I recently read in "The Wellness Digest" Instagram page an article entitled "The Fascinating Ways Plants React" (December 2, 2024) where Dr. Zach Bush, M.D., spoke about the ability houseplants have to recognize us and sense our arrival and departures from home through their natural vibrational and telepathic abilities. Not only that, but they also can sense our moods or stress levels simply through the chemicals released by us as well as through sound and vibrations. To make this even more fascinating, they can also sense when we are arriving back home within a mile of our physical location!

How amazing is that? It makes all of the time I spend on my houseplants that much more satisfying, and now I'm also feeling bad about the plants that I killed because I didn't water them enough!

Let's be more careful to take care of our plants, pets, and wildlife around us, because ultimately, we are all connected. (And that's a good thing!) :-) - Anita

My Mom, who has Alzheimer's disease, lives with me. She used to be a schoolteacher, an educator and she had volunteered for so many community groups in her retirement. These days, her judgement is not what it used to be. It's a work in progress, or in decline, depending on your outlook. (As a believer, I'm sticking with progress!)

One day, Mom cut a closed Tiger Lily bud from the back garden and placed it in a glass of water on our kitchen window sill. For three days it sat there, completely shut tight.

I  felt bad for this bud and for Mom. I didn't think it would do anything, and now we'd have to watch it wilt another day or two before I'll quietly throw it away. Such a silly waste.

The following morning, I went to the kitchen to make coffee, and the bud had completely opened! It was the most beautiful burst of colors and sweetness I had seen so close up!

I'm not sure Mom knew it would do this- obviously I didn't! And yet here it was. Each day it grew wider, brighter and the petals became more brilliantly colored with orange, yellow and red hues. It was its' own work of ever-changing, interactive and beautiful art.

My little painting doesn't do it justice, but I hope it captures the moment. And its a reminder of the lesson to be learned. Sometimes "Silly" is actually "Clarity"! Always look twice, and then wait. - Anita

So... I've just finished up from taking part in the St. Peter's Art Show in Lewes, Delaware... and I've been reflecting about it for the past few days. Why do I enjoy going to art shows so much?

To be honest, preparing for and setting up a big white tent, numerous metal display panels, and hanging up your work tastefully through a small windstorm in 90 degree heat is no easy task- in fact it's an obscene amount of physical work!

But I love it, and I can't wait to do it again.

One of my favorite experiences of being an artist is not just working on artwork that I believe in, but  personally sharing it with others and hoping they 'get it' the same way I did. In other words, hoping they see the message in a subject and understand why I chose to paint it. (Then I hope they approve of my rendition of the subject!)

When I paint, my goal is the same- to ultimately connect with people. Do all creative types feel the same way? Do any of us set out to create something with the vision of how it may touch someone else? Or does that come later?

It's such an incredible process, and its one of the few things I've done in my life where I have felt brave enough to put my true self "out there" for the world to give it a thumb's up- or down.

I am enjoying the creative process far more than the results! When I am finished a painting, it's like getting to the last page of a book. You're so glad you read it. It's been a part of your life, and it's a little sad to let it go.

If my artwork connects with even just one person at an art show, where they see what I saw in a subject, it's such a memorable moment and makes the show so much more worthwhile. 

No matter what we chose to create in life, if our work ultimately causes someone to feel joy, or feel connected, we have done our job well.

- A
"We may not all do great things, but we can each do small things with great love" - Mother Theresa

Sometimes creativity and the urgent need to paint, draw, or sketch hits me when I least expect it. I am always glad it hits me at all!

On a grey slushy day in upstate New York, and after lots of coffee, I decided to stop by a flower shop on my way home. (Wisteria, in Rochester, NY) The colors were amazing- reminding me of what is to come.. and took my focus away from what currently IS.

The colors and smells of flowers and dirt (and the caffeine in my system) really uplifted my senses, and brought a sense of hopefulness to my mind. Walking through the floral displays and decorations I wished I had a little paint set and sketch book.

If you find yourself in a "rut", or just need to change your perspective, I really recommend changing your immediate scenery for a couple hours. Go to a new coffee shop,  an art gallery, or even a big atrium filled with plants in a hotel lobby. Seriously! Take a book with you, and leave your cell phone behind for a little while. It's like hitting your personal "reset" button!

At an Art Show this past July, a fellow artist (who was in the tent next to mine) and I were talking about the creative process. We talked about how we begin a new piece, and how we layout the subject.

About the subject- one of the things he said to me was: "Don't always just paint what it IS, paint what it COULD be."

This was simple, yet good advice. It was as if someone had officially reminded me to not just focus strictly on the technique and the details of the subject, but to allow my imagination and creativity continue being a steady influence on the artwork, too. 

This can also apply to the way we live our lives, too. In other words, we shouldn't color within the lines all of the time. Knowing when and how to go outside of the lines is what makes each of us unique! - A