New Year---- New Opportunities!

KELLYRAEROBERTS

WHERE have I been? and what Have I been up to?

I finally got a nice moment to sit... have a cuppa and give

you a nice update on the last 7 months

of this HOLY MESS of my Beautiful Life!

I will start where I left off back in July- share some photo's

and some stories.  Inner thoughts and what I hope 2016 

will bring to me.

So get a nice cuppa- turn on some music... and let's begin

I talked about, back in July, getting two pieces shown in the ESAP pop-up Gallery. I've posted two photos - from the gallery.  It was super cool to see my art up in a gallery.  ESAP is a great group of folks.  It hung up the whole month of

July. I hope to get some new art up this year!

July was an awesome month!
I had my upcycled jewelry in SWEET SALVAGE
for several months and was doing very nicely through
October.  I was invited to participate in their fall holiday faire.
Which I'll share later.

I am proud to announce I successfully got the System Trainer Position!

Found out at the end of July... jumped in with two feet to get ready for
the holiday hiring season.
LEARNING CURVE!










when I wasn't working the regular job.... the husband and I were
getting ready for our annual early archery season hunting trip.

My brother took this awesome pic- and when I posted it- a new friend

on facebook reached out and shared that I was wearing her shirt-

BABES WITH BOWS! I had been inspired, the year before, to make my first belt bracelet

to say Babe with Bow! She HAD to have one!!! LOL

so I made her a custom bracelet...

she has since reached out again- we are working on getting my bracelets on her website- with her exclusive LOGO!!! SQUEAaaaaLLLS!!!! Shut the front door!

Spent all summer working on the day job's CHALKBOARD- LOVE doing this... 

this year I challenged myself to stretch a little and do something different.

While at the Sweet Home Jamboree Concert- 

I worked all three days for the day job! LIFE is HARD!

Got to meet this guy!!

Next to our booth was the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation-Oregon Chapter.

Showed some of their folks my art and was asked to send my portfolio to them.

I will be donating some prints this next week for the Tillamook Chapter's Banquet.

More to come on that!

to Celebrate getting the new position at work!

I signed up for a Paint your Pet-fundraiser for Greenhill humane Society

At VINO & VANGO

I'm such a nerd! I got to paint two at the same time during a 2 hour class..

they are the same dog- my Girl Precious - the left is when she was 9yrs old, the right is now.. she's lost alot of weight as a17yr old is likely to do! - PRECIOUS paintings!

the Shop owner of Vino & Vango- was quite impressed with my talent and

asked if I'd like to start as an artist assistant part time-- UMmmm. YEAH!!!

I kinda went CCCCRAZY- and gun-ho.. and got to assist several classes from july-dec.

I got to teach 2 classes- one of them was my painting.

SUPER COOL- I love to learn new techniques. 

Met some amazing folks that work at Vino & Vango.

my first class!!

taught 19 folks for the Snowy Cabin in DEC. so fun!!!

I had to pull back due to my busy schedule- 

but hope to sneak in somemore classes in the future!

THANK YOU PAULINE! 

for giving me this amazing opportunity! 

YOU ROCK!

I was injured while doing my last DEMO as a PTS at the

regular job in AUGUST...Messed up my back... the picture above- does not express the pain I was in- I've never hurt my back before!!!... had to do some physical therapy for about 2 weeks.

Couldn't shoot my bow... sweated that a little bit. But took good care of myself.. 

the day I was released from light duty and ok'd to shoot- I stopped by a coffee shop around the corner from P.T. office... They had some nice art hanging up.. so I asked the owner if they were accepting new art! and Randy stated YES they were! so I got on their list- 

which had an opening in November 2016. 

This was on my cuppa joe! Pin's & Needles---- 

my first coffee shop show will be at VECTOR ESPRESSO!

Right before we left for ELK CAMP 2016 - 

I ALSO submitted my art

for Springfield City Hall Mayors Art Gallery 2016 Call to Artists!

literally as I was packing up my desk for a nice 11 vacation.. 

I sent out my portfolio.... pin's n needles!! 

snuck in some painting time to 

do something funky with our ugly camp table. 

LOVE IT!!!

MY OFFICE- for 11 days! 

Cannot tell you how amazing it was to have sat in that chair,

sun shining- basking in the glow- feeling the breeze, 

smelling the fresh air... 

letting go of all my stress for the last year for this moment... 

I found my BLISS!!!

An awesome evening hunt with the husband.  One of my favorite moments with him 

I took a break from painting and we hiked several miles in to a road he had gotten some nice bull elk.

We never saw any... but we did find an arrow he had lost- from several years ago, while we were side hilling back to our rig.  We stopped to look at a bear track and saw it laying beside an active animal trail.  What are the odd's. We brought home a spike bull elk.. some great stories, amazing memories and some new ART!

PLEIN AIR HIGH!!!! 

20x20 canvas with acrylic and mixed media- I wrote

THE Bow Hunters Prayer. Titled: Be Still & Know

Titled: A Good Night's Sleep 16x20 canvas Acrylic

I pounded out 81 bracelets! used up every snap I had!!!

October was when the Fall Holiday Faire

that SWEET SALVAGE hosted out at the

Walterville Grange as a fundraiser for a new roof.

So blessed to be able to attend! 

My space was super fun to set up! Blood Sweat and TEARS!!!

MY CAR was FULL to the rooftops!!!
I am so ready for an enclosed trailer or a larger SUV!!

So---- AFTER a 4am start to the day for BLACK FRIDAY at the day job...

the hubby dragged me out to the woods for the last day to get my deer tag filled.

I am not a horn hunter-- Imma freezer filler.  

Truly blessed to have this family of mine!

We process all our game. 

I was invited for the 2nd time to go out to Ms. Shannon Miller's

Country Craft Holiday Boutique- out in Veneta, OR

Hammin it up! 

Thanks to my Daughter- I could not have had this

done and be ready without your help! Thank you! 

I was asked for the 2nd time to paint the windows for the holidays 

for FIN'S DRIVE IN - Springfield, OR

I got an answer back from Springfield City Hall Mayor's Art Gallery-

I was ACCEPTED to hang 2 pieces of my choice in JULY2016!!!!! 

BOOM!!!!! 

slap yo momma and butter my biscuit!!!!

 I got my jewelry back into SWEET SALVAGE in December..
my CRAAAAZZY day job.. just didn't let me get in til after christmas.
If you see something... you just have to have... Message me on my FACEBOOK page:
SARAH SHINES-ART

So... time for some yuck!!!! 

I fell in a mental hole around October... just didn't feel good.  

Tired, stressed, wasn't sleeping good. My brain said snap out of it! 

Get your butt up and get out there. 

my heart/will said---- shut up.. leave me alone.

I held it together... JUST BARELY.  I'd go home from the regular job 

and just collapse in my corner on the couch.  I didn't want to go anywhere, 

do anything.  I'd get in my pj's.. and veg out.  It was excruciating depression.. 

I hadn't had in a long time.

I've been dealing with symptoms of "the change"- 42 this year... 

body is showing signs that its aging..I'm ok with this... just not the hormonal crap.  

I have felt like an outsider looking in for several months.  Kept telling my self to just hang in there..it'll get better.  and its not.  So I will be getting myself into the Dr. Make sure my stuff's ok.  

once I know if its just hormonal or chemical imbalance.. I hope that I will feel like my old self.

I have so much to be thankful for. and I truly am feeling blessed. 

SO MUCH has happened these last few weeks. 

We started out the new year with a near fatal car accident 

that my husband was a passenger in.  Cannot express- 

how thankful we are that all involved are here, alive and going to be ok.  

He is still dealing with sever pain- that time will only heal.  

We are taking one day at a time... and we will continue to FOCUS on the positive.. 

take care of what we can and let the rest go.  

We've had to tighten our belts.. due to his missing work- 

and weather related layoff.. this too shall pass.. cause----

I AIN'T GOT TIME FOR THIS!!!!

I bought this tote with this pictured in my mind..

 I made it! LOVE!!! 

I got a phone call form VECTOR ESPRESSO this last friday!
they had a cancelation...
I will be hanging my art in their shop for the
whole month of FEBRUARY!!!!!
(instead of November)

FREAK OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
for REALS!!!!

And THE DEFIANT DIVA wants
my bracelets in her shop too!!!
PINCH ME!!!!

I was accepted int the
OREGON TEAM ETSY
and I finally got to go to their monthly meeting.
GREAT meeting.. learned lots in a short time..
I will be making time to update & clean up- my
ETSY SITE:
SarahShinesArtsyShop

THANK YOU! for reaching out to me this last year... 

for taking time to see my post's and reading my blog.  

I have a short wish list for 2016

*LOVE MYSELF FIRST

* Accept what I can change and let the rest go

-make time for my marriage

-empty nest

-my children's path in life

*Reach out to my Artist Community

-participate- connect- collaborate

*MAKE MORE ART- paint paint paint!!!

*Set Goals- Follow through -Follow Up

*Organize my receipts-seriously...

I've got things to do....