Kokabella » Personal Life

Once Upon a Long Time Ago

Kokabella — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 20:07:35 +0000

This is SO far out of my comfort zone and very different than the photographic art I create. If you’ve ever lost touch with your true self, you’ll get this. I’m working on getting back in touch with my inner creative soul that offers up thought provoking questions and ideas. It’s liberating to work on a piece of art knowing that someone out there can relate to what I’ve designed. It’s like an “ah-ha” moment!

Please keep checking back for something that might reach your soul… {and grab a pencil, crayon, some paint or even a tube of lipstick and jot down your thoughts in pictures. Even if it’s abstract, it will have meaning to you and that’s all that matters!}. GO FOR IT!

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You don’t have to row on your own

Kokabella — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 21:03:52 +0000

“You don’t have to row on your own. A good friend will always be there to grab hold of the other ore.” – Kokabella

To my close friend, Rique for inspiring me today to create this beautiful piece of photographic art from a simple photograph. Some people are just forever connected. :-)

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Wintery Barn Photographic Art

Kokabella — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 14:30:21 +0000

I created this piece of photographic art this morning for my girlfriend, Bella whose beloved horse is being put down today. He was just diagnosed with some pretty bad cancer. So sad. :-(

He has lived a very long and loved life. I hope it helps her to get through this super sad day. Though it’s a wintery scene and we’re in much warmer weather, it’s calming and she needs that for sure today.

{Love you Bella. Wish I could be in L.A. for you today}.

“Wintery Barn” now available at my Etsy store.

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Everything you see is lovely if…

Kokabella — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 12:55:52 +0000

Title: “Everything you see is lovely if love is what you choose to see.”

It’s amazing how something as easily forgotten as a dead leaf on the ground can be so easily disregarded. Look around. There’s beauty everywhere, even in a leaf.

Several years back when I lived in Malibu, I met a songwriter, Dean Grakal with whom I shared a few interesting conversations with about our life experiences. One of them was after I had been at the barn riding my Warmblood, “Blind Faith.” It was this perfect, sunny Southern California day and the view was crystal clear as far as I could see out over the ocean. After my ride, I spoke with Dean and told him about how everything I could see was so clear, as though the world was standing still and it was as perfect of a moment as anyone could possibly experience.

So the next time I saw Dean, he pulled out his tattered, worn notebook and said to me; “Everything you see is lovely if love is what you choose to see.” That was what he got from what I explained as that epiphany/perfect moment. At the time, he was working with Ringo Starr on an upcoming album. He incorporated those words into a song that went on to be one of Ringo’s albums.

The skinny of this story goes back to the dead leaf, dried up on a sidewalk. If you feel and see love, it’s what you will see all around you. I have to thank Dean for summing that up for me. It can be applied to so many things on a daily basis… like this beautiful leaf! That’s why I love creating art from something so easily looked over as the leaf or the second-hand shoes that I created a canvas piece from.

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Day Ten: 31 Days of Props

Watercolor Art Series by Sophia

Kokabella — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:43:13 +0000

I’ve always been inspired by watercolor art. I finally started to act on it late last year by taking a watercolor course. I love it! My little girl just turned three last month and she’s far surpassed my abilities at painting on paper though! I left it to her to create the painted art on index cards that we happened to have lying around. I added some added water drops and word art. Mission accomplished! We’re calling it a successful day! Here’s a couple that she & I did on index cards, then scanned them and added a little “oomph” in Photoshop!

With Sophia’s helpful little hands, we created greeting cards for her grandparents…

Of course seeing anything these days that says “I Love You This Big” immediately makes many of us hear Scotty McCreery’s version of the song play in our whimsical little heads! Oh, it doesn’t? Here’s the video… you’ll definitely have it stuck in your pretty little head now!

{This song reminds me so much of my little girl. I picked her up and danced around the living room singing it to her last night as it played on the tv! We both giggled and laughed so much! Another memory that I will soon not forget}.

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Goodbye sweet little beach life

Kokabella — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 02:27:03 +0000

For the past seven months, we’ve been living at the beach. We leased a fabulous little cottage-style furnished casita in a beautiful gated community in the hammock area of Palm Coast. As many of you know, we moved there for a Montessori school for our toddler. When it didn’t live up to our standards of a traditional Montessori program and was not even a recognized Montessori school, we had to bid farewell to our shabby little beach life and move to Jacksonville where there were Montessori-accredited schools.

We took possession of our new home as soon as it was ready and have had the past few weeks to move out of our beach pad. We’ve traded in the sound of the ocean waves for a large natural preserve where the birds sing and play. I’m surprised how much I love it to be honest! I do miss the beach (above) but happy for the time I had there.

It’s funny how we have the ability to turn lemons into fresh lemonade. This is a perfect example of that. We had a beach for seven months, built a new business, formed lasting business relationships {love you, Office Divvy} and learned that we must do our own due diligence before getting involved with a school, business or service. It’s an absolute must in a world where anyone can appear to be all that and then some.

After this week, my new home studio will be set up and I’ll be photographing, designing and blogging from “the preserve!”

Thank you all for sticking by as we made this change. Keep your head held high and eyes wide open to wonderful new opportunities!

Terry-Anne

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Where Does Your Road Lead?

Kokabella — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 14:42:18 +0000

As I created this piece of photographic art to print on canvas and also mail out for Mail Art 365 at IUOMA, I thought; “Isn’t it odd how predictable change is even when one has well thought out plans?”

My cute little mini-me will turn three in a few weeks. One thing that has been set in stone between my husband and I is the importance of providing her with the best possible format of learning as possible. She has been in Montessori School since the age of eighteen months and it’s been an incredible experience. When we relocated from Austin to central Florida for a terrific career opportunity, we struggled with finding a good school. We were able to move to a beautiful vacation property at the beach in Palm Coast for the sole reason of finding a local Montessori School for her. It didn’t take long to figure out that the school was not at even close to being a true, traditional Montessori school. (A class of little boys and girls wearing nothing but underpants and tops in the classroom, not potty-trained? Unsanitary and degrading to say the least. That was just the tip of the ice burg).

So I asked myself, where is this road leading us next? We have been very carefully researching Montessori schools and residential communities with the most adamant goal of not putting our daughter through another awful experience or move unless it is absolutely necessary.

Through all this upheaval and disappointment, here’s what I’ve learned to do to start figuring out how to get back onto the right road:

Focus on the most important issue that needs to be changed and make a list of ways to achieve change.
Set a timeline for this action to make the change happen and start researching solutions.

In our case, it was to map out an area within 40 miles of my husband’s workplace, research best neighborhoods within that radius and find the schools within driving distance of these areas and finally, contact the top realtors who will work to find us a great home.

{Luckily, I can continue my business from anywhere as an artist with the majority of my business being done online}.

Lastly, use the mistakes of the past as tools for your present and future goals. Once you achieve your new goals, continue to nurture your new path and build on it. Again, in our situation, it’s about making new friends, continuing to grow as a close family unit, involving ourselves in our daughter’s educational development and embracing all the great things that this road has lead us.

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Which Way Do I Go Creatively?

Kokabella — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:21:30 +0000

Created from an old book page, textures and magazine tear outs to express my current thoughts on which way to go in my creative life. I’ve got my greeting card biz buzzing along online but I am so fond of creating photographic design elements and vintage art. I have over 200 new designs completed already just since the new year. Although there’s so many directions to go, I am leaning towards a new online store rather than just use them in my own photographic art. Letting other people create their own artsy photographic art sounds really appealing to me right now.

This piece was inspired by the Mail Art 365 and Creative Every Day 2012 challenges that I’m happily involved with! Sending this one out in the mail today!

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New Year Siesta

Kokabella — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 21:00:51 +0000

Wow, 2011 has already flew by and here we go into a brand new, refreshing year. What has your year meant to you? Has it been fulfilling? Relaxing? Busy? Whatever it’s been to you, there’s a new year right around the corner just waiting to be all that you hope for it to be.

2011 for me was the year of exploration and creation. New homes, new state, new memories, change and growth. It was filled with so much newness that I don’t know how I’d top it! I made new friendships that warmed my heart and created more artwork than I’d ever done before. My design business was formed in the last quarter and my daughter became an independent little toddler with her very own thoughts and the sweetest heart.

In all this change came a chance to sit back and reflect on what’s most important. Life just moves so quickly and each moment offers a chance to make a memory. I’ve decided to take some time with my little girl and best friend (cousin) while my husband is away and travel, explore this gorgeous state of Florida and have an abundance of “kick-back” girlfriend talks over coffee for a few weeks.

In fairness and respect for my friends and readers, I will admit that I’m working through some things, but nothing more than many of us are challenged by in our adult lives. A little R&R, great friends and a chance to dive into new works of art is part of the remedy. Thank you for standing by me and for all the kind emails, tweets, letters and comments you’ve reached out to me with. I’ll be back in a few weeks with a fresh perspective and hopefully a whole new line of artwork.

I’ll still be tweeting… how could I EVER quit tweeting?! I’d die! I’ll also be checking mail both online and through my post office.

I wish each of you the very sweetest and prosperous new year. May people treat you with fondness, respect and joy!

Much love,

Terry-Anne

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Every Little Girl Is A Princess

Kokabella — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:39:24 +0000

I looooove my little mini me more than life itself. She tests me sometimes and caught onto my “sass,” but at the end of the day, she’s a part of me and I love her, love her, love her!

Sophia is two years and ten months now. Wow, where did the time go? Now I see why everyone says; “Cherish every moment.”

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