I wanted to share with you my latest paining. I am calling it "There is no reason why" since with the death of my kitten Totoro, I have been asking this question... and the only answer is, there is no reason why he was in my life for only 5 months and died from a virus. There is no reason, just life. This piece reminded me of the afternoons I have spent gazing towards his grave in our backyard, missing him.

I sigh with the lack of time I have. This Friday, my "painting day" is a meeting with a gallery, a dietician, and finally a back x-ray looking for RA in my spine! Again, no painting for me. I know Saturday is the LAAF festival, the AppleFest in Hendersonville on Sunday, and the free Asheville Symphony Orchester on Labor Day. Maybe I can paint then? Labor Day? The day to rest? or is it labor day, for laboring?

I need a joke, something to lift my spirits from this dull, aching carpol tunnel kind of a day....

Heather, and avant-garde painter got married.
Someone asked her husband a few weeks after the wedding, "How's married life, Paul?"
"It's great," he answered. "My wife paints, I cook; then we try to guess what she
painted and what I cooked."

I thought about how the stars are so much bigger than our little lives, so much more permanent than our split second life spans here on earth. It reminds me, deep inside that nothing really matters. Perhaps someday one of my paintings will become a museum piece, and outlast me by a few hundred years. In time, all I create will melt back into the universe and all that I am, do or say will once again be hinted only in star dust drifting across the sky. Hope some of my dust makes another see a shooting star, and another wish, another dream is created on another starry night, far, far away in another galaxy.

Til then, I must remember my small little world, of disappointments, of frustrations means little. The only things that matter are being true to yourself, being strong against the tides, and above all to create love and beauty when all else fails.

I am very excited about this larger piece, as it will be on the largest wood panel to date, with another even larger one coming up behind it. Working large again is nice, having the studio space even nicer.

At the end of this month, I will be a home owner. I dream I have been reaching for all my life.

It's finally coming true, and I can't wait. The best part of our new home is that it has a family room, that I am redesigning into my new studio space! 

It has 7 double windows and French doors to the side yard. Off the back of the room steps into a laundry room with massive storage and a huge industrial sink!

When we first toured the home, I saw the sink and knew then, this was it. I welled up with tears of joy, over an old dirty work sink. My realtor thought I was nuts!

Here is the sink of pure joy!

The storage, looked to me perfect for large canvases!

I will be meeting with Lowes to go over the carpet removal and vinyl installation tomorrow. I am in the process of deciding what look the new floor should have! This is gonna be so awesome. I daydream about the doors and windows wide open, the Summer breeze coming thru, my cat Hunny basking in the sun, and me, gloriously soaking that moment in, a deep breath of what is to come.

Working on a new wood panel too, I am so excited about this one! 

til then, make something beautiful,

Heather

The Butterfly Logo

The butterfly is the symbol of metamorphosis and transformation.
The symbol of new life, letting go of old cycles and finding your true inner expression.
The butterfly calls you to expand your awareness, spread your wings and call forth your inner joy.

Let go of limitations, and free yourself to express your own beauty within.

It is the time of spiritual transitions. Symbolic of moving from one phase of life to the next reaching higher, reaching outward, leaving the safety of the cocoon and finding your own place among the flowers of life. 

Allowing the wind to carry you forward to your goals and dreams. A time of self-discovery rebirth. The butterfly shows you the beauty within.

Go forth with joy.

Affirmation:

I recognize my true beauty within,
I value and cherish all that I am.
I have the power to transform my life.
To experience true joy. 

It does promote beautiful inspiring sunsets, coupled with Wintery dawns and sometimes even a black bear. It promotes Winter days in the studio, creating. Thinking. Making trips to Barnes and Nobles before we get snowed in. again. This time, I decided to grab the latest issue of Artful Blogging. I was trying to get thru another week of snow days, but this time, I read it cover to cover. Inspired by the word "Authentic" in one article, I wanted to share that I feel a sense that 2011 will be a truely authentic year.

This year, post wedding, now has a new name and a new game.  The renewed sense of quirky self. Striped knee highs, funky custom skirts and a powerful new cool-ass Asheville haircut. I'm going strawberry next month, something I've always wanted to do, but here, now, finally makes sense. Maroon streaks are in my forecast! February I learn how to take care of backyard chickens... By April I hope to be moving into my first home! The glorious month of May might hold my second Mixed Media workshop here, that is in the works! My mom and sister are planning their first visit too. (I'll have been here almost 2 full years by then). I have settled, and become more me....

Yesterday I proudly wore plaid socks, a poka doted butterfly skirt with a striped shirt. I felt like Einstein in a coffee shop. Proudly being myself, finally.

I love living here in the mountains, snowed in and all. I moved 900 miles South to get away from the snow, and now, I worry more about falling off the side of the road on the way down on my ice luge of a road, and find myself snowed in for the first, third, eighth time this year already.

Here's to being authentic, true to one's self, to original artwork that makes your soul sing. To new friends, to old ones and to being proud of who you are - poka dots and all.

a sketch of my new knee highs

Notice the small handwritten text and music notesDetail to show writing

I am very happy how this one came out, it's so beautiful!

The first under painting, notice the pencil line on wood.The first reddish brown paint to make it look solid. you can see the gold area is painted yellow first..

The final with gold leaf (tiny bits) and 6 gold beads.

Detail of Painting