Life has been busy!!  We have had lots going on around here since returning from New York.  My art and blog have taken a back seat the past couple of months, but things are (sort of) slowing down and I miss creating and writing. So, I’m going to catch you up. Stay tuned for more travel adventures and art…

The beginning of the school year is always insane, as I’m sure most parents of school-aged kids will concur.  My baby is now in third grade and my oldest is in middle school! It’s been a bit of an adjustment for him, but he’s doing very well and continues to make us proud.

In addition to school starting, we’ve had a few home updates as well. After 11 years, our original came-with-the-house microwave started making very scary noises, like something out of Alien!  And our front-loading dryer quit working. However, I was getting very tired of scrubbing out the reoccurring mold in the front-loading washing machine (that’s a whole different post all together!) We purchased an LG top-loading HE washer/dryer combo and I couldn’t be more happy! I must say I don’t mind doing the laundry so much anymore (well… almost, let’s not get carried away!) The drum is so huge and deep that I have to stand on my tippy-toes to get the laundry out!

Grey and Lime Green Pillow Muse

We’re also in the process of updating my oldest son’s bedroom. I love redesigning/ decorating. It takes me back to my Interior Design days. We choose a dark grey and lime green color scheme and discovered a pillow that embodies the look and feel of the room. It is our muse. I’m very excited about the new “more mature” room.

In addition to the house “stuff” I’ve been having a lot of dental/oral work done, which is always fun (she said sarcastically). Of all the countless needles, procedures, MRIs, and numerous surgeries I’ve had, I can’t stand having dental work done! I would rather have a major operation, than have a filling replaced!

I have been able to fit in some artwork here and there but it’s taken a while to complete anything. Iv’e been working on creating a logo/signature for myself.  One day, hopefully in the not-so-distant future I will sell my artwork and I want to have a unique identifier. Iv’e always struggled with how to sign my artwork and I know it’s a common issue among artists that I have taken classes with.  Do I use my full married name? My maiden name? My initials? Cursive? Print? Abstract? Black and White or Color? So many decisions to make.

I decided my full name is too long to add to every painting and trying to sign it with paint is NOT easy. I tried once and it was a disaster!  So I played around with my initials to see what I could come up with. I wanted something that speaks to my aesthetic, somewhat refined and classy, realistic, not too bold or boxy, but above all, unique. And I liked the idea of “Art” somehow being represented.

First Attempt

Second Attempt

Initials

Putting it all Together

Finalized Logo Design

My first attempt was way too simple and boring. My second turned out very cool and colorful, but it didn’t represent me as an artist. The third was the charmer (I think). I wrote out my initials in cursive and saw that I could combine the J and the L to make one form. From that a “C” was automatically formed in the bottom. And to my surprise and delight, the letters “a” and “r” were also serendipitously formed. All that was left was to create a “t”; which was accomplished by crossing the vertical line. Voilà… my logo / signature was born!

Now, to add color or not? What should they be? Enclose with an oval or a rectangle or leave bare? Please feel free to weigh in with any constructive ideas. I’m open for feedback.

Until we meet again…