It feels good to be creating again. This is a sketch I did of Aleah. Sometimes I am able to catch something in my sketchbook that becomes difficult for me to duplicate. I feel like this sketch captures something about the 9 year old version of her. I love the messy hair and freckles.

The painting is one of three plates I am doing for the "300 Plates" fundraiser at Art Access in May. Some of you may have noticed my current love affair with the color orange. Yes, it can be difficult to sell paintings of my girls. But if I am going to paint a little girl why should I try so hard not to paint my own who I intimately know every curve of their little faces, the colors of their skin, the flip of their hair.

The show friday night was a blast. Thanks to all who attended. If you couldn't make it here is a glimpse although as many people have said recently that photos just don't capture what you experience in person. I want to thank Coda for all of their support and excitement about my show. Tami, thank you for the best cookies! Thanks to my stepdad Kevin for coming up for my show, and most of all to my two little ladies for their support and patience with me as an artist and a mom. Aleah commented to me yesterday how empty our house feels without all of my paintings in it. I agreed, so I am going to get off the computer and paint again for the first time in a few weeks.

Travis Tanner of Tanner Frames is the best! I just want to let him know how grateful I am that he caught my vision when I was picking frames for my show. Most of the frames are actually three moldings put together. I just got done with all of the frames this morning (right before I loaded them into my car to take to Coda) and they look beautiful. They are all made from Roma moldings and I want to thank the rep Travis works with for making it possible to frame my entire show in Roma. Travis, thank you for helping me out with my last minute emergencies and producing such quality work.

My show is now less than one week away. Often times people will ask me if it is hard for me to let go of my paintings and for the most part I always answer "no". This time however, I can't say that. This painting "Birds of a Feather" is one of my favorites. There is a special energy about this group of work for my spring show. I am feeling a little bit sad to see it go. The other day I had taken the majority of my paintings to be photographed and my studio felt empty, and a little lonely. I have felt so many things in the last months while I have been painting this work. It has come from a place deep within me and I do feel a personal connection to each piece. I want to thank Karen, Michelle, Susan, and Maridin for buying some of this work. Somehow it makes it a little easier to let go of these pieces knowing that they will be close by. I want to thank all of the people who have bought my work as well as those who continually encouraged me to keep painting.