For awhile I thought I had lost you...but here you are again. So much has changed in my journey as an artist and a mother and a dreamer. If you would like to know more about me and how to connect with my new creative life, start at my website: kelleewynnestudios.com 
Hope to hear from you soon!

100 Little Memories

****this blog has just come back online after over a two year break***

Yes, ONE HUNDRED small paintings daily for the next 
ONE HUNDRED days! 

***update, due to an extraordinary long break in service, these are no longer available through this site for purchase***I can think of no better way to find creative inspiration than to start a new project. For the next 100 days I will post a new mini masterpiece in celebration of all the little memories I want to capture. Each painting will be 3"x 4" and matted in a 5"x 7" mat with cellophane wrapping and available for sale through PayPal. The price is $25 and in includes free shipping to the US and discounted everywhere else. Please contact me through email: kelleewynne (at) gmail (dot) com. Thank you for your continued support!

Don't forget to check back daily or follow along with new posts on FACEBOOK.

Which Little Memory will you bring home today?

"Little Memory #1" 3x4 Mini Pastel Painting by Kellee Wynne Conrad SOLD

"Little Memory #2" 3x4 Mini Pastel Painting by Kellee Wynne Conrad, $25

"Little Memory #3" 3x4 Mini Pastel Painting by Kellee Wynne Conrad, $25

"Little Memory #4" 3x4 Mini Pastel Painting by Kellee Wynne Conrad, $25

"Little Memory #5" 3x4 Mini Pastel Painting by Kellee Wynne Conrad, $25

"Little Memory #6" 3x4 Mini Pastel Painting by Kellee Wynne Conrad, SOLD

"Little Memory #7" 3x4 Mini Pastel Painting by Kellee Wynne Conrad, $25

"Little Memory #8" 3x4 Mini Pastel Painting by Kellee Wynne Conrad, $25

Friday Happy Hour: If You Build It....

They will come. And come they did! All emerging artists dream of that moment when they finally see their name on a gallery wall and a little red dot next to their work of art. And there I was floating above the crowds watching the surreal evening unfold. Was this really me? Were so many good friends and family members driving from near and far just to share in this moment with me? Did I actually have collectors and gallery owners come to see what the fuss was about? Yes, I put my whole heart into creating the art, making the right connections, and then following through to see that this first show was a great beginning.

Yes, I built it. But you came. And you have supported me in so many ways. You were there from the early beginning when I put away my crafts and pulled out the paint. You were cheering me on with every new post to the world wide web.  You told me to put away the how-to books, shut off the internet, stop concerning myself with what others are doing and just make more art. You believed in me and asked me what I was waiting for. You inspired me to just to keep going. And then you showed up for the big day, either in person or in spirit; I know you are all by my side.  I am grateful for a life spent making meaningful connections with people who matter. I am grateful for you.

Every week is the best week ever, but this week is especially wonderful. Thank you for being a part of my journey.  Thank you for being a part of my life. Now I have to ask you:

What are you waiting for?

What will you build?

And how can I support you in following your dreams?

Just take the first step, I’m right here with you….

Full Circle

Group Show: Melange I at the Circle Gallery, Reception March 3rd

I made a promise to myself. A commitment of personal growth, of significant change. One fall afternoon, more than two years ago, I made a decision to put aside my crafting hobbies in order to pursue my dream of being an artist. I made the announcement and posted it publicly HERE and then set out to make good on my word.  It didn’t happen all at once. I didn’t get to jump right in. But between sorting laundry and sorting out my priorities, I began building a future in art.

The idea has been with me since childhood when I would illustrate my own stories or draw ideas for new toys. And in high school where I would skip class to hang out in the art room or spend my summers in and out of all my artist neighbors’ studios. I almost made plans as a young adult to rent a cottage by the sea and paint my life away, but I had a different destiny at that time. All those dreams got packed away as I carried on with my life. And if it weren’t for this beautiful life I am living right now, the dream would not have come full circle. The opportunity and desire would not have presented itself once again.

And, yet, here I am…one step at a time down the long road, slowly but surely keeping my promise to myself. This weekend is the reception to a group show at the CIRCLE GALLERY in Annapolis where I have a selection of new art hanging on the wall. I have painted, I have submitted, I have put my heart into this and now I am ready for the world! Or at least my corner of it…

 I am so humbled and honored by the support I have had to get to where I am now and grateful for those who would continue to see me achieve my dreams. Thank you for taking the time to be a part of my life and my journey. Thank you for the opportunity. It’s truly wonderful to be able to create and share it with you. Now it’s time to go and MAKE MORE ART!

You can see more art at www.kelleewynneconrad.com

Friday Happy Hour: Make More Art

My hands are dirty. My heart is full. I’ve been busy, busy, busy. I’ve painted up a bunch of new stuff….but the work has just begun. A dozen paintings do not make a body of work. One gallery show does not make me a star. A couple of sales do not make me a success. A few accolades does not mean I can call myself a master of anything except taking a risk and even then, it is a small risk for the small steps I have taken. The work has just begun.

“Don’t think about making art, just get it done.

Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad,

whether they love it or hate it.

While they are deciding,

make even more art.” –Andy Warhol

I love this quote by Andy Warhol. Make more art. I’ve been told that I need to make a hundred paintings and then I might start to understand how to paint. A thousand more and it will really sink in. And it’s more important than ever to ignore what other people are saying and just keep painting. Just keep singing, writing, designing, making and doing what you love, and don’t stop for anyone because there is a place for everyone in the creative world.

And I am just beginning.  I am excited and nervous. But I can’t stop now. Each step forward propels me on to the next, and on I go. Every week that I create something new is the best week ever. Every opportunity that unfolds before me tells me, I know I’m going in the right direction. A hundred paintings, a thousand more? The work has just begun.

Friday Happy Hour: When the Dust Settles

I've often said I work two full time jobs and get paid little for either. By day (and night and weekends and holidays) I am the domestic caretaker of a house full of monkeys; I am a stay at home mom. And when I can squeeze out an hour or three, I throw myself at this little dream I have of being an artist. Neither pay much, but when the dust settles I expect to see that the payoff will be greater than monetary rewards. 

The monkeys are already growing into strong vikings with dreams of their own and the little art career I dream of is slowly growing into a reality. The little steps I take today are evolving into a bigger sense of purpose and fulfillment. With each stroke of color I discover a new facet of myself. The joy of motherhood is more than the soft scent of new born babies; I never knew that my teenager could leave me in just as much awe today as he did with his first smile. And standing before a blank canvas is just as daunting and exhilarating, even after I have had little successes like being hung on a gallery wall or selling paintings. Because the challenge is still within myself. Any reward I hope to see out of my future will not come of luck, but rather step by step. Each mad, dusty, creative, driven and dedicated moment I put into it right now.  

So, yes, it's another best week ever because each week built upon the last will eventually lead to one beautiful life. When the dust settles, what will you see?

Friday Happy Hour: Winter is Coming

It’s 17 degrees. I miss California. Before long it will be sweltering again and I will have forgotten the icy mid-winter tundra that has settled on the Northeast. The cold blast has brought us a time to slow down, bundle up and stay warm together. It has brought a sense of home and family that only winter temperatures can bring. My toes may be frozen, but my heart is warm.

The New Year must begin in winter. We are wrapped in the comfort of our homes, making it hard to ignore the deeper workings of our hearts and minds. What better time to step back and reflect. What better time to look forward and plan. What better time to just enjoy the moment and learn to be, when there is little other choice? Enjoy the moment of quiet, for all too soon the birds and bees will be busy again and we will have work to do.

This was the best week ever as snow finally graced the ground here after a nearly two year absence. Here is the story in photos:

Friday Happy Hour Returns

This Friday is greeted with a clear sunrise on cold winter morning. The days and weeks have slipped by without a mention of Happy Hour here at the blog. Until this week I have been missing in action; busy in my own world and little thought has been put into the weekly ritual. Have you been celebrating without me? Have you continued to take the HAPPY HOUR CHALLENGE? In my heart I know it is always the best week ever, even if I haven’t put it down in words. And like any other challenge in life, we can begin again to get it right!

My journey has continued in the absence of blogging. I have continued to push myself into the art world that I have my sights set on. My kids are growing into healthy Vikings. The years are accumulating in birthdays and anniversaries, both of which I feel are great accomplishments to share with my husband and partner in this wild ride called life. And living in the Mid-Atlantic is always an adventure. I’d say this was the best week ever, because every hour I add on to this crazy life is one more hour I have a chance to get it right.

What else made it the best week ever? What makes this moment so great?

·         My middlest son participates in the country’s second largest school instrument program in a public school and performed violin at the school concert. All though I think he would prefer to rock out in a band, this is a great beginning.

·         I balanced the house budget. And it did not take a last minute hostage crisis in congress to get it done.

·         I attended my second reception at the Circle Gallery in Annapolis for one of my pastel paintings that was juried into a show. Later in the week I was called to give an interview about my experience and my art to The Capital newspaper. How exciting!

Juror, Matt Klos, giving Kellee Conrad an art critique for her
Gettysburg  painting  at the Circle gallery in Annapolis.

·         Downton Abby = hopelessly addicted.

·         I am overwhelmed by clutter and projects to be tackled in my comfortable suburban home. And it’s a constant reminder of how happy I am to have this wonderful place to live.

·         Good conversation, good food, great ideas…there is always time to savor a moment with family and friends and that is what truly makes these moments worth celebrating.

Here’s to a New Year and a renewed spirit of the Friday Happy Hour. So, tell me, what have you been celebrating while I was gone?

Let's Begin Again

The long road of winter slows me down every year. I question what I am doing and why. I think about life more than usual. Why am I here? And where am I going? Down the long road…

Somehow in the shuffle of holidays and housekeeping and a heart full of winter worries, I have all but forgotten the blog. I have hidden away my feelings and preserved my thoughts for another day. Sometimes it’s just best to leave things unsaid. But I am traveling the long road and my journey is still taking me in directions unexpected. I am picking up where I left off and I am ready to share again, even if the next step is a challenging one.

So welcome if you’re just joining the journey and welcome back if you’ve been waiting for it to resume. It’s a NEW YEAR and we have this whole long (wonderful, amazing and difficult) road ahead of us. Let’s begin again…

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

By Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took the one less traveled by,

                             And that has made all the difference

Friday Happy Hour: Addicted to Social Media

 It's true. It's my outlet during a solitary day. It's my early morning coffee break. It's my "after school" hang-out. It's my go to comfort zone, at home or on the go. Sadly, it's even girl's night out sometimes. (But fortunately it's never date night!) Sometimes the quiet is interrupted only by one more check on Facebook and one more search on Pinterest. I am seeking out interaction in the loneliest place in the world. The Internet.

But I find you there, too. I find long lost friends, neighbors, virtual connections, and relatives that I have grown close to over the last couple years solely because of the magic of fiber optics. I feel overwhelmed by the support I receive through sharing and quick little messages posted to my domain. And I feel lucky to be able to reach out when I know I am needed.

Social Media has sucked away hours of my life, but the joy of finding you there daily gives me a solid reason to keep coming back for more. So, Mr. Zuckerberg, though I am sure you have created the giant of all social media for monetary reasons, and my rights may be infringed upon regularly, I still thank you for our modern method of staying in touch. I am glad to have Facebook and I don't know what I would do without my daily fix.

This has been the best week ever. I have used social media to share my art and I have loved brightening everyone's day with new art, How exciting. Here are a few other ways I have enjoyed the benifit of social media:

• I have a virtual collection of lovely things right here on Pinterest. It's been great to save recipes, holiday decorating ideas, and even a massive art collection all on my pinboard in the sky.
• You Tube has a video for almost anything you want to know. Change a tire? Play violin? Watch a friend's movie? And especially for me, art lessons galore!
• Google+? What's that? I have one of those, but I don't know why....
• Wet Canvas and Absolute Write chat boards have been a great resource to meet writers and artists from around the world.
• I'm on Twitter, but I still don't know how to tweet!
• And then there are all of those blogs with millions of inspiring ideas and fabulous new ways of connecting with one another through innovative projects. Yes, bloggers are putting a piece of themselves out into the world wide web hoping to nab just a bit of your attention.

When is it all too much? I'm sure there will come a time that social media will need rehab, but for now I am sticking with it and look forward to seeing you there, too!