Friday, May 23, 2008

WINDOW ART

" A house is who you are, not who you ought to be."- Jill Robinson

HOME PERSONALITY Whether we like it or not the personalities of our homes are accurate barometer that reflect, through our surroundings - where we have been, whats's going on in our lives, and who we are. While having lots of money certainly helps us express ourselves through our surroundings, creating a warm, imaginative and artistic home that reflects our own personality doesn't have to begin by hiring a decorator or pulling out our credit cards or checkbook. Today, no matter where you live, look upon your home with creative eyes and inventive minds. Decorating with a simple but well done painting will do the trick. Walk through your window and offer thanks for the lovely view, garden, roof that safely enclose you and yours. Be grateful for the home you have even if you don't own an original paintings by Vincent Van Gogh or Georgia O'Keeffe.

"VIEW FROM A BATHROOM WINDOW" This oil painting is 16" x 20" and painted on canvas. This is one of my early realistic oil paintings which I painted in the 90's. The colors are muted, a diversion from my vibrant colors. As always, I love to decorate our small cottage home with my own paintings. This painting is about a bathroom window looking out into a lovely view of the garden with cascading water fountain. It's lovely to look at and the one who has this kind of view is lucky indeed. Many years ago, I gave this painting to a lovely bride. I am her god-mother. This painting was my wedding gift for her and the groom. I am sure it had added personality to their first home together.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

FROM THE ARTIST BACKYARD #2

"In solitude, we give passionate attention to our lives, to our memories, to the details around us." - Virginia Woolf

SUNSET FROM THE BACKYARD It is very necessary for me to nurture my creativity daily. Whenever I am home, at the end of the day I go to our backyard, to reclaim my solitude. I stop whatever I am doing and give passionate attention to my inner life. I take time to notice the details around me. Simply gazing at the sunset is calming and encourages my creativity. This is one of the sunset views that I captured from our backyard. If you look closely at this photo, the electric post below the sunset looks like the Golden Gate Bridge silhouette. The sky cape with dark violet and orange is very inspiring.

SUNSET FADING INTO HORIZON Mother nature's palette is a rich source of inspiration. Just looking at the sunset is sure to ignite me and be ready for tomorrow with all the painting challenges before me. I rarely grow tired of where I live. Taking a few steps toward our backyard is not a herculean effort. Nothing seems to refresh me quite so much as seeing the beautiful sunset. Change is an excellent remedy for tired feeling. By change I do not mean taking a trip by car to far away places. We can transform and refresh our outlook just by enjoying the sunset with its many changing colors. A free show without spending a fortune on gallons of gasoline. This is a simple pleasure that sometimes we forget and take for granted.