squalls in mississippi

my brother called me yesterday - he lives in jackson, mississippi. he said they had no power and he could have probably gone water skiing in his backyard. he wanted to know exactly where katrina was and where she was headed so i went on weather.com and typed in his zipcode. it was the first time i'd ever seen the word "squalls" on there. not just rain, or heavy rain, or storms - SQUALLS. he thought that was so cool. i could hear the wind and the rain on my end of the phone.

in jake's words - don't mess with mother nature, cause mother nature will mess..you...up.

a little update

i'm noticing that the pictures i posted of the red horse inn really do not look as awesome as it was in reality. but you still get the idea. it really is one of the most beautiful places i've been to in a long time. victorian - love it!

i'm sitting at the toyota dealership in greenville right now. waiting on my oil to be changed and my tires to be rotated. yes - it's been three months and i've already hit the 5000 mile mark. is that typical? i don't feel like i've been driving that much but obviously i have.

i'm getting a lot of good use out of my digi cam lately. i'm having to take a lot of pics of different landscape scenes in greenville county. so i'm parking my car in random spots and walking on very busy city roads as well as very nonbusy country roads to attempt to get some good shots. its been a little adventure.

august night 

pretty, huh? 

in the clouds - www.theredhorseinn.com 

doesn't this look like a rural American version of Charlie Bucket's house? i love it - this is located just down the road from my house. 

reedy river, greenville, sc 

the sixth piece in the paper tree series. completed today! august 22.  

in the blink of an eye...

oh my gosh - laura is actually going to post something other than pictures and quotes.

i have no idea where to start because its been so long - but i figured i owe it to this thing we call the blogosphere - a silent friend. okay, i know i'm retarded.

actually i'm a little tired right now - but good tired. fulfilled tired. i've been unemployed for four weeks and one day. quitting my job was a scary thing to do, but i knew it was something i had to do. for the past month i've been able to catch up with so many people that i'm close to. i've been having great conversations with God. i've been running again. (i know - what is up with me?) and for more than two weeks i've been able to pour more of myself into my artwork.

i'm thinking more clearly now than i have in a really long time.

i have no idea where i'll be in a month or 2 or 3 months from now - maybe i'll still be here and still be able to do what i'm doing. maybe not - maybe i won't be here. maybe i'll have to get a "real job". but maybe not. all i know is we only get one shot at this. and i want to do what i love while i have the chance. and i want to serve and be obedient to the One i love while i'm here. He's kinda cool...

here's a really cool verse to ponder.

am i now trying to win the approval of men or of God? or am i trying to please men? if i were still trying to please men, i would not be a servant of Christ. galations 1:10 NIV

or...

do you think i speak this strongly in order to manipulate crowds? or curry favor with God? or get popular applause? if my goal was popularity, i wouldn't bother being Christ's slave. galation 1:10 THE MESSAGE

notes from daniel 3. gretchen, i thought you would enjoy this especially b/c of the illustrations...;0) 

my mom was a firm believer in naps. having four children in six years would naturally encourage that philosophy. this is probably my favorite picture of myself. childhood naps with my strawberry shortcake doll that blew strawberry scented kisses. a sweet time in my life when my smurf slippers still fit and my blanket was still in one piece.  

this painting was subconsciously influenced by the new movie, charlie and the chocolate factory. i keep finding myself calling that tree the "wonka tree". this piece was also inspired by some of the pics that my boyfriend took when he went on a road trip out west several years ago. betcha didn't know that, did ya, lee? (hehehe). painting completed august 11.

this piece is the third in the paper tree series. it was completed last monday, august 8.  

this mural was done at the request of my oldest brother jake who is currently in his second year of residency as on OBGYN in mississippi. i think you can gather that he is still a child at heart. this project was completed in the spring of last year. it remains on one of the walls in jake's old bedroom. 

i don't know what's going on with this one yet - its reminding me of a van gogh candy land at this point. HAH. 

sorry i chopped your head off, lee - still thought this one was cute.

i know my blog has become all about pictures and quotes and songs lately, but just bear with me. i'll get back to journal posts soon. (is it bear or bare?) 

leigh and me. happy birthday to leigh! what an awesome dear friend... 

the beginning - this is where my brain is saying "what is going on?" 

in process...i like this shot 

almost finished 

diary of a painting - brazil 2005 

about 7-8 hours later 

3:00 pm 

blocking out color - 12:30 

choosing of the canvas and the sketch - 11:00 am 

lee looks confused - HA. and look at me...am i really in a dress? i know you're thinking, "she's really gone off the deep end now..." 

Rendering for the Greenville Designer Showhouse 2005 - look for publication in the Greenville Journal this fall!!!