Turning To Art For A Bit Of Sanity

Sanity is a pretty precious commodity in my world, how about yours? I often wonder how much more challenging or weird life can get,  and then I turn the T.V. on, and a graphic dose of reality slams me in the gut, which quickly makes me know how 'normal' my life truly is, compared to most. But, as any creative person knows, normal is no state of mind that lends itself to being artistically productive, so finding that fine line between normal and funkatatively weird is my goal each morning. Often though, I fall a bit short, feeling like a sane life is simply a cruel oxymoron wrapped up in clothes stitched with 'normal' threads, and I am left wondering where the balance is. 

Art plays a huge role in my world in helping me find that balance. It seems lately that images of despair, hopelessness, anger, and death are all around us. Really???? Turn the boob toob on and think "oil", enough said about that. So in the interim, in those brief little moments that my psyche needs to stay 'sane', I turn to art, a God given gift which I am grateful for.  

Art surrounds me, at least that's how I perceive the world, through art lenses you could say. On days I get really down, or am having to deal with a pain crisis, I choose to watch the sunlight flicker through the colored glass bottles along the window seal, or grab my color crayons and add a page to my prayer journal. My prayer journal is a new thing for me. Not the prayer or the journal part, but the art part. I find that drawing through my prayers helps calm my mind, keeps me focused, and gives me a much more open channel than simply talking to God. In fact, I find that he talks to me a lot more through my art than in my head, and I am really cool with that. 

I have also spent quite a lot of time lately praying for the animals in our Gulf. The oily pictures shown on the media networks are hard to look at. I find myself sometimes being ambivalent or apathetic to be perfectly honest, but when my heart kicks in and lets a tiny bit of that reality hit home, I cringe at the horror of it all. So, I have started spending the moments that Bill and I spend glued to the evening news as art time. Using my watercolors and ink, I paint images of the unique animal life in our Gulf in 3" miniatures.  I kind of like to think it's my way of feeling sane and embracing all things lovely that are in harms way at least. 

The Green Room is another venue that I chose to participate in to help the Gulf through art. It's an  art show focusing on the beautiful flora and fauna of our Gulf region and all the  artwork is up for auction.  Part of the proceeds go the Mobile Baykeeper and The Mobile Arts Council. I donated my part to Mobile Baykeeper as well. My piece, "The Mermaid Angel Prayer", shares a prayer for the animals affected, in a whimsical sort of way. The least I could do is use my art, my gift, to give back to those innocent beings we share this planet with. You can visit the Mobile Arts Council up until the 25th to place a bid, and I encourage any and all to bid with their hearts and love for all things earthly and beautiful.

Sanity, or the perception of it, comes and goes around here. But one thing I know like I am breathing is this: No matter what craziness, tragedy, or heart break I face, God has given me art to use as a way to cope with it all, and that makes my life beautiful. If you are struggling with understanding all this craziness that surrounds you, I would encourage you to try and work through it with art. You don't need to be an artist, you simply need to grab a pencil, some crayons, or some paint, and work through your feelings on paper. It's much healthier than some other vices, and you just might be surprised with how much more 'sane' you feel afterwords, if only for a brief respite.

Here is the mermaid painting, along with two of the 3" miniatures of the Gulf animals. (Yes, pink dolphins do exist, they are actually very rare albino dolphins.)
 
May beauty surround you today, and my you have the eyes and heart to see it!  ((((((((((hugs))))))))))))))

 

Fight the Oil Spill with Art

What a month this has been! The news about the oil spill was jaw dropping and day by day it seems to get worse. Some days, I didn't know if I could bear to watch the news or not, and others kept my eyes glued to the tube. It's hard for me to believe that the lack of oversight and actions by a few could cause such a catastrophe but they did. I shouldn't be surprised should I? Minute by minute my emotions change from anger, to deep sadness, to WTH and I am sure most of my friends and family feel the same way. 

Yesterday, oil made it's way to Dauphin Island and Gulf Shores. Those are two places I hold near and dear. As a child, my grandfather and uncles worked tirelessly to build a cabin off of Fort Morgan and our entire family spent the summers there. If I close my eyes I can recall walking in the blistering hot sand as we unpacked the car. No one could play until that car was unloaded. The dunes stood almost higher than our houses and we had tons of fun rolling down them. In the evening, the big guys would take a net out and pull it in and we were able to pick through the bounty the Gulf provided. Those were the days, some of my most precious moments as a child. 

Dauphin Island is also precious to me. When I first started dating Bill almost 14 years ago our second date was at Bright Waters. He had a beach house on the West End that faced the Gulf and I can remember like it was yesterday when I pulled up and saw Brandon picking oyster shells in the driveway and little Katie running around like a water fairy. Most of our weekends were spent there when it wasn't rented and it was a magical place, for family, for taking in the beauty of the island, and I miss it terribly. Sadly, Hurricane Ivan took the house, and before we could rebuild, Hurricane Katrina took the lot, so our time at Dauphin Island ended, which left a deep hole in our hearts. 

As we watched the oil spill, the enormous plumes gushing out of the pipe, and took in the new, "oil forecast", we quickly realized that life along the coast was going to change for a long time. Friends from up north seemed concerned, but until you have visited the Gulf I fear one just can't comprehend the beauty of it, and the loss of it. As an artist, it is difficult to sit by feeling helpless, in fact, I can't stand that. So, many artist are coming together to do what we do best, PAINT!

Several auctions will be hosted between here and Pensacola in the coming weeks. The first one I am participating in will be at the Mobile Arts Council here in Mobile. "The Green Room" is an auction celebrating the mission of The Mobile Baykeepers. That organization works so hard in keeping our coast, bay, and watershed clean and the animals protected. Proceeds will be split between them, Mobile Arts Council and the artist, but I just may donate my share as well. 

Here is the painting I am donating for it, "Mermaid Angel Prayer." I love mermaids, and I thought turning one into an angel for the animals would be swell. There is a poem around the edge, it goes like this:

Mermaid Angel sent from Heaven, 
listen to her prayer, 
a prayer for all the creatures, 
in the ocean, land, and air. 

Protect them from the harm
that is around them everywhere,
from human greed and actions
causing harm with needless care.

Protect them one, 
Protect them all, 
these creatures great and small. 


It's a simple poem but one that I feel has a powerful message between the lines. My heart is breaking. I am holding close to my faith during these times, praying for a miracle, but it seems that the actions of man are too damaging to reverse and I can only imagine God's heart is breaking as well. I will encourage all of you to find some way for your gifts to help the cause of protecting our coast. It sure is better than sitting by and waiting for the sky to fall, or shall I say, the black wave to roll in!

Swapping My Art Story For A Cake - Brilliant!

Facebook can open doors unexpectedly, I am slowly figuring out, some worth walking through, and some worth running away from like your life depended on it. Thankfully, the door which led to the cake was well worth stepping through. You see, a few weeks ago a friend and fellow artist/teacher, Mary Elizabeth Kimbrough put out a call on FB for an artist to come speak to her art students at Bishop State and the payoff was a cake. I jumped toward the cake with pure excitement!

What I didn't realize, of course, was that she needed someone to give a 50 minute talk, so this would be no ordinary show up and answer a few art questions/mingle thing. I actually had to share a picture of my art journey as a presentation and that at first gave me great pause, cake or not.  The teacher in me had no problem talking to groups, in fact, I missed that experience quite a bit, but that was sharing information about academic topics, not about me, my art, my beliefs, my story, and the personal nature of this was daunting.....at first.

As I began to ponder what I would talk about, what these students needed to hear, and what part of my journey I would NOT talk about I realized I needed to know where it got started, my art path that is, and built it from there. Luckily, being the collector and pack rat that I am, I was able to dig up some art samples as far back as third grade, and proceeded to create a movie about how my art developed from childhood and eventually led to a full time art career. The walk down memory lane was beautiful and priceless, and I quickly learned that this experience was as much for my benefit as it was for those students or MEK, and I was grateful. 

Now, if you have ever been asked to give a presentation then you know things don't always go as planned, and this day was no different. There was a hibernation issue with the computer, a once in a blue moon fire alarm, and a rather warm upstairs. But, we just rolled with the punches and despite the interruptions, I felt it went pretty well. 

The students at Bishop reminded me so much of some of the students I had taught at younger ages. They were from all walks of life, some challenging more than others, but they seemed attentive and engaged in what I had to share. I chose to present my journey as one from a person who, despite life throwing me medical and emotional curves, made the best of what I was given. I knew I was an imaginative, creative child, but I was no art prodigy. I simply took the gift of creativity, and after going on disability, used it well, and am proud of that. 

After the presentation I went to lunch with MEK and we were able to get to know each other a bit better, which was another high lite of my day. Mary is studying for her PhD and by the way her students responded to her, I believe she is already a master educator, let alone artist. Her collages are bright, beautifully colored, but layered with meaning and background around a theme she is studying. It was her artwork that drew me to her on FB, and I am thankful that her artwork has now led to a friendship. I am surrounded by wonderful artists in my life and feel that is one way God shows me favor. They are some of the most intelligent, creative, and loving beings I know, and I am honored to know so many. After sharing with MEK's class, I said a little thank you prayer to the big guy upstairs. 

To me, art inspires all of us one way or the other, and I was able to inspire a few new folks with my simple story of being a creative, passionate person. I felt right at home that day, surrounded by students, by a fellow artist, by crazy interruptions, but most of all, by a common belief that art and life are beautiful and meant to be shared. That to me is the icing on top of the cake~!

MEK writes a blog where she shares her vast knowledge of art history, love of family, and beautiful artwork with the world. I encourage you to stop by and check it out. 
http://mekonline.blogspot.com/2010/04/thank-you.html

Here is one of her latest pieces of artwork as well:

And, here is the link to the movie I created and shared with her students. It's 18 minutes long, filled with relaxing, peaceful music and some interesting art, so I hope some of you will spend some time checking it out and let me know what you think. 
Peace Friends, Ardith
http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewshow?fl=3186943&alb=0

Why I am choosing to write about dolls I found buried for years.

I had no idea how much a simple walk in the woods would change my artistic calendar, but change it did. I had simply gone out to visit the 42 acres we own, to see what my hubs had been up to and accidentally walked up on Found Baby. She was buried in the ground, the same ground that Bill had been working on clearing the past few days, but he never saw her. After pulling her out of the ground, and then photographing her, the images seemed to draw not only me in, but many people and friends who saw them on Facebook. I also realized that she was 49 years old, made in 1961, and that just added more to the mystery of how exactly she came to be here, under our feet.

I had to think about that for a while. I had to really consider what or who it was she represented, by her haunting images. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever believe that a doll could actually have a voice, but Found Baby does, simply by how she looks, and the emotions she invokes in people when they see her. Getting past her creepy looks was part of the process for me. I first thought she was creepy like most who saw her, until I looked past her physical features and imagined what could have happened to cause her to go from looking like a princess to looking like she does now. Some journey must have taken place, so the idea for her blog was born.

I also can't negate the fact that I myself relate to her a good bit. Many things about my history are similar to her fictional one, at least metaphorically speaking, so getting under the skin of this doll wasn't too hard for my creative brain. What I didn't expect was to find other dolls, that for some reason, they just kept showing up on our property, and that was strange too. Several days ago after I had been out at Dulcinea, which is what we call our property, I specifically wasn't looking for any more dolls. Found Baby had caused quite a stir in our household, so I was in "dump digging time out," LOL. As I was walking past the pile, after it had rained, a tiny, peach colored foot was sticking straight up out of the ground, like it was waving to get my attention. When I dug that doll up, its body was shaped like it had been running for its life, which cracked me up. Later, I found its head and just like Found Baby, it was creepy at first. Found Friend has similar hair and skin issues, except its skin and face seemed scorched, but not melted, and is 46 years old. Go figure, doll #2, found under strange circumstances. 

And then yesterday, after I had just told Bill that I doubted there was anything further to find, and if there was, it would find a way of showing itself, Bill walked past a tree and his foot landed on yet another baby, buried half way with its head exposed. This poor thing only had a head and ambulatory arms past it's neck, but when I searched for a pic of it, I found that it was really Little Miss Echo, a doll that repeated everything you say, and was made in 1966. So the oddity and creepiness continued, but the impact Found Baby has had on people hasn't. 

I don't know where the journey of Found Baby will take us. Artistically, I am challenged to find new ways to photograph her, and that is exciting to me. I am also challenged as a writer to develop her story in a way that advocates for victims of abuse, suffering, or neglect, and that is a huge challenge also, within the context of her being a fictional character. As she evolves, it is clear she has more than one voice, and each just as powerful as the other I believe. 

Then there is the God component in this story that I find intriguing. I don't believe in coincidences. As weird as it sounds, I believe it was no accident that these dolls were found when they were, and how they were. I believe God might have had a hand in helping me look down in that moment, to see a little doll buried for the past 30 some odd years. I believe he can use my creativity as a message of hope, togetherness, and ultimately that love will prevail to reach some people and I pray my beliefs here are right. I guess in the long run we will see. 

If you have read Found Baby's blog, thank you, and would you please consider sharing her link and story with others. There is power in a message of survival, and I feel there are many out there who need to be exposed to hope. If you are totally creeped out by her, that's perfectly fine too. It won't hurt my feelings one bit, but I encourage you to read her blog, from the beginning and it just might change your lenses on how you see her. Yes, this whole experience is a bit strange, but it has such great potential to be a unique work of art. I pray I am up for the challenge. 

This is how I found Found Baby.

This is how I saw Found Friend before I dug her up.

This is the third doll Bill Found, Little Miss Echo. 

To see all of Found Baby's and her friends images, you can visit my fan page on Facebook, The Artwork of Ardith Goodwin, and see her album.

Kandinsky's "Murnau Street with Women" Art Gown

 

 Black Light Image

 

 Day Light Image

Do you ever sit down and think about the date and then wonder, where did the time go? I am having one of those moments as I type this, where on earth has the time gone? 
For me, it has flown by with minutes of extreme happiness, insanity, confusion, illness, and in between all of that lots of paint and lovin! One of the projects I worked on the past few weeks was the Artgown project for Blue Velvet Studios. 

Karen Cassidy, the owner of Blue Velvet, came up with the unique idea of asking local artists to paint a wedding gown like a famous painting or painter. The idea was intriguing to me so I jumped at the chance and chose to paint Kandinsky's "Murnau Street with Women" for several reasons. He is my favorite, way favorite of all time, and this painting is full of color, which speaks to me. It would also be part of a black light show so the combination of painting a dress, with tons of color, like Kandinsky, that glows in the dark, was to good to pass up!

I had no idea how physically challenging it would be. My niece, Savannah, helped me block out the design and initial color which was a huge help. At the end of day one though, both our necks were in bad shape so I knew this would be a project to take in baby steps over weeks, not days. As the design took shape, I kept getting more and more excited! 

Along with the physical challenge I had to take a crash course in black light painting. I had always assumed fluorescent and glow in the dark paint where equal. WRONG! I knew this gown had to illuminate under black lights, but I also had to figure out how to be true to the painting and still have this piece come alive with darkness. 

In the end, I painted it so it does both. It illuminates under black light and when all the lights are off, in pitch black, it gently glows like the stars, which is way cool. Adding textile medium was a must, but even so, due to the amount of the paint that polyester and rayon soak up, it ended up being a bit stiff, but not hard. 

Tonight, during Artwalk at Blue Velvet Studios on Dauphin St., this dress along with many other paintings will be on display for their one night only black light show. Next month, during the Arts Alive Festival April 9-11, it will be part of the artgown fashion show, where up to 20 different artgowns can be seen, all painted by local artists. 

As a visual artist it is easy to get used to painting on paper or canvas, but I would encourage anyone of you to step out of your comfort zone and find a community art project to participate in such as this. Below are some pics, beginning with Kandinsky's painting, and then the dress. I will add some shots from the show tomorrow as well. You can also view the entire album on my FB fanpage, you can see the link over to the right of this page.(Pictures at the top are of the actual show!)

The Cross for Koinonia

Almost a year ago my life was at a turning point, a really difficult one. My dear friend Monica reached out to me and invited me to the Koinonia womens conference her church was sponsoring. In one brief, difficult moment, I acted on faith and went.  I had no clue what path that would set me on spiritually, physically, or emotionally, all I knew is I was getting away to the beach for the weekend and would be surrounded by lots of women who loved God and each other.  The details of that weekend can be found in a post from last February, what is important here is the spirit of koinonia, the spirit of fellowship that I found there that helped bring me back to sanity. 

Monica asked me to consider painting a cross for this years conference and I instantly knew I would do it, that it was a God thing. Problem is, I really didn't know what that word meant, or how to pronounce it very well. I had no clue that most of my life had been filled with moments of koinonia, but as I began to pray about it and study the word those moments came flashing back vividly, and I knew I had lived a life surrounded by the love of God and the love of friends. 

"Koinonia" in Greek, means communion or fellowship in simple terms. It actually has many deeper meanings and applications, but the foundation of its meaning comes from the act of communion with Christ, and through him, with others. All my life when I was with groups of friends, at church, or surrounded by others who prayed and fellowshipped I was experiencing koinonia with them, and God was with us.

Part of how I create my crosses and angels is that I begin to have a conversation with God about their purpose. From there, the image begins to build in my heart and mind and I research the important details that must be expressed in each one. This cross was no different. 

A few months ago I started studying this term and praying about the nature of God and what its meaning means to me.  I came across a reference to koinonia that expressed its relation to the phrase, "one another" in the bible, and that stuck with me. I truly believe the nature of God is that he chooses to share his love and grace with me on a daily basis, so that I can share it with those I meet and encounter. That concept may be simple, but it's message is purely koinona, the one of sharing our lives with Christ and with others. The passages in the bible having to do with the  "one anothers" are pretty simple too. This list, along with the passages, was made so you could grasp the connection of what it shares in common with koinonia. 

A powerful example of what koinonia should look like can be found in a study of the phrase “one another” in the Bible. Scripture commands us to be devoted to one another (Romans 12:10), honor one another (Romans 12:10), live in harmony with one another (Romans 12:16; 1 Peter 3:8), accept one another (Romans 15:7), serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13), be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32), admonish one another (Colossians 3:16), encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 3:13), spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24), offer hospitality (1 Peter 4:9), and love one another (1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:11; 3:23; 4:7; 4:11-12). That is what true biblical koinonia should look like.
http://www.gotquestions.org/koinonia.html

Once I had the understanding of what this word meant, how it applied to me, and how God wanted me to apply it to a painting I got to work. The cross is the central form, with the heart at it's center, symbolizing the heart of Christ and the love we share for him and for one another. The words 'One Another' cover the cross, because that love is meant to be shared, not kept for oneself. The rays of the sun are symbolic of the light that Christ shines in this world, and when we carry his love with us, his light shines through us as well. The people are together, in communion with Christ and one another. I thought about having them interacting with one another but I thought the posture of prayer was a binding act that Christians share while they commune together. The road is simply that, the one we walk down but are never alone. It leads us into opportunities to share God's love with a world in need. The hill that the cross is standing on has 20 hearts enclosed, one for each time the word 'koinonia' is used in the bible and it is surrounded by Malachi 3:16, the verse that shows the terms true meaning.
Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name.
Malachi 3:16

The color green is pretty significant to me, it represents life. Life he gave to us, and life that is precious, as each of us are.  This painting is meant to give an image to what it means to commune or fellowship with Christ and one another. It also has a very relevant meaning, at least for me, in light of what has happened in Haita. 

During the past few days, as I worked on it, I watched the news about the suffering in Haiti and was heartbroken. As the news and pictures played over and over on the screen the reporters began to interview survivors and this is what I heard several of them say, "Glory to God, for he saved me, thank you Jesus."  I just smiled and knew, God is with them. And as I smiled the news changed and I heard lots of people singing. I looked at the t.v. and in awe, saw hundreds of Haitian women and children walking and singing in the street. Surrounded by devastation and death, they chose to rise up, gather together, and sing out for life!  Pat Robertson may believe that those people have forsaken God, but I for one saw enough love, compassion, and gratitude for God to make me know Haitians are filled with it. CNN even has an interview of one Haitian girl saying, "I never stopped praying!"
God showed me, as I painted this cross, koinonia in action, and tears came to my eyes as I imagined the courage it took for those ladies to stand up for life. 

My prayer for all who will see or receive this cross is this, 
"May our God that is incapable of anything but his very best toward you, share the spirit of koinonia with you, so that you will be able to share it with others. May you be filled with love and compassion for one another, and may that love and compassion multiply throughout the Earth until every person that draws breathe will know it."

Turning a Page

Pulling up to the gallery downtown I opened the car door and felt the sting of a cold winter day bite my cheeks and it made me feel alive and frigid all at the same time. That, it seems, is a metaphor for how I feel moving into a new year, of art, of health, and of life. 

This past year was one of many changes to say the least. I won't go into the juicy details here, you can read my previous posts to catch up on all that has transpired, but I will give credit to a long year of growth, illness, triumphs, love, and much hilarity. I thank God for it all, but especially the hilarious parts, they are what keeps me sane.

Artistically speaking I have much to look forward to and to decide. I have always been one to paint what inspired me in the moment, out of sheer spontaneity, and there is something to be said for that freedom. It reminds me of a child who whimsically walks through life and follows his senses into a world with no compass, just being, and creating, and loving life. At some point though that child needs to grow a little, and gain more of a focus as to why certain colors inspire him, why certain textures feel better than others, and why certain forms of creativity just come easier than others. The questions must be asked and attempted to answer, and so I find myself at that point, going from chapter one into the next, with blank pages ahead of me.

I won't lie, it feels exciting, really almost to the point of giddiness at times, and I will go out on a limb and say I don't trust that. I like the way that feels, but due to many years of feeling comfortable in my skin, only to have the skin peeled off in layers, I always look for the other shoe to drop, or in my case the predictable chaos that usually follows me. I wouldn't know what to do with a year without that, one that goes 'as it should', and I don't know if it even exists, but I have to hope it does. I believe the big guy upstairs wants that as well, I just find that belief a challenge to hold on to sometimes. 

So where will life take me? I hope it takes me down a road where doors are opened and I am able to pin down the children's book that has  floated around in my head for years. I hope it takes me into an artistic place where the art I create really moves people to feel, to experience great emotion, and learn to love the beauty in life, despite what their world surrounds them with. I hope I continue to be bold enough to share my faith through my art, even when it is looked down upon by some and I hope that somehow I am able to make a difference in the lives of children, those that I hold most sacred on the planet we share. 

I pray, no matter what is thrown at me, that I will continue to embrace joy, and insane optimism, which is no easy task. My family has always played a huge role in my ability to stay positive and I trust this year will be no different. And on a humorous note, I hope at least one painting this year will make someone burst into laughter, for no other reason than it reminded them of their childhood.

Save the world? No, not on my agenda. Save my spirit and share the love and gifts God has blessed me with with a beautiful world? That I can do. So follow me if you choose, as I turn the page and walk onto a blank canvas, then watch the colors start to flow and we will both see what masterpiece life has in store to paint! And better yet, paint your own and share it with me, that, friends, will make the true meaning of art come full circle for me and I would be honored to share it with you! Peace friends! 

If you follow me on my fanpage at Facebook the you may have read that I am doing a study this year to compare master painters from different centuries. I have started with Jan van Eyck and Hans Holbein the Younger. If art history interests you look me up at The Artwork of Ardith Goodwin and join in on the discussion.



Here are a few pieces I created over the past years. Thank God for 2009, raise a glass in honor of it, and cheer on the one to come!

 

 

 

 

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree, The Saga Continues.....

     I don't know if it is the dreary rain falling, the damp, cold blanket of air that weighs heavily on everything, or the fact that this tree business is in my craw, but today has been one of those red letter days where everything seems to be a mess! 
     Several years ago I did what I thought was a grand thing and now, looking back on it, it was a complete idiotic thing to do, so I live with that crazy decision every Christmas. You see, I bought a "pre-lit" tree without asking my hubs. I have blogged about this tree saga for a couple of years because  it's sad and hysterically funny how it has evolved into a Christmas tradition in the Goodwin household. I will fill my new readers in on a few old details and then catch you all up on how the saga unfolds today. 
     We were always a real tree family you see. I loved the look, the smell, but I had had it with the cost of those trees year after year. So, after Christmas a few years back Linen's and Things had this gorgeous, 'pre-lit' tree 75% off, and on impulse I bought it. I was quite proud of my purchase but the look on my hubs face when I drug it out of my car was horror. I had not only broken a tradition we have always had, but I didn't call and run it past him, which is something we have always agreed we would do on big purchases. Without hashing it all up, I was in the dog house and couldn't take the tree back, so I packed it up and stored it for the next year. 
     The first year we used it the tree was pretty fabulous, after the hard feelings had simmered over the past year. I lit my, 'smells like a Christmas tree candle', which by the way, NEVER smells as good as the real thing, but it was lovely nonetheless. Problems started after Christmas when it was time to take it apart. You see, the 'pre-lit' tree turned out not to be 'pre-lit' so when I couldn't store it like I had the past year, and needed to take it apart, it wouldn't come apart due to all the wires. The reality of what type of tree this was sunk in and I, with jeers from my family, began the tedious process of unstringing this tree. I would have rather had the first layer of my epidermis peeled off than to unstring that tree!

     Over the years, this process made a complete mess of the structure of the tree. I broke connection after connection and as it evolved I eventually had about half of a  tree. I begged to get a real one, to go back to our tradition and admit defeat, but my sweet hubs, who as most of you know loves to turn trash to treasure, wouldn't hear of it. I was forced to get creative. It started with the use of fishing line, which on a few limbs still exists today. A year later I resorted to using duct tape. Last year, to my amazement, my cousin figured out how to snap the stems in without breaking the connections so it wasn't too bad. Regardless though, I was fed up with that tree so I drug it to the road for the trash. My hubs came home early, saw the carcass at the street, and said oh no, and drug it back in the house. 
     For the past few weeks I knew it was coming, the dreaded piecing together of that tree. I honestly thought about not putting one up too. James had moved out and I went back and forth, to tree or not to tree, that was the question! Alas, the tree won out, along with several verbal family members saying it would be a travesty not to put one up, so I caved. 
     This morning, I woke up to the dreariness of the day and started cleaning up a spot for that tree. We drug it from the shed into the house, and when pulling it out of the many bags it lived in, several new pieces fell off. I just shook my head and quietly said a few choice four letter words. The stem was rusted, the top was flat, overall it was a pretty sad tree. So, not to let the Grinch in me win out, I vowed to artistically piece this tree back together for one more year, and then, quietly pray that somehow the powers that be see fit for our Charlie Brown tree to break a leg, or a stem, or it's top off so the saga can end. Problem is, I wonder if any tree will ever be as memorable as this one. I think not, do you?


Here are the before pics. You can see the fishing line, the big hole in the side, the empty connections, and several lost limbs. It has now become a metaphor I feel for my life. A beautiful thing, with broken parts, wired and screwed back together, to shine brightly in a world that needs a few more bright spots than it already has. Stay tuned for the after, you will believe miracles exist when you see those. Happy Advent friends and early Christmas Holidays to you. May you find laughter in your hearts this season!

The pieces that 'should' be attached to the tree!

The connectors, all busted, and a sad piece of duct tape from last year.

The fishing line, enough said. 

And here is the final version, taken in the dark, to hide all the "piccadillos" it has. The lights make it look endearing don't you think? I couldn't for the life of me post the pics in real light, they would make you break out in song singing, "Oh Tannenbaum, oh Tannenbaum," .....and fall over with a great big belly laugh! What I am thankful for is this; my sweet husband and son who insisted on helping me. They strung the lights, they hung the ornaments, they made me laugh, and we all looked at the finished tree with great pride, and all was well in the land......limp star and all. LOL! I won't for the life of me straighten it. Merry Christmas friends!

Teaching Children the Concept of 'Beauty'

I have had the pleasure of working with kids through the past years either through tutoring or painting with them and even showing them that writing can actually be fun. Those moments are dear to me because I miss teaching kids a great deal. As a teacher, and I believe God calls certain people to that profession, having the opportunity to mold a child's understanding of the world around them is a humbling, grace filled opportunity that I hold sacred. 

My cousin Fran has a daughter who has painted with me. I love painting with children, because it brings me back to my true gift, the one of teaching. Fran called me the other day and explained that Lilly had to paint for a contest at school and the theme was, "Beautiful Is..." I thought for a minute and realized kids the ages of 3-8 might struggle to really grasp this concept so I thought of what suggestions I could give that might help her.  

For that age group beauty is a vague, abstract concept. It is not something they can grasp with their hands. Although they are surrounded by beautiful things each day, I doubt they look at a flower and see it as beautiful with a deep understanding of the idea. To help a child begin to consider this word I suggest using their five senses to experience the world around them and share in discussing it with you. Take your child to a florist or produce market and let them touch, smell, taste, and see the variety of colors. Then ask them, which ones are they drawn to, and why. Explain to them that those colors, objects, sounds, or feelings are those they find beautiful.  At a young age it must start with their experiences but as your children age, you will begin to spread their wings a bit and teach them that all beauty comes from within and even ugly can be beautiful.


I believe that we are created by God with an understanding for 'beauty' in each of us. Science can't explain the concept as to why when we see a rainbow or the face of a child we experience it as 'beautiful'. Part of me truly believes that what we find as beautiful is God's way of showing us what the Garden of Eden would have been like. We get little glimpses or tastes of what he meant for us, and I am grateful for those moments in life. 

As you compare and contrast songs, moments, feelings, textures, etc. with your child encourage them to explain why or why not they are drawn to one thing in particular. This conversation is critical in teaching them to live artistically and it will actually build a foundation for them to understand the scientific process as well. Most of all, have fun with the activity or conversation, because the process of the understanding is really the point, not the end result of did they get it. 

I hope some of you will choose to paint with your children during this holiday season. Those gifts are the most precious and 'beautiful' to give and receive. Beauty can be abstract to young ones but it doesn't have to be. If you want to truly show them something beautiful, give them a mirror. 
This is Lilly, she and her painting are both, BEAUTIFUL!

 

Why Angels and Crosses?

What a crazy week it has been in the Goodwin household! When I was physically able to start painting again I had no idea where it would lead me,other than to my art table and the occasional gallery visit. During the past few weeks doors have opened up for me to share my art with several different groups of people. I really gave that some thought and considered each venue. Normally, I don't paint for a specific group, but considering the holidays are around the corner, I really had to tweak my thinking on that. 
As I did, I also had a conversation with God about why I paint. First, I am grateful for the gift of creativity so I wanted to be a good steward of that. I also have learned that when I paint a cross or an angel, and then blog about it, people who read it are touched, it connects with them in a way that my 'normal' art doesn't. For that main reason, I chose to spend a good bit of time painting angels and crosses for the holidays. 
As I painted, I spent a lot of  time researching verses to go with each one, and can honestly say I haven't spent that much time perusing the bible since the days of our bible drills when I was a child. It was a meaningful experience to say the least. Most all of the paintings in this series have a verse, painted somewhere within, because besides being grateful for my gift of painting, I knew I HAD to use it to share my faith as well. So, as you look over some of these little gems, know that they were lovingly created and prayed over, each one. A prayer that simply was meant for whoever who sees one or purchases one, would gain some since of who Christ is in their life, and in hopes that it would bring them joy.

I wish I could say this was easy, that whipping these out was a walk in the park, but as all my disabled artist friends know, that is not the case for those of us who struggle with bodies that don't match our zeal for life. There were days I painted slower than others, but, as asked, I painted through it and saw the effort pay off, at least in the journey, not monetarily. Artists struggle in many ways, so I ask all of you to consider supporting your local art community this holiday season buy purchasing art as gifts for Christmas if you choose to celebrate it. I am thrilled to share my gift with you, not only the paintings, but the journey as well. Drop me a line, I would love to hear from you about your journey as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To see more angels and crosses, visit Facebook and join my fanpage, The Artwork of Ardith Goodwin, 

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