The Daily Spectrum - Crosses Everywhere

I saw on Facebook recently several posts regarding crosses being banned, crosses supposedly falling on adult only stores, and crosses being burned. The cross comes to us from ancient times. Most believe its symbolism to stand for Christ who overcame death on the cross and into the Resurrection.

A cross was a symbol of a poor choice a person had made and they needed to die for that choice. This was justice during Julius Caesar's time. What does justice mean for us today? For me, justice has come best when I've turned the other cheek and walked away from my persecution... allowing God to be my vindication.

Justice means restoration - a coming back to life... a better life than what we had before... a reinstatement into the functioning or working society. Being lifted out of poverty... both physically and spiritually. Becoming alive again. Being with friends and family who accept us. Life is good.

Until next time,
The happy painter,
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - Inner Cosmos

The bleeding heart is one gushing with love. Our own pain and brokenness need perspective. Our inner turmoil with anger, resentments, guilt, and pain cause constant war zones that require healing. The inner spirit has been cracked and we all walk around with broken hearts.

Through my brokenness, I do what I can do. God lives His dream through me. God works through my heart, refining my faith, and demanding me to wait on His timing. So many times I've missed the meaning of life - the living of it. By esteeming others and looking out for their needs; this is the mindset of God. Don't let fear stop you.

Inner Cosmos is an abstract depicting my inner brokenness. It just goes to prove that there is beauty in the broken places.

Until next time,
The happy painter,
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - Kaleidoscope Eyes

The words to a song are inspiring are today. As a child, I owned a kaleidoscope. It was full of bright colors and changed geometric patterns with a twist of the bottom. It was a cylinder shape with mirrors inside containing colored objects like beads, pebbles, or bits of glass. As the viewer looks in one end, the light from the opposite end creates the patterns, due to the reflection in the mirrors. The root "Kalos" means beauty in ancient Greek... and "Edios" means that which is seen in a form or shape. Finally, "Skopeo"  is to look at.

In basic terms, a kaleidoscope is a series of a repeated patterns. The pattern remains the same throughout, yet the image becomes a mirrored view. Our eyes work in much the same way - we see an object in light, it passes through the cornea. The mirrored image is produced upside down until the brain as well as the optic nerve straighten things out, add depth of field, and color.

In its most simplistic aspect, art is beauty in shape and form. Like a diamond which has many facets, an abstract drawing may have many meaning depending on the viewer. One may see hot air balloons to carry them up and away; another may see seed pods in the center of a flower.

Look on art with your inner vision - and let it move you.

Until next time,
The happy painter,
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - Going Deep

Appearances are not always what they seem. The well dressed man and/or woman may be extremely shy and insecure. They may come across instead as being standoffish or snobby. The truth of their personality is like a great piece of art. Until you take the time to interact with it - you will get nothing out of it.

The ocean is similar to that to the casual observer or beach goer. On the surface, the wind blows and helps creates waves. It is not until turns into a swimmer and enters the water, that the ocean has an affect on him or her. They get bounced around and bowled over - or they lift their feet and float over each wave. The braver souls dive under the water and experience a peaceful swim. They've become one with the water and trust themselves to the power surrounding them.

Abstract art is actually very self-confident, friendly, and welcoming. It has a special communication for each viewer who takes the time to get to know the piece within their soul. Abstract art connects all of human history via ancient symbolism.

My process is a freeing of all rules and preconceived notions. It is a following of my intuition; Going with the flow. The colors evoke emotions. Shapes may remind someone of an animal or object. The abstract may tell a whale story once the viewer has relaxed with it.

The artist did what they were born to do: create connections.

Until next time,
The happy painter,
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - Free Hand

"When God's hand is on your life... your soul will reclaim its purpose."
 - Brady Weldon

Why are you doing what you are doing? How can you do more of what you love and less of what you barely tolerate? Fear hinders any change... fear of the future, failure; fear of being ridiculed. Fear is false evidence appearing real. The reality is that you have the power and life in your fingertips. God has given us a "free hand" to choose how we will live! God loves us unconditionally - and as His children, we can make our lives into masterpieces. Faith is believing in things not yet manifested.

I am a great oil painter. I make a decent living from my work. My skills are honed and many people love my colors. Purchasing original art from the artist is in vogue. It is hip to be a collector of fine art.

I believe as people release their fears of the future, they will loosen their purse strings and buy culture. They will believe in themselves and their ability to choose fine art that is pleasing to them and overcome their fear of ridicule. They choose spectacular pieces to live with and their lives are enriched from doing so.

Each and every person's purpose is to find art and live with it.

Until next time,
The happy painter,
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - Your Canvas Is Before You Go Paint Your Future

God created us to do the most good in the world. We can all create a better world right where we are. With one small change in my behavior, I can begin a huge cultural change.

I recently traveled to the southern eastern part of the United States. I was amazed at how friendly and outgoing people were. They had a "spread the love" mentality. They also taught it to their children through teaching manners and respect for others. They gave themselves through smiles, waves, acknowledgement of you as a person, and big warm hugs. This kind of behavior is unheard of, for the most part, in northern climates.

Changing your daily grind into a life of passion, is birthing greatness out of mediocrity. It takes courage to invest in our future, and it takes change to see it come to fruition. Write God's vision for your life down. Pray about it and press into it.

"Life is God's novel - let God write it."
 - Issac Singer

Until next time,
The happy painter
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - Why Am I Doing What I'm Doing?

When it comes to my work, hobbies, family and friends, it's important to stop and ask the question in the title. Otherwise I may be trapped in a vicious cycle. My vision as an artist and a creator defines who I am rather than obligations to others.

I give myself permission to be alive in my spirit each day. Everyone else gets the benefits of knowing me as a fully alive person. What should my life be about? Life is a choice - through prayer and planning. I can receive God's guidance and be prepared for doing work in every area of life.

A right path leads to life. If you're on the wrong path, change is the order of the day. We are designed to be creative. Even though things happen beyond your control, you can still change how to respond. Ultimately, it's what you think about, talk about, and do something about is what comes around. It is brought to existence by our own thoughts, words, and intentions in your heart.

My thoughts, words, and actions bring me closer to my goals. I am a great oil painter. The beauty of God comes through me into my work and out into the world. I can overcome.

I search out every marketing avenue open to me, put my paintings up for viewing and God sends the right person, at the right time, with the right amount of money. I trust Him that I make a living wage beginning now.

Until next time,
The happy painter,
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - Transformation

You can't expect different results from doing the same old thing over and over. I had to flex my mind and dump the old garbage. Cutting it away, soaring toward the new. I have to begin believing in myself and that my work is worthwhile.

"Sometimes you stare at the door that is closing that you see too late the one that is open."
  Alexander Graham Bell

I've utilized the time of winter to analyze what I'm doing as well as not doing. Marketing has been one area I haven't explored to the fullest yet. I've done some, but not enough.

I need to develop forward thinking - I know how to paint, and I know my work is good! I've sold to many people on a one-to-one basis. I need to stop living in the past and prepare for my future by embracing the present and the marketing tools available to me.

I am alive in my life. I am full of life, loving my painting passion. I give myself the gift of change and I am learning to have excitement and joy while in the process of changing.

Until next time,
The happy painter,
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - Faith Grows Best In The Winter Of Trial

This past winter was a trial for many people. The Northener's froze as did the Southener's when the temperatures in America dipped well below normal. Many opinions and attitudes were shaped by the media and the weather broadcasters.

Yet a complete transformation of the mind is possible. By listening to the bleak forecast and the undercurrent of depression elicited from the reporters' mouths, one might be tempted to become angry and bitter. This is a waste of time. We don't have to become oppressed and suppressed.

I long to know that who I am matters. I want to shine in the art world and have a sense of accomplishment before I leave this world. I would love to leave a legacy, but more importantly - did my work make a difference? Did it help someone appreciate their own life?

This passion fuels my life message - I do all through God's grace. I see His divine beauty. This vision and the action of putting my art up for sale can change the world: One sold painting at a time - one changed and opened heart at a time. Let the love flow in.

Over this past winter, my head got straightened out. The only way to replace sickness is with wholeness.

Until next time,
The happy painter,
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - Thoughts On Joyfilled Living

Continuing from my previous blog post and the thought of my personal goal to feel the joy of life in a genuine way, I'd like to pass along thoughts on a joy-filled life. If you think about it, these points can also be used in the process of creating art - just modify it a little:

1). Focus on how I want my body to feel (ie; pain free).
2). Be confident - look people in the eye.
3). Let seasons guide my eating habits. The Earth grows what you need where you need it.
4). Stay grounded while moving forward.
5). Take charge of your reflection - love it.
6). Transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary is to be enlightened.
7). Change happens between the acceptance of now and the anticipation of whats to come.
8). Wellness is about making your life bigger - not smaller.
9). Push past your physical limits.
10). Nothing connects you to who you are - quite like the people who knew you when.

Until next time,
The happy painter,
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - A Change Of Pace

Holding on to hope and making smart choices lead to positive changes. Opening my mind to the possibilities life has to offer. Sometimes the very things we perceive as a negative, ultimately turn out to be a good thing.

 - "Give me the splendid silent sun with all his beams full - dazzling"
     Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass

My personal goal is to feel genuinely the joy of life. It begins in this moment and my choice to be grateful now. My healing process begins with the choice to separate myself from the old story and bring in supportive people to assist in "reprogramming" me. Part of this goal is self growth... exploring healthier tools for life. I face my own mind and stop thinking negative thoughts and emotions. It is a form of violence to myself.

Using my mind in a trained manner - I sit like a bee sucking in the moment. While I grieve, a dead leaf fell upon me. Turn my negative thoughts into hope and joy. God's spirit within me creates a journey full of excitement, passion, and joy.

Until next time,
The happy painter,
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - Among The Trees

A new spirit has emboldened me to push ever onward as a person and as a painter. What I'm doing - not many understand. My fellow artists have flown the coup of Maine for warmer or different climates.

I am a pioneer in the deep woods. I am the solitary eagle soaring high on the winds. I am the wave crashing on the beach.

I am painter - one with all I capture. Huntress searching for my sustainable meal. I paint - you purchase the work - therefore I can eat.

Until next time,
The happy painter,
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - My Passion, My Art

Dedicated to beauty. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So - what is beauty? To one person, it is the colors of a vibrant sunset; to another, the geometry of the city walls; yet to a third person, beauty is found in objects that bring comfort.

I'm changing my focus this season - barns as well as farms have been the background of American culture from  the Native Americans who grew maize, to the Pilgrims, to modern day farmers and backyard enthusiasts.

To plant is to grow. To paint the plants is to expand. For me, painting barns connects me to the people who built America - the down to Earth ones.

Until next time,
The happy painter,
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - Finding Your Inner Moose

I'm finding it difficult today to let go of the morning madness that always ensues. What can I do today to improve my emotional and mental health? When I'm balancing another for my circumstances, it keeps me stuck offering no hope for change and improving my conditions.

I have personal power. It's my choice to plug into it today. All it takes is the decision to take my life into my own hands - to be thoughtful, prayerful, and 100% responsible for all that I do to nourish my developing self. I strengthen my sense of self, heighten my well-being, and move closer to wholeness.

Self-realization is the most important search of all. I don't let pain and discomfort hinder me from searching myself in a true and honest light. I am open and willing to learn life's lessons. I aim to walk with God today in an ordinary way. Spiritual truth is learned by atmosphere and things become possible that weren't possible before. You will find a new vision and a new purpose.

Until next time,
The happy painter,
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - Spring Has Come To Maine

This is the time of year when I seek diligently to find new things to paint. Driving through the backwoods of Maine, exploring places I haven't seen yet. You might think I'd get tired of old barns and farms. I don't. They each have a personality like the person who designed and built them.

There is the purpose of the barn to consider. Does it house cows, horses, chickens, Alpacas, sheep, goats, rabbits or guinea pigs? Each animal has different requirements in a shelter as well as a unique personality - a cow can be easily fenced, where a sheep cannot.

Does the barn have a colorful tin or metal roof, or is it a shingled one? Moods and time of day need to be taken into consideration. What is my color palette? What am I trying to say about this farm?

Why do I paint farms? Farmers provide for our needs - food to eat and wool for clothing. Farms are also 100% American made.

I sharpen my skills of perspective with each barn scene I paint. They say practice makes perfect - but even the Amish drop a stitch in their quilts to remind themselves to be humble. I paint in a red plank in the same vein to remind myself it's okay to make a mistake. Only God is perfect.

Until next time,
The happy painter,
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - Days of Winter

You may have wondered what happened to me, the studio, and this blog since October 2013. My husband Dave and I journeyed south where we thought there would be warmer weather. I could paint outdoors and he could find more stable work.

Unfortunately, neither of these two things happened very often. The adventures of our trip can be read and followed on NomadicAmericans.blogspot.com. We found ourselves in winter everywhere. The temperatures hardly rose above 50 degrees in the states we found ourselves. The blessings of our journey art-wise however, were that we saw many a pastoral countryside and I now have an assortment of photo references now to paint from.

My method of painting begins with my palette of favorite colors; what I call my basic 8 - two yellows. a light as well as a dark medium cad, two other reds, two greens, and two blues. All other colors I can mix from these. I have over the years picked up a dioxide purple and an orange as these can be time saving when I return to a painting in progress and spare myself some frustration. This in turn, helps me remain a "happy painter".

Until next time,
Jill

The Daily Spectrum - What Color Are You?

Color is as major a decision in making art as it is a personal choice. many professionals in advertising, home decor, real estate, and even photographers know how to utilize color in order to help sell a product. They realize that color elicits a certain response in the human psyche - whether we, the consumer, are consciously aware of it or not. For example, red signifies a hunger response; therefore, a hot dog or cut of meat in a particular advertisement may be intentionally reddened in the photograph being published. Another example, is an dining area in a restaurant may be painted a certain shade of maroon.

Wearing colors is a bit more tricky - some will enhance your complexion while others make you look and feel sick and/or run down. Usually the brighter the color, the more vibrant and lively the person is.

The art of living begins by knowing the particular colors that appeal specifically to you. Are you a primary person, or a rainbow (muted)? Do natural colors appeal to you or industrial ones?

You may be wondering what any of this has to do with painting - I'll tell you what... paintings are made of all sorts of colors. From high intensity to low, vibrant to dim, light to dark. My color pallet won't be the same as yours - and that's perfectly fine. We may be painting the same inspiring scene together, but color choices are still up to each individual and are just as unique as a finger print.

What is the purpose for your painting? For myself, the beauty of a pastoral landscape can't be beat. I long for the simpler days and quieter times even though I personally haven't lived on a farm. I am enthralled with the songs of birds, the whistling wind, and the bouncing dried leaves as they pass by. I hear the woodpecker tapping on a tree for his meal. I am so blessed to be able to do what I love for a living and be in a laid back state.

It's been quite some time since I've put a link to my website in the blog, so here it is again -
http://artscapedesignstudio.wix.com/jadl

Until next time,
The Happy Painter
Jill