Some of you may know that my love for creating often manifests itself in the kitchen rather than my studio! I love getting ideas from The Food Network and trying them out on my husband for dinner. Of course, the competitions are always great to watch, as they inspire creative approaches to a sometimes ordinary dish.

So this week, I find out that the small town of Nolensville, TN (just a stone’s throw away from our Brentwood home) was hosting a Pie Bakeoff Competition as part of their 4th of July Celebration. I’ve always wanted to enter a food competition, so I enlisted my husband Nate to join me in a little challenge!

We made a “tester” pie the day before that was delicious, but not award-winning (A double crusted Peach Raspberry Pie). We decided to shift gears and give a cream pie a chance for the big day. I found a photo of a gorgeous one online. gathered some extra inspiration, and proceeded to customize a with my own artistic flair. Nate consulted and approved of said flair, and we set to baking!

We were thrilled when they announced the winners and we learned that we had placed 2nd! Even better? We got to enjoy and share what was left of our pie with our friends who were with us.

Check out a detail shot of our completed pie!

A few friends have already requested our recipe, so here it is:

Red, White, and Blueberry Cream Pie

INGREDIENTS:

9 inch Graham Cracker Crust:

1½ cups Graham Cracker crumbs
¼ cup crushed almonds
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

Blueberry Filling:

2 cups fresh blueberries (frozen are fine if it’s all you have)
2 T. sugar
½ T. cornstarch
1 T. lemon juice
Zest of half a lemon (or more if you’re feeling adventurous!)

Filling:

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice (2 lemons if you have a nice juicer)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping:

1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
½ cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained

Directions:
Graham Cracker Crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine Graham Cracker crumbs, crushed almonds, cinnamon, sugar, and melted butter. Stir until thoroughly mixed and mixture is crumbly.
3. Pour the crumb mixture into a deep dish 9 inch pie pan. Using the back of a large spoon or the flat bottom of a measuring cup, press the crumb mixture evenly across the bottom and against the sides of the pan.

   Bake:

4. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. The edges may be slightly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire cooling rack.

   Filling:

5. In a saucepan, combine blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes until thickened.
6. Place blueberry mixture in the cooled crust in a single layer. Set aside.
7. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat until mixture is smooth and fluffy. Pour mixture on top of the blueberries in the crust.
8. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours or until the filling is set.

   Topping:

9. Decorate the top of the pie with blueberries and sliced strawberries.
10. Cover pie and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yes, I mean “expecting” in the traditional sense of the word! Nate and I are pleased to announce publicly that we will be parents in December!

We feel incredible blessed that God has deemed us worthy to bring a new life into the world. We’ve been following the progress of this little child in my belly, and I’m amazed at the intricate way that life is formed… A beating heart at just 11 weeks, eyebrows formed at 13. Our child is now the size of a peach, and is making ballet-like movements in my belly! I can’t wait to meet this little one and see what God has in store for him or her in the outside world.

And yes, I’m looking forward to creating works of art of my own child like this drawing in pencil I drew years ago:

I would love any words of wisdom or advice people may have for pregnancy or mothering. I’m already learning so much from those who have “been there.”

It’s not every day you get a call from an NBC producer, asking you to create a special piece of artwork to use on the Today Show.  When you do, you say “YES.”  Oh, you need an extensive drawing planned, completed, recorded on HD video, and delivered within 28 hours? “I’ll make it happen.”

And make it happen, we did! “We” refers to Ryan Osborn (@Rozzy and @TodayShow onTwitter), the tireless producer who had the vision for this project after he saw my speed drawing of Ellen Degeneres on YouTube, and my amazing husband, who came home from work early and stayed home the following day to make sure it got done. Nate is the video expert of this outfit. I’m just in charge of the things that involve pencils and paint. All in all, we spent the better part of the given 28 hours on this project, and rolled into bed at 5:00 am this morning, just 3 hours before the clip aired.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

So what that I’ve had 10 hours of sleep in the last 50?

Hearing Matt Lauer call me a “great artist” on national television, and watching Meredith Vieira and Al Roker admire the completed piece printed on a huge poster in Rockefeller Plaza was more than worth it.

To see more of my speed drawing videos, visit my YouTube channel.

To see my portraits, fine art, and graphic design work, visit TheArtistOfLife.com.

I am available for custom portrait commissions, logos and branding, and of course, high profile custom projects for major television networks.

The completed drawing, 18×24:

As you can see, the lineup for the concert series is amazing, and includes Sting, The Script, American Idol, Justin Bieber, Christina Aguilera, Rascal Flatts, James Taylor & Carole King, Maxwell, Maroon 5, Lady Gaga, Enrique Iglesias, John Mayer, Carrie Underwood, Train, Kesha, Keith Urban, and Katy Perry.

It will be tempting to take Ryan up on his offer to get Nate and I tickets to some of these events!

Good Friday and Easter Day!

As a child, I was perplexed by the name “Good Friday.” Wasn’t it the day that acknowledges Jesus’ death? Jesus, who was sinless and pure, who deserved no death, but who chose it? Now I grasp how good this day really is. It’s a day that represents the death of our separation from God. Our sin separated us from our loving Creator, and Jesus’ death bridged that gap. We couldn’t do it on our own.

The miracle and power of this weekend, however, lies in Jesus’ resurrection, which we celebrate on Sunday! Had Christ remained on the cross, we would still be lost. But he didn’t. Jesus was buried, but rose to life on Sunday, and showed himself to over 500 witnesses before ascending to heaven. Amazing!

I completed a painting last year which embodies the spirit of Easter, entitled “Risen.” An empty cocoon hangs off of one side of the cross, and on the other side, a butterfly ascends toward heaven. It is red and white, symbolizing both the purity of Christ and the blood which has saved us. This Easter weekend, don’t let the miracle of Christ’s resurrection pass you by. “It is Finished” changed everything.

Please click here to see it larger.

This painting is available as a print in my online store.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. Mark your calendars for May 9th!

You may be wondering what to get the mother in your life this year. Have you thought about your wife and mother of your own amazing kids? What could a loving husband possibly give her to say “thank you” for the countless hours of love and nurturing that she gives to your family, for the sleepless nights, and tender care?

This year, I would like the husbands reading this to consider a gift that will blow your wife away and likely produce the good kind of cry. A custom, timeless portrait of her children!

Every year, I get requests around this time for Mother’s Day custom portraits. They are some of my favorite projects. Get some of my recent drawings below, and keep reading to find out how you can save over $150.

The Big Giveaway!

This year, I’d like to offer $30 off and 4 free 11×14 prints of a custom drawing to one lucky person. The prints alone are valued at $125, and they make great gifts for grandparents and other family members! I will have a third party choose the winner randomly from the visitors who comment on this post by March 31.

If you prefer, you may purchase a gift certificate for the amount of your portrait to present to your wife so that you can choose the reference photo together!

Watch me work in this entertaining video:

I have several more speed drawing videos here if you’d like to see more.

Some links you may find helpful:

* How to commission a custom portrait (It starts with your photo!)
* See more of my portrait work (I work in charcoal, pastel, and oil.)
* Review my pricing information
* You may also submit a portrait request now to get started! If you win the giveaway, a refund will be given.

“Kelly, I just wanted you to know that my wife is very happy with the portrait I gave her for Christmas. In fact, she cried and shook for quite a while before she could speak. She loves it and I’ve already found her several times just standing in the living room marveling at how well it captures the images – and the personalities – of our children. Thanks again.”

- Tom S.

Thank you, and feel free to pass this on!

A lot of the clients who come to me need a logo designed. They may have researched a little bit, put the word out on Twitter, or gotten a referral from a friend. Many times, they are confused at the wide range of pricing they’ve found, and have questions about what they need to look for or who to trust. The purpose of this post is to educate the person who is in the market for logo design. I hope you’ll find it helpful.

First, let’s start with what not to do:

• Visit a logo making website and piece one together yourself, or believe that having Microsoft Publisher makes you a designer.
• Get your neighbor, son, nephew, grandma, friend, or cousin to design it… unless he or she is a professional with a strong portfolio, of course.
• Go with the lowest price just because it’s the lowest price.
• Decide it’s not in your budget to get a logo done right now and just go with something “temporary” until you start making money.
• Hold a contest where the “winning” designer gets a nominal amount of compensation, or worse yet: mad props, a link on your website, or a glowing review… sure to bring the winner more work, of course.

Why these things are a bad idea:

• Do it yourself websites and programs will result in a homemade, unprofessional looking logo. Stick with what you do best, and leave designing to designers.
• An amateur may use Photoshop instead of Illustrator to design your logo, which will be cause for major limitations for its use!
• The lowest price (especially one $100 or less) might include a “recycled” logo, or one using clip art or stock imagery. Not only would your logo be unoriginal, but it could infringe upon copyright laws.
• A logo is typically the first impression a customer or client will have about your business. It’s one of the best investments you can make to insure success, and a “temporary” one will send a message just as strongly as a permanent, professional one. It just won’t be the message you want it to send.
• Contests (otherwise known as spec work) are based on the premise that designers submit logo concepts and a winner is chosen from them. The problems with this are several:
  • Designers with time on their hands to do work they may not get paid for are likely not seasoned in their field of work yet.
  • There is little to no interaction during the creation process between the client and the designer in these scenarios.
  • Many people who enter these contests are using logo templates or recycled logos from past clients. After all, they can’t put a lot of effort into it, because the chance of getting chosen is so slim.

You might end up with a logo like one of these:

Ugly logos courtesy of logodesignerblog.com

What high-quality designers will offer that most will not:

• A project interview to get to know your needs before designing begins. All logos are not created equal, and your logo should reflect your target demographic, stand out among your competitors, and reflect your own personal style.
• A final vector graphic (more on vector artwork below).
• A commitment to excellence. This includes a guarantee on their work.  If they aren’t confident in their work, why should you be?
• References. Do not do business with someone who cannot provide a long list of satisfied clients if you ask for it. A seasoned designer will have more than he or she can count!
• Off-site archival of your final files in the event that you misplace them or need them updated in the future.
• The ability to implement your new logo in business and branding materials such as business cards, brochures, letterheads, envelopes, or a website.

So what is this “vector” business, you might be asking?

Vector artwork is, in essence, scalable artwork. Which means that a one inch design can be submitted to a printing company to be put on a billboard. With vector artwork, there is never any pixelation or fuzziness, no matter the size. After you have your new logo, you’ll want to implement it on different design materials. Many of these will require a vector file from which to print.  If you don’t have it, it’s back to the drawing board, and all of the money you’ve spent on your logo will have been wasted.

This is great! What’s next?

You’re probably beginning to see that the logo design process isn’t as cut and dried as you originally thought.  You’re no longer thinking, “anyone can throw some text and a picture up on a screen and make it work,” right?  Good.

My desire is for you to get started on the best foot possible with a great designer. If you decide that you’d like to work with me, I would be honored.

You may check out some of my recent work and fill out my Project Interview to get started.

There is no pressure or commitment involved in this step. I’ll provide a custom quote within 48 hours based on your needs and budget and then you can decide if you’d like to work with me. If I’m not right for you, I’ll try to point you to someone who is.

Thank you, and may your business be as successful as you could ever imagine!

Three products for lovely ladies caught my eye in 2009. I couldn’t keep them to myself! Enjoy, and please share your own!

Hip-T’s – $15.95+

Layering is in (and has been for awhile). But sometimes, you don’t want the bulk and extra straps from a tank top just to have some fun fabric peeking out under your top shirt. Or, you might have some low-rise jeans or the dreaded “muffin top” issue to address. The solution? Hip-T’s! They are stretchy little bottoms of shirts that hug your hips and make any outfit look better. The makers provide a slew of fabric options, including solids, funky patterns, and ones edged with lace.

Tip: Buy a couple of staples, and at least one with a little fun!

BagMate – $29.95

Question: How do you lose a set of keys, your favorite lipstick, or that receipt you simply must have today?  Answer: put it in a typical woman’s purse!  You know it’s true, and to add insult to injury, how ’bout that anger management class you’ll need to sign up for after several attempts to find something in the “abyss?”  Ever just given up and dumped the entire contents of your bag out onto the floor in a moment of frustration while your husband or boyfriend (who has his neatly organized perfect little wallet, no doubt) is laughing hysterically at you?  Well, those days are over.

I highly recommend the Bag Mate, which allows you to neatly store all of your purse staples for easy retrieval.  Your phone, lipstick, pens, sunglasses, keys, business cards, and loose change can all be easily found, because they are always in the same place!  A huge perk for me is that when you want to switch purses, you just move your Bag Mate to your next purse. Easy cheesy.  It also has retractable handles, so you can use it on its own.  It comes in a variety of colors.  Check it out here.

While I was searching for the perfect purse organizers, I found several that were unique in their own way, but not perfect for my needs. They are my runners up, ad you may prefer one of them!

• The Purseket
• The Pouchee
• The Purse Pleaser
• The Purse Bright Organizer

Go Girl – $9.99

Now some of you will begin reading this and will think I’m crazy or that you’d never use a product like this. I am completely understanding and okay with that.  But, for the rest of us who find going to certain public bathrooms an exercise of our hovering abilities, avoidance tactics, or sheer ability to hold it in until we find a tidier option, this product is for you!

Go Girl allows us ladies to pee standing up.  There, I said it. Why should men be the only ones who can?

I discovered Go Girl from a product review from real women on a popular morning show. I had a camping trip coming up, so I immediately bought a couple.  It’s a hot pink, perfectly shaped funnel that allows you to discreetly relieve yourself in the woods (no one will suspect a thing), avoid dirty convenient store bathrooms, or assist you in keeping your sanity on a mission trip to a developing country. Simply use it, rinse it out, and put it back in its nifty storage container.  Find out more here.

Have you found a new product that has made your life easier or better? Leave a comment and let us know!

Well, hello!  Thank you for stopping by. I am finally stepping away from the work that I’ve been doing for my clients to update my blog with some of my recent projects!

First, I’d love to show you a photographer’s logo that I designed in December that I LOVE.  Photography logos are some of my favorite to design because there is typically a level of class associated with them, but there is also room for a little fun! In this case, the mark incorporates a graceful monogram with some fairly straightforward typography.

Next, I’ll post another fresh, clean design that I’ve created for a fantastic home designer. She has an intensely creative but quiet sense about her, and she wanted a logo and business card to reflect that. Tradition was put on the shelf, and I got to “paint outside of the lines” a little. It was great!

Now all designers have had a situation like this: A client approaches you with a concept that is tricky… say, a logo that must incorporate an eye, a star, and a reference to film. Oh, and not in a creepy way. I brainstormed and sketched, and came up with a classy design that I felt great about. Look closely to see all of the clever details. The client liked it, but didn’t feel that it fit them. (They directed the rest of the design concept, and we’ve come up with something that they are thrilled with but that you’ll never see in my portfolio). *smiling* As always, my end goal is the client’s 100% satisfaction, but I’ll display my favorite concept here:

Now, this last one is a logo, but it was a different scenario. Months ago, I designed a logo for a dance instructor’s blues studio. He loved it, so when his dance class (a tango and blues mix) needed a logo redesign, he came to me. He had some very rough versions of a logo that another designer had worked on, but they needed a… *ahem* face lift. I was up for the challenge! See the before and after logos below:

So there you have it! These projects represent only a fraction of the designs I’ve worked on since my lengthy absence from blogging, but they are some of my favorites. Thank you for reading, and if you’d like to see more of my design work, visit my website!

There are a lot of inventive, genius products and services out there, and I enjoyed my fair share of them in 2009! I want to share them with you.

Mint.com – Free

I’ve always been really good at keeping up with where my money goes. It started with Excel spreadsheets and watching bank statements closely. At the end of each month, I’d meticulously categorize spending in areas like food, gas, business expenses, mortgage, etc. Mint.com has simplified this month-end process. Now? I simply log in and look at pie charts and already categorized spending and take it all in. It’s beautiful! You can create your own categories or use existing ones. Compare your spending to national averages, track bank transfers, payments, and basically stay on budget! Add all of your accounts to monitor them on one site: bank accounts, mortgage loans, car loans, mutual funds, other stocks, and credit cards if you use them. I’m still amazed that this service 100% secure and free!

Practical application: Fantastic for helping you start a realistic budget without a lot of fuss. Just track your spending for a couple of months and see the areas that could be improved.

iPhone – $99+

When these first came out, I thought, “That’s ridiculous. I’m not paying more than $400 for a phone! I was using a Blackberry and it seemed to do everything I needed. Fast forward a couple of years. iPhones are now really affordable (especially refurbished), and my monthly plan is actually less than it was on my Blackberry because GPS capabilities are built in and free. I had been paying $10/month for Blackberry’s GPS service. So, now I have access to the world at my fingertips. Not only do I get style points (which are important for an artist), but the iPhone really increases my productivity. I have apps that allow me to update my clients’ Wordpress sites on the fly, check the weather, measure things, track finances, listen to my favorite music, show off my portable portfolio, read the Bible, supply white noise while on vacaction, and even help me learn chords on the piano. There’s simply no substitute (yet)

Favorite apps: WordPress, TweetDeck, Facebook, Pandora, YouTube, Mint.com

1 Password – $39.95

If you’ve been on the net for any period of time, you’re well aware that everything requires a login and password. And, unless you’re way smarter and more organized than the general population, you’ve forgotten said logins and passwords for a website. Chances are, you’ve nearly pulled your hair out trying to guess the right one, sometimes unsuccessfully. That’s where 1Password comes in. This is another of those applications that my husband couldn’t convince me was worth it. He finally just bought it for me and installed it and I love it more every day. It securely stores all of your logins and passwords for all of your sites and accounts. There is virtually no setup. Currently, it is only available for the Mac.

Unexpected perks?

• The option to change your passwords to randomly generated, uber secure ones.
• Create wallet items like debit or credit cards that you can use to automatically fill in billing and shipping info on checkout pages.
• 1Password button is built right into your browser so you can visit and login to your favorite sites automatically.

iMac - $1100+

This was actually a gift from my husband! I will shamefully admit that before I went Mac, I was trying to keep up with my workload on a sad little 17″ *gasp* laptop PC. If you’re on the fence about switching to a Mac, please, let me push you over. Seriously, you won’t look back!

Worried about the differences? My photographer friend Chris Scott breaks them down for us here:

1. You’ll close windows on the opposite side of the screen.
2. Things will work.

Practical application: I have a 24″ iMac, and another 24″ monitor as well. I keep Firefox open on one monitor, and MacMail and my design programs in the other. I honestly don’t know how I got anything done without them.

BumpTop – Free

There are people out there who let their desktops become a dumping ground for any file they don’t want to commit to saving in a more logical place.  I am one of “those people,” and I was tired of feeling the weight of my guilt as the icons multiplied across my 24 inches of real estate, not to mention having a hard time finding anything!  Enter BumpTop.  I love this application.  It’s actually more of a functional backdrop.  It allows you to pile files by type (no need to make folders unless you just want to) and it can be fully customized to look like a room in your home!  See the screen shot of my personal Bump Top.  You can write yourself sticky notes, hang art on the walls, the sky is the limit. There’s so much functionality, but it’s more fun to play with it yourself or watch the video on their website.  Not on a Mac? There’s a BumpTop for Windows, too. Enjoy!

Wacom Tablet – $200+

In addition to the fine art aspect of my work, I’m also a graphic designer who loves using Illustrator. For those Adobe lovers out there, you know the power of the almighty pen tool, but wouldn’t it be nice sometimes to have a more freehand option to vector artwork? Wouldn’t it be great to be able to draw a line with varying pressure, but retain the crispness and edit ability of a line drawn with the pen tool? Enter Wacom. They’ve been the leaders in the tablet world for years now, but I’ve just jumped on the train. An illustrative logo that might have taken four hours now takes half of one. It brings a freshness to my work, and much more flexibility to what I’m able to offer my clients.

Purchase tip: I purchased the Wacom Intuos 4 Large tablet, which I love. However, if I were to do it over, I would choose the Medium, as there is plenty of space on it and it takes up less room on my desk or in my lap.

Inbox Zero – Free

Inbox Zero is a concept perfected and delivered by Merlin Mann. It’s basically a system for keeping your crazy inbox under control. (Anyone else have this problem?) I send 40-60 business related emails in a typical workday, and I receive that many or more. It can easily get out of hand! Inbox Zero is a system to keep you (and your inbox) sane and organized.

Backpack – Free

Backpack is one of many great applications from 37signals. Simply put, it’s a To-Do List on crack, and it streamlines communication and productivity. I keep a Monday-Saturday list set up and I put important deadlines and reminders into it. I get great satisfaction from marking things off of the lists! Nate and I have separate pages on the same account, so I can put things on his list (YES!) and vice versa. This feature came in very handy for planning our wedding. You can also make notes with important links, contact information, and even Word or Excel documents. These features make it great for office projects and the like.

*Practical Application: I go through my emails quickly in the morning. I put things that need my attention on the list wherever they belong so that tasks don’t get lost or overlooked.

Twitter – Free

If you haven’t heard about Twitter by now, you might be living under a rock. It’s okay if you call it Tweeter – that’s kind of cute, especially if you have kids in their thirties! Laugh at it, don’t embrace it, call it crazy, but don’t call it a waste of time. I did all of these things when I first heard about it (Who in the world cares what I’m doing at any given moment in time?), but my trusty husband convinced me to give it a try. My end-of-the-year figures say that 48% of my graphic design business came from connections that I made on Twitter! I won’t be specific, but this equated to tens of thousands of dollars for this lil’ artist, and gave me the highest income year I’ve had to date (and in a recession). This is not to mention the new friends and increased connection with my existing ones. Coupled with Facebook, Twitter has allowed me to both share my recent fine art and graphic work as well as connect to people who need my specific services. Now you know. Would you like to follow me?

Tip: Use a free service like TweetDeck or Seesmic to approach Twitter in a more organized and fun way.

What are your favorite products or services? I would love to hear about them!

Next post: My favorite products for ladies! Don’t miss it.

It’s not uncommon for me to have repeat portrait customers.  But only a handful have returned to me more than five times to add artwork to their collections!

Meet the Nichol’s girls: Amber and Lynn Aaron. For the last six years, I’ve drawn them (and watched them grow up) and their parents have used the image on a Christmas card design that goes out to all of their friends, family, and clients. I’ve really enjoyed it, and wanted to share the progression with you.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!