I grew up with Wonder Woman as my super hero. Loved Lynda Carter and her magical cuffs. When I heard there is a new Wonder Woman movie, I brought my teenage daughter along to watch it with me. 

It was soooooo good!!! Especially Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. Not only is she beautiful, she is strong and kind. (Check out her training regime. She is strong. No kidding). What a great role model for all the young girls out there, like my daughter. And for me too! It just felt so good to watch a movie where the heroine is a female. 

I could not wait to come home and paint her.

This is from a scene in the movie where she was told not to attempt to cross the “no man’s land” as no man has survived crossing it. She went ahead anyway, driven by her desire to help the suffering people. Her courage, determination and her heart made me want to jump out of my seat and say yes! You go girl! You crossed where no man did! Felt so empowered! 

This painting was tricky because I don’t usually paint the body. Her costume was tricky too. I was pleasantly surprised at how the reflection from her cuff turned out. 

So, I am officially obsessed… with Wonder Woman. Feel like kicking some bad guy ass now 💃💃💃

Sometimes it’s okay if the only thing you did today is breathe. Wow, what a powerful quote. I don’t know who the author is. It is something I have not been able to master. I want to get there. Have always been a go go go kind of person. Lots of things I want to do, always doing something, can’t even fathom watching a movie without doing something like knitting. Have to admit I do enjoy a lot of the things I do too. But it sure would be nice to be okay with just breathing…

Watercolor painting with collage in her hair. I love collage in general and especially  this method of collaging, using strips of scrap paper to add interest and texture. 

Love HOO you are💕💕💕 bringing out the inner child in me. mixed media. Part of Lifebook 2017 by Tamara Laporte.

 I used watercolor, acrylic, aquarelle pencil, stencil, molding paste, doodling, collage for the feathers… in other words I used the kitchen sink…. or mixed media🤣😊😉🎈🎈 

A few weeks ago, my 14 year old daughter went away for an away swim meet. That is really the first time she has ever been away from home for an extended period of time. 

The house felt so quiet and so empty. Especially since my 17 year old son walks around with his noise canceling headphones. 😂

I also noticed I have a lot more time on my hands. I missed her terribly. My first experience of what an empty nest feels like… definitely getting a dog when the day comes…I told myself ☺️

Art journalled this page while she was away, with a picture of her when she was little. She is my sunshine indeed…

Acrylic, stencils, collage. Had to blur out my journaling on the page. It was therapeutic. Thank you art. Will need you more when the kids leave home….

Woke up early today thinking we would go to the beach but alas, thunderstorms are in the horizon. 

So I did the next best thing, … art😉 came across a picture of an owl on Pinterest and it really intrigued me. While painting animals is out of my comfort zone, there was something about the owl that just drew me in. Decided to give it a go. It was quite fun actually. 

He just seem so wise…and I love this quote: There was an owl who lived in an oak. The more he heard, the less he spoke. The less he spoke, the more the heard. We should be more like this owl….

I am tired of women not standing up for each other… or for themselves. That is why I only surround myself with strong women. And it is easy to spot them because strong women support each other vs tear each other down. Thankful for all the strong women in my life. 

I love this quote. Good reminder to not let things happening around me get inside me and weigh me down. 

Most of the painting is watercolor. Decided to use collage on her hair to have more texture and fun. I love it. And everything is more fun with bubbles! 

Last week, I was at Squam Art retreat in New Hampshire. My 5th year. This art retreat means a lot to me. It changed my life. It got me through one of my most difficult times in my life and made me realize that I am so much more than my professional title, what I own ( or not own), where I come from, etc. 

The 4 days at Squam is a time of quiet contemplation, a time of creative exploration, a time of connecting with old friends and making new ones and a time to connect with yourself.

The first year I went to Squam, I went alone and knew no one. Being an introvert, I was surprised I had the courage to do that. I probably did not think too much about it. I just took the plunge. The beauty of squam is that most people there are creatives and are introverts. It is super easy to talk to anyone because of our shared interests and it is equally acceptable if you choose to have a quiet moment. It is also perfectly normal to be knitting or making something with your hands while you are sitting around with people. I love that. Nobody would think you are weird or feels the need to ask you why do you need to be doing something at all times…

I have truly found my tribe at Squam. Some of the friendships I have formed here have blossomed outside of squam and I am thankful for these beautiful beings. 

This year, I was able to take Colleen Attara’s stories and treasures class. I have long admired Colleen’s work and was super excited to take her class. She is such a beautiful, authentic and generous human being. She gave all of us so much.. from materials to advice to inspiration. You can’t help falling in love with her. She encouraged us to tell our stories. To be authentic. Check out her website to find out more. Her cards are amazing… https://www.colleenattara.com/ this is an altered book I made in her class. I look forward to filling it with my stories and thoughts…

The other class I took was Layers of Landscape by Karin Olah. This is about using fabric to add dimension to your painting. Karin’s work is amazing. She makes me want to learn how to paint landscapes. Check out her work here https://www.karinolah.com/

While I wished I could paint landscapes, I knew my heart just wasn’t in it. So I listened to my heart and decided to paint what I love most instead. A face. This is what I painted and I love her. I think she was inspired by all the beautiful creative goddesses I have met at Squam. The fabric really added something interesting to the painting. I approached it like mixed media, using fabric as another media. I love this new technique and will be using it more. 

Thank you Squam. Thank you Squammies. For filling my cup. My cup runneth over with Joy, gratitude and inspiration. Till the next time we meet…

Here are some other pics to share.

Here is me on top of rattlesnake mountain. One of the most gorgeous views I have ever seen..

Here is a view of the dock outside our cabin. Every cabin has a dock. This is where we hang out, swim, dip our feet in the lake, look out for loons, knit, draw, drink wine, etc. 



Lastly, to bring a little piece of squam back with me…

Till the next time… 

This past 2 weeks have been hellish with my first poison ivy encounter. I had to see the doctor 3 times, going from low dosage of steroids to a full injection of steroids. And during this time, I realized just how difficult it is to do any art or anything really, while my body is itching. Especially drawing or painting faces. My brain just can’t hold any other thought besides “I want to scratch so bad!!!”. 

Thankfully mixed media was the exception. I could randomly throw down colors, collage pics and do random doodles on the page. Here are some progress pics of a homemade watercolor journal cover I made with mixed media. 

First find and glue images on my page. No rhyme or reason why I picked them. Just like how they look together. Then gesso over to prime the page.

 Time to add some colors using acrylic paint and distress ink pad. I also love to add gesso to tie the page together. 

Gesso using a brayed. My favorite technique to pull the page together.

Then added stamps with words, doodle..

And viola. Done. Maybe I will keep doodling on it…

Decided to be weird tonight. She has eggs in a nest, a heart and a little birdie on her head. She’s weird. She does not fit in. Who cares? We spend all our lives trying to fit in AND trying to stand out. How exhausting is that. Freedom comes when you can just be you. All of you.

Watercolor for the girl, magazine cut out strips as collage for the nest and her collar, gesso, acrylic paint, stencil with molding paste on the background. A marker for outline and last but not least, glitter glue on her hair❤️💕💕