Category: positive energy

abstract, acrylics, art, best effort, brushes, digital art, flowers, paintings, positive energy, Rebelle

I Can’t Quit You Baby

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This is my most recent painting that I did in Painter. I started it in Rebelle as usual. Rebelle is a digital watercolor app that works just like real watercolor. It is written by digital artists.

I used Artist Oil brushes that I made to paint this. If anyone is interested in these bruins, drop me a line.

This was a very fun piece to paint. I love the colors I chose. They made my mouth water.

Something I discovered in this painting is that I used a more muted color for the leaves. This plays off the bright colors in the flowers and makes the bright show off more.

I know that the impressionists used grey in their paintings to show off their bright colors. I’ve just never totally understood that. But I see it in these leaves and flowers.

Enjoy your day!

best effort, camera, iPhone, photograph, photography, plants, positive, positive energy, show up

Kalanchoe

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img_6056

No, I didn’t just swear at you.  That is what this plant is called.  I’m guessing it’s a succulent.  But it may be a relative to the artichoke.  None of my followers on Instagram seem to know and I’m too lazy to look on the Internet.

I believe in always sharing how I process my photos.  I a, no great post processor, but I find it extremely helpful when people share how they get to the end of a journey.

I believe that the more I share, the more I will get back.  Like, what goes around,  comes around.  I have found that saying to be more than true in my time here on earth.

I also particularly love the phrase “give the person enough rope to hang themselves.”  That’s another one that I have always seen come true.  It takes awhile, but it happens.  Usually, they don’t need all that much rope.  What I have also observed, is that we don’t realize what’s going on inside that person that is making others so miserable.  I have learned they are miserable inside.  Like I don’t need to bother with revenge or getting back at them.  I could never think up a punishment worse than what they do to themselves.  Plus, if I were to bother with revenge, it would harm me.  It would take me into being negative.  It would poison me.  Why go there?  It’s not worth it.  It really isn’t.  It may seem so at the time.  You can almost taste it.  But I know now, it’s simply not.  But learn for yourself.  Waste your time if you want.   Most people have to learn the hard way.  I don’t know why that is, but they do.  I did.  I wish I had taken more advice.  I wish I had listened a bit more to my Dad.

Ok.  Back to sharing the post processing of the photo.  I can’t.  I found this inside Snapseed.  I hadn’t saved it!  I don’t have a clue what I did to it.  Other than to say it was in Snapseed.  I don’t use Snapseed that much for post processing anymore, so I think it was in there to crop it for Instagram.  But then why wasn’t it saved? I don’t know!  But I love this.  It’s not straight from the camera either.

I’m grateful I found it.  I think it’s one of my better photos.  I’ve been trying very hard to get this effect.  Very light lights and dark darks. I know people are using Stackables for this.  While this is close to what I’ve been trying to get, it’s not there yet.

So, I’m going to keep trying.

buildings, cars, city, photograph, photography, positive, positive energy, traffic

Traffic In The City

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Traffic

Traffic

I love to take photos from our car as we drive through Seattle.  Seattle is such an interesting city.  I have lived in Seattle all my life.  I love the rhythm of the city as we drive through it.

Recently, we were driving up Boren Avenue past some new construction.  It was early morning, it was a gorgeous summer day.  I could just feel the beat of the city.  I hope you enjoy this photo.

I put this up on Instagram and someone commented that she was glad she didn’t live in the city.  That she was grateful she lived in the desert.  Well, I’m glad she lives there too.  That is what makes her happy.  We all dance to different drummers.  We need to live where the music plays for us.

This was taken on my iPhone 6 Plus and edited in Photoshop and on my iPhone in Enlight.

 

acrylics, art, best effort, brushes, digital art, God, inks, lyme disease, oils, pain, Painter, paintings, positive, positive energy, Rebelle, show up

Mystery

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Mystern

Mystery

My husband retired last July, and I got behind in blogging because I used to do my blogging and reading of blogs during lunch.  Now, I eat lunch with him. I’m trying to get caught up on reading other’s blogs and writing my own.

Overall, I’m glad that Warren is retired and is spending more time with me.  We have been together since 1970.  We moved in together that year.  When we were younger, and sometimes not employed, we always had a blast together.  I had pictured the same thing would be true now that we are no longer employed and have all day free to play.

The only thing I did not consider is that I am sick, and can’t go out and play anytime I want to.  Despite that, I am still enjoying having Warren in my life all day, every day.

This winter was very hard for me.  I had a flare of some kind, and was sick from New Years Eve until recently.  I am feeling on the upswing now.  But, it was a real scare.  I went back to spending days where I could do nothing but lay in bed, under the covers and be very sick.  I had a lot of pain breakthroughs that were very severe.  On those days, old tapes would start to play in my head.  I would start to think that I was going to spend all day, every day back in bed and be able to do nothing.

That is when positive thinking came back to save me.  I got myself calmed down and thought through the process logically.  I would admit that yes, I’m sick today.  But the recent pattern has been that I will be sick one day and then better the next.  Usually within two days, I’m up, dressed and going out to lunch with Warren.  I affirmed these things.  I prayed for help and guidance.  I practiced positive thinking.  I forced myself to think in a positive way.

As usual, it worked.  The pain eventually subsided and is under control again with morphine.  I have more energy and am feeling better just in time for summer.

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art, best effort, brushes, digital art, digital art academy, look forward, Painter, paintings, positive, positive energy, time out, watercolor

This is Blog 100

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Japanese Inks

Japanese Inks

I’m so excited.  This is my 100th blog.  I never realized what I was getting into when I started blogging.

I thought I would be the lone blogger picking up a follower here or there.  Then, I found Word Press.  Word Press makes the blogging experience very special.

First, they make it relatively easy to set up your blog with a theme of your choice.  Second, whenever I’ve been stuck, people have been there to help me.

The community of Word Press bloggers blows me away.  Word Press works at bringing us together to share our love of blogging.  I feel like I belong to a special community that is incredibly supportive.

A huge thank you to all the people who follow me.  I never dreamed I would have actual, real followers who were interested in my art AND my health.  You are all special people to me.

As to my health, well, it is what it is.  I’m feeling better the last few days than I have all year.  I continue to be returned to a life.  For that I am grateful.

As to the art in this blog, well this is something different for me.

As you may know, I take classes at the Digital Art Academy (DAA).It was founded by Karen Bonaker, a fabulous artist.  Check out her blog here.  We learn art while using the application Painter.

Starting Saturday, I am taking Japanese Inks from Karen at DAA.

This is a type of art I have studiously ignored all my life.  I have had no interest in it at all.

So, why not broaden my horizon is what I figured.  I’m totally intimidated, of course.  Something new. There is a small part of me saying “you’ll never be able to do this.”  But, I’m happy to report there is a larger part saying “yes, I can!”  This is a huge change for me.  Mrs. Negative had her way with me for a long time.  But I have practiced being positive and loving myself and my art.  I put Mrs. Negative Voice on a time out recently.  I refuse to engage with her on any level.

Interestingly, I am finding that she is becoming less and less by my not engaging and fighting with her.  When she pops up, I lovingly as possible put her on a time out.  Of course, she will try to come back.  I just gently remind her of the time out.

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art, best effort, brushes, digital art, digital art academy, look forward, Painter, paintings, pencils, positive energy

Looking Forward

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Looking Forward

Looking Forward

Looking Forward is what I like to do.  One can choose to look at the past, whine over previous mistakes, regret what was or look forward and see what can be.  I found that life is way too short for regrets of what was.  I realized that it is human to make mistakes.  It is the human condition.  So, no use fretting over them.

I recently did this painting with a group I belong to on Facebook.

We do intuitive paintings by using prompts that people in the group suggest.  For instance, this painting started out by one woman suggesting that we cover our canvas in a fun color or two and make sweeping marks and stay loose.  Then the next person chimed in to do the same, using contrasting colors.  I suggested we cover the 1/3 of our canvas with geometric shapes.  Then someone suggested adding tissue paper or some other media to give the painting texture.

I am the only digital painter in the group.  I particularly enjoy this group, because it challenges me.  When they suggest something that I can’t necessarily do the same way they are going to do it, I get to use my imagination and do it digitally.  So, I just imported a blue piece of tissue paper into my painting.

For those of you using Painter, you can bring things like this into Painter on a layer of its own by going to File/Place.

However, pieces of tissue paper hanging out on the page did not look cool.

So, having recently taken a dynamite brush class at the DAA (Digital Art Academy), I simply made a brush that would respond to texture.

I have a huge collection of textures to paint on.  One way I can use these textures in Painter is through the paper panel.  Over the years I have collected various paper textures from pond scum (really good one) to asphalt.  I chose a couple of these and with a darker blue, added some texture to the blue/violet areas of the piece.

In the beginning of this piece, I chose to use liquid inks and dribble red, oranges and yellows over the page to give myself something else besides just paint strokes to start with.

I also used pencils to add some interest to the piece.  I am finding that using a very dark or very light-colored pencil in my work will add pop to the piece.

If you’re interested in joining our Paint Prompt Facebook group, please drop me a line and let me know.  We’re always looking for new members.

art, art shows, awards, best effort, digital art, God, honesty, lyme disease, pain, Painter, paintings, pencils, positive, positive energy, show up

Staying Positive Works — Strong Spirit

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Strong Spirit

Strong Spirit

This painting was done in Painter, using oils, liquid inks and pencils.  I am using it because it is entitled Strong Spirit.  That is what I have.

I started this blog to write about fibromyalgia and lyme disease.  My intention was to write how my belief in a God of my understanding, coupled with affirmations, gratitude and positive thought had allowed me to find a peaceful, fulfilling life in spite of these chronic illnesses.

Then, practicing those things led me back to being able to do art, and art has pretty much been the focus of this blog.

Today, I want to write about positive thinking.

I came across the idea of having God in my life and thinking positive about 30 years ago.  I began reading a lot of varied books on many religions.  I put together an idea of what God is for me, personally.  I believe there is something that holds us all together.  I believe that we are all connected in some way.  I believe that when I, or someone else, does something negative or harmful, it affects us all.

I believe in taking personal responsibility for myself and what I can change.  As I read and researched, I concluded that the only thing in this world that is possible for me to change is me.  I can’t change you.  I can, however, change how I react to you.

This was working fine, and life was going along real sweet.  I was a textile/mixed media artist.  My work was starting to sell.  I was having shows in galleries.  I had been in a group show at a very prestigious museum here in Seattle.  I won awards for my art.  Life looked good.  Positive thinking and a belief in a God of my understanding was working.

Oops, I got sick.  I didn’t just get sick, I got completely disabled and unable to do anything but lay in bed and wonder when I was going to die.  Doctors said I was crazy.  No one, absolutely no one would help me.

Friends and family walked away.  As they left, they said “Screw, you.  You’re a little liar, you’re not sick, just crazy.”

OK.  I got mad.  I got angry, I got resentful, hateful, mean-spirited, the whole thing.  I threatened to divorce my husband of over 30 years.  I was one sick, miserable person.

Where had it all gone?  What was happening?  One day I woke up, and could stand myself no longer.  I vaguely recalled what I had practiced just before I became sick.  I was very dubious.  I figured, this stuff works when things go well, God is there when I’m happy.  But what happens when the pedal hits the metal?  It’s all gone.

Hmm.  Perhaps I had missed something.  “OK”, I said, find something to be positive about.  What?  I can’t remember what I found, but I found one small thing.  Like breathing or something.  I practiced being grateful.  I said affirmations.  I worked at it.  I was not convinced, but I went on with the teeny, tiny bit of faith I had left.

It worked.  Just as negative things build and grow larger and become overwhelming, so do positive things.  It built up.  I found more things to be positive about.

Don’t get me wrong, it was slow going.

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