acrylic painting

My Muse returned just in time!

/ wantonwordflirt / 18 Comments

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My Mom recently renovated her bathroom. A couple weeks ago she told me she has never asked for anything specific for her birthday gift, but could I please paint her a “Seascape” painting for her birthday.  She loved the “Seascape” paintings I had made for Shannon Raelynn’s book launch, and was now wanting one for herself.

I told her I could, yet on the inside I was thinking: “Oh no, I have not painted in several months, my Muse has abandoned me. I don’t know when she is coming back, if ever.  I don’t know if I can do this without her.”

Well, with my Mom’s birthday looming (it is tomorrow Oct. 1st), I hauled out the paints, a 24″ x 12″ canvas on Saturday,  and had at ‘er! It was slow going to begin with , a couple times I was ready to pack it in. At one point I got upset, not satisfied with my progress and wiped down the entire canvas with a damp rag. I began to see some potential in what I had done thus far. My Muse appeared just in the nick of time; several hours later I decided I had my best painting thus far. Happy Birthday, Mom, “Seascape III” is all yours!

It’s REAL! My first exhibit / publication!

/ wantonwordflirt / 4 Comments

013002Ventured to Edmonton with one of my sons on Thursday evening to attend the opening reception of the InSight 2 – Engaging the Health Humanities International Exhibition. So exciting to see my paintings and poems displayed alongside so many other intriguing exhibits by talented artists and health professionals.

When we first arrived, we wandered though the UofA (Fine Arts Building) FAB Gallery viewing all the work, but admittedly my eye was on the look out for my exhibit. I was a little panicked when I thought we’d been through it all and I could not find my paintings / poems, then I remembered we had not been to the very first area near the entrance…..sure enough they they were! Whew. For a minute or two I did think it really all had been just a dream!

I was also thrilled to read some of the same thoughts I had expressed in my initial submission, and 150 word “abstract” about my exhibit, being expressed in the keynote speaker, Dr. Alan Bleakley’s introduction in the publication that is also part of this exhibition / symposium. As an advocate of the health humanities / arts and medicine working hand-in-hand, he readily acknowledges that there can be “well-being without being well.”

I was so grateful to be able to attend the reception to see my “Blue-Green Elixir” up on the FAB 011012Gallery wall, being visited by fellow artists, writers, doctors, health professionals, students, and the public at large. Thank you so much to Graeme for ensuring I made it to the reception, and Shannon who was very much with me in spirit every step of the way! Love you both for knowing how important this was to me, without me having to tell you!