The Best, Worst Day Ever



The chaos of our schedule of late has caused great tension in my household. Family obligations, meetings and sporting events have left little time for recreation. We awoke early Sunday morning to escape the piles of laundry and head to Family day at a nearby camp. A day of outdoor recreation seemed to be what my family needed and we were excited for the mini-break.

Picnic packed, we hit the road. Only a half an hour behind schedule for the one hour drive… Not bad considering we had to dig the summer clothes out of storage.  

Being first-timers to Family Day we were not sure exactly what to expect. Dennis and I kept an open mind, we were just happy to share in the girls’ excitement for the activities. As we pulled in the girls discovered a climbing wall and scaling the climbing wall became top on their list. We had a quick discussion of available activities and made a list of priorities.

After a quick attempt at the climbing wall, it was our turn for the trail ride. That is when the real adventure began…

Mary In Blue - Watercolor



Most Pure Heart of Mary - Watercolor 6/12/2016

The honor of creating an image to commemorate the70^th anniversary of the Most Pure Heart of Mary Parish was mine in 2016. My instructions were to create an image that embodies the spirit of the church itself. After deep contemplation, I decided to paint the statue of our patroness Mary, which stands like a sentinel above the north doors of the church. This exterior stone statue stands a story tall, facing a busy Topeka street. In contrast to the bustling world around her, Mary’s face is soft and inviting, her arms outstretched, welcoming visitors with a pure heart.

Along with celebrating the 70^th anniversary of the parish, Most Pure Heart also celebrated the 55^th anniversary of the Church building (Spring 2016). I felt no better way to celebrate fifty-five years of history than to convey the warm inviting nature of the statue by painting it’s likeness in soft water colors using only blue, in tribute to Mary.

Crucifixion - Painting My Faith

Carrie Jo Gros "It Is Finished" Oil on Canvas 2017 

Having been Catholic for only a little over ten years, being vocal about and expressing my faith is not something that comes natural to me. Having grown up protestant, my first introduction to Catholicism was at the University of Kansas during my BFA studies. You see, one cannot study art history without an immersion in the rich artistic history of the Catholic Church. Awareness of this exposure is not obvious, but it is there. (I myself did not become aware of my appreciation until years later when I stepped into a Catholic church and was greeted by a replica of Michelangelo’s Pietà.) As my faith has grown, so has my desire to explore and express it in my art. This desire comes with a great amount of fear. Not only fear of creating a work that is misunderstood, but also fears of it simply falling short or not being good enough. Questions such as, “What if I get the references wrong?” or “If this painting is no good, am I insulting Mary?” taunt and paralyze me.

Increasing Volunteer Engagement

I’ve been racking my brain lately about the Pareto principle and how to engage the 80%. While I have come up with no concrete solutions… I did realize that I speak about the 80/20 principle as fact. (Which may be in economics (A topic I am completely unqualified to discuss.)) However, in terms of volunteerism and participation, the 80/20 rule is more perception than reality.

Oops Paint - Leftovers of the Painting World

Do leftovers exists in the paint world? Oh, yes they do! I’ve painted nearly my entire house with them! Leftovers are the paint that was mixed and rejected at the paint store, (more commonly referred to as “oops paint”) or the remnants of your own past projects. My personal collection started with 11 gallons of paint that we acquired when we first moved into our house. It is as though someone was planning to paint every surface, got started … and gave up. Boy am I glad they did! It would’ve been a huge waste of time to paint the interior of a house white before someone as exuberant as me moved in. I would go crazy in an all white house! I need color! Big color! The more saturated the better…eggplant accent walls, anise entry way, blood-red half-bath, navy blue living room, and my favorite: a peacock-inspired master bedroom. (That’s right: purple, teal and green – delish!)

Mom Friends

Here we are, another Mother’s day ... what a year it’s been. Having only been a mom for 7 years, I’m still getting a handle on this whole Mother’s day thing. It’s different as an honoree, but I am really enjoying my role as mom. But I couldn't do it without a huge support system. My hat goes off to all my mom friends (you know who you are.) You are my band of sisters. So this weekend, as we prepare to accept our handmade gifts and construction paper cards ... I reflect on what it means to be more than a mom but to be a “mom friend.”

Monday Sucks!

Mondays are the worst. It has nothing to do with the start of another work week, or the blinking light on the phone from calls that have come in over the weekend ... Mondays suck because I MISS MY KIDS!