​One of my very favorite scenes of any Disney movie is not when the princess gets rescued, or when a villain meets his demise, but when Chef Gusteau tells Remy the foodie rat in Ratatouille that anyone can cook. Truly it makes me cry every time I watch it … my poor family.

​No truer words have been said about working toward something you love. 

​I wanted to give a big thanks to all the brave ladies at Metro Church of Winter Springs, Florida who were fearless and strong-hearted enough to try painting with watercolors. We had an amazing time together painting a simple pumpkin and Fall gourd scene.

​One of my favorite parts of teaching art is seeing how a group can follow the same steps and come out with beautiful works of art that are so different and unique. Our unique interpretations of reality is what makes something artful. With each piece the painter's own personal God-given style emerges … often uncovering it for the first time.

A special thank you to my talented artistic friend, Holli Luther for helping me with this and many other undertakings. On this night, she thought to hold the paintings up for the ladies to look at from a few feet away. This common practice helps artists to see how our paintings are coming together and make any adjustments we may need to make along the way. Seeing their creations from a different perspective, the women's eyes lit up. Truly anyone can paint!

Contact me for your upcoming team building event, ministry meet-up with tea and scones or a ladies Watercolors and Wine night.

Wow, what a beginning to this school year! With getting 3 kids at 3 different schools back into their routines, I feel like I need to take a big breath and exhale. There are just so many school forms to sign, lunches to pack, teachers to meet, and coaches to avoid : ) Actually, I truly wish I was a better sports mom than I am. I thank God that my husband knows what he is talking about when it comes to the subject. Growing up in a family that didn't follow team sports, I sometimes I feel like a fish out of water! This is particularly true at football games. I get by with a little help from my friends (you know who you are). I'm lucky to know what position my son plays, if only in title. Am I the only one who didn't know that the refs have blue beanbags tucked in their belts to throw down in certain situations to mark where the football lands? I'm told it's for turnovers (not the kind you bake). So while I figure this out ... I'll be the mom cooking team meals and refilling water bottles. 

I've been so impressed with my art class of students who are also stretching themselves. My Tuesday class is full of adults who have always loved art but have not felt confident enough to give it a go -- until now. It's inspiring growing alongside them and laughing at our learning process. I've come to believe that 75% of the time we should be "failing" in our attempts to try something new. This means that we are working outside of our comfort zones and trying different techniques, mediums and projects. It's essential to look clueless sometimes in order to grow and progress in life and in art. Kudos to those of you who are making yourselves vulnerable enough to learn something new!

OK, so it's true you can "know how" about some things but isn't it true that we should keep learning more about what we do know. Take faith, for instance. To just carry on day to day, not reading, praying or growing, will create an atmosphere conducive to stagnating.

Since we are talking about self growth, here is a small example of my process this week. I'm designing self-promotional materials for a new avenue I'm exploring. I have been challenged to start offering private or small group art lessons. To create a postcard, I needed some appropriate art. I typically focus on painting food and local Oviedo scenes, so it was a little unusual for me to paint the very materials with which I work.

Here is the art all put together into a new postcard design. I'll be using this at local art shows to promote my classes and private lessons. In the end, I'm happy with the way it turned out. Now pass me a concession stand hot dog with relish and spicy mustard!