The last few days have been a journey for me!  Several months ago I applied for an illustrating job.  It has been a several step process that has been somewhat nerve racking the last couple days.  Well, I found out last night that .................. I GOT THE JOB!!!! :)  I will be illustrating a children's book with the Bronx Museum in New York.  There is going to be a tight deadline, so here is the sad part. . . I'm not going to be able to do an hour portrait daily for the next three months.  This has been a wonderful goal for me, and I know I have already improved so much. I may start again after Christmas, we will see how God leads.  Please don't stop checking up on me once in a while though, I plan on posting update and family happenings. :)  

At this time Becca is obviously very close to my heart, I'm tearing up just writing this.  She would have been so very excited for me. Calling me every few hours for updates! :) This was something we always dreamed about....writing and illustrating a book together. So in honor of her my final portrait for a while is going to be a portrait I did of her and the girls a few weeks before she entered her eternal home. The last painting she saw . . .

 Love you so much sis. . . miss you with all my heart! XO

Yesterday was a busy day!  I started art classes again so summer is over! :(  But it will be great to get into the swing of things.  I love all my students and have missed them.  My Grandma is taking this year!  That will be fun!  
I did do art, just not a portrait.  Finished Rae's card and worked on a commission piece. . . 

 Oh and I got a cold, not fun! :(

A dear friend of mines handsome little man Jude . . .

 

No party tonight. . . she got sick so we will try again some other time.  The portraits will have to wait! Can't spoil the surprise! :)  I tried working on a cousin's son tonight, but half an hour into it I realized it looked nothing like him. I'm so tired I can't see straight.  I'm sorry there has not been a portrait to look at the last two days.  I'm going to need some grace on this.  Tomorrow is another day! Praise God! :)

So I'm going to post a portrait I did years ago that was not just and hour. . . 

 

I am doing something for a dear friend today and tomorrow.  Since she is one of the few people who look at my blog, I don't want to spoil the surprise! :)  So I'm going to post the picture tomorrow night!  I'm very excited to have a couples night out celebrating her 30th !!!!

Just a picture on line I saw and loved. . . 

 Yesterday was some wonderful family time with my sisters and parents.  Kalvyn had a great time. . . 

 

There are a couple preemie babies that I have been looking through picture on facebook and praying for.  Today one of the picture with her little eyes open touched my heart.  This is Brielle. . . 

 She is such a sweet little girly.  Last I heard she is still under 2 .5 pounds.  She had tubes in her nose, but I just wanted you to see her face. . . she is so beautiful.  Please pray for her.  I will be drawing the other little girl in my prayers right now soon too.  They are both fighters!

Took Kalvyn to the Ledges today.  SO MUCH FUN!!! It is thrilling to see the world through a child's eyes all over again! :)  We discovered 5 different creatures we don't see everyday. . . 
 - 4 deer running through the woods.
- 3 water snakes, one dead! :(
- 1 crawdad, we got to see him really close. Did you know they      
 swim backwards?
- 1 frog no bigger than my thumb nail that can jump as high as Kalvyn's belly button!
- About a hundred black baby snails clinging to several rocks in the middles of the creek.

It was so fun and educational! :) We also took a fabulous long walk!

It was so real today that Kalvyn is growing up and not a baby anymore, so I had do come home and sketch one of his baby pictures! :) 

So proud of my sis Rae.  She has completed her massage therapy classes and has her certificates.  She is renting a room for her own business of Massage and Nutrition.  So if you are in need of the, (and face it, we all are) I'll give you her number.  She is AMAZING!  My lower back was hurting for weeks, and in 15 minutes she had worked out most of the pain.  The next morning I woke up with no pain and haven't hurt since! AMAZING!!!

I've been working on her business card.  This is not what the end product will look like, but this is what I did yesterday. . . 

 

 Sorry for the few of you who follow me everyday!  I've been skipping days a lot lately and making up for it later.  I couldn't find my camera cord for a bit, but I did do this yesterday!


I'm excited about Mitt Romney, he seems like he has a good head for business and what this country need. . . 

 

My niece Brittany as a baby!  I don't know that I quite got the likeness on this one, but she is really cute . . . 

                            Love you Brittany!  Miss you all!

Just saw a sweet face and drew it!  I should have taken more pictures at the fair . . .

   

 . . . and this is one of the brothers.

                                          Barnaba, he looks like a sweet guy!

I did a painting years ago for a dear friend. She has been watching a family of boys over the years.  I painted two of them, and now she wants drawings of the rest.  This is Dieudonne. . . 

 He is also an artist!  Thanks for following my blog Dieudonne! :)

Must say that I love bears!  They have so much character. . . 

 

Last min my husband decides we need one last hora before our summer fun is over.  So we drove to a hotel with a water park for an overnight adventure.  I drew him in a half hour while we were driving.  I had to stop half way cause I was getting car sick.  I'm one of those people that can't read in the car. Ive been like that my whole life. . .it has been a huge inconvenience! :(

 But even half done my man looks handsome!!! :)

Here are some pictures from our trip. . . 

                                                    Aren't they so so so cute!

 

 Do you all remember Taylor, she has made a friend on her

 very hard journey to health.  This is the story I read on her 

facebook page this morning!


This little guy is Landon. He has stage four neuroblastoma. Landon was supposed to go in to get his stem cell transplant last week. When his parents went in for the consultation they were told that the surgeon didn

t get all Landons tumor like they were led to believe. Landon goes in on Thursday to have surgery again to see if they can get the remaining tumor out. Please pray for guidence for the surgeons hands, peace for Landons parents, and strength for Landons body! This surgery is highly risky!

Praying for you Landon . . . 

Sitting on the beach I have charcoal pencil, paper, but no picture. . . 

I know I have said this before, but I'm just going to say it again. . . an artists frame of mind when they draw is so important.  So if any of my students are reading this here is an example for you.  

The portrait today was pictures I took at the fair of a brother and sister.  I was not happy with what i got done in an hour yesterday, but today I was able to relax and get my head in the game! :)  I did the baby sister in and hour, and spent another half hour fixing my mistakes on her big brother yesterday!  I am so much happy with the results today. . . 

 Such cute kids!!!! They have the sweetest mom too. . . Thanks for letting my draw your babies!

This is all I could get done in an hour on this one. . . for some reason it was hard for me to get a likeness.

 

Nice guy who was willing to be on my blog.  Thanks so much!

 

Hey everyone, so sorry!  I started a diet yesterday and I got a bad headache. . . caffeine withdrawal! :(  One thing about drawing, how you feel shows!  So I did two today to make up for it.  Both Fair pictures.  

This is Sky . . . 

  She is a beautiful dog and very friendly!  I laughed when I looked at the picture I took of her.  She has a hallow.  "Angel in the Sky. . . 

 

When we were at the state fair Sunday I did get a few more portrait shots and two of them were dogs!  These are very talented dogs who were there for a show.  I can't quite remember this beautiful boys name . . . Mac - something.  Sorry buddy!

 I couldn't get him to look at me. . . all eyes for his master.  So I liked this picture of him adoring her! :)

Sweet little guy who loved getting his picture taken. . . 

TOMORROW . . . All day date day with my handsome husband at the fair and Rascal Flats tickets at night. . . I know you are so jealous!  It will also be Kalvyn's first night away from both parents.  We'll see how that goes! It is at Grandma and Grandpa's so it should be fine right?  :)

Another Fair portrait!  Wish I knew her name, she was sweet and fun to draw . . . 

 

No I did not draw the same woman twice! :)  Sisters!

 

So I stayed up till 1am last night working on this picture.  It is an audition picture for a children's book.   It took about three hours so far. . . The kids took about an hour, so I'm going to call that my portrait for today!  I need to do some serious house cleaning this afternoon! :(

Happy birthday Josiah!  Missing you so much today.  Can't believe you would have been 30 today.  Can't believe I will be 30 this next year. I know heaven is a much better place to turn 30 in, just wish we could go get some Chinese food. :)  Hope Becca has given you a big birthday hug from me!

                           Love you and your whole family!

This is the girl's aunt that I drew yesterday. . . 

 In a couple days I am going to draw her sister.  They were all at the fair together, and were sweet enough to take time out to help me.  Thanks ladies! :)

Another sweet fair person . . . 

   I am going to have to start getting names.  It is really strange drawing someone for an hour and not know anything about them.  I know their faces so well.

Our STATE FAIR is a great STATE FAIR!  Went there today with my sisters!  :)  I did overcome my fear at went up to a few different people to see if I could take their picture to draw it.  Everyone was so nice.  Actual the mom of this first little girl was so very nice she gave me courage to approach a few more people.  So here is the first portrait of the state fair . . . 

 This sweetie didn't really want to get her picture taken, but she was a trooper! :)

Fun at the fair. . . 

                                          Cousin Dave being a farm boy! :)

                                              Favorite attraction at the Fair. . . we stayed for at least 4 demonstrations.

                                            

                                                     GOOD TIMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!