17 Feb
During the Creative Process
I Only Needed One and For the JOY of It All!
I LOVE to paint.
I LOVE to write.
I LOVE to teach.
Whew—I just had to go ahead and get that off my chest. JOY is one of those things that is simply impossible to keep under wraps 🙂
Yes, I am still in Florida, although I have finished the workshops here (so many fun people I have met, but more on that in another post).
Yes, I have been gone from home for a month and a half. My mini apartment rental expired this morning, I finished the last drops of the creme for my coffee and the gray in my hair (put there by Eddie) is starting to show—all signs that I need to be high tailing it back to Kentucky.
I told myself that I only needed one good reason to stay a little longer so I commenced to lookin’ for a SIGN.
I found a few, which although informative…
Were not necessarily what I was looking for 😉
And then, like a vision in the night—-there it was!!!
ONE GOOD REASON.
I loaded up my stuff and hit the road….for about 6 blocks.
NEW DIGS!
on the beach.
I know this sounds suspiciously like last year’s tantrum when I had to be forcibly pulled from the beach.
There is something about me and the ocean—I think maybe we were twins, separated at birth.
I derive so much peace from the sound and the sight of it, words fail me. I have journaled more, read more, and listened to the quiet more than I have in a long time.
There is a Beauty in all that we do
Poured forth from the cup of life
First a trickle
Then a gush
Awes and Ohs
and a thousand Yeses!
Let us share a cup together
Making certain as we pour
To overflow and spill it
onto every life we touch
You should know this— you are never far from my mind. We are in this life together. I seek things out that inspire me and like a child with a wildflower just picked—can’t wait to bring it to you in hopes that it brings a smile to your face, a warmth to your heart and a knowing that Someone is looking out so very well for you. You are so loved 🙂
“For the JOY of It All!”
12 x 12in oil on museum quality panel
Thanks for the laughs- love the signs! Yes, Florida is definitely the place to be in the winter!! Glad you are still hear making Florida a better place 🙂 Make your way up to Orlando/Windermere and teach a workshop at the Art Room 🙂
Yep, that ‘1’ was definitely a sign to stay just a wee bit longer. I couldn’t take it to mean anything other than that. 🙂
I’m sure that upon your return, he will be jumping up and down with joy (in an Eddie sorta way, I mean) that you’re back home and can pay him extra attention. 🙂 And you know he’ll be looking for some little gifts and treats that you’ve of course brought back home for him and Pierre and Maggie. 🙂
I read that the chilly temps and even snow has reached northern parts of Florida…I hope it’s still dry and warm and sunny where you are.
This painting is perfectly and aptly titled – there’s so much joy there!
Loving the beautiful words and inspiration!
I am listening for that voice every day! Its telling me to stay put in Arizona for awhile…a long while, until you surface in Costa Mesa again! I stood in the sun yesterday, talking to a friend from Kentucky, and we basked in 70+ temperatures and none of that Florida humidity. Of course, we didn’t have the ocean 🙁
Good choice, Dreama. We were gonna stay an extra week in the Keys but it doesn’t look like TN will be open by the weekend. We hauled it to Macon (11 hrs) on the 14th then all the way back home to Cincinnati on the 15th, ahead of the snow. I really, really miss the sun…
So glad you found a reason to stay! And that looks like a very good 1. 🙂 I can relate to your affinity for the ocean. Since moving to Florida, I know I could never live very far from the ocean. I’ll look forward to painting with you again. Both of your workshops were so inspiring! Enjoy the rest of your stay! Eddie must be missing you so.
You went to TWO at once? Is that allowed?
Marion–Eddie says yes, it’s allowed 🙂 Marco in Jan—Indian Rocks Beach in Feb–an artist does what an artist has to do 😉
Dianne–it was wonderful having you with me again! Eddie has a great sitter, Pat, who loves him to pieces. I miss him—one never knows if it goes the other way though—lots of Edditude to deal with you understand 😉
I live on Marco, and wonder if you are still here, writing this 😉
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