My Artistic Journey

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope your 2024 is off to a wonderful start!

I’ve been wanting to start a blog and this seems like the perfect time. I’m in a beautiful transitional phase of my life right now and I thought it would help me to write about it and share. In the past couple of years, my two amazing adult daughters, Amelia and Sophie, have moved out on their own. My sweetheart of the past 10 years, Shane Guidry, and I got married in May of 2023. We have started a new business, Guidry’s Smooth Details, LLC and Shane and the team are rocking that! Have you seen our beautiful ceramic coatings ? Be sure to check out the website, Guidry's Smooth Details, LLC !!!

I became a teacher back in 2010 when I became a single mom. I have been blessed with finding teaching jobs in subjects that I love and am passionate about. I have taught both French and music and I am currently teaching elementary music for the Lafayette Public School System and I LOVE my job! Teaching was a gift to me in so many ways and I think I will always pursue teaching on some level. I get so much satisfaction teaching and I also I learn so much while teaching. The schedule that my teaching jobgave me as a single mom was the biggest blessing. I could have quality time with my two precious daughters while they were in school themselves. Now that they are all grown and have moved out, I’m seeing that I am in a beautiful transitional phase of my life and I can look into other options. I do plan to retire in a few years from the classroom and pursue other interests. I will not be old enough to retire nor do I want to officially retire. I have so many things that I still want to do!

As most of you know, I’ve been a professional Cajun musician for almost all of my life and I love music and will definitely continue with my music. I treasure my 2 amazing bands that I get to play music with, Balfa Toujours and Bonsoir, Catin. Music has enriched my life and continues to do so on so many levels. I have met some of the most amazing people through my music and have traveled all over the world. Music will always be a huge part of my life! Some of you may not know this, but I also have a huge passion for visual art. I find that these two creative outlets really compliment each other and have really enriched my quality of life. I have been inspired and drawn to learn more about visual art for almost 20 years now. I’ve taken many art classes both in person and online and really have learned so much! During the pandemic lockdown, I set up an art studio space in our home and started painting more on my own and that was really a big step for me. Our “music room” in now my art studio.

In the past few years, I’ve wanted to take my art more seriously. So for 2024, I am taking steps to make this happen! I have found a mentor and I am taking a program that I will help me do this! I want to blog and share my journey with you for several reasons. I hope to inspire folks to pursue their own passions, whatever that may be. I also want to have a record of my progress in this type of format and I think it’ll help me to be more accountable on my journey. And I will also be posting some of the paintings and drawings that I am doing on my journey. I want to share my journey as well sell them to folks that are interested in my work. It will also help me to pay for the cost of my classes, my supplies, and my mentor fees.

So here is my first official blog post! Be on the look out for my first painting of my owl fairly soon. I have 1 more layer to do this weekend and will be posting it next week here on my blog. And it will be for sale…..;-)

Hope y’all have a great day!

love,

Christine

5 year old Christine working at her art table.