I Don't Believe He Brought Me This Far


Commission for Mo'Nique (Oscar award winner) © Kristye Addison Dudley

Tonight I took some time to update my list of exhibits, collectors and charitable events. I was shocked when I saw them all together. I have really had some great experiences, met some wonderful people and have had the opportunity to share my heart.

This is one of those divine things that happened to me. My first solo show was in 2002. I was so excited that I sold a large painting. I was walking on cloud nine and trying to learn more about how to become a "real" professional artist while pursuing my graphic design career.

While delivering my first sale, my collector was in a meeting with a customer, but he told me to come and bring my book. He invited me in and introduced me to his customer. I was so surprised to see that it was Mo'Nique! She's a comedian, and won an Oscar for her supporting role in "Precious". She liked the work I was delivering and asked to see my work.

She looked through my portfolio and said, "I'd like this painting, in these colors. How much is it and can I have it in two weeks?". I simply said the amount and that I could do it in two weeks and that a deposit could be paid by check.

This painting holds a very special place in my heart, but I still sometimes forget about these milestones I have had along the way. I find myself looking back and focusing on my mistakes and my mishaps as failures, when really they are just stepping stones. After all of those "failures" was a triumph. There were people around me to lift me up and encourage me. There was a cheering section of family and peers to remind me that the road was winding but not ending.

I am so thankful for the friends that God has put into my life. And for the angels that watch over me and my family everyday. "I Don't Believe He Brought Me This Far to Leave Me", great things are in store.

Kristye

kdudley@dorilam.com
kristyeaddison.com

Today is a gift

There are so many moments in our lives where we question why things happen. There have been times where I wondered "how did I get here?" and "why me?". I have been reflecting on this year, my relationships, my hopes and dreams. I have had the opportunity to see many of my dreams come true. I am married to a wonderful man. I have been blessed with a spunky little girl. I am able to not only create art, but to walk, paint, laugh and share my life with wonderful family and friends. In the picture above, I am standing with one if my childhood idols. Yep, we are the same age, but Keasha was always two or three steps ahead and without her knowing made a path for me. We met in high school at a science and engineering camp at Clemson University. She was so pretty and smart. She graduated from high school a year early, and then majored in engineering. She had her own car, I couldn't even drive yet, and a personalized license plate that some how spelled QT-PIE. ...

Inside - In the Huddle

Stephanie Blank (wife of NFL Atlanta Falcons owner), "In the Huddle" 36" x 48" © Kristye Addison Dudley In 2002, while I was a professional cheerleader with the Atlanta Falcons, I participated in a charity auction. Although I have drawn since I was a child, majored in fine art and received a graduate degree in graphic communications, I still found (find) myself feeling insecure about my art. I think it's because when I share my work, I am not just sharing an image. I am sharing a part of myself. Exposing those things that most of us write only in our journals. My journals are there for the world to see and built by my own hands. When it's not accepted, it's like being personally rejected. This was the first painting that I was publicly displaying and I was pretty terrified about it. First of all, when approached about the painting I said "I don't do Football players", and didn't think that my work would work for this venue...

What a Difference A Year Makes

What a difference a year makes. Picking Pumpkins with the family Work in progress of watercolor flowers. Fall is one of my favorite times of the year and I usually plan for our family to visit farms, pick pumpkins, decorate the house, cook treats, and enjoy the cooler weather. This time last year, I was two weeks post-op from a very unexpected surgery. This year I am so thankful of where this year has taken us. I am feeling more like myself, I am talking some great art classes. My kids are back in school, playing sports, and making friends. I have made friends too. Hard to believe we will be moving again next year, but until then we will enjoy each day. Kristye.com

Kristye Addison Dudley - Contemporary Fine Artist

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