Many Hats

Well!
Since I posted last, I've gone to my first artists' reception as a featured artist, made my first gallery sale, and celebrated with Stam chocolates and an e-mail to my mom. Her reply?  "Atta girl!  Love, your first cheerleader, M"  That makes a whole lot of smile in my heart.

 Time to resolve that this year will be my year to learn how to be an Artist.  Another hat to add to my collection of varied occupations, interests, and activities.  Still, I am encouragingly reminded that being Mama to my family is my top priority right now.  The littles are my best creative output and my deepest source of inspiration, and I get so much loving support from them and Todd; it's going to be a great year for all of us to grow into.

Since the juried show is now up at Outside the Lines, I thought I would post all the art I worked on for it.

(After attempted repairs... but you can still see the purple 'tornado trumpet' in the background.)

 After smaller small got into the studio and added his creative contribution to my first drawing, I switched gears and style and ended up creating two sketches that I felt enough confidence in to submit to the gallery.

They accepted one of them, the hen, named Mildred.  Henry, the rooster, is still up on the wall here.

And I ended up drawing one more piece, but besides liking the background, we all felt that the hen as a central focus fell rather flat.

 And those're the ups and downs of it, huh?  There isn't a lot of studio time, and sometimes things just don't work out.  And that is why it is so good to have the smalls, and family life, and the violin, and knitting, and baking and cooking and gardening and hiking and canoeing and reading and dreaming to keep everything balanced.

And on that note, it's time to go make some bread.