These were taken just a few steps from the studio door. I love the light in this little alley – and even though it was super windy, we caught a few good ones. This is supermodel Jenna, my niece…

I just found out that the wonderful red mastiff that is everywhere on my website (and the 2008 Best Friend calendar) passed away last month. I think he was over 8 years old which is a great age for these gentle giants.  I'm so glad we have some wonderful portraits to remember him by. He was such a handsome guy!

We’re putting together a portfolio for Andrew, who may be doing some modeling soon. He was in the studio today and we experimented with the new background and some different types of light. Isn’t he great?

Many of my clients have been photographed on the beautiful "watercolor" background I had painted by local artist, JoAnn Vincent. I used it for all of the Tulips & Tutu sessions. It’s beautiful and truly one-of-a-kind. I’m very proud of it.  But you probably don’t know the artist. She has been doing lovely florals and landscapes for many years now, and has just survived breast cancer for the SECOND time. She had a double mastectomy  in October and finished chemotherapy about 6 weeks ago.

She’s feeling strong enough to paint again, so I pulled out a blank canvas and put her to work! The photos below show the new masterpiece-in-progress. We decided to work on it in my studio, in the light for which it will be used. I am thrilled with the results – and in awe of the talent and strength of this woman. Thanks, Mom.

I was sent a link to a video about a blind painter. And I thought, "okay, another good story about someone who has overcome their challenges" but WOW! This young man is amazing. This is not a cute little story about someone who has learned to paint a bowl of fruit by doing it over and over again. This is an artist expressing himself…and he’s right here in our area. Watch it when you have time. 

SAVE THE DATE!

Working with clients to design their birth announcements is one of my favorite things to do. We buy templates and designs from graphic artists all over the country and then customize them – and I’m always looking for something creative and fun- so when I came across this line I snapped it up immediately. Lots of chocolate brown and I love the fact that we can use portrait images on BOTH sides, and completely customize them. A contemporary feel, but still warm. Lots of moms order wall-sized versions of the announcements for the nursery. Here are a couple of examples (front & back) from the new line…of course, the names have been changed for privacy reasons.