Painting murals, painting furniture, painting anywhere!

Last year we invited a mother and her 2 boys to move in with us after they lost their home. They stayed with us for around 4 months and they were in my 6 year old daughter's bedroom. After they left my 6 year old Abby was sad, she love her boys and she told me the room reminded her of them and made her sad.

We had the idea of a make over. She told me she likes the desk I painted a while ago and she wants her bedroom walls like a sunny sky and Lalaloopsys dolls.

So the desk is this one

and her furniture looks like this

So after sanding, priming, painting and changing the hardware here it is the new look.

Now off to paint the sunny sky.

Painting on Furniture

Sometimes I jump to another project when my inspiration is not strong enough to generate a painting. So I have this new one that I just finished.

I like to paint on furniture so when I had to decide what to do with this little black desk I though it could look good with some paint.

This is not my design. I bought a little dish with this design and, as I will keep the table, I translated some of the design onto this table.

I made a little video talking about the flowers and what I use to have more control in my brush when I draw.

Modeling Paste for Texture

A while ago I bought this modeling paste and I thought, this is going to be gone in a couple of paintings. I was wrong. As I learn how to use it I found out you don't need much to create texture.

I use a painting knife to apply the acrylic paste.

The canvas with the paste already applied.

A close up.

Today is a downcast day so the light is not so bright in my studio so the pictures came out a little dark. I think you are able to see how I applied the paste. Playing a little with it.

If you don't have a painting knife you can also use an old credit card (any plastic card will do it)

Have fun creating!

Back to Work

Time flies! baby Eli is already 9 months old. He was a hand full and I had a hard time finding time to paint. Now he is older and he can entertain himself better so I prepare a little area in my art studio so he can play while I work.

I Finish my last commission and I decided to take a break from them.

I have a new passion for abstract art. The colors, lines and textures are very attractive to me. I finished a triptych that I am very pleased with. Using my favorite colors and some texture with acrylic modeling paste.

The vase in the background gave me some inspiration

You can see the texture the modeling paste gave to the painting.

Everybody asked me if I used wood (some people even touch the painting) but it's just regular stretched canvas.

I have been invited to some art shows and festivals and a really want to do it. My problem is that my husband went back to school and he can't help me anymore with the kids on Saturday. For those new to my blog, I have 4 kids and my 9 month old will not stay with anybody! he cries so much when I'm not with him that it's impossible for me to leave him with anybody.

I hope I can find a solution soon so I can do these festivals.

Introducing baby Eli

Baby Eli Edwin Whitney was born at home on April 3, 2011 at 9:29am.

He weighed 8lbs 14oz and measured 21 in. He was our biggest baby by over a pound.

I had a wonderful water birth and for the first time one of our babies was born into daddy’s loving hands.

For 10 days leading up to the birth I had been experiencing prodromal labor. So when contractions started again on Saturday night I didn’t pay too much attention to them; I was convinced it was more of the same.

I lay down, walked, drank some wine and finally got in the warm bath tub to chase them away so I could sleep. The contractions did go away for around 45 minutes so I went to bed.

But at 11pm though they started again, the same tightening in the back and belly but this time they were all lasting nearly a minute (unlike the “fake” ones that were 35 seconds long). These contractions were irregular so I was a little confused.

At 2:30 I woke Eric up and I told him I was having contractions and they were not going away. They were coming every 10, 5, 2 and again 10 minutes apart. He filled up the birthing pool and I relaxed there. All the sudden I notice I didn’t have a contraction for 20 minutes so I got disappointed. Then I got a contraction that lasted 1:30 min and it was very strong. I labored in the pool for a while wondering if this was the real deal. Eric wanted to call the midwife, but I kept pushing it off. I was afraid that if she showed up she would tell me that I was just going through more prodromal labor and that I was only a 2 dilation. I had told Eric to call her around 6 but we actually called her at 7am. Eric explained the situation and Kathy, my midwife, said that she would come and check things out and if it wasn’t the real deal she could go home. We agreed and she arrived at 7:45am with all her gear.

She checked my vitals and then she checked me and gave me the best news I had heard in a long time, “You are dilated to a stretchy 8.” Wow I was so excited. It was game time from then on out I was focused, concentrated, and ready to work. She also said that if the baby wasn’t in a very odd position I would have had the baby already so she sent me to do some squatting and sitting on the exercise ball while they were filling up the birthing pool again.

My contractions now were very painful and coming every 3 minutes.

I got in the birthing pool and one of the midwives was pouring warm water on my back, which felt very good (I was kneeling and leaning forward over the edge of the pool).

Then I decided to push. I felt a pop and Eric said he saw a cloud coming out. They asked me if my water broke but I wasn’t very sure about it.

I felt something different in one of my pushes but the baby wasn’t coming out so I decided to switch the leg I was bending and I pushed again, it felt like the baby went down. I got excited but then I felt as if somebody was pushing the baby back inside and I was confused and in pain.

The baby was coming out with his hand over his head so the midwife was trying to pull the arm down. As the midwife guided me to squat down deeper I got a really hard push and the baby came out. I didn’t wait for a contraction to push. I did it with all my might because I really wanted to be over with it and baby Eli came out. I flipped position very quick as I caught my baby under the water and sat down back against the side. It felt so good holding my baby. I kissed him and told him that I love him. I patted his back and he cried.

Eric came to my side and we cried of joy. The girls were there; they saw their little brother being born and were overjoyed. Grace said “I though being born was going to be disgusting but it wasn’t!”

God is good and we feel so blessed.

I was feature in a blog and I discovered a great artist

Hi everybody, the other day I received an email asking for permission to be featured in a blog and I accepted.

When I went to the blog I fell in love with Amalia's work. Please check her blog and see for yourself.... beautiful.

Art Memoirs by Amalia K

Getting use to change

I know, I neglected my blog again but I have been working non stop on commission. As soon as one ends another begins, actually right now I am working on three. These are some of the ones I already finished and delivered.

Another reason for my absence is that I stopped homeschooling and I needed time to adapt to the new situation. I used to blog and work at night but now I wake up early. My daughters LOVE school! I am so excited about that.

But I left the best for last. I am pregnant!!! we are so excited Number 4 will arrive around April 5th.

I miss all my friends in bloggerland, I hope I didn't lose many of you with my absence.

See you around!

Cheers.

Renegade Craft Fair

I had a great time on vacation and now I am back and with all my batteries charged.
The day after I returned from Florida (our vacation spot) I went, with my friend Jennifer Dedonato, to "The Renegade Craft Fair" in Austin, TX. It was an awesome time, Etsy was present and I came back very inspired not only with all the crafts but also with the great ideas to show art and booths.
Here is a little video I made, enjoy.

My New Sewing Corner and I met another blogger!

In my new house my studio is bigger so I made a sewing corner. Sewing is another passion of mine, I like all kind of crafts!
I had all that fabric in boxes underneath my desk and now I am finally be able to chose what I am going to use without digging in the boxes and making a mess.
Yay!

Now changing the subject, I am amazed of how little the world is. I went to a women's retreat organized by my church at Round Top Texas. There I helped with the worship, playing my guitar and singing. The worship leader knows I am an artist so she sent me to her aunts folk art shop, her name is Sherry Green Peck and then I realized she is also a blogger and she knew Mystele too. It was so much fun!
I bet I will end up meeting more of you girls!
Here you can find Sherry's BLOG
Hugs!

GIVEAWAY and big thanks to CAST Team on Etsy

I was feature on the CAST Team on Etsy blog (Christian Artist Street team) THANKS!
If you want to see the interview and have a chance to win one of my boxes, go to their blog HERE and leave a comment on their blog.