Shop Opening and a GIVEAWAY

Happy Monday friends! Are you ready for another week?  We had some sunshine this weekend that left me feeling energized and ready to tackle what comes my way.  I'm excited to share that my art shop is back up and running, after being on vacation for a couple of months.  I don't know what works well for other artists, but I know for me I need space.  Space to play, rest, try new ideas, and simply have fun with my art!  So that's exactly what I've been up to the past few months and while I'm certainly still having fun, there was a different feeling in the air while the shop was on vacation.  

It just freed my fingers up a bit. 

You can find my shop here.

If I were to write a few lines about this new collection I'd say that it felt fun, full of joy, deeply personal,  and cheerful to me.  It felt like putting hope down on the paper as I created each of these pieces.  

Some advice I've given myself is to "paint what you know."  I suppose that's contrary to what some experts might suggest because there's a whole movement of painting without any end in mind.  What I mean is, I gather the colors and ideas that speak loudest to me and then I start and don't stop until I feel that "finished" confirmation in my soul.  I paint what my soul knows, which is that art can save, heal, and encourage.

Will our lives be changed by hanging a pretty piece of art? Perhaps not.  But I beg to differ.  Maybe those few seconds a day of taking in a colorful,  whimsical, encouraging word will wiggle their way into the cracks and holes of our days that simply need filling up with something good.

 I believe that, you know I do. 

I create art because it makes the light shine brighter and the dark less scary.

 This post was intended to only be about the big shop re-opening but how could I do that?  If I only made art to sell I'm afraid life would feel very empty.  Instead, I make art and happen to sell some of it, but a large part of what I make is simply just to fill me up, to express my soul, to feel happy.

It seems only fair I give you a peek into both. 

 You can find many of these photographs and art prints available as an 8x10 in the shop.  There are also a number of original canvases as well as handmade, cedar-framed originals and photographs.  I'm proud of these because my husband Brett made them for me! 

I want to celebrate the shop re-opening with a giveaway! 

Entering is easy.  Simply visit the shop and leave a comment below, telling me your favorite item!

The winner will receive a $50 credit to the shop! 

Giveaway ends Wednesday at 8:00 p.m., Arkansas time.  Make sure to leave your email in the comments in case you win so I can notify you! 

Also, come back to the blog each day this week for a look at the story behind my new art and a daily special on one 8x10 art piece.