catch up

Here are some portraits I have finished, but not had a chance to put up until now. :D
Roller Derby and the kids are keeping me busy. Griffin just turned 15. I have been getting steady orders for portraits for the past 3 weeks. It is very exciting, but I am working at a faster pace than I am used to. We are looking forward to the holidays...of course. :P

1/2 way

This is the first 1/2 of my most recent commission. I'm not crazy about the composition. Hopefully the client likes it. The next drawing is going to be very hard. The pictures are very small and lack detail. Hopefully I can pull it off.

Back in the saddle

Finally finished another drawing. This one is a very late father's day gift for Bill. Next, I need to do a portrait of Frida for an Art Show. I'm very nervous and feeling very insecure. lol

still

I'm still struggling a bit. I have mostly just been focusing on taking care of the kids. It's all I have engergy for. I did manage to finish one portrait that a customer ordered.

I have also been screen printing shirts for the derby team. I bit off more than I can chew with that. I'm keeping up so far. Spent money on it that we probably don't really have for it. Everyone has been great with paying me for the screens.

I hope to be up and drawing again soon.


Kaida had her 4th birthday party. She seemed very happy with her cake and presents.

well...

I have been busy with roller derby. I wish I was already better at it.

I also have been trying to feel normal. So far, today is seeming to be normal. Not shakey, not sleepy, not panicked. Just here.

Bill's dad showed me how to bead necklaces. I have been doing a bit of that. I am taking apart old jewlery so that I have more beads. It is very relaxing to put a neckalce together.

I have two drawings stagnating. I just have not been calm enough to get into them. I work a little every day.

The good news is that I am seeing a little light now, maybe I'll be up and running again here soon.

stuck

I'm stuck on Tesla. I'm so annoyed with it. I really should finish it. The portrait is mostly the tesla coil, and I'm not used to drawing stuff like that. It would help if I felt better too..

YAY!!!

I got my first portrait feedback.

"AMAZING is all I can say. Tara did a fabulous job on my custom order. Not only was the artwork spectacular, but she went above and beyond to get me my picture in only a few days. I can't wait to send her more pictures in the future!!"

I'm so happy with myself. This is what I have been wanting to do, and it's happening.

I'm also going to be doing Roller Derby again. YAYAYAYAYAYA!!!

again and again

I finished the portrait for my friend.




Now I'm working for a commissioned father's day portrait:



Finished and mailed..

stepping away again

it's hard to draw when going through emotional upheavel. I hate that spell check is such a pain in the butt on this site..

so, here I am, and I feel frustrated, so I will step away again for a few..

Bill

has been awesome the past couple of weeks. The doctor has me switching around medications, and that has me out of order at times. He has been so patient and helpful. Yesterday we went fishing and hiking. The drive knocked me out, something about the movement and my withdrawal from the meds... At any rate, I was crashed by 8:30pm. With no complaint whats so ever, he put the kids to bed. Thank goodness.

Starting a new drawing for a friend's husband:

phase I

title here

I don't like trying to think up titles for everything. It annoys me a bit.

I got a semi-commision to work on. It's an actual commision, but it is from a friend, so I don't want to take payment. I know she is going to insist on paying the full price. I know she doesn't have the money for that, so I will insisnt she doesn't. Should be fun. ;) Backwards bartering.

I got a pretty good start on it. I'm stepping away from it for the moment. I have to do that every now and then. It gives my mind a chance to take it in as it is. Melody is so sweet. She said, "wow mom, you are almost finished already." I said, "Not even close sweetheart." lol

anxious

I'm anxious in general. I am bothered because I have not heard from the woman I did the portrait for. AACK. I hope she likes it. I hope the kids look like the kids...

I sent an email out asking for her to let me know what her mom thinks of it. I don't want to bug her any more about it. geez.

confidence. is. waning... lol

Phoenix..

OH.. I finished Phoenix awhile back:

14

I was talking to Griff tonight about careers. Trying to get him to think about what might interest him. I'm surprised that I feel so much pressure to get him on a track.. any track. This time he decided he wants to pursue art. He wants to be an illustrator. Funny. Me too. I told him to go to college for it, of course.

I'm sitting there feeling pressure, and pressuring him to think about all of this stuff, and then I think back to being 14. I was consumed by anxiety. Not about what to do when I grew up, but what to do about anything and everything. What to wear, who liked me, who didn't like me. Was I about to lose my best friend. I was so wrapped up in what other people thought of me that I did not even consider what I thought of myself, or who I was. I had OCD so bad, that it took me 3 hours to get ready for bed, and 3 hours to get ready for school. For the most part I went through it alone. I worried about making it to the next day, not about being a grown up.

I see Griff, and he is always smiling. He is SO happy and at ease with himself. He is always willing to help. He works on his school work. He is SO NOT anxious. Thank GOD. Thank you. Thank you.

I told him at that point. "You know Griff, you are already far better off than I was at your age, I think you will be just fine." I dropped the subject.

finally

got to finish Drake's portrait today. It's not perfect, of course...but I like it. It looks like Drake.

I miss him. I miss them both when they are not here.

I'm up WAY too late. must.go.to.bed.

next project

I'm going to attempt to draw this photo:

Bill, Kaida, Phoenix and I spent the weekend fishing again. We all got too much sun. I hate that the sun is bad for us now. I remember enjoying getting burnt when I was a kid. Now I'm on the lookout for suspicious skin activity. Bill and I got burnt. Kaida was properly slathered, as was Phoenix. Somehow I did not get his arms good enough and he got a bit of burn on his arms. oops.



I've got vests to print, a map to make and I must draw. :D

whew

I finished the portrait, and mailed it off yesterday. I'm not crazy about it, but I am never crazy about it right after I finish. It takes a week or two for me to like it. I think that is because I have just spent so much time staring closely at it, while fending off distractions.

coo coo

I am supposed to finish this portrait today, and instead I tear out cuboards to attempt to organize and clean. It has taken me all morning to clean up the mess from pulling stuff out of cupboards. Phoenix and Kaida were helping. sigh

now I'm on here..

O.K. I am stepping away to finish...right after I post a picture. LOL

fishing

No Art to post yet today. I am still working on finishing up this portrait. The goal is to have it done by tomorrow night.

I take it back. My kids are my art too. :P

We went fishing yesterday, and we will probably go again today. Phoenix was so cute. He was determined to go fishing. Once we got to the pond, he acted like he knew why we were there and just what he was supposed to do. He was quite frustrated that he could not do it. I wish I had a picture of it. When we were packing up to leave, I turned around and he had grabbed his pole, and was walking back to the pond. He reminded me of an old man determined to fish, " I don't know what you are doing, but I'm going fishin'!"

frustration:

I'm trying to learn the ropes on this site. It is very different from the other sites I frequent...erm facebook being the only site I can think of...

Maya chewed up Victors glasses today. His mom is thankfully very cool, and his glasses were under warrenty. This dog is chewing us out of house and home. I walk her daily (most days), she has a buddy, but she is still a spaz.

I got my meds switched around again, so today I feel nauseous AND spacey. Reminds me of being pregnant. (no way jose. I am not.)

On the other end of the spectrum:

I am moving right along with the portrait. She agreed to let me go bigger.





I think I'm going to stop offering more than 2 subjects on an 8 x 10. Just isn't enough detail for my liking.

I am going on a date with the old man tonight. We are going to see Robin Hood. Last movie we saw together was August 8, 2008. We saw Dark Knight.

I'm starving, I guess I should be feeding the peeps, before we head out... being a mom and all..

what i asked for..

I got a commission for mother's day. I am very proud and excited... and nervous. Like, sick to my stomach nervous. She ordered the smallest size with 3 subjects. Their faces are so tiny! I just bought a magnifying glass lamp. Hopefully that helps.

newness

Well, I have another headache. I think insomnia may be the culprit.

I ordered a screen press. I'm excited about it. Nervous, but excited. I think it was the right move.

We shall see.

more portraits

I'm feeling lazy, and I have a killer headache, so I'm just gonna put all the portraits I have pictures of here rather than posting one at a time. :D

Drake

I drew this portrait from a snapshot of my son Drake.