Welcome to My Blog

I'm so excited to finally welcome you to Marinated Artichoke Creations LLC and my blog page. The idea for this business and page has taken a while to gestate. I hope you will enjoy checking in periodically to see what new paintings, creations, and blogs I have posted to this site.

Inspiration

I'm often asked where I get the inspiration for my paintings and bird baths. Most of my inspiration comes from the natural world. I'm lucky to live in a beautiful area of Virginia with mountains and lots of unspoiled views. I wake up to amazing sunrises and end my day looking at beautiful sunsets. The sky is big here, the colors intense and the play of shadow and light ever changing with the seasons.

Yet much of my inspiration comes from the people around me. Working with a client on a project, I want to know what their vision of it is. Why they are drawn to a certain piece of art, what tone are they wanting to set in their home or garden. What colors inspire them. I want to know as much about them as I can learn. It helps inform my intuition and creative spirit. I'm just the vessel for their vision.

Where do you find your inspiration for your work? Please share, I would love to hear from you.

Creativity

All of us participate in being creative. Even the most seemingly mundane of tasks can be a creative moment. Making lunch for your child or spouse... cooking dinner... deciding what jewwlry or tie to pair with your clothing... decorating for the holidays... wrapping a gift... picking flowers... gardening... deciding how to rearrange a room... writing a note... and the list continues.

The challenge is to be present enough to realize that the moment is your creation. Beauty and joy are yours to not only behold and experience, but to create in the littlest moments in life.

Let me know how you spent your creative moments this week and the joy it brought you and others...