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sandy sandy
August 30th 2007 ~ Determination / Polar Bear
Dear Friends ~
It has been said that success comes to
those who just do not give up.
I believe that to be true and often find myself redoing a painting
again
and again. I am obsessed and cannot move on to the next project
until
I achieve to the best of my ability, what it is I am striving
for. When I
have a good idea, and I know I can do better, I often give it
another go.
This is the forth painting of my bear / cub (mother love) concept.
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Determination
Quotations:
"Nothing in the world can take
the place of persistence. Talent will not;
nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius
will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will
not;
the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination
alone are omnipotent." ~ Calvin Coolidge
"Get a good idea and stay with
it. Dog it, and work at it until it's done
right." ~ Walt Disney
"Nothing worthwhile ever happens
quickly and easily. You achieve
only as much as you are determined to achieve." ~ Robert
H. Lauer
Polar Bear ~ "A Safe Oasis"
~ 15" x 11" original watercolor, $349.00
Der Friends
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sandy sandy
August 27th 2007 ~ Opportunity / Herons
Dear Friends ~
Today I'm contemplating opportunity, as
the heron is the symbol of
intense concentration and decisive action. From my book; "These
waders
wait motionless or use a slow stalking stride while hunting.
When heron
spies its prey, it spears the victim with its sharp beak with
lightning speed.
If we observe and pay attention, this marsh bird teaches us to
be more
adaptable. Success will be close at hand when focused awareness
in life are coupled with quick action as opportunity arises.
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Opportunity
Quotations:
"Too often, the opportunity knocks,
but by the time you push back the chain,
push back the bolt, unhook the two locks and shut off the burglar
alarm,
it's too late." ~ Rita Coolidge
"Look for and make your opportunities
happen; they are not going to come
rushing up to your doorstep. But sometimes they'll be looking
you
right in the face." ~ Harley Brown
"Mediocre men wait for opportunity
to come to them. Strong, able,
alert men go after opportunity." ~ B. C. Forbes
"If you want to succeed, you must make your own opportunities
as you go." ~ John B. Gough
Herons
"Golden Opportunities" ~ 11" x 15" original
watercolor *Sold
Der Friends
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sandy sandy
August 23rd 2007 ~ Methodology / American Alligator
Dear Friends ~
In painting, aside from spreading paint
on paper, you have to be able
to draw and you must be able to design. There are only a handful
of
principles that lead to good design. They are; balance, harmony,
gradation, repetition, contrast, dominance and unity. Without
the
knowledge and understanding of these basics, even the most
flawlessly executed methods will yield unsatisfactory results.
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Methodology
Quotations:
"When I paint I try to have one
foot in my unconscious mind and the
other foot on the ground. If I fall over, I start again."
~ Anthony Wait
"A necessary process for the
artist is one which begins with a point
of view, a reaction to the environment, or to whatever it is
one is
concerned with." ~ Jacques Lipchitz
"A distinction is made between
artists who work directly from nature
and those who work purely from imagination. Neither of these
methods
should be preferred to the exclusion of the other. Often both
are used
in turn by the same man." ~ Henri Matisse
"As to methods, there may be
a million and then some, but principles
are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select
his
own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles,
is
sure to have trouble." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
American Alligator
"The Garden Visitor" ~ 15" x 11" original
watercolor, $349.00
Der Friends
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sandy sandy
August 20th 2007 ~ Instincts / Mother Love
Dear Friends ~
Sometimes logic has to take a back seat
to our instincts. As I grow older,
I see more clearly how I should have trusted my own intuition
more often.
If we can regroup and listen to that force of nature that governs
all animals,
our path may have less obstacles and pitfalls along the way.
We may even
discover that new opportunities for awareness and growth await
us.
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Instinct
Quotations:
"Learn to nurture and trust your
instincts as well as your conscious reasoning.
Often, one's instincts will offer the better judgment. "
~ Ken Danby
"There is not, in my opinion,
anything more mysterious in nature than this
instinct in animals, which thus rise above reason, and yet fall
infinitely short of it."
~ Joseph Addison
"Spend time every day listening
to what your muse is trying to tell you." ~ Saint Bartholomew
"We are so clothed in rationalization
and dissemblance that we can recognize but
dimly the deep primal impulses that motivate us." ~ James
Ramsey Ullman
Baby Alligator
"Natural Instincts" ~ 15" x 11" original
watercolor, $349.00
Der Friends
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sandy sandy
August 16th 2007 ~ Perseverance / Sandhill Cranes
Dear Friends ~
The development of most any skill requires
patience and perseverance.
Achieving your goals or anything worthwhile often requires optimism
and dedicated focus, especially when things aren't going the
way you
want them to. As Mark Twain said; "It's not the size of
the dog in the
fight ; it's the size of the fight in the dog."
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More Perseverance Quotations:
"Great works are performed not
by strength but by perseverance." ~ Samuel Johnson
"All the performances of human
art, at which we look with praise and wonder, are
instances of the restless force of perseverance." ~ Ben
Jonson
"Big shots are only little shots
who keep shooting. " ~ Christopher Morley
"Painting's always a challenge.
Sometimes my brush sings its wonderful song,
sometimes I wade through quicksand, but always I persevere in
gratitude." ~ Julie Nilsson
Cranes ~ "Natural Harmony"
~ 15" x 11" original watercolor, $349.00
Dear Friends
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sandy sandy
August 13th 2007 ~ Adventure / Sandhill Cranes
Dear Friends ~
Creating art with the Florida market in
mind is a switch from my usual western
and northern animal themes. Suddenly I'm off on another adventure;
dreaming in
tropical colors about southern swamps, palms, moss, gators and
water birds.
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Adventure
Quotations:
"Adventure isn't hanging on a
rope off the side of a mountain. Adventure is an
attitude that we must apply to the day to day obstacles of life."
~ John Amatt
"Do not stop thinking of life
as an adventure. You have no security unless you
can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively; unless you can choose
a challenge
instead of a competence." ~Eleanor Roosevelt
"Enter the adventure. Be scared
so that you can come out on the other side
with a richer sense of who you are." ~ Linda Muttitt
We live in a wonderful world that
is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There
is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek
them with our eyes
open." ~ Jawaharlal Nehru
"Painting is an adventure to
an unknown world. New ideas and concepts develop
along the way." ~ Ratindra Das
Sand Hill Crane
"Soul Mates" ~ 15" x 11" original watercolor,
$349.00
Dear Friends
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sandy sandy
August 9th 2007 ~ Exploration / Self Portrait
Dear Friends ~
On Monday I said that having the guts
to try something new and make mistakes is important
in acquiring wisdom. Exploration in art and in other areas of
life, is necessary if we truly wish to
grow, develop and evolve. Today's experimental self portrait
was done keeping discovery in mind.
You never know what you may be missing unless you venture out
of your comfort zone.
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Exploration
Quotations:
"I explore the particular with
the hope of discovering something microscopically universal."
~ Lynda Gaelyn Smith
"This I believe; that the free, exploring mind of the individual
human is the most valuable
thing in the world." ~ John Steinbeck
"The work of the artist is an
exploration to see and feel life with lucid vision and a pure
heart.
So much so, that the art has no choice but to be exciting, unique,
powerful and sensual."
~ Robert Sturman
"The things that interest me
most about painting are whatever is difficult or unexplored,
rather
than what I can already do. Following this path results in failures
once in a while, but it's much
more rewarding when I make a breakthrough. (Quang Ho)
My Animal Toems
"Spirit Guides" ~ 15" x 22" original watercolor
~ NFS
Dear Friends
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sandy sandy
August 6th 2007 ~ Wisdom / Owls
Dear Friends ~
Antoinette Ledzian said, "Inspiration,
spirituality, solitude, intuition, creativity,
practice, play and reflection are keys to wisdom." I agree
and add the idea that
having the guts to try something new and make mistakes is also
important.
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More Wisdom Quotations:
"The road of excess leads to
the palace of wisdom; for we never know what
is enough until we know what is more than enough." ~ William
Blake
"It requires wisdom to understand
wisdom; the music is nothing if the audience is deaf."
~ Walter Lippmann
"Be wiser than other people if
you can, but do not tell them so." ~ Earl of Chesterfield
"A man cannot be wise enough
to be a great artist without
being wise enough to wish to be a philosopher." ~ G. K.
Chesterton
"The man, who has seen the rising
moon break out of the clouds at midnight, has been
present like an archangel at the creation of light and of the
world." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Great Horned Owl
"Who's In These Woods?" ~ 15" x 11" original
watercolor *Sold
Dear Friends
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sandy sandy
August 2nd 2007 ~ Sisters / Hummingbirds
Dear Friends ~
For the past week, one of my three my
sisters, Gaile, and her two
teenage boys have been visiting from Florida. Always on the go,
our
visits sped by in a flurry of activity. We got caught out in
a heavy
thunderstorm while canoeing, got some great bargains at the mall,
wined,
dined, gambled, walked the beach and boardwalk and slept over
in A.C.
As always, we reminisced, joked, laughed, made plans for the
future and
promised to get together more often.
Wishing You The Blessings Of Family,
Sandy
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Sister Quotations:
"She is your mirror, shining
back at you with a world of possibilities.
She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and
loves you
anyway. She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion,
someone
who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. She is
your teacher,
your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink.
Some
days, she's the reason you wish you were an only child."
~ Barbara Alpert
"A sister is a little bit of
childhood that can never be lost." ~ Marion C. Garretty
"Help one another, is part of
the religion of sisterhood." ~ Louisa May Alcott
"Sisters never quite forgive
each other for what happened when they were five."
~ Pam Brown
Hummingbirds & Fuchia
"Messanger of Love" ~ 15" x 22" original
watercolor *Sold
Dear Friends
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