Found At My Sister's House!

Made it to my sister's home in St. Paul MN today-praise God! Needed a visit in a big way. Look at what I found. She ordered a Cam print back during that week I sold them after the AU vs LSU game. Isn't it cute! The original is 4ftx4ft and this a small giclee on canvas that is only 8" square. Just had to share. I am in the process of being licensed to sell my Auburn prints so let me know if you're interested in any. Have a great weekend!

FEARLESS Workshop going on with FULL HOUSE!

FEARLESS is going so well! Wow, are we tired though. But the good kind of tired where you're still so excited for tomorrow. Lots of great stuff lined up for tomorrow too. One is a secret;) pics will come so check back! Thank you to all our ladies who are amazing students. And a big thank you to my FEARLESS gals Rene and Sara Beth! To God be all the glory:)

What is Art to YOU?

What IS art to you?  The words above are how I would explain it.  That's what art is for me--it really IS anything that does one of those things, and DEFINITELY is art if it does ALL of them.  Share your thoughts in a comment--I'd loooooooove to hear from you!

Happy First Day of Spring!

I'm still pinching my sunburned skin at how awesome this first day of spring was! I am honored to have been included in Tasia's (of Belle Chevre goat cheese) Sunday Supper. It was a beautiful scene much like what you see in Southern Living. In fact, you will find Tasia featured in Southern Living THIS month! It was dreamy just as you would imagine. And I don't know a more lovely hostess. Well, in fact, she's hot. See for yourself. Thank you, Tasia for such an amazing first day of Spring!

Tasia's Touches

Tasia's sweet touches

Mark and Rene

Tasia's back yard tables and chairs ready for us!

Tasia's Sunday Supper

Embodiment of Spring!

Tasia, the gracious hostess

Backyard Time at Tasia's

Tasia and me

Relaxing

Fearless Workshop Preparations

Finalizing preparations for the FEARLESS Workshop next week! Oh my, is it going to be amazing. Look at just one cool thing we are offering our lucky students--gorgeous frames that they can purchase at a special workshop rate! Just a peek at one perk they will experience. Did you miss this workshop? Then join us in sunny SEASIDE, FL April 7th-10th! Read more at the Les Trois Peintres Blog!

Trench Coat - Hot for Spring 2011

Out shopping with my babies:) Hot this spring is the trench! My collection of them keeps growing because they are a timeless, classic, chic staple to wear all year round. Pictured here is a page out of People Style magazine. My favorite is my own that I am wearing (while I sit at Shoe Fly in Huntsville waiting for my daughter to find an Auburn gameday dress). It's from my favorite store J. Crew! One fine garment...

Do You Hear Jesus Calling?

i'm absolutely in love with Jesus and this book makes our relationship so much more intimate. the simplicity of each day's message makes it so wonderful. i highly recommend it as a little gift to yourself during this season of lent. any Jesus lover would relish in the closeness. get it at amazon for a great price!

Original Cupcakes by Sarah

My baby makes amazing things in the kitchen-a fine baker she is! Look how creative!

Inspirational Night with Natalie Chanin

fantastic, inspiring night last night being with natalie chanin. nothing like hearing how a person uses her gifts and perseveres to greatness. my favorite kinds of stories. i'm shown wearing my Alabama Chanin tee.  great way to celebrate international women's day!

Rediscovering Your Inner Artist

Below is an email I get from an artist Robert Genn twice a week with lots of inspiration. I had to share this!  Receive it too at his site...

March 8, 2011

Dear Carole,

Yesterday, Darryl Daniels of Montgomery, AL wrote, "I lost my 'inner artist' over a period of years when I was taking care of my grandparents, trying to run a business and dealing with the challenges of marriage, etc. I stopped thinking about art and was knocked off course. While I now have art magazines, books and other forms of stimulation, I can't begin again and I have persistent feelings of failure. When I think about what I have not done, the work ahead seems like an overwhelming mountain. How does one recover from this condition?"

Thanks, Darryl. I'm willing to bet that every artist in the history of art has suffered from your condition. Some suffer for months or years, others weekly, others several times a day. I'm suffering from it right this minute, but there's a good chance I'll be back to work as soon as I get this letter written.

Generally speaking, books, magazines and other stimuli don't work. You have to steel yourself up and get yourself busy. It's the work itself that rocks the mountain. If there ever was such a thing as an "inner artist," it's something like a pile of loose bricks that you have to form into a small monument every day. This is the simple difference between dreamers and doers. I call it the "worker's edge."

A goodly part of the worker's edge is the knowledge and understanding that your personal creative processes are their own reward. Painting, for example, can be a parade of minor defeats and failures, but nevertheless the personal and individual working process is more positive than negative. Up here in Canada we call it "beavering away." Beavering can start at any time, even with old beavers. Our national animal serves us well. Beavers pay little attention to the overweening mountain. Simple accumulation changes the course of rivers.

What happened to your inner artist? Your inner artist has just been temporarily out of action. Your basic human instinct to invent, create and build is still just below the surface. To flourish, you need to exercise. Ready or not, you need to start. The philosopher Lao-Tzu (604 BC--531 BC) said it some time ago: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

Best regards,

Robert

PS: "Just keep going--no feeling is final." (Rainer Maria Rilke)

Esoterica: Failure is a basic ingredient of success. Simply accept the notion that failures are the stepping stones to your greater self-realization. Looking at art magazines will only show you how imaginative others are, and how well some of them are doing. The time to look at magazines is after a busy day in your workplace. You need to know your inner artist will come to life only when you start. Now is as good a time as any. "Boldness has genius, power and magic. Engage, and the mind grows heated. Begin, and the work will be completed." (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)

Time For King Cake!

laissez les bon temps rouler! missing my authentic new orleans-made cake where they still bake it with the baby inside. but this'll do!

The Men in Cortona

First stage of "the men" in Cortona-can't wait to see them again this fall:)

Alabama Chanin

Stitched to perfection is a shirt I love by Alabama Chanin. The lady behind these amazing organic, resourceful designs worthy of the notice of New York, Vogue and others, will be speaking tonight at Athens State University. Why in the world would you miss the chance to hear and see a design/style genius from our own neck of the woods? Read more about her here on this blog!

Swanky Museum Party

Museum swanky party. Rene and me. Pretty slippers after 3 hours. And a beautiful place for a princess to fall. That gets to be me!

Preparation For Museum Gala Tonight

Preparing for museum gala cocktail party tonight. Hope my art will look as good as my toes!

Twitter Updated Look

I updated my twitter background.  It's been a digital day helping my good friend Rene with her new showit site.  Exciting! Hope your weekend is fantastic!

Goat Painting Lesson & Goat Cheese

what a fantastic lesson using the palette knife! a goat was our subject and my students rocked! what could have been more appropriate than having goat cheese and crackers with our paint? of course, it was of the belle chevre brand, fig flavor. mmmm...

Auburn Art In the Gallery

Got lot of interest in my Auburn art and want to share a newer piece and how they look on my brick wall. let me know your thoughts. Aubie in a dance series on cradled board 10x30. Poses captured of him dancing with the band after the Iron Bowl win. ;)

Blast from the past pics!

Fun workshop in Tennessee in 2007, I think it was...

An awesome student

The awesome product of Natalie Chanin

Happy client with her house portrait

if you follow my blog--i love you! your thoughts mean much to me so leave me some feedback when you can in the comment section. ;) i love hearing from you! my followers rock!

Beautiful God-Winked Sky

If you were driving into the sunset this evening, did you wink back? Love His handiwork :)