New Beginnings – A Ring of Hope in the New Year

"Twigs and Twitters" 11x14 oil on canvas

The bells are sounding, balloons are dropping, fireworks are exploding. A chorus of “auld Lang syne” rises on the crisp air. Couples kiss, and a glimmer of hope glazes every eye. Old things are gone, but not forgotten. The New Year is upon us.

Remembered are the things we’ve done that need a “do over.” The mistakes we’ve made that haunt our thoughts. The angry words spoken now hanging heavy on our list of regrets. Perhaps next year will be better, we think. If I just try harder, maybe everything will be all right.

The problem is we can never get better on our own. No matter how hard we try, alone we usually fail. Some people add prayer to the equation which gives them strength. Others need the encouragement of family or friends. Alone, we may cave in or hold a pity party in our honor. We may sink into depression. Together we become strong.

No wonder groups like Alcoholics Anonymous have a buddy system to keep each other on track. They also look to a higher power than their own. There is no shame in depending on others, especially God. There is no dishonor in failing to achieve alone what you desire.

(First lay-down of acrylic paint on 11x14 canvas) Decided to eliminate egg-beaters!

Self esteem is increased when we refuse to give up. It is strengthened when we get back up after we fall and try again. I’m battling my own problems. My eyesight is not as good as it used to be and the monovision contact lenses I wear make it difficult to see perspective and detail accurately even with the aid of glasses. Arthritis in my hands is making it increasingly difficult to paint or draw a straight line. I don’t have the mastery and control I once did.

We all have challenges we need to cope with and problems that arise each day. The New Year’s lighted torch can inspire us with hope as we overcome discouragement. Like Olympic runners who keep their eyes on the goal, we must keep our dreams and hopes in clear focus. If we falter, it’s usually because we take our eyes off the prize. 

When I give my “pep talks” I’m usually the audience I have in mind. Of all people in the world, I need those words of encouragement the most. If my words can help others, too, then I’m pleased. 

I wish you a happy and successful New Year, dear friends. Don’t give up, because I’m counting on you to show me the way!

(Work-in-progress) More layers of paint.

The Party’s Over – it’s Time to Call it a Day

"And all that Jazz" 11 x 14 acrylic / framed in a recessed red boxed frame!

We’re back! (Sounds like Jack Nicholson in the Shining) The morning after the long drive home, we went for our usual three mile walk. It felt sooo good! I was delighted to see that the Bob Whites had returned. They were flooded out four years ago, and this is the first glimpse I’ve had of them since that time. They are such delightful birds.

Seeing The Bob Whites made me determined to create a canvas for them. I had done a drawing some time ago, and now I want to permanently honor these adorable birds.

"Bob White" 11 x 14 matted print ready to frame
http://www.etsy.com/anfinsenart 

In one blog, I told you how my husband had learned to imitate their cheery whistle “bob bob white.” If we didn’t see them, he’d whistle their call and soon they would answer. They had a warm interchange back and forth until my husband tired of the game.

Before we left Fort Myers, they had pruned our bushes and trees. It looked like a war zone! This time of year, the neighborhoods begin to look like a jungle, and in some areas they were starting to. Upon our return, we were pleased to see that our street was neat and back in flower. The pruning had made the leaves grow back in super thick and green.

Our new remodeled kitchen welcomed us home. There are still things to do, but it was great to see the glistening shine of new paint and granite counter tops. New appliances are being delivered on Friday to replace our old, rusted out ones. What a difference it will make!

"Shimmy Shake" 11 x 14 acrylic in black box recessed frame
http://www.etsy.com/anfinsenart

It was good to visit with friends and family in Georgia, but I’m eager to get back to painting. It almost feels like Christmas. The anticipation is "killing me. I have a canvas, and in my next blog I’ll show you what I have in mind. This time around, I’m working on an abstract design with a tropical flare.

I also have some vintage canvases in mind. I tried to search for “discontinued products,” but didn’t find what I was looking for. Can you help? I would like to paint some product signs that are no longer in use.

I first thought of “Hires” root beer which has technically been discontinued except in Utah where they still sell Hires root beer kits to make a homemade brew using dry ice for the bubbles. I have tasted this mix and it is excellent!

I want to add some more vintage style artwork to my repertoire of retro paintings. Those were created using old sheet music covers as a jumping off place for my compositions. This time around, I thought the old signs would be fun.

It started with an Ibis; a beautiful white bird that limped

One of my goals has been to write and illustrate a children's book. Although I completed the goal, the satisfaction is missing. I never quite got the book off the ground. But I did learn a few things about self-publishing and the difficulties in getting your name out there.

Subject matter may have been my first hurdle. Many people don't know what an ibis is. I certainly didn't before I moved to Florida. The word "ibis" reminds me of the spoken sound of "I was." So I created a poster with this play on words: "Ibis (I was) only peeking -- I'm the designated bikini watcher!" The poster is for sale on my Etsy link at http://www.etsy.com/people/AnfinsenArt

Some people think ibis are a nuisance. They forage in colonies ambling across people's manicured lawns leaving their droppings behind. I happen to love their "hunk hunk, croo croo" noises as they chatter away in ibis.

Their orange curved bills are like fingers; sensitive to touch. They probe in the cool green grass or slimy mud for snails, crayfish, frogs and grubs. If startled, they fly away revealing black wing tips that are otherwise hidden beneath their pristine white feathers. A cleansing oil keeps them white for as long as they live which can be up to 30 plus years.

My story about Inez was patterned after a real ibis in our neighborhood who is recognizable by her limp. How she was injured is anybody's guess. Mine is that she was hit by an impatient motorist who refused to wait for her to flutter to safety. She has given birth to three or four clutches since I moved here 10 years ago.

Even though she limps when earth bound, she flies beautifully like any other ibis. In the air, I lose track of her as she blends in with her "colony." On the ground, her visible disability makes me claim her for my own.

This poster is also available on the above Etsy link.

Please take a moment to check out my book; available in hard cover or paperback. Individual cards or prints of the illustrations are also for sale on http://carol-allen-anfinsen.artistwebsites.com 

Inez Ibis Flies Again by Carol Allen Anfinsen, Written and Illustrated

Let’s Face it – Rejection Hurts

"Anhinga sunning himself"

I took three paintings down to the art gallery thinking I was going to make an easy exchange; replacing those that didn’t sell for fresh replacements. Wrong! The gallery has gained so many new artists that they are more critical and discerning than ever before.

I left one there, and took two home; the one deemed unfit for lack of a frame, and the other for the “wrong” frame. The remaining paintings (four plus one) will have another chance to sell in the coming month.

"Anhinga in Paradise" 16x20 watercolor

The hurting hole in the pit of my stomach driving home reminded me that no matter how many paintings or prints an artist may sell, the hurt of rejection never gets any easier. For that reason, I decided to repeat a blog I did last spring that some of you may have missed. I feel it’s worth repeating:

We all have our babies: those wonderful concepts we develop in our minds and create on paper or canvas to present to the world. But what happens when those adorable children land with a thud on the floor of reality?

(Photo from friend in Uganda)

Let’s face it. Criticism hurts. And critique? “A rose by any other name would hurt so deeply” (forgive the pun). Pride is a wall we use to protect ourselves. When negative comments bump up against that wall, our ego becomes bruised. Afterward, we lick our wounds and patch the crumbling brick and mortar making it higher, stronger and more impenetrable than before.

But even though they hurt, we must take a look at well-intended barbs and examine what was said and why:

• Did the comment or critique come from someone I trust?
• If their suggestions were applied, would it make my project better?
• Were the comments meant to be hurtful or helpful?

Drawing on canvas

After weighing and evaluating each point of view, we are better prepared to make a decision. We can take the criticism at face value and try to incorporate it into our thought process, or we can ignore it and stubbornly go on our merry way; building our wall of resentment higher and stronger.

Learning from our mistakes is difficult. Rejection hurts; criticism stings. It requires swallowing our pride and forging ahead in spite of negative comments. If we allow the critique to offend us and dampen our spirits, we may become the loser by succumbing to self pity. We may allow ourselves to get discouraged and sabotage our own efforts to make our dreams a reality.

"in progress" acrylic

Personal vision is as unique as our fingerprints. No two people are alike. No one can see what is in our mind and heart. Perhaps the criticism of others arouses our own insecurity and lack of self confidence? If that’s the case, we need to rally our own inner cheering squad to remind us of what we wanted to achieve in the first place.

A grain of salt can irritate an open wound, but it may also inflame a new determination to clarify our goals. If nothing else, critique sharpens our focus and causes us to evaluate how we communicate our vision to others.

"Sunset on the Nile" 22 x 28 acrylic on canvas

Critique Carol’s vision on her online gallery @ http://carol-allen-anfinsen.artistwebsites.com

Giving Yourself Permission to Fly

"Arabesque" 14x18 oil on canvas

Do you notice how often you hold yourself back with negative thinking? “I’m not good enough. I don’t want to make a fool out of myself. Others may think I’m weird. Who am I to compete with the “pros?” And on and on, we tear ourselves down.

When we let ourselves go, when we “let it all hang out,” so to speak, we acknowledge that we trust our own instincts and ideas. We give ourselves permission to try, to experiment, and to create what is uniquely ours. This requires boldness and courage on our part. But there is no other way.

"Anhinga in Paradise" 16x20 watercolor

If we want to excel, to soar, and to release the grandeur that is in us. We must let go of fear, doubt, and dependency. We must stand alone and seek our own place in the sun. We must value our own opinions and ideas at least as much as we value others.

Skill cannot be increased if we decrease the motivation behind it. We add fuel to our dreams when we fan the flames of confidence and hope. Strength comes gradually as we forge ahead in spite of fear. We keep working toward our goal, letting go of the things that weigh us down or hold us back.

"Loggerhead Shrike in Springtime" 16x20 acrylic on panel

The adage “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again,” may be old, but the concept is still fresh and new. We must pick ourselves up after we fall or fail, and try again. Repeating this behavior over and over again will eventually lead to success.

Hard work, blood, sweat and tears are still the only way to achieve anything worthwhile. If you take the easy way out or cheat on the principles, you end up hurting yourself.

A friend of mine had a mentally disabled child.  She started standing and walking before she learned to crawl. There were many things she did “out of order” and her brain had devised alternative patterns that slowed down and impeded her mental development.

Volunteers came in each day to work with the child. They moved her young legs across the floor and taught her how to crawl. They worked with her hands, and played games to provide new patterning for her brain.

"Berry Christmas" 16x20 acrylic on panel

In God’s wisdom, a person must learn to crawl before he can walk. He must learn to read before he can gain knowledge. He must practice before he can play or perform.

These are the same patterns and “models” for success. Developing skill is difficult, but it is essential. Talent is a plus. Love and desire are important components. But practice and hard work are the wings on which we fly.

"Sandhill Cranes at Twilight" 24x30 mixed-med on canvas

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Light & shadow video by Stan Prokopenko