OK, it finally caught me.  My counter looks like a pharmacy and no one will get near me, even the cats run when I begin the coughing series …

I have been painting though!  I have done some of my best “small” size work in a while and had fun doing it!   I love having nowhere to go and no one who wants me … for a while … I accomplished four small paintings in three days.  (There were six originally but two were so bad, I cut them up!)  If I ever figure out how to put photos here, I’ll share!

Stay well, or if you don’t, paint well!

Sandy 

After just recovering from a bout of the “new flu” I find myself with low energy and less creativity. While I wait for it’s return, I am resting, drinking tons of fluids, and running to my comfort zones, as well as the bathroom. My kidneys must be totally cleansed by now!

Creativity cannot be forced, so I will let it trickle back, but the active part of that is being fully aware, so when it comes I am ready for it. Any idea that may seep into my consciousness will be written down no matter how odd it may seem. I am also immersing myself in quietness, stillness, philosophy, poetry, music and chocolate.

If you have never heard of the late John O’Donohue, I suggest listening to or reading him. Here is how I heard that he had recently died;

John O’Donohue, the Irish poet and philosopher and author of Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom, died peacefully in his sleep on January 3, at the age of 52, while on holiday in France. With degrees in philosophy and English literature and a Ph.D in philosophical theology from the University of Tubingen in Germany, John was one of the most articulate voices of living Celtic Christianity and wisdom, and of the beauty of Christian mysticism. He spoke Gaelic as a native language and did much to promote awareness of Celtic culture.

What I miss now is his take on being on that side of things. He helped many people with the journey into death and found it to be, when he was asked, a blessing. His genius and wit will be sorely missed here on earth.

He loved the individuality of humans and never tired of watching people being people. Perhaps that will be my inspiration. I haven’t painted very many people, maybe that is where I will go next. Out of my hibernation into the world of love. Appropriate for February don’t you think?

Sandy

     Last year I went so many places I got tired of traveling … something I thought would NEVER happen.  Now that I have had three weeks of nothing happening, I am ready to go again and am in the process of planning trips to Hilton Head, Nantucket, Maine, Virginia, Cape May, PSU Football games, NYC, as well as to any art openings of which I may find myself a part.  

    I live within three hours of DC, NYC, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and the Jersey, Delaware and Maryland Shores, so we find ourselves in and around those places often.  I also live 30 Min’s. from Hershey where we take advantage of the park and theater much of its’ season. The Amish live near by too, so I have many opportunities for a variety of Photo Ops without much travel!

I have entered the BWS Exhibition so far… that would take me to Bethesda, MD to Strathmore Hall a gorgeous old mansion that makes all of our art look priceless!  That is where I sold my first major original piece titled ‘Cymbalism”, which also won the first place medal that year.  I will enter Art of the State (Pennsylvania, very hard to get into because I paint mostly realism), PWCS and PWS for sure.  I was fortunate enough last year to be accepted by all of those and won awards in all, except Art of the State.

I have no plans of going to Europe this year … so far … My trips to Italy to paint were fraught with so much adventure, I have enough memories for a while and I HATE to fly! I have photos from Bermuda, Los Cabos (Southern tip of the Baja Peninsula, Mexico), Ireland, England, Spain, many regions of Italy, Hawaii, San Fransisco, up and down the east coast of America, Canada, (both coasts), and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

We are not retired so Jesse has to find time to work as well!  My point is, that I have enough material to last me a lifetime if traveling become a burden.

Many of my artist friends have a hard time finding material to paint … my issue is having too much.  When I began painting, however, I had to start looking at things differently because a great photo does not always make a great painting.  Something I learned the hard way! Last year I gave a workshop on how to take photos for potential source material for painting.  I came to the art world with the advantage of years of composition experience as a photographer which has helped me to reach my goals a bit more quickly than expected.

I was taking “vacation” photos for many years. They are pretty but not exceptional, so my eye has changed, improved, more interesting …. however, I still have a ton of pretty “vacation”photos!

Compliments that I have received about my photos usually culminate with one thought.  I am told my photos are great because I see things differently, see things that others’ do not, in our everyday world.  I don’t know if that is true, I am not a good judge of my own work at all, but I do know that my camera is always with me and I am always looking as if through a view finder.

We are working on putting more photos on this blog but my better ones will remain with me for future paintings!  I NEVER paint from anyone else’s photos, postcards, or stock photographs.  I wouldn’t feel as though it was my own work.  I have never sold my photos for others to paint either … however, there is always a first time!  No need to be stingy!  I have done a few commissions and loved the challenge of trying to make anything look great and worth painting.

I enjoy taking my “vacation” photos and playing with them on photo shop, making them look like paintings.  Some of those will appear here as well. 

Until next we speak, I will most likely be huddled next to the fire with a good book, or movie, glass of dry red wine, and a cat or two on my lap until I feel guilty … but that is what I save the winter for, hibernation, rejuvenation, re-creation until the thaw.

Sandy

 I have received Master Status in not being accepted in to AWS.  The big issue is having to wait an entire year before trying again, and then having to decide, which ONE painting might actually be considered! 

The feeling of rejection goes away fairly quickly but the waiting is horrendous.  I am not getting any younger … Since it is the only one of my artistic goals I have not yet reached, I shouldn’t be so eager to get it.  Then where do I go?  Obtaining my signature status with AWS, actually winning an award there?  Surely that is a life time goal!

These are not sour grapes.  I am not second guessing the judges or taking anything away from those who are deemed acceptable. I applaud everyone who has achieved the honor.  I just want more immediate gratification, or at least know why I was passed by so I can learn from it. 

However, that is not how it works, so I must suck it up, keep painting, and hope that if/when I finally do get in, I can actually physically attend without a wheelchair and depends.     ____  Sgm

The National Gallery was crowded because Hopper and Turner are/were leaving soon, but we were in paradise every minute of the visual feast, as well as the tapas for lunch.

The story here was on our way home. We drove in and out of DC and did it well after only one wrong decision, so Jesse and I were still speaking. We were heading for O’Donnells in Gaithersburg for dinner with our cousins. I was navigating from Kathy’s directions and doing a fine job, even though Jesse is a man who argues with GPS.

Our exit came more quickly than we thought and we were going to be early, but found ourselves in the correct exit lanes off the main three/four lanes. All Jesse had to do was turn the wheel a minuscule amount to the right to get off at exit 9ab, so I started gazing out of my side window taking in the scenery, it was a gorgeous day!

As I drank in the flavor of the DC suburbs, 9ab went whizzing by and we weren’t on it.

I won’t go into the details of the next 20 minutes … it was ugly as the sun began to set on an otherwise perfect day, however, the important part of this missive is his reason for missing the unmissable exit.

Jesse was driving forward but looking in the rear view mirror. Doesn’t everyone?

When I finally pried out of him, why???????, he said that someone was on his butt. I said, “I’ll bet he got off at 9ab didn’t he?”

The moral of the story was, and I was not shy in telling him;

When one spends too much time looking backwards, the direction one is supposed to take, will be missed. We were no longer early and eventually got there after I gave Jesse one wrong turn … but that was his fault too and if you give me enough time , I’ll figure out how.

Sgm

I wrote my first on the fourth but because I didn’t know the proper process, I failed to hit “publish”!  A day late but still relevant!  Sgm

Hey ~~~

Off to the national Gallery to view Hopper and Turner on my father’s 82nd birthday … had he lived.

I am a virgin blogger! I’ll try to make it interesting enough for someone to actually read, tomorrow, after I’ve had more life experience than too much hilarity at holidays. I am still waiting for that Canon EOS 40D promised me as a Christmas gift though …. Hmmmm …. Low light here I come! After years of digital I am eager to get back to SLR plus digital, wow … I’ll be in artist heaven.

Sgm