In my dreams...

When did I become a practical artist?

Once upon a time, there was a young girl that had aspirations of becoming an artist. The kind that created masterpieces and had gallery openings and everyone oooh'd and aaah'd over her work.

This young girl became a teenager, and she became practical as it was difficult to believe that she wasn't nearly as talented as she thought. Sure, she could draw a mean tree or paint a fabuous watercolor of a still life - but seriously, there were things that she needed - like gas, and clothes and cash for Taco Bell runs. She started to think maybe she should be a smidge more practical - like maybe a art conservator.

This teen girl became a college girl majoring in fine art and had already been working part-time for a half-dozen years and she was quite sure that being an artist, although dreamy, was not going to pay her tuition nor the school loans that were beginning to pile up. She thought to herself, interior design, fashion design, graphic design, illustration design? Hmmmm, she wasn't a big city girl so fashion was out (and she was still quite irritated that she was not ever going to tall enough or cute enough to be a model) and interior design meant majoring in Home Economics. Ummm, no.

That left two choices - graphic design seemed the most practical as illustration still meant that she would have to believe in herself and develop skills that seemed just outside of her new-found realistic goals.

Now the young artist is a mom of two teens and is so completely surrounded by the reality of bills, college tours and the ever-looming "empty nest" that it's time to remember the little girl who dreamed of being a famous artist.

While she works to pay for the next round of student loans by day, this girl is going to nurture the artist that she is capable of being - maybe not famous to anyone but her family and Facebook friends - but happy and not-so-practical with lots of creative love to share.

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One idea that I have always toyed with is becoming a children's book illustrator. I still love looking through the picture books when I go to the book store much to my teenagers dismay.

I discovered a site today that actually sells original illustrations from some of my favorite children's book illustrators. The illustration I have featured is from Lynn Munsinger. Check it out! Elizabeth Stone Gallery