No. 2 - El Diablito

Wow! Usually I struggle with creative block when I'm trying to paint. This time, it's kind of scary how easy it was to knock this Loteria card out. I've been struggling with some issues lately - and some negative feelings. I thought it would be healthy to release these feelings and work them out on canvas.

I started out with a heart to represent the place where I was experiencing the most emotion. As I thought about the things I wanted to say (or yell), I added brushstrokes and definition. I started to love the face that was emerging, because I recognized the expression. At the end of the process, I felt peaceful and healed. It was a good exercise for me. I learned that my negative feelings want to be heard, not stuffed down. The most important thing I learned through this piece is that they want to be heard by me.

Tattoo Artwork

My old friend from high school wrote to ask me if I could design a tattoo for him. He had the concept ready in his head and was very specific about what he wanted. He's a medical professional and wanted the caduceus symbol comprised of the anatomy of a man by Da Vinci, angel wings and serpents around the legs of the man.
His tattoo artist completed the detail in the serpents. I love the way it came out. When I saw the pictures, I really felt that it was a powerfully symbolic image with deep meaning.

Following My Art.

Creación de Adán    - Michelangelo, The Sistene Chapel

I love to research the lives of artists.

I've been borderline-obsessed with this topic since I was very young. Learning about the life of the person who created the art helps me to view their pieces with more depth. I can't interpret a work of art comfortably unless I can feel a connection to the artist.

What purpose does this serve in my life? Why do I feel the need to connect in this way? I don't really have an answer to these questions. What I'm certain of is that the importance of needing to connect to art is a driving force in my life. Art has propelled me in different directions. It's the hand of God on my life. It connects me to people. It tells me where I'm going to go to school, what I'm going to do as a profession, what church I'm going to attend, where I'm going to work, and where I'm going to live. So, too, art has been the driving force in the lives of other artists and their work is the visual record of its inspiration.

How did the creative force play a role in the outcome of the artist's life? How connected was the artist to this energy, and how much of their piece was inspired by that? These are all questions that push me further into the art world. There is so much to discover. So many people to meet. So much art to look at and interpret. To me, it's another world to lose myself in. One artist leads me to another, just as a work of art leads me to another. I grow and my life is richer as I continue on this path of discovery.

"Heaven", our Shih Tzu Puppy, Art and Dreams.

I need to mention that we were recently blessed with the most adorable puppy I've ever met. My sister-in-law has two shih tzus named Lola and Louie, and they had their first pups in February. We were fortunate to be given one of these puppies and my daughter picked the black one. She named her "Heaven", and she's brought so much happiness to our lives in the short time she's been with us.

This is a video of Heaven when she was still drinking from her bottle. Heaven's grown up so much already. She's not drinking puppy milk anymore. Yesterday she learned how to bark during play time. I used the "stabilizer" feature on YouTube, thinking it would fix the shakiness that occured during recording. I think the original looked better. Ha! I predict that I'll be posting more content about Heaven in the future, so please consider this a formal introduction.

Now, on to ART.

Yesterday I mentioned that I joined an online art "academy". Last night I watched one of the demonstrations in oil painting. I was mesmerized, while watching the artist display her skills. It was actually very amazing and I fell asleep thinking about the painting she created.

Let me tell you about the dream I had.

I've been wrestling with a life decision. Should I move back to Arizona? I've been seeking divine guidance on this, because moving to Austin was such a major decision for us. Well, last night I had a dream that I was standing in my apartment and it was empty. My family had moved on without me. There were items that were left behind strewn about the floor and the electricity was turned off. I felt that I had also been left behind. I knew that I needed to find a way back, and started to look online (on my phone) for a train ticket back to Arizona. Maybe I feel "left behind" because my sister and her family moved back to Arizona. I may be feeling disconnected and those feeling are being expressed in my dreams.

I Desire Better Art.

Last night I meditated on the topic of desire.

I learned that desire is the thing inside of us that drives us to fulfilling our goals in this existence.

Today I came across a link to an online art "academy". I'm not a person with impulsive tendencies to purchase things that I don't need - especially online products. However, I felt a desire to push the "add to cart" button on the site after reading the description of the course. After another intense five minutes of trying to talk myself out of it, I pushed the PayPal button. I immediately received a link for the video courses and pdf files for the books that are included in the first month of the course. I'm a little skeptical about this adventure, so I'm going to journal my thoughts as I go along. It's better for me to see if I've made any progress creatively as a result of my online purchase -  that's my goal. =)

Dear Lady Who Stole My Wallet at Wal-Mart

I'm writing this blog post in case you decide to Google my name. I pray all is well with you, and you are being blessed. I also hope your situation is changing for the best. I would imagine that things must be rough for you. With that being said, I need to let you know that a detective contacted me from the Austin Police Department and they are working on my case. I had to file a police report because there was a piece of Federal property in my wallet that has to be replaced. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. There's a good chance that you'll get caught, since you were caught on surveillance. If you still have this, please contact me at karinaprado1111@gmail.com so I can tell you where to send it and I'll drop the charges. I know you have two little kids and they don't need their mom to be in trouble with the law. I hope you never do this again. God bless you.