Creative Living: "A Book Is Like A Garden Carried In The Pocket"

Hi everyone,

Hope you all have had a great past week and weekend and ready for a new one to begin. I'm very blessed and grateful because not only does my grandma continue to do well, my health was the best it has ever been in two years! I was able to attend my daughters marching band competition this past Saturday and watch them perform. The weather was great and I actually got a slight tan!! I soaked up some much-needed vitamin D.

Amidst a very slow economy and very challenging times financially, I continue to stay positive and firm in my faith that God provides all that I need when I need it. I have spent this past week as well creating my ETSY shop http://www.maggiehandpainted.etsy.com/ where you can view and purchase my Distinctly Original Hand Painted & Custom Designed Functional Art . I will have gift certificates available for purchase, great for the holiday season and when you just don't know what to get someone. You will notice that products are still pending I'm working my fingers to the bone, there are a few more details I'm working on for my ETSY SHOP grand opening on Wednesday November 3. I'm grateful to my family for all of their support and my friends who have worked and continue to work and collaborate with me towards making my business grow. From the creation of my business logo and identity to my wonderful website that reaches so many and through which I have been able to get some great commission work. I believe when we all work together as a team God blesses those efforts and everyone prospers in due time.

I always feel blessed when I get new work and this commission was no exception. I have been working on a chair for a client out of IL. The theme for the painted chair is based on a Chinese proverb "A book is like a garden carried in the pocket". After a few emails between the client and myself and some thought as to what the proverb actually said, I created a sketch and the vision blossomed. A pocket tucked in a garden surrounded with flowers.

Here are some pictures of the chair in progress. The chair is completed now and will be shipped out this week. I will be sad to see it go. I grow attached to every piece I create. I hope to receive some pictures from the client once the chair is in its new home and I will post those soon.

Also take the time to view my friends websites listed in my helpful sites section they are both great at what they do they are talented creative and have so much to offer. We all need to support the arts and the artists in our communities to inspire, to dream, to heal to bring smiles and joy to others and our surroundings!

Best wishes and Happy Painting!