". . . a brush with nature"

I am sure every one of us has experienced a dripping faucet at one time in our lives. At first you are only slightly aware of it, occasionally thinking to yourself that you are going to have to do “something” about that “soon.” Time marches on, days pass and weeks turn into months. During the daytime the dripping of the faucet is hardly noticed as the sounds of everyday living silence the tiny drip, drip, drip in the background. You are aware that the drip is still there, but it seems so easy to ignore as you move through your days addressing the more pressing tasks at hand.

The dripping faucet at night is quite a different situation. When the house is still, bereft of conversation, activity and the rest of life’s soundtrack, it is much more difficult to ignore the incessant dripping of the faucet. As you lie there in the dark the sound of each drop becomes louder and louder eventually reaching the crescendo of a kettledrum roll.

Creative ideas are a lot like a dripping faucet. They should not be ignored. As young children we all have a desire to create – to be artistic – to sing – to dance. As children we are able to do so with abandon. But as we grow we unfortunately lose that abandon and become swallowed up by the expectations of “grown-up” life. The responsibilities of adulthood consume us. We no longer listen to our creative voice, our “drippy faucet.”

Creativity still remains within each of us. It lingers there in the background waiting to be heard once again. Ignored for the most part during daylight hours it speaks more insistently under the cover of night. A mind too busy to fall asleep is often filled with what was not accomplished during the day, but there in the background are tiny notions of what you would like to do, as well. Those ideas are the seeds of creativity. They are your “dripping faucet.” Listen to it. It’s telling you to allow yourself time again to do something creative - to write, finger paint, sing or “dance like nobody’s watching.” * Pencil in some play time. By allowing your creative side to emerge again you will become a happier, healthier and certainly more well-rounded individual. Fix the faucet by letting your creativity flow.

*1987 “Come from the Heart” composed by Susanna Clark and Richard Leigh - which includes the following lyrics:

“You’ve got to sing like you don’t need the money
Love like you’ll never get hurt
You’ve got to dance like nobody’s watchin’
It’s gotta come from the heart if you want it to work.”

Joyful abandon and a sense of whimsy - that is what I saw and felt as I watched this young Native American girl. I also love that special connection she has with her dog as he watches her dance. These things brought to mind the lyrics of one of my favorite songs, "I Hope You Dance", by Lee Ann Womack.

"I hope you never lose your sense of wonder . . . May you never take one single breath for granted . . . Never settle for the path of least resistance . . .

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance,

I hope you dance . . . I hope you dance."

May your week be filled with many opportunities to experience life and DANCE!

I just returned from a three day art show where I had the pleasure of meeting many new folks (both visitors to my booth and other artists) and we engaged in all types of art related discussions throughout the course of the event. As often happens in this type of setting, as someone studied a particular work or the display as a whole, the question came up, “how can you bear to part with your painting? You have put so much time into this  . . . so much of yourself. How can you think about selling it?”

Honestly, it isn’t that hard. You might assume I am making that statement solely because of finances, but you would be wrong. Of course it is always nice to have enough money coming in to cover expenses and, hopefully, make a bit above and beyond from your artistic endeavor, but the real reason I enjoy selling my paintings has nothing to do with that.  As an artist I want my work to “speak” to people, to resonate with someone, to evoke a memory or bring them to a place they want to visit over and over again.

When a viewer of my work is moved enough to look for a long while, reminisce with me or return to a particular painting over and over again, I know I have created something that touches that individual. I want to achieve that in my art. I don’t want to produce something hard, cold or sterile. I want to reach people on an emotional level.

I am passionate about my art and the subjects I choose to paint. I want to be able to share my emotions and passions with others through my work. My hope is that the joy I feel in the creation of each piece will come through to those who view my art and that something in a particular painting will speak to each viewer on a very personal level. If I am successful in that and a viewer of my work becomes a collector, well, who could ask for more as an artist?

It’s an honor to have my art go home with someone who appreciates it. If a person connects with my work enough to want to hang it in their home or office, or perhaps give it as a gift to someone they care about, that really means a lot to me. I’ve always wanted to share my vision and selling the piece is the realization of the goal . . . and the ultimate compliment to boot!
So, my answer to the question always is, “It’s not hard to part with my paintings at all.”