A Sentiment

God knew what He was doing when He sent a gentle breeze and brought a lovely butterfly to set my heart at ease. The happiness of your friendship and the gentleness of your words have touched my life in special ways and now I feel assured. Thank you for your loyalty and for reading everyday. I only hope you find things to make a happy day.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Art is Always on My Doorstep

Here are some signs that Joe and I did a few years ago. We made them for our kids for Christmas.
The artist's world is limitless.
It can be found anywhere,
far from where she lives or a few feet away.
It is always on her doorstep.


I found this little saying early this morning, and I think it's true..I've always been sort of "arty." I can see beauty in most anything. I can look at something, that some would toss out, and find a bit of beauty in it. Yesterday's picture is a perfect example of that. I took down a barbed wire fence in the woods and Joe said, "Be careful...let's get rid of it." I kept looking at it and had an idea...I would craft a wreath with it and hang it in the woods. After all, it was once a part of the woods...and back to the woods it would go...in another form. It hangs there on my old, old, telephone pole just waiting for the ivy to reach it.
I used to scout around garage sales for things to paint on. I would wait until the end of the sale, when they were starting to clean up. I would usually get a good price on things that they had left over. Mostly tools, kitchen utensils, and other treasures (to me) Most times I would have a vision of what I could do with things...sometimes not.
I seldom copied trends...usually did things that were original to me. An old ironing board...I saw Santa Claus ... an old tea kettle...I saw a place for a country scene...a razor strap...another country scene... a small stove...a winter scene...an iron bed...clouds and a scene with sheep. I could go on and on. Saws became my passion for a while.The most difficult thing that I ever painted was a huge, heavy, round saw that someone gave me. He brought it in his truck and put a plank down the back of the truck and rolled it off. He and another man, brought it into my little art room. There it sat waiting for me to get an idea. I decided to paint it in sections...for the four seasons. I had to have help putting it on my special table...it was so heavy. I had to stand and walk around it to paint it. I couldn't move it. Sometimes I was painting upside down. I measured for a black border and sectioned off the saw. I painted one season at a time. It was so cumbersome...and really not my best work of art. It took me forever. Then it had to be sprayed and finished. At last I put my signature in the corner of the winter scene. It was time to take this monster to the shop to be sold. My husband and I carefully rolled it out the back door and down the plank to our truck. Up the plank into the bed of the truck. I wrapped it carefully and off we went to a town nearby. We came to the shop and I went and propped the door open and we rolled it in. The owner gasped. Where could they display it? We were getting tired of holding this thing up. Finally she said that it would go in the window...that way it would be out of the way. We brought in the plank and rolled it up the plank into the window display. As we left the shop I saw my saw in the window. I smiled...it was out of my hands and someone else's problem now. It was a sidewalk stopper. Just about everyone who went by...stopped and looked at it. It drew people into the shop to ask questions about it. There was a big festival in the town a month later and someone bought it. He didn't realize how heavy it was and had to get help to take it home. We later found out that he had renovated a barn, into a home, and this piece was just the right thing for his big space. I was paid handsomely for this project, but it was the last time I did something on that scale.
Now, I just paint for my own pleasure. I'm a little rusty, but so is my body. I still see things artistic in most everything, but I don't have that drive that I used to have. I love to see the things that I used to paint coming back into popularity. I love to watch other artists and what they do. It seems that things that artists do come full circle. I used to wonder what to call myself...crafter or artist.... because I did both? Now, I know that those who do original crafts are truly artists. Their imaginations run wild, when they are working. What would our world be like without these creative people...they find beauty in simple things and share them with the world.
Balisha
This is just what I think. I'm certainly no authority on this...just what I feel inside.
I just came back and answered a couple of your comments. I wrote there that I think that everybody has talents. The blending of all these talents is what makes our world such an interesting place to be. We may not all be blessed with a talent to paint, but the talent of putting a meal together is a way to be creative, the decorating of the home...putting just the right touches there is a talent, creating a beautiful garden...a talent, knowing our style of dressing...putting together just the right outfit...a talent, raising happy children...a talent, training a pet...a talent, money managing...a talent. The list goes on and on. We are all blessed with many talents...sharing talents with others is what makes life interesting. Balisha

8 comments:

Lona said...

My family and I use to do so many crafts and sell them in an Artisan Mall. I never could paint though and had tried and tired. I just do not have the knack for it. I always thought how great it was that anything that could be painted on could be made so beautiful.Love your plaques!

Barbee' said...

I am so glad there are people like you.

Balisha said...

We all have talents...I've discovered.Some are talented with their hands, some with their voices, some with cooking and so forth. The blending of all these talents is what makes our everyday life so interesting. Balisha

Anonymous said...

It may take talent to do a lot of things but my son is an artist and you are an artist. You both see things differently. He can look at something, just like you, and see something that I would never see. He takes pictures constantly and some of the stuff he photographs I could look at for the rest of my life and never see the beauty until I look at his photos. I would have thrown that barbed wire away. You made it into something beautiful. That is the difference.
(By the way, if I lived next door I would have brought you some chocolate gravy this morning)lol.

Lynn said...

I did something like that in a class years ago. I had one girl say what name should I put on mine, All three of my kids have different last names... I suggested just Welcome to Our Home would be great!!! LOL
Those were beautiful!!!

Barbara said...

They are great, I love them.

One Woman's Journey - a journal being written from Woodhaven - her cottage in the woods. said...

You are so talented. I have never painted. But have created many homes and gardens and then sold the homes. Love your plaques.
If I lived near you I would try and hire you to do a number of things for me :)

Balisha said...

Thankyou for your nice comments.
Balisha