Creating Community

I have been thinking about how important it is for humans to have community to support and sustain them. Most of us crave connection to our "birds of a feather". Science has even told us that we will live longer, healthier, happier lives if we cultivate significant connections. This could mean that you actually see these people regularly, speak to them often and recognize them when they are not in their usual surroundings. This could range from knowing your neighbors to frequenting the same teller at your bank or belonging to a class of some sort. The more connections we have, the more we feel that we belong somewhere or to something. It gives us more reasons to get up in the morning. The more effort you put into those connections, the more value they have in your life. Friendships are the jewels of life. Count yourself lucky if you have more than three genuine friends. If you don't currently have many friends (and I mean real friends)you can begin to cultivate them today. It requires putting yourself out to the people around you. Choose one and do it today.

I have been seeing how easily community can be established, right here in my own back yard. I moved to this house a year ago, loved the neighborhood, loved the inside of the house but the back yard was barren, drab and unhappy. The grass was mostly gone but I kept talking to (and watering) the little patches that had survived the previous residents. I do readings for clients at a table that looks out into that sad back yard. I needed something beautiful to look out at, something to nourish my soul. So, in the spring, I put in a flower bed against the back fence. Now there are ferns hanging on that fence, beside rusty sun faces, moons, stars and other yard art. The bed is filling in nicely with caladiums, ferns, impatiens, purple cone flowers, mandevilla, etc. Now my clients and I can enjoy the view out the window. Birds started hanging out there, so I added a bird bath and some bird feeders and more birds came to play. I had no idea how entertaining the birds and squirrels could be. It is fun to watch how they come in pairs to take their turns at the feeders. It is hilarious to watch the squirrel hanging on the "squirrel proof" feeder, chowing down. I'm going to send a picture of this to the manufacturer and WalMart, too. And, post it on the internet!

Anyway....my little community makes me look forward to waking up every morning to watch their antics, or to check at dusk to see if the baby screech owl is having it's bath. Life is good in my back yard and so is my life. Thank you, God.

7/16/2011

It has been almost a year since I last posted to this blog. How did that happen?! Time to recommit. I have so many paintings to share with you and I will be posting pictures of these right away. Needless to say, there is a learning curve that I must work on. That was what tripped me up before. Now, I realize how important this can be to my business. So, be patient with me and I'll hurry and learn as best I can.

I am so blessed!

I am so excited about being in my new home. The light is good for painting, and especially for this "solar generated" body of mine. I feel so much better here than I have felt for a year in that dark and dreary house we just moved out of. My energy is high and creative and I can't wait to see what wonders I can achieve now.

Isn't it funny how good it feels when all your parts come together? I feel so blessed to be in this time and place and to have the opportunity and ability to be a creator. Sometimes I forget that aspect of myself. Yet, the creator part of me is so vital to my well being. Today, an old friend sent me a copy of a poem I wrote about 10 years ago, while I was studying hand analysis with her. It gave me goosebumps to read it again. I thought I'd share it with you today.

Mysteries of the Hand Revealed

When first we met

I knew not yet

The glories of your soul.

Until I peered into your hands

And Stories did unfold.

The lines and marks and fingerprints

so cleverly revealed,

The secrets of your inner life

Long zealously concealed.

The purpose that you came to live

The gifts that you so freely give,

The fears that tend to hold you back

And cause you to feel loss or lack.

The way you open up your heart,

The way you live your life...an art.

All part of your dear soul's great plan.

All neatly written in your hand.

Back in the saddle again!

I'm baaaaaack! Since I last posted to this blog, I have packed, moved, unpacked and gone on vacation. It has been crazy around here. I came back from vacation with a leg that has been complaining from lifting, hefting, moving, spending hours and hours in the car, etc. For several days I couldn't walk at all. Ugh! Not fun. Today, I feel almost human. Yeah!

My vacation was to Cloudcroft, NM, where it was cool, gorgeous and rained every afternoon. Two of my art buddies and I drove out and spent 3 days with another art friend who was generous enough to share her beautiful summer home with us so that we could all paint together. It was glorious. What a great way to recover from moving! I took lots of photos to paint from. We went to the Peter Hurd Gallery and museum in San Patricio, NM, in the beautiful Hondo Valley. What an inspirational treat that was. Peter's son Michael, is the resident artist now, but the gallery is filled with family treasures. Michael's mother was Henrette Wyath. So, there are many Wyath paintings (N. C., Andrew, Jamie and Henrette) throughout the gallery. What a talented family. Michael certainly can hold his own with his famous relatives. I came away from there, totally inspired, and surprisingly encouraged about my own paintings.

I will make a concerted effort to post more frequently, now that the moving and travel are over. Painting is the prime objective for the next few weeks. I have a show to prepare for at Austin ArtSpace Gallery and I intend to enter several juried shows around the state. Wish me luck.

Time Flies

I haven't posted in a while. I've been busy with preparations for a couple of trips. Last week I attended my Granddaughter's Graduation party in Garland. It was a wonderful few days spent with family and friends. My granddaughters and daughters took me shopping for a belated Mother's Day gift. I found some really cute things to wear to my class reunion, which is this coming weekend. Now, I am packing and planning for the trip to Canyon (in the panhandle of Texas, near Amarillo) and all the festivities around the reunion. I can't imagine that 50 years have passed since I graduated from high school. They say that time flies when you are having fun. Well, I must have been having a lot of fun, because this 50 years just flew by!

The Bass Concert Hall show is up and looks fantastic. I've had quite a few friends who have emailed their congrats after attending "A Chorus Line" and seeing my work on display there. Check out www.austinartspacegallery.com to see pictures of our exhibit.

I'll have pictures to post when I get home. Don't expect a post until next week.

California Gold

This is one of my paintings that is now hanging at the Bass Concert Hall. These sunflowers were in Arroyo Grande, Ca., and I have painted them several times. This painting is in acrylic, 30 x 30. You may recall that I am very new to acrylics, so I'm pretty pleased with my results. I can hardly wait to paint another big canvas!

Left behind

Well, a bunch of my art buddies took off this morning for a week of painting together at Port Aransas, on the Gulf Coast. I went with them last year and had a blast. So, I'm bummed to be left behind. An opening came up at the last minute, but I didn't think I was going to get to go, so I booked other stuff to do. I'll stay home and clean my house and studio, paint as much as possible and browse some more cool art blogs.

I talked to Patricia Bowler, who will become the President of Southwestern Watercolor Society in June, while we were receiving and hanging the Waterloo Watercolor Group's Spring Show, yesterday. She has inspired me to send in my dues to SWS, and maybe TWS. It is time that I started upping the anti in my art world. For 35 years I have wished I was good enough to have the SWS after my signature on my paintings. Patricia reminded me that you will never win the Lotto if you never buy a ticket, and you will never be a signature member of SWS if you never join the club. Enough said. I'm in.

I want to congratulate the WWG members on an excellent show, once again. It is a beautiful representation of the talent we have in our organization. I am reminded what a privilege it is to belong to such a marvelously talented and hard working group of artists. Congratulations on your gorgeous work everybody.

The Austin ArtSpace Gallery show was hung today at the Bass Concert Hall, on the UT campus. I can hardly wait to see it! I'll take pictures and post them here soon. It feels like a really big deal for me to have paintings hanging in the Bass. Maybe someday it will be old hat, but today it feels very exciting. Yeah!!

Have a great week. I'll be back . . . . .