I came across these photos the other day on my computer. They are from my very first little show back in 2001. This is when I showed at Trolley Cottage Gallery and painted in Watercolor.

The painting in the top left corner with the cow jumping over the moon was the first painting I ever sold. A man bought it for his granddaughter for $600. Finding these photos gave me such an overwhelming feeling of gratitude to be where I am now. These photos were taken before I had my youngest daughter Eve. So I took some time off and did not re-enter the art scene until the fall of 2003 at A Gallery. I am grateful to Brent Godfrey for the potential he saw in my work. Brent is the reason I started to paint with oils in the spring of 2003. I am so grateful for every step I took and every door that was opened along my way. My ex-husband Jared was very supportive and watched our tiny girls at night so I could paint. Just want to say thank you to all of you who support me as an artist. I feel truly fortunate to be so passionate about "my job" if you can call it that. I know that my prices have gone up and I make a conscious effort to paint some smaller pieces in order to keep my work accessible. I know that there are those of you who have sacrificed and even made payments over time in order to aquire my work. I hear the stories and they mean a lot to me. Thank you!

I have had some of the coolest experiences in the last couple of days. Thursday I finally made it up to the Monet to Picasso show at the U of U art museum. I saw a lot of great paintings but I was especially impressed by the work of Van Gogh. At the time he was using such unique colors and combining them in such a refreshing way. I have been to many art museums and have been impacted by his work each time I have seen it.
Then I had the oppurtunity to attend the Body Worlds exhibit. I experienced a wide range of thoughts and feelings as I walked through the exhibit. I found it equally interesting to watch other people as they looked at the bodies and the reaction that it caused in them. There were many thought provoking quotes displayed throughout the show. As I left I felt a respect for "the soul" and recognized how different any body is without one. It made me think about why I paint and a quote by Modigliani which says "What I am seeking is not the real and not the unreal but rather the unconscious, the mystery of the instinctive in the human race."
Last but not least I had a chance to attend the Present Tense After Party where I had a chance to see Afterimage: The Art of 337. In short, Adam and Dessi Price after attending something similar on Spring Street in New York decided to bring together what ended up being over 80 artists to create all kinds of art in a building that would be torn down. The movie was a documentary about this process. I am sad to say that I missed the chance to go inside by one day, but remember what I felt just seeing the outside of the building. I was so touched by the movie and the realization that Salt Lake truly has a diverse collection of artists. It was amazing to watch the process of what started as an idea evolve into the 337 Project and the impact it had not only on the artists involved but the entire community.
After experiencing such a variety of expression it inspires me to continue to create my own art. The last few days have been the perfect example of how there are no rules. There is no one way to create and all that I saw gave me respect for the unique gifts that each of us contribute.

The other day an artist friend was flipping through my sketchbook and made the suggestion that I paint one of my faces on a much larger scale. It is so different for me but I have had a blast painting today. Just wanted to share a glimpse of this painting in my studio.

Last weekend I had the opportunity to travel to Seattle to meet Liz Tran and attend her show at Some Space Gallery. My favorite part of my visit with Liz was getting the opportunity to visit her studio. I always think it is a treat to get to see where the actual creation process takes place and I found her studio especially inspiring. Liz was so great to let me go through her work and patient with me while I tried to choose what I wanted to buy. The two paintings posted above are the ones I chose. Liz thank you for the window into your world. I will never forget sitting in that great little cafe with you and talking art. I admire your work and honor what you are putting out into the world. I am truly touched by what you create!

This painting is a direct result of an artist like me dealing with my addiction to sugar... and in case you are seeing a pattern this isn't the first and most definitely won't be the last. It's title is "Puddin Face" which is a name Jen (from Coda) and I came up with one winter day over a year ago. We chuckled to ourselves over the name although at the time there was no painting to go with it. So Jen, this ones for you! This Friday night during Park City's Art Walk I will be doing a little art demo... revealing some of my top secrets ;-) So if you feel like drinking some Jamba juice smoothies and watching me paint... head up to Coda Gallery Friday the 29th from 6-9 pm.
Thanks to all of you who attended the Art Access Partners show, it was nice to see some friendly faces.

Often times when I am not actually painting I feel like I am not working. However, one of the most important aspects of creating new work is letting myself play and imagine. That is what my sketchbook has always been from me. It never fails that my best work usually begins there. So yesterday this is what I spent my day doing. Many of you already know that I have a passion for my girls writing and drawings. So I was excited when not too long ago I found some of my own. That is my writing from when I was 6 in the upper right corner, as well as my name on the envelope. I am feeling sentimental about my childhood. Under the little watercolors of the women on the left are photos of me at age 7 (my favorite). They represent me now and honor the little girl who will always be a part of me. I am fascinated by the path that has led me from that little girl to the woman I have become. I can feel a shift taking place in my art and wanted to share with you the beginning of it... Hope to see some of you at the show at Art Access tomorrow night.

This is a photo of me and Sasha Gorham, the artist I was partnered with through Art Access Gallery. We have been working alongside one another this summer creating art and learning from each other. Their will be an Artists' Reception on Friday, August 15th from 6-9 pm
at Art Access Gallery which is located at 230 South 500 West. As always, it will be a party! Some of mine and Sasha's work will be displayed along with eight other partnerships. This has been a great experience for me and am grateful for the chance to be a part of the "Partners Program".