erin's art and gardens

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

"hi friend!"

string art that i created for one of my besties for christmas.
now that was a fun project for a super fun friend!

"hi friend!"

~my latest painting~
inspired by another bestie...
~anna~

~my winter palette~
having so much fun with textures and the addition of lil hydrangea petals...

~fairy lights in my studio~

~i love painting angel wings~

~love~

not sure this piece is finished?
working on it...

but i am totally digging the heavy textures and the dimension it gives...

does the image seem familiar? inspired by my friend anna and the photos we took one snowy winters day at the park...i shared some of those photos over christmas.

this painting ....yep, inspired by her too and her messy bun and the tilt of her head.

do you have friends in your life that inspire you?
i am so lucky to have a few.....
another one of my besties (friends for over twenty years) and i power walked over 6 miles through the woods this weekend.
she is one of the best moms i know.
her motto is "keep movin"
she inspires me!

i can't wait to create more of these little mixed media pieces.....so fun!!

"love"
my friends!

i am over the moon excited...
i just booked a trip to chicago to see this gorgeous friend anna! friends for over 30 years!
hi friend!
perhaps we will catch snow flakes on our tongues and have magical walks through the snow.... for sure we will giggle a lot and talk a lot and have a big ol' time....and i will come home inspired and refreshed and love her even more.

hi anna.
hi friend.

♥
erin

p.s. making art takes time... photography takes time...gardening....power walking...a happy marriage and dear friendships they all take time too....i struggle with balancing all of those things with sitting in front of the computer...let's face it...being on-line can turn into a total time suck!
been there!

i just want to gently encourage you, to try spending some quality time away from the computer...go take a walk out in the fresh air...even if it is around the block...take yourself on a fieldtrip...visit your library or an art gallery....it's free....i do it all the time....go into the city OR out in the country...change things up a bit....you will feel refreshed and alive!
don't get me wrong...i love my blog, your blogs too....i find tons of inspiration on-line and spend lots of time processing my photos on the computer (i call it "playing" with my photos).....my computer is an important tool and i love being connected...it has changed my life....
....but please know, that if i seem absent or don't post regularly or don't come round to comment at your blog or reply to your e-mail....
i just might be off striving for that
"balance".
♥

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

amazeballs!

my word for the year!
amazeballs
cuz.... life is too serious and amazeballs is fun and playful and just cracks me up when i hear it...you can use it instead of the word amazing, get it?....can't even remember where i heard this made-up word...but i like it....and i want to use it...
that is me in the picture above...taken a few years ago...by one of my besties, at chicago botanical gardens.
quite an amazeballs poinsettia ball , don't ya think?

before christmas, i won a give away at my friend penny's blog angelsdoor and look what i won! penny hand sculpted this darling wee mouse that she named Bei....sent all the way from california...napping in this cute lil cardinal cup.
thank you penny!!

here is Bei nestled in a birds nest for a long winters nap...
penny is an amazeballs artist and sculptor and an extremely supportive and dear friend....please check out her amazeballs bloggy here.

and... check out this amazeballin cuff!!
my dear friend karen @ elderberry street blog, hand made this beauty and i hear she will be having a giveaway soon since she reached her 200th follower!
i am hoping this cuff might be the prize...wink.
whatever the prize, i am sure it will be amazeball-ish...as karen has exquisite taste...please go visit her bloggy here.

the weather here in tennessee has been awfully dreary and it is sleeting right now...i am trying to get my butt in gear to create some art, but sometimes it is hard to just start...we shall see where this day goes.

hope your day is amazeballs!

♥

erin

p.s....thank you all so much for all of the super amazeballs comments you left on my last post....

dealing with pain is a challenge and your support really helps....♥

p.s.s. and a big happy birthday to my amazeballiner handsome hubby...

i love you mr. dan!!!

Monday, December 31, 2012

happy new year!

well, christmas has come and gone and left me fat and happy (just like santa).... i think i will be eating only water and doubling my power walking all of january, in order to get back to myself......my decorations are still up and i may leave some of the twinkle lights up all winter, since i just love their peaceful glow.

i loved having a more simple christmas decorating style this year...less clutter and softer hues...perhaps a precursor to my simpler style for the coming new year....i plan on purging many things (really cool vintage things...look for the opening of my etsy store soon)) and concentrating on my art and photography...

i have not shared this before, but i have struggled this past year....last winter, after suffering a lot of physical pain and fear from said pain, i was diagnosed with fibromyalgia...getting used to doctors and meds is totally new for me....pain is new too...and i have learned to accept the pain....i have also learned i just can't do it all...imagine that....and i have learned the even harder lesson of admitting that i just can't do it all...my gardens have suffered somewhat (in this perfectionists eyes) and i have decided to cut back on some of the digging in the dirt...what i really want to do is paint pretty pictures and court my artistic muse....

it has been a year of transition for me.....from gardener to artist.

the words of one of my high school art teachers echoes in my brain.
"when are you going to get serious about your art?"
me thinks now.

mr. dan and i will be hanging out here tonight, as the forecast is calling for rain and put a damper on our plans for a backyard campfire....i think i'll make my ribs and of course black eyed peas for good luck.

look at what happened, right outside my studio window on saturday...
gorgeous snow! i am a huge fan of the white stuff!
it didn't stick, but was beautiful and peaceful to behold.
i am lucky to have such a lovely view.