outdoor painting

i feel so blessed to have a studio with 3 big windows (= lots of natural light). even so, i've always longed to create outside. especially during these incredibly beautiful summer days!
last weekend, i finally set up a mini-studio in our backyard. it was heaven.

available here

available here

i loved the singing birds, warm breeze, fresh air, and sounds of laughter from the neighborhood children.
this summer, i'm going to make it a habit to paint outdoors more often. next up: painting by the river.

where is your favorite spot to get creative? xxo

pictures of home

there is something about summertime that makes me feel light. free. wildly happy.

i may not have the luxury of summer time vacations anymore, but i am of the opinion that we must infuse a little of that mind-set into everyday life.

we spent this past weekend at my parents house. it was as though summertime was giving me a great-big hug. long days. barefoot walks in the grass. napping on the deck, in the sunshine. barbeques.

here are a few snaps from the weekend:

 

coffee dates with mom = magic

it was a 'let's share a pot of coffee' kind of day.
the kind of days my mom and i have when we are together. always.

if she is with me (in mill city), we set out for rosie's. i'll usually choose a caramel sauce americano with a splash of cream. mom likes hers with hazelnut. plus, we have to have a homemade scone. (of course!). or a cinnamon roll. both are to die for.

anyway. we like to sit at one of the little tables dressed with vintage floral linens. we mostly talk. sometimes people watch. always have the best time.

it doesn't really matter where we are - we'll always stop for coffee. often we grab something delicious when we're going shopping, so we can sip + savor while we roam the aisles. looking for nothing in particular. it is one of our favorite things to do. so much inspiration is to be found while wandering. my mom is the best at it.


i'm sure if we were neighbors, we would have freshly brewed coffee every morning, on the porch. watching the fog disappear and the sun begin to shine.
for now, i'll settle for our coffee dates. they are magic.

xxo

keep me in the light

the bridge is one of our favorite spots to stop when we're out for a bike ride.
we like to ride along the dirt path, past the foxgloves and daisys and through the trees, to the bridge.

 in the summertime, we can always count on meeting a few fishermen and rafters there.

one of my favorite sounds is of a rushing river. i dream that one day we have a little home near the water. with a wrap-around porch where we can sit with our morning coffee, listening.

xxo

california love

here is the latest (custom) piece, finished bright and early this morning.

california love.

for our honeymoon, the hubby and i road tripped along hwy 101, and our last stop was cresent city, CA. we walked amongst the amazing redwoods and put our toes in the ocean. my dad was born there, and spent the first 7 years of his life there  (where he rode all the way across the golden gate bridge, by himself!) i smile as i write this, imagining my dad as a little boy. anyway. i think it is high time for another road trip to this beautiful sunny state, dont you? :)

hope you have the best weekend, lovelies.

i'm ready:)

i put together a "weekend wish list" of sorts, in my mind today.

1. coffee date with the hubby

2. long bike ride along the river

3. basking in the sunshine, with my book and ice-cold lemonaide

4. lots and lots of quiet painting time in the studio

what's on your weekend wish list?

xxo

to belong

this is my 'eeek! i'm going to kelly rae robert's studio!' outfit. i've been obsessed with wearing dresses over jeans lately. (truth be told, these old things are supposed to be capris. :) what's a short girl to do?)

mom and i had an amazingly fun road-trip to portland yesterday to listen to Susannah Conway read from her book 'this i know'.  it was beautiful. the space. the women who filled the space. i left there feeling so inspired. and also feeling a slight sense of longing. the desire to really belong. mostly, to belong to a creative community, where fellow women/artists are truly friends who help one another, listen, laugh, play, create.

as i was reading Susannah's book in the car a few days ago, the sunlight fell just right on these words. i love this picture. you ARE amazing.

i'm curious - what tribe do you belong to, or wish you belonged to? do tell!

i hope today is a beautiful day.

xxo

collecting faces.

these past few weeks i've been having the time of my life, playing around with image-transferring. it has quickly become my latest addiction. i've been asking friends and family members for all sorts of photos to alter and splatter paint on. i'm working on quite the collection of faces!

the pieces below are hanging right now at the cutest little coffee shop in florence, oregon. if you are in the area you should check them out!



celebrate your bravery <3




i am free




shine bright (brave soul)




cartwheels. this one is of the hubby's grandparents. darling, no?




worthy.



happy friday, friends!

i am just thrilled that we have a weekend ahead of us.

what is on your weekend agenda?

my house will be quiet, so i'm looking forward to long hours in the studio. and perhaps a hike or two.

soo happy the sun has finally decided to stay awhile. it's been too long.

xxo

take me to the ocean

here we are at Old Town Coffee Co - just after viewing all of the wonderful artwork in the mini art show.

happy july, friends! i hope your summer is off to an amazing start. we are enjoying life over here lately- taking time to notice and savor the small moments. (it's all in the details.) like sleeping in. beach walks. holding hands. stopping for coffee. delicious food (hello, bbq!). afternoon naps.

this weekend was pure heaven, after a loooong two weeks of early rising and falling into bed after midnight. i had been working 'round the clock on some brand new pieces to enter into an art show in hubby's hometown (florence, or), and between the day job and everything else, i can honestly say i know what it feels like sleep walk through the day. :)

i'm drinking an americano w/ a hint of caramel sauce + a splash of cream. he's having a chai:)

karl grew up on the coast, so when we go 'home', he could really take or leave visiting the ocean. not me though! there's something about being on the beach that makes me feel so alive. maybe it's the combination of wind whipping through my hair and the salty air? either way, i almost always make him take me to my favorite spot.

it was windy and cloudy this weekend, but it made no difference. :) gorgeous, isn''t it?!

do tell me friends, how was your weekend?
any fun summer plans?

xxo