Night Owl Production

FROM THE FALL OF 2025 TO THE FINISH LINE: ART WITH A PURPOSE!

Can you believe this journey started all the way back last fall? After months of anticipation, the final voting window for Tanganyika Wildlife Foundation’s Penguins on the Plains campaign is officially drawing to a close on June 28th!

The Story Behind My Design:I wanted this piece to visually bridge two worlds. The front depicts a group of penguins in an exhibition setting. But when you turn it around, the back opens up into a deep, dark blue sea filled with vibrant turquoise penguins swimming completely free.

Why Your Vote Matters:This campaign is about so much more than just public art. Every single dollar raised from voting ($1 = 1 vote) goes directly to the Dyer Island Conservation Trust. They work on the front lines to protect and rehabilitate critically endangered wild African Penguins facing severe environmental threats. My design represents the ultimate goal of wildlife care: connecting people to the wide-open oceans and protecting wild colonies.

We are in the homestretch! Let’s make a final splash for MUMBLE
Voting Deadline: June 28th Cast your vote here: Tanganyika Penguins on the Plains Campaign. Thank you to everyone who has cheered me on since last fall! Please like, comment, and share this post to help raise vital funds for wild penguin conservation!

I woke up this morning and said to myself—and I know it was me talking because I recognized the voice, yes it was definitely me—"How can I complicate my day today?"

The answer? Trying to squeeze a jaw-dropping, extreme macro photograph onto a tiny 5x7 canvas using oil paints. We’re talking sharp compound eyes, metallic blue armor, and a million microscopic bee hairs.

Below is the digital photo vs. my absolute mini-battle with anatomy. Honey, I shrunk my sanity—and this is just the work-in-progress stage!

As tedious as it is to blend oils at this micro-scale, it’s a great reminder of how incredible these little creatures are. Bees are the ultimate climate heroes and environmental indicators. They pollinate roughly one-third of the food crops we eat globally and keep our entire ecosystem from collapsing. They literally hold the weight of our world on their tiny wings!

I’m excited to share my latest oil painting, "Left Behind," a 5 by 7 inch piece that focuses on a single autumn leaf resting on a weathered wooden surface. The leaf’s vibrant yellow and orange tones contrast with the rough texture and peeling blue paint of the wood beneath it, highlighting the quiet tension between fragility and endurance. This work blends realistic detail with an impressionistic approach, reflecting my ongoing exploration of combining these styles. The Cottonwood leaf carries a sense of stillness, as if it’s quietly observing the passage of time from a window sill—an idea that inspired the mood and composition here.

The cottonwood is the official state tree of Kansas—a true pioneer tree that symbolizes resilience, hope, and survival on the open prairie. In many traditions, its heart-shaped leaves whisper prayers in the wind, its groves signal life-giving water, and its branches are said to cradle the stars.

I wrote this poem to honor the rich history, deep symbolism, and quiet beauty behind this leaf:

Left Behind
A fallen heart of amber gold,
Rests on a sill, weathered and old.
Born from the giant of the plains,
The root that lives through droughts and rains.
Its canopy once caught the breeze,
To whisper prayers through sacred trees.
It guided travelers from afar,
And in its marrow, hid a star.
The pioneer of Kansas soil,
A beacon in a life of toil,
Whose rising groves would proudly say
That home was here, and meant to stay.
Now severed from the mother bough,
It claims a quiet shelter now.
A spark of sun in peeling blue,
A sign of water, deep and true.
It was not lost; it stayed to show
That life still moves, though cold winds blow.
A sacred piece of earth and sky,
Left behind as the world walks by

To me, I don’t just paint flowers—I paint portraits. I think of my single blooms as individuals with their own stories, and when I paint a group like these two, I see them as a family portrait. There is so much deep symbolism tucked into every petal if you know where to look.But capturing the soul of a "portrait" isn't always easy! I’ve been wrestling with these two lately, trying to move past the bright "lemon yellow" to find the real depth and dimension that makes them feel alive.

I wrote this short poem to capture that specific battle between the light and the dark:My brush is loaded with the sun,A lemon yellow, bright and loud.But depth is lost before I’ve begun;Each petal is a flat, gold cloud.To make them curve, to make them lean,To give the bloom a heavy soul,I must find the shadow in betweenAnd let the darkness make them whole.

It’s a reminder that even the brightest "personalities" need a little contrast to show their true shape. I'm finally starting to see these two start to "lean" and find their place on the canvas.

I'd love to know: When you look at a painting, are you drawn to the bright, sunny highlights first, or do you find yourself looking for the secrets in the shadows?

When "Easy" Becomes a Lesson
I started this daffodil study thinking it would be a quick, sunny exercise—a bit of "low-pressure" fun in the studio. But as any artist knows, sometimes the subjects that look the simplest are the ones that challenge us the most! The reference photo that started it is at the bottom. Lately, this piece has been a real lesson in persistence. I’ve reached that "middle stage" where the values feel a bit off and the colors aren't quite singing yet. Instead of forcing it, I’m using one of my favorite studio tricks: hanging it up to live with it.Sometimes, you just need to see a painting in your peripheral vision while you're grabbing a coffee or walking through the room. Seeing it with "fresh eyes" in a different light helps reveal exactly what needs to change in a way that staring at the easel never can.Art isn't always about a perfect first draft; it's about pushing through the "ugly" stages to find the breakthrough. I’m excited to keep working through this one until those petals truly pop against that deep, dark background.

Have you ever had a "simple" project turn into a big learning curve? I’d love to hear how you push through! If you’d like to share any, please feel free to do so in the comments section below.

 Remember to color outside the lines and stay inspired…..Yasmine

"I've learned that while we can’t always control the difficult things that happen to us, we can choose how we let them shape us. I try to find a silver lining even in the darkest clouds, not because the struggle was 'meant' to happen, but because I believe it’s how we move forward that speaks volumes.
I always called my studio/business Night Owl Production because back when I worked those 9-to-5 jobs, the only time I had to create was late into the night. I’d function on little sleep just to keep my art alive.
For a long time, I was still afraid of failure. But after my injury, when my health was at a breaking point and I had to leave my job to heal, I finally realized I wasn’t getting any younger. I was tired of being scared of failing when I realized—I just might succeed.
I was 59 years old before I finally found the courage to enter a painting into a 12-squared gallery exhibition. It proved to me that it's never too late to chase what you love.
I am forever grateful to the person who encouraged me to take that leap of faith and prioritize my health. It wasn't just about walking away from a job; it was about walking toward my dream. Art saved my life then, and it continues to be the light on the days when I’m still dealing with pain.
To my family, my friends, and the one who stood by me: thank you for helping me find my silver lining. I’m so grateful to finally be a 'Night Owl' on my own terms.
I’d love to know—what is the 'light' or the hobby that helps you get through your own difficult days? Let’s share some positivity in the comments!

If you’d like to support my journey, I have several ways you can bring my art into your home:
Original Paintings & Custom Commissions
Limited Edition Giclee & High-Quality Canvas Reproductions
Artistic Coffee Mugs—perfect for fellow night owls!
Please see my contact details in the photos below or DM me for pricing or to start a custom piece!

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Why I sometimes paint in "shades of grey"

They say "color gets all the credit, but value does all the work!" I’m really putting that to the test with my latest piece.
To help me get the lighting just right, I use a simple trick with my iPad: I take a photo of my reference and apply the "Noir" filter in the edit settings. By stripping away the color, I can see the "bones" of the image—the bright highlights and deep shadows—without being distracted by the hues.
Why does this matter?
Focusing on these values is what creates dimensionality. By nailing the contrast between the brightest "highlights" and the deepest "lowlights," the painting stops looking flat and starts to look 3D. It’s the secret to making these petals really "pop" and feel like they have actual weight and form!
(For my non-artist friends: "Value" is just a fancy word for how light or dark a color is!) 💡
It’s still a work in progress, but focusing on the structure of light is really bringing these daffodils to life.
For the artists out there—do you use digital filters to help your process, or do you prefer to eye-ball the values?

I spent a lifetime doing what was expected of me, keeping my true passion tucked away in the margins. Winning the People's Choice Award for this painting (pictured below) was the moment I realized that our "hidden" loves are often the most important parts of who we are.

I’d love to hear from you: Is there a "first love" or a creative spark you’ve been keeping for yourself? What is the one thing you do that makes your spirit soar? Let's celebrate those hidden passions in the comments!