Lessons in Living

While I try to maintain my own philosphy of living in the present, it is difficult not to address the present "global crisis" our world faces at this time. I have tried to stay away from the constant barrage of news, political pundits, economic forecasts and doomsday purveyors. Don't misunderstand....I am not hiding my head in the sand....although it is tempting to pull up roots and retire with my husband to that Polynesian island that I fell in love with not long ago.

However, when I hear the concerns of recession, hard times ahead, etc., I am comforted and reminded of the lessons learned from my parents, who lived through and survived the "Great Depression". They were sharecroppers, no home, no assets and five children to feed and clothe. My mother was a fighter, she was resourceful, fierce in her determination to provide for her family. My father was a laborer...hard work was all he knew...and he never faltered. My sister has often said, "We had no money...but we were never poor." Our parents always found a way to provide not only the necessities but occasional surprises. It was years later that we learned of the difficult hardships and sacrifices they made for us. My father always asked us, as young children and later older adults..."Do you need anything?" My mother was thrifty to the end. When we went through her things when she died, we discovered carefully pressed sheets of aluminum foil and dozens of margarine tubs. She was the original recycler. Nothing was wasted, nothing was discarded.

She loved to entertain her family. She worked for days making tamales at Christmas to share with all her friends and family. It was her gift to us. They, my parents, were happiest when we were all together. And so were we.

Did we siblings fight over any of the material things they left us? No....we fought over the dozens of frozen tamales my mom had in her freezer. I make them now with her recipe but as my son says to me....they almost taste like Grandma's but not quite. We all know the most precious ingredient that's missing.

I remind myself of their strength and love even when times were hard. In a disposable society today that yearns for a quick fix...I reflect on the fact that they never discarded or took anything for granted and family was their most treasured asset. Their values and principles were forged from their struggles and determination that we, their children, would be good citizens of the world.

Now as I look at my collection of "Depression Glass", I have to smile at the irony that it has become a "collectable" item. Something pretty, delicate and valuable that came out of hard times reminds me , even we can rise as the "Phoenix out of the ashes".

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Paints

Once a month, my art class goes out to paint en plein air, out in the fresh air. We have traveled locally...to the Ventura Harbor, the Camarillo environs, and as far away as Santa Barbara. I love painting outdoors, it presents a challenge to me.

I am a detailed realistic painter but in order to paint outdoors, you must forego details and focus on one or two areas of what you see, paint quickly, loosely, impressionistic, capturing the spirit of the subject. I fall in love with the landscape and it becomes overwhelming. I want to encompass it all. I don't want to lose the shadows or the way light hits on something particular.

I take my camera for photographic reference but a photograph, while helpful, leaves my vision of what it was, flat, one dimensional. We have time constraints as a group and the light changes. So one must work with value paintings, painting the shadows in first, deciding on the darker values, leaving patches of light and filling in the color later.

I love these outings because my group, varied in age and gender, provides me with social interaction with people who are creative, fun, and above all, willing to put themselves and their art "out there" for scrutiny. We leave the secure and safe confines of our classroom, our own studios and venture out to the open spaces where we are forced to paint with abandon. As in life, we must be willing to leave our own "comfort zones" and take risks.

Who knows? We might create a wonderful landscape of own making.

The Zen of Cooking

The "art" of preparing a meal does not come easily for me. Don't misunderstand. I love to cook (well, most of the time). When I first married, my cooking repertoire consisted of steak and salad. You can't possibly go wrong with that, unless you burn the steak (which I did) or drench the salad to the point of mush (which I also did). My Italian mother-in-law took me under her wing and taught me how to cook. No self respecting Italian mother would let her son starve at the hands of a wife who couldn't make a decent "gravy" (which is what Italians call spaghetti sauce). I learned to make a "killer" lasagna. When I say "killer", it is not only in reference to the compliments I get, but also in that it is a heart attack waiting to happen when you eat it.....four kinds of cheese, eggs, sausage, etc.

My sons, who love to tease, remind me that both their father and my present husband have had quadruple heart bypasses. I say it isn't my cooking but their genetics. However, my cooking now has been altered since we have become aware of all the information about cholesterol, trans-fats, organic versus processed, etc. So now preparing a meal, has become a science for me. But the art of serving it is still pleasurable.

Once upon a time, I would do "theme" dinners. It was fun to plan a meal for family or guests. I followed the Julia Child principle....butter and more butter and a little wine, a tad on the dish and a glassful for the cook. So just as my art has taken me in new directions, so has my cooking. I now plan healthier meals, relying on the vivid texture and taste of vegetables, grown locally and organically. I cook by the seasons and a Saturday morning drive out to one our local farms has become an adventure in creativity. We are so blessed here in California with year round growing weather. I have even managed to introduce some unique vegetables to my grandchildren, who think french fries are the only vegetable. They have discovered and like "spaghetti squash" (maybe it's the name). They learned to like "Grandpa's chicken". They never liked fish, perhaps due to living in Utah, so we cooked a batch of Cajun catfish for them and said it was chicken. They came back for seconds. Now that they are older and smarter, they still ask for "Grandpa's chicken".

But the pleasure of serving family and friends, enjoying their company around the table is what enhances the quality and flavor of the food itself. I guess the main ingredient is love and isn't it what we hunger for anyway?

Mixed Media, mixed up artist??

To define where one journeys as an artist is to define where destiny takes one's life. It is impossible. I started out drawing the human figure. I loved the first drawing class that I took. It was overwhelming but somehow drawing, perspective, the dynamic of the human form came easy to me. I saw the relationship of negative space right away. I loved the quick studies when one had to sketch five minute poses. It took away the clutter and forced me to focus on the essence of the subject. I look at some of my early work. Some good, some not so good but I am surprised at the result, given that I had had no formal training before that class.

I have found that artists provide a great circle of support for one another. Yes, we critique but we also study each other's work, find great inspiration and knowledge from that. I marvel at the creative mind of others and the inventiveness of their concepts and the ability to stimulate our curiosity and wonder.

It is sometimes difficult for me to stay on track with my art. I am constantly reinventing myself as an artist. I have explored the different media in art; pastel portraits, oil landscapes and then watercolor. I am now doing more collage work, specifically, chine colle' or chinese collage. Perhaps right now I find it fun and interesting because it takes me back to my childhood days of cut and paste. Nevertheless, art is self exploration for me. I haven't found my niche yet but I sure am having a great time with it.....sort of like life, isn't it?

The "Art" of living

Creative, artistic work has always been the mainstay of my life, having been a professional writer and actress in earlier years. I took up painting later in life to work through some difficult times in my personal life and found a world of fulfillment and challenges. Sort of like golf...which I also took up in later years. But that's another story.

I went on a creative artists' retreat to unlock a writer's block and discovered the world of art and the exciting response of color on paper. I began studying art first at a life drawing class in Glendale, California. Some of my fellow classmates included some retired Disney animators and through their mentorship and wonderful support, I became interested and then excited about painting. I continue to study and attend workshops.

I retired from a very left-brained job as a Financial Aid Administrator and embarked on a second career...my long dormant art career. I am currently exploring mixed media and collage as new venture. I love working with children and animals. I find both subjects incredibly open and honest in their expressions.

My parallel and sometimes roller coaster life continues with it's surprises, disappointments and extraordinary moments of delight. I am the proud grandmother of seven and that fills my life with those extraordinary moments. My husband has been diagnosed with early stage Alzheimers within the past year and I am making the most of our life together. My children are my pillars of support and strength.

And of course, there are the times I lose myself in the brush strokes and the vibrant colors of paint on canvas.

Art began as therapy for me; it is now food for my soul.