Life and memory (plus: new painting progress!)
- At June 21, 2017
- By Elizabeth McDonnell
- In Business
2
“Remember: no matter what happens, you can still enjoy your life and be happy” Lori Deschene
Over here, June feels like one big celebration these days.
Isaac’s birthday is closely followed by our wedding anniversary (4 years this year!), which is closely followed by Father’s Day, which is closely followed by my business anniversary (3 years! more on that next time). Here’s one of my favorite wedding photos (photo by Lisa Schaffer):
I love the innocence of this picture. We’ve learned so much over the past few years about each other, parenthood, business, life. They’ve been hard years and beautiful years and I wouldn’t be who I am today without them. Thank you, life, for the memories we carry.
I'd like to read more, please»Dreams, sketches, and my upcoming birthday sale!
“I dream. Sometimes I think that’s the only right thing to do” Haruki Murakami
How often do you dream?
I’ve been dreaming a lot lately. Throughout the night as well as in the afternoon quiet when Isaac naps next to me, in the car and in the kitchen and while out walking in the neighborhood.
I’ve been dreaming about the art I have yet to create and the way life is unfolding, what Isaac will learn next and how to balance health and art and mamahood and business.
Not a small feat!
I'd like to read more, please»Paint, pause, examine (painting progress and Isaac’s 9 month photo shoot!)
“Reexamine all that you have been told” Walt Whitman
I’ve been appreciating lately that finishing a painting is not a linear process for me, especially as I review my in-progress photos to share. Colors change, an evening scene becomes a morning scene, colors change again, a grove of trees becomes a hill of flowers, etc. I need a lot of flexibility, time, and room to explore, which is partly why I love acrylic paints so much – they are very, very forgiving and allow for lots of layers.
Here’s where I’d left my current painting last time, though as you’ll see below, the words follow the stars might no longer work:
I’ve been stretching this painting out over a number of weeks, adding layer after layer to the background until the colors speak to me and I can add the next element. I’ll likely never be the artist that can paint live in front of an audience, but that’s okay. Instead, I paint, pause, examine. Paint, pause, reexamine.
I'd like to read more, please»Move forward with love (plus, new prints in the shop)
“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple” Dr. Seuss
Lately everything I’ve been thinking about revolves around a similar thread: moving forward with love.
New year, new growth, new lessons in a complicated world. We’re all badly in need of more and more and more love, not less, and I’ve realized that offering multitudes of love to those who need it has always been one of my favorite things to do.
I see you. I hear you. I celebrate you. I love you. It’s that simple.
Let’s shower each other with love today, please.
I'd like to read more, please»Happy new year! (plus: my holiday art project)
“Know yourself fearlessly (even quietly) for all the things you are” Aberjhani
Happy January, friends!
I hope that you’ve entered the new year feeling great, or at the very least, rested. 2016 was an intense year for so many (also: wild, turbulent, joyful, emotional, expansive, and over the brim with lessons to be learned, then learned again).
I’ve expanded so much this year and sometimes even joyful growth felt miles outside of my comfort zone. I tried to keep my eyes wide open about what it would be like to care for a new baby full time and also run a business from home, but of course I also hoped for a semi-manageable transition.
Naturally, the transition has been soul-transforming and also breathtakingly hard in lots of ways. Passion, stubborn determination, and an amazing support system have gotten me through the past seven months.
The stickers are READY (plus: new paintings and updates)
“Because you are alive, everything is possible” Thich Nhat Hanh
My friends: this will be a shorter post this week as we’re right in the heart of the holiday season and I’ve been enormously busy. Here’s a typical weekend day right now:
Breathe beauty in (plus: it’s time for a holiday SALE!)
“Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going, no feeling is final” Rainer Maria Rilke
There’s so much unrest and uncertainty in the world right now that I imagine most of us are feeling the effects.
I’ve been wrestling in my own mind about how to balance the enormous stress of a turbulent world with the wonders of every day life.
I don’t have a magic solution but I do know that a great antidote to stress is beauty and so I’ve been looking for beauty in all of my quiet moments.
Here’s one of my favorite parts of Fall: the gorgeous color. I also love trees and plants for their reminder that while change is inevitable, no change is final (life will shift again into a new season before we know it).
The animal collection is LIVE! plus, other updates
“Why is patience so important? Because it makes us pay attention” Paulo Coelho
Happy October!
Here we are in one of my favorite months of the year as the temperatures begin to drop and the leaves change color. Is anyone else breathing a sigh of relief now that the last waves of summer heat are over? I love warmer clothes, hot drinks, and excuses to snuggle up. Here’s a recent picture of Isaac and I enjoying some weekend cuddle time:
Working on a new project (I’ve started painting again)!
Today, let’s consider this:
I’ve always loved that we move through so many different phases in life, exploration quietly meeting discovery as the glimmer of ideas take shape and we shift focus to help them grow.
As I finished up my animal painting series and took a maternity break, I started to wonder what my next new project would be. I also didn’t know when I’d have time to start painting again.
During the past 8 weeks though I’ve recognized that I’m happiest when I can fit in creative time, even if it’s only in little bursts. I’ve also seen how important it is to honor that happiness, as creating even a little time for my passions makes me a better mom, friend, sibling, etc.
Realization is the first step towards change, right?
I tuned in, ready to search for a new project, and last week one popped into my head with such clarity that I got started that same day.
2106 is a year that answers, and I’m so grateful for that.
I'd like to read more, please»My second year: a business review
“Who could be so lucky? Who comes to a lake for water and sees the reflection of moon” Rumi
I feel like it was just yesterday that I wrote this post about lessons learned in my first year of business. Now here I am at the end of year 2 for another business review, feeling the accumulation of more months and more lessons of all kinds. So much that’s happened this year has felt like stumbling across the moon’s reflection on the water: unexpected but beautiful.
Artwork
Scroll down for a snapshot of all the paintings I’ve done this business year (June 2015 – June 2016):
I love seeing sections of all of the paintings together, especially as patterns start to emerge when they’re side by side.
The patterns I see right away: my favorite colors to paint with are variations of blue and turquoise. Every painting I’ve done this year features an animal. Most of the recent paintings have no words included, which is a shift from last year. My artwork is becoming even more child-friendly.
I'd like to read more, please»
