I'm moving!

To a new blog space. I started this blog back when I first picked up a paint brush. I didn't know what I was doing with art, and I really didn't know what I was doing with my blog. I picked the name in about five seconds without really thinking too hard about it. The name came from the question of whether or not I am an artist. After spending the last couple of years painting, I do feel that question is not with me anymore. I still have my doubts about what I do and who I am within the art that I do. But I am a woman making art, loving art, pondering art, dreaming art, and with that...I am an artist!

So, without further ado, I do hope to see you at my new space with a name that is simply...my name!

www.laspotts.blogspot.com

I am thinking a lot about being brave. It was the subject of my church's sermon recently. It is the subject of the lovely Bloom True e-cource I am in. And now. Here I am faced with a choice. Being brave, or not.

I am choosing being brave. It feels so much better than being afraid, that is for sure. Yesterday I had a ski accident and have torn my ACL. It is about to rock my life routine. My work, my family, my personal goals of exercise and such. As I was sitting in the doctor’s office waiting for the news that I already knew, I found myself looking at the diagram of the digestive system and turning my head to view it side-ways, thinking that it was a prettier way to look at it. I laughed out loud in that moment. Here I am in some pretty intense pain, waiting for some pretty lame news (surgery in my near future with a minimum 6 month recovery), and still I am looking for beauty. Who would have thought that finding art and taking painting lessons would end up showing up in such an unexpected way. In the last 20 hours I have had a few moments of wanting to lose it a little. Maybe crying will help? Maybe wallowing just for a few minutes in the misery of it? But then I keep turning to the bravery part. Why not give that a go instead? So, I worked my new brace up my leg, got my new crutches under my sore arms, and went to enjoy a baseball game…because why not? Right?

Winter

Here is a new painting I have been working on. It is not done yet, we will see where it goes next. As of now, the big white flower is gone, though I am liking it in the photo that Cynthia Shaffer took for me. She really is one of the most creative women I have met, spend time on her blog to see what I mean if you haven't already.

I have been having a great creative time painting in the new Crescendoh studio. Lovely ladies, great location, and time for art...that equals a wonderful time. I call it yoga for my mind.

Off to shop, still not done with Christmas presents yet!

The flu and learning to knit

All week I was down with the flu/cold and too tired and cranky to do much. But I did watch the videos on how to knit from my class which opened this week. Now I am better, right in time for the weekend. Here are my first stitches.

I have finished a stitched house which will be turned into the cutest project, combining some free motion with a bit of paper love. Can't wait to get started!

Katie Kendrick in Malibu

I had a lovely time in Katie Kendrick's class in Malibu this weekend. It really was a lovely and relaxing way to spend a weekend. I started with a large Starbucks, blasting tunes on my car radio, and rolling down the windows to enjoy a beautiful morning drive up the coast about 45 minutes away.

It was a cool and mostly sunny weekend, but early clouds are the norm at this time of year. I love the grey sky with the white peeking through, and of course the deep blue ocean, one of my favorite color schemes.

Malibu brings me back to my early 20s when I used to drive up the coast with my dog and a book to enjoy a quiet beach off the beaten path. I did a lot of growing up along this road. I can remember the feeling of being completely free as I enjoyed long days alone at a randomly chosen beach. We didn't have cell phones then and I remember how I loved feeling that I was running away for a day where no one knew where I was.

Malibu is beautiful. The drive is gorgeous, and this location that Gina is offering is a lovely little place to have an art adventure.

Here is our space as we are getting settled. There were about 15 of us I think. An intimate group of some lovely lovely women who come from all over because of this passion for creating.
And here is Katie. Man oh man did I totally fall for her! She has the warmest disposition. My favorite part of the class was watching as she created her characters. It was a chance to get a glance into her head as she worked. There is so much to be learned from watching her. She really is a master artist and teacher.

Look at that face that emerged from her collage. So incredible.
I realized that it is almost my two-year anniversary of painting for the first time. I am going to post a picture of my first painting of a face and one or two of the faces I painted over the weekend as a celebration of my journey. I hope you stay tuned to celebrate with me. I am excited to see the paintings side-by-side.

Until next time...

xxoo

Adventures in and around my hometown

Lately I have been reflecting on taking time to enjoy life, the little things, the big things, the things that often go unnoticed. Sometimes I really have to stop myself from whizzing through life to appreciate where I am, where I have come from....where I am going.

For the sake of fun, here is where I have been over the last three weeks...

Dodger Stadium eating peanuts, doing the wave, and watching a great team play great baseball.

The Rose Garden in Los Angeles, smelling the roses...literally hundreds of times.

Sea World, feeling appreciated (teachers are free for the year!) and seriously appreciating some of the most amazing animals on the planet.

Looking up to notice this beautiful tree that has been with me every work day. And surely this beauty will be with me for many years to come. It reminds me to look up and find that beauty.

What adventures have you been enjoying lately?

Trying something new...

Hi anyone who is still checking in...I have been quite absent here. Sorry!

I recently had such a fun experience learning how to do some free motion stitching. While taking Lisa's class I met the lovely Cynthia Shaffer who is queen of free motion as far as I am concerned. She offered to give me a little private lesson at her home and I took her up on this last week. She did warn me that I might become addicted. Ha! Just what I need, right? But she was right, it is one of those things where you find that there are so so so many possibilities. While I loved learning from her, my favorite thing was seeing all the lovely things that she has created around her (fabulous 1920s) home! It is such an amazing experience to get the up-close-and-personal peek into the lives of the artists we admire. So, thanks to Cynthia. And if you are just too envious here, you should sign up for her class on Creshendoh.com.

Next up for me? I am going to learn how to do a little knitting. I tried my hand at it once when my first child was born, but I got about a sleeve in and decided it was not for me. Well, and that by the time I finished my little sweater, my baby might have already moved on to kindergarten at the rate I was going! lol

Here is the information about the class I am taking. I admired the banner project when I was at Jenny Doh's house and am excited to learn how to make one of my own.