Dear Reader,
Before I was brave enough to answer my true calling as an artist I was a developmental specialist who worked with children experiencing developmental delays. I have a B.A. and an M.A. in the field of psychology. I was training to become a mental health counselor when I decided to switch gears and pursue my childhood dream of becoming an artist. Now I am a work at home mom blogging and painting obsessively and I am about as happy as I have been in my entire life.
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We live in a geodesic dome in New Mexico (yes, it is hard to arrange our furniture). We’re living La Vida Loca with three barking dogs, four clucking chickens, three shiny goldfish and two wild cats. One day we will probably just have to buckle down and write our own version of The Twelve Days Of Christmas.
Jim, my husband, writes a feature called “Jim’s Corner” on Fridays, but not every Friday. He also writes about his travels and sometimes about ADHD.

Tiny-Small is our four-year old daughter. She likes animals, painting, and going down the slide. She is the only person in our family with any fashion sense and can often be found wearing 23 necklaces at a time. She wants to be a dog-doctor-princess when she grows up. She is often the star of this show.
Lillian Connelly: Artist Statement
When I was a child I created fearlessly. I used colors with confidence. My designs were made with bold lines, openness to possibilities, and a happy heart. At some point, as I grew up, I lost that confidence and purpose that I once so naturally possessed. I put aside my childhood dream of becoming an artists and turned my focus to a more “responsible” profession.
After my daughter was born, at the age of 36, my creative spark was reawakened. I started to dream big again. I wanted to wake up every morning bursting with energy and excitement about the possibilities the day in front of me held.
That’s when I recaptured my desire to be an artist and started painting again. I found myself drawn to bold, vibrant colors. These colors represented my choice to live courageously and to celebrate life by living it with passion, joy, and love. To live fearlessly.
My paintings are a pure expression of my being and reflect my choices to start living the life I was meant to live. They convey the joy I feel through the vivid, radiant, fluid colors. I spent most of my adult years thinking the life I wanted to have wasn’t a real possibility. The colors I use remind me of a sunrise. They represent being awake and invested wholeheartedly in my own life. They acknowledge that I embraced my true calling to become an artist. I hope my paintings inspire others to embrace their passions and remind them to wake up every morning bursting with energy and determined to live with courage, excitement, and love.
Sometimes I feel dreamy and bohemian. Sometimes I feel bold, eclectic, or radiant. I created my jewelry line of wearable, original art so I could express these moods as I dressed each day. Sometimes my jewelry pieces remind me of who I am. It’s almost impossible not to feel confident, original, and brave when I am wearing one of my brightly colored creations. I often feel like I am wearing a ray of sunshine around my neck. I am reminded of my own power, energy, and passion.
My jewelry was created to remind people that they shine from the inside. That they too are like a ray of sunshine. My hope is that the vivid colors, the uniqueness of each piece, and the energy in which they were created, will remind women of how beautiful, talented, and amazing they are. I hope my jewelry inspires them to live wholeheartedly each day too.
Live courageously and let your soul shine! Celebrate life by wearing original, vibrant, bursting with color jewelry. Remind yourself to live wholeheartedly by decorating your personal spaces with art that radiantly expresses the passion and excitement that you feel in your soul.
If you are interested in seeing my artwork please consider visiting my Etsy shop: Dome Life Studios or following me on Pinterest.
Pleasure to meet you! Thanks for visiting my Snarkfest page!
Teri
What?! That’s it? I thought maybe you’d drop some much needed snark up in here. Oh, well, maybe next time! Until then, I’ll just to have read more of your blog.
I have nominated you for a Versatile Blogger Award. I really enjoy reading your blog. Keep up the great work! Please go to my website to claim your badge and read the instructions:
http://mommyunmuted.com/versatile-blogger-award/
Best,
Mommy Unmuted
Thank you. All of these awards are making me feel a little light headed!
I love this. I didn’t know you are well rounded; that explains the dome. And that masters in psych. I hope I’m well rounded too… 😉
My mom always says, “Jack of all trades, master of none.” That pretty much describes me.
I came to visit your blog because the title caught my eye when it was metioned on another blog… I also live in a dome 🙂 Did you build it?
We did not build it, but the previous owner did with his own two hands. I find that amazing when I sit here and look at all of the angles. Did you build yours? We have found it to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It’s really a fantastic house.
My parents built it in the 70s. We have skylights and large windows, so my favourite part is the huge amount of daylight that we get.
Ours was built in the 80’s and it also has skylights and big windows. The light is wonderful! I love that part too.
Dear Lillian,
I just wanted to take a moment and thank you for your beautiful comment on my artwork that was recently posted on Artistic Moods. I really appreciate that you took the time to write that. Your artwork is stunning!
All the best to you!
Shari
Shari, thank you so much for taking the time to say hello. I do love your artwork! You are one talented lady.
Thank you so much!!
Hi Lillian,
I’ve just had the privilege of reading your blog, and looking through your artwork! You are one talented lady, and I also love the way you write….I love the way you emphasize the funny stuff that happens along our journey. I also feel priveliged that someone with your talent would want to buy my jewellery, thank you 🙂
Chris Raj
Thank you, Christine! I try to find the humor in everything. It’s a better way to live! Thank you for visiting my blog. I cannot wait to get your jewelry. It’s gorgeous and you are incredibly talented yourself!
I love reading stories about people that have been successful in a career, and then -blip- flip the switch and pursue their dreams. It’s inspiring. I am too big of a chicken to make that jump, but I am hoping that at some point I will be confident enough in my creativity to scratch out a decent living and finally do something that I love instead of something that just pays the bills.
It’s really scary, but worth it. You have to have a lot of support. I’ve been lucky in a way because as I am staying home with my daughter I’ve had a chance to get my business started so hopefully by the time she starts school I’ll be in a position to make a living and not have to return to a job that only pays the bills. I definitely wouldn’t be able to do this without my husband. Taking that leap is scary without a safety net in place. I hope you get your chance and take it. It’s much better to have a job that you love, but also a lot more work!