ARTlightenment 2011

Pictured: Robyn Morshead, Camille Engel, Carla Christina Contreras (me), and Thomas Royalty - We each won the BEST award for our art medium.

Being a FEATURED ARTIST in this show was an AMAZING experience! I also taught a workshop for artists on "Marketing, Promoting, and Branding YOU & Your Art!"

PLEASE Use this LINK for Amazon - we get a hit!

Unmasking Mental Health Art Benefit - The Mental Health Cooperative

I was Juried into this AMAZING art show - SOLD six works of ART!

10 Things Artists Should Be Thankful For

by Sylvia White

This was sent to me by another Artist... It struck a nerve... caused some sinus activity... I think about this almost EVERY day as I struggle to be the Artist I think I should be...

By the time most artists come to see me, they are usually beaten down and depressed by the struggles of the artworld. They have been abused by their galleries, taken for granted by their collectors, misunderstood by their families and exhausted from juggling real life with creative need. It is so easy to forget how special you are, when there is no one around to remind you, but you. So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I give you my list of 10 Things Artists Should Be Thankful For. Print this out, fold it up and put in your wallet. Send it to your artist friends. Read it whenever you feel all your work is for nothing and you are thinking maybe you should just stop making art and grow up. Post it in your studio when you are wondering what the heck you are going to do with all this work? But, most of all…believe it. Remember, it is impossible to feel thankful and be depressed at the same time.

1. I am thankful that I am not one of the majority of people in this world that wakes up every morning, goes to a job they hate, just to come home and do it all over again.

2. I am thankful that when I am away from my studio, my ideas come with me, they keep me company everywhere I go.

3. I am thankful for this passion that gives me so much joy (and angst) but mostly joy.

4. I am thankful that when I have left this earth, I will leave something meaningful behind.

5. I am thankful that I have a mind that can not sleep, I will never be bored.

6. I am thankful that there is a part of my life that nobody but me can control.

7. I am thankful that no one in the world can ever take this gift from me.

8. I am thankful that I am brave, it takes courage to pursue my gift.

9. I am thankful that I am never satisfied, it forces me to move forward and grow.

10. I am thankful I discovered this list! Pass it on.


Reprinted from:

In response to FEAR

I don't do fear... it focuses on the negative... I have learned that fear is the opposite of love... and I am all about the LOVE! I choose LOVE as my religion.

What can I do in these times for my country I ask myself [daily]? I can continue to live the life that many have died for me to live ... I can continue to believe in the fact that I live in a country where my choices are my choices ... I can smile at my fellow Americans and those who are here visiting our great country each day I am out in the world, and be kind in thought word and deed ... and remember to live each day like it is my last ... for now, that is all I can do ... but FEAR is not one of the things I choose.

We are in a GREAT transition ... for me, it is important that we stand together as countrymen and women with a consciousness of the freedom that we've earned with our history ... Yes, things are really different today than we've known in the past, but all I can do is the BEST that I can do with my individual life... I talk to God every day about my life and hand it over to him/her once again... and it makes it easier for me. I do trust that God has a higher plan... a better plan than I could ever imagine... but sometimes it looks like God has screwed up, and then I remember that it isn't always 'pretty' walking through the muck...

Thinking back in my lifetime, it seems this President has had a lot more muck to deal with from the get go... more than any other President in the history of my life... I do not envy him at all. I wouldn't want the job, and don't understand why he would either... but I choose to lift him up rather than to beat him down ...

The last President wasn't my choice, and especially not one of my favorites... but he was our President ... I had to learn to lift him up for the bigger picture. HE is the reason I can do that today.

I once thought about a political career... I was very young (late teens)... but that was then, and this is NOW...

TODAY I am just living for today...

No turtles, only cardinals...

Totally for the birds... I was headed out to take some pictures of turtles down by the creek... when two cardinals kept teasing me...

Now, I'm not much of a bird photographer... but they were really flying close to me, churping for attention... soooooo... I snapped a couple of shots. This is my favorite one. So cute in all his glorious RED!

BTW, I walked about a quarter mile from my car to get a shot of about 14 turtles on a log in the middle of the creek... as soon as I lifted the lens up... they all fell into the water... I was about 50 yards away from the turtles... little $#!&'s.

Nashville Lucy LOVES the SNOW!!!!

It seems like winter just isn't finished with us here in Tennessee just yet... today's snow was like sparkly little powder crystals coming down from the heavens... it was GORGEOUS!
Lucy and I went out to play in the white stuff for a little bit! LOVE my POOCH!

in the biz 2.0 - an exhibit submission

Every time I enter a "Call to Artist" exhibit it is different. Here is the most recent entry I created for the Chromatics Nashville, "in the biz 2.0" exhibit.It should be an interesting show... people with 'day jobs'...

CRAZY about this POOCH!

A year in the making... YES, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks! Lucy and I worked with these sunglasses off (mostly off) and on for a year... isn't she ADORABLE!!!