The Adventures of Mattie and Lily

I should be telling you all about the Folk Fest this morning and how amazing it is.  I really should.  BUT, when I got home Friday night late from the opening I had a restless night of sleep and something urging me to PAINT.  I struggle with many things surrounding my art career, but never about what to actually paint.  In fact, I have an entire black sketchbook full of little sketches waiting to come to life.  You know what most of those sketches are of?  A little bird named Mattie doing a wide range of things with friends.  Yep.  That little bird I just can't set free.  And these were the ideas in my head that kept me up all night:

As you can see I drew two out and one is totally finished....I think.  They may have a little conversation on the canvas, may not.  Overall though, I am YIPPEE skipping for joy.  And so is Lily, my little muse.  I've never painted a dog for real, I mean I've showed my art students, but I've never included dogs in my paintings to sell.  I think I like this little adventure.  And how big the canvases I chose.  Really, this is out of my element these days.

So the little bird that opened this enormous art door up for me may be making her way into the canvas a little more.  As I flipped through the sketchbook full of ideas I really got excited about her future.  I know when you feel this kind of excitement about something it's usually an indicator of something really good about to happen.  And I am very ready for that something good.