"Daisies for Mom"

It was in the 1980's that proposition 2 ½ in Massachusetts was proposed in the election.  

I was a teenager. I only remember hearing about budget cuts mostly. Art and music classes at public schools were cut, as they are when budgets need to be trimmed.  

Well, my mom decided I was going to continue with my art.  She signed me up for oil painting classes with  a well-known artist, Lee Parsons.  Every Saturday  I'd go to the local art supply store and go down stairs for oil painting lessons.  

I really enjoyed the lessons and painting away.  I tend to have a loose way of painting and the paint would fly.  I would seem to get a bit of paint on my smock.  Hmmm. My mom would tease me lightly, "Did you get enough paint on the canvas".  

One day a vase of daisies was set up as the class's still life.  I and the other girls painted them with such care.  I think it was still cold and wintery then.  

Oil paintings take a bit of time to dry so they were placed in an area to do so.

When I finally showed it to mom, as I did with all my work, She just loved it.  

Since it was near Mother's Day, I gave it to her. She loved it and hung it over her desk in her bedroom.  She would comment occasionally on how much she enjoyed it.  

Recently she had to make a big move. A move to an assisted living apartment.  I helped with packing up her stuff.  One of the things my aunt mentioned she wanted in the new place was "the painting above her desk".  I felt my heart skip just a little.  "oh, that's my painting from years ago that she cherishes.
It is now hung over the desk in her new bedroom.

This is what art can do for people.
Bring: Inspiration, Peace, Comfort

"Play, Draw, Paint, Laugh, Love"

It's February.
I was born in this month on the 7th.
The words, birth and growth, come to mind.
In February in the northern regions the first flowers of spring, crocuses, emerge from the ground. Though it's still cold, and some snow falls and it's still winter, the crocuses are an early sign of things to come.
Late last summer I planted irises and day lilies bulbs with the girls in our garden. They rest in the soil below for the right time and conditions to grow. When and what will happen in time, we'll see. There are no guarantees with nature and gardening. Yet there is hope and anticipation. There is planting, nurturing and waiting to see what comes forth.
Our girls were born in the spring time months. As each year passes they grow and learn.
Time will tell where their lives will lead them.
And as time passes I can't help notice it too. I'm no spring chicken any more for sure.
Perhaps I am wiser and such, yes. Strands of grey hairs here and there. When did they show up?
I make notes to live in the moments.
Play, Draw, Paint, Laugh, Love.

"What's in your BHAG?"

(like in Capital One commercial)

A new year has begun.  And we're here.  Isn't it great?

OK, you probably did think the negative doom and gloom's day prediction was just a "thing" to throw away.  It didn't serve any of us.  Dump it.

We're alive and well.  And our journeys continue on.

Now what?

Well.

Now that we have time and our journey continues ahead, "What will we do"?

We're here.  We have gifts and talents.

What to do?

I've been taking time to think about my gifts and talents.  Wondering how I could really be of service with my art more than I have.

I thought of what I have done before.  I looked way back and then to the present.

Drawing with those 6th grade classmates,

drawing with my cousin,

building EQUUS masks for a theater production,

portraits,

artworks, prints,

etc.

I also love nature and animals.

How does it all fit into a BHAG?

BHAG: a Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal.

In one conversation I had a while back I was asked what my dream was.  I said I wanted to share my art with the world.

Well perhaps it's too general a dream.

How can it be more specific?

Think, think – like Pooh.

How would or can my art be of service?

Deep thinking.

This occurred to me today.

I can show people the beauty of nature. And the idea that we're all connected in some way or other in this world.
I can also help inspire others to connect with their own nature and be their own beautiful self.

If this resonates, let me know.

Martin Luther King Jr. had a Big Dream.

Maybe we need to follow in stating our own Big, Hairy Audacious Goal- Dream too.

The flag waves.

"Connection"

At the beginning of  this year in a coaching group I'm in, a few of us decided to choose a word or words to focus on during the year.  I chose "Connection".   The word "Connection" stood out for me.  Personally and business wise I felt this was an area to focus on.  

It is the human need to connect, whether in work/career situations or personal situations. People do need other people.  It's in our nature.  Our lives are intertwined in each other. We aren't meant to do things all alone, as I've mentioned before.  It's in our connections that we have more ability to have successes.  

To relate
To understand
To Love
To create.........so forth and so on.  

And it doesn't just stop at each other but goes out and beyond into this amazing world we live in.  

There’s a wise saying among people who have or are around horses.

"The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man".  

I have personally experienced this myself.  Though I have yet to own a horse, I have had horses here and there in my life:

Camp, volunteering at a barn, riding lessons...

I currently volunteer at a therapy riding program and love it.  It feels really good to be around the horses, the people and other animals too.  Thy cup overflow'eth.

One can apply this idea in many other ways within each of our own lives.

So make as many positive connections as one can in life.  It will make a difference in a positive way.  

Light and Love in this season.

"Come Together"

Nature has its destructive forces as demonstrated by Hurricane Sandy.
The good thing is in difficult times  people pull together to help one another.

With Thanksgiving and the Holiday season just around the corner, there are good reasons to come together and help. To help enrich our lives.  To be there when a need arises. To celebrate the human spirit.  To celebrate our resilience.  

We can make a difference.   It just takes people doing it together.
We can't really live our lives doing things alone. We need each other.
And doing things together creates some great things to happen.

As you know, I'm a creative person. I do spend some time alone creating. Yet some influential moments in my life were when I was sharing my creativity with others.  

I remember back in 6th grade I would draw during free time.  Some of my classmates noticed and took an interest. I was drawing funny creatures at the time.  They thought they were cool and started making their own funny creatures.  At one point a good amount of the class was into this creative drawing.  Some of them came over to me to ask how theirs looked, while others asked for advice or help.  The creative energy in the room was amazing.  I realized then the power of creativity and sharing it with others.

I have had others instances  throughout my life that have confirmed my creative path and use it to connect with others.  In fact recently I saw a classmate from those years back.  She asked me if  I remembered showing her how to draw a Mickey Mouse face.  I didn't recall that specific moment, since it was years ago. Yet it left an impression on her. She told me she doesn't really draw, yet because I showed her how to draw a Mickey Mouse face, she still could draw that.  And she added she showed her kids how to draw a Mickey Mouse face too. What joy was spread from that moment in time.

Pretty cool.

So Come together, and Make a difference.

"Seasons Change"

Fall's cool mornings and shortening of days has come again as the seasons change.

Our girls are back to school.  One is in 5th grade and the other in 3rd grade.    I also started back up with my part time job at the school.  

I am reminded of The Byrds song "Turn, Turn, Turn- to Everything there is a season".
Time passes.  Events happen.  Holidays come round.   Children grow.  A continuing journey we meet each day and season.  

And what upon this journey?
There are:

Things I know I know.
Things to learn.
Experiences to embrace.
Memories to cherish.

As in the words of the song, ...there is a season, Turn, Turn, Turn.