Live in full color.

Live in full color.

To me, it's the same message as living wholehearted or living all-in.

It is how I most want to live.

However, in life there are seasons

of

standing on the edge,

of

living half-hearted,

of

going through the motions,

of

grief for all manner of losses.

Sometimes it is in these seasons,

that I find a deeper faith,

more rock-solid truth,

my core values,

how I want to live,

and

how I don't want to live.

There are seasons and color pallets of rest:

grays, muted beige, white, neutrals... 

like the gray-toned flowers collaged onto this piece.

.

We need some of those seasons.

And some of them we just have to go through

whether we need them or not,

and certainly don't want them.

And then,

there are seasons

of feasting

on

indulgent

color.

Of submerging yourself in the deep end of the pool.

Of letting the heat and the wind and just whip your hair.

Of breathing in deep the scents of summer flowers.

Of taking big gulps of iced cherry limeade.

Yes.

Those seasons are good too.

This art celebrates

those all-in,

living in full color,

rejoicing and doing good seasons.

Here's the photo from Pinterest

that inspired this art.

I'm not certain of the original source of the photo,

but it certainly stirred my heart.

There are a few songs that come to mind with this idea:

The Motions by Matthew West

On Fire by Switchfoot

French Kissing Life by Kenny Chesney

All In by Toby Mac

Look 'em up!

They always remind me to consider how I'm living.

If I'm being true to who I am and what I believe...or not.

They remind me that I do have choices.

That I have to take risks

and 

do things that make my knees knock

and 

maybe parts of me will break

but

its better than

wondering if I should have 

followed

callings

that

are

whispering

in my

heart. 

Somehow, someway,

this art evokes that idea of wholehearted living

within me.

Reminds me to enjoy life.

To ask myself what I need

to

enjoy

life.

Rejoice.

Do good.

Live wholehearted.

Live in full color.

Art Works in Progress

Here's a little peek

into my "studio space"

a.k.a. "kitchen".

{eeek! i'm excited about what i'm making!}

These are some works in progress.

Lately I am loving new mediums in my art:

wire

sketching with charcoal

and

Golden's crackle paste.

My next event 

where you can see me and my artwork 

is in Rapid City, South Dakota 

here:

One day she . . .

In the past week,

I've been thinking about

the

edges.

The boundaries

that I come up to and look over

and then retreat back away from.

Life is continuously filled with these edges.

Doorways.

Thresholds open for the crossing.

Thoughts and ideas and plans and dreams

that

I

come right up to

and then back away.

And wonder

will I ever cross over?

A couple thoughts occurred to me as I was making things

the other day

and

I started to type up some

"One day"

statements.

What if "one day" was today?

I do believe this will

become part of one large piece

I will make to remind myself

to decide

to believe

to trust

to press

to cross

to be all in

to risk

to really live.

Putting my work, my pictures, my words out there

has been one flying leap of faith

after another.

It still takes courage.

It still opens my eyes to new places to stretch my wings,

to new butterflies flying in my stomach,

to new horizons to journey toward

with no guarantees

but lots

of

possibilities.

Living Wholehearted. What's gratitude got to do with it?

Wholehearted Gratitude.

Sunday I taught this class on creating a journal from a repurposed book

by creating a collaged cover using a photograph, similar to my art pieces on wood & canvas.

I shared this time with a lovely group of seven women at Scrappin' Ladies in Pierre, SD.

But it wasn't just about the project.

It was about their life.  My life.  Really living it.

I have a couple more of these coming up,

so I wanted to share a bit about what you could expect.

Through sharing my own personal stories

of moving from seeming to always fall short to abundant living,

{not necessarily materially, but mentally, emotionally, spiritually}

I will share how gratitude moves us

into living wholehearted, fulfilling lives

right in the mess of everyday, ordinary stuff

as well as the biggies.

Back at Christmas 2008,

I wrote about it in a Christmas letter

you can read about it here.

Life Is Not About Painting The Perfect Picture.

I share about being real and about savoring life's little treasures.

Here is what you can look forward to at a Wholehearted {Gratitude Journal} event:

We will transform an old book into a personal, unique work of art 

featuring one of your own personal photographs.

You will enjoy curling up with your journal and recording those priceless moments

with words, photos, art, or whatever your mind comes up with...

We will create a bookmark from a heart-shaped rock, twine and ribbons.

We will laugh, visit, perhaps shed a few tears, and tell stories.

We will be brave in trying new things.

We will find things to be grateful for.  The deep things. The really important stuff.

I will share my personal journey of discovering gratitude and beauty in my everyday life.

I have two Wholehearted {Gratitude Journal} events coming up.

Click here for the details and registration information:  FALL SCHEDULE

Here is a sneak peek at  projects

from the last journal class.

In addition to writing,

photography is one of the ways that I record my gratitude.

Sunday was a great day of journal-making and friendship building

finished off by this beautiful drive home across the prairie.

Sharing with you some gratitude in photos 

for this great state of South Dakota. . . 

. . . during the "magical hour" when the prairie

is lit up

in all her glory.

The two events I have coming up:

ARTescape afternoon on

November 3 at the Jon Crane Gallery in Hill City, SD

and

an evening class on

November 7 at Sturgis Photo and Gifts in Sturgis, SD.

Click here for event schedule and sign up details:

FALL 2013 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Pure Heart

Blessed

are the

pure in heart

for they

will

see

God.

Matthew 5:8

This one turns 6 years old tomorrow.

She is a pure heart.

An honest one.

{Unless it comes to telling whether or not she has brushed her teeth.}

Otherwise,

she's a "no bologna" kind of girl.

Sometimes it's stressful.

But mostly, what is most important,

is that she is all-out, wholehearted.

In her "yes".

In her "no".

In her belief.

And this time,

she wanted God to have this drawing she made.

She thought perhaps she could keep it until she died someday

and she could take it with her.

But then it would stay in the casket,

so that wouldn't work.

She decided He should come get it.

The next day, it was still here.

WHY won't He come get it, Mom???

My answer, 

I don't know.

What should we DO, Mom?

My answer,

Let's take it to church and we'll ask some people.

Yes!  Let's have a MEETING about it.

she says.

So the next day,

we went to church.

She sat beside my friend

and told her about it.

We had a Bible school meeting,

so we prayed about it.

And my friend says,

What about helium balloons?

She embraced the idea.

So here we are sending the picture

off to God.

She ran after.

We watched it head west for a while.

And then it went

straight

up.

Do you think an angel got it and took it to Him?

I don't know, honey.

Do you think He is looking at it?

I know He sees it.

And He sees

your

heart.

Art Moms & Friends Holiday Boutique

Some of my favorite

work ever.

I have shipped off

to Art Moms & Friends Holiday Boutique

in Sioux Falls, SD.

{For the next 3 holiday shopping weekends}

A year ago . . .

I experimented . . .

making my first mixed media collage.

What a year it has been!

I remember how oddly

scared I felt when

I bought my first art supplies.

Fighting feelings and weird thoughts

like,

who do you think you are?

And showing my art the first time

feeling like a 37 year-old-child

with a

lemonade stand.

{Click "lemonade stand" above & you can read about that}

Every step of this journey

has felt extremely vulnerable.

Yet authentic.

True.

Wholehearted.

And that is just

how

I

want

to

be.