It’s been a month since I’ve blogged…I know, I’m ashamed to even call myself a blogger. but I swear I have the BEST intentions: I will blog regularly, I will create/paint/draw/etc. regularly…then stuff (life!) happens.

right now, Lawrence and I are in the process of fixing up his childhood home, (renovating, updating, cleaning) in preparation for the two of us to move in and care for his mom. once we hired contractors for a complete reno of the kitchen (last month), things started moving forward really fast!

so – besides painting rooms in his childhood home, I’ve been feeling sorely lacking in the field of ‘artist’, until I was faced with a painting challenge…

on Facebook, I’m a member of an artist group, HeARTspace, overseen by artist Jeanne Bessette. I must admit, up ’til now, I haven’t been very active in the group. I do check in daily and read others’ posts, but other than sharing my work twice in pop-up galleries, I’ve been pretty quiet. when Jeanne posted over the weekend that she wanted to challenge anyone interested in a 30 day, 30 paintings challenge, I thought “how cool!” then came up with lots of reasons why I couldn’t do it.

the success other artists spoke about already having was intimidating

i can’t create 1 painting a day – I’ve got tooooo much going on!

my work won’t be good enough

etc. etc. etc.

well, I did some soul searching Sunday night – about lots of stuff in my life right now. a conversation with a good friend last week got me thinking about where my life was headed. (you know one of those friends you’ve had FOREVER, you fall in and out of touch, but when you talk again you realize how much he really knows you? yeah, one of those friends…) he questioned if I was okay with all the changes happening in my life right now. he left me with “it’s never too late. never.”

never too late to make changes. to speak up. to move forward in the direction I want to end up.

I sometimes feel like parts of my life are out of my control, especially now. and I’m not sure what to do about it. but I realized that the one thing I can control is my art.

if I create. when I create. how I create. what I create.

so – I can continue blaming what’s happening in other parts of my life for what’s happening in my art life, or I get off my creative ass, step up, and just CREATE.

i can move towards my art.

monday when I saw the post asking for the first painting of the 30 day challenge, I ignored my inner critic and stepped up. and I painted. and drew. and I shared my first painting in the challenge, thus signing up for the 30 days.

and felt happy and in control. yes…

“Sunflower in the Rain” by Susie Carranza

my first painting: “Sunflowers in the Rain”. I used an 8′ by 10′ canvas, with a gelli printed background. I also challenged myself NOT to use my beloved Sharpies or PITT artist pens, instead using my new white uni- ball Signo pens. (which, by the way, I LOVED! all my blacks pens and markers have some serious competition now!)

this challenge will also help my blogging, since I plan to share my 30 paintings here.

stay tuned…