Film

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The paintings featured in this little film (besides the portraits) were just a few fun summery projects and are not for sale. All footage was shot by me using my Canon Rebel T3i and simple 50mm lens. It makes me so happy to watch this film because it brings back all the fun memories of summer! Hope it makes you smile too.

New film + South Dakota

{This video was filmed in HD, so it may take a few minutes to load.}

I thought it might be easier to show you footage from our little trip a few weeks ago than edit and post gobs of photos that really aren't as interesting. I mainly use my photos as personal references anyways. Like, if I ever want to paint a a couple of baby black bears playing, I have the pictures to help me get it right. Gosh I really swoon over baby animals. Yesterday I accidentally found a rabbit nest in my front yard full of warm fuzzy babies. And now I can't stop thinking about all the paintings I want to do of them!

Well now I'm off to rest a little. Ever feel more tired after the weekend than you did before?

New film + A pink house

I look for any excuse to make a new video, especially with so many pretty things to film around here. The trees and bushes have nearly lost all of their blooms but are still somehow filling the neighborhood with the scent of lilac and magnolia, crabapple and cherry blossoms. Soon my peonies will be open, and I just can't wait for that. And the bunnies have been crazy lately, chasing each other around my back yard and leap-frogging over one another as one stops to groom. It's just the cutest thing!

But the real reason I made this little film is for a new blogger friend of mine named Emily A. Clark. Today she's featured my house portraits on her blog as well as photos of her gorgeous home. Here's a link!

Custom House Portrait for Emily A. Clark

a feature and a film

Last night I slept peacefully beneath the sound of a million tiny raindrops. Is there anything more soothing? If rain is truly an indication of May flowers then I think we're set for Spring. Those pretty daffodils were here long before Seth and I moved in and are so resilient! And the magnolia trees are in full bloom with a sea of white confetti littering the ground beneath them. I really feel I must paint them at some point.

Today I'm so excited to share a feature of my artwork on 6th Street Design School! I painted a house portrait for Kirsten and she has very sweetly written up a little blog post about my work. And for something extra special I created this little film because I cannot stop taking video of all the birds and blooms around here. After all, I am one half my mother. ;) Enjoy!

12 Bird Challenge: A Film

*This video is high definition and may take a few minutes to load. But I promise, it's worth the wait. :)

I'm so excited to announce that all of the paintings from my 12 Bird Challenge are in the shop and available for purchase here! To celebrate and to answer some questions I've been getting about how the birds were created and how they're mounted I created a fun little film to show you. It takes you through the whole process- from inspiration to final painting- in 3 short minutes. I'm really starting to love these short films! It's so fun to remember how it all started and then see it all come together in the end. Hope you enjoy.

Thank you so very much for following along for the past 12 days! Your support is so so appreciated. 

And even with the foot and a half of snow on the ground right now, I still want to say HAPPY SPRING!

Click here to visit my 12 birds in the shop.

Settling down

I think we all probably get to that point in our lives where we suddenly realize we are getting older, the clock is tickin', and it's time to maybe start thinking about "settling down."  It's a strange thought to be thinking, I realize, and an even stranger feeling.  But that feeling has been firmly planted in the bottom of my gut ever since I got married less than 2 short years ago.  Now I'm 25.  My husband is 26.  We are almost 30, or so it feels.  We have a mortgage, multiple insurance plans, a solid budget (finally), bills and schedules and careers.  We're starting to actually think about our health...and kids.  We sit and talk for hours and hours about our future, our dreams, our goals, our life in 5 years or 10 or 20. It's a strange and somewhat daunting feeling for sure to suddenly realize you've made the break.  You are no longer an adolescent or college student.  You've crossed the line.  You are responsible. But it's also an awesome feeling.  It feels like freedom.  It feels like that first stretch when you wake up in the morning.  You are self-aware and empowered, wise and independant. Back when I started painting house portraits, it was our story of "settling down" I wanted to tell.  So, I painted our new home...

See those roses out front?  I planted those while Seth was still a bachelor in this house.  And we painted that door bright red shortly after we got married and I moved in.  The shutters went up last summer and a new rounded window was put in right in between the shutters and the door.  We really do have the best birds in our neighborhood, including my very favorite cardinals. And now, through these custom house portraits, I get to weave together all of your "settling down" stories.  While I paint these various houses I like to imagine what each family is like and what stories the house would tell if it could.  And in a small (small) way I feel as if I'm adding a little heirloom-quality value to each home I paint, sewing each story together in a tight little bundle to be passed down to the next generation.  I really do love the whole process.

So I created this little video of fragmented film from the past few weeks.  All the footage was taken in my home studio using my simple Canon Rebel and 50mm lense.  Nothing fancy, but I do hope it tells the story.

Happy Valentine's Day!