THE ART OF SEEING A SUNSET

Welcome back! Just got home last night from a wonderful trip to New York City and a 4th-of-July-get-away cruise with Queen Mary 2. Our trip/cruise was a belated celebration of our 38th wedding anniversary last June 12,2008. My husband and I embarked at New York City and then cruised to Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada), then to Boston, Massachusetts and back to NYC. This was a different cruise from the Hawaiian cruise we took during our 30th wedding anniversary. We missed the spectacular sunset. During cruising many tropical places, we always enjoyed the beauty of the sunset. I am re-posting my sunset blog. Many of my friends and viewers have seen it. For those who missed it, please enjoy. For those who have seen it before, enjoy again.

It is often said that that......"the best things in life is free." I often believed that quote.

Whenever I read about free stuffs, my eyes lightened up. I like to hear "Buy one, get one free" or "Free gift, for the first fifty customers, and many other promos. What "free" things come to my mind that money couldn't buy? For me, it's the spectacular sunset.

One time, I saw a nice "Family Circus" cartoon at the Los Angeles Times. The family was watching the sunset and the little boy asked his mom, "How much would it cost to see the sunset if God decided to charge for it?" I could only answer.......PRICELESS.

One of my passions in life is seeing a sunset wherever I am, at home or basking in Paradise. I have seen countless of spectacular sunsets during our travels but nothing melted my heart than the Hawaiian sunset. Today people are too caught up in the rush, noise, and confusion of demanding routines that it is not easy to see the beauty of the sunset before us.

Alexandra Stoddard, a famous interior designer said, "Few really know how to see and as a result are unaware of the majesty and beauty around them. But seeing can be learned, and those who learn to see well, the world becomes an entirely different place. Life is suddenly rich with promise full of light, color, texture and harmony." This is very true. We have to learn how to SEE. Just because we've been given eyesight doesn't mean we know how to use our eyes to look and really SEE.

Of all the artists I've grown to admire, the Impressionists speak to my heart most directly. The greatest gift of the Impressionists is that they taught me to look around the ordinary experiences of everyday life. In their passion for the beauty of nature, they open up a wider visions, enabling us to see nature and things more beautifully.

HOW TO SEE THE SUNSET THROUGH THE VIEWPOINT OF AN IMPRESSIONIST ARTIST? 1. WISH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS WERE HERE Wherever you are, STOP and SEE the SUNSET. Claude Monet, an impressionist artist painted water lily over and over again. He said, "I have never been bored with it. It is always different." So is seeing the sunset. You'll never get bored. It is always different every passing day.
2.FIND A ROMANTIC PLACE TO SEE THE SUNSET Don't just settle for an ordinary place. During our 25th anniversary (1996) we were privileged to stay in one of the twin towers at Hyatt Regency Resort in Waikiki. We had access to the Regency Club located on top of the tower. From there, we got a breathtaking view of Waikiki Beach, Diamond Head, and downtown Honolulu, that we had never seen before. From the rooftop, we saw the "most fascinating, interesting, and captivating sunset" in our whole lives.

3. BECOME A SUNSET ADMIRER AND SEE IT WITH YOUR LOVER From the Hyatt Regency rooftop, we saw this spectacular sunset. It was an overwhelming sight of the fading sunset in all it's glory. It was fascinating to see the kaleidoscopic changes in the sunset. The sunset will surely make your old flame blazing for a day, or a week, if not forever.
4. LOOK BEYOND ORDINARY COLORS Seek colors that are uplifting. Seeing vibrant and pulsating colors of the sunset will not only bring more joy and pleasure to everyday life but also transforms mere existence into the art of living.

5. SEE THE SUNSET THROUGH THE EYES OF VINCENT VAN GOGH He was my favorite impressionist artist. When I see the colorful sunset, I think of Van Gogh and began to feel that he was painting just for me. His paintings are windows into a sunny scenes and sunset, which make me alive. His vibrant yellow, a primary color has lots of wavelengths of energy and is a color you associate with cheerful sunset.
6. DON'T FORGET THAT REAL SEEING TAKES TIME AND CONTEMPLATION Watch the sunset everyday and stop what ever you're doing, to fully enjoy the sunset as it comes down to the horizon.

7. SEE THE SUNSET FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES A sunset from Maui (Hawaii) is not the same as a sunset in St. Maarten (Caribbean). Like many impressionists artists, they experimented with different colors. They are colorist - loving fresh, alive, clear colors. What a dull world this would be without colors? Imagine a world without color. A day without sunshine. And at the end of the day without a sunset.

8. WATCH THE SUNSET WITH YOUR GRAND KIDS DURING A LUAU Set aside time to have adventure and fun with your grand kids while they still want your companionship. It will also renew your souls, spirits and hearts and become like kids again.

9. TAKE A DIGITAL PHOTO OF THE SUNSET During the Impressionists era they didn't have a digital camera. They painted impressions as quickly as they saw them. Today, a digital camera can capture all the beauty and wonders of the sunset without spending days painting them. If you can't always see the sunset, you can look at your photo collections. Our spirits do not always soar. Sometimes even the noblest of spirits sinks into a despondent sea. When you get so low and desired escape from struggles, the photos of the sunset will be a divine inspiration that will help lift you up, soften your heart and open your mind.

10. FIND PLEASURES IN LITTLE THINGS LIKE THE IMPRESSIONISTS: Food that tastes delicious, friendship that is sincere, smile that is meant to cheer, a rainbow that is inspiring and a colorful sunset scene that is bursting with colors. Simple life is better.

11. TREAT YOURSELF TO A DELUXE BOX OF ACRYLIC PAINTS WITH ALL THE COLORS FOUND IN THE SUNSET Painting is a rewarding hobby even if you don't aspire to be a pro. Acrylics are more affordable than real oil paints. Create a painting on a real huge canvas with just dabbing and pointing like the Impressionists. Hang it where you'll see your "self-made-sunset" everyday. The bold colors will exalt you, elevate you and allow you to grow more creatively.

12. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Don't be discouraged if you couldn't paint like Van Gogh. Even Van Gogh practiced, apprenticed and started with simple sketches before he became a great artist. He did it with practice, not magic. If you paint and practice a few minutes each day, you will reap tremendous benefits, over time.

13. AT THE END OF EACH DAY, LET GO AND REACH OUT So many of us hold grudges, resentments, and bitterness. The way to be happy is to forgive others for their imperfections and mistakes. They are only "human" and not perfect like a sunset. 14. KEEP ASKING YOURSELF, "WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT?" Take a few seconds to ask yourself this question. Is making more money important than taking the time to watch a sunset? Reminding yourself of what's really important helps keep your priorities straight. 15. SING "HOW GREAT THOU ART." Praise the Grand Designer (God) who created the sunset for us to enjoy. Who said that there is no such thing as free? This is a free show beyond comparison. God never made a stingy sunset. Look! What beautiful colors He put into the sunset! Chrome yellow, lemon, orange, saffron, peach, crimson, and and amber. The sun turns light peach, burnt orange, then maroon before it slips away. Tomorrow will be another day. A new day to start anew. A new painting to inspire others.

SADLY many people spend far more time watching reruns of television shows, they don't even enjoy. Instead, make time for seeing the wonders and beauty of nature like the sunrise, rainbow and sunset, that nurture the heart. I wish that you will use the precious minutes of your every day, living creatively. There are great things that you can do every day and every trip. The best is opening your eyes to see the spectacular sunset. I have been there, with my eyes open, and I desire that what my eyes have seen your eyes may also see.

"HAPPY SUNSET WATCHING!"

HOW TO BE AN ARTIST

One day, I was cleaning my old file and I found the article below. I will be taking another vacation. I'd like to leave this colorful things to do while I am away. Please enjoy looking at the artist pallette below. It is made of chocolate. Yummy!

Stay loose. Learn to watch snails.Plant impossible gardens. Invite someone dangerous to tea. Make little signs that say Yes! and post them all over your house.Make friends with freedom and uncertainty. Look forward to dreams. Cry during movies.Swing as high as you can on a swingset, by moonlight. Cultivate moods.Refuse to "be responsible." Do it for love.Take lots of naps. Give money away. Do it now.The money will follow. Believe in magic.Laugh a lot. Celebrate every gorgeous moment.Take moonbaths. Have wild imaginings, transpormative dreams, and perfect calm.Draw on the walls. Read everyday. Imagine yourself magic. Giggle with children. Listen to old people. Open up. Dive in. Be free.Bless yourself. Drive away fear. Play with everything.Entertain your inner child. You are innocent. Build a fort with blankets. Get wet.
Hug trees. Write love letters.

Please leave your comment below and I will get back to you after my trip. Thanks for dropping by.

CONGRATULATIONS TO JOY!

"It's easier to go down a hill than up it but the view is much better at the top."-Arnold Bennet
"It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get back up."- Vince Lombardi

"Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success."- Napoleon Hill

"Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th."- Julie Andrews GRADUATION DAY DAY- JUNE 5, 2009 - COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS -VALENCIA , CALIFORNIA. This is our daughter Joy, marching during graduation ceremony. This post is a little late but I'd like to post it. As they say..."it's better late than never." It was a cloudy graduation morning at 9:30. There was forecast of rain and so had our umbrella ready. When the marching ceremony started, a light shower came down. Our daughter Joy was at the mid- part of the line. Luckily the shower stopped when she marched along. What a good omen! Then the sunshine came out too and the graduation ceremony was a success.IT'S NEVER TOO LATE! CONGRATULATION TO YOU JOY!!!!!!! This is Joy brimming with smile and showing her diploma - Associates In Arts (General Education).
DAD AND DAUGHTER WITH LAUGHTER & JOYPROUD PARENTS WITH JOY - CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN JOY!!! She will go to CSUN (California State University Northridge) in the fall. Will continue her Bachelor's degree in Cinema Arts. REMEMBER IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO PURSUE ONE'S DREAM.

"HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL!

ARTISTIC WEDDING DAY

"Love is patient, love is kind. It always protects, always hopes, always perseveres. Love is kind." - I Corinthians 13: 4, 8- the Bible
"Relish love in your old age! Aged love is like aged wine; it becomes more satisfying, more refreshing, more valuable, more appreciated and more intoxicating."- Leo Buscaglia

TITLE OF PAINTING: "WEDDING,WINE AND WONDERFUL FEAST"
MEDIUM: OIL ON CANVAS - SIZE: 40' x 30"
PAINTED IN 2008

INSPIRATION FOR THE PAINTING: This is one of the oil paintings exhibited during my solo art show last September 2008. This colorful oil painting was inspired by our wedding day, on June 12,1971. Today the 12th of June, marks our 38th wedding anniversary. Wow! It just seemed yesterday when we walked down the "I -Do - Avenue." It was a beautiful summer day on June, when Rhod and I exchanged our marriage vows in a lovely church named First Baptist Church of West Los Angeles in Southern California. Our theme color was yellow. All the bridesmaids and flower girl wore yellow. My bridesmaids sewed all their long gowns. I did the dress for the flower girl and my sister Ofel's gown, who was my maid of honor. My auntie, a good seamstress from San Francisco, made my simple wedding gown. It was her gift to me. I created the bride maids bouquets, flower girl baskets and ring bearer's pillow ring. I also made my own bouquet and beaded my headdress. It was a very creative wedding day where we put our resourcefulness into action.

Many details on the painting are true to the real event. Some are imaginary to make it more vibrant and elegant. I painted the church in purple, with complementary yellow color. The wedding reception was held at my parent-in-law's backyard in Van Nuys (San Fernando Valley), California. I painted the buffet tablecloth in bright yellow. I like to use contrasting colors such as yellow and purple, green and red, orange and blue. There were the traditional, festive Filipino foods like lechon (whole roasted pork), rellenong bangus, embotido, etc. Filipino desserts included leche flan and fruits were there. I substituted foods that are good to look at and delicious to paint. The yellow-buttery cake was home-baked by one of my aunts. She prepared real butter icing, and it was very divine. There was wine till you dropped. My colleague's son played the violin to the delight of the guests. Then my husband & I left the reception after we tossed the bouquet and garter. We flew to Honolulu, Oahu for our honeymoon.

OVER THE YEARS We celebrated our anniversaries in many different ways. Every five years starting with our 30th, we took family cruises with our children & grandchildren. It's two weeks of family fun & togetherness. Of course, my husband & I have time to bond and rekindle our love. During cruises, we always separated ourselves from the children during the day. We do our own thing and only meet our family during dinner.

This year, we plan to celebrate our anniversary with friends at the "Filipino Independence Day Celebration" at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. June 12 is the Philippine Independence Day, but the big date will be celebrated on June 13th, a Saturday. We look forward to dinning on a 10 lauriat Chinese courses. Sounds very yummy! I better not eat for the next two days, so I will enjoy this great feast.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK-END TO ALL!!!!!

A SUNFLOWER PAINTING

"I am working with the enthusiasm of a man from Marseilles eating bouillabaisse, which shouldn't come as a surprise to you because I am busy painting huge sunflowers" - Vincent Van Gogh, Arles, letter to his brother Theo

Why Vincent Van Gogh painted sunflowers?
While Vincent Van Gogh painted over 300 works, he is perhaps best remembered, by many, for his sunflowers. So why did he paint them? Vincent himself never actually stated why he liked sunflowers in particular, references to them are made in his many letters, which help give us some idea. In a letter to his sister dated August 21,1888, he talks of his friend Gauguin coming to live with him in Arles. Then goes on to say that he 'intends to decorate the whole studio with nothing but sunflowers.' He went on to write further, to his brother Theo, on the same day, 'Now that I hope to live with Gauguin in a studio of our own, I want to make decorations for the studio. Nothing but big flowers.

In another letter to Theo dated September 9, 1888, he wrote, 'The room you will have then, or Gauguin if he comes, will have white walls with a decoration of great yellow sunflowers. In the morning, when you open the window, you see the green of the gardens and the rising sun, and the road into the town. But you'll see the great pictures of sunflowers, 12 or 14 to the bunch, crammed into this tiny boudoir with its pretty bed and everything else dainty. It will not be commonplace.

But weather Vincent painted the sunflowers because he was trying to please Gauguin, or because he really loved the sunflowers for themselves as they appealed to his joy in color, he certainly left us a legacy to enjoy.
THINKING LIKE VINCENT I don't know what the famous impressionist artist Vincent Van Gogh saw in sunflowers that inspired him to paint lots of them. I know one of his favorite flowers was the sunflower. He left us all the beautiful gift of a collection of magnificent sunflower paintings to enjoy and learn from. His sunflower paintings became masterpieces. He painted the sunflower with so much beauty and vibrant color.

TITLE OF PAINTING: "MY SUNFLOWER" - (16" x 20") OIL ON CANVAS

Although I was inspired by Vincent sunflowers, I have a different version. This is my beautiful sunflower painting.

WHY DID I LOVE SUNFLOWERS? Because of the images of Vincent Van Gogh's sunflowers painting. He said...."You may know that peony is Jeannin's, the hollyhock belongs to Quost, but the SUNFLOWER is mine." Yes, it was Vincent's but the sunflower is also my flower.

I wish I had a flower garden with sunflowers. They will thrive in our garden because we have warm weather. I still remember a good friend who gave me a pocket of sunflower seeds long time ago. She said..."just scatter these seeds around your garden. They are easy to grow." Yes, they are easy to grow & take care. When we were living in one of our past houses, I scattered those seeds along the slopes. We no longer live in that house but I still remember those blooming sunflowers.

Today, I take the easier route. When I like to see fresh sunflowers, I go to our nearby Bristol Farm or Costco. I am always tempted to buy but looking at them is inspiring enough. The fresh sunflowers could be mine for an hour while shopping. But painting the sunflower and looking at my painting, makes me smile "forever."

50th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

"Love is like a painting in the beginning it is only an idea, but over time it is built up through errors and corrections till you have a breath taking work of art for all to see." - Anonymous


TITLE OF PAINTING: "50 YEARS OF MAGNIFICENT MARRIAGE AND MEMORIES"
MEDIUM: OIL ON CANVAS
SIZE: 30" x 40"
PAINTED IN 2008
This is one of the paintings I exhibited during my first solo art show last September 2008. This painting is inspired by the memorable 50th wedding anniversary of my parents, Atty. Gregorio C. Dirige and Lourdes Villa Dirige. It was a lovely day in June 1987, over twenty two years ago. The beautiful ceremony and renewal of vows was held in the same church where my husband and I got married (First Baptist Church of West Los Angeles). It was an emotional ceremony to witness our parents, who had remained faithful to each other for 50 years. What a great love & accomplishment! My parents passed away but they made it to their 53rd wedding anniversary.

The last week of May brings back the beautiful memories of this magnificent event. I coordinated this event and suggested the rainbow colors for our theme. All the six daughters and three grand daughters wore a "terno" (traditional Filipino gown with butterfly sleeves). We had our gowns custom made in different rainbow colors. We wore floral wristlets. The men and ten grandsons wore "barong Tagalog" (a traditional Filipino outfit for men). The barong all came in beige color with white floral embroidery. My mother wore a lovely white "terno" and my father a white barong. A lavish luncheon reception with a Hawaiian Luau theme was enjoyed by family and hundred guests. It was held at "Don The Beachcomber" in Marina Del Rey, California. The setting was gorgeous overlooking the ocean. The food were very colorful and artful. This is a painting that I enjoyed creating.

I am blessed to have parents who made it to their 50th wedding anniversary. My husband's parents made it through their 50th anniversary and more. Last April 2008, they celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary with family members. And that was the last anniversary celebration they had. Thanks to both parents as models of enduring and successful marriage.

THE ART OF PHOTOGRAPHY

"Make a lot of pictures, play with colors, look at a lot of pictures, daydream, imagine." - Vera Williams-artist

PHOTOGRAPHY AS AN ART Yes, lately photography is becoming an intense hobby not for me but for one of my sons, Ryan. Last Saturday, he invited Dad and Mom (me) to this annual photography show at the beautiful Bridgeport Clubhouse in Valencia, California. He was so excited because his photographs gained many awards. He entered four photos and received 2nd prize, 3rd prize and 2 merit awards. We were so happy for his achievement. I am proud to share Ryan's photo blog. Please click his website to see his winning photos and the stories behind them: http://ryanresella.com/

"CONGRATULATIONS RYAN!!!! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!