in high school, and I sat down together to put together and send out her graduation announcements. As we were sitting there, working together elbow to elbow it was not far from my mind that in just a few short months she will be off living on her own in Florida. It strikes fear but also pride in my heart. I know she is ready, but am I? I am clinging to these memories as much as I can. Just as my heart was getting sad about my "baby" graduating, she decided to put on some funny videos for Brian and me to lighten the mood. Oh my gosh. As we were working, we laughed our butts off at these funny videos to the point of tears. After a while I begged for mercy because tears were streaming down my face, my belly and face muscles hurt, and it exhausted everything in me. Sometimes we just need a good belly laugh to fix everything that is wrong.

After wrapping up her graduation announcements, my oldest son, who is in college, came to me and asked for help with writing an essay about a poem for his college English class. He doesn't ask for help much, so I was honored he approached me and wanted my editing skills. After going over his first draft of the essay, it was well near 11:00PM and exhaustion set in to my bones. It filled my heart, as I went to bed, that my "kids" still need me every once in a while. I raised them to be confident, independent young adults, but a mom still wants to be needed every now and again.

I love my children with the deepest cells of my body. While I enjoy and take pride in watching them grow up into their own people, it is bittersweet letting go. Soon the house will be down to 4...me, Brian, and the twins. And soon after that it will be down to 2. But, this is how it is supposed to happen. My little birds growing up and flying away...

Have a wonderful day. Tonight is my youngest daughter's last choral concert tonight and I am looking forward to seeing her hard work pay off as she sings her heart out. Lots of "lasts" are happening in May...but with a last there is always a birth of some sort, a new beginning. Here's to new beginnings!

xo

The Government Is Us- A Brief Peek into My Digital Art Process

My rendition of the White House

The government is us; we are the government, you and I.

-Theodore Roosevelt

When I visited Washington D.C. on a field trip with my homeschooled kids, we made sure to squeeze in seeing the White House. They read several books about the history of the White House and they were very much looking forward to catching a glimpse of the most recognizable building in the United States. While we were there, I was inspired by the beautiful grounds and architecture to create this digital art. After taking a picture of the scene, I then used multiple apps on my phone to begin the process of changing the photo into something unique. Then, I imported it into Photoshop and began taking out elements in the scene I didn't care for such as a white pick-up truck near the White House and some motion detectors along the grassy area. Next, I added additional textures, layers, and a bird stamp. Last, I used the mixer brush to paint a bit (the grass) and added additional Gaussian blur layers to complete the transformation.

I hope you enjoyed this peek into my process. If you would like to own the one and only print of this work, please contact me! There will be only 1 printed!

xo

The Tourists

The Tourists
Lincoln Memorial as seen from the WWII Memorial
Washington D.C.

I had a wonderful time Friday night at Arts By the Bay Autumn Aura show reception. I had so many people stop and chat with me about my pieces. It is so lovely to see the sparkle in someone's eye when I give them the history or meaning behind a piece of my art. It is even better when I hear people talking about a piece of my work with each other and they have no idea I am standing behind them listening. I love to hear their thoughts about it and how it affects them. What an honor to have my work hang in a gallery and be seen by such a gracious public.

If you didn't get a chance to stop in on Friday, my 5 pieces will be hanging until November (unless they sell, of course...). Stop in and check it out and buy yourself a piece of art or start some early Christmas shopping...it really is a great show. I have sold more than one piece each of the last several shows I have been in, so if there is a particular one you really like and are interested in, please be sure to act quickly! All of them are limited edition, signed, and numbered. Thank you to everyone who took the time to come out and chat. It was a blast.

The next time I am sitting at the gallery will be September 10 from 3PM-7PM, so mark your calendar and hang out with me! I'll give you a tour of the gallery. Also, I am in the planning stages of an autumn photography workshop/photo walk with another of the gallery's photographers. It's looking like it will be in November, so keep your eyes out for that.

I hope you all are enjoying your weekend!  Have a wonderful Sunday and tune in through the week to see more brand new digital art coming to the blog.

xo

We've Only Existed For The Blink Of An Eye

Washington Monument and Reflecting Pool
Washington D.C.

Happy Friday, y'all. Come on out to see me and the other artists tonight from 7:00PM-9:00PM at Arts By the Bay Gallery in Havre de Grace, MD. I have 5 framed pieces hanging in the Autumn Aura Show and one of my dear friends, Douglas Williams, is the featured artist. Mingle with the artists, have a glass of wine, eat some hors d'oeuvres, and enjoy one of the last summer weekends in Havre de Grace. I'd love to see you there!

This digital art piece was created from a photo I took in Wahsington D.C. last Friday during a homeschool field trip with my kids. It was a hot summer day and the ducks in the Reflecting Pool in front of the Washington Monument were just adorable. I sat and waited for a long time for this duck to swim into the frame in the perfect position. It was worth the wait. This image reminds me a bit of another piece of art of mine, Freedom, because that too features the Washington Monument, although in a much more gloomy light. The title of this piece has multiple meanings...one is that our country, America, by comparison to other civilizations in the world, is just a baby. Our country is less than 300 years old...just an infant as far as countries go. Secondly, in a more personal context, we, as humans, have only existed in the blink of an eye compared to the history of our universe. It simply is mind-blowing to think about. And lastly, on an even more personal note, I have only existed on earth for a measly 43 years...amazing to think of how many humans have lived and died and yet each one of us is so important to our world. We each have value to give and yet we exist in our human form for only the briefest of moments.

Have a wonderful Friday! TGIF!
xo

Freedom

Any people anywhere being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up, and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better. This is the most valuable -a most sacred right-a right, which we hope and believe, is to liberate the world.

-Abraham Lincoln

I won't make any large political statements here, but I will say that I fear for the state of our country and something must be done about our current system of government. I'll leave it right there.

This image was created after a field trip with my high school daughter to Washington D.C. The original photo was taken from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and then I created the final product from there. Layers of textures, added birds (it seems to be my signature addition), and digital paintings on top of the photograph gives it this vintage, painterly look.  I hope you enjoy it.

xo

On the Monument Steps

Yesterday I went to see the long awaited film
Finding Vivian Maier at the Charles Theater in downtown Baltimore.
Ever since I have found out about this amazing photographer,
I have been obsessed with her and her work.
She is one fascinating creature and the movie did not disappoint;
however, I left there with even more questions than I went in with!
Part of the intrigue is the mystery surrounding her and her work.

I would love to see a live gallery exhibition of her work,
but all of the current shows are overseas, so it will have to wait.
I will keep my eyes open for any shows in the U.S.

Vivian has inspired me to do more street photography when I can,
and so when I recently visited D.C., I instead of taking the normal monument pictures,
I was focused, instead, on the people surrounding the monuments.
This is an iPhone shot, but I loved it nonetheless,
as I enjoy moving my eye through the frame and seeing what each of the people is doing.

xo