Illlustration Sunday...Luna

(One with the toes to show scale)

(The colors photographed better inside)

I had an idea a while back about painting a picture of a moon, one for each of my kids, on a small canvas, and then painting the moon with glow in the dark paint so that the moon will glow at night when they were in bed......
Here in Sophie's moon. I am posting this quite late in the day because I wanted to add a picture of the moon glowing, but unfortunately the pictures didn't turn out. So you will have to take my word for it. It glows too! I will post Solomon's moon when it is finished.

This moment......

A simple, beautiful moment in our week. Inspired by Soulemama.

A Mother and an Artist...

I wanted to share the documentary Who Does She Think She is? because it is exactly what I have been thinking about now for several months. Can I be an artist and a mother without being seen as selfish, would my work ever been taken seriously because I am a mama? I remember feeling a certain vibe from a few of my professors in art school,I felt that they didn't take me seriously, maybe I didn't take myself seriously enough. It seems in general, in order to be a successful working artist you need to be completely absorbed in your art and how can you do that when you are a mother to small children. Aren't we as women taught that all good mothers put their kids above all other things? I feel like I have abandoned my artist self since having my son after graduating art school. I was completely devoted and satisfied with taking care of my new baby and my daughter for several years after, but now that my son is getting a bit older and more independent I find myself restless.Like something is missing.
I have not yet seen the documentary. But I have watched the trailer many many times with tears streaming down my cheeks. I should just buy it. I am sure it would be a constant source of encouragement and motivation that I could return to over and over again. I already take inspiration from Tasha Tudors documentary called Take Joy. Tasha Tudor was an amazing woman, and incredibly creative,wonderful mother and a working artist. I can't even contemplate how she managed to do it all. She is my ultimate mentor and I wish I would have been able to write her a letter to let her know before she passed away a few years ago. But it can be done. A woman can be mother and an artist.right?

Illustration sunday.... a field sketch

This is just a simple sketch that I painted out in the sunshine in my front yard. I was never really confident drawing from real life, but it was something that I did a lot in art school and something I haven't done at all in the 3 years since I graduated. Flowers are pretty easy, but it was windy and those daisies danced away.
My whole point in blogging my work is to force myself back into habit of drawing, being forced to draw in college really burned me out. I am trying to get back into it, and it feels really good.
Please post a link to your illustrations or paintings in my comments if you would like to share. I would love to have others join in so we can motivate one another, that is what I miss most about art school. While you are there art seems so important, but once you graduate and your family life starts to take over it really takes the back seat.
After attending the incredibly creative Oregon Country Fair I am re inspired to get my art back in my life and to pursue my dream job as an illustrator. Can I be an artist and a mother without being selfish?
I will post more on that tomorrow!