100 Faces in 100 days! I finally finished!

Well I didn't think it would feel as though the time flew by when I started this project. I am feeling a bit surprised by my own sadness at ending this project. I am exceedingly happy to have done it though and tonight I'll be at our local thrift store that raises money for animal shelters. They are having an art walk and I'll bring my faces with me. I do love talking about this project. I have some things in the works regarding this work. I haven't really had the time to focus on it but I will now. I may take a few days off from painting, to do some much needed organizing. I tend to focus solely on painting and nothing else. hahah ..

There was a person that said they were looking forward to my grand finale. .. and I wanted the paintings to be extra special but I'm a little spent on the thinking aspect of this project. I wanted my work to be extra special and so I painted the elephant to go with all the Africa stories that I wrote about and this little guy is just so cute and my mom loved her elephants and had several wood carved elephants in her home.

I am really just so happy to push myself to paint every single day and I want to paint more and bigger and different things besides faces and what not. I realized how much I love color too and how I can use it to make me feel really happy. Some of the paintings really gave me great satisfaction. Some I realized the frustration of not being able to get it just perfect and sometimes I just had to say enough!! It's enough... and then as the days went on I painted longer and more details.. sometimes I wanted to paint less.. I'm just really glad to have made this commitment and stuck with it.. WOO HOO .. . I want to celebrate so I am guessing it will be tonight at the art walk.. by my self and with anyone else that comes over. So .. about the second painting here. I realized that my love of painting faces is the eyes. It's hard to paint the eyes or a close up of an elephant because they are so big. I really wanted to paint eyes for the end and so I lamented a bit and decided to paint a cat face with big eyes. I like how it turned out. So it's kind of a celebration that I have two paintings instead of one. I started out day one with three faces and so i'm ending with two. I think i'll go jump for joy!!!! Thank you to all of you that came over and commented and wrote to me on facebook and purchased my art. I have really been awwed by the support. Maybe one day I'll have lots more commenters but i have appreciated those that have. I'm just happy ..Thank you .. for watching even if you never said a thing. :) Its good .. it's all good.

The elephant and the cat face are both about 10 3/4 x 13 1/2 the biggest I think so far. They are each for sale for $100. If you would like to purchase one of these please email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. Thank you again .. it's been a wild ride and amazing. Oh and I'm not going to stop blogging .. I may do another project like this in the future. I will be making an announcement soon about what will happen with the portraits that are still available. Please do come back to my blog and see what I'm up too .. remember artists are people too and we need to make art and we need to make a living while we do it so please support artists by buying their work. It's important and it is valuable. We make the world a bit more interesting. Please help us do what we are meant to do. :)

Day 82 Shambell

Today is day 82 and I did start this earlier and came back to it this evening. It's been a week that feels a bit like a fog because I've been so tired emotionally and physically. Today felt more normal than usual haha. This is good.

Tonight I decided to write about Shambell. I may have talked about her before when I talked about riding horses when we lived in Africa. I learned to ride at the British Consulates. My mom used to take my brother and I when we first started going. We always went with a guide and we always got to run the horses sometime and if we weren't careful they would run back to the stables on their way back when they knew it was time to go home. I always rode Shambell. She was a beautiful black stallion. I loved this horse. I loved her. When we left Africa I was just eleven years old. By the last year or so my brother and I would walk to the stables by ourselves and ride with the guide .. it was fairly inexpensive so I was often asking my mom for money to go horseback riding. It was incredibly fun. I always wanted to brush the horse when we got back. I was always grateful to the horse for letting me ride her. This is painted on a childhood storybook that was oddly enough Black Beauty, it's what got me thinking about Shambell. This experience always had me wishing for a horse as I was growing up. Sadly, there was never again any horseback riding in that way ever again after coming stateside. Except for one time when my uncle who had horses on his cattle farm rode with me on a horse to see if any babies had been born one morning. I had told him that I was comfortable riding a horse. When he saw there was a new calf he decided to stay and watch him for a bit and asked me if I wanted to ride the horse back to the stables. I excitedly said sure! He was something of a joker and decided to put me in my place and hit the horses rump and yelled "Get!!" and of course the horse took off and ran like a race horse all the way back to the stable. I held on for dear life and had to duck to get past a door threshold going into the barn. I was lucky I didn't hurt myself .. my Uncle thought it was funny .. No matter what, I've always loved horses.

If you would like to own this horse painting email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. This painting is 7.5 x 11.5. See you tomorrow!!!

Day 57 and Hyena

Today day fifty seven and it was the first day where I really had no idea what to paint or what to say.. so I got a late start. Oddly enough this came to me after I sat still for a minute. There is for me great value in being still for the creative process. Busy-ness just seems to kill it for me. And on this one .. I just decided to give the shape of the animal and focus my attention around the eyes .. these eyes just say so much to me. Hyena's are not the most loved animal of Africa .. they have been given many characteristics most of which are negative. Either way there is something about those eyes ..

The hyenas came up in my thoughts when I recalled that while were spending weekends at the beach we were reminded about .. the bathroom situation. There was a series of holes dug in the ground surrounded by some wooden walls .. I really don't remember what it looked like inside but for sanitation reasons that's where you had to go. At night I often needed to go .. we were always told never to go alone, ever. So usually my dad got the potty duty and off we would go with a flashlight. I wish that I had some kind of an amazing story about them but all I remember is that he would stand there with the flashlight and point it out where they were .. I could sometimes barely make them out, usually their eyes would glow but they never, thankfully, came close. I never heard any stories about any close calls of anyone that we went with to the beach. I am thinking there is one really good thing about a hyena and I think it's like a vulture, they are like the clean up crew of dead animals. I think they will eat just about anything.

If you would love to have this beautiful eyed hyena in your house .. email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. This is painted on sewn folder with wrapping paper. About 8 x 12
I like this one. See you tomorrow .. and it's a great day!!

Day 55 and Camels

Day 55 and so this means there are 35 more days to go.. today I have a lot to do .. so I am feeling the pressure. I still love doing the faces and I don't think that I will ever stop loving painting. I don't care for the stress.. so I may have to change things .. but it won't impact this aspect of my life .. I am committed to doing this!!!

I have recently been looking through old family photos. That was one thing that my mother was very good at doing as well as organizing all the things that she saved. She kept lots of family photos and back then you had to take them with a film camera and get them developed. I found a photo of me wearing a christmas outfit that my mom made and I am riding on the top of a camel by my self. I look to be about 6 years old. If you know anything about camels they have that hump on their backs and the saddle is usually on top of that if you are doing the odd thing of riding on one. They are kind of like horses for us in the US. They are the mode of transportation used in the desert. They are very tall and when you hold onto a saddle while it's laying down when it gets up its something like an amusement park ride or a roller coaster. It's the same when they get down. I think that the scarier thing however, is not the ride, but the noises that the camel makes. And the long neck that allows it to have easy access to you on it's back. The noise sounds like Chewbacca from the star wars movies. That is a bit scary to a six year old child. So this photo I found was me riding a camel while attending a children's Christmas party in Africa. Guess that's how they do it there.. or at least that's how American's do it in Africa. I have also ridden on one while we were at the beach on the coast. An animal roller coaster ride. This one looks cute and they all did have those big black eyes and all have their own unique look and with much character. This ones a cutey.

If you would like to own this Camel send me an email at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. He's painted on a folder with a map and red paper as well as an envelope sewn together. About 8-9"x10". Hope you have a great day. See you tomorrow.

Day 53 and Sea Horses

Today all I could think about was how much I love nature and creatures. I find that after writing so much about the time that I lived in Africa as a child, I realize that I have had a love of nature from childhood. We often went to the beach in the early years of living there and later we would go to a place we called the TTU. I'm sure it stands for something but I don't know what that is. The TTU was like a hotel in my child mind. This was a change from staying on the beach camping, where there was always sand in your shoes, to being in a place where you could swim, ski or just sit outside and enjoy the view. Here we could go back to a room after playing hard and shower, get dressed and go somewhere else to have breakfast, lunch or dinner. We went here often too. My mom and dad loved to water ski. I never found it something I wanted to try. My sister was afraid of the water unless we were swimming at the beach. Sometimes my mom would take us on the boat to watch her ski. As we got older this wasn't something we enjoyed very much. One day we bored out of our minds so we asked if we could swim to the beach at the TTU.. it was in the bay we were skiing in. So the boat goes as close as it could and off we jump into the water and swim over the beach. We would play there but there wasn't the long distance of shallow water so it wasn't as much fun. The deep dropped off ... one day my sister and I were playing here in this water and we didn't always look at what was around us but somehow we found ourselves looking at little tiny sea horses! We were so excited we ran up to the tables where were sitting and found some paper cups so we could catch this wonderfully magic creature. Their little tails were wound up into a spiral and they would swim around and move their tails. They were amazing to watch. I don't think I have ever seen them since then. It was a magical memory that I'm so grateful to remember. The beginning of my love of nature.

If you would love to own this beautifully magical creature, email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. This is painted on a cover to a catalog and piece of wrapping paper and an envelope all sewn together. It is about 8x10 in size and is painted in acrylic.. have you noticed the added use of color? I love it!! See you tomorrow .. i'll be back.

Day 52 Emu

I had to laugh when I titled this Day 52 Emu... just cause it rhymes a bit. I mu Emu we all mu.

I have no story about an Emu. I really just loved this face. They do look a bit like an Ostrich. The Emu is from another country that I have unfortunately never been too.

I know they were in Africa but I don't recall ever having any chance to see any up close. We did however have an Ostrich egg lamp. I am suspecting that my mother bought it at the market where she really wasn't supposed to go shopping. My mother had a very adventurous spirit. She was either very fearless or naive to the dangers she could encounter. I don't think that she ever felt that any person was unapproachable if she just had the right words or a big enough smile. Her favorite thing to do was take us down a road we'd never been. Often we were traveling by car to some destination. I think I inherited my mothers sense of time which means we both didn't have a very good one. If we were on a vacation driving and she was the driver it didn't really matter to her how we got there or how long it would take. She always wanted to veer off the highways and onto back roads. The scary sentence we dreaded was, "lets just see where this goes." Off we would go and sometimes we could end up on a road that wasn't really even a road, but someones driveway. All her passengers/children were usually URGING her to stop or turn around because we were sure we were going to be shot by the property owners. Well that never happened but we did often come upon some interesting places. It was this spirit that we objected too that also took us to many wonderful and incredible places. I am approaching the first anniversary of my mother's passing, so I'm grateful really to be doing this processing, this remembering. This REmemoring of my life with her.

If you would love to own this cute face of an EMU .. email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. Have a wonderful day and I'll see you tomorrow. :) Oh and this face is sewn wrapping paper and a map and a calendar. The size is about 8 1/2 x 9 and painted with acrylic paint. The map was from South Dakota. That place is another story on another day. haha.

Day 51 and a Baboon

Today I am tired from so much running around. I have so many things I want and need to do but I just don't know if I'll be able to stay awake much longer. I had to forgo putting my day 51 face online this morning so I'm doing it now .. I love how this turned out, and I am excited to put new animal faces online.

This is a baboon. Yes today's story is about several of them. We were on a way to the port of Massawa on the coast of Africa. It was a place where many American's could go, that were living there, to have rest and relaxation. It was a three and a half hour drive and about 300 kilometers. I know it was 300 kilometers because we would count the markers that marked each one. The drive began with a series of switchbacks that lasted about an hour or more... it seemed way too long no matter how many times we'd been down that road. When ever there are children in the car there is bound to be stops that are needed for potty breaks. There was only one place on the way that you could stop and use a restroom facility and I think we were always expected or obligated to purchase the fabulous lemonade that they made fresh. It was exactly half way to the destination. There were many times it wasn't open. Any breaks before or after were a quick stop on the side of the road and out you plopped .. dropped your drawers and hurryup and back inside. One time, well many times it was me that had to do this. This particular time I did my quick squat and as I was pulling my britches up .. I looked up the side of the mountain above me and saw several baboons .. they were in a small group just staring at me. I quickly got in the car and as I sat on the seat by the window I looked again to see a few children sitting up there in a different spot with big smiles .. I think my face was about as red as the bottoms of the baboons. .. I am pretty sure I made a point of looking first after that. Never got too close to the baboons like in this painting but they sure are interesting creatures. This one has particularly beautiful eyes.

Now .. i can relax and settle into a restful evening. If you would like to own this interesting baboon email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. It's painted on a file divider, no extra charge for the tab.. it is about 101/2 x 12 if you include the tabs sticking out. It has an airmail posted envelope and a map glued to the front with clear acrylic medium and it is painted in acrylic. See you tomorrow.  

Day 50 and Half way there!!!!

Today is day fifty and I just had to mix it up a bit. I have to say .. I LOVE this giraffe.

He is so sweet .. how could you not love a giraffe with those big black eyes?

I am excited to be half way through and maybe do some different faces then what any one would expect. I may go back to other ones but I just had to do this...

Today I am off to visit someone that I love dearly. My godmother Anne. She has always been a wonderful loving woman and her daughter, who is my age, I have always called a god sister.. even though I don't know that there is such a thing. So her and her family are like my family. I haven't always stayed in touch. I have never been like my godmother and written back to her when she would write me countless letters. But I have always loved her attention and thoughtfulness. Sometimes we learn to be more thoughtful before it's too late. Perhaps like me she needed to be reminded that she was loved from time to time by me. Today I hope to convey that to her .. while there is still a chance to do it. I have to say that she took her job as my godmother very seriously. She never ever forgot me .. her charge to make sure that I knew about my beliefs and faith was well done. She always sent me sunday school lessons and letters and cards while we lived in Africa. She always proudly announced that I was her godchild whenever we went home for a visit. I did the same to her later .. when I was finally confirmed, grown and married with my own children. I had many opportunities to return the favor that she was my godmother. I got to be with her on her 80th birthday. So today I'll go and reminisce and love on her as best I can just because I can. I'm grateful for that.

IF you would love to have this adorably cute giraffe in your house .. just email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com and let me know. He's fifty dollars and a portion will go to the CHILDUG.org organization in Uganda. Thanks for following and write something to me .. is anybody out there? I know Mary Anne .. is .. faithful follower .. i know there are lurkers.. .. ok no worries .. thanks for looking. See you tomorrow.

Day 47 of 100 faces in 100 days

Day 47

And so it continues. Some day's I just get lost in the portrait. .. this is a dark face......the eyes are staring into space it seems ..

This is the only thing this makes me think of.

I had a teacher once .. probably one of the only really hard stories I recall while living in Africa. But she was my first grade teacher. First grade where your supposed to love school. Love learning. I was a busy talkative girl. Probably loved painting and drawing even then.. I had to stand in line to go out of the room we were in. I guess I was talking too much. I'm quite certain I was happy to be there and most likely chatting with a girl nearby but I don't recall. What I do however remember is out of nowhere I felt this burning sting on the back of my right calf.  My leg was bare under the dress I was wearing and I screamed out at this sting and quickly I looked at this spot on my leg to see a long red mark on the back of my leg. Standing over me was my first grade teacher, Mrs. H .. i'll refrain from saying her real name. She was looking at me with a face of disdain and told me I should remember to be quite when I was standing in line. The tears welled up in my eyes and I tried to look straight ahead and quite my desire to start sobbing. The only other thing I can remember about this woman was that when it was time for us to paint fingernail polish on empty plastic bleach containers I spilled my polish and got into trouble again. I don't remember second and third grade at all. I have no recollection of who the teachers were or what I did. Always interesting to note I find .. So .. this face is a comtemplation. And a reminder that old stings linger still .... best to use less harshness with children I'm thinking. Best to show kindness and love rather then harsh words and violent use of punishment to make a point. So .. i realize no one may want to own the back story on this painting but .. it is what it is. You probably don't read these anyway. I guess it just helps me get through the process some days. It's all good .

If you want to own this portrait email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. This portrait is $47. It is painted on a file folder with a piece of tissue paper from the wrapping paper bin and an old letter I wrote to my parents when they were away. See you tomorrow..

Day 46 and just an impression

Guess it's just one of those days.

It's day 46 and if only I could stay out of my head. Some day's I feel invisible and some day's it's just good to be invisible. I wonder if anyone would even notice. I wonder how many people feel that way? I never know who reads except for those that tell me.

I have been writing to Josephine of the Childug.org in Uganda. She tells me that she reads the blog stories to the children there. She tells me that the children have decided to start painting each other's faces. I don't think I could express the feeling that I get just knowing that.

I feel somehow that I get so caught up in my thoughts that I forget that the children are hearing my words as Josephine reads them out loud.

So to the children ..I see you. I think about you and I hope good things for your lives. Keep painting, I hope that you get many supplies so that you can paint and paint to find some joy in your life so far away. I pray for your happiness and I hope that you will all be able to go to school. I wish these same good things for my own children and my six grandchildren. I am working on a way to bring attention to your needs there. There are so many people in the world that need help. So .. I will make a donation to your organization there .. to Josephine to do as she wishes for the children for any painting that I sell from here on out. I hope that it will help you. That means that some portion of each painting sold will go to you and some will go to me so that I can keep painting.

Please know that I do care for you .. and I see you.

Day forty six and if you would like to own this face and help to provide something good for the children of Childug.org email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. This is a face painted on sewn papers that my mother saved through out her life and now I am using them as a canvas. Today's portrait is $46. Check out the the organization and see the children. Have a great day! See you tomorrow.

Day 45 and rainy day Sundays..

Today is day fourty five, I'm tired. I've been house and dog sitting all week and last night I stayed up to see my sister and her husband arrive home in the wee hours. I love my sister. Consequently, today I need a nap and so when I'm tired.. things just sort of creep into my head .. it's raining so my thoughts are dripping with stories from long ago.. and i feel sadness. Today I miss my mother.

I remember that when I was younger I didn't seem to know to keep my hair brushed. I liked it long and still have it long today. I got tangles a lot. I think we had a terrible bout of the Hong Kong flu and my bed head equaled nappy tangled hair. On this day I'm thinking of the weather was nice and the sun was out. My mother got a brush and some combs and decided to tackle the task of untangling the jungle on top my head. She told us to come with her outside and we sat on the steps off the kitchen outside in the sun. I know that there were times when the comb hurt my head or she pulled just a little too hard but I don't remember that so much, but I do remember the sun shining on my shoulders and feeling the warmth of the sun. It felt good kind of like a bath of light. The sun just seemed to kill any bad sickness that was left from the flu. I remember how good the comb felt on my scalp. I think the tangle removal took hours and the massage from the combing and even just the feeling of having my hair touched was soothing and loving.  It's a pleasant sleepy time, rainy day, memory and I think I fell asleep a few times just typing this out ..haha so I got a nap and I am grateful for the memory...

If you would like this portrait today that is painted on pages from a book of my mom's and two airline tickets that she kept and I sewed together, just email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com and you can have her for just $45. This is about 8 x 10 inches. I should call this luscious lips .. lol .. i do love the lips lol. Have a sleepy time love feeling day ... see you tomorrow.

Day 42 And riding horses.

Today is day forty two and I am grateful to be painting and sewing together a portrait. Kind of like stitching a new way for my self. Or putting all the pieces together.

I don't always notice how I think of the stories I wish to tell .. it's probably the influence of things I read or see or hear.. I guess that's what most people do.

Either way it matters not .. these eyes and this face reminds me of a memory of riding horses.

While living in Africa,  I remember taking riding lessons. I think this was one of my favorite things about living there. We lived a few blocks away from a horse stable, where my mom would often take us to go riding. I don't recall my sister coming, but my brother and my mom would usually go with me. I would always ask to ride Shambell. She was a big black stallion. I loved her. My brother would ride Knockifa I have to say that their names may not have been spelled this way. But I write them today in the way that I remember them. We would also go riding with a guide. The stables were crudely built but the horses seemed well taken care of. We would ride for an hour, traversing around the beautiful countryside. We could run and jump streams or sticks. It was so much fun. Every single birthday from that time on I would have the cake placed in front of me with the instructions to blow out the candles and make a wish and a horse was always my wish. Until I grew out of making wishes. I loved the horses. I loved their big soulful eyes. I loved how it felt to ride and glide along in rythym with the horses movements and it was magical. I knew the horses saw me and understood me. I just knew. I had many happy rides on Shambell. I know that wishes can come true at any time in life. I don't want a horse anymore. I lost interest when trying to horseback ride in the states. I never found another place that let you ride the way we did in Africa.I recall telling my father recently that I wished for a horse when I was a child. He said he was glad he didn't know. I know that horses are expensive to take care of. Its ok. I still have my memories. I hope that I don't forget them. I hope I don't ever forget .. and I am grateful to remember. That is this face ..thinking of horses.

If you would love to have this face email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. See you tomorrow.

Day 38 and better late then never

Another file seperator .. today I just had to have the day to my self.. so the painting got done later then usual. I have to do it every day .. This face looks like an alien to me haha. I found these letters while going through my mom's things and no one wanted them so I claimed them .. So for whatever reason I added the word sing to this face. And it has another added feature .. there is a map of Georgia on it also.

I am finding that I am amazed by the validation I get that my thinking isn't always correct. I have to constantly practice letting go .. Really, there are some really wonderful things going on and I will reveal them as they happen.

So for these words sing .. I'll tell a funny little story that it makes me think of. While living in Africa and attending a small military installation American school, the last year we were there I was in the fifth grade. I had an eccentric teacher that was male and an artist but he taught all subjects. There were always alot of art projects around the different subjects we covered. His name was Mr. Ludwig. He had a silver ear cleaner. Just saying that makes me laugh. This day I came to school we all were going to the library. I quietly went along with all the other children and when we got there he asked me if I had my book. I forgot, was my middle name back then. This was my answer to him and he was clearly not happy with me for doing that so he yelled for me to go back to the classroom. Which I did. The rest of the students got to stay in the library to do whatever they were doing and I had to go back to class. The teacher followed me and I just sat at my desk doing nothing while he pleased himself reading something. This was my punishment. While sitting there .. a teacher came into the room. I could hear the conversation. It was about the future visit of the Emperor to the school. They needed some children to sing some songs to him. They would have to learn an Amharic song and they would have to be able to carry a tune. Then I heard him ask if he knew any children that could sing. I did sing in the choir. I decided to sing out my own praises .. I CAN SING .. i yelled across the room. My teacher swung around and said "you can???" I said "yes I sing in the choir" My teacher said "well be at room 12 at 2 pm today and you better not disappoint me and sing good. I was so excited and I couldn't believe my luck. Imagine what a lesson that was .. I was grateful that my forgetfulness got me such a neat opportunity. I also got to go to the downtown market and have a traditional dress made for me and of course I know that song still today. I'd sing it for you if you asked me to.

So even though it's the end of the day .. I still painted my face of the day on Day 38. So today's portrait is $38. IF you would like to have the girl with a sing .. on your wall email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. Have a good night .. See you tomorrow ..

Day 35

Day 35 and I am sure it seems redundant but I'm still here. Still getting faces done. For a long time I have needed to consistently schedule time for me to paint. I needed to make a commitment to my self to do this. I chose the faces because that's what I love to paint. I love the eyes. I think at this point I feel the pull to create larger pieces. But I will wait till this challenge is over. I do other things too... like rusting fabric and hand stitching. Embellishing jeans in a hippie sorta way and printing on fabric with bleach. I am itching to do those things too. My day seems to get filled up fast even though I am making every day. I try to balance my time with creating and just trying to get out of my head. Which usually means hitting the thrift stores. I have to say .. while I do enjoy companionship I do enjoy my own time, more than ever in my life. While hard things settle down I can focus better on improving things in my own space. Today's face is painted on an old calender in my mom's stash and a sample card. When my mom and dad were finally enjoying the empty nest my dad took a job overseas. I think my mom was the happiest woman in the world to be always on the go traveling. This time it was far from Africa just as interesting and alluring. They moved to the orient. They lived abroad nearly ten years. I'm sure my mother felt like she had won the lottery, being so close to Hong Kong where the shopping was available twenty four hours a day!!! She would write home about all that was available. We enjoyed many wonderful gifts from them while they lived there. She also added to her collection of fabric only now she could be very selective and buy the best fabrics so she would be a little discerning and ask for sample cards and she saved every single one she got, I think. Sure seems so! haha. So today's face is a bit more textural with this sample card.. the pieces stick up from the page about an eighth of an inch and they are brightly colored only subdued by the black paint I washed over them. Painting the right eye was a challenge so it came off looking better than I expected.

If you would like to own this piece of art .. it's price today is only $35. Email me if you would like to own today's face at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. Hope you have a wonderful day!!! See you later.

Day 34 and sometimes life is serious

Day 34.

Today I saw this face and I just had to paint those big hairy eyes. Those eyes just spoke to me about the seriousness that I feel sometimes. The past few days have been a mix of real soul searching and opportunities and moments of just letting things be. Letting life be what it is and trying to figure things out. Concentration......focus and a deep sigh. I don't have to figure everything out my self. I can just let go.
I have been reaching out to share this new journey I'm on where ever I can and so yesterday I had a wonderful reconnection with an old family friend. Or rather, my parents and his parents are old old friends from yes, when we lived in Africa. We met for the first time when I was in Washington DC attending a wedding of my cousins. My parents loved his parents and their children. I said we never met because when we were little we didn't really know each other, I am thinking he was still just a toddler by the time we left. I did play with his older brother when his mother would have us over. I always loved the smell of curry in her house and his mother's sweet soft voice. Always dressed in her traditional Indian clothing. She was extraordinarily beautiful, with beautiful dark eyes and black hair. We sent a few emails and yesterday we talked on the phone. Such a nice conversation. We talked about our lives and it was a pleasant exchange. Maybe as time goes on I am learning that the connections, where ever they come from, can lead to more pleasant memories in today, in the moments that happen now. So yes .. I'm grateful there are happy moments even when life can be serious. So this portrait is not about this family but, rather more of a reflection of me and how my brain concentrate's sometimes too hard. This face says it for me. I thoroughly enjoyed painting this face this morning.

Thanks for stopping over and if you want to have a serious face on your wall .. and hey my first landscape face. I thought about that .. all my portraits are portrait .. so this is a landscape portrait .. haha.

If you would like to have a landscape portrait of a serious face email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com and go call an old friend it may surprise you!!  See you back here to morrow! Ciao

Day 33

Well nearly officially one third of the way done. Grateful now for this daily practice still having my mind on my daughter and asking for loving thoughts and prayers sent her way.

Today when I look at this portrait I get this sense of longing for that one place where I had so much joy in my life. I have found that when I have the opportunity to talk with people that have lived in the same part of Africa that I lived in as child. They have this longing remembrance as well. There was something that was almost magical about this place.

One of the frequent things that we did as a family, which we seemed to have the most time for while living there, was to go camping. In my whole life I have never been able to replicate that experience or sense of place. It is on my list of things to do before.

On many occasions my mother would come to our small American school and sign us out early on a Friday afternoon or morning!!! These times were always filled with so much excitement because we knew what it meant. A three hour drive to the coast and camping at the beach. The first two hours were the hardest. A steady and I mean steady, consistent drive of turning on switchback after switchback. The motion alone could cause your breakfast or lunch to come up if you were the least bit prone to that. Fortunately, none in our family had this affliction. But I can attest to the intensity of being in a van for a drive like that. We were three thousand feet above sea level. We had a long way down in short span of time. I was always trying not to look when you could see a mile down the side of the mountain and never see the bottom. By the time we got to the flat land we knew we were almost there.. we would sing like we'd been holding our breath and were finally able to breath and drive on the flat land, flat land, flat land. You would too if you'd seen it. Now it looked like we were on the desert. Dry, hot, and only a smattering of trees or dried looking bushes. Then the turn at the well on to north beach had us looking at the women that were there gathering their supply of water to carry away on mules. They always seemed to be wearing black, they had their faces covered, they would look at us as we passed by. Then we finally arrived. A long beach with no one in sight. The sea a few feet away with two feet of water for as far as it seemed you could see and in the distance the breaking waves. We set up camp and quickly took cover under a canopy of canvas to alleviate some of the heat of standing in the sun. It was one hundred and ten degrees in the shade and the only thing good about it was the breeze and the lack of humidity. You could get wet in the water and find some relief but you were dry rather quickly. I think the best part of all was getting our bathing suits on and never taking them off until we were on the way home a few days later. We had this beautiful desolate spot to explore for hours and hours. There were shells and these little crawling hermit crabs. They were a light gray in color and they were everywhere. They could not hide and so they would clump together in a big pile. They had these big eyes and they were in a variety of sizes and each had a different looking home to carry with them. My sister and I loved them, we loved them. We would collect them and take them into our tent and spend hours just playing with hermit crabs. I don't suppose there is enough time in the day to say all the things that we would do while we were at the beach on the Red Sea. These were the days of treasure and joy. At night it would be so hot in our tent we would beg to be out in the breeze. And so after much whining we would be on a cot under the stars with the sea singing a lullaby to us as the waves lapped on the shore. This was the magic of this place .. this is where the joy was made. This is where joy is long remembered. I'm grateful to be brought back to joy.

Thank you for stopping over.. of course i love to know your thoughts and read your comments. Please don't be shy. If you would like to own today's portrait email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. Today's portrait is $33. I hope you find some joy in your day today. See you tomorrow.

Robert and the 29th face of 100 Faces in 100 days

Today my portrait is called Robert. Yesterday I went to a funeral. It was Robert's father who passed. Robert and his brothers and parents lived in Africa when we did. Robert was in my class. He was shy and sweet. Sometimes other children that were less shy and over confident seemed to pick on Robert. I always felt protective of him. This was again .. all under the age of 11. I saw a few other people at this funeral who were also children who lived in Africa. I had not seen them in over 20 years. Some I didn't recognize most I did. But I had to hug each one, I felt so delighted to see these long ago children that I played with and that were long time friends of my parents. It seemed so odd to me to see them aged. Amazing how the pictures stay in your mind as you grow older, the memories never age. But here we all were balding, gray haired and more comfortable in our skin. I didn't really know Robert's father too well. I went for his son's but mostly for Robert. He was always a sweet boy and I think he will always be a sweet boy, even with his big eyes and graying hair. I was heartbroken to see the deeply felt loss expressed on his face as he listened to all the accounts that were spoken of his dad. His last parent to say goodbye too.

He was buried with military honors. Once everyone was seated or standing by the graveside. The actions of the soldiers were slow and precise. It was so moving to watch two military men walk from their present poised position of attention and slowing walk to the casket. It seemed like everything slowed down and all eyes watched as their hands held each corner of the flag and their fingers holding gently this flag and their fingers trailing down to the corners of the fabric holding all the way down. Eloquently, they removed the flag from his fathers casket and began to fold it so precisely and carefully. I was impressed with the pomp and circumstance of their fully decorated uniforms and the reverence with which the two soldiers interacted with each other. Their eyes even strategically looking at the flag the entire time, the purposefulness of each fold and then transferring from one soldier to the other. Their respect for the flag was felt as gentleness and caring so strong that it hung in the air like a sweet perfume. The trumpet playing taps and then the final act of placing the folded flag in the hands of Robert. He saluted the soldier. There were no tissues .. we were excused...i walked quickly toward the car I was riding in. There was a long silence. Then I enjoyed the reception afterward. The sharing of a meal is always a good time to reminisce and meet family that you've never met. We talked about getting together as a group of children who lived in Africa. I hope we do.

To Robert, be gentle with yourself as you grieve. Remember always what was good. Rest and find time to look for joy again. My thoughts are with you and your family.

So today's portrait painted with Robert on my heart and mind.  Available for $29 today. Send me a message to iwilldream4ever@aol.com if you would like him on your wall. Thanks for following me on the journey .. I'll see you tomorrow. I hope you hug someone and say I love you to those you mean too. ciao

The Orphanage and Day 26 of 100 faces in 100 days

Today this face strikes my mood. Not sure I can explain it so I'll just tell a story.

While living in Africa we were near an American military installation where we attended school, and church and were able to eat in the Officer's club as well as use the post commissary and the px where we were able to buy clothing, shoes and things you might need for your home. We were not military but my father worked for them. So they gave us those privileges which I'm sure my parents were grateful for.

My mother had more free time to make friends here than in the US and she always got involved. I'm not sure how or why but she was always included in the Officer's Wives club functions.  As an organization they decided one Christmas to help some children in the city we were living in. Now mind you all the things that I share about this are from the perspective of a nine or ten year old girl. So all of my facts are what I assume was going .. and in my mind that is the only reality I have of what was happening.

I can't say how or why I was asked by my mother to go with her but I had to put on a dress and my mother said I was going to help her. They were going to take Christmas gifts to the children in a nearby orphanage. I was happy to go and help my mother and just to be with her, I don't recall my brother or sister being there. We drove into a compound where there is a large building with many steps leading up to a room that looked like a standard school cafeteria. There were tables lined up and the ladies were busy bringing in boxes of wrapped gifts to give away. They brought cookies and fudge and candies and all the things you'd probably find on a Christmas dessert table along with a few decorations for the table.  The ladies had obviously done some planning. How they determined what they would give the children, most likely had to do with the age and gender of the child. I was excited to see what the gifts were because I did not know what they were. All the children came into the hall. There seemed to be a hundred children of every age and you could see their shy approach and then the smiles and giggles as they approached the tables with all of the beautifully wrapped presents. I guess they managed to communicate which gifts went to which child. Then there was a flurry of unwrapping and paper being tossed aside by the younger children and carefully removed by the older ones to reveal the treasures inside. They were so excited to see what was there.. as was I. Watching all of this happening in front of me I could see that the older children all had pen and pencil sets and the younger children had bean bags. I thought bean bags? Why on earth would you give a child a bean bag? What could they possibly do with a bean bag? But after opening them they seemed to like the sound of the beans inside each handmade fabric bag. They were made of simple but pretty fabrics and they started to throw them in the air.  They appeared to be overjoyed and I really could not believe that they would be so happy about something so plain and simple. As an adult I could say that perhaps they were asked to be grateful or that it meant something to them that I could not possibly understand. And truthfully I could not possibly understand what it could have been like to be living with hundreds of other children in a building without my parents. Regardless of the reason I was there and the children in that orphanage were there, I would take away something I have never forgotten. There is much joy in simple things, in kind gestures and being grateful even for a bean bag. I do remember how happy they seemed. There was no way that I could be there and watch this and be anything but happy too. I was happy they were happy. I left wanting to be with happy people. There was a skip in my step. I am grateful to have that picture in the album of my memories. It has been difficult at times for me to be happy or imagine being happy more than other emotions. Telling this story brings me back there, where joy from simple things can make my heart happy. I think it is right where I need to be today. To be brought back to happy.

It was in that spirit and part of why I did yesterday's portrait. So .. today .. i guess I was contemplative and now I am grateful.

Today's painting is poignantly painted on one of my mother's received Christmas cards and some wrapping paper from her stash. It's done in acrylic and is approximately 8x10. The price of today's painting is $26 so thank you for following along. Please come again and if you have a mind to have this painting on your wall email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. And I could always use the encouragement to keep going.. I appreciate any and all comments. Have a fantastic day. Ciao

Culture Shock and Day 24 of 100 Faces painted in 100 days

Today's painting includes some mail that my mother saved when she was alive. It was a parcel written by a friend she met while living in Africa. I think just saying "while living in Africa" sounds so incredible sometimes. It always elicits some kind of "oooohhh" response when you tell people that.
We moved stateside in 1970. So just imagine being eleven years old and arriving in a new town where you have to lock your front door, there are schools that seperate the elementary kids from the middle and senior kids. There are more children in the new elementary school then there were in my former school. We had all grades,  kindergarten through twelfth grade. Then on the first day of school I excitedly decided to wear my favorite shoes, red leather sandals.The had been custom made for me in Italy on our last trip home. The leather on the shoe, the part that touched my foot was a polished leather. It felt so good on my feet. There was a slight little heel on the back that was covered in red leather. And red leather straps. I LOVED those sandals. They were molded to my exact foot shape. Nothing hurt or felt uncomfortable on those sandals. So .. off I go proud and wide eyed and scared of all the new things I would encounter on that first day. I went into  class and it seemed as though all the kids looked at me oddly. I was wearing clothes my mother made and my beautiful red sandals. I was happy in those sandals. I don't remember much else about what I did that first day except that I had to leave early. In fact I had to go to the office with a note which I didn't understand. My mother came to pick me up. I heard her talking to the people in the office. We left and she told me not to wear the sandals to school anymore. I asked why???? She said "they don't allow children to wear open toed shoes to school" I still didn't understand but somewhere in the discussions about this that would take place through out the day I heard "it's unsanitary". Hmmmmmm I didn't understand still. I would have to wear the sandals at home or just when I was with my family. Made no sense to me. There were so many strange rules in this new school.
So what does this have to do with the face today? The face today seems vacant somehow .. distant in thought or something like that. My perception only and the year 1970 written on the note to my mother, her friend telling her she missed us. I thought about that year .......and how this new school was strangely different then where I had been ... in a small American school in the huge continent of Africa. I missed it .. very very much...

So thanks for reading my stories .. I have so many .. perhaps this is the best part besides the record of faces. The stories. I'll have to keep it somewhere so my grandchildren will read about my experience of living in a strangely beautiful and wonderful place. Maybe.

And if you would like to own Culture shock face 24.. send me a note at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. Tomorrow I will have a special face .. I hope you will come by and read what I have to say... Have a wonderful day .. I will!!