Mary Beth Volpini

I HeArt Fridays!

2012-01-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

It is that time of the week again...

I would like to take this moment to ask for prayers and healing thoughts for my friend Susan... our fearless leader of Mothers with Cancer...

Paint your Way to Inner Peace

2012-01-22T21:52:00.000-08:00

We can all use some inner peace right? I had not been to a workshop at Art & Creativity for Healing in a while and with my crazy life the past 6 months I have not really painted much. I had the morning open so I went to one of my favorite places to paint.

Here are my paintings for the day. Laurie Zagon’s method is really more about the process than the finished piece:

My Dark Side, My Light Side

11" x 14"

I feel that we are all born “light” but certain experiences and events that happen in our lives form our “dark side”. Some people keep them completely separate, some cannot control which side is there at any moment, some stay more in the dark the light briefly shines through and some try to stay mostly in the light and only let the dark show through when needed… especially when dealing with someone else from the dark side.

Birth Purpose

14" x 18"

Two big questions… What is your birth purpose? And Why? I have asked the question so many times… I think mine has to do with love, creativity and color… I want to use the experiences in my life to help others and for them to know that they are not alone in their struggles.

Trapeze

9" x 12"

This one was such a good topic to paint yesterday. I have painted this before, but this time my feelings on the subject were so different than before. What does it feel like when you let go of one trapeze and grab onto the next? That feeling of the space in-between.

When I painted this before I was always thinking that this part would be very scary and perhaps that is why I was afraid to jump in the first place. But this time I realized that the truly scary part to me was not the part in between, but the initial jump. Once you get the courage to jump… it is too late to go back… you have to keep going and make some split second decisions. Yes, you still have some fear but much of it dripped away when your feet left the platform. In many ways once you are in mid-air you have to get out of your head, have faith and trust in yourself to know when to grab onto the next trapeze.

Let Go and Let God

4' x 6"

The workshops usually end with a uplifting little piece to sum up the day.

I painted all of me, the light, the dark and in-between asking God to guide me where He wants me to go!

I love the work of Art & Creativity for Healing and Laurie Zagon. I am also certified in the Zagon Method. If you are interested in holding a workshop for your organization, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Have a great week…

I HeArt Fridays!

2012-01-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

This week flew by and I find myself back at Friday...

This heart greeted me this morning when I took the dog outside. I love these little reminders of love.

Have a great Friday and a safe weekend.

I HeArt Fridays!

2012-01-13T16:54:00.000-08:00

I almost forgot!

Can anyone guess what it is?

Skillet Beef Puff

2012-01-11T22:07:00.000-08:00

This recipe was taken from a cookbook that I bought years ago when I was trying to eat healthier! The Guilt-Free Comfort Food CookBook by Georgia Kostas with Robert A. Barnett. This is such a great recipe and my kids even like it. The pastry puff reminds us of one of our favorite breakfasts... the "Dutch Baby" that we used to order at the Original Pancake House in Williamsville, NY. Of course this puff is not as sweet but it is still yummy... I hope you enjoy it:

1 pound boneless top sirloin steak, trimmed. Partially freeze steak; slice diagonally across grain into 2 x ¼ inch strips. Set aside. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Combine the following in a small bowl:

2/3 cup milk

3 egg whites

1 whole egg

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

whisk until well blended.

Coat an ovenproof, nonstick, 9-inch skillet with cooking spray; place in oven for 2 minutes or hot.

Pour batter into skillet; bake 10 minutes.

Reduce oven to 350 degrees; bake 10 minutes or until golden.

Meanwhile, toss steak slices with 2 tablespoons flour. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat; add steak slices, and sauté until browned.

Add 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

2 medium red peppers, thinly sliced

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1 cup diced tomatoes

cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are just tender.

Stir in tomatoes.

Transfer puff pastry to a serving platter

Spoon meat mixture into puffed pastry shell.

Serve immediately.

25 minutes prep time

30 minutes cooking time

6 servings

Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

Rose Bowl Flea Market

2012-01-09T01:07:00.000-08:00

I.love.this.flea.market!

We have been quite a few times since we moved to California 8 1/2 years ago. There truly is something for everyone. I love garage sales, estate sales and flea markets. I enjoy seeing what "era" of items are for sale. Years ago seeing what my Grandparents and Aunts had in their homes. Then to items my Parents had and now many of the items I had growing up. You always hear..."I had that" or "my Mom had that". I have taken my Daughter to these sales since she was a baby. Antique World in Clarence, NY was our favorite before we moved here. So many people had told me that I had to go to Pasadena. We were hooked from the first visit.

My daughter and I made a day of it today and what a wonderful day we had!

I used to have skates just like these and I can still remember gliding down the driveway and hoping to navigate the turn onto the sidewalk.

Mr. Peanut... My Aunt Jane had this very set. It always brings back just fun memories.

Banana seat bike anyone?

I love anything paper related. This booth had old checks and stamps from France and so many wonderful collage items...

Suitcases are everywhere now. I loved the one in the very back...but I resisted!

Then I saw this complete set... boy did I really want this set. They were asking $35.00 each or the whole set for $90.00. I would have loved to grab it, it was in great shape. But I resisted!

This shopping cart was beckoning to my daughter. She does not like to bargain with the vendors. I personally think that is the fun part. When I asked the price... I was told $65.00. N really fell in love with this piece. She asked ME to ask if he would take $50.00... to our surprise he said yes! She was stopped 3 or 4 times asking if she bought it that day and if there were any more. That is always such a great feeling to know you made a good purchase.

OMG... I had Francie and Casey... I still have them and I know I have the blue dress that Casie has on also! My case was like this only it said Barbie. We used to always play Tripoley when I was young too.

I bought this little evening case for $5.00.

Wooden rulers and stencils...

and some fun jewelry. I love vintage necklaces. I have quite a few from my Antique World hunting days and now that I am back to work in an office full time I am enjoying wearing them again. When N saw the heart buckle she said that I had to have it. I may try to turn it into a necklace...

I got a kick out of these big cologne bottles. There were a few places that had them. The Rose Bowl is such an eclectic event... from what the vendors are selling to the what the buyers are wearing. We always have fun. When we leave we usually head to downtown Pasadena for lunch. I love Pasadena and I think I would enjoy living there. I love the architecture and the history and there is a Blick Art Store... which is as N said "is my kind of candy store."

It was an enjoyable day and what gives me the most pleasure is making lasting memories with my daughter.

I HeArt Fridays!

2012-01-05T23:15:00.000-08:00

I love hearts. I love to find hearts in nature... thanks to Kelly Rae Roberts. It is fun to really look and see how many you find once you pay attention. Friends have told me how they have now started to see more hearts as they have become more aware! I <3 that!

Fridays are going to be " I heArt Fridays". I will post a heart or 2 that I have found in nature. At first I was going to do one each Friday. But I already have so many that I have never shared that I thought I would get off to a great start and share more than one today... so here goes:

When my friend came to visit last month we were walking into my drive way and she looked up and said " Mare look you have had a heart right here and you never noticed it!"

This one was at the Lego Store!

I posted this on Facebook but not on my blog... it was on my windshield one morning.

I love this one... it was on the back of the toilet when I took my class with Flora Bowley!

I much prefer seeing this heart in the ash urn than cigarette butts!

This one was part of the sidewalk.

Take a closer look and notice the love around you this weekend!

Word for 2012...

2012-01-02T21:06:00.000-08:00

This morning I read my Facebook Feed and Kathryn Antyr noted that her word for 2012 was Embrace. She posed the question to her followers… “What is your word for 2012?” A word… A word… I did not have a word. So as I ran around… literally… ran around my favorite island I tried to think of my word for 2012. The first word that came to me was TRIUMPH. At first I liked it and when I read a definition persist and prevail were included. I also like those two words.

I am reading the book “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne… yes I am a little bit late to the party, but better late than never. One of my goals for 2012 is to be more positive. When I get bogged down in negative thoughts and painful memories, I am working on changing my thinking to positive thoughts. So as I thought about prevail, persist and triumph I did not think that they were the most positive words. I mean they are positive, but I still thought of a fight or overcoming tough time. So I thought and thought and I decided on another word that I feel is truly positive.

THRIVE… I have survived many difficult times in my life, but I am ready to THRIVE in 2012.

Goodbye 2011... Hello 2012

2011-12-31T23:32:00.000-08:00

How do I sum up this past year? I can use almost every adjective that I can think of to explain this year. It was bad and good, it had its ups and downs… and more downs. It started with bad news at 9:30 am on January 1^st, with a text telling me that there were some things going on in my life that I did not know the truth about. I can remember thinking and now I have 364 more days to go in this year? I had to make some very hard decisions in 2011. I had to find the courage ask the man that I have loved for 34 years for a divorce. I have had to come to grips with the fact that the life I thought I had was no longer. That being married and growing old together was not going to happen for us. I have learned and I am still learning about the legal side of divorce and custody, about “time-sharing” the kids. I had to move out of our home that I thought we would live in for many years… in 14 days. We had to find and move into a temporary place for a month and then move again. I feel like we have been packing and unpacking and moving stuff and moving it again for 5 months. All that happened while going back to work full-time in a new field of work. I have had to put my “art business” on hold temporarily. I have had to make a new life for our new family of 3. To try to keep some old traditions to provide security, yet start some new also. The first year of “firsts” is so hard.

BUT…..

There were many good things that happened this year also. My niece got married to the love of her life. My daughter graduated from high school and turned 18. I reached my 5 year anniversary of survivorship and lived to celebrate my 50^th birthday. I found a job, in this economy. The company has now hired me as a full-time employee. We found a nice apartment in a safe neighborhood, close to a good school for my son. My daughter has a job and is going to school and she has been an amazing help to me and her little brother. We are all healthy. Let me say that one again… We are all healthy.

I am happy to say good bye to 2011. I am hoping for good health, peace and happiness for 2012. Many years ago, my brother-in-law gave me some advice. When you are on an airplane and the cabin pressure drops, you are instructed to put your mask on and then help your kids. I feel like that is what I have been doing the past 6 months. We have our masks on and hopefully can now breathe and stabilize in the New Year.

Lastly, I wish I could say that this year ended on a better note than it started but unfortunately I cannot. I received a call at about 5:30am this morning from my ex-husband letting me know that his youngest brother had passed away during the night. I have known Mike for over 40+ years. He was my Daughter’s Godfather. He made many people laugh. He loved the Buffalo Bills and the Buffalo Sabres. He loved California, (even though he did not live here), the sun, the beach and the Beach Boys. He referred to himself as “LA Mike”. He loved music especially Oasis and their song “Wonderwall”. He knew so much music trivia. He was infamous for bringing over a pizza late at night (especially when the kids were younger and we were trying to get them to bed) and I am sure that the Burger King and McDonald’s drive thru staff knew him by name. Rest in Peace LA Mike…

Another Good-bye

2011-12-08T22:54:00.000-08:00

It is with such sadness that I add another name to the MB remembers column tonight. Judy Ohles Kooistra who blogged at justenjoyhim...a fellow contributor to MotherswithCancer. Rest in Peace Judy.

Flora Bowley Bloom True - Final Phase

2011-11-27T23:58:00.000-08:00

After our lunch break we got back to work. If we were stuck, Flora would urge us to "make a bold move".

Here are my final stages of each painting:

and the progression of the piece that was gifted to me...

My finished pieces and the amazing Flora Bowley. If you ever have the chance to take one of her workshops do not even think twice. It was such a rewarding experience!

Hope you had a sweet Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T20:54:00.000-08:00

A vendor brought Thanksgiving in a box from The Great Dane Baking Co. In Huntington Beach, CA. as a treat at work.

Sweet creativity in a box! My favorite was the mashed potatoes and gravy.. it was yummy! I hope you all had a safe, sweet Thanksgiving. It has been a rough few months for us over here but I have to say I loved hearing my kids laugh today. I am so thankful for so much in my life right now and for all of the people who have reached out to help us.

THANK YOU!

Flora Bowley Bloom True - Second Phase

2011-11-21T00:32:00.000-08:00

Flora did not want us to get too attached to our paintings just yet. She stopped us all from painting and told us to choose one painting to "gift" to our neighbor to our right. I did not have a hard time choosing. I liked the painting that I gifted, yet I felt is was too chaotic... perhaps a reflection of my life?

I kept my first painting and here are a few more steps:

This was the painting I decided to "gift"...

This was the painting that I received:

It was so interesting to receive a painting from someone else. I usually do not use a lot of blue so this was a complete departure to what I am use to and comfortable with for that matter.

It was at this time that we broke for lunch! But just before lunch if we were stuck Flora would say "make a bold move". My bold move was adding in all of the white for some contrast!

Flora Bowley Bloom True

2011-11-14T00:40:00.000-08:00

Flora Bowley. Amazing artist, woman and so wise for her age. A few weekends ago I had the pleasure of taking a 2 day workshop with Flora and many other amazing artists. Jenny Doh hosted the retreat at Studio Crescendoh. This painting retreat was my 50th birthday present to myself. A few months earlier on my actual birthday, my husband of 28 years had chosen that particular day to move out. The kids and I went to Disneyland to celebrate and I will always remember that day. A few weeks later, I received and email blast that Flora was coming to the OC. I literally went online at 8am and secured my spot. Then I had to wait 3 months... and what a crazy 3 months it was. A separation, finding a job, my son starting a new school, finding a temporary apartment for a month that accepted pets, packing up, having a garage sale ,finding a mover who would move, store and re-deliver our stuff (who was an absolute nightmare) finding a yearly rental that accepts pets, hostage negotiations with our mover once he had our goods in his possession, moving into the yearly rental, court dates, 5 different types of attorneys... But I believe everything happens for a reason and the retreat came at a perfect time.

We created 2 - 30" x 30" paintings overs the 2 days. Layers and layers upon layers of paint, texture and color.

Here are the first 3 steps of painting one:

(after the first layer, we took a turn at each and every painting and then returned to our own)

Painting two:

I will share more in a few days...

Good Morning!

2011-11-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

This little heart greeted me this morning when I got into my car. I like to think that God is giving me little signs of love and encouragement to keep on going.

A Picture Says Thousand Words....

2011-10-10T00:45:00.000-07:00

Or a few pictures... It has been over a month since my last post... it is hard to describe what has been happening in our lives over the past few months, but I think these pictures sum it up better than any words....

The life as we knew it or thought we knew it is gone... but a new life is waiting... thank you for checking in on this blog of mine and stay tuned for our next chapter...

Speeding Cars..

2011-09-06T23:28:00.000-07:00

This is my beautiful and talented daughter singing Speeding Cars by Imogen Heap. The higher this girl sings the sweeter her voice gets. I am partial but I'm just sayin...

I love how she coordinated her heart with my heart piece in the background...

"Can"struction Orange County

2011-09-06T00:27:00.000-07:00

I went to South Coast Plaza the other night in search of pants that fit...After 3 hours I finally found a pair.. and they fit... but the zipper was broken. Of course the system said there was one more pair, but it was no where to be found. I had not been to South Coast in awhile and did not realize that it does not stay open very late on Saturday. As I started to walk through the mall I noticed Canstruction. This was the 4th annual design/build competition to benefit the Orange County Food Bank. I just love creativity and brilliant ideas... There may have been more than this, but it was getting late so this is all I have for you:

nibbling away at hunger...

Flounder and Sebastian...


I love his grin...


Hello Kitty...

My favorite one...by FIDM... Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising...


Clams on the bottom and sardines on the top.

"To lend a hand in the purseuit of toteally bagging hunger, the inside of our handbag has been filled with cans of diced tomatoes, mxed vegetables, beans, potatoes, corn, carrots and peas; the outside is sardines and crab meat totaling 9500 cans."

I. love. it...

Little Reds

2011-08-31T23:00:00.000-07:00

Meet "Little Reds".....

I was inspired by The Flower Fields in Carlsbad when I created "Paint them Red".

A client who found me through that post bought "Paint Them Red" and this piece has now found a new home in Northern California . So I created Little Reds, which is about 1/4 of the size of Paint Them Red. It is now mounted and framed and is for sale at Ornate Home on Balboa Island.

Monday, On a Budget...

2011-08-29T01:04:00.000-07:00

All of a sudden I find myself trying to find clothes to wear to an office job. I am on a budget… as most people are, especially in this economy. I have a lot of sweaters and tops but not much in the way of slacks and skirts that are office appropriate. I have also lost weight and I am about 90 pounds. Time for some creativity. I went to the kids department at Macy’s. They had one style of pants that would pass for business and of course they had exactly one pair and of course it was not my size. So up to the junior department I went. Luckily this time of year there are great sales. I found one dress and one pair of cropped pants that fit and were on sale.

So here is my build-up of Monday’s outfit:

I found this dress… not really sure why it was in the junior department as I can not see any junior really wearing it.. But perhaps that is why it was waiting for me on the sale rack. Originally $54.00... on sale for $32.40. Today’s price was $27.00. Macy’s is notorious for sales… but there usually are so many disclaimers… you have to use your Macy’s charge and you have to buy it on this day at this time, etc… So I have made it a practice to just ask “ are there any coupons that would work for this item?’” Usually the clerk will try one of the zillion coupons at their register… Bingo it took another few dollars off and the final cost: $22.95! I love black and white together! The splash of bright green… one of my favorite colors was just a bonus.

Next I added this sweater… I had this in my closet already.. See the favorite color comment above.

My favorite platform shoes from last year…

My Harvey’s seatbelt bag in black and white from who knows how long ago… and voila:

The nice thing about living in a warmer climate is that I will be able to wear this dress into the Fall. I can add a pair of black pumps and perhaps a black sweater and make it work longer!

All part of my Not-So Simple Abundance plan. I did email Sarah Ban Breathnach to see if she had any problems with me using the Not-So before her trademarked Simple Abundance title… no answer yet!

Have a great week…

My Star....

2011-08-26T01:07:00.000-07:00

I have been super busy this week with a lot of changes going on over here, some I can talk about and some I can't yet. You may have to wait to read my book... I should say our book. It is going to be a Mother/Daughter book, we had this idea that one side is my story and then you flip the book over and read her story. While we are writing that masterpiece you can listen to this:

She can even go higher... and the higher she goes the sweeter her voice gets!!

Always an Artist

2011-08-22T21:09:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I had a job interview and we met at a local coffee shop. When my new boss picked up her drink I noticed this heart in the froth. So me being the artist, I quickly got out my phone and asked if i could take a picture?

Not sure if it was the most appropriate interview practice, but it is the real me!

Songbird...

2011-08-21T19:49:00.000-07:00

This is my daughter's first You Tube Video. She has an amazing voice and a sweet personality to go with it!

Ever since she was little, no matter where we were... a store, the post office, just doing our errands, people would stop in their tracks and comment on her voice. After many years of waiting for someone who promised to "get her into the recording studio" she is taking the matter into her own hands. Please tell your friends... if Justin can do it so can Nina Maria!

His path...

2011-08-18T20:35:00.000-07:00

I sketched this piece a long time ago and I gave everyone a first glimpse in this post.

This is my progression over the past few months:

I forgot to take some pictures of the last few steps but I finished the piece and I picked it up from the photographer today:

It really does not need much explanation...
I ask for His guidance every morning and every night...

The original is available as well as Fine Art Prints and Giclees on Canvas...Please email me if you are interested!

Disappointment and Loss

2011-08-16T19:00:00.000-07:00

For many years, I was very involved with the organization Art and Creativity for Healing. I heard about AcH shortly after we moved from the East. I love this organization and the work that they do. I have taken almost every workshop that Laurie has created. I volunteered for the organization, was the first secretary for the HeArts Women’s Guild during the Guild’s inaugural years. I have facilitated workshops at non-profits agencies throughout Orange County. I hold a Certificate from Brandman/Chapman University in the Art for Healing Method. But over the last two years I pulled back on my volunteering and facilitating to focus on building Drawn to Color.

A few weeks ago I received an email introducing new workshops that Laurie had created. I had a certificate for a free workshop that I won at the last Girls Night Out fundraising event that I had attended. When I read the title “Disappointment & Loss”, I knew there was a reason this email arrived. I called Laurie and last week I attended the workshop.

There were 10 of us participating. Some faces I knew from before and some I met that night. We started the workshop and began to express our disappointment and loss through the expression of abstract colors on canvas.

Laurie’s work is process oriented, but as I have mentioned before sometimes the work that is produced is very powerful.

There is so much that I love about this amazing work. It does not matter how many workshops I have taken, sometimes I think that I know what I will process on a particular night. Once you get into the process and Laurie’s methods for facilitating, I am always amazed at what emotions come out and can be expressed through color and movement… an of course paint… nice thick paint!

Lost in Space

Signature Piece - Loss and Disappointment

Restored to Wholeness

Chicken Almond Salad Veronique

2011-08-13T17:58:00.000-07:00

This recipe was given to me by my friend Eileen. I love Chicken Salad, but this is absolutely my favorite recipe. My kids love it too.

Whenever I make this recipe I think of my friend Eileen, who I have not seen in many years. I always laugh when I think of this story… she was Irish and she only made two recipes with garlic, this being one. She was telling me that the grocer never charges her for the garlic because it does not even register on the scale. I was dumbfounded… Check out my last name… garlic is a mainstay in my house. Eileen, I said “how can it not register on the scale. It is a head of garlic… it has some weight.” She replied… “Oh I don’t buy the whole head… I just buy one clove.” I burst out laughing… I had never heard or even thought of buying ONE single clove of garlic. Years later this recipe still brings fond memories of me picturing her at the register with one clove of garlic!

Cook the Chicken Breasts. I try to plan ahead and if I am grilling the night before I cook the chicken at the same time, place it in the refrigerator overnight and cut it into bite size pieces the next day.

In a large bowl, stir together the Herb Mayonnaise:
½ cup Mayo, 1 teaspoon dried dill, 1 small garlic clove, minced and ¼ cup sour cream

Add 2 Tablespoons fresh Parsley

Add the chicken

½ Cup Sliced Almonds and 1 Cup Seedless Green Grapes

Mix well. I usually like to let it sit in the refrigerator a few hours to let the flavors blend.
Over the years I have also doubled the ingredients for the Herb Mayonnaise as we like it a bit juicier!

I serve the Chicken salad with pita bread!

It is truly a great summer meal at home or on a picnic!

Enjoy and think of my friend Eileen when you buy your one or two cloves of garlic!

Save Yourself

2011-08-10T23:15:00.000-07:00

I created this piece a few years ago and it is a mantra that I keep repeating to myself. Lately I have received some kind words and prayers from people that I recently met or barely know. It really gives restores my faith in humanity. When I went through cancer there were people that I thought would reach out to help and I was surprised that they did not ... or at least not like how I imagined. But for each person that disappointed there was another who surprised me and stepped up to the plate without asking. I know I must save myself, but knowing there are people praying for me and my kids and sending kind words certainly helps give us strength.

Thank you...

The Colors of Fun

2011-08-04T23:46:00.000-07:00

This Sunday I will be asking artists young and old to paint the question: “what does fun look like?” I will be helping everyone get out of their left brains and into their right for a day of fun and creativity at Chuck Jones Big Draw.

The event runs from 11-5 at the South Coast Collection 3303 Hyland Avenue in Costa Mesa.

Everyone will learn how to draw Bugs Bunny at 2:00 while setting a Guinness World Record for the most people taking an art class in one venue!

I will also facilitate afternoon workshops in torn paper collage… “Torn Paper Love”

Bring the family for a day of fun and creativity… I hope to see you there!

Check out Chuck Jones Blog Chuck Redux for more information and EventComplete to register…

Struggles of Life

2011-07-31T00:15:00.000-07:00

This is another piece from my Color and Movement Collection. The Struggles of Life. It was created on 4 separate canvas boards. You can see that I started with black in the center and then completed each board to represent my struggles of life. I completed this piece in 2007...

CafePress

2011-07-22T16:42:00.000-07:00

I have used Cafepress for awhile to sell products with my images on them... here is Flower Garden and Melting Colors Garden:

My most popular item has been the O'Keefe quote on magnets:

Stop by and take a peek... I do not have all of my images on Cafepress yet, but if you see an image on my website and you would like me to add it please drop me and email and I will upload the image to my Cafepress Store!!

Color and Movement Collection

2011-07-21T22:20:00.000-07:00

Sunday I re-shot photos of some of my “Healing Art” to add to my Flickr page. I realized how much work that created in a 2 year period of time. Did you ever do that? Keep marching down the path and then take a moment to look back and realize what you accomplished? I still have so many more that I have not even photographed yet. I have to start to clean everything out and downsize… really downsize… like a quarter of what I have now downsize, but I thought I would share some of my old paintings with you!

This one is Birth Purpose:

Color and Movement Journal

2011-07-17T21:57:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of information out in the world and the art community about journaling and its benefits. I have a journal…in fact I have quite a few. I usually have one going while I am reading a book. I jot down any phrases or ideas that I like and that may be inspiration for paintings further down the road. I usually have another journal which I will call my idea journal. When I get an idea or see a painting in my head I sketch it in this journal. Then I have my color and movement process paintings. This journal or really collection of paintings is more about the process than the end result.

Don’t get me wrong I LOVE to look at people’s journals. Colorful and bright with tons of words and phrases. Every time I try to journal this way I get stuck. I try to make it pretty or I get stuck in my head and think about things too much. What is healing for me is to get out of the left brain and into my right brain.

When I was a little girl I danced from the age of 3. I can remember dancing everywhere. It was easier for me to dance down the stairs then it was to walk down them! I seemed to trip if I walked but when I danced I moved freely. I think it was the movement that provided the freedom I needed to cope. After college, I still danced and even taught ballet. Eventually it became too much to work and dance and teach so as time went on I stopped dancing.

When I moved out to California and I discovered Laurie Zagon and Art and Creativity for Healing. Her methods combined art, color and movement. Three very healing things for me. It truly is about the process. The process of expressing your emotions with color and paint and to do that you must move the paint across the canvas or paper. It usually takes me a little bit to “get out of my head” but when I do it is so healing. I am able to take the emotions inside of me and put them into color. No words…just color.

When I am in a stressful situation, I imagine myself painting in long slow brushstrokes, then I can relax. When I was first diagnosed and the bad thoughts and the tears were racing through my head during my MRI. The technician told me that I must lay still and relax so that she could get a good picture of exactly what I was facing. How do you lay still as you are heaving from crying? First I said the Rosary and then I painted in my mind. I imagined myself with a huge canvas before me. Beautiful colors of paint to choose from and a huge brush. I dipped my brush into the luscious paint and imagined long, smooth brushstrokes. It worked and the MRI was soon finished.

Today, I had some time to paint. I finished a piece that I had been working on for awhile and then I decided to process journal. I worked a little backwards today… but no rules right? With all of the stuff going on in my life I decided to paint a gratitude piece first. There has been so much negative that I truly wanted to focus on the good things in my life. What I am grateful for.

This piece was small and I felt the need to paint larger. I used the left over colors and just started laying color down with different strokes.

I can actually say that I do not remember what I was thinking about when I painted this. It is not a finished “painting” to be sold, but more of a loose journal page. I will eventually tear it up and it will become part of a torn paper collage. I love to make my own papers and then use them in my collages. Reduce, reuse and re-create!

So much of the time we feel that our work has to “look” like something. This method is the about the movement, color and the process. Try it for yourself and with your kids. It will be interesting to see the results. Go ahead, give yourself permission to play and process!

In the Positive

2011-07-12T13:15:00.000-07:00

It has been a really hard morning. When I got a moment to check my email I received a much needed email from Etsy. The email was informing me that this piece, Love, Hope, Joy was selected for a treasury called "In the Positive" by MissKnits. Her newest treasury is all about positive thinking. Thank you MissKnits. I so needed this reminder today. I will think positive and I will hope.

Thank you FaceBook

2011-07-10T21:21:00.000-07:00

I joined facebook awhile ago and I have to say that for the most part I have had a good experience with it. I found many friends from high school and some have found me. There have been a few that after being “friends” with them for awhile I realized that we really did not have that much in common in high school and still don‘t.

I do love being able to stay in contact with my nieces and other family and friends. One of my high school art buddies found me awhile ago. As it turns out she is living in the Inland Empire. Thirty two years later and 2600 miles from our hometown and we live about an hour from each other! I received an email yesterday that she was going to be at the beach and did I want to meet her there?

I got an early morning call that someone wanted to see the house, so those of you selling a house know that that trumps almost all plans! I should have called her before she left for the beach at 10am but I did not. By the time I could get to the beach it was around 2:00. I left a message on her cell and a text… technology is great. No answer.

I walked down to the beach and realized that this was going to be like finding a needle in a haystack. A person that I have not seen in 32 years at the beach on a Sunday in July! I called her cell phone number again. Then I decided to try the other number I had for her. Yeah her daughter answered. She confirmed that Sue was at the beach and told me she was wearing a black bathing suit and she liked to look for beach glass. Okay, so now I am looking for a black bathing suited needle in a haystack! I walked up and down the beach. Plopped myself down and enjoyed the beach for awhile. Bravely asking one woman in a black bathing suit if her name was Sue? No but she and her friend enjoyed the story anyway! I had started a conversation with a woman who was enjoying the beach next to me and she offered to watch my things while I took another stroll down the beach.

I checked my phone and Sue had left a text and was in the process of leaving a voice mail when I quickly called her. They were just leaving the beach but we agreed to meet at the Shake Shack for a quick visit. We only had a short time but together but it was so nice to see her again. I met her son and her friend and her kids. We are going to get together again when we can really catch up.

When I went back down to the beach to pick up my chair, I thanked the woman for watching my stuff and we continued to chat about what we did. She started to tell me and I heard the words creativity and sketch and as you can imagine we had a great deal in common. We exchanged information and both commented that there was a reason we met today.

I love that… when people come into your lives or back into your lives at just the right time.

A Little Fight with Myself...

2011-07-09T00:03:00.000-07:00

I am a cancer survivor. If you were to look at me I do not think you would be able to tell that I have had cancer. I do not wear any pink ribbons, or survivor pins. I am not sure why not…I think it has to do with cancer defining, consuming my life for the time it did and I guess that continual spot in my mind. But sometimes I wish I did wear a ribbon or something to let people know that I too am a survivor. A little sign of hope.

What do you do when you see a person that is obviously fighting cancer? Do you go up to them and give encouraging words? Do you stare in disbelief or with pity? Do you look away? I find myself having a little fight in my head with Should I go up to them and tell them I too am a cancer survivor or do I just not say anything, look away and say a small prayer?

I found myself having this fight in my head on the plane back from my niece’s wedding. Sitting a row ahead of us and on the other side of the aisle were two women. One was all in pink with a hat and the other woman was healthy. It took me back to my treatment days. I sat there thinking of what to do. It is kind of awkward. You don’t want to assume, yet I never know what to say… Are you in treatment? Are you a cancer survivor? So after quite a mental struggle .. I went to the restroom and on the way back I found my courage. I leaned over and told her that I was a five year cancer survivor and I wished her all the best. She looked up with a smile on her face and told me that she was diagnosed stage 4 breast cancer in 2009 and was now in her brain. They were on their way to Las Vegas to visit a friend. Gail told me that she thought about not traveling, but really wanted to go. I assumed that it was her daughter sitting next to her. Ann handed me a pen and told me of an organization that she started to raise money for Gail. The organization is called Right Side of the Dirt… explaining that the goal is to keep her on the right side of the dirt. Very Creative. The three of us had a nice little chat and I told her I would be thinking and praying for her.

I sat down and felt so good that I made the decision to say something. When they were exiting the plane, I noticed they were pulling a dark green suitcase with the words Elderwood Senior Care embroidered on the bag. That was the company that I used to work for when we lived in Williamsville, New York. I worked for the company for 9 years and each holiday the employees would received a gift with the company name on it. I have a blanket, cooler, duffle bag, umbrella, folding chair and I am sure a few other items. I must have left before the suitcase!

When I got home I emailed Ann to ask her if it would be ok that I write about our meeting and link to her site. I received a response from Ruth, Ann’s sister. As it turns out Gail was their younger sister, not their Mother. Cancer can ravage a person and really takes a toll. Gail had worked for Elderwood since 2001 in their corporate office. I worked for Elderwood until 2003 in a satellite location. I am sure that we must have met each other in that two years.

It really is a small world isn’t it?

A Wedding Gift...

2011-07-02T21:31:00.000-07:00

My niece got married in May. It was a beautiful wedding. When we went back East for Christmas I asked her to give me her favorite quote about love. When she sent me the quote… I about fell over… could she have chosen a longer one? But in fairness to her, she did not know why I was asking for a quote anyway.

A cousin had cross-stitched our wedding invitation into a sampler and it was such a perfect gift. I wanted to create a remembrance for Gina and Jason too!I thought I had taken more photos of my progress but I guess I just took mental ones because they did not show up on my camera!

I saved their invitation, reception card, shower invite. I used a map of New York State and papers that related to family, congratulations and love. My daughter and I found this postcard of New York State at the Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena and found the May calendar at an antique shop in Old Towne Orange. The calendar was from 1966, but the 14th fell on a Saturday that year also. My daughter also found this door card with the adorable newlyweds! Gina wanted roses for her flowers and the silver circle was the sticker on the back of their invitations. The two hearts interwoven together was their “theme”!

Gina and Jason love blue… their bridesmaids wore blue. The bride wore blue shoes too! I wanted the background to be their favorite color.

The quote was a long one. I sectioned off the piece so I could fit in all the words.

This is the finished piece... Gina also loves anything that sparkles... I received a sample of Tri-Art Spectral Colour acrylic polymer emulsion in Silver during the Craft and Hobby Winter Show... I added some additional "sparkle" with this new product!

The next day we all met at her parent’s house and they opened their presents. I love to watch people when they look at a piece for the first time. They see the first layer and then as they look closer they discover the layers underneath and usually get excited… almost like when looking at the “I spy” books.

I believe in love, I believe in marriage and my wish for them is that they will always be as happy as on the day of their wedding.

Congratulations Gina and Jason<3

If you have a favorite quote or are looking for a custom piece to commemorate a special event please do not hesitate to email me at mb (at) drawntocolor (dot) com

Pep Talk

2011-06-30T15:41:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel defeated? Down on your self? How will I survive? Not sure everything will work out? Think …is it me? All those thoughts and worries running through your head?

I finally found the courage to file for divorce, after 28 years of marriage, and 6 years of dating before that. Yes, 34 years of my life. Lately, I have had many of those self-defeating thoughts and worries about the future for me and my children.

I was talking to someone, much younger than myself, one day about all of these thoughts. I told the person that when I get like this I just need to think about the “pep” talk that I would give to other people looking to me for advice.

This much younger and obviously wiser than their years person said “well why don’t you write down just what you would say to other people that look to you for advice… then when you have these thoughts and feel down, pull out the paper and read it to yourself.”

OMG brilliant… this person is definitely a keeper in my life!

My First Booth!

2011-06-26T22:01:00.000-07:00

Saturday I participated in my first art fair. Luckily, I have a friend who use to show her work but has not done so in about 5 years. She loaned me her EZ-up, card rack and 2 - A frame panels to display work. The panels were covered in burlap that was faded. So for about $17.00 and the hard labor of my daughter... the panels we rejuvenated!

My daughter graciously helped me throughout the day. I really think it was God's way of making me actually sit still and not really do much for 8 hours.

Here are a few shots of the booth. I sewed the edges of my Re-Discover Canvas that I painted in Alisa Burke's class as my backdrop...I sold a few prints and cards and made a small profit. This was a learning experience for me. The show took place close to my house so I thought it would be a good trial run. I met a few nice people too. I loved when children came into my booth. For some reason kids seem to like to look at my work... that makes me happy. My favorite comments are; "your work is cheerful" and "it makes me happy".

Art in the Park

2011-06-24T19:03:00.000-07:00

"Paint Them Red"

There has been a lot going on over here since my 50th celebration! One of the events taking up so much of my time has been getting ready for Art in the Park in Newport Beach. This is my first art fair. A friend of mine graciously let me borrow her Pop Up and Art Displays while she is off in Italy with her niece for TWO weeks!!

If you are in Southern California, stop by Mariners Park in Newport Beach Saturday, June 25th from 9 until 5. Mariners at Dover Drive. There will be over 100 artists!

The above piece is a one of a kind original inspired by my trip to the Flower Fields in Carlsbad... no reproductions will be made so come and get it at the show!!

5 and 50

2011-06-15T00:20:00.000-07:00

April 28th I celebrated 5 years since my diagnosis and survivorship. Today I celebrate 50 years of life. I am really hoping that I signed up for an extended warranty!

A couple of years ago I had big ideas for today. I was dreaming about going to Italy to celebrate my daughter’s 18th and my 50th. We will not be going to Italy any time soon, but then I thought about where I was 5 years ago. How I was not even sure I would make it to 46. Fifty looked so distant. The American Cancer Society’s campaign for More Birthdays is such a great campaign. I just joined the movement! So many people dread 50. Cancer changed that for me. I am so grateful to be here today. I am grateful that I was here to see my daughter graduate from high school and turn 18. My hope is that I will be here to do the same for my son.

I am reading the book Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach…although I am currently experiencing a Not-So Simple Abundance Plan. Today will be simple. My favorite pastry in the morning. A walk around my favorite island. Then to one of my favorite places with two of my favorite people for the rest of the day. That is it. That is all I need. Of course another birthday or 30 would be great too!

A New Header!

2011-06-07T10:28:00.000-07:00

After my website was up and running, next on the list was an update to this little old blog! I decided to change and update a little at a time instead of waiting until I knew exactly what I wanted. Somewhat of a change for me being a planner and all, but change is good. I had met Laura through the Kelly Rae Roberts e-course. Then we became FaceBook friends and then I started following her blog. She had just done some work for Kelly Thiel and I really liked the clean look. So Laura and I started talking and she has been helping me achieve the changes that have been rolling around in my head for this blog. We have more changes coming but for now let me know what you think of the new header!

If you would like to purchase Kelly Rae's e-books... click on the link to the left and I will receive a small commission. If you need blog/marketing assistance click on the widget also to the left to reach Laura!

Fear...Less...

2011-06-06T20:12:00.000-07:00

Sometime in 2010, Somerset Studios published a call for submissions for the theme “Fearless“. The questions that the request asked were: What does it mean to be fearless? What does fearless look like? What would you create if you were truly fearless?
Whenever I hear this word I automatically put the emphasis on the word fear instead of the word less. I understand the word fear. I have lived with fear all my life… probably on a daily basis. I am sure if most of us think about it, we all have.

I have been told that fear and love are opposite emotions. That it is hard to feel love when we feel fear and hard to love when we fear.
I had just finished the book by Gerald G. Jampolsky, MD “Love is Letting Go of Fear” when I started to work on this submission.

Somerset Studios has selected this piece for publication in the most current issue, May/June 2011. It appears on page 120. Thank you to Christen Olivarez and the Somerset Team. I am so grateful.

This is my artist statement for this piece:

Fearless… without fear… I chose to put the accent on the second word… fear LESS… I recently read the book “Love is Letting Go of Fear” by Gerald G. Jampolsky, MD. Gerald teaches us to let go of the past and stay focused on the present. “Revealing our true selves, the essence of which is love, is a matter of releasing those limited and limiting thoughts.” The message in this book is to live a life in which fear, doubt and negativity are replaced with optimism, joy and love. When I read the call for submissions, the title of this book and its message was still in my head. I chose to replace fear and less with love and more…

It has been over 6 months since I created this piece. Even though it is sometimes hard to do I still believe in its message…

Below is my progression:

It Was Worth It!

2011-06-04T16:55:00.000-07:00

Are you the person that is always asking your kids to pose for a picture to celebrate an event or just because today is Saturday? I have always loved taking photos. Sure, I get the rolling of the eyes, the “come on Mom” but I keep asking and snapping anyway. This past week was one of those times that made it all worth it. For the past 13 years I have taken a first day of school photo of my daughter. Well except for this past year… I missed the first day, but it was a “close to the first day of school” photo.

Thursday she graduated from high school! Yeah. I found all of the photos…with exception of one year… She was entering 8th grade. I looked all over for that photo. Then I remembered, that year, the first day of school was about two weeks after my 8th chemo treatment. So that could mean either she did not want her photo taken that year, I forgot.. Chemo brain anyone… or I did take one and it will show up when she graduates from college! Luckily I had taken another photo close to that time which has become the “stand in”.

This is the culmination of 13 years of the “First Day” and of course her final day and what all of those other firsts led up to!

As a Junior she transferred to the Early College High School in our district. This is an amazing program. Students take both high school and college courses. She graduated with her high school diploma and almost 30 college credits. She wants to study Psychology to become a Marriage and Family Therapist and maybe an Art Therapist. She also wants to own her own Candy Store someday. She can counsel her patients and after their sessions they can purchase candy… sounds like a good plan!

We are so proud!