Painting a Wall Mural

I stumbled upon this video today as I was researching whether or not to use acrylic paint or latex house paint for a mural I'm bidding out. If anyone has an opinion on what you prefer, I'd love to hear it. I've used both and know of pros and cons to either, but to bid out a job with acrylic is much more expensive than latex, so I'm stumped.

Anyway, enjoy the video! Hopefully it'll inspire some of you to finally do something with that ugly white wall in your home!

Another Baby Painting

A good friend of mine from San Diego, and her husband, commissioned me to do a painting for their new baby a few months ago. I knew I was going to be flying into San Diego at the end of August, so I was hoping to finish it by that time and take it on the plane with me to avoid shipping charges AND to see the couples faces when I presented the painting. Well, there's nothing like waiting till last minute, and I've found that I'm actually pretty good at it, so it wasn't a surprise that the morning of my flight I was still putting on the finishing touches. The worst part of doing that is never getting to actually enjoy the painting, so my husband and I were both pretty sad to see it go, but to see their reaction was well worth giving it up.

The painting is based on the song "The Sweetest Gift" and you can listen to it here. What a great song.

The Sweet Smell of Ocean Beach

I'm going home tomorrow! And I can already taste the sweet smell of the West Coast's salt water and Mexican food. Why fast food mexican restaurants haven't hit the East Coast yet just baffles me. What can be better than a Carne Asada burrito with sour cream ready in 5 minutes for you to carry out? I guess not having the warm sun and beach down the street to eat it at while watching the surf isn't exactly easy to do when you live in Pennsylvania.

And then, where can you go to get a quick white chocolate mocha with the best whipped cream on top delivered right to you in your car? Only at Ciggi's in Ocean Beach. Everyone working there is Brazilian, so it's never hard to convince Andy to go.

And where else can you go to just sit and be alone with God while watching his amazing creative hands transform the colors of the horizon at sunset, perfectly contrasting the color of the ocean so you get color combinations that no artist can ever imitate. Oh yeah, and all the while watching surfers from ages 6 - 65 head down to the water and be one with the waves.

No where else can you experience all this in one day and truly understand what it's like to have grown up in the small town feel of San Diego. I'll never get sick of people asking me why I moved here from there because it just shows how even those who have never been there know just how awesome it is. You won't find that with any other city in the US. So, I'll always be proud to call San Diego home, and wherever God puts me, I'll always bring a little of it with me.

Eastern Market Painting to Music

We had such wonderful weather last Saturday, it was the perfect setting to be painting outside. And that wasn't even the best part . . . I had a display set up at Eastern Market where anyone could come and paint to the live music by Lonesome Stragglers being played right next to us. It was such a great day, I had to document it. If you missed out on it this summer, I'll be doing it again next summer!

Cafe on Main in Landisville

For the month of August, my art will be on display at Cafe on Main in Landisville. I am very excited about this show. I have a few new paintings up as well as my greeting cards, magnets and smaller framed pieces. It's a great little coffee shop too, with the best Strawberry Lemonade Smoothie you'll ever have. You have to try it! So, whether you're passing through Landisville or just need a relaxing and comfy place to check email, stop in sometime before the end of the month. They're at 329 B Main Street (Harrisburg Pike runs right into it) and their summer hours are Wednesday thru Friday, 3-9pm with live music on Thursday nights.

Art Ministry Logo

I am very excited to announce that my church's art ministry finally has a logo and its own web page. The logo was designed by Jason Horst and perfectly captures the spirit of letting imagination and creativity take flight. You can now watch for updates on what the art ministry is up to by visiting our web page here.

Art Prize Listing

Start posting now to be entered to win this magnet set of Gerber Daisy prints that brighten up any kitchen or office. Taken from a 3 piece set that I painted a few years ago, I wanted to bring them back just in time for summer. Please refer to my original posting for rules and dates on announcing the winner. Good luck!

July eNewsletter

I just published my July eNewsletter. It lists my upcoming art shows and workshops, as well as my latest design ventures. To view it click here and to subscribe click here.

Motivation for New Painting

I love this prayer. It is deep at the heart of what God is teaching me right now, and where most of my motivation and inspiration for my paintings have come from recently.

St. Theresa's Prayer:
"May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us."

New Web Service Offered

In the last few months, I've been asked to take on a few existing websites that need routine maintenance updates. Some just need simple updates while others need a little flare or a total overhaul so there's consistency to each page. Check out my website for a list of services that may meet your needs if you have a website that could use a little kick, or need help with regular maintenance.

Enter to Win!

Each quarter, I'll be picking at random, a winner of a piece of art made by me. It could be custom made art magnets, packs of greeting cards, a print or piece of art! All you have to do is make a comment on my blog and you're entered to win! And the more comments you make, the more chances you have of winning! I'll announce the winner on my blog and eNewsletter. For a list of upcoming dates to see when the prizes and winner will be announced, see below.

August 1, 2008 - Prize Listed
October 31, 2008 - Winner Announced

Round Robin Journals

The Art Ministry at NewSong Fellowship has started a new Round Robin-type Journal project where we meet on a monthly basis sharing what we've done in our themed art journals. The theme we chose was "Elements and Principles of Design" and I chose Movement. No surprise, I'm sure. But ever since our zucchini plant has grown and blossomed I've been wanting to draw the beautiful movements of the vine-like stems. Every morning I excitedly go out into our backyard and am not only amazed by how many new zucchini and yellow squash we have growing, but how long and curvy the stems of the leaves grow. It's beautiful to watch.

Paintings for girls bathroom

I painted these for NewSong Fellowship Church's little girls bathroom. They're a set of 3 wooden pieces with cute yellow polka-dotted ribbon attached to hang it. Aren't they cute! Below are pictures of the final product.

Our Garden Bounty

How beautiful is this?! Not only because of the colors, but because it all came out of my garden yesterday! And it was as delicious as it looks. Talk about another natural inspiration!

Group Show

DogStar Books & Gallery

529 W. Chestnut St
July 1 - July 26
1st Friday Opening Reception, July 4th 5:30pm - 8:30pm

Artists:
Deirdre Citro; paintings
Cinda Collins; pop-art
Maggie French. folk art; collaged salvage
Victoria Gertenbach; Fiber arts/collage
Rachel Marie Kantner; Fiber arts
Ann Kimmich; paintings
Magdalen C. Mowery; paintings and prints