SEE YOU IN 2013!

Hi there! I hadn't anticipated being gone for so long, but here I am! Just wanted to wish you guys happy -late- holidays (for those that celebrate) and let you know that I'm so excited to see you all again in the new year. :)

There was so much to be thankful for in 2012, and I can't wait to see what 2013 has in store. My last few days of this year are still going to be filled with travel and time with family, and I hope yours will be also!

Thank you all for taking part in Pasadya with me, as always. I feel so lucky to have gotten to know so many of you through it! Hope you all are merry!

THIS SEASON

Whew! Guys, I'm so sorry you haven't heard a peep out of me since last Thursday. I've been hanging out behind the scenes and trying to catch up on things for the holidays, travel, and of course art. This December is turning out to be more crowded than I thought, and I don't want to leave you all in the dark with my irregular posting. So just for a heads up, my posts are probably going to be here and there until the new year, but I can't wait to get back to regular posting by then! :)

Here's an illustration with a short story I've been working on. They're finally finished! Don't you love that finished feeling after you've been dragging something out for far too long??

This one's called "This Season," and it's based off of the beautiful Wendy Nguyen from Wendy's Lookbook. Enjoy!

She's so much like this season, with a spirit filled with joy, gratitude, and a helping hand. How often is it that we forget to offer these things to strangers and loved ones alike? Life gets in the way of our true appreciation and love, but she makes sure to show the two in her every action, no matter if the holidays are present or not. Like she does, shouldn't we embody the spirit of the season any day of the year? I think so, too.

BRAND NEW, SHINY ART

Why, hello there, Thursday. You've been nice to me so far. You've allowed me to recover a little from my first encounter with kickboxing last night (AMAZING, by the way), be a grandma early in the morning and make use of my amateur knitting skills, and provide enough sunny light after the majorly gorgeous fog so that I could take shots of my newest artwork. You're awesome.

I'm sort of experimenting with an ever freer style of abstract art on paper, and I have to say I'm in love. I love the texture of the paints against the thick paper, the slight smudges, and of course that metallic shiny new gold paint. If you would have asked me all the way back in high school if I liked shiny textures and abstracts above all things, I would've scrunched up my nose and made it clear that my answer was a definite no. It's so crazy how our styles change over the years, but I can easily say that I love this new style I've learned to embrace.

All three of these paintings make remind me of cold, crisp air and heavy thumping music with the bass. You know, something like "Tighten Up" by The Black Keys or "Go it Alone" by Beck (songs I would've never listened to or appreciated years ago).

I might make stories for one or all of them...what do you think? Any of the three that you'd like to read a story with?

1. Winter's Meditation
2. Snowstorm
3. Gallop

My personal favorite it Snowstorm, and it happens to be my first painting to make in this style. I may just have to keep this one for ourselves and hang it up in our master bedroom. I think it'll look awesome in an oversized, thin-rimmed black frame with a big white matte.

Do you find yourself shifting styles? It's kind of eye-opening and fun to experience, huh?

Oh, and if you're curious about other artwork that I'm working on, catch up on my Twitter. :)

MY VIEW

I love that this blog of mine has made me appreciate the smallest pleasures in life, like the shadows and highlights created by the sunlight hitting the trees and windows, the softness of puffy gray clouds, and the shine of the water in the leaf-filled streets.

Beautiful is one way to describe these tiny details, for sure. And the best part is, I can take it all in just by turning my head to look out the big window while I sit and work

Do you slow down every once in a while and catch yourself observing the smallest, pretty details?

DIY GIFT WRAP TUTORIAL

Guys! GUYS. How was your weekend?

Mine was super awesome, and I got to see family and go to classical concerts and stuff my mouth full of Italian food the entire weekend. We even got a little shopping in...not grocery shopping this time. I'm sure you can imagine, but I was literally squeaking like a parrot when I excited realized that shoes at my favorite store were 80% OFF. I was waling on clouds in that store.

Now, here I am typing this at midnight, because I'm overly excited again. You remember when I said I was going to start doing more tutorials? You know, like this one that still has yet to be finished?? :/ I'm thinking that future tutorials that deal with technical issues would be better suited for a video format...which I plan to do instead in the future. Thoughts on that?

I finally did another tutorial, and I'm also managing to save the environment one bag at a time.

Do you want to make pretty gifts that look the part while patting yourself on the bag for being resourceful? Follow me...

I can't tell you how much I love, love, LOVE this paper!!! Read more to see where it's from and what almost happened to it before my cranium lightbulb went off.