HAPPY Monday...

I adore the way you all cheer me up on Friday...THANK YOU! You SO helped me get over the Friday's Delivery...for those of you who missed it, scroll down to see what the reaction was when I delivered the Pastel Portraits...

Anyways...now I really do know that commissions are not always satisfying,but they bring in the bread...so, I just have to be a little thicker skinned and not really care too much about the reaction...right?!

We've had a busy weekend Mr.R and I...On Saturday we were at Beer Fest in Toronto which was a lot of fun...and I think my favourite was an Apple Pilsner with Vanilla Icecream! YUM...probably a tonne of calories,so you don't want to go overboard with it...but very refreshing on a warm Summer day!

Sunday was spent contacting all our vendors for our Fall Mamas and Chicks Show...which is on October 22nd this year. It'll be fun as it's the week before Halloween so all the kiddos can come in their Halloween outfits!

The above sketches were done last night...the colours aren't right as I didn't have my watercolours out...and just had an itch of an idea to jot down on paper...it's for the book I'm working on...

AND...as you can see, our little Misses got their hair straightened by their Cousin A...it's amazing how their hair is SO much longer when straightened....they ADORE it and keep brushing it.

"can we keep it for going back to school? please Mummy?"

Hmm,that's in 3 weeks time...I don't think so!!!!

I think I may have to invest in a straightener one of these years(not yet) or perhaps it can be a Christmas gift!

We're off to find Back to School gear today...I know we have a while but the weeks are going to creep up on us...I had planned to start waking up our girls at their school wake up hour(6.30am)...their school starts at 7.50am...I KNOW...SO early!

Fortunately I am an early bird...and as long as we have everything ready the night before...we should be fine.

What are you up to today?

Check back tomorrow...I have a Tell ALL Tuesday interview with a local Torontonian.

That's all I'm saying :-)

HUGS

Char.x

today is the day...

when I deliver those two pastel portraits I finished this week...my stomach is upside down with a wee bit of worry...just a wee bit...Portraits are very personal, especially to a Mum who knows her kids faces and all their quirkinesses(word? not sure).

So....I believe there's nothing better than a "snort" of fresh air(as my friend D would say...) to calm nerves...so off we went.

They're going to be made into Jam...so if they're not ALL pretty...it's o.k.

I'm just content our girls love helping their Mummy.

There seemed to be a lot of inspecting going on before that stawberry was popped in her mouth...

and after half an hour...which really is their limit to most things....they were done, or at least our girls were...little W seemed to be able to pick-pick-pick...

ah, but there was the distraction of the duck which flew in and landed right beside the patch...not shy at all...perhaps he was after a few berries too.

Have a fantastic FRIDAY, and I will surely be back to tell you the out-come of the "Delivery"...

What's been on my mind recently...this week:

where is my Art Career going?

In which direction should I push it?

Should I stick to the fine ARts and work towards becoming a better more recognised Portrait Artist?

OR should I conintue on the path of illustration?

OR CAN I do both?

All taking into consideration that a family has to eat!

I have never advertised...where do I start?

Leaving you with that thought...I better get boogying.

HUGS

Char.x

P.S. The illustration is a snippet of a page for the book with Shelly.(must paint more this weekend!!)

Tell ALL Tuesdays :: Evelyn Heilberger

Every week on Tuesdays we introduce to you another one of our *Fabulous Readers* who I have gotten to know through Blog Land.
I am honoured to be able to introduce this OH SO wonderful Artist...yes, I am a huge fan...another Artist I would love to one day own an original of her work.


Please meet and get to know a little better, Evelyn Heilberger...

Tell us a little about the Town you live in... and have you always lived there?

I live in the medium sized city of Waukesha, Wisconsin in an old Victorian house with my husband and two daughters. Waukesha is located just outside of Milwaukee. It’s a nice enough place to live. I grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin which is a little further south and east on the shores of Lake Michigan. That place is still my home. A lot of my art work is still inspired by the scenery and places I knew there.

If you could move anywhere tomorrow, where would it be?

We’ve always talked about having a place out in the country. Maybe a little hobby farm with some acres for the kids to explore.

How structured is your day usually?

I try to keep everybody here in a regular routine. It’s a lot less stressful for me as a parent to have it that way. I know when it’s time to play with my kids, when it’s time to sneak in some work. I can get a lot of work done as long as both kids agree to nap at the same time.

What did you do today?

It’s early in the day so I haven’t done much, but a typical day for me mostly revolves around my children. Who knew babies could be so demanding! Any free time I try to put into etsy and my art. Maybe some errands or a run to the post office. I’d love to have more free time to myself for silly things like getting my hair done or browsing around a book store. I’ve promised myself I’m going to start doing more studio work after the kids are in bed.

Are you a cat or dog person?

I’m a unicorn person. I used to be a cat person but now prefer the imaginary kind of pet because it’s less mess to clean up after. My cat actually got himself stuck in the handle of a gift bag as I’m working on this!

Are you a breakfast, lunch or dinner girl?

I don’t eat breakfast. I love eating lunch with my oldest daughter. The little one is usually napping already. It’s just her and me. We eat kid food and she tells me funny nonsense toddler talk stories. It’s just a nice relaxing part of my day.

If you had 6 friends over for Dinner what would you make for them?

I would not make them anything and they would be thankful for that. I am a notoriously bad chef. I’d happily order them takeout from a favourite take out place. If I had to make them something it might be a grilled cheese. I really prefer to eat out and try new places.

How old were you when you knew you were on the right path in your Life?

Well I’m thirty-one now and I think I’m finally starting to get things right. Over the years the kind of artist I wanted to be has changed. When I was younger I wanted to be in New York and do really serious work and show in really serious galleries. Then I got to be in my late twenties and life started to happen. My sense of who an artist was had to expand and bend to meet my needs and the needs of my family. I became more interested in earning a living than being really intellectual. I like the balance I’m now starting to create between work and family. It satisfies me on both levels.

Who /what drove and inspired your love to create?

I always wanted to be an artist. It seems to run in my family. My mom is an artist and crafter. My aunt paints really beautiful watercolors. My grandmother had a loom and wove really beautiful rag rugs. I have a multitude of creatively talented cousins. I knew for sure that I wanted to be a painter when I was about fifteen. I saw Las Meninas by Velazquez at the Prado in Madrid. I cried a little when I first saw it, it’s so beautiful.

Tell us something not too many people know about you.

I’d love to be a tall blonde for a day, just to see what it was like.

Shoe choice, flats or heels?
There was a time in my life I had a closet full of fancy heels. Lately with two kids under two years old I’ve turned into more of a flats person. Hopefully as they get older I’ll be back in heels.

What was the last book you read?

Hippos Go Berserk by Sandra Boynton. My toddler rules the house here. I consider the abundance of children’s books we read together research. I’d love to write and illustrate one someday.

What advice would you give others just starting out?
Be persistent. I’ve tried and tried and tried and tried again. I’m still trying. Keep going until you figure out what works for you. Be original. Be flexible. Work in your studio every day.

Name 5 blogs you love visiting, and tell us why.

Karimaxwell.blogspot.com, love her collages
Etsystalker.com, good spot to see some great etsy finds
Lorikoop.blogspot.com, love her ceramics
collectionaday2010.blogspot.com, I’m a junk collector
belladia.typepad.com/crafty_crow, great kids arts and crafts

THANK YOU so much Evelyn, I so appreciate you allowing us in to your everyday life...

You can visit Evelyn's Blog HERE
And her Esty Stores HERE and HERE

Today is a busy day for us here in our House...I'm taking the girls to a play centre to let off some steam, and they have Caribbean Dance this evening....and everything else in between.
I hope you've enjoyed today's Tell ALL Tuesdays as much as I have.

Have a wonderful Tuesday.
Char,ON