My New Website is Here!

My new website is up at http://www.everythingjenni.com. Biscuit surfs my site daily with his morning coffee and treat. Okay, I have owned the domain name for my website for at least one year now. I have been so busy and I was never confident enough to put it together. About two weeks ago I decided it was time to stop dilly dallying. I logged into my account and created a website. I have done this numerous times in the past for other people, but when it is for yourself it is entirely different. I found myself always questioning what I was doing. "Did I say the right thing? Did I post the right picture? Maybe I should just wait to put up a website.” Days later, I finally finished the webpage. I sat in front of my computer; a feeling of accomplishment mixed with fear ran through my body. It was time to publish the new website. I slowly placed my cursor over the “Publish” button, closed my eyes, and pressed down. Now I had done it. I put myself out there and there was no turning back. Although I may always continue to improve my website, I felt it was important to finally get something up for people to see. I’m sure time will bring changes to the website, but I can honestly tell you that I am happy to finally have jumped in and done it. So now that I have, be sure to stop by my website. More importantly, don’t forget to share it with your friends.

Hugs,
Jenni

Jumping in With Both Feet

It has been awhile since I painted on a canvas. Recently, I decided to test out one of my whimsical girls on a canvas. Sometimes I find that I have to throw caution to the wind and dive in. If I sit and ponder all of the things that could go wrong then I would never start. So this past week, I dove head first into painting on a canvas. It took some getting used to, but I'm loving where it is headed. I look at her sweet face and I think about how she is lost in her thoughts. We are getting a glimpse into her soul when we look at those eyes. She lets the chilly wind blow through her hair while she walks through the enchanted forest. She seems to be inviting us in to hear her tale. That tale will continue as I work through this painting. Watch for updates to see where she leads me.

Hugs,
Jenni

Loving the Process

With the new year, I have been actively painting and creating. I am absolutely loving the process. When I am not busy camping or helping family I get up, have a cup of coffee, and sit down to paint. I spend my morning watching the sun cross the sky and creating new sketches or painting my drawings. It is a meditative process and I have found that I have grown as a person through this time. I focus on what matters most to me while I let the rest of the world just melt away. It has been truly healing. I'm currently working on a new girl. She is lovely and I just know that you are going to love her. Keep an eye out for an update of when she is going to be available.

Hugs,
Jenni

Sketchbook Inspiration

After spending some time in my sketchbook today, I came up with an idea for prints and a notecard set. This is a preview. I'll be finishing a set this week and posting in my Etsy shop. I'll keep you posted.

Hugs,
Jenni

Artful Monday Musings... Simple Color Wheel

I taught a GATE painting workshop today for middle school students. I introduced them to the color wheel and we created our own simple color wheel. The exciting part was that each student drew an image to create their color wheel. We only discussed primary and secondary colors, but I think everyone had fun. I look forward to teaching them monochromatic painting on Wednesday.

Hugs,
Jenni

Artful Monday Musings... Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Today we celebrate Pierre-Auguste Renoir. He was a brilliant Impressionist painter. I highly recommend checking out his body of work.

"An innovative artist, Pierre-Auguste Renoir was born on February 25, 1841, in Limoges, France. He started out as an apprentice to a porcelain painter and studied drawing in his free time. After years as a struggling painter, Renoir helped launch an artistic movement called Impressionism in 1870s. He eventually became one of the most highly regarded artists of his time." (www.biography.com)

Hugs,
Jenni

Taking on a New Challenge

Welcome to Everything Jenni for 2013!

I decided to start out the year by taking on a serious challenge. I've joined the "Ultimate Blog Challenge." Basically, it means that I will be posting a blog a day for the month of January. I will post links to my blog on my Facebook and Twitter accounts. If you get tired of reading my blog posts, then feel free to ignore me, but my hope is that I will be able to share a little bit about myself that keeps you interested and anxious for more.

So grab that toasty beverage, sit back, relax, and enjoy the reading adventure!

Hugs,
Jenni

Looking for Inspiration...

Have you ever had one of those funky weeks where you feel unmotivated and lack the confidence to be creative? I find that when I'm overworked or stressed this can happen to me. I've been experiencing this more frequently since dad passed last July. It can be easy to hide from others, but you know that you just don't feel like yourself. In one of my "funky moments" I decided I needed some inspiration. A trip to my local Barnes and Noble was in order.

I love taking a break from whatever is happening in life to make a trip to the bookstore. It seems to calm me to walk in and be surrounded by inspired words that people pour themselves into. Generally I shop for books on my Nook, but I always enjoy the feel of an actual book in my hands. Yesterday I found myself gravitating to the magazines. I found several magazines to leaf through for inspiration. After spending an afternoon with an icy beverage and these inspiring magazines I feel that I am rejuvenated. There are several art processes that I am now dying to try. Of course I had to ask Christopher if he could show me a few things. I can't wait to work on something and share it with you here soon.

Hugs,
Jenni

New iPhone App

I just downloaded this "free" app that makes it easier to create cards to e-mail. Although not as expansive as I would like, it does have some cute cards. Here is a sample of a card that I made for my husband while he is away playing music. You can't tell how much we love each other can you? :)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Restoration Project

Part of my Labor Day weekend was spent restoring two of these 1950's chairs. They are an adorable addition to my outdoor patio.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Soap Sweater Contest Winner

And the moment you've all been waiting for... the winner of the Soap Sweater Contest was Gayle T. I will be mailing your gift this Monday. Thank you all for your participation. I loved hearing about your favorite summertime activities. Although I am not a fan of summer heat, I do love to BBQ and sit outside in the breeze under the trees. Coming soon I will post one of my favorite recipes. To kick off the new school year, this September I will be having another giveaway contest. Be sure to check back for these exciting updates.

Jenni

UPDATE: Soap Sweater Contest

Things obviously got quite hectic this past month. I finally have surfaced and will be running the soap sweater contest until August 19, 2011. So if you have not already done so, please submit your email on the right side of this page as well as leave a comment telling me what your favorite summer activity is. If you have already done this you are in the running for the soap sweater. If you are unsure about the contest please read the Soap Sweater Contest blog entry found on this blog in June. Hope everyone's summer is going well.

Soap Sweater Contest

With summer getting into full swing, it is blazing hot! Who wants to work on large scale yarn projects? Well, while searching out smaller projects I came across this pattern by Designated Knitter for a soap sweater. I just had to give it a try. The idea is that using the wool yarn around the soap not only creates a scrubby, but felts and shrinks a little with use. It lasts as long as the bar of soap, and it took about a half an hour to knit it together.

If you would like a chance to win your very own soap sweater, just sign up with your email to follow my blog and leave a comment here telling me your favorite summertime activity. I will run the contest until Friday, July 8th. The winner will be selected at random and notified by email. Best of luck to y'all!

Jenni

Revealing Myself

Welcome to pieces of my life. I recently spent an afternoon reading other people's blogs. I loved the idea of seeing a little bit of who my friends are and what they are interested in these days. Although I will post simple news on my Facebook, I realized I didn't have a place to share who I am or what I am interested in today with my friends. Welcome my new blog, "Everything Jenni." I hope that in the days to come you will share a piece of my life with me, and I'd love to hear about your life as well.

Hugs,
Jenni