Friday's Special Moment of Gratitude

I have started a new series of pastel classes and I am learning so much and because of what I am learning I think I will be shopping very soon for some new supplies.  I have learned that with pastels the materials you use do make a difference and that if I get the right materials I will not have to work so hard to get the picture to look just right.  The problem is that I am not sure what just right means.  I think that is something that is very personal.  For me, just right usually revolves around a picture that evokes a memory.  It reminds me of a time, a place, a person, or an event.  The picture will usually have water in it somewhere and the colors will usually be soothng and peaceful.  I think for each of us "just right" means something different.  It will be interesting to see how my work changes as I get the materials that have been recommended.

As you know it is my practice to share what I am grateful for each week.  This week I am grateful for the power of hope.  As many of you know my husband has a progressive lung disease.  This has been a difficult winter but spring seems to be bringing with it lots of hope.  As with everything in life, this disease has its ups and downs.  Right now, we are on an upward swing and at this time there are lots of reasons for hope. What I have come to understand and celebrate as we go through this journey together is to never give up hope.  There is always a new day, a new direction, a new surprise for us to enjoy.  Tomorrow we go to learn more about becoming part of a research study.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if by participating in this study, we could not only learn something that could help us but many many more people as well?  So today I am grateful for the opportunities that await us and for the power of hope!

I would love to know what you are most grateful for experiencing this week.

Sunday's Quote and Reflection

Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty if only we have the eyes to see them.
                                                                                                                      John Ruskin (1819-1900)
I am always inspired by nature.  Its colors, its strength, its softness, its beauty.  Whether it is a sunny day or a cloudy one there is always something to see and appreciate.  I love to be out on the water and watch the sunlight dance on the waves or listen as the waves rush up to the shore.  I love to be in a garden filled with beautiful flowers or go walking in the woods surrounded by strong silent trees.  I don't always have the opportunity to do these things but I am finding that I can recreate my experiences again and again through the things I paint.  The more I paint, the more I am inspired by nature.  The more I am inspired by nature, the more I paint. 

When I look at the painting above, I am reminded of how much fun we used to have when we went kayaking.  Most of the time we kayaked down slow silent rivers surrounded by trees but once in awhile we went through rapids or up and over small waves and it was always so exciting.  We kayaked with the manatees and in the ocean - both experiences I will never forget.  Each time was different but each time was magical.  When I look at the simple picture above, I remember all of those special Sunday afternoons. 

Do you have a picture that you have taken or painted that brings back special memories?  I would love to know what inspires you to paint and what makes a painting special to you.

Friday's Special Moment of Gratitude

Each day is special.  Each day gives a chance to begin over, to create something new, to celebrate who we are. Once we realize that, life becomes filled with endless possibilities.

I had just finished writing the last three sentences when my cell phone decided to give me an opportunity to put into practice what I had just written.  I hate it when things break and all of a sudden for no reason my phone wouldn't work.  So I thought ok, a new possibility to see what I can do.  Can I fix it by myself?  Can I stay calm which is something I can do for any other type of problem but not when the problem is the least bit technical.  Can I see this as an opportunity for growth? 

I tried to make the phone work.  Nothing I did made a difference.  So I stayed calm and drove to the Verizon store expecting a long line and an even longer wait to see someone.  Luckily, it did not take long and of course the girl ( who knew what she was doing) had it working in a second. 

So I got a chance to see myself in a different light.  I did try to fix the phone.  I did not get irritated with the phone or myself when I couldn't fix it.  I learned that even though I hate it when I don't know what I am doing; it is not that hard to ask for  help.  Sound simple?  It was.  But it is not something I always do. So as silly as it sounds, this week I am grateful that my phone broke and in the process of getting it fixed I learned a few new things about myself.

Is there something that made you smile, grow, or that you are grateful for experiencing this week? 

I hope that you will take a minute to visit the artists at Paint Party Friday and Creative Every Day.  It is a wonderful way to begin the weekend.

Friday's Special Moment of Gratitude

I  think that life is about to get back to normal or at least a new normal for us. Which means that I am going to get back to blogging more.  When things were so hectic with doctor's visits, new equipment, and new medicines to be decided upon the words just didn't seem to flow.  So I took a short break from blogging.  Now that life has begun again, I realize how much I have missed blogging regularly. It is an important part of my life and a practice that I am really glad that I started. 

This weekend is supposed to be warm and sunny.  A perfect weekend for watching soccer games and planting flowers.  A perfect weekend to sit on the porch and read.  A perfect weekend to paint or write or sketch.  It would be a perfect weekend to have a picnic in a field of flowers - I'm just not sure where there is one except for in my imagination right now. But no matter we decide to do, I know we will have fun.  It's too important not to.

Each Friday I reflect upon what I am most grateful for experiencing during the  week.  This week it's all the "normal" things I sometimes take for granted.  A perfect cup of coffee, singing happy birthday to my grandson,  getting great advice from my son,  getting back to yoga, buying new pastels, laughing with my husband, talking about art with a friend.  These are the things that make my life special everyday but especially this week. 

Is there something that has made you smile this week?  Is there something that you are especially grateful for?    

Friday's Special Moment of Gratitude

As I sit here getting ready to type, I can hear the raindrops on the roof.  I love the sound of rain as it hits the window and the roof.  We used to rent a cottage at the beach and I loved to sit on the screened-in porch and look at the water and listen to the rain.  Add a good book and a cup of coffee or tea and it was the perfect afternoon.

Tonight at this minute I am grateful for the sound of raindrops on the window.  I am grateful for the laughter that my husband and I shared with friends over dinner.  I am grateful for the sounds of music that are coming from my husband's office.  I am grateful that the dogs are playing and not barking at the neightbors. I am grateful.

What simple pleasure did you enjoy this week?  What made you smile?  What are you grateful for at this very moment?  I'd love to know.

Please take a moment to visit the artists at Paint Party Friday and Creative Every Day.  I know they would love to meet you

Wednesday's Walk

"Don't forget - no one else sees the world the way you do, so no one else can tell the stories that you have to tell."
                                                                                                                Charles de Lint

On my walks I think about a lot of things.  I often think about how different we all are and at the same time no matter where we live in the world we can be very much the same.  That is one of the reasons I love to blog.  I meet people that I would never have the chance to meet otherwise and I learn so much from them.  It does not change my story but my life is enriched because they have shared their story.

The quote above is a great reminder why as artists we should share our story. You never know when your story will inspire someone else to share their work.  We are all creative beings but so often we are afraid to share our work.  We are afraid it is not good enough, not creative enough, not original enough.  But if it is your work and part of your story then it is enough.

Because others have shared their story and their knowledge, I am not afraid to share mine.  I will always have a lot to learn whether it is taking a better picture, writing an interesting blog post, or painting a picture.  But once I realized my work did not have to be perfect to share with others, it opened a whole new world to me.  Through my art I've learned so much about myself and others. Which is why I chose the picture above to share today. 

I took this picture through the hole in the gate in our backyard.  I was taking a class and I wanted to see what it would be like to take picture looking through something.  I liked the picture but it was just a picture.  When I looked at the picture for the 100th time today, I saw the red stop sign for the first time.  I have a habit of not seeing details.  Something that stands out to someone else in a picture or painting does not necessarily stand out to me.  So when I noticed the red stop sign today my first thought was,"How could I have not seen that before?"  But my second thought was, "Wow, I am started to look at more than the whole picture!"   In one of my painting classes the teacher has emphasized addding that surprise element of color somewhere in the picture.  Now, I am starting to see those special bursts of color wherever I look.  It makes the painting, the picture, the story and the world I live in just a little bit more exciting.  This is just one story I could tell about how allowing myself to express my creativity each day has enriched my life.  I see things I didn't see before.  The world is brighter and I see bursts of color that had always been there, but I just did notice them.

My creative story is different than yours. Your creativity story is different than mine.  But we all have them.  And we all can learn from one another and in doing so make the world a brighter more colorful place to live and work.  Won't you share a story today?  Tell us how expressing your creativity has changed your life.

When did you realize....?

 

 

I love reality shows.  I especially like shows like Project Runway and Top Chef where you can watch the creative process in action.  I realize that all that I see is not real but I still find the shows fun and sometimes inspiring.

Last night I was watching Top Chef.  The chefs had to create a meal based on the the first time they realized they wanted to be a chef.  Their stories were all different and very interesting.  I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher but when I retired I didn't know what to do next.  Since I always loved to write and draw, I took lots of classes that first year to see if there was something that really excited me.  I enjoyed all of my classes but as my husband would say, I was still searching for the right thing.  I took a class in pastels and it didn't feel right.  So for five years I kept searching.  Then in a class that used different mediums each week I again was introduced to pastels and this time it was like magic.  When I was using them I was having fun.  But I still didn't know that this was what I wanted to do.

One day back in August my husband was working on his model boats and I joined him in the basement.  In about an hour I had painted the above picture.  When I looked at the finished picture, I knew.  I knew that I had found what I was looking for.  I knew I had found what I wanted to do.   It is really a good feeling to know what you love and to be able to spend time doing it. Sometimes that knowledge comes easily and we follow the right path immediately.  Sometimes our journey takes lots of twists and turns.  Sometimes we take this journey alone and sometimes we need the help of others to find what it is we really love to do.  But when you find it nothing feels better!  What is it that you love to do?  Was there a moment when you realized this is what I love to do or have you always known?  I find the stories of other artists very inspiring.  I would love to know yours.