Embracing art in 2011

A few months ago, a magazine contacted me about possibly featuring my pet portrait paintings in their holiday gift guide. "Huh?" you might be asking, "I thought you did architectural color design?" I do. However, pet portraiture is how, years ago, I first became interested in the psychology of color.

I utilized the personality traits of my subjects to determine the color palette for each piece, painted in gouache, an opaque watercolor medium.

After learning that there were professionals out there who worked exclusively with color, I gobbled up any educational resources I could find, ultimately landing at the IACC accreditation program.  This new discovery opened my eyes to the world of architectural color, and I began taking on residential and business clients. My path took a turn as I transitioned away from traditional painting towards architectural design.

While I love what I do now, my hands still itch to grasp a paint brush every now and then. It seems whenever I get together with friends, we end up doing an art project, like the recent Otomi mural. There's a unique voice inside me that needs to be expressed through this visceral medium. So with the renewed interest, I thought, why not put the site back up?  I do miss painting pet portraits. I just didn't miss the marketing efforts necessary to spread the word. My favorite entrepreneurial hat is the creative work...I'm sure many of you can relate. (But that's a totally separate can of worms we won't open right now.)

So, my pet portrait site is back up and running, should you want to take a peak, or pass the word along (which I would greatly appreciate!) With a slightly slower pace, now that I have an almost 7 month old baby (!!), I am ready to re-integrate more fine art into my days for 2011.

What are you bringing into your life for the new year?