This is my most recent painting "Olea". It is a small painting which is available through Bonner David Gallery. I tried something new with paper on this one and am very pleased with the way it turned out.

Here is detail of a painting I am currently working on. It is a woman surrounded by 3 birds. I had the opportunity this last weekend to attend an artist's retreat where I met James Christensen who is one of my all time favorite artists. I remember so clearly seeing his work when I was 14 at ZCMI mall. It is pretty cool what 20 years can do. There I was relating to him as another working artist. He was the keynote speaker and gave such an inspiring talk. I had the opportunity in the past as well as at the retreat to meet his daughters Cassandra Barney and Emily McPhie who are both delightful. All three of us are mothers of girls and working artists and relate in so many areas... but first and foremost the lack of time! I think time and the management of it will forever be my greatest struggle as a mother and an artist.

I know that I have been terrible about blogging lately! For those of you who check... sorry, I will try and be better. As an artist I go through times of pulling in and focusing. I have this other little world in which I exist in order to create the paintings that I do. Painting for my show in July was intense. Some days I would paint 12 hours in one day, so in August I took a month off from painting so that I could enjoy the last few weeks of summer with my girls. It has felt good to be back in the studio painting and I am learning to accept that creativity sometimes comes in intense waves and it is ok to take a little time to refill once in a while. I want to thank those of you who came to my show and also those who bought paintings. I feel very fortunate and don't take for granted that I am lucky enough to support myself doing something I am so passionate about. Above are two recent small paintings which are available through Bella Mesa Gallery in California.

This is one of two new paintings I just sent to Cavalier Gallery. I love this particular painting and hated to see it go. I have never painted such red lips before which I love with the contrast of her light eyes and green background. I am SO burnt out from painting too much but I don't even dare let myself think about it with just a few weeks left to prepare for my show. I am so excited about this new group of work and feel like it is my strongest yet.

Some of you may already know that I am painting for an upcoming solo show at Coda Gallery in Park City, Utah. The show is Friday, July 31st from 6 to 9 pm. It is free and the Park City Arts Festival will be set up that night. It is a fun time to be in Park City and I am looking forward to seeing many of you there! My studio is full of new work which I will be posting on my website about a week before my show. I am painting some smaller pieces than usual for my show as well which are about 5 x 8 and will sell for $600.

I made the deadline for my painted plate for the Art Access "300 plates" show... by one day! I was a slacker this year. It didn't help that the first day I worked on this piece it fell face flat against the carpet. Luckily it's overall texture was unaffected. I love this little painting! Currently I seem to be painting the majority of my eyes blue. I love the way different shades of blue play off of each other.

It is funny that sometimes I think my experience as an artist is so unique to me (because it feels that way) until I look around and see that I am not the only one who is trying to figure life out through the images I create. The top painting is about me figuring out the "Mechanics of the Heart" It is about falling in love and the journey of staying in love once you do. I incorporated one of my favorite images of Lizbeth Zwerger one of my all time favorites. The image is an illustration from her Wizard of Oz. Sometimes I feel like my own questions about love are like Dorothy approaching the Wizard... the answers really lie within myself and it is amazing the journey I go on in order to find them. The bottom painting is a commission piece I just finished for a woman who fell in love with "Puddin Face."

I am excited about the work going on in my studio. I actually just entered my current favorite into the Spring Salon at Springville. I love it so much it actually hurt to have to part with it... I am telling myself (at least for now) that I get to keep it. I have decided that if I didn't let myself keep a painting every once in a while I think my artist would rebel and lose the desire to create. Honestly, I don't have the money to buy my own art! I guess that is the advantage of being the artist... kind of like getting free dental work when your dad is a dentist... right? ;-)