My 4 year old daughter loves to paint

I love that my daughters get so excited about painting.
My 4 year old got so excited after seeing me at BYU last week that she started her own painting once we got home.  I came in to take some photos, and she said she preferred to make a video.  I love it.  It is the first time I have heard her use the word "opportunity".  I love watching her create, I love that she loves art.  I am excited to get to watch what she will create, what she will become.  She is amazing.

Purple Tulips unveiled

I unveiled this painting yesterday at the BYU Women's Conference.

It has been a fun couple of days, mingling with artists, seeing old friends, making new friends and signing prints.  My 4 year old daughter visited and she went up to a group of ladies and handed them each bookmarks and said, " You should go buy some of my mom's art."  She did it all on her own, and they did come buy some.  I am glad she is so proud of me.  I am so proud of her.

BYU Women's Conference Art Unveiling

My daughters love to come join me in my studio- they have their own paintings, but they especially love to get to paint a little on what I am working on.  Sometimes it creates a little extra problem solving for me, and sometimes it gives me precious little bits of paint that end up being some of my favorite spots in the end.  My daughter helped me out a little on this one, and so did my baby.  

You can come see how all our efforts turned out tomorrow when I unveil the finished painting at the BYU Women's Conference

at noon tomorrow, Thursday the 26th at noon.

I will have many different prints to purchase (and for me to sign for you) including prints of this new painting.  I will also have many other images  available as giclees, framed giclees, loose prints and even bookmarks.

Come visit me at The BYU Bookstore.

I will be there both on Thursday and Friday from 10 -2 and 3-6.  I will be in the basement, just down the stairs by the infamous candy counter.

And I promise my daughter will get a cut when I sell this original.

"Untitled" at The Rio Grande Gallery

"Untitled" Exhibition from April 6- May 3, 2012
(click for details)

I think it is kind of entertaining that every time I have a painting in a show, my daughter likes to touch it a little while it is hanging there, she knows we shouldn't- but she knows that it is mine, so it is a little privilege she can't resist indulging in.  It cracks me up every time.

This is a great exhibit at the Rio Grande Gallery right now, it is a fun concept- the public is invited to come and "title" the "untitled".  They have cards and pencils on there for you to write your suggestions, and a little hook beside each painting to hang your suggestions on.  Naming paintings is a difficult task, so this should be fun to collect some great titles.  Usually that is one of the hardest parts of the whole process for me.  Occasionally I will have a title all ready even before I start the painting, other than that, I go with pretty obvious descriptions (although I am really running out of those when it comes to red tulips)  sometimes my brother will work on names for me- and he does a great job.

At the opening of this show, my oldest daughter wrote : "Sarah Lily of the Tulip Painter" as her suggestion, it makes me smile.  She was asking me to help her spell each word, and I was eager to hear what each next word would be.  It was suspenseful because it was a slow process, (lollipops in one hand, pencil in the other) but I love what she came up with.

painting with my baby

I have always painted with my babies, my oldest daughter seemed most content to just watch, she liked it, and she never interfered when she was a baby, she never even reached for my brush.  It worked really well, as you can see here and here and here.

My second was almost as easy to paint with as you can see here, here, here, here or my favorite, here.  She did start grabbing my brush, and things got a little messy a couple of times.

This little one is proving to be much more active during our painting sessions.  I still love it.  I treasure it.  It makes me happy.