More from On Top of the World

On top of the world

Finally!  I am coming to the finishing touches of putting my new children's book together!  On Top of the World will be published soon!  In the meantime I thought I would share some of the illustrations and pages with you.  The story was created from my doodles, which inspired the pictures.  The story line came from a desire to live life fully.  Life is a gift and it is short, so live it!!!!  While working on this book it gave me joy to think of how much adventure is out there for us to embrace.  Many days I am at home watching three little ones, but there is always room for adventure!  That also allows me to be creative!  This book was a good reminder!

The story is about a character named Marty who is extremely adventurous!  So much so that he decided to take a trip to the top of the World.  Adventure is even better when we have others to enjoy it with, so he took his whole town with him.  Since I couldn't come up with a name to call the town, I decided to call it the town of IDONTKNOWWHATITSCALLED.  In one whole day Marty takes this town through many fun adventures that I think are out of the ordinary!  Come along with Marty as I share a sneek peek of On Top of the World!

Marty in his stroller that he turned into the rocket roller!

Marty learns how to fly!

The town is introduced by Marty to the Bumble Bee Buzzzzzer which takes them to the top of the world.

Say hello to Mr. Lollypop Luggar.  This delicious ride is what takes everyone's luggage on their journey.  It's fuel....LOLLYPOPS!

More to come!  This is only the first 4 pages!  On top of the world I go from my little town.  Life is really is an adventure.

Art Around the Pond

Let the joy of getting ready for an art show begin!  So much to do, so much to gather, and so much I could do!  As I begin to gather all my pieces of work, I wish I had more paintings painted, more prints, and more doodles to display.  I begin by writing out my list of all the things I need so that when I arrive I won't have forgotten anything.   However, I've heard other vendors say that an art show isn't an art show unless you forget something.  Well, it turns out I have indeed forgotten some things.  As I sit down next to my display I've realized a light sweater would have been nice, and some rocks to hold down my price list, and also some tape!  Things I don't typically carry in my purse.  

Today's forecast: sunny skies and 24 degrees.  Perfect weather conditions for an art show.  The fun begins as the van is overpacked with stuff!  Pulling up and unloading is an art in itself.  My trusty husband Steve is mostly in charge of this.  One of the biggest challenges about being outside is the wind.  Even a little wind can send things flying!  Today we have mini standup easels to hold all my framed work in place.  The frames all have glass in them, so I can't afford for a gust of wind to come and knock anything down.

framed artwork for sale

After one hour of pulling things out of the van and placing them, we are all set.  Well, almost all set except for the things I had mentioned that we forgot.  A quick trip in town will fix that!  

My price list for the day

One of a kind doodle for each business card

One thing I love about today is that I get to paint.  Yes, I get the chance to talk to lots of people that come through, but I also have 8 hours of sitting here.  So one thing that is needed for me to take to an artshow is my painting gear.  It can be challenging to sit and paint when there is an audience.  I can't say it is the most comfortable feeling.  However, I do think it is a good thing to do.  I also find it a little uncomfortable sitting and  watching others look over all of my artwork, but at the same time I enjoy it.  I enjoy seeing the reactions on people's faces when they see all the colours and so much whimsy!  

Painted drift wood that I call doodle sticks great for the garden or even to use in a bouquet

I must say, my favorite comment of the day was "your art makes me smile." After all, that is my hope.  To bring joy to people's hearts through what I create!  So all and all it was a great day!  Met lots of people and talked lots of art.

Art around the pond, hope to see you again next year!

The RV Makeover Begins

There it is sandwiched in by trees.

Driving back up to the trailer for the first time this year brought back memories from last summer.  It's amazing how much can happen in just one year.  Nothing really big or outstanding happened this year.......just life.  Looking at some of the kids left over crafts from last summer made me see how much they really have grown in a year.  Anna's little toys that I had left up there are no longer ones she will use this year, and I find with each year that passes I can't help but feel a little sad as the kids grow.  Looking around the camp where our RVis parked (unable to be moved) I saw how much had happened there as well. A winters worth of reno's has left the camp looking great and updated! Walking through the newly renovated lodges, I found myself feeling at rest and peace as the atmosphere around me felt very inviting.  There on a coffee table sat an magazine on family.  Looking down at it made my eyes well up with tears.   I felt like this place is just what the doctor ordered.  After a long hard winter and a busy spring, I am looking forward to staying at the RV.

paint choice: fresh popcorn

The first brush stroke  

After opening up RV and seeing the state that we left it in, it was a little unnerving to say the least.  The plywood floors, bare windows, old foam cushions, and lack of beds made me a sigh a few times.

So we began with emptying everything we could and taking all the doors off the cabinets.  We then  broke open a can of fresh popcorn paint.  As we began rolling paint it was then that we realized that this was a bigger job then we had anticipated! 

So the make-over is far from over and only just begun.  With a vision of doodled curtains and textiles and much more, we will take it one step at a time.

Soon to be re-covered in one of a kind hand painted textiles.

Freshly painted with fresh popcorn white brightened it up!

Re-painted cupboards less then perfect to work on!

Till we meet again champ! See you soon!

Painting waiting

Sitting at my kitchen table one morning with my hands cupped around my face, staring out the
window, a memory came to mind of me as a little girl doing the same thing while I was waiting for my daddy to return home from work.   I had forgotten that I used to do that and today as an adult here I was once again waiting.

I grabbed for my sketch book, as a picture of a painting came to mind of that very thing!  I began to really ponder what it means to wait and what really happens in my heart in the seasons of life that I am called to wait.  I realize how much I really don't like to wait, and how difficult it really is.  It is far easier for me to do and to try to make things happen, than to be still and just wait for things to unfold.
I began to realize that as I wait it really reveals what I believe.  Just as I waited for my dad as a little girl. I believed that he was coming home and although I am sure I grew tired in waiting, I still remained by the window looking out for him to come.  How many times am I looking out a window in my life waiting for someone or something?  Do I stay there?  Do I really believe in what I am waiting for?
It got me thinking about how many times did I just give up,  when maybe that in which I was waiting for was just around the corner?

As I wait, I know that is an opportunity for me to really weed out the doubts and to really put my trust in what I believe.  My heart is tested, but with each test I pass I move forward.  As I wait growth happens! So this particular morning, I was sitting with my Bible in front of me waiting for a scripture to come to mind, and guess what, one did.  Be still and know that I am God.
May you find peace and strength and trust in your times of waiting!

The kids looking out the window,waiting for their daddy to come home

A little birdie coming to the window 

This weeks painting Waiting

The Doodle Garden

As I have mentioned before I have been busy doing some planting in the garden. Well, mostly in the flower garden.  I am not really a gardener and my thumb is far from green.  This year however, I have decided to turn the gardening experience into a creative one.  So over the past week I have been working on an idea I have for a garden.  It started with a chair and turned into making a doodle garden.    I plan on taking the flower garden and combining it with doodles.  Last year Steve and I collected some treasures on the beach and near the river which I haven't been sure what to do with...until now!  Clams, driftwood, you are making your way into the Doodle garden.
I have more to add to this and I am hoping to turn this flower garden into something so much more! Doodles and rocks, signs, and white picket fences.  So much to doodle and right now I have so little time.  So for now I say hello to a work in progress!

Having Faith Like a Child Is Inspiring

A painting that I did  on cradleboard, using watered down acrylics, paint pens, and markers.
It is called Childlike Faith.

When our oldest daughter Lucy was three, we told her that we were going to make a little garden for her.  We noticed that she loved to spend time in the garden with her daddy and showed an interest especially in flowers.  We had an area that was next to our porch that had nothing in it except stones and weeds.  There once grew a big tree there but we had taken it out a few years back and nothing had grown since.  I showed Lucy where we were going to plant a garden.  Excited about the idea, she began to water the stones.  We had not yet gone to the store to purchase plants or seeds, but that didn't matter to Lucy.  Day after day she went out with her little watering can and poured water over her garden.  Then one day, to my surprise, I discovered something!  With great excitement I yelled, "Lucy!  Lucy come here," and there in Lucy's stoney garden grew a beautiful white flower.  There was no reason why a flower should have grown.  We had been at our house for 5 years and nothing had grown there in that time.

As I stood there with Lucy looking at the flower a little lesson came to my heart.  Have faith like a little child.  Even when you don't think anything can grow, or what seems very unlikely...believe.  Lucy didn't go out watering the stones thinking of all the odds against her.  She didn't think how impossible it was for something to spring up.  All she heard was this was her garden and she began to water it in faith.

That was a sweet blessing from heaven that day and a reminder to have childlike faith.  Believe for the impossible.  One of my favorite scriptures came to mind nothing is impossible with God.

A flower blooming from nothing

Can anything grow from stones and weeds?

Today Lucy has many flowers growing in her garden

Work+Rest+Play=Balance

This is a doodle that I did one morning.  I stood back and looked at it and what I saw was a little person trying to find balance from a lot of balls hanging off of them.

Life is busy!  There is always a list of things to do or things waiting to be done.  I personally find it really difficult to balance all the things that need to be done in a month, week, or even a day.  I have come to realize that I actually prefer to have little notice when asked to do something.  It seems even if I am asked to do something with months notice, I don't really end up preparing for it till last minute.  I get more stressed out knowing I have lots of time to prepare, than if I just do it on the fly (maybe because I don't have time to think about it).  So with that being said I am totallly anticipating having things dropped on me last minute!

I have found with trying to keep the house in order,  homeschooling,  and starting a creative business,  I really do need balance.  I have been desperately trying to find that balance but let's just say, if you could see me, you would see someone that seems to be falling off the balancing beam every day!  In thinking about balance,  I realized there are three things involved: work, rest, and play.  Three key ingredients I believe that are needed in the equation of balance.

As much as I want lots of play and some rest, I really find work seems to crowd those out.  It really doesn't make sense to me since work is the less desired one of the three.  I used to work all the time, and then would leave a job and travel for months at a time.  That was my way of dealing with the unbalanced life I was leading.  But after having three kids, that really wasn't much of an option for me.  So here I am trying to bring the three into a balanced lifestyle.

Rest:  Without it I get burned out and have a hard time continuing working well.  I notice that I seem to get overwhelmed easier and much more aggravated (that could be what is happening today).  I tend to fall into striving when I am not well rested, which then leads to a lack of inspiration and the creative juices come to an halt!  Rest gives me new vision, peace, and strength.  My energy is renewed and the pressures of life seem to fall away,

Play:  It brings refreshment to my soul! Laughter to my heart.  So often during these times of play I get really inspired creatively.  My eyes are opened to things I don't always see, and the grumpy bugs seem to leave me alone!  It brings out my childlikeness again and makes me feel free of the worries of life.  In all of that my heart seems to soften!  I know when there is a shortage of play I seem to get hard hearted and too serious!

Work:  It seems like a negative word, but I am learning that it dosesn't have to be!  Especialy if you are working at something you love.  For me, working on a children's book or painting really doesn't feel like work because I enjoy it!  The benefits of working hard and having a sense of achievement outweigh the actual work.  Enjoying the work of your  hands and having others also take pleasure in what you do brings so much satisfaction.  Plus there is always the practical part of working...the payment!  I have come to realize that having these three things in balance makes for great creative times in my life!  So, here I sit, asking myself if I am willing to give up some of one, to bring more of another.  Having rest and play in a balanced life will also mean less time to work.  So the real question for me is this:  can I let go of how much I think I need to get done?  I'm sure taking a holiday away can answer that question for me!!

Working on new ideas!