A Branch

I am about to extend a branch in a new direction.  This branch has been pondered, committed to prayer and I think it's finally time to take a courageous leap.

Ever since I was a little girl, I have been a maker.

Despite this and due to some life altering events in my early teens, I never fully developed or acted on that instinct.  I spent many years doodling and making things without fully realizing that I had a knack for it, and so I never took it seriously.  In 2007 I stumbled on Etsy and my mindset toward creativity began to change.  These people were making things for a job?!  These people were painting, building, welding, sewing beautiful, imaginative things, and I knew in my heart that I someday wanted to as well-- but could I?  Did I really have ideas like these artists and inventors?  For a long time I told myself no, but over the past year or two I have been timidly proving myself wrong.

When I opened my small vintage clothing shop over a year ago, I did so to share my love of old things with others, but also to pave the way for the handmade shop I knew I would someday have.  It's taken me time to muster the confidence in my work, and to decide on a medium to begin with.  I love far too many kinds of art; drawing, painting, metal working, leather...how does one choose!?  And yet, I finally have chosen two (at least for the time being).  Painting (a simple but limitless jumping off point), and a very specific kind of leather working (something I have dabbled in and have often dreamt of fully pursuing). 

I'll begin with painting while I glean more knowledge in the leather working arena.  Here is a sneak peek of the (small and humble) collection of paintings I'll be listing in my shop soon.  A dainty mouse lighting among the vines, an updated version of my favorite backwoodsman, a girl wearing a precious heirloom, and a swing-sitting bear cub.

Look for the full versions of these four paintings in my shop in the next few days.  Hopefully this will lead to a separate handmade shop down the road, only time will tell. 

More to come... -^_^-

*Update 10/2/11 - Here are my currently listed paintings:

Upon A Vine, Cub and Swing, and Adam Pontipee 2012