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".

I cannot even describe what I felt when I came across this paper of my drawings of Garfield. I must have been twelve, I remember drawing these images... I loved them so much at the time, I still do.

I am often asked whether my being an artist has an effect on my kids creativity. In response to that particular question I can't help but show off these photos of their creativity manifesting itself. Knitting is Aleahs recent endeavor but I cannot even begin to describe what she comes up with. You should see what this kid can do with a glue gun. Once she made a "house" out of yellow sticky notes and staples. If I could just tap into a tiny amount of the creativity she possesses... and then there is Eve who the other morning was burning a path from the drawer (where we keep all the things you see in her hair) and the living room. At the time I just smiled as I could tell she was up to something and her actions filled with purpose and then she came to me like this... yes, that is a watch dangling from her right pony tail ( and why not)!

This is the painting that came as a result of a 10 hour drive through Wyoming. As I drove along I visualised this woman. I loved the color of the chartreuse wildflowers against the long grass and knew that was the color combination I would put on her dress... and the grey of the sky became her eyes.

Last Thursday I went to the Utah Arts Festival and it was like Christmas for my artist. Barb Campbell, who only comes once every couple of years was there... so I bought a piece (or more) of her work. Some of my new pieces are in the middle photo above. It is Barb's work that has directly inspired many of my paintings. I enjoyed visiting with her and printed off some of my

paintings with her work in it. Many people have asked where my long necks came from. It was from one of her vases... the one in my painting "Learning to See." I love to see artists who do something so completely unique that it could have only come from them. I respect what Barb creates as just that.

I painted this masked woman yesterday. Every once in a while these paintings come from me that have many shades of blue. Sometimes I just find blues so completely soothing and beautiful, and I love the way different shades interact together. For me blue often shows up in my paintings when I am thinking about angels and craving a connection to spirit. The first time masks appeared in my art was in my sketchbook during a train ride through Europe. I had to chuckle when I realized that I had just left Venice (a city known for it's elaborate masks). I drew them so unaware of the subconscious influence my surroundings had on me. Since that time I have occasionally used masks in my work. They hold a very personal and significant meaning to me.

Last weekend I ended up driving to Scottsdale to drop off a new body of work at Bonner David Gallery. I had a great time getting a chance to visit with one of the owners, Christi Bonner Manuelito. I was surprised to find out that she knew my art back when I was painting Roosters and has been watching my progression since then. Also we share a favorite artist, Milt Kobayashi whom she has had the chance to study with. I really like Christi and Clark and am looking forward to working with them both.

The photos are an example of what it felt like I was looking at for over 11 hours on the drive. It was funny because I saw this little boat on my way down and almost stopped to photograph it then but decided I would catch it on the way back. So on my drive home... around every barren corner I kept looking for it not remembering where on earth I had seen it. It reminded me of Liz Trans ships which you can see on her website http://www.liztran.com/. While driving I started thinking about this little boat, (and believe me I had plenty of time to think) about how many times I have felt like I was a boat in the middle of the desert with no water in sight. I thought about how sometimes you question if you should stay a boat or change into something else... something that might fit into the landscape better. Then I thought of the power of believing in yourself as a boat, having faith that you were made for the water, and then one day waking up to find yourself immersed in a beautiful ocean. That describes the journey I continually find myself on as an artist. I remember feeling like a boat in the desert, sometimes I still do... only now I know that it is by believing... (even when there is not a cloud in the sky) that the water will come.