i deserve a gold trophy.

I deserve a trophy. No, I am not tooting my own horn on the looks of these babies, I'm tooting my own horn that I have successfully met all of the deadlines that I needed to meet for the semester and that I PUSHED myself to experiment, explore and improve my painting skills. And the outcome you ask? I couldn't be more pleased. I feel like this semester I put in a ton of hard work and dedication that has resulted in reflecting who I am and my own style. I feel as though I am beginning to find my specialty in painting. I know what hopefully (with fingers crossed) could sell and allow me to make some money, and I know what is secretly passion for me and my guilty pleasures of painting that people wouldn't normally purchase (ex. my portraits and things like that). But I will continue to paint the things that make me blush because it's who I am deep down, what I love and what keeps me giddy and wanting more.

I think I have finally passed the area of viewing painting as a chore and now I view it as something crave and have to do at least an hour a day or I'll go insane! I've always had a love for painting, but now that I have found my niche and I kind of have this attitude that I'm going to do it my way and have fun with what I do, and if it doesn't please others, so be it, and if it does, I'll shout for joy.

This summer is going to be a blast! I can't wait to bring out some old paintings that I treasure but have never gotten around to finishing, and I am so excited to dive into other new things. One being... a southern plantation (if i dare). I just really love the work that I do, and I love the time I spend on it, because I know it's time not wasted.

With five portraits, seven abstracts and one large "great gatsby-like hotel" down, I can confidently say, it's been a really great semester.

The Don Cesar Hotel I'll post in a separate post, for it's become my new prized possession.