Er-Er-Er-Er-Urrrrrrrrrr Rooster Gang

"Rooster Gang I - Claude"

6" X 6" Oil on Raymar Panel

  Sold

"Rooster Gang I - Henry"

6" X 6" on Raymar Panel

 Sold

"ER-ER-ER-ER-URRRRRRRR!!!!!!!"

You may remember I mentioned in my last post that there were a lot of roosters running around Key West when we visited last month.  What I didn’t tell you is that they have no respect for the lazy tourist who wants to sleep in occasionally.   I got up (WHILE IT WAS STILL DARK) for a drink of water, only to be greeted by the early morning call of the neighborhood rooster gang outside our door.

 

“Wakeup, wake up, wake up –

you’re about to see the most beautiful sunrise ever!!!!! 

If you go back to bed, you’re gonna MISS IT!!!!! 

Er-er-er-er-urrrrrrrr!”

This New Year’s morning, I was thankful to be in my own bed as we had a rather late night.  I had the pleasure of spending a couple of hours with my friend who barely escaped death this past year.  Beautiful, smart, successful, and healthy, Diane Seller’s life totally changed one Tuesday afternoon.  She had a massive cerebral hemorrhage, leaving her with some neural deficit.  She remembers nothing of the first few weeks, but since then, I think it’s fair to say that she has “lived” every waking moment.  It is because of her passion for life, her determination for recovery, her cheerful and positive attitude, her faith, and obvious answer to prayer that she now walks without assistance, keeps up with any conversation fluently, and has regained her “Master” status at any game she attempts! 

Diane is quite an inspiration to all who know her.   I visited her in therapy a few times and saw how hard it was for her to turn a wheel or write her name, yet she painfully pushed herself through to the next level - over and over.

Oh, she had some cheerleaders by her side as her family, local, long-distance, and internet friends rallied to encourage her and support her, providing prayer, meals, rides, companionship, and encouragement.    Oh yeah, good things happened.   In some ways, all of our lives have changed since that day. 

As we begin 2013, I bet you have at least one new year’s resolution to improve your life – exercise, stop procrastinating, eat organic, learn a new skill,  start going to church,  improve a relationship – or try to paint almost every day!  Or maybe, you too, you have something huge to overcome.  Whatever it is…….

What IF we embrace it with Diane’s tenacity and passion?

What IF we, like Diane, push past the roadblocks, obstacles, frustrations and distractions .…

And run in a way as to get the prize!

“Throw off everything that hinders - and the sin that so easily entangles -

and run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Hebrews 12:1b

Ya never know – you may see the most beautiful sunrise EVER!!

Christ is Born!!

"Christ is Born"

5" X 7" Oil on Canvas Panel

$60.00

Palm trees, flipflops, balmy breezes and sunset celebrations - not my idea of Christmas! Nevertheless, somehow my husband coerced me into a trip to Florida earlier this month.   I loved it, but because of my surroundings, I often forgot it was Christmas – it didn’t look like it and it sure didn’t feel like it.

Ya see, my memories of Christmas includes “dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh”, and “I’m dreaming of a White Christmas.”   I remember the time that Santa (the real one) actually came in our front door, his breath visible as white puffs of vapor accompanied each ho-ho-ho, toting a bag full of gifts – and (you’re gonna be so jealous), he actually knew MY name!!!  (Not sure I’ve ever recovered from that.)  

I remember receiving lots of gifts (Barbies, Barbies, and Barbies) over the years, but maybe more than the "things" I received, was the excitement and anticipation of opening them, the aromas wafting from the kitchen, the sweet smell of my grandma's Tabu cologne as she held me on her lap, imperfect homemade ornaments, and helping mom, dad, my brother and sister decorate the tree (well, maybe not my brother :)  I remember our church decorated in bold reds and the playing of Christmas carols upon entering those bright crimson doors.  And then there’s the extreme anxiety the night I "had the pleasure" of playing the music for our church service – O Holy Night!

Later, after having my own children, I remember the stressful late hours on Christmas Eve working on the  “easy-to-assemble all-parts-and-tools-included” boxed race car sets and doll houses, the sound of their little footsteps running way too early in the morning downstairs to the Christmas tree, then the playing with said boxes, and the non-stop giggling of our daughters as my husband tickled them relentlessly.  And now…. the sound of grandchildren’s footsteps running down the same long hall and stairway - still oh so early in the morning!

That may not look like any of your Christmases – but I’m sure you have a story.  We all have our past experiences and present expectations.  Perhaps this Christmas just doesn’t feel like Christmas because of your circumstances. Maybe you have more to do than there are hours in the day.  Maybe it’s your first Christmas without a loved one, or you don’t have the resources to make it quite as merry as in the past.   

Wherever we are, whatever our need, God promises to meet us in it – great or small.  If we can just choose to set ourselves, our problems, and our expectations, apart from the hustle and bustle, from the sadness and tears, and call to Him, He will come.

Step out of your “scene” and  

Give Him praise,
Rejoice in His birth,
Recount His past faithfulness,
Thank Him for His present activity,
and Be grateful for the people He has put in your life!

You will find His compassion, His comfort – His unconditional love. 

Whether your evergreens look like palm trees this year, or your snow filled scenes look like desert expanses, Jesus is there, even if it doesn’t feel like it ~ Hope is here!

Christ is Born!!

Matthew 1:16

                                                                                                                      

The Golden Dome

"Domer"

12" X 12" Oil on Raymar Canvas Panel

NFS

Here in southern Indiana, we are deep into that time of year –time to close up the swimming pools, store the patio furniture, change the wreath on the front door, and make sure the rakes, blowers, and mulchers are all in good working order………because the greens have turned to red, orange, gold, and brown, and are falling to the ground.   And ya gotta do something with that new ground cover!  Few things stay the same in our surroundings when the seasons change.

We have made quite a few trips to the always beautiful and immaculately kept Notre Dame campus in Notre Dame, Indiana this past year.  With the construction of a new building and various other updates, it never quite looked the same each time we visited.  However, it seemed the one thing we could count on was the notably identifiable Golden Dome – its presence towering magnificently at the end of the tree-lined boulevard.  The only difference in its appearance each time was how it was ”framed”:  nestled amongst abundant green foliage, various jewel-toned autumn gems, or bare branches creating gaps filled in with a patchwork of gray skies.  While the Dome itself never changed, its “frame” sometimes affected our perception of it.

What’s different in your landscape?  What has changed with the seasons – seasons of victory, joy, abundance,……..and seasons of sadness, depression, or loss?  At the risk of sounding like my grandma, I will have to say things have changed so much in our culture during my lifespan, I hardly recognize us at times! 

With the  assurance of change, it’s hard to know what or who one can depend on.  Perhaps the one thing you have put your security in is losing its power.  Relationships come and go, the economy is up and down, political issues go round and round, and laws/rules are in and out.  Often change results in insecurity, anxiety, and insomnia, among other issues.  That is, IF you focus on your circumstances.  Fortunately, we serve a God who never changes, loves unconditionally, and is “compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love”. 

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower;

the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Proverbs 18:10

Just wonderin if you’re believing that today……….

Poppy Field

"When I Was in Italy ...."

8" X 10" Oil on Linen Panel

 Original photo

Cropped for my purposes

Several of my friends have traveled abroad, but none of them have told their story quite like Christina.  In fact, within the first few minutes of meeting her, I learned that she recently took a university class in Florence, Italy called “The Diet and Lifestyles of the Mediterranean.”  Her entire face lit up as she related her experiences with fresh enthusiasm!   (You should see the food pictures!)

If the students wanted to see any other parts of the country, they were on their own to plan day trips on the weekends.  They had to choose between trying to squeeze in as many places as they could in a short period of time, or spend more time in fewer places.  Christina chose  to embrace all she could.  Of course, that meant literally running through the streets in some places, and viewing others from the inside of a vehicle. 

I loved looking through all the photos, but was specifically drawn to the one above.   I actually looked at it for a while before realizing it was taken through the bus window.  (Some representations can be deceiving!)   I asked her if it was a poppy field, and because she was just driving by, she really didn’t know for sure.  She just knew it was a pretty field with reddish-orange flowers and a few buildings that obviously attracted her enough to take a picture.  And it attracted me enough to take a second look, zoom in, choose the part I liked, and crop it.  Then when it came time to apply the composition to my canvas, I just made the things I couldn’t discern into whatever I felt suited my goal of a well-balanced landscape.

Viewing someone’s life from a distance is somewhat like that.  We see some dots and connect them in a way that seems logical to us – and bingo, we’ve come to a conclusion that may not be the truth.  Yeah – it's all too easy to “judge from afar.”  But, the closer we get to someone, the more we can see how wrong – or right - our assumptions may have been.  (For example - those may not be poppies at all!!)

And what about our relationship with God?  Are we settling for the drive-by, the view from the foggy window, or even looking through someone else’s lenses?  It may obscure the truth, or misrepresent it, and if it does, we lose.  We lose because we put God in a box that we’ve constructed – we make Him what we want Him to be – “to fit the landscape” – and He's so much more than that!  

You want to know if “poppies are really poppies?"  Find out for yourself - go straight to Him - because you can!

“Come near to God and He will come near to you.” 

James 4:8

[Guess I'll have to go to Italy!  :)))]

Oh, and you're wondering about the title?  According to Christina's father, since her return, she often begins her sentences with, "When I was in Italy, ....."  There's that passion - gotta love it!   (I think he's given her a new nickname:)

Still Life

“Petal Pushers II”

6" X 6" Oil on Raymar Panel

Available

In case you’re not familiar with the term “still life," it is an art form in which the subject matter is most often an inanimate object, such as fruit, pottery, a vase of flowers, etc.   The artist has significant control over his/her composition and arranges it in a “fixed” manner, even choosing the type and position of the light source, creating dramatic shadows and beautiful highlights.

Still lifes, while very popular, have never been at the top of my list to paint – with the exception of flower close-ups.   I’m not sure exactly why, but I think it might be because they’re usually just so ………........ STILL…….and still is really hard for me to do!!  

Or maybe it’s the same reason why I’m not especially fond of social events where the primary activity is the proverbial “small talk."  You know – the kind of contrived conversation that starts with the typical  “How do you like this weather we’ve been having?"  Or, “Love your dress!  Where’d you get it?”, and continues to proceed, and end, superficially with both participants carefully controlling their exposure – if any at all.   (You know what I’m talkin’ about!)

Now I am NOT saying there isn’t VALUE in properly placed shadows and highlights. For instance, I think you will agree that not everyone needs to see and know EVERY thing.   To quote a dear friend, “You don’t have to tell everything you know!”  And another, “You don’t have to show your hand!”  True - some things are just meant to be shadowed.  (Remember when I used to do makeovers?)   ‘Nuff said.  (Hey - I'm not talkin' about you!)

I guess when it comes to the art of painting, I prefer things in their natural setting – like fruit on the vine/tree, flowers in the garden, and horses in the paddock.   Or maybe a better term is “life," because life is not still.  Not when you’re bored.  Not when you’re sleeping.  Not even after it stops.  

But aren’t we all still life artists in a way?  In social situations, don’t we position ourselves, and our families, in the “light” that we want others to see us in?  Don’t we keep things in the shadows – even from ourselves (and God)?  And when things aren’t going the way we think they should, don’t we try to control, manipulate, contrive, arrange, position –  FIX?  Uh-huh.

Yep - you’re probably an artist – even if you don’t call yourself one.  And the more you try to control, the tighter you are wound, the greater the potential loss.  Been there.  Am there.  Trying to learn …...... to let go ……… and let God.  It’s a process.  Join me?

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus,

the author and perfecter of our faith.” 

Hebrews 12:2

Captive

It sure wasn’t on my family’s agenda for the day. Mark it down – one more day that I don’t get up to my studio to paint – I’m beginning to think it’s an elusive dream.  But when my husband emergently called my son and me to the backyard that morning, I knew something was taking precedence.  (On a scale of 1-10, he routinely scores about a “3” on “easily excitable”).  As soon as we stepped outside, we could hear a cacophony of very vocal blue jays in one of our trees – and there on a lower limb, serenely perched, was a hawk in all its magnificence.

We watched as he eventually took flight, landing 25 feet away under the pine trees.  We were amazed when we were able to get 12-15 feet away and he didn’t take off again.  (Could we be bird whisperers?)   Well, reality hit and things started falling into place – why wasn’t he flying away, why would the smaller birds stay in a tree that occupied a hawk?  Why would they have the guts to even speak to this predator?  After snapping approximately 85 photos, we noticed that one of his wings hung slightly lower than the other.  He was essentially "grounded".  We decided the situation was bigger than we were and it was up to us to get him help.

True to the old family-favorite Ghostbusters movie theme song, we looked at each other and said, 

“When there's something strange,

in your neighborhood.....

Who ya gonna call?    

 Mel Lodato!"

Well, it wasn’t on Mel’s agenda either.  He was already out doing his part in maintaining the Eagle Slough Natural Area before the temperature reached 108+.  But, we reached him just as he was finishing up, and true to his calling, he sacrificed his plans to come to the rescue. 

Now, I know you're still singing that song in your head, so you're probably picturing him in a full bodysuit, a long-handled Hawk Zapper, a backpack, and a helmet for protection - just in case the bird decides Mel is the prey.  Not so, people!  Not so!  (I was kinda hoping he would come with the helmets – I didn’t want that thing coming at my head!  Ah, but that’s another story for another time :))  No, Mel showed up in his every day attire - shorts, t-shirt, and baseball cap -bearing only a pair of long gloves and a short pole with a small net on the end to accessorize his attire.  Really?  Surely there was a blood bath – I mean bird bath - in store!

Mel looked at the hawk for a few minutes and immediately we had lots of information.  For instance, he said he was a red-tail, a male, hadn’t been out of the nest very long, and was underweight.  (You have GOT to be kidding – this guy could have been mistaken for a turkey!  Well, by me, anyway.)   

A falconer, Mel holds both a state and federal license, which allows him to trap and house a hawk in captivity for a time, and he knows his stuff!  Apparently obtaining this license is no small accomplishment, but it is for the protection of the birds and the sport from abuse.  According to www.americanfalconry.com, “First you take a written test on biology, training, and veterinary aspects of raptors.  To pass you must score at least 80%.  Next you have to find a sponsor to train you. He will have a general or master falconry permit, and sponsor your two-year apprenticeship. Then you must build a suitable facility to house your raptor and obtain necessary equipment. This is then physically inspected by a Game and Fish representative.  After paying the state fee you become a licensed falconer. Now you can trap a raptor.”

Well, as one would expect, the bird morphed into “fight or flight” mode, which certainly made his capture a challenge.  Hopping, with a few short flights over the neighbors privacy fences (the bird, not us!), the chase ensued, but our strategies began to wane, as my husband, son, neighbor Nathan, and I were ready to surrender to failure to help this bird who should have been long gone by now. 

But in one split second, it was a done deal!!!  With extreme skill, finesse, and the quickness of an athlete, Mel acted, and the bird was rescued!  While the hawk obviously didn’t think so, he was now literally safe in Mel’s caring, capable hands.  We got another hawk lesson - close-up this time - and some of us even got to touch him.  Mel would take the bird home, put him in a special cage, feed him his favorite foods (the hawks, not Mels), in hopes of nurturing him back to good health – even helping him rebuild his strength in flying long distances.  His rescuer knew what was best for this “little” guy and will do all he can to rehab him, with the goal of releasing him to freedom in his natural habitat when healed. 

  

            

Thank you, Mel!!!!

(Note:  If the bird is still unable to fly after 4-5 days of R & R at the Lodato Raptor Resort, he will be taken to Wessleman Park Nature Center for more comprehensive rerehabilitation.)

To the hawk, captivity doesn’t feel like freedom.  Nor does it to us.  But, really, isn’t it all in what, or who, you’re captive TO?    

“He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives,

and release from darkness for the prisoners…

                                                                 Isaiah 61:1

“But thanks be to God,

who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession,

and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.”

                                                                                                        2 Corinthians 2:14

Donna's House

"Donna's House"

6" X 6" Oil on Raymar Canvas Panel

Sold

My friend, Donna, recently had to place her mother in a nursing home due to a stroke that left her unable to care for herself.  Hard thing to do - really hard.  Donna asked me to paint a composition of the home her mother recently moved out of - the same one Donna grew up in.  I am humbled.  What a special project to be a part of. 

As I always do when I’m painting, I wondered what life was like in this inviting bungalow in the small town of Huntingburg, Indiana.  I bet Donna ran through the grass barefoot, long blond hair flying in the breeze, dodging bumble bees!

 

It reminds me of my grandmother’s home – especially the large covered porch that sweeps across the front.  Oh, the stories that were probably told on that glider!  And I bet there were plenty of times she watched it rain from under the protection of that roof – then ran out and played in the puddles.    And what about all the times it was too hot to play in the yard and it shielded her from the heat of the sun?

What is it about a building that we become so attached to it – or any inanimate object (like my car that we just sold!)  It’s not the “thing”, ya know.  It’s the memories that make us feel all warm and fuzzy – or not.   And when we lose (or sell) “the thing”, it doesn’t cancel out the memories, or even erase them.  They remain as real as life itself.  Still, it feels like a loss. 

But, “things” are limited in their power.  For instance, we need protection from a lot that porches or houses or cars – things - cannot provide.  Like when life gets too hard ,,,,,,,,, like when a situation feels threatening and we lose hope……when a quick fix won’t get the job done…like when temptation tries to get the best of us ……….

It is my prayer that this painting will provide Donna’s mother with fond memories of her life in this home – and even more so, the love of her family – and even more so, the love of Him who provides it all!

“The Lord is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm –

He will watch over your life.

The Lord will watch over your coming and going

Both now and forevermore.”

Psalm 121:5-8