Fear has Gripped our Nation and History is being Ignored

"And All that Jazz" mixed media in red box frame

The things we once learned from past mistakes are soon forgotten in the clutches of today. The rising generation is not equipped for self-governance nor alerted to the warning signs of impending tyranny. We are inundated with violence in our homes and schools and eager to blame “the other guy,” or guns, or the government when, in fact, as the cartoonist for “Shoe” puts it: “The enemy is us.”

We’ve become a gullible nation intent on harming ourselves. We depend on other people’s advice, knowledge, and strength rather than developing our own. We’re on the cutting edge of science and invention, but on the slippery slope that afflicts every generation after the lessons of the past have been forsaken.

"Lucky Lady" mixed media in red boxed frame

Nero fiddled while Rome burned, and we are just as likely today to perish from the bad choices that are being made for us and around us. Even when people vote their preferences, federal judges are overturning the people’s voice. Our land of laws and Constitutional principles is being rearranged, disassembled, and gradually pushed into chaos.

With Ebola threatening to sweep across the world, and terrorism shaking us to the core at home and abroad, is it any wonder that people are hunkering down; afraid to engage with others, fearful of spending money they don’t have, and not knowing where to turn for help.

"Shimmy Shake" mixed media in black box frame

History tells us that we are not alone. People have weathered all kinds of atrocities, tribulations and persecutions in the past. The key to holding it together is to remember those values and principles which made us strong in the first place; things like honesty, trust and integrity.

There was a time when a “man’s word was his bond” and a handshake was as good as a signed contract? Today lying and double-dealing has become “the thing to do” because “everybody does it!” Our own President has received many Pinocchio’s for deceiving the American people and he's in first chair!

Husbands lie to their wives and visa verse. Children lie to their parents. Bosses lie to their employees, and employees take out their anger by stealing from their bosses. Goods and services cost more because shoplifting is figured into profit margins as is price gouging by “middlemen” who put a thumb on the scale at purchase point.

"Yes, Sir, that's my Baby!" mixed media in grey box frame

Gas prices and transporting of goods is also figured into the cost of food and clothing. But in spite of the gloomy picture there is reason for hope. “The pendulum always swings.” When society gets too far afield, common sense usually pulls us back to calmer times. Swift thinking and logical choices made in the silence of the voting booth may prevail. Let’s hope it does so again before things go so far awry that there's no turning back!

All artwork in this blog may be purchased at Anfinsen Art on Etsy

"Vamp on a Ramp" mixed media in grey box frame

Stop the Knee Jerking – It’s Time for Common Sense!

"Vikeholmen Lighthouse" Norway; 16 x 20 acrylic on canvas

I received an email from a friend; a copy of an Obituary printed in the London Times. If you haven’t read it, you may enjoy its wisdom as much as I did:

 “Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:

• “Knowing when to come in out of the rain; 
• Why the early bird gets the worm; 
• Life isn't always fair; 
• And maybe it was my fault.  

“Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

“His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

“Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

"Innsett Kirke" Norway from long ago; oil on canvas (SOLD) Prints available

“It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

“Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

“Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

“Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. 

“Common Sense was preceded in death,
-by his parents, Truth and Trust,
-by his wife, Discretion,
-by his daughter, Responsibility,
-and by his son, Reason.

“He is survived by his 5 stepbrothers;
- I Know My Rights
- I Want It Now
- Someone Else Is To Blame
- I'm A Victim
- Pay me for Doing Nothing

“Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.”

"Skudeneshavn Norway" 16 x 20 oil on canvas (SOLD) Prints available

How can we apply these gems of wisdom to our own lives?

Reason tells me that to own a business requires sacrifice, endless hours of time, dedication and devotion to duty. Skill building and education are a given. Late nights, early mornings and weekends may be required to give it all I've got. Marketing and exposure are part of the deal. Exhaustion and singleness of mind may put me through a financial and emotional wringer. Failure looms overhead like a whip driving me even harder.

Common sense reminds me that I have a family and outside commitments. I must make trade-offs and weigh my options. The things that matter most shouldn’t suffer at the hand of things that matter least. Youth is here for a short time; we cannot bring it back. We must find a balance and do our best. Priorities must be set. We must find the middle ground.

Success beckons me from the wings. If I can’t do it in eight hours, by golly, I’ll give it 10 hours or 12. This is my business. My baby! The kids will just have to sacrifice football camp and dance lessons. Some day they’ll appreciate it! Once I get over this first hurdle, I’ll have more time. But then another hurdle comes and I'm at it again, consuming valuable funds and precious time.

Common sense measures expenditures against actual sales. What have I spent and what did I get for it? Is the business costing me more than I’m taking in? The adage “It takes money to make money” can only go so far. At some point I must take my losses and reassess my goals, my options. Would an online business give me more “bang for my buck?”

Ego makes it hard to quit. Failure is not in my vocabulary. I fight the inevitable. I struggle on when I should turn back. I see my family floundering and I don’t know what to do. If I give up, my financial dreams and theirs go out the window. 

Common sense cuts to the chase. Either the business is working for me or it isn’t. How much time and money is enough? The only failure in failure is not seeing when it’s time to quit. The ending may also be a beginning of something else. Once my head clears, the pieces to the puzzle fall into place. Solutions materialize. Anxiety dissolves. Mistakes clarify the changes that must be made. Life is a process.

"Anhinga in Paradise" water color, matted and framed.

We learn from our Mistakes, even when we repeat them

"Flash Dance" was not juried in, but continues to be one of my favorites!

I don’t know about you, but I get frustrated with myself. I seem to learn everything the hard way. “Why can’t you do it right, the first time,” I chide myself. “Why does it have to be so doggone hard?”

Not until I’ve done something more than a few times do I get the hang of it. I’m left handed by nature and birth, but was forced into using my right hand. My brain never adjusted. I have frequent bouts throughout the day where I reverse things during the thought process. I know I’m supposed to turn on the right front burner of the stove, but when I’m finished with the action, the back left burner is turning hot.

It happens more than I care to mention. I’ve been known to try to go down an up escalator, especially under stress, and reverse numbers or text in my head when I’m working on a newsletter. Luckily the errors are glaring when I print out a proof copy.

"The Perfect Ending" was not juried in, but continues to be popular online.

And why is it so easy to overlook a composition fluke or the way an object overlaps and turns to create shadow? Because artwork is really about teaching people how to see, including me. Some people are more detailed than others. There are not only intellectual choices to be made, but intuitive ones that come from experience.

Beginning artists should not give up because the learning curve is long. Over time, you will master the techniques and foundational skills that make the difference between novice and professional. Even seasoned artists make mistakes. But they have weathered the storms of criticism and error. They have found ways to accommodate mistakes and have discovered dynamic artistic surprises in the process.

When the confluence of color and line diverge in ways to capture the viewer’s attention and lead them through pathways you’ve created, exciting things happen. Energy, emotion, and pure delight emerge and create sensations that effect lasting impressions. This is the mark of perfection and success.

"Home at Last" was not juried in because they didn't like the frame.

Remember, if you’re not excited by your creation, it isn’t likely anyone else will be, either. On the other hand, if you are able to harness your passion and express it on canvas, others will feel it, too, and be drawn to the vibrancy of your vision.

Don’t worry about the canvases that go unsold, or the ones you may paint over. It’s all part of the experience. Nothing needs to go to waste. Watercolorists often cut out small portions of a ruined painting and frame petite ones that sell well on the market.

I've had a few paintings rejected in juried competition that later sold. I continue to sell prints from the originals. It’s all in the “eye of the beholder.” If you feel strongly about what you’re doing, eventually other people will feel it and become buyers.

"The Pose" a barred owl on my daughter's porch. (Acrylic on canvas)

Developing a Unique Style and Vision

"Moonshines" 18x24 abstract acrylic on canvas

Are you guilty of comparing yourself to someone else and then thinking you’re not as talented or as skilled? Do you try to copy others work; not just to learn, but because you fear your ideas are not good enough?

Welcome to the world of self-defeat where you beat yourself up with the disapproving eye of a parent until you feel so inadequate that fear reigns free; where the unique perspective that lives within you disappears little by little: death by drowning.

"India Rising -- The Lost"  18x24 acrylic on canvas

When you drown out your own voice by dumping negative thoughts and distorted impressions over your psych you end up retreating in shame, embarrassment and disappointment.

In order to defeat “self-defeat,” you need to eliminate the following thoughts and words from your vocabulary:

"Americana" 16x20 acrylic on canvas

1.    What will other people think?
Who cares what they think? There are as many opinions in the world as there are people. Since no two people think alike and seldom agree, your opinion is likely to be different. Embrace that difference! It is what makes you stand out in a world of sheep. Be bold. Be courageous. Be yourself! Listen and evaluate what others have to say, but give your own voice equal value.

"Star Billing" mixed media on canvas

2.    I’ll never be as good as Joe or Joan Blow?
Why would you want to be Joe or Joan Blow in the first place? Their unique style belongs to them. Your unique style is embedded in your DNA. Your fingerprints, your eyes, your experiences belong only to you. They have made their mark upon you. Don’t regret your past. Bring it forward. Remember it, use it, bring it into your work and allow it to effect what you do. Show your stuff!

3.    Success is out of reach – I’m not good enough!  Baloney!  Perhaps the problem is “failure to drive.” What are you willing to give up for success? Are you putting in your time? Many less talented people achieve success because they are willing to work for it. Skills require dedication and practice. When you’re ready to give something up in order to achieve something greater, you’re on your way to achieving success.

Sometimes we must be willing to fail in order to succeed. We must make a fool of ourselves and face the music of stepping forward in order to develop courage and stamina. Failures are stepping stones that can propel us forward and lead us upward. Don’t allow failures or mistakes to defeat you. Instead, defeat your fears. Don’t be afraid to put your unique stamp on everything you do. Eventually it will pay off.

"Beach Buddies" mixed media on canvas

Experience is the Best Teacher; Failure paves the way to Success

Instructors and teachers are wonderful. I have fond memories of my favorites, and can’t even remember the names of the ones who weren’t. But over time, we forget. Unless we put into practice what we’ve learned, the lessons fade; the voices become less audible.

Let’s face it. As miserable as failure is, it’s the hard knocks of experience that teach us the painful life lessons we need to learn. Most of them come when we’re children. I remember well my favorite pair of shoes. They were shiny black patent leather that I wore only to church and on special occasions.

Never put your coffee next to your turp!

One spring we were celebrating Easter at my aunt’s farm. All the cousins were there; the girls dressed up in ruffles and sashes, and the boys in white shirts and dark trousers. While dinner was cooking in the kitchen, the children were sent outdoors for an Easter egg hunt. My uncle had hidden the eggs in an adjacent pasture.

We carried our baskets into the field with our eyes peeled for color. My cousin, Dale, found the first egg and cracked it on his head to show off. He peeled it on the spot and swallowed it whole. My older sister shouted a warning to us about cow pies. Dale blew her off as he proceeded to stomp on a crusty pie.

I followed his lead. It was great fun hearing a cow pie crunch and collapse beneath my feet. My sister’s warning was forgotten as my confidence and power grew. I found another pie that looked ripe for the crunching. I lifted my patent leather shoe and slammed down in the middle of it. Shock and awe left me speechless. My shiny patent leather shoe and white ruffled stocking were covered with warm, steamy cow dung.

Don't "touch up" a painting before going out!

Bawling and blubbering, I ran across the field, not caring whether I found any Easter eggs or not. My mother pulled back as she pushed my reeking shoe and stocking from my foot. The smell was overwhelming. My new shoes were ruined.

 Did I ever step in a cow pie again? Never! Did I have new found respect for my older sister’s advice? Yes! Did I ever make the same mistake again? No!

Why is it when we grow into adults we forget these lessons of the past? Why do we get so discouraged and think the world is coming to an end when we fail? It is not! Like children, we must pick ourselves up, clean off our shoes, and begin again.

Life is all about starting over. It’s about new beginnings. Every day we wake up to a fresh start and new opportunities. Life is never over “’til the fat lady sings,” and none of us knows when that moment will come. Make the most of each day!