Last night I was delighted to attend a birthday party for Mary, the Mother of some dear friends of mine. Mary was celebrating her 90th year and looked amazing…she was decked out in a new suit for the occasion and was happily greeting and chatting with all of the 47 family members and friends who came in honor of her. The tables were decorated so elegantly and the cuisine was delicious, as well as a work of art. For dessert, the chocolate mousse birthday cake was to die for!

Through out the evening I learned some surprising things about Mary. For instance, her brown hair is natural…it’s never been colored to cover gray. Also, her intense love of sweets and chocolate seems to be agreeing with her…I’m so jealous! During the evening, while listening to “Mary” stories, I tried to figure out how she has pulled off such an achievement. I feel that with her “down to earth” demeanor and happy disposition, Mary seems to have perfected the art of aging gracefully.

I don’t know about you, but when I see a painting for the first time, I usually can tell right away if I like it or not. What exactly does a painting need to be considered a good, or a great one? First of all, it needs a Focal Point…That place where your eye goes to first…what draws you in. It should be the most detailed part of the painting and have the most contrast and color “sizzle”.

Next, and very important is Composition…The shapes should be organized in pleasing patterns and relate to each other well. Think of arranging the furniture in your living room. The big pieces anchor the room and then the accessories are added in pleasing details. It has to…flow. One way to check for composition is to turn a painting upside down. It’s amazing how the mistakes will pop out.

To make a painting interesting, it must have Values. This means there is a range of lights and darks. I was taught to use the darkest shade of a color, to the lightest shade of a color, without using pure black or white. This is what gives a painting depth and contrast.

While there are many elements to a good or great painting, it really comes down to connecting to your soul. Does this painting speak to you or not? The best compliment I can receive is when someone looking at one of my paintings tells me they wish they could be there…They want to “jump in”!

Hopefully this will help you understand why a painting might appeal to you or not. I’m just hoping the judge looking at my Eiffel Tower paintings will connect with them in a positive way!

I just finished my first Koi painting…at least I think it’s finished for today. I’ve actually finished it three times already! I signed it once, usually a good indication, but then painted over the signature a couple of days ago. Well, today I signed it again…hopefully for the final time. I just want it to be so darn perfect.

From other artists I know, it’s not unusual to keep adding dribs and drabs to paintings, extra words to articles, or more notes to music scores. I have a friend who composes and arranges music and he’s always trying to improve his current project and sometimes finds it difficult to finish a piece. I guess we have to face the facts that perfection doesn’t exist, but at the same time, never give up trying for it in our future undertakings.

I purposely went on a Sunday afternoon because I wanted to tour The Hermitage. A private home, The Hermitage and surrounding grounds were given to spiritual leader Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952) by a dedicated follower of his teachings, Mr. James J. Lynn. The Guru did not wish to keep such a beautiful place for his enjoyment alone and regularly invited students and friends.

On this day the gardens were filled with people, some deep in meditation and others whispering softly. One can definitely feel a higher power and calmness in this incredibly peaceful place. I came upon a beautiful two tiered pond which is home to many spectacular Koi. The artist in me came alive and I began snapping pictures for future paintings…I can hardly wait to get started!

I am always amazed at the quality of giclee prints when I am in galleries. They are signed and numbered by the artist, which is sometimes the only way to distinguish a giclee from an original piece of art. All of my paintings can be purchased as a giclee and sometimes it’s possible to order specific sizes. Please contact me for more details.

One thing all of our group members have in common is a desire to help animals in need. Because animals are a passion of mine, I fit right in. The only requirement for being a member of our group is to make a yearly donation to a shelter in the Dana Point/San Clemente area called Pet Project Foundation. Its mission is “to enhance the quality of life of all companion animals in a pro-humane manner through compassion, responsibility, education and service”. One can see what they are all about by visiting their website www.petprojectfoundation.org

As a child I would love to stand knee deep in the water and feel it rushing one way and then the other. A little like life…you never know which way it will take you next. Sometimes while swimming in the ocean, a strong wave would take me down under and tumble me to and fro until I was so disoriented I had no idea which way was up or down. When that would happen a strange peace would come over me and my body would just go limp and then I would float up to the surface, and to wonderful oxygen.

It’s not always easy, but I’m trying to apply that concept to my life and go with the flow. So, for the time being, be patient…hopefully some new exciting ideas and material will present themselves soon and I can move on!

Recently, my young niece spent some time with me. When she visits, one of the fun things we do together is art. This time she asked if we could make another “treasure map”. A couple of years ago we had made one and had a blast “aging” it by tearing and singeing the edges, then staining it with strong tea.

This new map is a masterpiece, complete with landmarks such as an active volcano, a mermaid, a large fish, and of course, palm trees. Halfway into it, my niece decided to make the treasure map into a board game, giving it dual purpose. She cleverly wound a dotted path through all the landmarks, ending at the treasure. We then painted tiny pictures in some bottle caps she had collected. Those caps became the markers we would move around the game, at a pace dictated by commands we wrote on cards. Commands such as “stopped for a coconut…lose a turn” had us in giggles. We spent a wonderful afternoon delighting in our innerchild creativity.

A friend of mine has a brother who taught art at the college level. He believed that children aged about 5 to 10 years of age are the freest of any age when expressing them-selves through art. After that, due to negative feedback and/or the stresses of life, we can become censored, blocked or too structured, which caused us to give up on art and having a creative life.

Once again, after several years, I’ve started reading Julia Cameron’s, The Artist’s Way. It’s a marvelous book which helps open up blocked pathways and channels, to find one’s creative child within. Our creative child is always there, but sometimes dormant and hard to reach. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to increase the expression, joy and simple pleasures in their lives.

My painting received a red ribbon for 2nd place in oil and I’m tickled pink about it! So for the rest of August, if you should wander into the gallery, be sure to check it out! Hmmm…I’m already thinking about what painting to submit for September!

For nearly a year now, I have enjoyed contributing articles on various subjects including facials, salads and entrees from our best local restaurants. The latest issue which is “hot off the press”, covers August and September and features a theme of “Fresh from the Sea”. Perfect for the summer season, my article highlights local restaurants, seafood markets and has information about our native, coastal fish.

Also, for some more delightful reading and info, take a look at the North County Sun’s website called www.hotinnorthcounty.com. I’m pleased to say that a painting of mine, which is called “Water’s Edge”, can now be seen on the “Exhibits and Galleries” page. For current and past articles I’ve written, plus many others, check out the various pages of the website.