April Showers Bring May Flowers Top Talent

Welcome back to another Top Talent spotlight at Our Creative Corner! 

Good morning everyone. It's my absolute pleasure today to bring you some art from the winner of our 'April Showers Bring May Flowers' challenge selected by the lovely Shari: Joi from Joi @ RR.

Before I share the wonderful project that Joi has made especially for us, let's hear a little more about this hugely creative lady:

WOW... WOW... WOW...  I am seriously thinking I should pinch myself to be sure that this opportunity to be Top Talent at Our Creative Corner is real.
....pause....
Ok, I did it... OUCH... it hurt so... HERE I AM - ehehehehhe - with a project for you!!!

First let me thank Julia for being such a joy to work with - she is sooo precious.  And thanks bunches to Our Creative Corner for the chance to make this creation for your Top Talent segment.

Here is a bit about me that you may not know :)

1. Where do you live? 
In Texas, on a 700 acre, family owned ranch. I used to do all the mowing, lots of tractor work, fence fixin', cattle taggin', flower plantin', garden tendin', cookin' - you name it. Now I am older with some health challenges that keep me near the homestead but it is a beautiful place to be. 
2. How do you spend your time when not crafting? 
My favorite thing to do is look at your blogs and leave comments. I love to be an encourager. When I was young, there were few around to encourage me... so now that I am retired - it gives me great joy to be able to send some care and encouragement to my online creative family... YOU. I spend about 6 hours, at least, on the computer every day writing love notes on your blogs. The rest of the time - I paint, do some ranch bookkeeping, and then watch a few fav TV shows like America's Got Talent, Dancing With the Stars, Survivor (reality types). It is hard for me to believe I actually have time for myself now... to do the things I enjoy. I am very blessed in that regard.
3. What if anything, do you consistently draw inspiration from?
Mood Boards. Your tutorials. Challenges. And just whats in my heart.
If you could only use three craft supplies for the rest of your life, what would they be?
Paint, paper, mat medium. I mostly paint with my fingers so don't even need a brush! And then I would have hubby cut me wood from trees and sand some rusty metal - all here at the ranch - to paint on! 
4. What is your favorite holiday/event to create projects for?
For me it's not holidays or events... it's seasons. Wonder if you can call a season an event!!!??? It sorta is!! I love creating for the seasons. Here is what gets me excited: Winter - white, silver, blue and sparkles; Spring - pastels; Summer - bright,bright,bright; Fall - orange, browns, burgundy, teal. Fall is my favorite time of all to create because those are my fav colors. LOVE the ORANGE family! 
 5. What is the most useless item that you have purchased for your craft?I have just looked all around my studio... and I honestly cannot find one single thing that I have not used in some way. From real grizzly fur, to elk burrs, to real (but dead) ranch bugs and butterflies, various shapes and sizes of wood, metal, dozens of types of paints & inks, papers, 42 bottles of different types of mediums, markers, flowers, ribbon, fabric, gelli plate, my trusty Vagabond and Misti - it's all here... and I use it all. Wish you were here to use some of it with me. I sit here shaking my head - thinking back to how little I have had throughout my life - and realize how very very very grateful I am to be creating with so many incredible items. It's more than amazing.

Thank you so much Joi for sharing a little more about you - I'm sure many people will feel as I do and wish we could have a painty play date! Your honesty and passion for what you do is humbling.

Now let's see what Joi has made to share with you today:

I love door and the bright colors of the Mexico Mood Board for Our Creative Corner's Summer Challenge so I just had to go with that for my project. I named it: 'Pathway To Tomorrow's Bright Future'.  You can read more about it here.

This 20x24 acrylic painting was a challenge for me... I did things I have never done before - but it was so fun to create this pathway. Thanks bunches and bunches to you all for your sweet comments and ever present support.  Big Hugs. j.

Joi, this is absolutely stunning!! I love the colours and the perspective which leads the eye into your painting and makes me feel I could walk down that wonderful walkway. I adore the flowers framing the archway and  those amazing little pots which disappear into the distance are just gorgeous with all their detail and design. It's so wonderful to see that you have drawn your inspiration from our Summer Challenge moodboard too. For full details about Joi's project please go to Joi from Joi @ RR. and leave her a comment to say you've been!

Our current challenge is still open, so if you haven't yet had a play and linked up with us, you'll find all the details here: Mexico Moods. I'm sure that Joi will have given you some inspiration! Remember the rest of the team will be posting their inspiration for this challenge at the start of August so do pop back and have a look.