Selfie for the Sixty

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! I wanted to create another self portrait for my mom this year with a fun celebratory theme that included my sister Tyanne and my mom's furry creatures Thor and Ginger. Celebrate! Celebrate!

On a side note: I must always remember to just be inspired - not completely influenced. I love it when the more natural, unafraid me creates from the heart not just the mind. I tend to over think my pieces and I truly believe that was drilled into me as an illustration student. Perhaps that is the clear divide between illustration and fine art - the freedom to completely express yourself without a definitive  meaning behind the piece. I tried that freedom this time - when creating my mom's 60th birthday gift. To have a fun theme but not let that concept totally rule over the process.

"This Started Out as a Cat Painting" Series

These pieces all have secret cat names on the back to know what cat I started with in each. These are painted on reclaimed wood that were originally used in an installation piece in Atlanta. They are 15x15 and made out of vintage paper (some dating back to 1890), handmade stamps, graphite, acrylic and house paint. They were made for a show that The North Face puts on every year to raise money for the Bay Area Wilderness fund. I was proud to be part of the show as a The North Face artist.

The elements...to a start

All the pieces but where to start? Trying to push myself to create my pieces for the "Moonlighting" TNF artshow.