Changing focus

After almost 2 years of art lessons I will no longer be taking. My teacher has the opportunity to study under another artist and I decided to place my focus somewhere else. However, the last project I was working on was sketching faces. It's the one area I was especially nervous to work on, but knew I wanted to learn and practice as much as I could before ending. So I decided to post 3 of my better sketches as a goodbye to art lessons.

This is Barrett's cousin's baby that was born in January. The sketch should be horizontal, so he is laying down on a blanket, but for some reason I couldn't get it it to upload right.

This is a sketch of my friend Natalie.

This is a sketch out of an art book in a section about facial expressions and emotions. You can decide on your own what emotion this is...

Shortly after I decided to stop taking art lessons my next door neighbor asked me to teach her two boys piano. I was thrilled for the opportunity and am now focused on being a piano teacher.

3 Years!

Barrett and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary on Tuesday! We are continually grateful for the many blessings God has given us, including finding each other and our wonderful life since we were married. We also feel very blessed to have been sealed in the temple and love that we will be together for eternity. I love you babe and look forward to another year!

Happy Mother's Day!

moth·er/ˈməT͟Hər/

Verb: Bring up (a child) with care and affection: "the art of mothering"

I love this definition! And it truly applies to all the mothers I am close to and look up to: my mom, my sisters, my mother-in-law, both of Barrett's wonderful grandmas who have fully welcomed me into their families (mine have both passed away although they were wonderful as well), and my friends who have children (and I'm sure those who will in the future). For all those women out there, may we all learn "the art of mothering".

April Fools

Barrett walked into his office on Friday to this:

Click on the picture to make it bigger because it is an amazing foil job! (Notice the wrapped cup, fruit snacks, pen, flash drive, etc.)
People were coming into his office all day to see the desk, and his boss even had the hospital photographer take pictures of it. Barrett already has some payback ideas forming.

Barnes and Noble Art Show

I am currently in an art show at the Barnes and Noble in Midvale for the month of March with the rest of my teacher's students. Last Friday was the reception so I took a couple pictures of my paintings in the show.

I liked the idea of doing the same object in different perspectives, so I took one of my plates from home and painted it. I intend to hang them in my kitchen someday if I ever have room.

This is a sketch I did of a picture that was taken when we were in Hawaii. If you look carefully, you can see Barrett taking the picture, ha ha.

My art teacher, Emily Carruth Fuller, and me

Barrett's little sister, Sophie, was so nice to come with her parents to my art show. She even brought friends along to look at all the paintings. It was fun to have them there!

Book signing

I officially have my first autograph! The book club I am in recently read the book Matched by Ally Condie. My good friend and fellow book club member, Teresa, found her website and discovered that not only did she live in Utah, but was apart of a book tour with four other authors. So we made the trip to King's English Bookstore (adorable bookshop on 1511 South and 1500 East in Salt Lake) and then to the book signing at the Salt Lake Library. When we arrived we discovered that it was a panel discussion in addition to a book signing! It was great to hear about the authors and some of their methods of writing. After a long line of waiting to get our books signed we did eventually get a picture with Ally Condie. We all know once Matched is famous, which it will be, we will also be famous with our signed books. By the way if you haven't read the book, you should read it in time before the second book of the trilogy comes out on November 1, 2011.

Teresa, Hayley, and I were the members of our bookclub who could make it.

Scarves

Over the last few years I have gotten some really cute scarves but due to my lack of fashion ability and frustration at how to tie them I never wear them. Instead I see other people wearing cute scarves and decide to take out the box with my scarves in it only to get frustrated as I try to figure out how to wear them, eventually putting the box back in my closet. Well this last time I decided to try to wear a scarf again I searched the internet to find a good website about tying scarves and found one: http://www.scarves.net/how-to-tie-a-scarf/! So if you are like me and would like to know many different ways to tie the scarves you own then look at the great videos.