"Swept Away By Love" on IF and PPF

"Swept" was the word this week for Illustration Friday, and I wasn't planning on illustrating it. But then tonight I ripped open a new canvas and sat down, I need to paint I told myself. It's been too long since I just let my heart spill out on the canvas. I don't care what it is. Ruin the canvas... scribble on it! Something! What's inside? What's inside your heart? I thought about IF... The word swept makes me instantly think of the love. It captures you, keeps you, holds you up, and carries you away all at the same time. It's so swirly and dreamy. Being swept way by love, is pretty much the best thing in the entire world.

I just went for it... bluuue......and swirls and the brushes and color just swept me away! This came out of me!? I've never painted people... so it's a little different... I'm not used to it. I wanted to judge how I was painting (it looks so kindergardenerish I thought for a second... but I didn't fight what was emerging. I trust the process... but I'm gonna sleep on it. I'll see what it looks like to me in the morning! =)
Check out all the other talent at PPF here and IF here!

Sending you all love, light, and dreamy embraces under the stars!
Nat

RAGOM Photo Contest

We rescued our dog Buddy from the organization RAGOM - Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota. Every year the organization puts together a calendar of RAGOM dogs. To get the photos... they hold a contest and you can submit your images! I just entered in our story and images! Thought I would share since these are my favorite images I have of Bud since we got him, a year and half ago.

Buddy’s story:
  My husband I bought a foreclosure with 4 bedrooms, and we work opposite schedules, the house was so empty and quite. I wanted a dog... Badly. We started searching for what kind of dog would be a good fit. We researched, and visited lots of human societies. I knew the perfect dog would come at the perfect time. My husband wanted a golden retriever, I didn’t know anything about goldens, having grown up with small dogs my entire life. We went to a RAGOM event a Petco and met a foster dad who had just lost his golden of 13+ years. The man started crying and said if your lucky enough to old a golden your pretty lucky. I started balling with the guy, my husband and I were so touched! I held a baby golden there and I wanted one! We fell in love with the breed, and I started stalking the website. I found Buddy and he was just so cute! His foster family happened to live our city, what are the chances?! We went to meet Buddy and I was done for. I believe Buddy rescued me. I needed him. I kept envisioning and dreaming about the beautiful gold paw that would come to the side of the bed and paw, paw, paw. And now we have him! (and he really does that!) Buddy loves going to his grandparents cabin near Itasca State park, where he runs around with his cousin Gunther a German wire-haired Pointer. Buddy also loves squeaky tennis balls, swimming, fishing, hiking, walking, the dog park, road trips, the beach and of course good food, friends and family! He has brought us so much joy! I can’t imagine life without him. He was the ‘best dog’ in our wedding, and even went on our honeymoon! He is living the golden life now, as they all should be!

Keep your fingers crossed Bud makes his big depute in the 2012 Calendar!

Much Love,

Nat

A Dog-gone Good Friendship!

Thought I'd share a ink and watercolor piece I did over the weekend. I was excited to go to the cabin this past weekend but Buddy could hardly stand the 3.5 hour car ride... Don't get me wrong he loves car rides but 3.5 hours? Not so much. He knew we were going to the cabin which meant... swimming and running free with his cousin Gunther! He waits all year in anticipation just like we do! Gunther is Buddy's cousin and (He is a Wire-hair Pointer) and they have so much fun playing and being wild & crazy boys. On the ride up I sketched out a drawing of the dogs at the cabin, Buddy is on the dock fishing and Gunther is floating on an inner-tube! I used ink and watercolors to finish it! Buddy and Gunther have become good friends - I'm so glad Bud has a playmate and companion he gets along with so well! =)

Adopting Bud has brought so much joy to my life, I think so often he rescued me... not the other way around! Animals are my favorite subject matter whether I am doing realistic or cartoon! 
What's your favorite subject matter?
Lots of love,
Nat

Obsessed & In Luv: GREEEEN!

This weekend while my husband and father in law did construction on the cabin I played in the woods, and took in all in. I laid out in the sun, relaxed, cooked for them, painted, went on walks, nature spotted, went fishing and enjoyed life up north in the woods! My spirit feels revived, and I'm just so happy and inspired. I feel so blessed to have a place like this to visit.

This weekend was much needed for me, and much needed for my in-laws. Yea they got a big project completed! Their goal for this summer is to get their cabin 'winter ready' with insulation and walls up so we can all enjoy their place in the winter too! 

I'm quite obsessed with the color green, and this weekend, I was surrounded by everything green! It was so beautiful! The woods had a lush layer of moss covering the ground and the trees were just stunning! I love how in the pic above the pines look like they are dancing!

Hope you all had a beautiful weekend!

Memorial Day

 Hope you all had a great long weekend and a nice memorial day! It's the official, unofficial start to summer! YEA! I've had my hubby on my mind, he has been at his annual training for National Guard for the past 2 weeks. My husband is an Iraq vet, he served there as a Medic there for 22 months. I'm so excited I got the phone call this morning, he's on his way home from training! Tonight we will relax with dog, get some good food and celebrate him for Memorial day. There have been a lot of hills and valleys we've climbed together. His journey with the guard will be over at the end of this year (December) and he will NOT be deployed again! YEA!! And really it's SO bitter sweet for me! I've been thinking a lot about it while he's been gone. The army is such a part of my husband so it will be really hard to let that go. It's been such a part of our relationship. I'm sad and happy to see it go. Happy that we will have a little more freedom in our schedule and maybe start a family! I know how hard it is to have a family member at war. My love and prayers go out to all the family members who have/know a soldier at war, who have/know a soldier at home struggling with the after affects of war and for those families who lost someone at war. I lost a high school friend in the Iraq war and it's so hard. I am forever grateful for all the brave men and women who are out there are on the front lines for us!
 

This was my hubby back in 2007 in Iraq

Paint Party Friday!

Happy Friday a little late in the day! I'm participating in the Paint Party Friday, I found out about this little party from Kristen's blog!
  I drew this last night in bed... while missing my other half. And tonight when I got home from work was too rainy to walk Bear, so I painted my illustration! Check out the other artists here.

Thank you for all the comments! They make me so happy!

xoxo

Nat

My favorite little Red Beauties!