During my very short, 6 years, Art Career I have found the key to keeping it fresh. Keep learning and keep experimenting with new styles.

I keep finding that there are other Artists out there who are willing to teach you what is new and refreshing in art. Once you find these artist then it is up to you to keep working with making it work for you.

It is important to just keep moving forward, doing and redoing pieces until you feel comfortable and enjoy the experience. My goal is to learn to paint loose, relax while I am painting and reduce the unneeded stress of the challenge.

Once you can just enjoy the results then you know that the struggle to get there was worth it.

Life is much like that. Working through the challenge and struggles, keeping your head up and your goal focused will give you the win.

Make your life count for you. You are worth the struggles

Creativity can be something you love to do or can be something you would like to try. Adding this change can give your life a new purpose. It can help your mental outlook on life and keep you active.

Being retired had been a challenge for me. I was always busy with work, kids and parents. When the day came that I was done with my work life this also made me realize that my kids were grown and my parents were aging. Although I lost my Dad many years ago now, it became a worry how to keep my life going strong and making sure my mothers was being cared for as I was caring for my husband. It becomes a challenge to find you in this life.

I added Painting to my life and that was my Me moment. Fast forward to the present. I now use my ability to paint and to teach what I do. It is exciting to see people develop their skills and that you have become a part of that development.

Adding Creativity comes in many forms. You can volunteer your time to help others. You can be a companion to the elderly, become a storyteller at the Libraries, cuddle newborns in the hospitals, make hats for Cancer Patience and the list goes on.

Making this small change can give you that Mental Peace that so many people are looking for. Give it a try because you are worth the time.

Much debate as what and how do you define Art. Some say it can not be defined because it is an emotional thing and the Artist is in control of his emotions and paints what he feels. The viewer, on the other hand, will see a piece through a different set of emotions.

Take for example a painting for a sky. Clouds with a touch of darkness can mean many things to many people. The artist might be painting pending gloom and doom and a viewer might see a refreshing rainstorm on the horizon.

Wikipedia defines Art like this ” Though the definition of what constitutes art is disputed^[5][6][7] and has changed over time, general descriptions mention an idea of imaginative or technical skill stemming from human agency^[8] and creation.^[9] The nature of art and related concepts, such as creativity and interpretation, are explored in a branch of philosophy known as aesthetics.^[10] ” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art).

The debate goes on and the Artist continues to paint.

There is much in this society that causes the aging brain to start losing its resilience. Among the biggest problems is technology, and this is my own opinion, that most of the Senior population can’t keep up with.  We are expected to pay our bills online, god for bid we write a check and mail it in. Our families are all into photos online, when all we want is a physical picture of our families.

The stress is real on the aging brain.  Remote controls, cellphones, codes for this and passwords for that. It is hard enough to remember where we put our keys and glasses on any given day. All this causes stress and sometime can cause depression in older people. I know for myself it has been a challenge for me keep up.  I begin to feel isolated in this world, but I have found that doing something creative helps ground me in a crazy world. Does it help me from getting frustrated with technology, sometimes, because when I am unstressed I think clearer. My ability to use my critical thinking skills kick in and I can sort out what I need to do.

What does this have to do with Painting? In an article from Tessera Brandon, “Regular exercise and healthy eating are known ways to age successfully, but also having a creative hobby, like painting, keeps your mind strong and may improve your overall quality of life.” (https://www.tesserabrandon.com/benefits-painting-brain-mental-health/)

• Promotes Stress Relief
• Expands Creative Growth
• Bolsters Memory
• Enhances Problem-Solving and Motor Skills
• Cultivates Emotional Growth
• Stimulates an Optimistic Attitude

The excuse I hear most from older people is, “I can’t draw” and what is my response to that is, “you don’t have to draw” all you have to do is pick up a brush and throw paint on paper or a canvas. When you do that the feeling of release of stress hits you and a more relaxed feeling floods your mind and body.

Aging is hard enough without adding to it. Try some painting and see how you feel after you throw that paint.  Creativity is free and you will thank yourself for playing in paint.

I am a terrible blogger, I get distracted and forget I have other things that need taken care of. Blogging is one of them. I can’t create an audience for this page if I don’t put something down.

I have had my head in my studio for a few days and love the solitude it offers me. Time to create, time to think and time for total silence.

I will be back with some interesting new paintings and styles. Information and who know what else…

I am an Artist and being an Artist it takes time to create something that I like and am happy with. My goal is to paint daily and some of my painting, from sketch to finish work, will take 4 days to complete. To me I consider that a painting a day.

Here is an example of the process I go through to get the end result of a finished watercolor painting.

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Happiness is finishing something you love and hope those that view it appreciate the time put in.

I look at it a Art Therapy and enjoy the relaxed and unstressed feeling I get when I create.

Find something that will give you that feeling of balance

Second Sunday in May is time to Celebrate our Mothers. We celebrate not only the Mothers that gave us life, but those that stepped in and gave Love unconditionally to children without a Mother and those Mothers that chose to open their hearts through adoption.

This day we remember the Women of the World that know that Labor of Love it took to raise, love, protect, teach and let go of their precious gifts.

Happy Mothers Day to you all.