April fool...

Did anyone catch my April fool's joke in yesterday's blog post?

If you go back and look...

I had Mis-spelled "married" on this suitcase commission.

Yes, I left out the letter "e"!

I am embarassed to say that it was not an intended prank! I have corrected it and thank goodness I discovered the mistake before varnishing it!

It happens.

 

I had such a wonderful Friday night, how about you?

My darling husband is away, enjoying some male bonding with the fellas and nature.

I nurtured my soul by spending the latter part of the night in our bed, tv on, lavender essential oil burning in the diffuser and the warm glow of my Himalayan salt crystal lamp.

I made myself a lovely cup of Earl Grey tea.

Got out my art journal and watercolors.

It was perfect.

Oh, and these new watercolors have me beyond thrilled!!! I just purchased the Qor watercolor tubes by Golden and I am so impressed by their vibrancy! I first ordered one small set of the chroma tubes. Well, you know how that goes...

fall in love and "need" to order the additional sets! I did.

I can't wait to show you my next painting but for now it's time for the girls' to bond so I'm off to hang out with a girly friend from Texas!

You have fun and I will meet you back here again soon!

XO

 

Time flies...

Hello April!

Hello, dear readers (if you are still following)?!

By the time January arrived, I must confess. Getting myself to pick up a paintbrush was as difficult as going into my former place of employment and spending 8 long hours. The joy was no longer there. This made me sad, confused. It had always been my life long dream to work at home as an artist and to actually make some money doing so. How could I be feeling this way after only a few years of living my dream?

I knew that I needed to add something into my daily routine to mix it up a bit rather than to give up. Oh no, I will never give up my art but I need to find that pure joy again!

From my last post, you may be aware that I became an independent fashion consultant with LuLaRoe.

Oh, friends.

It has consumed me and the really great news is, that it also brought me back to my happy place in art!

 

You see, because of the popularity of this clothing line, I have been forced to step outside of my comfort zone. January, February and March...

I have spent countless hours creatively photographing the clothing that had taken over our cozy country home. Women have been shopping in my home, as well as online through my Facebook group. I have been so wrapped up in technology, responding to questions, sending invoices, running to the bank and to the post office daily. I did not even decorate for Easter this year... I was unaware that it was Easter until a few days before the date.

Although this has all earned me a nice additional income...

It can no longer take priority to the things that I am so very passionate about! NOooooooo!

This is not who I am and a valuable lesson has been learned:

Never want for any more than what you already have.

 

I have taken a step back and reevaluated the situation.

Art and creativity, along with home, hubby and family must come first. LuLaRoe is an add on and I will continue to take great care of my fabulous lady shoppers...

But I can no longer be glued to my computer or tripping over clothing racks (she says with a giggle)!

I woke up one day and took charge of my life!

And began to paint again in a clean, clothing-free space.

Balance.

I'm finding it and loving it!

 

Today I finished this suitcase commission and I enjoyed every single moment! I was dreading it just a few months back.

I understand it all so clearly now.

I did need to add another job into my life and I am so glad that I did so!

I had hit a burnout stage. I needed a long break from my art in order to realize all over again just how important it is to me and my well being.

I so love to journal...

With a good cup of coffee!

Being "present" is very important to me.

I appreciate the girl in me who enjoys stopping, dashing to grab her camera to capture a very simple photo.

(That same girl who appreciates a rainy day and fresh flowers picked from her own garden).

Now,

This girl also loves playing dress up and cute clothes too!

But I can enjoy it all, can't I?

Balance.

Finding it.

Enjoying the journey.

Blessings to you!

See you soon!

Xo

 

Yes. This is happening now...

I would be lying to you if I told you that I want to paint every single day.

Friends, although my dream of working as an artist from home has become my reality and I absolutely love what I do...

There are moments when I feel forced to paint or work on a commission piece when my creative mind is dreaming of other things. For several months now, I have entertained thoughts of creating fabulous Valentine sculptures, decorating our house, learning to frost pretty layered cakes and pastries....the list goes on. But then, I am committed to my wonderful clients whom I adore, so naturally, I put them first and continue to work to complete their projects. I am always so happy that I do complete my commissions in a timely manner and know down deep inside, that I truly did put my heart into their art. It's a feeling like no other!

I do, however, recognize the need to enhance my creative life by adding another endeavor to in order to find some balance.

So the story goes like this:

Because I am at home so much, I am always in "lounge wear". Keep in mind, I am a gal who loves clothing and staying on top of the latest trends...

But rarely get to wear them.

So, I found these colorful, fun leggings online by a company called, "LuLaRoe".

Cute, comfortable clothing made in the US, with the exception of their leggings. The company has their own designer and exclusive fabric prints that are limited to only approximately 1000 pieces per print. As I explored further, I saw that the LuLaRoe leggings were being sought after and receiving so many great reviews for their "buttery soft" material, not to mention, their crazy exciting patterns! I was captivated and knew that this clothing line would express my style perfectly! I then had to locate a consultant since one cannot purchase directly from the LuLaRoe website.

Done!

I now own three fabulous pairs of LuLaRoe leggings, (soon will be wearing their tops, dresses and skirts), and as you can see in my photo above...

I am living comfortably! I use one pair for my morning workouts. Seriously amazing!!!

Just look at these! Don't they make you smile big?

When I must dash to the bank, post office or grocery store, I just throw on a cute sweater or oversized sweatshirt with the leggings and I look pretty cute!

I have become so obsessed.

Then, something clicked!

This is what I need!

I want to sell fun clothing! I want to show others how to create comfortable, cute outfits!

So, this is really happening now!

Meet your new independent LuLaRoe fashion consultant!

There are no catalogs to order from or sales pitches. I had to purchase my entire inventory, which hasn't even arrived yet. In the meantime, I have set up a Facebook group/online boutique (LuLaRoe with Missy Trent), and will have a grande opening just as a shop anywhere else would do. I will be giving away leggings so please, come join in!

 

Other things happening...

I just finished two Texas journal commissions!

Oh, how fun it was to paint for a mother and daughter who took a favorite song of theirs, and turned it into their "bucket list"!

They captured photos along the way and asked me to paint some of the events in watercolor journals.

 

Now, I am ready to dive into my own art journal...

a wonderful way to spend this bitter cold Winter day!

Stay warm, my friends!

Xo

 

Flea Market Meets Fall...

How can this be?

Just a few weekends ago, the husband and I were out and about, in sleeveless tops...

enjoying such vintage goodness at a big flea market event in Kansas City!

And at home...

Painting beach themed commissions!

The bright sun peeking through our large windows.

A gentle breeze on wind chimes, producing a most tranquil tune.

Still holding on to Summer. Tightly.

Today is different.

The mornings are quite cool and I have thrown on a sweatshirt!

Reality has quickly set in.

It is Fall.

Hello, October!

Are you ready?

Xo

 

A Bicycle journey through pages...

Something different. Change.

We all crave that occasionally, don't we?

This week I have gathered the necessary art supplies for my latest commission and have created a work space in our kitchen. I enjoy the corner nook, surrounded by sunny windows, big plants, and the coffee pot, of course.

This job is a gift. The client's friend recently challenged herself, along with her boyfriend, to bicycle across Kansas. In addition to the challenges that came with this journey, the woman has also suffered some back problems for quite some time now, causing her great pain. In fact, her journey on the Kansas roads has ended, and she is now at home, recovering from back surgery. Oh, how I want to get this surprise art journal completed soon so that her friend may get it to her, to enjoy and hopefully smile big while she is stuck in bed.

Her bike ride began on July 3rd.

I am stalking her Facebook page to capture the dates, the towns that she has passed through, and the highlights of their trip!

Right down to the meals that they cooked on their tiny camp burner!

Although I cannot fill every page in the moleskine journal, I like the idea of the recipient having the extra pages to add her own photos and journaling.

This commission is so much fun and quite different from my most common work- painting on a canvas and acrylics. For those of you who have followed my blog consistently, know that I am very passionate about art journaling and frequently dabble in my own personal journals. This is a huge part of my life as an artist...

and a person.

I am loving this ride and the change in "scenery"!

What's new in your corner of the world?

Be a sweetie, won't you...

and leave a comment and share!

Xo

 

Treasures of the Sea...

Around here lately...

It seems that I am surrounded in water, as it has been raining. Big rain.

That's fine with me because I adore water.

I am especially fond of the sea...

it's hues of turquoise, blue, green, and white.

Tranquility.

Sea creatures fascinate me...

even if they really only live in my head....

or not?

I like to believe that they do exist.

Sunken treasures below.

I ponder all of these things while sculpting clay heads and tails.

While painting tiny fish.

I have enjoyed several sea theme art projects since returning home from our vacation.

The mixed media mermaid doll was a fun project for an art doll swap! She is being shipped to New York today. In return, I will receive a handmade art doll from my swap partner in New York!

This is what I refer to as my "play time" art. My hobby. Art with no instructions!

This big guitar case was my most recent commission. Although it came to me with instructions, I absolutely loved doing this piece!

"Bugs" is a pet dog who has passed on. My lovely client hired me to paint this case as a tribute to Bugs...

a gift for the doggie parents. Isn't that sweet?

I feel as if I am still on vacation with all of these sea projects...

I even added some ambient lighting to the tree, right outside of my studio window.

Fireflies in a sea colored jar? Oh yes!

It makes me smile!

Sending some tranquility your way!

I'll meet you back here again soon!

XO