Sunflowers or Unfinished Business

Spring and Sunflowers, originally uploaded by Theresa111.

Is it just me, or are there more of you out there, who begin things but end up never getting around to finishing them? “Why do I do this?” I ask myself. When I began this painting, I was having difficulty figuring out how to make the front side of the flower have it’s petals coming out toward the viewer. I decided to think about it and as you can plainly see, I never completed the work.

It’s not just this either. I have unfinished ideas, thoughts, song lyrics, poems, stories and inventions laid about … all of them patiently waiting for the artist to pick them up and put on the finishing touches.

I paint, sculpt, and write creatively in my head. Then I make notes, write out good intentions, place various stickies possessing these ideas and phone numbers with names, in safe spots, until I can record them on my phone, or in the still unused address book.

Justifiably, I find I can blame the Internet, and E-mail for this part, at least. They have the address book section and if you ever go into the add contact space, you will see there is enough storage for an individuals life story, let alone their email, home, business addresses. Plus there are spaces to enter all of the various phone numbers too!

The pages upon pages of printed materials from the Internet, which I never quite find the time to organize completely, hide in their own stacks hoping to be read at least once more. They very well could be cosigned to the trash bin, but only after a prolonged stay in a drawer, pile, cardboard box or one of my brief cases.

Simple enough. There is a need for an organizer. When I worked in an office, everything was, for the most part, in its place, neatly organized. Perhaps I should wave a flag, with the hopes of being rescued and that some kind person straightens out the endless papers, receipts, records and creative projects which need finishing. Or better yet, maybe, just maybe I will work on this painting again. I’ll think about it.

Pate a Choux, Paint Cans and Brushes

Pate a Choux, Paint Cans and Brushes, originally uploaded by Theresa111.

Having the right space to create is something that makes me flourish and active. Here I must confess that even though I have a large home, I have not found it conducive to draw out my innate abilities, to create in most of its areas. Sounds strange, but I insist it is true.

For instance. The back side of the house faces north and west. I want to paint in the part that receives light from the north, however, my easel and paint brushes are in the studio, which receives the western light.

My kitchen faces the northwest and western light and since the plan when we purchased the home was laid out only one way, I had no way of knowing that the placement of appliances would matter that much to me. Back then we were simply happy to buy a house, never believing for one moment, that we would actually be here more than three to five years.

I was from one of those families that moved around a lot. We went where my father’s work took him. We were not a military family, nor nomadic. Home relocation was normal to us. My adorable mother would read the Sunday papers and would sometimes exclaim to daddy about a brand new apartment complex that was being built. Back then we lived in houses or apartments, which we would rent for no more than three years. Sometimes, we would only stay for one year because my mother would find a better place or a brand new one.

Moving so frequently afforded us the delightful task of going through our belongings and only packing what we really used. Along with packing the family treasures, we donated and made major decisions of what to keep and what to toss. I have found that by staying in our present home, we have collected rather too much. I mentioned about a month ago that I wanted to begin living a minimalist life and have been working toward that goal.

What I find irritating is that by tuning in to HGTV so much, I watch folks renovate and remodel their homes and this has brought to mind just how little space I really need to be happy and comfortable. I enjoy being on the backside of my home but it is not arranged the way I want. To be comfortable painting I need to do it in the kitchen, where the breakfast nook is. Now, it seems I will have to re-do my entire kitchen and extend into the dining area. We haven’t used that space since we moved the home office into the studio. The ony living we do in the living room is watch television or movies. I want to do this in the studio too. In fact, the sofa is in here too. Along with a smaller television.

It would be easier to move and set up an art studio, totally organized. Find the dream kitchen to prepare all sorts of delightful treats and meals. Separate my writing desk from the recording studio and have a cozy corner, as I presently have (facing west) and place our washer and dryer on the same floor as our master bedroom, instead of it being two floors down in the basement. In fact, I don’t want a basement after all. Perhaps a condo would be the answer. Everything on one floor and a gourmet kitchen for me. Cool!

The next place needs to be on one floor or we need to get one of those cute little elevators. They only cost around $25,000.00. Hey! No problem. Everything costs so much nowadays that it’s still okay to dream about them. That’s free.

Decisions. Time to move the artworks back into the kitchen and because of the cats, I will have to put everything away or they will be painting everywhere they walk. They do love to get into things. I will keep my writing to daytime and rehearsals, recordings, practicing my Autoharp, (much time will be needed to develop my skills) for the evenings. Plus I have started a home business … so I’ll need the computer and phone for that. I’m so busy that now I have to go take a nap!

Since I’m good at dreaming, I will start on the new home we will need so we can become settled, organized, and only buy a place big enough to be roomy, but not so large that rooms are not used. Wasted space is just that. Besides … since my mother’s been gone … the house doesn’t fit anymore. Maybe that is what is really bothering me after all. I know, I know, I’ve done a complete 180º flip, but that is the way I think.

Bass Strings and Sunflowers

Sculpture of Man Playing Bass & My Original Painting, originally uploaded by Theresa111.

Art is an interpretation. Be it music, sculpture, painting, baking, quilting, writing and so many of the thousands of examples that surround us everyday.

Everyone is artistic in one way or another, although there are many who do not see themselves as an artist at all. They assume, incorrectly, if they go about their normal day, doing their job in the same mundane way as before, that they are just another person on this planet.

Since April of this year, I have been privileged to meet, view and interact with hundreds of my artistic counterparts. We share a love of expressions, words, photographs, memories, and celebrate a comradeship filled with a poignant joy.

What a thrill when someone sees what we have created and reacts to our post for that day. We touch one another deeply, but without physical connection. This whole interaction, in and of itself, is art.

This goes to prove that we are spiritual beings. Whenever we connect by airwaves and cyberspace we are sharing that of ourselves, which cannot be seen. We are in a place, whereby we can become one.

We have a strong voice when we join together, to ask the world around us to change. To become peaceful. To STOP THE ABUSE. By our combined art, perhaps we will reach those who will listen and change their ways. To treat others the way they would be treated.

(C) 2001 Theresa’s Original Art, All Rights Reserved, Do Not Copy

Sculpture by:

1990 BERNHAL (It was all I could make out)

Would You?

11-NASA, originally uploaded by Theresa111.

If given the opportunity to go into outer space, would you? Personally, my first response is yes.

All my life, I have been intrigued by maps, globes, photographs of our planet and since 196o’s, man has really been able to see what our planet looks like. Most of us have see it through the eyes of the cameraman of the movie we are watching.  The telegraphic lens of Hubble and NASA photography.

For as long as I can remember, we have been invaded by aliens, martians and monsters. We have explored space via Star Trek, Star Wars and lots of science fiction thrillers.

But the question remains. Money aside, if you could go … would you?

Earth from Celmentine Space Shuttle

 

 

Earth from Celmentine Space Shuttle clem_india_saudi, originally uploaded by Theresa111.

As I sit here sipping my coffee, I already hurriedly drank the first half, I think about this living plant we’re on.

Here we are like specks of sand whirling over 2,000 miles per hour, in orbit around an ever exploding star we call the sun. Our solar system is circling something so huge we cannot even fathom the size. Because most minds are too tiny to process the many possibilities out there.

Circling Earth are space stations, satellites, and who knows what else and we glance at the newspapers and news headlines to read about war, killings, hunger, poverty, global warming, the homeless, the abandoned. Well the list could go on and on.

If you gaze out past Earth and our solar system, you can see, albeit tiny, other stars and galaxies. We are so tiny, as to be insignificant. And if we go a step further, our solar system is like a grain of sand. Compare that to the tiniest insect we see. Now looking closer you can judge for yourself. It is made perfectly and intricately, with intelligence and with purpose.

We are not something that just developed. There is Higher Divinity and Divine Intelligence at work here. Isn’t it strange that every day is exactly twenty-four hours and the leaves change color in the autumn? That every living thing has timing programmed into it? Who or what did the programming? Somebody is difinitely in charge and it isn’t we Earthlings. That’s just the pose we take.

Oh, why doesn’t everyone try to get along? Why don’t we see we that need each other? Why don’t we understand that diversity was chosen to make us more interesting for one another? That there are endless things to learn and see. Enough for everyone’s lifetime. And in comparison with the Earth and Universe, the time allotted us is but a blink of an eye. Life is a gift and we are all precious.

We are in this together. Let us all make a difference. Begin by helping someone make their life better. Starting now. Be a part of the solution.