This painting is coming along quickly! I've had this photo of my niece for several years and finally decided to "get in the Spirit" to paint it. She is a very special person, and I can't help wondering what she whispered! Now that I've started, I am excited to finish, so I keep going back adding layers over the past few days. I guess this is my way of "extending the Holiday" , and I am enjoying the process. I've done the underpainting in warm New Gamboge, but the background will end up very dark, greyish blue (I HOPE!)

I have had a FABULOUS year, and I can't begin to count the many blessings I've been given. I feel very thankful and blessed, and I wish everyone GRACE, HOPE, and PEACE throughout the coming year.

Happy New Year, I'm going to continue last year's commitment to keep painting!

Multitasking and managing many responsibilities at once is a valuable skill to develop. HOWEVER, (you knew that was coming!) There is also value in the ability to prioritize and focus on the most critical elements of what you are trying to accomplish. For instance, My goal for this year was to do something creative each day, increase my productivity, and develop skill in an area outside my comfort zone of character portraits.

I have to say I believe I have accomplished these three things. My recent change at work has taken more time from my art work, so I had to "get creative" with the time I have to spend with art. So, while the time frame between the website updates has increased, the actual work in my cubby has increased by doing smaller still life projects in between the larger paintings.  I used my small amount of time more productively, and the benefit  was developing my skill at still life. One project in particular is a square sheet of 300lb Arches Paper that I divided into four sections (about 9in. square each) I drew four separate arrangements, then proceeded to do a layer on each one, rotating the sheet as I moved from piece to piece. This kept me moving and helped me to focus on the technique rather than any one finished painting. Not only did I get a lot of practice time in, but I will have 4 paintings complete when finished! (a record for me).

Lesson Learned: Focus on a few most important projects when time is short, and you will get more quality for your efforts!

Remember to make time during this busy time of year to feed your soul and nurture your creative spirit.

Happy Holidays, and make time to paint! :)