Practice Patience with Other People

I have extreme hearing loss in both ears so I wear hearing aids. One of my aids broke last week so I'm having difficulty hearing lately. My present predicament reminded me of a time when I didn't wear hearing aids at all because I couldn't afford them.

I was in the grocery store waiting in the checkout line. It was a busy time of day and all the lines were long. I was minding my own business when someone behind me tapped me with a cart. I turned and saw an irate woman who yelled at me, "Are you deaf? I'm trying to get through!"

I used to feel embarrassed about being hearing impaired so I didn't say anything and just moved out of her way. She glared at me like I was being rude when I simply couldn't hear.

I'm posting this because there are many people out there with disabilities, both visible and invisible and some people are quick to vent their anger and frustration when dealing with them.

I cared for my mom when she had Parkinson's Disease and her mobility had slowed to a tortoise pace. When we were walking across store parking lots, occasionally drivers would increase their speed to beat us to the crosswalk, just so they wouldn't have to wait another minute for us to cross.

And yet, we all have to stop for the red light.

Interview About "Garden Song" Birdbath

Here is my interview with Bonnie Jean Adams of the Chicago Cultural & Events Examiner. The entire article can be viewed at examiner.com here.

"Garden Song" Birdbath

How did you get the idea for this piece? 

I chose a garden theme primarily because the theme of the exhibit was “In Bloom”. Also, I thought it would be appropriate subject matter given that birdbaths are often found in garden settings.

What would you like the viewer to think about or see here? Message?

I want to make the viewer smile and feel happy and cheerful. I painted an allover design on the birdbath to be seen from every perspective so that even if you were a baby in a stroller or an extremely tall adult, you didn’t miss out on the experience.

I first painted the green leaf shapes and then surrounded them with blues to convey both sky and water. Because the sculpture itself was a flower, I didn't feel the need to repeat it in the design. I decided to suggest flowers by using their own vivid colors to represent them. The message is contained in the flowing forms. The harmony of the spirals that begin at the end of each plant stem and the interacting waves show how everything is connected and influences everything else.

The whole time I was painting it, I kept envisioning the birdbath outside a snowy courtyard on a gloomy winter's day, promising the return of spring. It is my hope that it ends up being auctioned to an establishment where people could directly benefit from it, like a hospital or nursing home. I feel that this piece has the capacity to lift spirits and help in the healing process.

Tell me something about how you became an artist.

Pablo Picasso said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” I never grew up, I still maintain a sense of wonder and interact animatedly with the world around me.

As far as the technical part of things, I’ve been doing some form of artistic expression my entire life, including drawing, crafting, writing and photography. I received my BFA in Illustration from Northern Illinois University and studied painting in grad school. After college, I went to work as a graphic designer, and later I went into photography. The last few years I’ve been painting and doing a lot digital work with my own photos and artwork.

Why do you choose to work in this particular medium?

I chose to use acrylics on this project because of their speed in drying. When I painted the birdbath, I would work on more than one area at a time. Because of the 3D form, on occasion I rubbed up against an edge of fresh paint and smeared it. So then naturally I had to let it dry and repaint the area.

My sponsor for the project was Sharpie. Ideally, the people at Sharpie would have liked it done with Sharpie markers but ink is not lightfast and the colors would eventually fade over time with prolonged exposure in the sun. They had four specific things that they wanted incorporated in the design: it had to be colorful, bold, free flowing and original. I outlined the base design with Sharpie markers and painted with colors from their product palette.

What advice would you have for someone who wants to be an artist?

I advocate going to art school and learning as much as you can. There are some really incredible self-taught artists out there but an education exposes you to different ways of creating. In my personal experience, I had one professor who was a purist about painting and forbid us students to draw anything, not even a single line, on the canvas. This forced me to grow as an artist and develop a painter’s mentality.

If you were describe your art, what you create in one sentence? 

I would describe my art as colorful, creative with an innovative vision.

Club Med for Ducks

Ducks enjoying the pond in my backyard.

I'll begin by telling you that I currently live in a suburban subdivision that has retention ponds. The last several years, the ponds have been home to mallard ducks. This is partly because we are located close to the river and partly because I, along with other people who live nearby, have begun feeding the ducks on a regular basis.

The duckies (as I affectionately call them) started visiting in the summers when the birdfeeders went up in the backyards, about 5 years ago. The subdivision was built in the late 90s and early 00s and by 2006, the planted trees had matured beyond what I call the "stick tree" phase, so song birds naturally moved into the neighborhood. As they built their nests in the trees, bird lovers like myself put feeders out for them. So the little sparrows, finches, and chickadees would sit at the feeders, picking at their favorite seeds. Rejected seeds were thrown out to be eaten by the ground feeders like doves and bunnies, and of course, duckies.

I don't know who first told the duckies about the abundance of food, maybe it was the local red wings who live down by the river or the squirrel who likes to hang upside down from atop my bird feeder and nibble as the feeder rocks as the majority of seeds fall to the ground. Or it could be that the duckies simply flew over the ponds one day and decided to visit on their next trip. Whatever the case, they came and established residence. Now they are here year-round, except when it gets bitter cold in winter that the entire ponds freeze up.

The duckies are so well-fed and appear to be enjoying living here that my boyfriend, Chris, has nicknamed the place Club Med for Ducks. When the lighting is right, I photograph them. My picture above does have the quality of a photo advertising a vacation resort, doesn't it?

When the Earth and Sky Meet

I just started selling prints of my paintings on Fine Art America. The first one I posted is from my Dreamscape series called "Earth and Sky Meet":

The reason why I chose to begin with this particular painting is because it is my most popular. It depicts the connection between the sun, sky and earth. The image represents the interdependence of life by combining elements. The blending of the sun into a greenish plant leaf and the forms around the sun show the continuity of change. I love how the blue flowing ribbons can be interpreted as clouds or water due to their movement.

The spiritual aspect is also represented by the spiraling Eye of God in the sun. The plant reaching for the sun is mankind's yearning for spiritual substance and also signifies renewal and and the rebirth of spring. 

Prints of "Earth and Sky Meet" are available on canvas and on paper as well as greeting cards. They can be purchased here from Fine Art America.