Playing with my new camera lens. Next I think I’ll be working on streamlining my photoshop actions to get my images to top-notch quality in a quick and easy way. But these un-edited versions are pretty ok, eh? I’ve always been a fan of shallow depth-of-field (that sharp foreground focus with lots of blurry background action. Loving it!) ::::swoon:::::

I’m giving away a 2012 calendar to a lucky reader this week! The calendar features 12 watercolor paintings of wild edible plants, it measures 4-1/2″ x 11″, spiral bound and ready to hang. {They are available to purchase here, there’s as printable version, too!}

Entries are open through Monday January 9 at 12 noon EST (entries are closed). Just leave a comment on this post to be entered & tell me your favorite thing about 2011 and what you’re most looking forward to in 2012.

For me, my favorite favorite most amazing thing in 2011 was beginning to have conversations with my little one. For reals, she’s a PERSON with THOUGHTS and feelings and dreams and joys and hurts and questions questions questions. It’s so amazing to finally be able to hear all about them. She’s still working on her sentence structure (”does I have a sister?” was the best question yesterday. My answer? “no, you don’t have a sister” and her reply was “no, I don’t. She’s at work.” Hah! I guess “work” is where people are when you can’t see them? Pretty good).

And what are we looking forward to in 2012? All sorts of big things. Growing my business in ways I have only dreamed of. Making real plans, accountability, scheming and ACTING on these plans! Yes, so I suppose what I’m looking forward to in 2012 is action! Last year was a looking-inward hibernating sort of year, just reveling in our little family life and developing a rhythm to that. This year we’re adding to that rhythm and it already feels really good. Yay 2012!

**update: the winner is Samantha! Congrats and thanks to all of you for playing along!**

“Let us pause in life’s pleasures, and count its many tears.”

I’m probably not the first person to post this video/song as a New Year’s Day post, but nonetheless, I’m feeling like you might just need to watch this. Natalie graciously put up with me listening to this version on repeat in the car today (well, by graciously, I mean she fell asleep to it — I think that counts). It’s on the album “Appalachian Journey“. Just. Love. It. So. Much.

And it seems so appropriate today somehow.

So here’s to the good times a-comin’. I hope 2011 was the best year of your life, but if it was sucktastic like I know it was for some of my nearest and dearest, may this bring you some solace, maybe a few tears and some hope.

Another new painting, plus a set of postcards now in the shop.

New painting! Available as a print in the shop, and the original watercolor painting on bristol board is available, too.

There’s something in the air these days.

and no, it’s not just pollen or humidity

I’m talking about the idea of stepping back, unplugging and slowing down.

I mentioned the idea of re-evaluating a few weeks ago, and the idea has been growing and growing in my mind. I need some time to think, to breathe, to make space. I need space in my house, both my physical/literal house, but also my metaphorical/sipritual house. Things are getting pretty jumbled up in there. It’s been over a year now since Natalie joined our family, and I need to take stock of how we’re living. What we’re spending our days on, how we move and grow in our home, how we take care of ourselves and each other, and seemingly less important these days (but really something I’d like to become more important again) how we make money and how we work, what we DO. Because really, how we spend our days is how we spend our lives, right? I think I read that on an inspirational magnet somewhere…. but it’s so true!

here are a few of the blog posts that resound with me lately:

Christine at Lavendar & Limes went on vacation
&
Maeg at Edison Rex went on walkabout (and won’t be back at her blog/business till September — inspiring!)

So… I’m thinking of following in their footsteps. I already closed my Etsy shop for my staycation, and I think it might have to stay closed until I either have new work to add to it, or have a new brand/business to reopen it with. I’m not making any promises or grand statements or creating any self-imposed time limits on this one. I think I’ve learned my lesson with that. But I think I will be back, and I imagine I will be looking for more accountability from y’all. This isn’t even another I’m-not-going-to-blog post, but it is something of a “get out of blogging free” card, if you catch my meaning. I’m unplugging, and we’ll see where it goes from there. I feel better already. Don’t you?

Does this idea make sense to you? Does it call to you? Then do it! Unplug! Make art! Make space! Play and create and lounge and read and do yoga and garden and cook and nap and go to bed early and stop comparing yourself with bloggers/facebook friends/famous people — just be you and enjoy your life, today. Have an average day!

I am so thrilled and flattered to be Maeg Yosef’s (aka Edison Rex) Art Crush of the week! Check out the interview I did with her here!

good morning afternoon. Do I look tired? I think I perpetually do these days, but I’m working today (yay!) and getting things done! (and drinking lots of this green superfood drink to rev up my energy!)

Today I did an interview on a friend’s blog that will post soon. Then I uploaded a bunch of old (and some new-ish) images to flickr so there’s a current collection of my work there. It was getting pretty stale. And worked on my lessons from the online course From the Fishbowl to the Sea — so great! This course has me taking stock of where I am, where I have come from and where I am going in this big ol’ fishbowl of being an artist online (and off!). Being in business for myself has been so fun, but I definitely don’t think I’m running a profitable business and I am certainly running on the hamster wheel of survival and making it work but not “really” working. :::sigh::::

But really… where have I been? Sometimes I don’t feel like I’ve come very far since starting this business, but when I really look at it, I have! If anything, I have gained confidence in talking about it — saying “I am an artist” and “I am a business owner”!

I also think despite not making much work this past year (been otherwise occupied, it seems!), my style has evolved and I feel much more professional. Is that weird that I’m not doing as much work but I feel more professional? Hah. I guess I’m just not approaching it in such a carefree and casual way, it’s more important to spend time efficiently when I do get to work. I get stuck in this, too, though — I don’t want to “waste” my time, so I just end up doing little bits of things here and there, not really getting anything done most days. So here is my recent commitment, saying it to you might make it real: I want to paint more, make more, sell more! I am going to turn this into a thriving, profitable business one way or another. It might have to change completely, but that’s ok! Change is good. And sometimes welcome.

Starting with…. changing my business name? Just toying with the idea of dropping the “Designs” part…from the website anyway…. what do you think? I don’t even know how to do it on Etsy… I don’t think I can change the name there, but I could just change the banner and make it say “Laurie Coyle” with some kind of catchy tagline? Thoughts?

being a mama is really hard work. No doubt about that. So firstly, Happy Mother’s Day to all you mamas out there! Wow, I mean… I knew it would be hard, but there’s nothing that can really prepare you for the difficulties of little sleep, not knowing why your baby is crying and separation anxiety, not to mention baby illness, bumps, bruises and even the occasional hospital visit.

And then there are the day-to-day decisions. I feel like I’m constantly making decisions, about what to do to keep her happy, well-fed, appropriately clothed, well-rested, appropriately stimulated and educated. And that’s all before breakfast. Haha, I kid. Well, not really. I think for me that is the hardest part, being always “on the job” and constantly making these decisions, weighing all the options and choices. There usually isn’t one right answer, so sometimes it’s even harder to just choose what is right at the moment. And don’t we really all know that the best is probably the one that feels best? The one where you feel at ease and confident? I try to keep in mind the best advice I got about parenting, from my maternal Grandmother (Natalie’s “Merney”), that I know more than I think I do, and that I should trust my intuition.

This is all leading up to something I’ve been doing. I’ve been diving headlong into nutrition research. I have been charged (you know, by the universe) to make nutrition decisions for my daughter, as well as for myself. For her for at least the next 10 years, if not 10 more. I paint pictures of vegetables, but I always felt like something was missing. And I think that something is the knowledge behind the suggestion to “eat more veg”! I have known for a while now that I’m not interested in feeding Natalie cow’s milk or much meat. I wasn’t really sure why, but it just felt right. And I want to know why, and I want to have the facts to back up these somewhat intuitive decisions.

So I’m reading and watching documentaries and dreaming of taking this and this course at Kripalu when I have the chance (i.e. when Natalie is weaned and I am able to take the time away from her). I am so so lucky to live in an area full of healing centers like Kripalu, the UltraWellness Center and Canyon Ranch. I can’t wait to learn from them and get involved with the work they are doing.

It’s just the tip of the proverbial iceburg, and I have just *started* reading them, but the books I’m finding the most inspirational at the moment are Crazy Sexy Diet and The China Study, and if you are remotely interested in health and wellness/nutrition, or just, you know, interested in not getting cancer or dying of heart disease, do yourself a favor and watch (and put into practice some of the information in) the documentary Food Matters (on netflix instant!). There are lots of other books and movies on the subject, some of which I mentioned in this post so long ago.

Rock on, and go make  yourself some green juice!