Another Piece Found its Home

Sky's the limit: Acrylic on Canvas, 2014

8" x 10"

Thank you! :)

I am hoping I will have more to write about soon. I'm finished with school in just a little over a week!

First Phelony Sale - Mountainside Escape

Mountainside Escape: Acrylic on Canvas, 2010

8" x 10"

Earlier this month I sold my first piece at Phelony. I have sold plenty of art online, but this is my first third party sale, which is a big deal to me, because between work, school, and recovery, I have very little time to promote my work.

Big thanks to Paul Lambert and Amanda Greenwaldt for making this possible!

Whitney Houston: Acrylic on Canvas, 2014

24" x 24"

Just a quick update! Finally finished a piece I've been working on for a very dear friend. It was meant to be his birthday present, but that was September 15th, so... OOPS! Anyway, happy extremely belated birthday, Theo, I love you! 

Work is Up and Ready to Go!!

Setting up my work @ Phelony!

So last night I finally got my work hung up on the walls at Phelony in Tucson Mall. The store was meant to open today, which happens to also be owner Amanda Greenwaldt's birthday (Happy Birthday, girl! You rock!) However, Mall management wasn't able to do their official walk-through yet, so the date has been pushed off to Wednesday or Thursday. Luckily, this gives Paul and Amanda a little extra time to spruce things up; they have been working SO HARD! In the meantime, here is a SNEAK PEEK!

Amanda, hard at work, as usual.

My art, ready to hang.

A few pictures of me with my art finally up and ready to go!

Thank you Paul and Amanda for this wonderful opportunity!

Best of luck! :)

Phelony at Tucson Mall Opening October 21st, 2014

Phelony: Coming soon!

Tucson Mall near JC Penny

October 21st, 2014

Phelony, a new store owned by Amanda Greenwaldt and artist Paul Lambert is coming to Tucson Mall. My art will be featured here, along with several other local Tucson artists, with all sorts of mediums. This is perhaps the most multi-dimensional art business I have seen. 

Part of making this dream a reality is funding, and the time is almost up! To support the arts and Tucson small business, please take the time to donate to Phelony's kickstarter program, here!

Their website, http://www.ttowncustoms.com/ , will soon be changing to their new domain name, PhelonyArt.com. 

They have also created a brand new Facebook fan page, Phelony.

Please take the time to look, like, donate, and visit, to support the arts in Tucson, Arizona. To learn more about Paul and Amanda, click here.

Keep the arts alive, Tucson!

Featured Piece: Dare to Adore

Dare to Adore: Acrylic on Canvas, 2014

24" x 24"

Sometimes, one of the best ways for me to clear my head is to get my cacophony of thoughts and emotions onto canvas. I struggle with high anxiety, which is often due to an inability to sort through thoughts and feelings in a logical manner. Imagine if you went into a doctor's office, and instead of keeping files on a computer or neatly organized in a file cabinet, their walls were covered in post-it notes with various names, diagnoses, allergies, and bills scattered about with no system of organization whatsoever. This is what it feels like sometimes in my mind!

I have learned a lot of coping skills the past few years. I keep lists, notes, and files on my phone and computer, and I occasionally journal when I need to get something out. I have learned breathing and grounding techniques, and many times when I'm feeling anxious, I clean, because clearing up physical clutter helps to lessen the mental clutter.

"But," I thought "what would these thoughts look like on canvas?"

Dare to Adore is a piece I created during a time when I was overwhelmed by uncertainty and a lack of confidence. Traditionally, a less-than-ideal state for an artist's mind to be in while creating. However, when we stop placing negative labels on our thoughts and feelings (i.e.: "This thought is BAD! I shouldn't be feeling this way!") we can open ourselves up to healing our minds in a compassionate way, rather than berating our minds into submission.

This piece was born out of chaos and self-doubt, and in turn inspired order and confidence. Art is an amazing tool and a powerful catalyst for change!

Featured Piece: Dexed

Dexed: Acrylic on Canvas, 2010

12" x 16"

This is a piece that I painted during my active addiction to Dextromethorphan (also called DXM). For those who don't know, Dextromethorphan is a drug used in cough suppressants, which, when taken at high doses, produces a dissociative effect most similar to drugs such as Ketamine (Special K) and PCP. Without going into too much gory detail, it strongly distorts your perception of reality. Most DXM users take it recreationally, but when I began taking it at age 19, it set in motion a near-fatal spiral of addiction.

The painting includes an artistic rendering of a DXM molecule. The girl in the corner is me as I perceived myself during the high. I felt dirty and lost, but I could not stop, no matter how hard I tried. I fought for a long time, going back time and time again, overdosing and landing myself in the hospital no less than a dozen times over the next 7 years.

In 2010, I went to rehab, but relapsed over and over. Finally, I was able and willing to get the help I needed. I have been clean since February 12, 2013, and have no desire to return to that life. This painting is a reminder of all I endured, and the damage I caused to myself and everyone around me. I am grateful every day that I am clean. It is truly a miracle.