For the Kids' Room

I thought of the phrase “There is nothing in this world more beautiful than a daughter” a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to create something for my little girls’ room, and I felt like the opportunity presented itself when those words popped into my head.  I drew the daisies in pen and ink first, then painted them in bright watercolors.  I spent a lot of time holding the brush as far away from me as possible while I was creating the splatters, but I got pretty messy anyway.  I scanned the painting and made all the adjustments I wanted and added the text at the top.  I can’t wait to get this up on the wall!

Rainbows

My four year old daughter has gotten into making "cards".  She makes dozens of them every day.  Sometimes they have stickers, but they almost always have people and rainbows on them.  The little thing that looks like Humpty Dumpty  in the lower left corner is supposed to be her younger sister standing next to a rainbow. 

As the proud mother of such a creative little girl, I am almost always the recipient of these cards.  She approaches me with an expectant smile and her hands behind her back.  She'll say to me, "Guess what Mom?"

Then I smile and say, "Yes?"

She smiles bigger and whips the card out from behind her back with a triumphant, "TA DA!" and hands it to me.  I gush over how beautiful it is and tell her how happy it makes me and then we repeat the entire process every few minutes for the rest of the day.

She has made cards for grandparents and mailed them, she made cards for her friends and handed them out, she made cards for her daddy and pummeled him with them when he got home from work.  I am so grateful to have such a beautiful and thoughtful little girl.  She reminds me what really matters in life, and that is family.  Friends come and go.  Jobs, places, and homes can all change in the blink of an eye, but families are forever.

Young Musician From My Hometown

Check out this video of Josh Burton.  One of my childhood friends just posted this video on Facebook.  It is a young musician from my hometown that composes and performs his own music.  His enthusiasm is so inspiring.  I love his passion.

View the 9th International Art Exhibition

I just realized that I hadn't posted a link to the 9th International Art Exhibition.  There are so many wonderful pieces of art in the exhibit.  If you don't live close enough to Salt Lake City to attend the exhibit in person, then I would highly encourage you to peruse the online exhibit.  You can also vote for your favorite pieces.  At the end of the exhibit (October 2012), the votes will all be tallied and a few people's choice awards will be handed out.  It is a really good opportunity to see new uplifting artwork and show your support for all the artists out there that put so many hours into creating their work.

Here is the link:
https://history.lds.org/viewer/voting/event/9th-art-comp?lang=eng

Weekend Project: Oakland Temple Idea

Oakland California Temple Sketch

Copyright Dena McMurdie 

I decided that I need to have a painting of my local temple, which is the Oakland California temple.  It is  a beautiful temple with breathtaking grounds.  Unlike my Nauvoo Temple painting, there really are two rows of trees that extend the length of the grounds. 

A lot of times when I paint things like buildings, it is easier and faster for me to sketch it on my computer and move the elements around until I am happy with the composition.  I find the digital composition easy to manipulate and to try different ideas on.  I can even test colors on it without it requiring too much time or mess.  With things like portraits, I still work out my composition the old fashioned way, with a pencil and paper. 

I am so excited to finally have a painting of the Oakland Temple.  It will be a wonderful addition to my home and invite the Spirit.  I also hope that it will give my children something tangible to look at and strive for. 

Thought to Consider

"...you who are gifted may not be more deserving, but you are much more responsible than the rest of us." 
- Boyd K. Packer, The Arts and the Spirit of the Lord, Feb 1, 1976

He was speaking to artists when he made this statement.  I have often repeated this to myself.  I know that my artistic talent comes from above, and this quote is an excellent reminder that this gift was given to me for a reason.  I am responsible to use it in such a way that would please my Father in Heaven.

Repeatable Poppy Pattern for Textiles and Fabric

California Poppies

Repeatable pattern for textiles and fabric

One of the things that I have always wanted to do was design artwork for fabric, textiles, tableware, etc.  I decided to finally take the plunge and give it a try.  Spoonflower is a website that lets you upload your own designs and print them onto fabric.  You can also open up a shop and let other people purchase fabric with your designs on it.  The only downside to this is that you must purchase a test swatch for every design you want to sell.  The test swatches cost $5 each.  Being the penny pincher that I am, I haven't actually opened up a shop. 

However, I did enter one of their competitions.  The theme was pen and ink with watercolor.  It was right up my alley, and I figured that there is no better way to test the waters than by diving right in.  So yes, this is my entry. 

Personally, I love it.  The bright orange of the California Poppies is one of my favorite colors.  I will probably order a yard or two of this design and use it for a throw pillow or a decorative box.  If you had a couple yards of this fabric, what would you make?