Artist/Author

It's a strange combination... artist and author. Both require me to promote my own work. Both require a dedication to my craft that means I need to, dare I say it, discipline myself in order to get things finished. Yet they really aren't the same thing. I find myself working on art stuff then switching gears to work on book promotion. I'm very passionate about both. Helping people live happier, emotionally healthier, lives is the goal of my book. And art is just fun! I love seeing people's faces light up when they see my impossibly large butterflies.

On the art front, I've submitted the following images for showing in my community. The swirly one is titled: Unity to Share 1. I created a similar image some time ago and it is one of my favorites. Since I don't want to part with the first one, and it's a popular pendant image, I decided to do a series of these. Each one will be different, of course, this is number one. I submitted it to the Kennedy Gallery who will be doing a "Pride" exhibit during June in Sacramento. Fingers crossed on this one as I'd love to be a part of the exhibit.

Unity to Share 1 8x8  acrylic on canvas

Monarch on Poppy 16x16 acrylic on canvas

The large butterfly on a poppy I submitted to the KVIE art auction. I checked out their web site and there is nothing like my work in their previous years. I don't know if that's good or bad... or neither. It is 16" by 16". Getting into this art auction would be very cool. I love PBS!

 

Part of my work with my book is creating Inspirational Images. The one I put together for today is from Chapter 9, Friendship:

Since I spend so much time working on marketing, I thought it would be helpful to set up a website with links to some resources for fellow creatives. My plan is to use the domain www.CreativesMarketingResources.com. If you have an article you've written, a link to a great site, or helpful blog posts, send them to me! I'd love to get this project started. Cause... that's what I need! A new project! 

And then, of course, I'm just a little obsessed with acquiring a truck that I can use to haul all my stuff around and paint butterflies and flowers all over it!  A traveling, happy, bright, fantastic TRUCK!!

I hope you're enjoying your work as much as I do!

Blessings,

Laura P

Back home again

The weekend spent in Mariposa for the Mariposa Butterfly Festival was a total blast! My mom, Maralee Lowder, is one of my very best friends! And, we haven't had a weekend to hang out alone since I was pregnant with my almost 21 year old daughter, Rachel (on the very best friend list, too!) Since my business name is LaBelle Mariposa, it was the perfect place for me. Usually, I'm known as the "Butterfly Lady." That didn't come up once, in spite of the fact that I wore a ridiculous hat all weekend which was covered in flowers and had butterflies fluttering around my head on wire! (photos to follow)

I also met some amazing people from a recovery house in the area who are interested in using my book, Walk In Your Own Footsteps, to help people with their recovery. I'm so thrilled! This is exactly why I wrote the book and I'm gob-stopped to think it's actually coming to fruition. It just shows that we don't always know how things will work out.

Now that I'm home, I'm thinking of many fun projects I'd like to work on. It would be nice to take a few days and do nothing but house and art for fun. I've been very drawn to the art of "Dia De Los Muertos" lately. A couple of years ago I created an altar which I call my  "Altared Dia De Los Muertos Book." Sorry for the play on words…. I like it. :) 

I think altered books are such fun, and having a tiny day of the dead altar in my studio makes me smile. Enjoy. 

Day of the Dead "Altared" Book cover

Day of the Dead "Altared" book inside

Steps I used to create this piece:  I glued all the pages together then carved out the altar part. I then painted the whole book black and used a gold paint pen to paint the ends of the pages gold. The background is gold paper from a scrap-book store. I used pictures of contributors to an 1800’s dictionary to be my honored people. I hand-sculpted and painted all the skulls, food, and the candle. The tiny doves are from the center of a sand dollar. I took apart a crochet doily for the front rose and the pink trim around the altar. The rest is bits of crochet and some pieces of jewelry.

Butterfly and Lantern Gallery visit

Jim and I went to visit Sunshine, the owner of the gallery in Pacific Grove that carries my art, Butterfly and Lantern. Since I've been invited to show my work at J27, we motored over to the coast to get a few of my pieces so I'll have plenty to show. Here's a picture of me at the gallery with Sunshine.

While I was admiring Dick Crispo's work, I noticed this cute little birdie pair in a nest that I created! How fun! Now I've been shown with Dick Crispo! I'm really moving up in the world. :)