The Universe Is Smiling: "Angels"

Q: What is this week's wisdom?
A: Call on your angels for support. They are ready to help you out. And make someone smile :)

"When we are touched by something it's as if we're being brushed by an angel's wings."
- Rita Dove
"The way people come into your life when you need them, it's wonderful and it happens in so many ways. It's like having an angel. Somebody comes along and helps you get right."
- Stevie Ray Vaughan

The Universe Is Smiling: "Vacation"

Dear Visitor,

It's been a while since my last post. I was on vacation and family visit for the last three weeks in Germany and had hoped to continue posting from there, but the computers didn't comply. Now I am back and what came out in the first drawing - "vacation" - even though I was far from any palm trees :)

I hope that you have some time away from the troubles of this world and enjoy life in peace, the way it should be for all beings on this planet.

"Vacation is what you take when you can't take what you've been taking any longer."
- Author unknown
"A vacation is like love - anticipated with pleasure, experienced with discomfort and remembered with nostalgia."
- Author unknown

The Universe Is Smiling: "Radiance"

Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: Let your good energy shine through and make someone smile :)

"God does not die on the day when we cease to believe in a personal deity, but we die on the day when our lives cease to be illumined by the steady radiance, renewed daily of a wonder, the source of which is beyond all reason."
 - Dag Hammarskjold
"Love whether newly born, or aroused from a deathlike slumber, must always create sunshine, filling the heart so full of radiance, that it overflows upon the outward world."
- Nathaniel Hawthorne
 "The gloom of the world is but a shadow. Behind it, yet within our reach is joy. There is radiance and glory in the darkness could we but see - and to see we have only to look."
- Fra Giovany Giocondo

The Universe Is Smiling: "Connectedness"

Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: You are not alone. You are connected with all beings.

"We cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads and along these sympathetic fibers, our actions run as causes and return to us as results."
 - Herman Melville
"Without fear, we are able to see more clearly our connections to others.Without fear, we have more room for understanding and compassion. Without fear, we are truly free."
- Thich Nath Hanh

The Universe Is Smiling: "Diversity"

Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: We are all threads in the tapestry of the universe. Enjoy being part of the diversity and don't forget to smile."

"I think... if it is true that there are as many minds as there are heads, then there are as many kinds of love as there are hearts."
- Leo Tolstoy
"We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color."
- Maya Angelou

The Universe Is Smiling: "Advice"

Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: Dare to seek advice and listen with your inner voice before you make a decision.

"Advice is like snow - the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind."
 - Samuel Taylor Coleridge
"To accept good advice is but to increase one's own ability."
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Update on "Arabella"

Dear Visitor,

You might have followed the progress of "Annabella's Inner Life" (see former posts) and are curious to know if she won the competition. Yesterday, July 26, on the Marbletown Founder's Day the jury picked the three winners among the posters. Arabella made the third place :)
It was a perfect weather day with marvelous art from 30 artists, musical performances and a happy crowd of visitors. Here are some visuals for you.

The row of posters were greeting the visitors.

Art impressions at set-up, before the first storm of visitors:

 A collection of my art blocks on display. Most of them were sold by the end of the day.

More artwork all around:

The winners of the poster competition are being announced:

FIRST PLACE: painting by Warren Hurley.

This was/is my absolute favorite of the whole series.


















SECOND PLACE: painting by Alicia Tamarchenko:

The "permanent" markers had faded in the sunlight. Alicia repaired the damage in the morning of the final day. It was worthwhile, she made it to the second place.













THIRD PLACE: "Arabella's Inner Life"

It was a great challenge for me to create something out of nowhere. I loved the whole process. On top of it, making it to the third place in the competition, made my day :)

The Universe Is Smiling: "Heading towards Dreamland"

Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: Cozy up with your dreams and make your dreams come true.

"You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream."
- C.S. Lewis
"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."
- Harriet Tubman

The Casual Observer: "Chalk Festival New Paltz"

Dear Visitors,

Fun things are happening in my back yard. The annual chalk festival is happening again. Here are a few pictures for you to enjoy.

The Universe Is Smiling: "Listening"

Q: What is today's wisdom?
A: Listen and receive with an open heart :)

"The first duty of love is to listen."
 - Paul Tillich
"Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering."
- Winnie the Pooh
"Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. The friends who listen to us are the ones we move toward. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand."
- Karl A. Menninger

"Arabella's Inner Life" - revisited

Dear Visitors,

"Arabella" finally came to life after 5 days of reflection, painting, cluelessness, and daring with the deadline in mind :) I brought her over to Marbletown, where all the posters will be displayed throughout town for two weeks, gearing up to the big event on July 26th.


On that day there will be a big celebration with artwork from 36 artists, fun events, and lots of food. The posters will be juried and then be auctioned off to benefit the Stoneridge Library. One of the main organizers of the event are Sevan from the "Wired Gallery"  and Andrey Tamarchenko with his Gallery "Element 22", both in Marbletown/High Falls and both worth visiting.

Before

After

"Arabella" close up. If you like to see the steps from the beginning to the final product, check out the former blog post "Arabella's Inner Life".

Here are some posters of the "competition". It always amazes me what the creative mind comes up with. Every single one is different and there will be more posters on the 26th.

Poster Series

The "Females"

The "Males"

"Arabella's Inner Life"

Dear Visitors,

This will be a very different post. I have gotten myself into something I have never done before: a poster competition :) This is part of the Marbletown, NY, Founder's Day celebration. The assignment is to fill with images, colors or shapes the blank white space inside the founder’s body on one of the posters pictured below. The posters are printed on canvas and stretched over 26” x 68” frame. The figure itself is about 4 feet high. The deadline is July 11th. The posters will be put on public display in and around Marbletown to promote the Founders’ Day festivities to be held on July 26th. The posters will then exhibited and auctioned off at the end of the event to benefit Stone Ridge Public Library.

 

I got the notice about this event last Friday, the 11th, was humming and hawing about participating but the deadline seemed too short. Saturday, however, I was still thinking about it. Then my boyfriend convinced me to dare and so we picked up "The Lady" :)

 

I gave her the name "Arabella" and called the theme "Arabella's Inner Life". Now what? I was completely clueless how to fill in the white space, but was and am still counting on the Inner Voice Drawing process to guide me.  I have decided to document each step and let you in on the development of the piece. The surprise of each step will be yours as much as mine :)

STEP ONE:

close up

I am getting a first feel of Arabella's personality: reflective
with an inner fire ....
5 more days until completion.

STEP TWO:

Arabella's personality is coming out more: playfulness with a bent for gentle pranks. I am curious where this will go. Are you too? Stay tuned. 4 more days until completion.

STEP THREE:

 

close up

This is the last sketch. The next step is adding color.  3 more days to go.  Stay tuned :)

STEP FOUR:

This is still a very rough color draft. I am working with acrylic on vinyl. It's a slippery surface and makes it more difficult to have a smooth and even paint. Layers are the solution. 2 more days to go. Stay tuned :)

STEP FIVE:

 

Arabella is shaping up :)  I hadn't thought of outlining all the forms with a black marker, but when I did one I liked the look: the forms pop out more and remind me of stained glass patterns.

One more day to go. Have a good evening and let's meet here again tomorrow for the final :)

THE FINAL:

This was a fun project. I had some trouble though with the writing part. I had bought several light colored markers (sharpies) to write on the black background, but none of them worked on the vinyl material. Challenges can make you creative, so the solution was painting an acrylic base and using the black marker on top of it. Voila :)

I hope this post gives you some ideas and the courage to stretch yourself - at least a bit. You can do it!

And don't forget to make someone smile :)