Good morning to you!~
    First, thanks for all the thoughts and prayers and wishes for rain you’ve sent here to Oklahoma. They’re all greatly appreciated. And although we haven’t seen any more rain and our chances are still slim, it has been cooler, especially on Sunday. It was beautiful on Sunday. Low 90s I think, but it practically felt like fall. I was able to take the dogs out for an evening walk, something we haven’t been able to do in weeks, and they loved it. The sky was clear of smoke and I just feel thankful that the danger has passed and we’re rolling closer and closer to the beginning of school and, of course, autumn!~

I have been hard at work lately on some custom pieces, and I wanted to show you a couple that I’ve finished and have sent to their homes. The first is this American flag inspired angel which I made as a special gift. Last summer our neighbor and Oklahoma National Guard staff sergeant lost his life in Afghanistan. Last summer was a really, really hard year for the Oklahoma units and it just made my heart ache for his wonderful family and all those families who lost their loved ones. This summer our neighborhood decided to dedicate our neighborhood playground in his honor and I wanted to also make a little something special for the family to let them know that they were still in my thoughts and prayers, so I created this little angel as my humble thanks to them. I created her in a classic Americana style and while it might be hard to tell from a photo, the star was painted in a gold paint that has lots of shine, and there is also some gold detail in the halo. I was happy to make this for my neighbors, they are a really great family.

   Another special painting that I completed recently is this engagement present for a really talented Oklahoma couple! They are both local musicians making a name for themselves in the indie music scene. I’ve done a couple of paintings for some friends of theirs, and these friends commissioned me to create this portrait for John and Samantha. After listening to their music and seeing some of their photos, I got a sense that a really grass roots, natural, Oklahoma-themed painting would be well suited to them. So I used a really natural palette with local wildflowers like Queen Anne’s Lace, the Oklahoma State Bird– the Scissor Tail Flycatcher– and a lyric from one of their favorite songs.

    I’m so happy to finally get to share these paintings with you and hope you like them! Of course I hope their new owners love them best of all! I’ve had a spurt of custom projects lately and they are always a fun challenge. I try to discover what it is that the owners love and what will compliment their personality and aesthetic. I try to make each piece a balance of myself— since ‘myself’ is what people are drawn to when they ask me to make something– and also the person the painting will belong to. If you’re ever interested in having your own piece created, you’re welcome to browse through my FAQ section for more information!

   Well, off to start the day!~ Have a lovely Tuesday~
~H