There’s “Nothing new Under the Sun”

"Reggae Night" Acrylic on 18 x 24 canvas (Won Special Recognition, see below)

I was watching a PBS fundraiser featuring music from the Eighties.  All of the colors and geometric patterns of today were alive and well. No matter how advanced and contemporary we believe we are, as the ancient Biblical prophets said in Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NIV):

⁹ What has been will be again,
    what has been done will be done again;
    there is nothing new under the sun.

In most cases, everything has all been said and done before. Our challenge as creators and artists is to take the ideas from the past and remake them into something fresh and exciting. Even contemporary science and technology has its basis in history. Researchers and engineers always build upon the foundation of knowledge and facts established before them.

These molecular building blocks join the past to the present and create promise for the future. You can use these same principles in creating something different and forward thinking from what has worked before. They used to call it “thinking outside the box.” Now they are suggesting we get outside and look within at the interior and find different ways to relate, to see, to think.

(Work-in-Progress "Egrets and Mangroves)

Your own personal perspective generates the diversity and originality of thought that gives you an edge over those who came before you. Your unique skills and experiences shape how you express yourself and define your style. Whether you look within or explore exterior planes, there may be something vital and cutting edge in what you discover.

Being alert to opportunities and emerging trends gives you a head start. There are openings almost everywhere you look. Social media advertises jobs, creative connections and links that may lead to something promising; but along with those ads come risks.

I’ve received an abundance of spam and damaging email links over the past few months; most touting opportunities for jobs or products promising success. Even my medical records were tapped. The up-to-date ways physicians now communicate with patients are being used for profit. I was shocked that my email had been sold to other health advertisers and that the medical portals I once considered sacrosanct were up for grabs.

"Great Egret" 11 x 17 watercolor

Put your own name in a search bar and see how many times it comes up in places you never knew existed. Everywhere you post, comment, and “Like” links back to you. Be alert to scams, dead-end postings and emails. If you have any doubts at all, don’t click on them. They may transfer you to a site where you will be spammed or worse. 

My blog was shut down for several weeks last year from a code I picked up by clicking on one of those links. It took me weeks to track down where the code was embedded on my system. My LinkedIn friends gave me the necessary information to find it and shut it down.

In spite of that there are legitimate sites you can trust and several online contests which prove beneficial. One such place is located at this link:   http://www.art-competition.net/ where I am entered in their March 2016 competition for “Faces.”

I won an “Honorable Mention” for my painting “Reggae Night” shown above, and several weeks of Special Recognition along with other winners at this site: https://www.lightspacetime.com/ Give it a go!

Here are some other verified and authentic contest sites you may want to try:

http://www.theartlist.com/    http://www.asingularcreation.com/calls-to-artists.php http://www.myartcontest.com/  

"Beach Buddies" Oil on 20 x 16 canvas. . .popular with many buyers.

What are you waiting for? Just Begin!

"Ibis on a Perch" (looking forward) 11x14 matted/ready to frame

Sometimes the hardest part is starting; applying paint to canvas, words to paper, or bringing to life what only you can see. So you stall. You wait until you are in the mood. You procrastinate by savoring that perfect cup of coffee. Instead of eliciting your muse or the God of creation, you fiddle and fudge the morning away, waiting for inspiration. Not.

In case you haven’t heard, it doesn’t work that way! Action creates energy, energy spawns creativity, and creativity opens you up to receive inspiration. Get those fingers moving! Take those notes. Scribble that quick sketch. Don’t wait until everything is perfect. Imperfection creates “happy accidents” that happen when you're not uptight. Be loose. Quit worrying. Just get started.

"Moonlight Magic" 11x14 acrylic on canvas (my "happy accident!")

One day I was ready for an appointment, but had about 20 minutes to kill. I grabbed my kindle and started reading. Because I was worried about being late, I kept looking at the clock. Believe you me, when I glanced up to see what time it was, the minute hand had barely moved. It was like watching and waiting for a pot to boil. I was amazed at how many pages I was able to read in that short a time.

Progress comes in small increments. You don’t take a giant leap and reach “Go” (as in Monopoly). You take one square, one step at a time. The secret is to keep moving forward. It matters not how far you get in one day. Tiny units of precious time add up. Like the saying, “How do you eat an elephant?” Answer: “One bite at a time;” and in your case, one byte or one brush stroke at a time.

This week, I’m training in a new girl to take over my part time job. The company decided to hire a full time person rather than pay for two part time people. Throughout the day, she kept saying “I’m overwhelmed” right now. She was trying to eat the whole elephant in one or two days. I remember the feeling well. But she’s sharp, she’s tech savvy, and she will learn the ropes, one step at a time.

"First Daffodil" 16x20 acrylic on canvas @ http://carol.allen.anfinsen.artistwebsites.com

Why do we get so impatient with ourselves during the inevitable “learning curve?” As certain as night follows day, what initially takes extreme effort and energy to perform will soon be done by rote. Actions that are difficult in the beginning will become mechanical within a few weeks or months.

Anxiety attacks are commonplace in the beginning. But if you stick with the job and just “do it” rather than stressing out over it, “This, too, shall pass.” The job, the project eventually gets easier. Remember the adage: “Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, 'It might have been.” ― John Greenleaf Whittier

"Dregs of Winter" matted and ready to frame (There will be a spring)

We had a dear artist pass away last week. She lived fully, taught art for many years, and established her own reputation. I don’t think she ever looked back with regret. She lived for today. When you reach the end of your life, never feel that you “missed out.” For better or for worse, “just do it!” Start each day with a dare. Challenge yourself to begin, even if you use baby steps at first. Don’t get left in the dust. When you reach the end of your life, never feel that you lost “what might have been.”

Before you move forward, you sometimes must look backward

"Innset Kirke, Norway" 11 x 14 Oil on Canvas SOLD (Prints available)

History is our infrastructure. It provides the foundation that steadies and grounds us. Where we come from gives us added information about our physical characteristics, about our likes and dislikes; our weaknesses and strengths.

My family has a history of musical talent. Two of my grandfathers were violinists and composers. An uncle and his family were musicians and played musical instruments and sang for the community.

This musical talent skipped over my generation. My children, on the other hand, are not only gifted in this area they are music teachers, and their children are excelling in music and the arts.

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

My father was artistic at heart. In his limited spare time, he drew portraits of people and animals. He loved to doodle. Unfortunately, earning a living for his family kept him away from home and from drawing most of the time. I think my love for drawing and painting came from him.

My husband’s family came from Norway. His great grandfather carved a beautiful family emblem that has passed from one generation to the next. Another grandfather was a lighthouse keeper who loved the ocean and the beautiful Fjords of Norway.

"Vikeholmen Lighthouse" Skudeneshavn, Norway, 16 x 20 acrylic on canvas

I painted some of these scenes for members of the family and have sold prints, cards and originals to other Norwegians around the country. I’ve heard many artists complain that they don’t know where to get ideas. Have you ever thought about looking backward? Find out where your ancestors came from. What were their customs? Where did they live? There may be ideas just waiting for you to find them.

Sometimes the simple, unexplored objects that surround us become beautiful paintings simply because the right artist saw something unique and shared his or her vision on canvas. Examining the detail, emphasizing the way sunlight glistens from an object or the way it casts a shadow may be enough to inspire a work of art.

"Vikeholmen Lighthouse" (close-up) Skudeneshavn, Norway 16 x 20 acrylic on canvas

There is a walnut tree not far from us. After a recent rain storm, one of the encased nuts had dropped to the ground and shattered, but the nut was still intact held within the other half of its covering and still attached to the original twig. Its maple color and layer of skins was a work of art. I carried it home, and today it nestles in a basket of finds on my dining room table.

There is beauty all around. Look behind at what links you to the past. Look ahead at what draws you to the future. Celebrate!

"The Neptunes -- Golden Girls" 11 x 14 acrylic on canvas (3rd in The Neptunes Series)

Start Today with a Clean Page; Enjoy the Moment

"Sponge Docks" in Clearwater, FL

A few days ago, I received a pocket calendar for 2014. I flipped through its blank pages like a “deer panting for water.” The days were glistening white; unmarked by crowded schedules, important appointments, or family birthdays and anniversaries.

My current calendar looks like Graffiti on steroids. Black ink saturates each page with notes, people’s names, important events, telephone numbers, commitments and activities. In addition, medical problems and emergency appointments have filled its pages during this past year. Critical junctures like weddings, flight plans, and vacation dates have recorded important information adding to the chaos.

"Tree-lined street in Gateway Community"

 It’s always gratifying to catch a glimpse of the future, unmarred by what is to what may be. The white calendar pages remind me of blank pages yet to be written.

In the past I did write with a pen; the transition to keyboard was difficult. I also typed manuscripts on an old Smith Corona using carbon paper between the sheets; six copies, to be exact, which had to be erased one by one if I made an error.

Now the spell check on my laptop does the work for me. I have learned to create at the keyboard; the wonders of modern technology. What next? I’ll probably speak my mind into my ipad or droid and the text will appear magically on the screen. Others are doing it, why not me?

"Fort Myers Beach" the perfect way to relax

Next to a blank calendar, a new white canvas excites me just as much. Having a clean virginal surface, spotless and free from brush strokes, gives me “a tingle up my leg,” as Chris Matthews would say.

Each new day should give us that same exhilarating feeling. Yesterday’s mistakes and stresses can give way to hope and the opportunity for a fresh start. As Scarlet O’Hara said in “Gone with the Wind,” “Tomorrow is another day!”

Things always look better on the other side of a good night’s sleep. Once refreshed, we gain objectivity and perspective. We can distance ourselves from yesterday’s pain. Of course, some things take time. But each new day brings us closer to closure. If bitterness doesn’t take off our edge, we become wiser and stronger.

"Bird of Paradise" on the wane

Is it possible to create our future by having a positive vision of ourselves? Can we mold the possibilities and our potential for success by controlling what we write on those blank pages?

Forget about yesterday. Who and what do you want to be? As the saying goes: “Today is the first day of the rest of your life;” shape it as you would a fine sculpture. Mold it, smooth it, work it with your hands, and explore its possibilities. Let go of yesterday and live in the exquisiteness of today.

"Another shot of the Sponge Docks"