Highlights of the week

I have a lot of things to chat about...where to start? On Instagram I recently joined a group of artists who do artist pen pal exchanges. We are to mail something handmade that is small maybe 4"x4" along with a note. I received my package the other day all the way from New Zealand! The artist Helen Dean made me a wonderful abstract painting. 

The colours are lovely & it looks perfect in this simple white frame.

I've been painting a lot lately. While creating this new body of work I've discovered a few things. My youngest daughter is very interested in gems, geodes, and rainbows. These images keep repeating themselves in my paintings, without premeditation. A relative recently bought them some FANCY crayons & before they lose their shape I took a quick photo.

The brand is Kid Made Modern if you are interested.

The sun has finally come out in Ontario & Spring is in full effect. The chalk is back & rainbows are where it's at.

I've been teaching a lot more art classes lately which is keeping me busy. This set up is in a local restaurant in town.

If you are local, stop by & say hello at Burrow on Hunter St. in Peterborough Ont. Wednesday April 20th they are hosting a Meet the Artist event from 5-7pm. Drinks & treats will be provided! I've made some new pieces on wood panel that will be the perfect gift for Mother's Day. 

All of these original pieces are 8x10" & will be available at the event for a promotional price of $60. After this date they will be regular $75. Don't miss out!

I just finished this painting right before I wrote this post. It has been on my easel all week & feels so good to finally have it complete. In the next few weeks there will be 3 giveaways I am taking part in. Yes I said 3!! If you love my art then start following me on Instagram so you don't miss out on these contests!

8 Weeks...

From today I will be hanging my first solo exhibit in a local Gallery in town. I have been thinking about displaying a body of work for a while. Committing to a date is a step in the right direction. Today I wanted to share a glimpse into my studio & some pieces I've been working on. Maybe some of these paintings will make it into the show; maybe not. The experimentation and creative process is the true gratification. I don't know if anyone will connect with my work or if any of it will actually find a permanent home. 

This journey I'm on keeps getting better every day. Each little step is leading me in the right direction. I don't think too far ahead. I do make lists of what I hope to accomplish in a day. Maybe studio time will happen, or perhaps my family and doing errands will fill the hours while I am awake. I have been teaching more painting classes lately which has been quite enjoyable. It is nice to interact with other creatives & hear their personal stories. Balancing life is sometimes a juggling act. I find I am a better mother & wife if I take time for myself. Painting is what I often need to balance myself out. I try to stay in the moment while I'm in my studio as I know my time is limited. When I have time to relax in the evening with my husband, you can often find us watching Netflix. Lately we have enjoyed several documentaries on artists/musicians that I have found quite inspiring. "Montage of Heck Kurt Cobain", "The Devil and Daniel Johnston" & "Amy" (Amy Winehouse). It's fascinating to see how others work & what drives them to create, if you are looking for something to watch check them out.

Detail of a larger painting I recently finished. In this section I layered multiple colours & scratched details in creating lines and shapes. I tried to stick to a neutral palette of black & white...however my love of colour found its way in.

Another detail from a piece which has yet to be named. The diamond shape appears multiple times.

A little closer to the opening night I will share more details about the date & location of the show. If you are local come check it out & say hi! 

Highlights of the week

My girls started their March Break last Friday. On Saturday I took a road trip by myself to visit friends of mine that live near our old house in Burlington. Before I became a mother, I never knew how lucky I was to have quiet time to myself whenever I needed it. This trip allowed me to put myself first which honestly, doesn't happen for me as much as it should. I enjoyed meals out & stayed up past my usual bedtime. I'm such a rebel!

You know it's a special occasion if my nails are painted. They are usually covered in paint! I let them dry while I was on the highway. I stopped into a local bookstore & browsed one of my favourite home decor magazines when I got to Burlington. My nails even match! I got the colour in my stocking...I guess Santa's up on his trends!

I had the best time at lunch with these lovely ladies whom I met through Instagram. I have discovered this supportive community & I was excited to actually meet some of my online friends in real life! We are all artists with kids & had lots to chat about.  We will be collaborating on a Mother's Day giveaway soon, so if you are not following me on IG get at it!

I am a member at a local Art Gallery in town & I finally set a date for my first solo exhibit last week! ( Insert happy face here) I will post more details in May but, if you are local, save the date. My opening reception will be on Saturday June 4th at 7:00pm. This is a detail of a larger painting I just completed. It is the first painting I have made for the show...loving the purple and green combination. Come on Spring!!

I have some of my artwork for sale at a beautiful shop in town called Burrow. The owner Meg asked me if I would paint some wooden Easter Eggs for her and this is what I came up with. She loved the Christmas ornaments I had made & wanted a similar look. Last night I sat & painted them. I kept telling my husband I was having so much fun. I had barely painted all week as the girls were off of school, I needed to get creative.

My Favourite Things

I adore photographs of landscapes that are pretty simple & have telephone/hydro poles in them. It's all about the composition folks. The following photos are all pieces of art that are in our home.

I purchased this photograph on canvas for myself as a Birthday gift a few years ago. I discovered Nadine through Etsy. Her work is breathtaking and the photos almost look like paintings. They are muted & somewhat blurry which I find intriguing. Check her out at www.walterhelenaphotography.com

This black & white photograph is a portrait of my grandparents. My husband surprised me & had it blown up from the original copy. To say I love it would be an understatement! The placement of the poles in the background adds to the street scene behind them.

This image was taken on a holiday. The muted tones & movement created by shooting from a moving vehicle are my favourite parts.

If you would like to see where any of these pieces of art are displayed in our home, check out my blog post a few weeks ago from the Apartment Therapy House Tour.

The Making Of...

I started this painting early last week and thought I would try and document myself painting it for you to see. On Instagram, I often see artists posting a quick video that shows them creating. For me this painting did not happen quickly. I worked on it a few hours a day for an an entire week. I finished it last night before my husband & I went out on a date.  An hour before this, I still wasn't happy with the final piece. As an artist I spend a lot of time just looking at a painting. Paintings move from my studio in the basement up to our living room where I can pass by them hung on the wall. This allows me to see what sections I think are working & where improvements could be made.  This post is full of photos, I hope you enjoy seeing how I work.

When I started making marks I thought it was going to turn into an abstract landscape. I had never done one before & was looking forward to it.

I started to create layers with shades of blue, mimicking water & movement.

I added more green & blue paint, let it dry & then had fun with various shades of spray paint. I used white, dark green, pink & royal blue. At this point I really liked what direction the painting was headed.

My palette knife was used a lot adding white, teal green & a moss green. I started to think the painting was appearing like a satellite view on the weather network. Not the kind of landscape I was going for!

I began to add more white paint thinking I could transform it somehow.

After the white dried, I continued to use my palette knife & layer on grey & royal blue.

This day was a breakthrough for me as I approached the painting with a fresh set of eyes. I decided I would go for it & cover up lots of sections with mint green. Sometimes this is hard to do for me as I already have a favourite part of the painting. I really like the dark green drips from the spray paint & didn't want to cover them. Guess what? They are now gone & I'm ok with it!

This is a detail shot. For me taking off layers off the paint after I have added them is an important process. The texture created in the blue shapes on the left allows you to see this. I use a damp rag & rub off paint before it is fully dry.

Another detail shot. I asked my husband what he thought of it so far, he said he could see the Chesire Cat. I decided at this point to title the painting "Wonderland". I often name my paintings after titles of songs I was listening to while creating them. This name just felt right. My oldest daughter came & sat behind me as I painted. Her thoughts were "Wow mom...you really like green". I said to her "Is that a bad thing?" Her reply was "Yes". 

I brought the painting up to our bedroom & stared at it while folding laundry. I had tried several times before to flip it upside down to see if I preferred it better this way. Today I decided I did. The small pink squares on the bottom are not heavy & I was feeling the composition now. I was excited to go back & work on it more, now that I had a new perspective.

Sorry this one's a bit blurry. I have now began to tone down some of the mint green with white. This really excites me & I know that the piece is almost complete!

A detail of the finished piece. I love the bits of yellow that mixed with pink to make a lovely shade of orange. I have always been drawn to circles & squares, you will find some amongst the shapes in this painting.

The final painting "Wonderland" 20x20" Mixed Media on Canvas. Sold.

A few minutes to myself

I am a pretty low maintenance gal & a trip to the hair salon isn't top priority on my calendar. Since I live in Ontario & our winters our COLD!!! I usually wear a toque every time I leave my house. It's tricky with bangs once I have hat head, they really look awful for the rest of the day. One evening last week I found a few hours to sit & relax while my hair was being cut & coloured. I usually don't take a lot of time to read magazines that aren't the home decor ones that I have monthly subscriptions to. The pile that sat next to my chair was amazing & my hair dresser could tell I was excited about the one I was looking at as he was cutting away.

This is the March 2016 issue of Elle Canada a fashion magazine that I got to bring home with me

I am not into fashion trends & usually this type of magazine doesn't catch my attention. I had just read online about an artist named Shantell Martins & her upcoming exhibit in Toronto. This issue has a great interview with her. I follow the design work of Christine Dovey & her Elle Canada Closet project has a great feature as well. The one thing that I was surprised by was how some of the images triggered ideas & memories in my mind of artwork & colour palettes. I am inspired by things I see on a daily basis & this few hours to myself that evening really got ideas flowing.

I used to do a lot of watercolour while in University & nowadays don't use the medium very often. These pages were inspiration for this quick piece.

I love to use cool colours like green & blue, I find them very comforting.

I created this painting a while ago & the dark blue section has always been my favourite section of the painting. To me it has a warmth & distressed feel of your favourite pair of denim jeans.

I think that I may have to browse more fashion ads & magazines. Great ideas are often born when least expected.

Let me work it...

I read something the other day about an artist I admire. She posted a photo of a painting on social media that she had reworked & turned into a new painting. I also do this & thought I might share with you a few pieces that got new life after a few months of sitting around in my studio. At the time I made them I was happy enough the with final result, but after looking at the canvases for a while they just didn't feel quite right.

This painting got reworked and now looks like the piece below

This 10x10" painting titled Comfortable & is sold.

When this painting was created I was never happy with the pink on the top layer, the below painting is it in a new life.

This 8x8" painting titled Palm Springs is a burst of colour & energy. I am so happy I took a chance & added the neon spray paint. It is available in my online shop.

I made this piece & imagined it in a boy's nursery. I always want my work to be versatile and I just wasn't feeling it with this painting. Below is the new & improved version.

This 10x10" painting titled Electric Feel is full of life & was inspired by street art. It is now sold.

As an artist I am still trying to find that groove in my style of painting. I approach each canvas with a fresh set of eyes & look forward to the path it will lead me. Some of you may have liked the before image better than my end result. That's fine, everyone has their own opinion & taste. I personally believe that for my work to be successful I have to love every piece I create. If I wouldn't hang it in my own space then how can I expect a potential customer to fall in love with it & begin an honest relationship with me as an artist.

Think Outside the Box

If you have looked at any of my previous posts you will see that my husband & I have a large collection of artwork in our home. I wanted to share my thoughts on how this was achieved & where you can start looking for art for your own space.

I have found that I have always connected with creative people. If you have a friend, neighbour or co-worker who enjoys photography & takes a pretty good photo ask to see more of their work. They may take some great shots that they would most likely be humbled to share with you if you just asked nicely. A friend of our's, who we met while seated together at a wedding reception, is a lady with many talents. She is a talented musician and a hobby of hers is photography. I asked her for a few images & she emailed them to me. She was also willing to change the size of the jpeg if needed as we enlarged one photo to 4'x 4'. 

The small square is a photo of hers that I mounted on a wood block, you don't need to use a frame all the time. It was quick an easy as I purchased the wood panel from a local craft store and painted it white. The photograph leaning behind it is a signed piece that I found at the Salvation Army for $8. There were 3 different photos in a set as they all had the same frame & matting. This is the only one I purchased & I didn't even have to reframe it which is great. 

I love to check out yard sales as well. Old postcards, photographs, maps, stamps, the collections people have are endless. If you like it, buy it & then figure out how it can be best displayed in your home.

This painting made me smile as soon as I saw it. I am not normally into traditional still lifes or delicate images like this but for $6 what did I have to lose? It now hangs in my daughter's bedroom.

This is an inexpensive way to display something you love. This is a section of a tea towel I purchased as a souvenir from a holiday. It didn't absorb well so I never used it in the kitchen to begin with. A collection of these hoops with different fabric scraps would look great arranged together. I also once cut up an old t-shirt that had a cute saying on it & put it in a hoop. Instant art that is safe to hang in a nursery or above a child's bed. There is no glass & heavy frame in case it falls off the wall while your little ones are playing or jumping on the bed.

The Polka Dot Print is a page of a kids book my daughter no longer looks at. Calendars also have fantastic designs & illustrations worthy of framing. The photograph is a thrift shop deal for $3. Travel photos look great blown up and printed in black & white. The frame was changed to a simple Ikea one & it has always hung on the gallery wall in our living room. I have a thing for vintage chairs & it was love at first sight.

If you have children they most likely have a favourite toy or love to collect things. Legos, action figures & stuffed animals have the potential to make some interesting & affordable art for kids rooms. Or if you are a grown-up who adores Star Wars, keep the art for your office or television room.

My sister passed this on to my girls a few years ago & I snapped a few photos. I think it would be a great addition to many gallery walls.

Vintage toys such as this telephone are graphic & colourful. I photographed this one I received from my Grandma a few years ago.

If you are a creative person & have a friend who is as well see if they are willing to trade with you. My girlfriend did this painting for me & I made her one in return. Maybe you do embroidery, sew or make wall hangings. Someone would love to have a unique hand made item, you just have to ask I'm sure you will find a few willing participants to swap with especially during the holidays. This is a photograph another girlfriend took, she focus's mainly on newborn's so she gave me the jpeg of this for free. I just had to get it printed & framed. It sits on our kitchen counter & I love looking at it.

You may think this signed & numbered print was purchased at an expensive home decor store as it is on trend with colours for 2016. However it was found at a local consignment shop for under $10. I kept it in the original black frame as it was in great condition.

Of course I would love it if you purchased artwork from small businesses like mine but, reality is that it can get expensive if you are trying to start a collection or fill multiple walls in your space. My rule is that if you can afford it & love it, buy it! You will find a space for it even if you are unsure where you will put it at the time of the purchase. Nowadays, anyone can take a half-decent photo with the use of a cell phone & add a filter on it to make it look unique. Have fun experimenting, you may capture an image that you want to display in your home.

Studio Scenes

I post a few work in progress photographs on Instagram a few times a week. I am really enjoying sharing my thoughts and inspirations on this form of social media. Before I joined it last summer, I didn't even know what a hash tag was...true fact! Receiving feedback & reading comments on pieces has been helpful. So far, I have found the community very supportive. If you do not follow me on Instagram, here are some of the highlights from the past few weeks.

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#doitfortheprocess and #creativityfound are two hashtags I use a lot. These paintings were shared as I worked on them in my studio. These books were christmas gifts I received, all great inspiration for finding creativity in art & design. I've already completed two of them.

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A tea towel that shrunk is now a new painting cloth, and a photo I purchased a few years ago at the One Of A Kind Show that gave me a colour palette to work from.

Painted this without realizing I was using Pantone's colours of the year, Rose Quartz & Serenity. Images I see in design influence my work even if I am not aware of it at the time. 

Music, Art & Design.

While watching Sonic Highways, a show that documents the Foo Fighters as they record an album, an idea came to me for a blog post. Mike D from the Beastie Boys was being interviewed and I remembered that I had read about his home a few years ago, online, in The New York Times.

It was 2013 when I first came across this article. Mike & his wife Tamra, a filmmaker, have mixed a variety of elements & styles together to create a unique family home. The one thing I still remembered three years later was a large abstract painting that hung in the living room. I didn't know exactly what it looked like but, I remember the feeling I had when I first saw it. I needed to find out more on this young Brooklyn artist, Keltie Ferris.

What a great mix of styles. A room I would feel very comfortable in.

Her work & this painting are so colourful & full of energy. I think the use of spray paint really adds a three dimensional quality to this piece. I can only hope that one day my work resonates with those who come across it, and that it is an image that remains with them in some form.

The family put this home up for sale last summer. I would love to know where this beautiful piece of art now resides.

Painting by Keltie Ferris

You do not have to hang a large piece of art or a mirror over a mantle. The armoire and painting are both rectangular, the symmetry and placement of them on either side of the fireplace make this wall balanced.

Full house tour can be found here on the NY Times website:

http://nyti.ms/1ZSU4qA

Comfort Zone

Last week I shared a few photos on instagram of new art I am so excited about. I've had an idea in my mind & the box of resin sitting on a shelf for too long. Stepping out of your comfort zone is a great way to expand as an artist, no matter what medium you work in. Photography is a hobby of mine & I look forward to producing a new body of work.

I am not limited to work in only one material,  I will only get better as I practise my craft & discover new ways to express myself. The New Year will also bring some collaborations that I am excited to share.

A messy process, but totally worth it.

I started with an 8x10" size, excited to work on larger pieces in 2016.

I think this piece would be a great addition to a gallery wall in your home or at a cottage. You can tell from my art collection I'm a proud Canadian.

The Art Gallery of Peterborough

We moved back to my hometown of Peterborough two years ago. When we left Burlington I thought it may be difficult to find fun activities & outings for the girls & I to experience in this new city. Turns out I was wrong.  

One of our favourite things to do at the beginning of each month is to explore the local Art Gallery. They have free craft projects & activities, encouraging families to come explore the entire space. Last week as we looked at all of the art hanging on the walls, my youngest daughter asked me to take photos of some of her favourite pieces. If you check out the link below it will take to the Gallery's website. Since I was walking with a four year old I was unable to get the info on each artist to credit them...sorry.

My daughter loved this as it was abstract... like her mom does

This one was her favourite it's so colourful!

Dancing under this whimsical installation

If you are looking for something to do with your kids, check out your local galleries. You might be surprised by how much they already know about art & how kid friendly the galleries are.

www.agp.on.ca

Artist Feature

I am excited to share some fun wallpaper designs I have recently collaborated on, with two wonderful ladies from California. You can learn more about my artistic background & what motivates me in the studio if you read the Q & A as well. Check out the feature at: www.cheekybillo.com and www.hellolovely.com.

Looking for the perfect book...

...for someone this holiday season? I've got some recommendations & you may want to get a copy for yourself as well.

First up is the ever so talented, spunky, blonde mother of two Emily Henderson. If you are unfamiliar with her, she won "Design Star" on HGTV, had her own show "Secrets From a Stylist" on the same network, & is now Target's home style expert. I don't think she has ever done something I didn't like, she uses just the right combo of quirky, vintage & modern. She also hoards art, so I gotta love her! Her first book "Styled" has just been released & is the talk of every home decor blog I read. 

I have been reading a Canadian online magazine "Covet Garden" for years & their first publication in print was great. It showcases real people in their real surroundings. These homes belong to creative types who have a passion for decor & have not used an interior designer or stylist. Looking through the pages you will see a unique mix of eclectic spaces with their own character & charm.

I am one of those people who like "coffee table books" with beautiful covers & photos you drool over. I discovered the work of Canadian architect Todd Saunders after reading about his project Fogo Island. "Architecture in Northern Landscapes" has endless images of beautiful structures in their natural surroundings. A great read for someone who admires contemporary design, architecture & photography.

"The Wes Anderson Collection" is a conversation piece of its own. It captures the whimsical, unique style of his work & also shares with fans previously unpublished photos & artwork. I have not seen all of his movies, but once I started reading about each film I couldn't put it down.

The next two books you may share with your children, or choose to hide & read when they're in bed. "Who Built That? Modern Houses" & "The Lego Architect". You can choose if you want to learn about mid-century style, or how many bricks it takes to make a variety of structures from the Art Deco movement.

If you love food & are open to trying new cuisine, then Amy Rosen has got you covered in "Toronto Cooks: A cookbook of the city's hottest culinary trends". In this you will find 103 recipes from 48 restaurants across the city. Amy says "I wanted recipes that people can execute, and that they will execute. My biggest passion is getting people to cook at home". She asked the chefs to prepare these recipes at home, without the help of a sous chef, & with ingredients the average kitchen would already have on hand. Maple Bacon doughnuts...enough said!

The last book on my list is one that my husband ordered for us for Christmas last year. "Swissted" is graphic, colourful & is totally one of a kind. Do you have any other books that come with pages that are meant to be torn out & used as artwork on your wall? I didn't think so. If you love music, design or have a thing for font, then Mike Joyce has made your day. All of the concert dates are actual events that have been performed, he has just made the poster for each one look 100% better. This book sits proudly on the side table in our living room & I have a wall in our entry way that is filled from floor to ceiling with posters.(Warning, it is almost impossible to choose your favourite's). I haven't gotten around to putting the acrylic on top of them yet, hopefully by 2016 that happens.

All opinions are my own.

Starting an Art Collection

I am excited to share that I was chosen to participate in this year's Square Foot Art Show in Hamilton Ontario.  Julie Veenstra is a local artist, & she is opening up her studio for a great event to kick off Hamilton's Art Crawl.  Help support local artists & add to, or start an art collection of your own.

If you are interested in purchasing an original piece of artwork, remember bigger isn't always better. Smaller pieces are less of a financial commitment, allowing you to own works by several artists you love...not just one.

You can create an eclectic feel to your space by collecting pieces over time. I personally love choosing artwork as a souvenir from a holiday, this way I remember my favourite vacation spot for years to come. Art is the easiest way to personalize your space, remember that when looking through your own photographs.

If you ever move into a new home or office space, smaller pieces are more versatile. They are easier to move around, & if you don't hang them you can lean them on a bookshelf or mantle. Often a different space or wall colour will give your piece a new look & feel.

When grouped together, they can have just as much impact as a large piece. If you look back on my previous post on Gallery Walls, you will see some photos from our home that display this.

I think the most important advice I could offer to an art collector is to buy what you love. If something speaks to you & makes you happy every time you look at it that this is a sign. Art shouldn't match your decor, it should be the element that is the conversation piece in the room.

If you are interested in checking out the show, make sure you attend the preview first. Opening night is crazy, artwork is literally flying off the walls!

http://www.juliaveenstra.com

The Blues...

...recently I even named a painting this. When I make a colour palette for a piece, inspiration is pulled from many directions. I tend to choose cool colours & never use warm shades such as red & orange. Things in our home such as decor & artwork, influence my choices even if I am not aware of it at the time. The obvious influence for many artists is nature, blue skies & green grass, so inspiring. Looking at my gallery as a whole, I've noticed these colours are often repeated. 

This paint by numbers was a thrift shop find.

Ten years ago, this was our master bedroom (Jonathan Adler was my inspiration). This was before stencils were popular... this was all tape & laser level. I think turquoise is one of my favourite colours.

What inspires my artwork?

When I find a new artist I admire, I enjoy reading about their thought process & where the inspiration for their work stems from. If you haven't already read my Bio, then you may not know that I adore colour, texture, & pattern. If you are on instagram, then you have been able to see some photos of our home that display this.

I feel a connection to street art & murals, as the texture is often layered & the more the paint is chipped & distressed the better. The vivid colours, shapes & composition get me excited & I usually need to photograph the image.

These pieces now hang proudly in our living room, a female figure whom I stumbled across while walking on my honeymoon in Montreal .  

This image says "You & Me Create" & is a piece of the Berlin wall. While visiting Frank Lloyd Wright's Kentuck Knob home outside Pittsburgh, we walked through the sculpture park on the grounds & were able to see some great installations and sculptures, this being one of them.

Some examples of my work that I feel express a bold, gestural quality often seen on the street.

Don't Wait, Do It!

For years now I have been telling myself & those who seemed interested in my artwork, that one day I would have a website that they could use to view my work. Well the day has come & I am very proud of myself for taking a lot of time this summer to create more work, & try to stick to a deadline. I think that has been my problem in the past, but this time there was something driving me to get it done by a certain date. I will share that with you, but not today my friends....the anticipation yes, I know!

Passion is a word I think of when I think of painting & actually making art. The creative process & the feeling I get after I finish a piece is such an adrenaline rush. After finishing school, I worked in  and managed numerous retail stores, that focussed on design & were styled perfectly. I was happy with what I was doing, & thought that I could never make a living out of being an artist.

The internet & social media was not like it is today. There are so many resources, podcasts & books teaching & coaching you on how to do what you love. I'm making myself sound old now...I just turned 38. Whenever I took the time for myself to do a commission or create artwork, I often wondered why I didn't do it more frequently. I think the answer is that I would put away my supplies after I was done with them, as I never had a studio space in my prior homes. It seemed like such a chore to get everything out & either hang out in the unfinished basement, or spread it on the dining room table that I just didn't bother.

Now I have a space in our current home, that I have created for me. A corner where I can post up photos & memories that inspire me & that I love to look at. This time I am going for it! I am not allowing myself to give up. Opportunities are now in front of me, & I am ready to succeed. I also think I am now mature enough to embrace failure, instead of taking rejection or criticism personally.

Image from http://www.thisislu.us