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Rudyard Kipling

Dan bought me several books on art for Christmas.  One subject really surprised me.  Winston Churchill as a painter!  At the end of a book detailing his work, was a wonderful poem by Rudyard Kipling.  I must share it with you.

1892

L’Envoi To “The Seven Seas”

When Earth’s last picture is painted and the tubes are twisted and dried,
When the oldest colours have faded, and the youngest critic has died,
We shall rest, and, faith, we shall need it — lie down for an aeon or two,
Till the Master of All Good Workmen shall put us to work anew.

And those that were good shall be happy; they shall sit in a golden chair;
They shall splash at a ten-league canvas with brushes of comets’ hair.
They shall find real saints to draw from — Magdalene, Peter, and Paul;
They shall work for an age at a sitting and never be tired at all!

And only The Master shall praise us, and only The Master shall blame;
And no one shall work for money, and no one shall work for fame,
But each for the joy of the working, and each, in his separate star,
Shall draw the Thing as he sees It for the God of Things as They are!

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Inspiration, Little Books and Plans or Ditch the Selfie

I love little books.  Pretty little books for writing notes in, books with thicker paper for drawing and silk and art covered books I always plan to fill with wonderful poetry but never quite do.  I love filling them cover-to-cover and I’ll share some of what I put in one of them below.

I was quite inspired by this little book I bought in Katonah, NY yesterday.   I love the cover, the fertile Goddess figure inviting me to embrace my art and fill it with wondrous views of my world.

goddessbook

goddessbookback goddessbook interior

 

But usually I find the plans I make for a little book usually turn out differently than what I first imagine.   This is my little book I started doing sketches in for 2014-2015.  I find when I am stuck waiting somewhere, rather than moaning how my time is being wasted I pull out a pen or a pencil and start scribbling.  I keep a mechanical drawing pen and a drawing fountain pen filled with scribblers ink in my makeup case, in my purse.  Time then flies, and I find sometimes my scribbles are just scribbles but sometimes they crystallize a memory.  None of these are meant to be great drawings.  Some only took 30 seconds to do.   I’ll share a few I like below.

The 2014-15 drawing book.  booksketch

It’s nothing particularly special, it’s about 5 x 7 inches so I can fit it in my purse or hold it and sketch wherever I go.  Such as,

30 second drawings at an art gallery:

book fig2

bookfig1

 

 

 

 

 

Or a moment when housebound during an icy winter storm:

bookfig3

 

 

 

 

For the next I must introduce you to my dog, Gwyn, a wonderful energetic English Shepherd that usually looks like this:

bookdogairs

Yes, that is all four paws not touching the ground!

 

 

 

So when I spotted a rare moment of repose:

bookfig4

 

 

Of course I was inspired.book fig 6

 

 

But sometimes life drives art, when I saw this of course I had to draw it:

bookbaddog

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fortunately, the little book and it’s drawings still exist.  Documenting my visit to an art gallery, friends, an ice storm and doggie mischief. bookchewed

 

 

 

 

 

My new book will be filled with wonders.  Some will just be playful scribbles, that I won’t share with anyone, but I will enjoy in the moment.   I will crystallize moments in time that should not be forgotten in a way more personal and lasting than a social media selfie. And with every line I make, I get just a little bit better as an artist.

I encourage you to get a little book.  Fill it with doodles, sayings, quotes, poems, or lists.  It will become something more than the sum of its parts when you have filled it cover to cover.

Meanwhile,  I have a request to go out and find some inspiration outside.

bookbehindbars

 

 

 

 

 

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All Entries gallery Journal Entry Original Art Biography

Reach for Peace

As the holiday season approaches, more then ever before, am grateful for the peace and plenty that I have.  I feel very lucky to have been born in the United States.   These thoughts and the turmoil that has been occurring in the world were on my mind when I painted this.  This is a large piece, 36 x 48 inches, acrylic on canvas.  I titled it ” Reach for Peace”.    The constellation in the corner is Columba, which is Latin for Dove.  And the white poppy has been a symbol of peace that was first used after World War I.

reach for peace II