Advice from a BUTTERFLY

Photo taken at Belews Creek, NC

1. Let your true colors show
2. Get out of your cocoon
3. Tke yourself lightly
4. Look for the sweetness in life
5. Take time to smell the flowers
6. Catch a breeze
7. Last, but certainly not least, remember, we can't all be monarchs!

Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.

Here are a few photos of my inspiration, taken by me, at Carolina Marina.

If I can pull myself away from this blog they might actually become paintings. There are not enought seconds in a minute, not enough minutes in the hour, and certainly not enough hours in the day.

Do you paint?

Painters look at the world around them in a different way. It is both something innate and learned. I look at the world around me and see many different colors in the sky, the trees, the grass. I see greens in old fence rails and blue in gray horses. I see shapes between the branches in the trees, shapes in and around buildings, the shape and color of light as it falls on the floor or comes through the curtains. I feel and see the many ways that light changes from sunrise to sunset.

Both oils and acrylics have such amazing properties that allow me to portray the effects of light and shadow on everything from butterflies to roosters-especially birds, hens, geese, chickens-anything with feathers. If you have never painted but you love being outside-painting allows you to combine both loves. Painting allows you to learn something every time you participate in the experience, because each time the light, the wind, the weather change your subject appears different and new.

Here's what I hear all the time...
"Oh, I wish I knew how to paint, but I don't have any natural talent."

"My art teacher in Grade 5 told me I wasn't very good."

"My sister has all the talent. I wish I was as talented as she is."

"I wish I could paint what's in my heart."

If you don't allow these negative thoughts to guide you it might be a real surprise to find out that you too have talent. To me, painting is not about the destination-the completed project, it is about the journey, the joy, the experience. I never worry about producing museum quality masterpieces, and it's a good thing I don't, or I would never pick up another brush. This is about participating in activities that bring out your creative spirit, and we all have one, trust me. All you need is to WANT to paint or draw from your heart.

About Me

This is a photograph of my painting entitled, "Bend Oregon, A Love Affair". I didn't get to stay there long, but it was truly an wonderful experience.

Although I've had a life-long, deep love of art, I am mostly self-taught. I picked up what I could, when I could from books, an occasional workshop and miles and miles of brush time. I've began painting at my kitchen sink since my daughters were small..sometimes setting up my canvas after getting them tucked away at night, only to blink my eyes and see the sun rising without my being aware of the fact that the night had come and gone. And yes, this wasn't yesterday. They have birthdays this month, and they are 41 and 36...when did that happen? Recently I have returned to fine acrylics and oils.

Although I paint as often as I can my very detailed style and natural rhythm just don't result in a huge output. So, I paint small format, original works at my own pace. I generally paint canvas, but I am about to rekindle my love of wooden duck decoys, antiques and wooden objects.

Painting is such a fascinating experience. Once you see the light around you, and begin to understand the endless ways to use color to show it, there is no turning back. It becomes something you can never completely master, but continue to learn and travel on the path of discovery that keeps life so interesting.

Thank you for your interest in my work and please feel free to contact me at anytime about anything.

Why Butterflies?

“Tell me Sir, what is a butterfly?” asked Yellow the caterpillar.


'It’s what you are meant to become.

It flies with beautiful wings and joins the earth to heaven.

It drinks only nectar from the flowers and carries the seeds of love from one flower to another.”


“Without butterflies the world would soon have few flowers.”


“It can’t be true!” gasped Yellow.
“How can I believe there’s a butterfly inside you or me when all I see is a fuzzy worm?”


“How does one become a butterfly?” Yellow asked pensively.


“You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.”


“You mean die?” asked Yellow.
“Yes and no…What looks like YOU will die, but what’s really you will still live.”
“Life is changed, not taken away. Isn’t that different from those who die without ever becoming butterflies?”

(From the book "Hope for the Flowers" by Trina

Why painting?

Painting is such a fascinating experience. Once you see the light around you, and begin to understand the endless ways to use color to show it, there is no turning back. It becomes something you can never completely master, but continue to learn and travel on the path of discovery that keeps life so interesting.

“There are two kinds of artists, the emotional painter and the academician. The academician can paint into old age sitting on his stool licking his canvas until 98 years of age. The emotional artists burn himself up; he does not live long. The academician always creates something acceptable, boring, but acceptable. The emotional artist often misses, but when he hits, it is breathtakingly beautiful… touched by the gods!”

Sergei Bongart 1918-1985

I know it's been forever since a post, but I promise I'm still around....just really busy! I'm so excited to be a part of this fabulous Herb FestivalI had to announce it so all will come. It's going to be an exciting event.

Herbal Thyme Guild 11th Annual HERB FESTIVAL

Saturday May 7

(Mother’s Day Weekend)

7 am to 2 p.m. Outside the GSO

Farmers’ Curb Market, 105 Yanceyville St.

FREE ADMISSION Rain or Shine!


Family Fun Live Music !

Face Painting Refreshments

Educational Demos Garden Art

NURSERY HERBS & OTHER PLANTS

Herbal & Natural Products


* Demonstrations *

9 am - Create Fairy Gardens
9:30 am - Plantable Cards for Kids
10 am - Bee Friendly Gardens
11:30 am - Making Body Oils
12 Noon - Cooking with Herbs


Vendors

Anise Bertran– Garden Art

Donna’s Delights Soaps

Earth’s Natural Soaps

Everyday Art – Painting/Pottery/Soy Candles

Gethsemane Gardens

Horse-O-Peace Soaps

J & B Herb Farm

Moon Creek Farm

Raindrop Ridge Farm

Richland Creek Farm

Running Pine Herb Farm

Toad Song Farm

Sadie's Art Gifts

Welcome to Sadie's Art Gifts

Vincent Van Gogh said, "I dream my painting and then I paint my dream".
I understand.

I'm Sorry I haven't been here...It is no longer about gifts, decorating, spending money, getting presents, and holiday hoopla and shopping hyperbole t

Thank you to all of you who follow my blog. I hope I haven't lost you because of my life distractions. Lately I just haven't had anything to give. I've come to grips with the fact that I've got to accept recent changes, and 2011 is going to be different.

I do hope each and every one of you will join me in the new year. I have come to some serious conclusions, and I want to share one thought with you.

Christmas is no longer about gifts, decorating, spending money, getting presents, and holiday hoopla and shopping hyperbole to me. It’s about taking time out to be close to friends and family, renewing old ties, friendships and relationships. And, it doesn’t matter if Jesus was born on December 25 or not (he wasn’t, most scholars estimate His birthday to be sometime in March). It is a time also to remember a family in Bethlehem who didn’t have a place to stay for the night and a child being born who would turn the world upside down with His Love, His teachings, His wisdom and His giving all so that we may know what it is to truly be a child of God.

I've let the collapse of a business and money problems consume me lately, but when it's all said and done it doesn't matter. The time we have here on earth is all that counts-the people we love and the time we have with each other.

See you in the New Year!
Herbal hugs, Wendy

How I feel about what I paint......

How I feel about what I paint
is infinitely more important to me
than what I paint.
–Noyes Capehart

Our State Magazine, Mar. 2007

In this case I have a passion for our fine feathered friends...geese and roosters are my favorite. Please don't ask me why..I do not know, but I absolutely love painting them...this too is a process.

Picture #2

I struggled with this one. I'm still not sure if I like it, but I am sure that somehow it fits in with this process of relearning and finding what I want my art to say....

Practice makes perfect, as they say.

A pale pink peony is visited by a small Monarch butterfly. Peonies don't need extra decoration being quite lovely in their own right, but this pretty insect adds a special touch, alighting for just a moment before it flutters away.

We've all heard it-"Practice makes perfect".

It's been almost a year since I have posted, and at this point I can claim that as of this day I am a MRSA survivor. There have been 7 surgeries and lots of recouperation, and I am painting, but so far all I have produced is what I would refer to as paintings that are just a practice pieces. Like a musician, a painter must work as often as possible at practicing and staying fresh. Often during this practice a beautiful piece is produced, but often a painting just ends up a mess. A musician doesn’t record every session, and a painter shouldn’t expect every painting to be something that someone should hang on a wall. As in life, it's all a process...........

The time has come

For the birth of Sadie's Art Gifts.
My goal was to start by the New Year.
I'm 5 days ahead of schedule.
And here it comes............