Holy Cow and WOW...just breath!

Time for a good ol' fashioned "Low Down"  ...life is going so fast around here so I will "throw down" an update!

Custom Pet Portrait orders continue to come in and I really enjoy painting such wonderful pets!

Last week I was in "Art Battle for Community #6" to benefit the Creston Neighborhood Association...

Photo by Tommy Allen

I was new to the scene, which can always get your nerves, but when I arrived I saw famed photographer Terry Johnston with his camera resting at his side and his paint brush at the ready.  It was so good to see Terry, then I saw what he was working on and I knew I needed to get to my own!  It was so good to see some supportive friends and also meet new ones too.

Terry Johnston

I've been doing a lot of community events lately.  This coming Saturday, I will be painting Custom Pet Portraits on the spot at the Fulton Heights Neighborhood Association Garage Sale in Grand Rapids, MI.  The next event following that will be the Eco.Expo at City High School in Grand Rapids where I will be teaching kids about crafting green!  My nerves were on the rise as I thought about what I might teach two hundred kids over six 45 minute sessions so I got together with the best person for advice, one of my best friends Mindy Taggart.  Over some coffee at the local cafe "Sparrows," Mindy put me at ease with her quick wit and a dash of her background in art education.  I also drew from a past experience when I was teaching some sweet young girls how to make greeting cards out of scraps of fabric and paper.

Diving deeper into my work, I recently met with some wonderful mentors who have been so helpful.  I met with Laura Caprera, owner of Stellafly and had some great conversation.  In a few short weeks I will be working at an event for the Humane Society of West Michigan.  They are having a "K-9 Cabaret" on May 17th to support the organization and also honor the Grand Rapids Police Department's K-9 unit.  I will be painting custom pet portraits on the spot and I am so excited to be a part of it!  The following weekend I will be out at the Dog Bowl Funfest in Frankenmuth, Michigan.  I have never been to Frankenmuth, but I hear it is lots of fun and can't wait!

This past weekend we had the opportunity to check out the work of some wonderful artists around town.  These talented people are internationally known and just really great folks.  We went out to see Rebecca Green's show at St. Cecilia in Grand Rapids.  Such wonderful illustrations left me totally inspired.  It made me want to go back to the studio and work more.

We also had the opportunity to visit the Beerhorst family home and chat with Brenda and Rose for a bit.  We went to the local Fulton Street Farmer's Market for the grand opening of their new facility and found Rick Beerhorst playing with The Wealthy Orphans as the shoppers walked by.  

My fiance Cam and I had our engagement photos done recently as well.  We are both artists so we had a sort of "artist throw down" in my parent's front yard for a photo shoot.  Lovely and talented Amy Carroll did our photos--and she is absolutely wonderful.  Amy is another person who has really been a great business associate and mentor.  She has so much good advice and such a positive energy, I love it! 

I've been working on some things for Amy Carroll too.  Here is a small preview one of the paintings I am working on for her.  

I can feel myself growing inside so much as an artist and a person from all of the experiences I have had lately.  There are so many ideas in my head right now and they can't be shared.  There is a time during my creative process where everything must be internalized for a while.  My thoughts have to go into outer space and simmer before they can come back down to earth.  All I can say is I am excited to see what the future has in store!

Thought of the Day...

Copyright 2012 Funamals

Wedding Day

Just over four months from our wedding day!
Plotting and scheming and planning away.

So much advice, and its good to hear.
A lot on my mind as the day becomes near.

Every girl just wants the day to be right.
I have a dress and some shoes that are white.

We have the whole summer and it's hard to wait.

But at the same time, it is almost the date!

Our honeymoon is booked, so thats set in stone.

We can't wait to spend a whole week alone!

Balancing work while planning our day

Has been a real challenge in such a big way.

Planning the guest list has been really rough.

We can't invite everyone and that makes it tough.

Everyone's happiness is important, it's true.

But sometimes there has to be compromise too.

It is hard to make sure that everyone's pleased.

Sometimes my concern just has to be ceased.

I want my bridesmaids to be happy too.

I worry a lot they have too much to do.

The merge of two families is a really big deal.

It is crazy to think this will be real.

Above all the planning and wedding and fun,

The health of our marriage remains number one.

I've been through so much already with Cam.

If you ask, "are you ready?" I'll tell you I am.

Bob Harper's Pup Karl

I've been having a lot of fun researching celebrity pets.  This is a painting of Bob Harper's dog Karl.  What a cutie!!!!  Maybe someone as inspiring as Bob might find some inspiration here. :)

Pug Puppies to the Rescue

This gorgeous pug pup, painted in watercolor is an example of the kind of piece you would get if you ordered a Custom Pet portrait from Funamals on etsy.

So I had the a fabulous opportunity to visit and photograph some adorable pug puppies.  Their mother, Lola, was rescued through the Mid-Michigan Pug Club just before she gave birth to the pups.  At nearly eight weeks old, these pugs are energetic and playful.  I found it a real challenge to photograph them as they like to be right under you, or pounce on your camera!  

This pup is barking up the wrong tree!

Custom Pet Portraits by Funamals on Etsy

Check out Mid-Michigan Pug Club on Facebook!

Bo Obama

So I decided to paint President Barack Obama's dog, Bo.  What a cute pup!  He's a Portuguese Water Dog.

                I wonder what it's like to be the First Dog living at the White House...

The Craft Room Clutter Project

I finally tackled my new craft room and got it organized.  I received a lot of advice from some friends on Facebook.  The advice was very motivating and turned out to be just the key to getting the job done.

The craft project I rewarded myself with after I was finished.

Tips included lighting candles, making coffee, using small boxes, watching "Hoarders" on TV and checking out inspiration on Pinterest.  I tried them all.  I did not sit and watch "Hoarders," but I had it on in the background on my computer (its really hard to sit and watch).  It put the mess in my craft room in perspective.  For a while I have been shutting the door and avoiding the room.  This mess, however was really not as big and overwhelming as it felt.  I also heard phrases like "you can't live like this" and "this is really unhealthy" while watching it.  Hearing those phrases kept me motivated.

I searched Pinterest for inspiration.  I love all the colors in this photo! Very inspiring.

Source: saturatedcanary.blogspot.com via Erinn on Pinterest

...And After a few hours, the room began to come together!

An intimate corner...Finished paintings hung up, finished pillows adorn the chair.  Frequently used items on a vintage TV tray with a frequent project underneath.  A spinning carousel keeps acrylic paints in line.  Square shelving from Target keeps everything in its place.  I have a whole section devoted to wedding projects.  

Useful tools kept in sight and in reach.

Fabrics are folded and sorted by color.

A shoe caddy on the back of the door keeps supplies in their place.

I took an old cork board and covered it with fabric to give it a new look.  We have a "Temporary Workspace" in the craft room, meaning that the table is to always be kept clear unless in use.  The "No Fear" tag in the top corner of the board is a piece of inspiration that was given to me by my high school dance coach.  I keep it there because it really meant a lot to me.  Useful and often used tools are hung up within sight and easy to access on a regular basis.

It feels so good now that its organized!