Monday, July 27, 2015

sometimes my heart is filled with joy


Over the week-end John was busy with gathering wood, sawing, gluing, and stapling to make me shadow frames for canvas panels.  Not just several, he made 13 in various sizes.   I was on cloud nine!
Then yesterday morning he called me out to the garage.  Lo and Behold!  He found a "rejected" table and is altering it, I will be able to use as a display piece at my upcoming shows.
Today I feel like the luckiest woman in the world.
Today I am ready to make some kick-ass art.
Today I am...

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

this is where I am

This is where you will find me in the wee hours of the morning.
I started meditating in the morning about 3 yrs ago.  It was with Deepak Chopra thru his guided meditation.  It has been a blessing and proven to be a great way, for me, to start my day.  Quieting my mind and setting my intentions each morning have been the cornerstones for my spiritual growth.
The first weekend in June John finally convinced me to let him move a Miss Kim lilac bush to open up what he labeled the "cramped flower bed".  OMGoodness!   I do not have the words to express how much this space means to me now.  It is fondly called my outside studio.  You will often see me drawing there, under the magnolia tree, except in the wee hours (6:30 am) of the morning and early evening of each day you will see me there meditating.  I have switched my meditating practice from the guided version to being in silence and I have incorporated evening meditation, too.  I have been doing this practice for 30 days and I feel it is part of who I am now.  I say the mantra So Hum which means I Am.  It's a technique that uses the breath and the repetition to quiet the mind and relax the body.  It, also, serves as a way to stop the chatter that goes on within your mind.  And boy, oh, boy does my mind like to chatter!!!  The key is once you realize the chatter is going on simply let it go without judgement and continue repeating the mantra.

Anyway... John sneakily took this photo of me one morning while I was meditating.  99% of the time I am out there by 6:30am, in my nightgown and slippers with a T-shirt over me, and if it's chilly I grab a jacket.  There I sit in silence with the birds chirping for 30-45 minuted each morning.  
This is my perfect way to start my day.

Monday, July 20, 2015

Can I ask you a favor?

Can I ask a favor?
I entered The Art of Portraiture contest spnsored by Dick Blick.  

"Steadfast" is who I entered.

Would you please take a moment to click the link below 
and go vote for me?
Voting started today until the 26th and you can even vote everyday until the 26th
  




THANK YOU - THANK YOU- THANK YOU!

Sunday, July 19, 2015

she surrenders

She series #2
She is Learning to Surrender the Past

She is learning to surrender the past and live her life in the present.  No more looking over her shoulder with doubt, insecurities, and fear that are derived from the past.  She may not understand all that is happening in the present moment but she will trust it will all work out OK and the decisions of the present will have a significant impact on the future.   Steve Jobs said it best in his 2005 commencement speech to Stanford University.  If you haven't heard it before take a moment to listen.

Here is an excerpt from that speech:
"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever."  ...believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well worn path."

Monday, July 13, 2015

this too shall pass

All too often we find ourselves in a situation or circumstance that is overwhelming and it seems like it will last forever.  The more we dwell on it the worse it gets.  It's a vicious cycle.

There is one thing we can bank on for sure and that is change is always happening.   Just like the ocean will always have an ebb and a flow.  The events in our lives have ebbs and flows.   What seems like a mess today will be gone, hopefully with lessons learned, by tomorrow.  That's just how it is.

We may not be able to control the situation or circumstance but we definitely have control over how it will affect us.  What we do with our thoughts while we are in the "ebb of life" is our choice.   

Personally...most times... I am able to go ride out the ebbs in my life and relax into the flows.  Not always, but most times.  Lately I have been paying more attention, from an observer vantage point, when I am smack dab in the middle of a rough time (ebb).  It's interesting what you can learn about yourself when you choose to watch yourself instead of only reacting.
This little graphite and watercolor drawing is the first of a series I am starting called, "She".
I hope you will continue to follow along while "She" shares stories and lessons learned.
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