I'm Back!

Wow!  Has it really been almost a whole year since my last post?  I am a terrible blogger!  Is having a baby a good enough excuse?  He's almost 9 months old now  - boy # three for me - need I say more?  : )

Anyway, I've started on a new artistic adventure.  I signed up for this awesome class a couple of months ago - "The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design."  And here goes my list of excuses:  I was out of town the week it started, then it was Christmas and I was totally behind on all my shopping and preparations, then I've been super busy with kids/work/ and my house falling apart....  Finally, tonight, I made some time to get started (and it's almost 1:00 in the morning - that is when I "find" most of my free time).

I just completed one of the first exercises, and AHAAJHAAHAGHGA!  I love to make art!!!!  I love it!  I love it!  I love it!  I love it!  I want to do it every day!!!  All day!!! 

Wow, I guess I've been suppressing that for awhile.  But, ahhhhhh, to create my own art again - was just so exciting, and rewarding, and fulfilling, and every other positive word I could think of!

And my new goal is to share my art more - all of it, even if it's not perfect or whatever.  So, here goes:

The exercise was to create an art piece out of something in nature that inspires you.  Of course, the first thing that popped in my mind was a Cherry Blossom  - my fave! 

Now, are you ready for the best part about making this new creation?!?  It's my first real art piece that I created on my new Cintiq!  Yes, I have the best husband in the whole world!  He totally surprised me on Christmas morning with something I had been drooling over and fantasizing about forever - my Cintiq!  (In case you don't know what a Cintiq is, it's a giant monitor that you can actually draw/color/paint/create with directly on the screen with a stylus!) 

It is so amazing - I am absolutely in love!  I hardly ever just free-hand my art, but I decided to try it tonight with this, and I loved it - so much fun and so therapeutic! 

Yes, there's me - Christmas morning - still in happy-bliss shock!  I couldn't believe my sweet husband!  And the cutest thing ever is when he said, "This is because I believe in you and all your dreams!"  Can you even stand it?  Does it get any sweeter than that?  He had secretly bought it months ago, and has been selling things on ebay to pay it off.   Awwww.....

I better create some pretty awesome art with it.

So, wish me luck!  I'm back on the artsy train and lovin it, lovin it!  : )