Having it "All"...from a working mother of 2 little boys

"Having it All"...

Here's what that looks like in my current world. Although I say having it all, I don't feel like I have it all - yet. For a lot of people it may look like I have it all on the outside but those people must not know me very well.

Don't get me wrong, I know how much I have. I have worked hard up to this point to get where I am. I have the family I've always wanted, a steady high paying job that's most of the time rewarding, a successful career and I'm not even 40 yet. I have a fantastic handsome husband who's talented in art and music, parents and sisters who love me and even great in-laws. It sounds like a storybook life. Most days I crash from exhaustion rather than, oh my - puke running down my sweater and onto my pants from my four-month-old. As I talk to Siri on my iPhone trying to write this blog and hold him with my other hand, I have to laugh to myself at my dedication.

I digress, I have always been the type of person who was internally motivated without needing someone to push me along. If anyone said that I couldn't do something, I figured out a way to do it anyways. My mom always lived the opposite, safe and without risks. I wished she would have lived her life to the fullest because I know it would've been better for her and maybe she wouldn't have taken her own life last year. Now my dad is left alone after 50 years of being with the same woman, whom he loved it through and through.

But this blog is about me and how the things in my life affected where I plan on going in this short lifetime.

My husband and I have two little boys that are the light of our lives and we are finally going to go for our dreams. We are going to open an art gallery and photography studio. My husband is going to pursue his music dream and we don't have a back-up plan. I almost feel like having one would mean we think we're going to fail.

Agilent picnic!

So I had a nightmare, my second one since my mom died. Was very vivid. I think it's because I had crab on our pizza last night. I won't go into details but it involved death, things in the closet trying to rattle the doors to get out and levitation.

4/19/16 - update 

 

Me and Cash

After seeing a psychic with both of my sisters in March, and each having private readings, I still do not feel any closer to having any answers about my mother's death last year. But I do feel reassured that we will sell our house and move forward with our art and music careers. Things have been going fairly smooth for me although I'm exhausted, especially when Ty pees in his bed at 4am and Cash wants to breast feed every few hours. Not to mention I'm working just as hard at my day job mentoring someone new, working on multiple projects simultaneously, and still trying to keep up with my art career with the few spare morsels of energy I have left. 

 

Christian is working hard on his music career and may have found an excellent drummer. I would not be surprised if he got signed to a label with this new material. He stays home with the boys all day so things can be pretty crazy.

 

Nicole Royer Art Gallery in Wilmington, DE

Hopefully things will be changing for all of us very soon as we prep our house for the market. We hope to make enough profit to open an Art gallery!!! 

 

So Cash's baptism is on Sunday and Ty's birthday is next weekend. My sister Lori and my dad are coming to visit and it should be a good time. Thank God the weather is turning over to Spring and we have been able to get out in the fresh air! Volleyball starts shortly and I hope my wrists and back are up for the challenge.

Well, got to go. The gyno will be coming into the room shortly. Lol 

8/17/16 – Update

I was brave enough to take both boys (now 3 years old and 9 ½ months) to Lock Haven, PA from Wilmington, DE by myself, driving 4 hours each way on the highways.  Ty is “potty-trained” so this is challenge # 1.  Thank God for rest stops with Family bathrooms!  Challenge # 2 is getting out the door packing for only 24 hours – went off without a hitch!  Challenge # 3 is keeping everyone fed and comfortable enough to withstand an enclosed car in 95 degree heat.  We did pretty well – only a few meltdowns for thirst.  I have to say another Thank God for DVD players in cars.   

Captain America hugging Dad before his photo shoot

9/18/16 - Update

As I finally publish months of thoughts on this subject "Having it All", things haven't changed much except my outlook is a little brighter. Christian recorded his 9 song album with awesome material and great musicians, he got a big photography job and we have an open house date scheduled! 

Ty has painted a few more pieces for his collection and I have used his leftover paint color choices to spark more inspiration for me.  Cash hasn't started to paint yet but we will start soon!

I have begun posting videos about my Artwork to YouTube and Facebook after reading this book by Gary Vaynderchuk (#ASKGARYVEE). 


LINK to Video # 1:  https://youtu.be/XtLr7BgCjgU
https://www.facebook.com/nicoleroyerart/videos/10154031597973031/

I hope to bring more visitors to my sites!  If you like my work and my blog, please share with your friends & family!

XOXO -

Nicole

Testing some chalk colors - by Tiberius Kaye

Coffee, Art, Convo, Good Eats, Friends - Drip Cafe DE!

Nicole Royer Art at Drip Café in Hockessin, DE

"The Thirty + Show"

Only open for 2 years, Drip Café provides a delicious, friendly atmosphere with a unique coffee menu and great food!  What more could an Artist ask for other than nice customers to come in & enjoy the Art as if it were in their own home while they chat and eat?

The Thirty + Show is a compilation of original Abstract pieces which are over 30" in size. I normally work in cohesive "series" by theme but this time, I wanted to give the audience a view of my latest pieces and not necessarily group them into a subject matter. This allows me to be creative and expressive in my color and style while still thinking about where I want to go next.

 

Drip Café "The Thirty + Show"

Speaking of "what's next", my second "Maternity Series" is coming up and soon I will be taking on new commissions about being a mother, having a mother, losing a mother, etc.  I am counting down the next 2 months from having my second baby boy!  I can't wait to help others capture their experiences again in an original painting which is full of emotion, color and movement based on their unique stories.  I will create another full-color book including all contributors' paintings and stories with photos of the families' smiling faces.

I'd love to see you at the The Thirty + Show coffee tasting event on

October 10th from 2-3pm at Drip Café!

 

Nicole Royer

 

Drip Café

144 Lantana Drive

Hockessin, DE 19707

www.dripcafede.com

(302) 234-4430

“Best of DE” Winner in 2014 for Coffee!!!

www.nicoleroyer.com/maternity

Click for FaceBook - NR Art

 

 

"Heaven and Hell" - Where do you see yourself?

"Heaven and Hell" - Series of Paintings by Nicole Royer

In my new series of acrylic paintings on canvas, I explore the idea of using black, white, gray and a splash of gold to highlight my painting techniques.  I use texture, layering, thickening mediums and motion in my brushwork to express the feelings of
"Heaven and Hell". 

 

It started with one canvas earlier this year, of only white and black paint.  Once the paint and water started mixing together on the canvas, grays started to form.  This piece entitled "Angelfire" stirred emotions to begin a whole new idea for me, someone who is normally such a color-filled Artist!

In exploration of "shades of gray" (no, not that kind), I discovered dragging a large, flat brush over semi-dry paint, and even adding more paint at times, will give unique textures and variations in the gray shades.  I have dripped a few dots of black over the mostly-white background and pulled out striations as if in a varied sky on a cold day.  You won't see any fluffy, white cumulous clouds but you may experience a glimpse of light gray, stratus clouds leading up to Heaven. 

So, on to the context of this series of work...

I started grouping my paintings into a series once "Inferno" was completed in October.  I knew after I had traveled to Los Angeles, I had some new feelings brewing inside but I wasn't sure what they were.  "Inferno" is a painting in reds, blacks and golds which looks like Dante's Inferno of Hell.  It is a sharp contrast to the dusty, whisps in "Angelfire".  I don't know if it was because much of the clothing in LA has angel wings on them, being the City of Angels, or if it's because I've been watching tv shows like "Supernatural", "Grimm" and "Constantine".  Whatever it was, something struck me about this subject. 

The 3rd painting is titled "First Breath".  I don't want to give this one away yet so I'll let you think on this!

The 4th painting, "Souls' Ascent", is probably my favorite so far. 
Here is a pic of the full image, below. The original is 36" x 48" 




The 5th painting is titled "25 Lashings" and it is a very large 48" x 60" piece, almost lifelike in size. It depicts the idea behind this religious form of whipping punishment.  This painting is emotional, a little violent and yet somehow suggests an end at peace.  I can't wait to share it with you all in person!

My 6th painting, "Into the Gates", uses more grays and gold.  The shiny gates leading into Heaven's doors open only for deserving souls.  It is a bit smaller at 30" x 40" and uses more of a drip technique than the brushwork of some others in the series. You can see it here...

I can't wait to finish this group of paintings and show them in person!  I am looking for the perfect venue for 2015 and will be updating my blog as things progress.

Take care...

- Nicole Royer, Abstract Action Painter

www.nicoleroyer.com

 

 

Accessories Galore! Just in time for the Holidays...

Nicole Royer Accessories

Notepads, journal, coaster sets

Leather painted keychain

Art mugs!

     Just coming off a successful show at the City/County Building downtown Wilmington, DE, I am elated to share some photos of my painted accessories with you. 


How ironic this last minute opportunity came through for me when I was actively seeking out "pop up gallery" locations in December! 

Painted clutches

Jeni Barton, a long-time friend and community promoter of the Arts, contacted me to set up a table at a "Holiday Arts and Craft Fair" on Friday, December 12th, 2014. 

This is the type of show I have chosen to not participate in the past few years due to advice from a business coach to focus on my original paintings.

BUT this one had no table fee and I thought, "well, it is right before Christmas", and since there were about 2000 people working in the building, I felt I couldn't go wrong.

It turned out the show was probably my most financially successful "craft" show yet. 




Original paintings turned into greeting cards



I don't know if it's because I'm more comfortable selling now, the timing, the location, the goods themselves, or because I had two great helpers. 

Suede cut out jewelry, bracelets, necklaces

Regardless, I am always interested in hearing constructive feedback about my work so I'll share tons of photos!



Leather change purse

Painted neckties

Women's painted belt

Leather purse and change purse, hand-painted

 

Hand-sewn, painted throw pillows

"Dinosaur tooth" shrink film necklace

Shrink film jewelry set

Suede cut out necklace



"Blackbirds" shrink film earrings

Shrink film necklace

iPhone case with NR Artwork

Mouse pad of NR Art

Nicole Royer with Painted Rain Barrel

Los Angeles...the city of infinite opportunity

Who knew you could have a heat wave over 100 degrees in September in Los Angeles?  Certainly, not me!  I prepared for nice 80 degree days and 70 degree nights.  Lucky I packed a mix of clothing. 

Despite the sweltering sun, my family and I managed to go out and about every single day of our jam-packed "vacation".  Researching on the iPhones endlessly for addresses and open hours of business, we managed to make it to more Art galleries than I've visited during my 13 years living in Delaware.  There were so many opportunities to experience that I fed my hungry soul for knowledge and inspiration from other painters, sculptors, mixed media Artists, musicians, poets.  I gathered from stores, landscapes, people, clothing, and basically anything my eyes could see, my ears could hear, my fingers could touch, my mouth could taste and my nose could smell.  What about that 6th sense?  Yes, I also used that one :) 

L.A. has pockets of "high" and "low" neighborhoods, streets lined with palm trees, alleys paved with hope, tourists on the Walk of Fame and those making a living driving Prius'.  No one wants to be a statistic so every person is trying their best to be different and stand out in a crowd, yet blend in at the same time.

View from the front porch

Back to inspiration for my new paintings...

It hasn't quite hit me yet, I mean the burning desire to expel from deep within the sentiments I amassed during over 2 weeks of living in Studio City atop the glorious mountainside glaring into the twinkling pool.  Once it does, I will be ready with canvases and paints in hand.  I did buy a ton of new supplies in preparation for a massive attack of the brain and heart.  I can't wait to pour myself into this one.  Please keep me bookmarked so you can see the outcome!

Nicole Royer (me) with a canvas by KAWS at Honor Fraser Gallery

Baby, oh my! Tiberius the creativity Superboy...



Fertility and Maternity Series:

 

It has been an awesome adventure this past year! 

 

My husband and I have been through a lot trying to get pregnant these past 3 years. Along the way, I painted to express my feelings. I went through some challenges such as a loss, infertility testing and a minor surgery. After what felt like forever, we found out we were successful with a little boy! We had names picked out for both girls and boys long before this, and decided to keep our final choice a secret. 

 

Painting the Fertility Series helped me work through some of my issues. I decided this was a great time to share my story with others who may be going through the same thing.  I created a book with photos of the paintings and short paragraphs describing each one, which is available for purchase. This book idea sparked my Kickstarter project so I could fund a new series of paintings around the subject of Maternity. Kickstarter is a crowd-based funding website for creatives. My new painting series would be based on my own experiences of seeing my baby grow in the first few months of his life as well as the submitted stories of others' who backed my project. Raising money would allow me to bond with my newborn, staying home and painting with him. I would paint a custom piece of artwork to go along with each person's story and create a book, which would be one of the 'rewards'. 

 

The project ended in May and I have now painted all 13 pieces for my backers as well as 6 of my own paintings. Here is a photo of me in the studio with Tiberius (yes, we did name him after a Roman Emperor).

 

Here is a picture of Ty & I in front of "Early Labor - Contractions", which I actually painted 9 months pregnant!  It is 30" x 48" and I paint my Abstracts on the floor; imagine that : )

 

Here's my handsome boy at 8 weeks, modeling an NR Art custom tie.

 

I can't wait to share the photographs and book of my Maternity Series paintings; they should be available shortly.

To those of you who thought I couldn't paint new work and have a newborn at the same time, sorry to disappoint you.  It hasn't been easy, but it can be done. My creativity has been booming...I just wish there were more hours in the day, and I had a personal chef & cleaning person!

Until next post,
Nicole

First-time Mom, Abstract Action Painter needs your stories for her Kickstarter Project!

Nicole Royer will create a new painting series & hard copy book based on the joys, trials & tribulations of pregnancy & newborn life!

Nicole Royer, Abstract Action Painter, needs your stories to create a new series of paintings based on the awesome journey of pregnancy and the joys, trials & tribulations of raising a newborn baby.  This will complement her existing series about infertility, of which you can see photos below.

She will use backers’ inspirational stories, along with her own personal experiences, to create one-of-a-kind abstract paintings. The completed artwork will be compiled in print form as a hardcover book, one of the many rewards available. Nicole will paint this series this summer, during the newborn period of her child’s life when creativity is at its peak.

“I want to create new paintings inspired by your stories alongside my own new canvases throughout this phase of my life. I will then create a book attributed to the wonderful backers, showcasing all of these paintings and everyone's stories so we can share in the experience together! I’m asking for $4,000 to buy supplies and provide a stipend during this "residency" period. This will allow me to complete the awesome compilation and spend precious time bonding with my newborn.”

"What Dreams are Made of..." copyright Nicole Royer

 

Details of what you get!

You will receive original (never to be created again) paintings tailored to your unique stories and color pallets. Send Nicole YOUR story (1-2 paragraphs) about your journey through infertility, fertility, pregnancy and/or caring for a newborn and she will create an original painting inspired by it.  Some examples are:  adoption, loss, siblings feelings, parenting, a surprise that turned out well, someone did something wonderful for you such as carrying your baby, problems or joys you had during or after pregnancy, what your newborn did to excite you, etc.

The original painting reward level starts at $100 (Frida's Eyebrow) to submit your personal story. Fund more than once and receive a whole wall of color!  Or give a painting to a loved one as a gift like no one has ever offered before, by using their inspiring story or precious memory. Surprise them with a painting created Just For Them!

Just imagine if the goal was not met and beautiful Art inspired by your stories was not be delivered to your door!  Without your support, Nicole would not have the time to bond in her son’s first few months of life and connect these experiences to colorful paintings. Please share this inspiring campaign with all your friends so they can receive unique works of Art that will bring them enlightenment and joy!  This is your chance to share your heartfelt story with people who may be going through the same experiences.  Your stories will be turned into lasting visual memories.  

LINK to the VIDEO & DETAILS of how to contribute:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1535903004/first-time-mom-painter-needs-your-stories-to-creat

THANK YOU!!!

Nicole at 2nd & LOMA displaying "Fertility" and "Need an Egg"