Designated Doodler

Thanksgiving approaches. It's hard to believe it's here, yet here I am, wishing it were May. I suppose I should slow down and savor life. I think I've been enjoying myself. Here are a few pictures from life as I know it. And as my birthday approaches, I'm hoping for more fun and general shenanigans. Wish me luck! It wouldn't be my blog without some of my art, right?   Some student work that looks FANTASTIC. So proud of my kids. More of my art. Wolf. More unfinished art. Actually finished art. My sample for my students. Led some more painting classes. Then made some paintings of my own. Gobble. More art. My cat. My spirit animal. Trips to the HMFA!   Trips to Crave Cupcakes!! Roses, how sweet :D First place! The 'Stang.

What a day, what a day, what a day! Yesterday was nuts.  Friday night I (was so tired that I) went to bed at 7pm and woke up at 7am to make baked goods to take to the old folks home. Disaster #1: While the cupcakes I made were perfect, the brownies were way undercooked and inedible. Disaster #2: The venue for my b-day party called THE DAY OF THE PARTY and wanted to move my party up a half hour. So I had to call everyone and tell them about the time change. It kept a few people from coming. Bingo with the elderly went well, and afterward, I went to Starbucks. Disaster #3: I told the barista at Starbucks that it was my birthday and she looked at me like I was nuts. I felt really stupid. Like…she gawked at me for a solid 3 minutes, thinking that my name was "birthday." Weirdness #1: Ran into one of my students at Starbucks for the second day in a row. Weirdness #2: That student and I both left Starbucks at the same time and both showed up at the ca...

Houstonians, I need your help! The deadline to purchase tickets for the upcoming RAWK Holiday Show is fast approaching - and whatever tickets I don't sell - I have to buy myself. Needless to say, on a teacher's salary, that's no bueno. So if you're a human being that lives in Houston and enjoys having fun, I urge you to buy a ticket to the show! Details: * $15 a ticket * Event is at Stereo Live (10 mins from downtown, 20 mins from Katy) * Event is December 11 from 7:30pm - 12:00am (stay as long or as little as you want) * Buy tickets here:  http://www.rawartists.org/lizrector * Cocktail attire (skirt/dress for the ladies, button-down shirt (tie) & dress pants for guys) Why you should go: + You're supporting local artists just by showing up + It's a great idea for a date night ("Hey honey, let's grab dinner at a fancy restaurant and then go check out Liz's art!") +You can buy holiday gifts for people! +My art is not pricey...

Do you live in Houston? Do you enjoy looking at beautiful artwork, having a fun date night with your honey bun, meeting new people, having fun and supporting the hopes and dreams of this artist right here? Than come to the RAWK Holiday show, featuring yours truly! Tickets are only $15, and you're in no way obligated to buy anything. You can just come and have a blast if you want! I'm thrilled that I was scouted through my Etsy shop and made a featured artist in this show. It's such a fantastic opportunity as an artist, and an awesome belated birthday gift for me. So if you're able to come, I'd be thrilled to see your smiling face there on December 11 at Stereo Live in Houston. You're support means so much to me, even simply buying a ticket if you're not able to come would help me out a ton. To buy tickets go here:  http://www.rawartists.org/lizrector Thank you to all my friends and family who have encouraged my artistic development through the year...

You'd think that a person who got twelve hours of sleep last night wouldn't be daydreaming about a nap, yet hereI am. It just looks so dark outside, despite sunset being three hours away. My class starts at 7:00. It's so incredible being able to teach others art...painting. And although it hasn't started yet I can picture all of the paints arranged neatly in their plates, the fidgety faces staring back at me, worried about their paintings that don't exist yet. But then I talk and their expressions relax. I move and they move and our canvases go from white to finished. And the best ones, the best paintings, are done by those who can shut their brains off. Turn their anticipation for perfection off. Stop thinking. It's probably why I'm an artist. It's the strongest drug. Let go of everything, just move, and when you're done you have this beautiful expression of thought. But you can't think too much when making it. It's a delicate process th...

I’ve seen a lot as a part-time paint instructor and assistant. And I’ve learned a lot having minored in art at TCU. So I will now proceed to share with you little kernels of my artistic wisdom. Prepare yourself. 1) Over-thinking ruins everything If you’re sitting in front of (or hovering over) your canvas, direly afraid of messing up; you will mess up. Art is instinctual and emotional (unless you are working in a geometric, grid-like or mathematical way). And therefore you must think first with your heart and then with your head (if at all). The less of a crap you give – the better your painting will be. You shouldn’t take things too seriously – even if you mess up. There has been many a time where my screw-ups turned into the best part of my painting. As a painting and art instructor I’ve noticed that it’s when people “lose themselves” in the painting and stop worrying about it so much that they create something great. 2) Acrylic vs. Oil If you...