This update is long, long overdue!

I’ve spent the last couple of days inserting all of my projects to date into my portfolio. I can’t believe 2010 is almost over!

I’ve added over 20 things to draw to my portfolio, so if you see yours here, please pop right on over to your project and leave a comment. It is so helpful to have feedback on my projects so new and old clients alike have a good feeling for the quality of my work as well as my trustworthiness and reliability!

I’ve even been able to add a few photos of framed pieces (Moggie, Lilly and Joey’s portraits) which is really neat! I love having photos from clients to share!

I’d also like to thank each and every one of my clients who entrusted me with their projects. It’s incredible to me to look back over the work I’ve done just this year and see such a variety, which means that many people put a lot of faith in me to be creative in whatever medium their project requires. That is a very cool thing, and I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to create in such a variety of ways. I never get tired of it – and don’t think I’ll ever narrow down to just one “thing”, even though I have contemplated just that on numerous occasions as many people recommend a specialty – I just can’t do it!

Thanks again to all of you for your continued support on my artistic journey. Love and hugs to you all!

I wake up each morning and I talk to God. It’s true. In my head, God and I have a little conversation every day, and it typically goes something like this:

Me: [yawn, stretch] Hey, God. Whew. Made it. Thank you for another day. So, what’chya got in store for me today?

God: [startles me with the jarring buzz of the alarm clock]

Me: okay, okay. I’m already up. Did you have to give me a heart attack right off the bat?

God: [cue lower back pain.]

Me: Got it. Stretching. Thanks for reminding me. So [touching toes] I was wondering, God, just what is it, exactly, you want me to do today? You know how unproductive I am when I’m going in a million directions and am unsure of what you want me to accomplish for your Glory. What can I do to make it happen today?

I move around and do morning things, mind spinning – what time is it? Where’s my coffee mug? Oh yeah, I have to get the vitamins out for the girls and take my prescriptions. Hm. Mindless activities fill the next several minutes as I wonder what He might have planned for me today. I wake up my computer and check mail.

Me: No? Okay, well, I didn’t hear back about that project (a drawing) or that project (code) OR that project (design) so… really? Today’s the day, God? I have been hoping for a day that I could get things done on my own site, to finally get my own portfolio done and… what? What did you say?

God: [delivers e-mail: client regarding project #1]

Me: Oh. Okay. Well, I’ll work on that, then.

God: [delivers e-mail: client regarding project #3]

Me: Well, shoot. Now what? Do you want me to just put this other stuff off that’s been tugging at me for months?

God: [reminder: that coupon for the free turkey expires tomorrow.]

Me: Okay, okay, I’ll take a shower, and go get the free turkey, then I think I really need to just get that project done I’ve been procrastinating.

God: [don’t forget about your kids. Insert parental issue here.]

So, I woke up prepared to do whatever God had in store for me today, and He had life in store. And here it is, taking me one direction, then swiftly in another – over bumps, around bends, flowing down this twisty windy lifelike stream.

I wonder if God just uses Mondays to get us ready for the rest of the week?

‘Tis the season – hubby is outside cleaning up the leaves and getting ready to burn them and my youngest (now 9) demands he wait so that she can have a romp before they’re gone. Oh – but they’ll be back, for certain – our own tree hasn’t even fallen yet so there will be plenty more where these came from, but she is out there enjoying herself at the moment. We older girls (the smart ones) have opted to stay inside and keep warm while dicing up onions and browning some ground turkey to make a crock pot of chili!

Huh. She just came in and showed me that she “found a little bit of the inside of a stick”. With the small joys and wonders of childhood come the big joys and wonders of parenthood!

I have to admit, as is the annual event here in my house, I become a bit more morose through the winter months. I am already beginning to feel trapped. I’m not a fan of cold weather, not a fan of frozen nosies or toesies, not a fan of driving on snow or ice, not a fan of sliding through stop signs or shivering inside a frozen car until the engine warms up – so I’ll stay inside and bake and cook until spring comes. I will probably also need to reacquaint myself with Captain NordicTrack, too!

For now, for today, I’ll enjoy the smell of chili drifting through the house (that’s whispering .. corn bread … you need corrrrnnnn breadddd….) — for now, I’ll record the smiles and smells and tuck them away in my mind for those days when the winter blues really get me down. For now, for today – I’ll live vicariously through the joy I see on my little girls face as she plays in a pile of leaves.

My portrait photography business has been pretty steady in spite of my lack of properly promoting or advertising this as one of my primary pursuits. What a blessing to have that perfect combination of faith and word of mouth working so wonderfully in my life! I am happily snapping shots of beautiful people with my lovely eldest daughter by my side as she assists with lighting and equipment.

My latest Senior portrait session was with Kayla, a real sweetheart and natural in front of the camera. I’d recently purchased a few new backgrounds for my studio (from Fuse Backgrounds) and got to try them all out on her, as well as take her on location to Augustana College for some fall photos around some gorgeous old architecture! I am excited to find out the ones she chooses so I can get those final retouches done and share them.

Hope you enjoy the sneak peek – there’s more to come!

Another recent project that I completed is a custom WordPress site design for book author & copy writer, Susan McCorkindale.

Her site previously consisted of html pages that were full of images that had text on them – which doesn’t help much with Search Engine Optimization. (Designers, if any one of you are doing this, you are doing a dis-service to your clients and need to seriously re-think this practice!) I installed WordPress for her, illustrated her “signature” and created a clean, simple site design so that her readers get an eyeful of her hilarious writing and beautiful face! I gave her site an added boost using plugins specifically for SEO and social networking, as well.

Go check her out and pick up a copy of her latest release, Confessions of a Counterfeit Farm Girl!

Another one of the very cool products I offer with my Senior portrait and Wedding sessions is a Layflat Album. I had such fun with Miranda during her session and had a great time assembling all of the photos into a keepsake album for her. The end product is a durable, beautiful book to treasure her High School graduation.

I completed this portrait of Lilly back in September, but as you can see I’ve been entirely lax in updating my blog and portfolio! My client asked for framing on this piece as well since I was to ship it wrapped as a gift to its recipient. I am so pleased with how the contemporary mat and frame sets off this sweet (5″ x 5″) portrait, it was just perfect. Especially on my recently re-painted walls!

At the moment, I am booked and busy with several projects and life in general has kept me more than hustling and distracted. I have committed myself to getting my site updated so please stay tuned as more updates are coming!

Update 9/22: Revised & replaced Salem’s portrait with the updated scan

I’ve just completed another piece of artwork, this is Salem’s Shadow. I’ve done his portrait in graphite on an 8×10 size sheet (I use Canson acid-free drawing papers) using the very same brand of pencils that I used in my high school art class. (I’m a creature of habit, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!)

Salem is a black cat, and I’ve drawn him lying on a really pretty Celtic rug, his favorite. I combined a couple of photos to create this pose.

Enjoy!