I'm excited to be teaching a 21 SECRETS online course again! 
This time I will be sharing my techniques for painting a portrait as part of the focus on sharing your personal story.

In 21 SECRETS Tell Your Story you will find a talented team of teachers who are excited to share with you the powerful way their art, writing and personal experiences connect.

After seven years, in this very last and final session of 21 SECRETS we will be combining mixed media and art journalling to express what it’s really like to Tell Your Story.  Each teacher will use art to explore many vital topics that have impacted their life and creativity, all while sharing a potent peek into their approach and mechanics behind their own creative process and perspective.

What do you receive when purchasing 21 SECRETS?
•
A downloadable 150+ page eBook that contains 21 art journaling workshops packed with
25+ hours of videos, full color photos, templates,
and clear instructional content that is
yours to keep. !
•
Unlimited access to all workshops at once! (Starting on Monday, October 30th.) You pick
and choose which ones you do and when.
There is no time limit or deadlines to meet --
these workshops are yours to keep! !
•
Membership to the private 21 SECRETS Facebook community
where you can share, be
inspired, and receive warm, supportive feedback. !
•
The opportunity to learn a variety of art journaling tools and techniques
from the comfort of your home. !
•
Belong to a supportive online artist community that has been growing strong since 2010!
At 21 SECRETS we celebrate everyone’s unique expression and support artists in
becoming confident and courageous while creating from the heart !

The Early Bird Sale of 21 SECRETS Tell Your Story begins
September 27 at 4:00 am and ends September 29 at midnight:
Pre-order your copy during this pre-sale using discount code: STORY and save $10.

Click HERE for more information.

On Sunday I had a terrific time leading over 60 people in a painting afternoon to celebrate the Jubilee's 60th anniversary.  I also got to see the newest poster for Jube School in the foyer which I loved taking part in earlier this year.  I have loved every minute that I've spent at the Jubilee since last December...an amazing venue and an absolutely incredible group of people to work with...lucky, lucky me.

Readers of Charlotte Bronte's era and ever after have taken the impoverished orphan girl into their hearts, following her from the custody of cruel relatives to a dangerously oppressive boarding school and onward through a troubled career as a governess. Jane's first assignment at Thorn field, where the proud and cynical master of the house harbors a scandalous secret, draws readers ever deeper into a compelling exploration of the mysteries of the human heart.

There are days that are definitely more challenging for me...not only as an artist, but as a person.  Choices I make and personal experiences in my daily life definitely affect my work though I hope in the end it's in a positive way.  In order to create, I often feel as though I need to be in that calm, content state, but it seems that often when I head to my studio in spite of the anxiety or frustration that I feel, just the act of doing the work helps me not only to feel better, but to push forward on anything that I am working on.  One piece that I created the morning of 9/11 ended up travelling in an exhibit across my province for three years and I heard a lot of positive response to how it helped others with healing from the terrible event.  It was a day that I didn't know what to do with myself and I knew that I had to channel that negative energy into work and to flip that feeling through creating something peaceful, though sad.  The woman who eventually purchased the painting recently told me she still feels peace every time she looks at it and for that I am grateful.

Whenever I work on a diptych, I try to create two complete paintings that can be hung as a set but can also be separated in order to display them as full pieces on their own.  I love the fact that a diptych can create a huge painting to fill a wall, but whenever we'd like a change they can be moved to different areas of the house.  I like flexibility because I love redecorating on occasion just to freshen things up.  And I also love larger works to make a bold statement on a wall.  Plus, diptychs are much easier to transport, which is always great for me.

This particular piece was inspired by a drive through the foothills with my husband.  Because I always carry a small moleskine sketchbook in my purse, I was able to capture the beauty of the fall harvest nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.  I love this time of year, the beautiful colours and this place that we live in so much.

I've spoken about white paint pens and markers before but, since our local supply store no longer carries the Liquitex acrylic paint markers I picked up these Montana acrylic paint markers again.  This time I grabbed the same one as I had in the past, but also a fine point one, which I'm loving so far.  I can see myself writing on paintings with it.  I only wish it wasn't so bulky, but I guess that means it carries more paint, which is always a good thing.

In between my other projects I have slowly been working on my ASA submission.  It's interesting to change substrates from flexible stretched canvas to a solid cradled wood panel.  I do like working on a solid substrate on occasion, but it does change how I approach the work.  I began with layers of gesso then acrylic ink followed by spray paint and I'm thinking I may add some texture.  At this point I'm still uncertain as to what image I'll add, though I do have a couple of ideas that I'm leaning towards. 

In his second collection, including the iconic and much-referenced title story featured in the Academy Award-winning film Birdman, Carver establishes his reputation as one of the most celebrated short-story writers in American literature—a haunting meditation on love, loss, and companionship, and finding one’s way through the dark.

It's been several years since I've worked on a Mural Mosaic project and I'm glad to finally be contributing to one for our community.  In 2008 I was honoured to paint a panel for the Le Cadeau du Cheval mural which travelled to different countries and then later I contributed to Mount Royal University's Centennial mural.  This time, we're celebrating Canada's 150 Mosaic with a mural created for our community.  I know I say it all the time, but I really, really love collaborations.

Yesterday I had a great morning speaking with a group of arts students at Rocky View Schools Education Centre.  I had a chance to share my experience with social media and website creation as an artist and I hope that they were able to take something away from the talk.  Throughout my years as a professional artist, I have been the recipient of amazing opportunities because I document my process and progress and always try to keep things positive and professional.  My daughters have also experienced the same and so my hope is that these students will carry this forward. I am always grateful for the opportunity to share what I love.