Charcoal Portrait sketch of Frankie

This is my beautiful son.

I'm kind of cheating this week, this is actually the example portrait I completed for my niece's cancer benefit auction, which was in December. But I figure on the weeks I end up slacking off, I can play catch up.

Dixie College Soccer Renders

These may not look like much, but the more representational renderings actually take more work. My creativity this week pretty much went to finishing up these beauties. Here's hoping they help the college raise lots of monies so the soccer teams can play in style.

The overall design of the stadium and the buildings below is also mine. I think it looks as though it's about to take flight. Too bad Dixie's new mascot isn't a bird of some sort.

Never Shared

I finished this portrait last spring. I never shared it on my personal blog even though I said I would. I'm not sure why, because I really do love how it turned out.

It is a commission for the National Search and Rescue. Someone from the organization gets a portrait every year. Maybe whoever was president that year? I should probably ask this, because I'm going to be doing the portrait for them again this year, and perhaps every year after that if they'll have me and if I want to keep giving them a great deal.

It is painted on stretched leather. Which at first I was really worried about (and I do think the overall thing looks kind of odd...) but, it was actually really fun to paint on. Similar to the one time I tried linen canvas. I might have to foot the bill and get linen canvas in the future.

Anyway, here it is. Cheers.

(p.s. Proof that my Mom is my biggest fan, she is the first follower of this blog, and was before I had posted a thing.)

To begin

Since I was a child, I have loved to create. At different times of my life, I've channeled it in different ways.

I was an excellent student. I loved writing essays, stories, and poetry. Even the sheet of notebook paper that I turned my math homework in on had to look right.

Playing with handwriting and general design have always excited me. So has architecture. And photography. I've had a cake decorating phase and a scrapbooking phase. I love flowers and floral design. One of my motto's is "whatever anything is, it ought to begin by being aesthetic."

In college, I began training in proper, fine art. I learned to draw and paint. I especially enjoy recreating people and figures. For many years after this point, I felt like if I wasn't creating in this specific way, I wasn't living up to my potential. This type of creating is in many ways the most difficult. Not getting positive feedback from fine art is hard. It got me in the habit of only wanting to show anyone finished pieces, or my very best work.

It has taken being a mother, being older, some suffering, and most of all some growth to realize what I finally did a month or so ago.

The important thing is not what I create, the important thing is that I create. It feeds my soul.

The other important thing is that I not fear sharing what I create with others.

And so, this new blog. At least once a week, I will post. Sometimes it will be a little drawing. Perhaps a photo that I spent some time setting up or learning new editing methods for. I might throw in some writing. I won't apologize if it's a rendering or some building elevations for work, I've realized how insanely lucky I am that my day job lets me use my talents. If I am working on an art piece, I will post the progress up until the finished product. Even if it's not quite right on that particular day.

It will be an adventure. I hope you will follow along.

"But to what end were we created? We were created with the express purpose and potential of experiencing a fulness of joy. Our birthright—and the purpose of our great voyage on this earth—is to seek and experience eternal happiness. One of the ways we find this is by creating things.

What you create doesn’t have to be perfect. . . Don’t let fear of failure discourage you. Don’t let the voice of critics paralyze you—whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside."

-"Happiness, Your Heritage" President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidencey of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints