Take your time, slow down

I need to really chill out when I'm making artwork. Lately I kept finding that I'd start a drawing, erase, draw, erase. I was in such a frantic hurry to make a masterpiece. The problem is that artwork takes time. I'm so eager to make something beautiful that I'm not taking the time to express myself and it's coming out terribly. Why am I in such a hurry? Other than caring for my child and keeping up with housework my artwork is my only other job right now.  Today I sat myself down in my studio and forced myself to relax. I had to switch up the music I was listening to. Pitbull is not entirely conducive to artistic flow (I really do love Pitbull, don't get me wrong) so I switched on over to my ambient music, lit a marshmallow candle, and started drawing. Phew, now I feel better.

A prime example of what happens when I listen to Pitbull and Ke$ha. A haphazard unicorn with my signature dangerously close to mythical animal genetalia. EEEP!

Update: My 1st Commission

First off, unfortunately my posts aren't going to be as regular as they have been in the past. There is just so much going on with moving and starting fresh in Connecticut right now. The big thing is that my art supplies are in storage because we haven't closed on the house yet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I will get them back sooner or later. For now I have a sketchbook, pencils, colored pencils, and some markers.
I'm currently attempting to work on a commission for a friend. This is my first "real" commission. I've drawn/painted things for people before but not with any real guidelines. My client asked if I could draw a man looking at a tree with a woman whispering in his ear. The woman has a ghostly type of aura to her, it all seems very romantic to me.
Here is my rough sketch so far

It's very rough and messy right now, but this is the first part of the process where I lay out the idea and work out the proportions and background. Her hands are driving me kind of insane. I'm pretty sure you can see where I've erased/redrawn/erased/redrawn. That's an issue I've always had, not enough confidence in my lines to keep them steady. 

So far the drawing is starting to take on a mysterious/romantic quality, I'm a fan. I'm trying to decide whether this should be finished in color or restricted to black and white.

I have to say that a large part of my process is the music that I listen to. I tend not to listen to a lot of pop/rock type stuff when I work, it messes with my concentration. Currently, my favorite album to listen to while creating is Angelmilk by Telepopmusik. Do you listen to music while being creative?

Positively Happy

I think that the secret to having a successful and happy life is to surround yourself with positivity. I also believe that you can't expect something like this to "just happen". Nope, sorry, but you have to do the footwork in order to create your positive life.
I've complained about the annoyances that come along with being a military wife on and off. I think we're all entitled to complain about things a little, regardless of what your situation might be. It took me way too long to appreciate what the experience has given me. If it weren't for the military I would have never met my husband. I would be stuck in the same place I grew up, probably doing whatever job I could find, and quite possibly living in an apartment with an annoying roommate. I would've never met many of the amazing friends that I talk to on an almost daily basis.
Recently I've been on the receiving end of some really positive happenings. First, my family has been stationed in New England. I LOVE New England, I've been nothing but happy since we arrived. Secondly, we've found the home of our dreams here. I really thought it was out of the question for me to find a beautiful Victorian style home with all of the things that we want from it. I'm still rubbing my eyes and wondering if it could possibly be real.

Last night, I was also on the receiving end of a call telling me that I would be able to do what I love to earn money. I will be teaching paint & sip parties within the next couple of months! Even better is that I've been blessed to be acquainted with the business owner, because I will not be handing the business side of things. This most likely won't be my only source of income, I'm continuing to look for jobs in the local hospitals to pick up experience in health care. Ultimately, I do want to return to school for my Masters in Nutrition. 

I think that I owe all of these amazing happenings to the fact that I let go of the negativity in my life. Any people or experiences that were continuous catalysts to negative thinking or interactions are out. Since I decided to do so and take action for myself I've been so happy. People who sit there and "let things happen" can hardly expect to be happy with life. 

I just want to say thank you to my friends that have been there for me in the rough times. When the others bailed and you were there for me, that is when I realized that friendship is not measured by how long you know someone (although, I do still have some really great friends from childhood). I'm so excited to share my successes and hopefully open my home to you. 

-Lindsey

Roadtripping 101

Holy wow! The last month and a half has been nothing short of a whirlwind. I spent the better part of my time driving across the United States with my husband and daughter. John and I had been planning this trip for the entire 4 years that we lived in Hawaii, and it was well worth it.
The Route

Our route was an interesting one due to the sights we were wanting to see. We first flew into Seattle/Tacoma Washington from Honolulu,HI. That was a happy occasion for me because it marked the last long flight from the Hawaiian islands for me! We picked up my car in Tacoma where it had been shipped in from Hawaii (shipping a vehicle can be a very complex process, we had to pay for this vehicle since the USN only pays for one). So here are the states that we drove through in order:

1.Washington

2.Oregon

3.California

4.Arizona
5.Nevada
6.Utah
7.Idaho
8.Montana
9.Wyoming
10.South Dakota
11.Minnesota
12.Wisconsin
13.Illinois
14.Indiana
15.Pennsylvania
16.New York
17.Massachussetts
18.Connecticut
With the inclusion of our original starting point of Hawaii we had been in 19 states over the course of a 3 week period. I'm not going to go into detail about each state in this post because, well, we'd be here all day.
My Advice for a Successful Roadtrip
Our roadtrip was awesome! At first, the idea of traveling with a 2 and a half year old was the most daunting thing, but our daughter was a trooper! She rolled with whatever we did without too much complaint. Our greatest saviors when dealing with her were lots of snacks, drinks, and allowing her to watch movies as we drove. 100% of the stuff we did was family friendly and we enjoyed all of it. The only place that we plan on returning to without our daughter would be Las Vegas.
My biggest piece of advice for anyone planning a lengthy roadtrip is to make a general plan of where you hope to be on particular days. My husband made an itinerary that included the travel time plus the stops where we would be staying. Also, plan on veering away from the itinerary sometimes. Roadtrips offer the opportunity of finding hidden gems to visit as you travel. We stopped at a few tacky/fun roadside attractions that made our trip a little more colorful.

(That is me standing next to the very large statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the blue ox in the Redwood National Forest, CA)

Another big tip, take time to stop at the more natural wonders. It's ok to want to be cliche and visit the Grand Canyon! Check out the national parks, Teddy Roosevelt would want you to (after the government shut down is over).

There is no perfect way to do a road trip, just make it your own. More in depth postings about our stops will be coming soon!

-Lindsey

A Work in Progress, A Commission, and Why I do Art

Hello Blog Friends!
We are now in Arizona! Today we got to visit the amazing Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon. I'm a little under the weather since my fall allergies have caught up with me. Since there isn't a huge seasonal shift between summer and fall in Hawaii I haven't dealt with them in a while. Also, we're traveling through some very different climates. I've definitely gotten plenty of inspiration for new works on this trip. I want to play around with the idea of night time settings with lots of neon lights. Something very dynamic and eye catching.
I also have my first commission. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. It's for a friend, so I'm not sure if the pressure is on or not. It's kind of scary to work for someone you know, I'm definitely going to be open to constructive criticism. This one will be a drawing inspired by a story that the person is writing. I just need to get to work, but it's been hard with all of the crazy road trip fun.
On another note, while this blog will mainly center around my artwork I will also be allowing it to become personal. I believe that artwork is nothing without emotion whether it be passion, anger, sadness, happiness. All of these things play into how you put a piece together. If you decide that you don't like the format of my blog you fully have the right to stop reading. Criticism on artwork is acceptable. Criticism on my life and how I feel about it is not, especially if it's entirely negative and not constructive. Anywho, there will be more updates once we get settled into our new home!

Head Space: Where I'm At Currently

Gosh, the last month of my life has been an absolute whirlwind. I've been in the process of moving from Hawaii to Connecticut. We're currently on the family vacation of a lifetime, I'm writing this from the Disneyland Hotel (Evie was in dire need of a nap break).
I'm kind of glad to finally be ending this chapter of our lives. Husband is no longer dealing with the grueling sub service schedule, our family and friends will be much closer, and we have more time to just simply be a family. I think one of the hardest things of all that happened was the loss of a friendship. Sometimes you just can't see eye to eye with the other person and it's best to let go instead of dealing with all of the unnecessary hurt. Not any one person is to blame, but sometimes when people grow up they also grow apart. My heart broke when I made the decision to end it, but it seemed like the best choice for both parties. Maybe when we're both in different places and mindsets we can start again as different people.
I'm a sensitive person. I don't expect everyone else to bear the brunt of that burden, but I also expect someone who knows me pretty well to handle me with understanding. When friends grow apart it seems like everything they stand for combats everything that you stand for. When you feel like you have fought a lot more on your end and the other person already gave up it's time to let go.
This post is not to hurt anyone or make them feel bad. This is the beginning of the healing process, because losing a friend is very much like breaking up with someone you love.
-Lindsey