It's been forever hasn't it. . .

It really has.

Not to say that plenty hasn't been going on.

I just haven't wanted to sit down and write about it quite yet.

Well, until now.

If you've seen me lately, then you've definitely seen the tiny braid that I've got hanging down on the left side of my head.

I'm calling it my "dealing with it" braid. After Danny and Richard left, after I decided to let go of my position as a youth counselor . . .this little braid just showed up. . .seriously. . .I think fairies came and braided it while I was sleeping.

Maybe it's weird. I don't care. I like it.

Anyways, I have been creating and creating and creating artwork. Loving the heck out of it.
SO MUCH!!

Song of Home self portrait?

"Deity" Folk Art

Add to that, I'm presenting an art camp for middle school and high school students this summer.  This has encouraged me to reopen my Pinterest account and get inspired! Loving all the artistic ideas that I'm digging up. My puzzle piece for the May show at SOBO was based on an idea I found recently.

Head Space

Currently working on a very complicated piece.
The theme for the June show is "She Sells Seashells".

Doors to Another World

Lots of rental property issues being dealt with right now. It's becoming a very expensive spring and summer for the Wiggins' clan.

Oh, and I'm going to visit my bro in two weeks.
Can't wait!! It'll be a celebration of his 30th and my 32nd birthdays.
WOO HOO! We're OLD!!!

Things going on. . .

Writing a few things down just to make a record of the time.

Working on several projects right now. Haven't started looking for a third job yet.

My house got broken in to yesterday. They stole my brand new TV and my weed-eater (that's actually the item I'll miss more).

They didn't break anything, so that's something, I suppose. Course, all last night I was paranoid that they had somehow managed to get back into the house. Didn't help that I had a migraine, either.

I'm feeling violated and insecure. The stuff they took can be replaced or not. I'm more upset that there are people in this world who think it's perfectly fine to break into somebody's home and take stuff that is not theirs.






UGH!

Ok, moving on.



I'm working on a sleeve tattoo design for a friend of mine. Never designed a tattoo, let alone a sleeve, so it's gonna be interesting.

Plus, I'm trying some new mediums in terms of my art for the gallery. Carving, burnishing wood along with painting and drawing. Can't wait to dig into it.

I'm also trying out new music from the library. I go each week and dig through the stacks alphabetically. It's all an attempt to expand my musical vocabulary (I've been out of the popular music swing for a while, but I least have not stooped so low as to try Bieber).

Attempting to make my way through the massive amount of Dean Koontz books that I've acquired 2nd hand. I enjoy Koontz, but it gets kinda old after a bit. Throwing in some Mercedes Lackey along with re-reading (listening) to the Harry Potter books.

Along with all of this, we're rebuilding the church website through a new company, so that takes up a good bit of the rest of my time. It's enjoyable and frustrating all at the same time.

I want to go camping so bad, but I'll hold off on that particular adventure until it warms up a little more consistently.

Changes changes changes

Richard left. Moved back to North Carolina.

Danny resigned. Heart-breakingly, I agree with this move on his part.

So now, where does that leave me?

Well, it leaves me in a perfect position to move on, myself.

I'm dropping my position as a youth counselor for now. Keeping my job at the church, with an eye towards finding an additional full-time job elsewhere.

Luckily, most of what I do for the church is such that I can do it from home.

It does leave me floundering, though.

Now what?

Now what?



What now?

2013 Christmas

Just wanted to share a few highlights of my December.

First, submitted two pieces to the Winter Garden Art Association's December show "Enormously Small" at SOBO gallery. The first is a massive piece I did for the altar at church a few years ago. The second is a miniature set featuring my niece Leya and all her adventures to come.

Nativity on the Rocks

Imagining Imagination

Celebrated Mimi's birthday, December 16th, by bringing a new poinsettia to her grave at Winter Garden Cemetery.

Shirley's daughter, Chrisna, was nice enough to get mom, Shirley, and I into Epcot for the Candlelight Processional. We watched the show standing up outside the theater (it was a full house) and then ate dinner at the Canada pavilion restaurant "Le Cellier Steakhouse". Had my first encounter with Poutin and Caesar Salad with anchovies.

Painting became a bit of an obsession for most of December. So, I threw together some gifts for people. I actually had planned on doing a bunch of hand-painted ornaments for friends and family, so if you haven't gotten anything from me yet, don't despair, it's probably in the works.

  Had a lovely Christmas Eve (not). First Christmas eve services that Danny and Richard haven't been here to help run the show. Add to that the fact that I'm sick, and I really didn't have a good evening at all. Hung out at Julie's house afterwards, but I was so miserable that I ended up going home to bed early.

My favorite ornament

Enjoyed my Christmas day, though. The whole family's sick, so we didn't go anywhere. Woke up late, ate danish for breakfast, skyped with Russ and Lana (finally!), got to watch Leya rip open her presents! Had roast and potatoes for lunch and opened our own gifts after that. A relaxing way to end this month of craziness. It's a good thing we never do anything for New Years!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year. . .love you!

Winter Garden Art Association Gallery Opening

Yup, got a piece in a gallery.

How cool is that.

The fact that it's Winter Garden's SOBO (south boyd) gallery is very cool to me.

I am very familiar with a few of the Art Association's core committee members through church. Mary Keating invited me to submit a piece for this opening show. To be honest I didn't have enough time before the deadline to submit a brand new painting so the following is one that I did back in 2005 (in college).

Apopka Sunset Bridge, Acrylic on Watercolor paper (asking price $150)

Anyways, here's a few pics from the gallery opening event last night:

 If you're interested in following the gallery check out their facebook page.

Prayers please. . .

Not for me. . .although I am always open to some more Holy Spirit in my life.

I just seem to be surrounded lately by people who are desperately in need of help and encouragement.

I'm turning to my blog to vent some.

Not venting in the sense of "UGH, I CAN'T STAND IT"

More like "LIFE IS SO FRUSTRATING. . .MY HEART IS BREAKING FOR SO MANY PEOPLE!"

Ever felt like that?
HA . . .who hasn't. . .


I treasure these moments where I find myself alone. I need them to recharge and reboot.


I keep having so many wonderful moments lately.
Truly.
Those kind of moments that make me go, "see that, that's why I do what I do!"
Moments where the hours I spent learning a song in Spanish pay off.
That time when I get to spend an hour in devotion with the youth group, talking about miracles.
Just yesterday I got to comfort a little girl in our children's ministry, clean up her skinned knee, and draw a happy face on her band-aid.

I miss my niece. I  miss you Leya.

Feelin' Artsy

So, it never really lasts for long.
But I've been in that creative mood.
Been feelin' the need to paint, and sketch, and build, and throw things together.

Applies in paint.
Applies in work.
Applies in the kitchen.

It also means that my house. . .it's a MESS.

You saw the two parking places that I painted. That set off the bug.

I began to work on a watercolor painting for a friend of mine. She'd requested it back in December, to which I replied it would be a while before I could get to painting it.

God works in mysterious ways.

I finished the painting on Thursday of last week. I had it ready and waiting to give to her on Sunday morning at worship.

Her birthday was on Monday, yesterday. A detail I knew nothing about.

I'm currently working on a project for a childhood friend. Her second son will be born in November, so I'm putting together a piece for "Gavin's" frog themed nursery.

Eventually it'll be framed.


These are some projects I did a while ago for my brother and niece.

So yeah. . .the bug has bitten. . .

Probably gonna wear off soon. . .