$45.00 worth of pure, raw potential :)

Nate may think I’m crazy when he comes home tonight   I just made a run of some antique stores near our home and picked up a really random assortment of old buttons, pins, wood, hinges, and other rusty things.  I’m as giddy as I got the time we were cleaning my grandparents’ attic and I discovered a forgotten calligraphy set, complete with pens, ink, and paper.  My parents’ first inclination was to throw it out, but for me, it became a 9-year old’s new favorite hobby.  It’s funny how some things never change… my desire to create something beautiful out of raw materials will always be with me.  Sometimes my raw materials come in tubes, or are shiny and white like new canvases.  For this endeavor, they are old items that beg for resurrection.

What brought on this itch?  Last night, my dear friend Caroleann and I went to an Andrew Peterson concert.  His songs told the story of Jesus’ birth and life much like a fairy tale would be told.  During intermission, we discovered a table covered with artwork that corresponded to the message of the songs… artwork that mesmerized me.  This artist, whose name is Evie (and who disappointingly does not have much of a web presence), had taken old wood and discarded items, pairing them with her own original watercolor and ink paintings.  The result was beautiful, intricate works of art that beckoned for further review.

Throughout the rest of the concert, I let the music and my own wandering thoughts give me inspiration for my own take on this “found object” type of work.  Be on the lookout for these pieces.  I already believe that they will be hard to part with.  I always know I’m on to something great when I can’t think of anything else, and neccesary things like showering and phone calls start seeming like a nuisance.    See you soon – this artist has work to do.

Recent work: Meet the kids “behind” the painting!

I recently had the pleasure of painting Andy Andrews’ little boys.  If you are unfamiliar with Andy, please check out his website! He’s an incredible speaker and a New York Times best-selling author, and a wildly funny and inspirational guy.  Last month, he asked me to create a painting from an adorable photograph of his two boys as a gift to his wife Polly.  Nate and I delivered it last weekend to their home in Orange Beach, AL and spent the weekend with the family.  It was a great time, and when the oldest boy saw it, he exclaimed: “Wow!  You made our butts so lifelike!”  Ha!  How’s that for a quote?

Below is the painting:

And here is a photo of Nate and I with the Adam and Austin (who are a bit older now):

Santa does side jobs? :)

Many of you are familiar with my painting entitled “Unblemished,” which depicts an old gentleman holding a little lamb.  Some of you have even read my account of how the painting came to be.  What you don’t know yet is that he’s still doing his Santa gig during the holidays, and my husband and I ran into him at Gaylord Opryland’s Hall of Trees, where my artwork is being auctioned this month!

Nate and I were in Jackson, TN for another art show the weekend before Thanksgiving, so we had hired someone to set up our tree and art display at Opryland’s Hall of Trees this year.  When we arrived the next week to see the exhibit, we were surprised with much more!