one little word for 2009: HARMONY

It's time to say goodbye to 2008. I'm a bit sad about this because 2008 was, without exaggeration, the best year of my life. Within those 366 days, I did the following:

* Got engaged in Washington, D.C.
* Traveled to Greece
* Got married !!!
* Honeymooned in France
* Earned tenure where I teach
* Celebrated 10 years cancer-free (I was diagnosed with melanoma in 1998)
* Moved into Kevin's house
* Renovated OUR house--every surface is new/updated

And while I didn't create nearly as many paintings as I did in 2007, I had some wonderful clients and I'm proud of the art I made this year. It was an amazing year. But I'm happily looking forward to 2009. I have many goals to accomplish!

I am a big fan of Ali Edwards' blog and work. I think her concept of "one little word" is brilliant. Last year my word was BALANCE. When I chose that word at the beginning of the year, I had no idea how much my world would be rocked (in a good way) in the upcoming months. Despite all the wonderful happenings of 2008, I felt like I was in a constant state of overwhelm. I definitely have more work to do to achieve some balance in my life. So I'm going to keep the same theme but this year my word is HARMONY.

{Harmony is derived from the classical Greek harmonia (meaning a joint between the planks of a ship or a joining of those planks). From the beginning, the term was also used in its current metaphorical sense, that of a combination of parts or related things to form a consistent whole or an agreement.}

Here's to a great year. I wish you all a happy, healthy, and harmonious 2009!

To be posted soon: the portrait of my mom's dog Abby (finally!).

Taitan

My latest dog portrait was commissioned by Kim, one of my very best friends. This is Taitan, a gorgeous Akita that belongs to Kim's parents. This portrait will be their Christmas present. I couldn't be happier to do this for Kim and Brian; I've been friends with them for a gazillion years, and I love Kim's entire family. I hope Mr. and Mrs. Larsen like it!

Kim is a mommy to her own Akita, Bo. (And soon Kim will be a mommy to a human!) Thanks, Kim and Brian! Merry Christmas to you both and to the entire Larsen clan!

This year's holiday card

When I should have been writing wedding thank-you notes, I designed my holiday card for 2008 instead. It features a Yorkie from one of my paintings popping her sweet head out of a wrapped box. What you see here is the front of the card, and the inside is blank. These guys are currently being printed. When I get them in my hands I will most likely list a few sets in my Etsy shop. The rest I will send to family and friends (after I take care of the wedding thank-yous, of course).

[UPDATE: The cards arrived too late to sell for this holiday season. However, I'm so happy with how they turned out, I will definitely reserve some of them to sell next Christmas!]

And I relisted last year's holiday cards. I was pleasantly surprised at how many sets sold last year, and I just sold another one a few days ago. I have two sets left, in my Etsy shop.

Happy holidays!

Frosty and Flurry

At long last, here is my latest dog portrait: two Bichon Frisés named Frosty and Flurry . This painting was actually purchased over a year ago, by the woman who commissioned me to paint her beloved Rupert. She also purchased a to-be-painted-later portrait, which was donated to a charity auction in support of Small Paws Rescue. [Thank you again, Pam!] I was contacted by Brooke, the winning bidder, and received pictures of her adorable Bichons. Brooke is a very sweet person and I could tell right away how much she loves her dogs!

Brooke asked if I'd be willing to paint both of her dogs in the portrait. I agreed, but was a little bit worried because my style doesn't really lend itself to really small details. To fit two dogs on a 10"x8" canvas was definitely a challenge, but one I welcomed and learned a lot from!

Thank you, Brooke, for showing interest in my work, contributing to a wonderful cause, and for being incredibly patient during the busiest few months of my life. I hope you enjoy the portrait!