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~ January 2010 ~
sandy sandy
January 4th ~ Kindness
| Various "old
standby" emails have been circulating this holiday season
pertaining to kindness and making a difference in people's lives.
Today I got the one about the kid who offers assistance
and befriends the "nerd" who was about to commit suicide.
The moral of this story is that small gestures of friendship
often mean far more to someone than we can imagine. It reminded
me of my Christmas Eve incident and instills in me a desire to
better recognize opportunities where I can be more thoughtful
and kind. |
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"Today, give a stranger
one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees
all day." ~ Quoted in P.S. I Love You, compiled by
H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
"Treat everyone with politeness,
even those who are rude to you - not because they are nice, but
because you are." ~ Author Unknown
"What this world needs is
a new kind of army - the army of the kind." ~ Cleveland
Amory
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sandy sandy
January 7th ~ The New Age
| As I see it, our
planet and it's inhabitants are simply moving into the next stage
of evolution. This age is one which embraces personal spiritual
development. I was delighted to find an enlightening article
by Andrew Lutts online which simplified and clarified many New
Age beliefs for me. |
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"This New Age is one of
awakened consciousness where people give up their limited third-dimensional
survival mode of existence and awaken to a higher, more enlightened
world. This coming New Age is an era of harmony, progress, knowing,
and enlightenment." ~ Andrew Lutts
"What is most important
is that an effort is being made to transcend our limitations
and seek out a higher good." ~ Andrew Lutts
"One reason the New Age
path is popular is that it is more concerned with the ultimate
truths themselves, rather than the process of how they are arrived
at." ~ Andrew Lutts
Andrew Lutts / What Is The New Age?
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8" x 10" ~
Silver Level ~ original watercolor
Double Matted and Framed ~ $149.00
"Friends Are Treasures"
(painting is without text)
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sandy sandy
January 11th ~ Magic In The Air
| I had the good
fortune to catch a wonderful premier film on PBS last night called;
Hummingbirds,
Magic In The Air. It really got me pumped up because it verified
some of my own findings and solved the big mystery about how
I attract an ever expanding number of hummers to my yard year
after year. This one particular amazing fact blew me away and
I will share it with you in my next post. I finally understand
why I have SO MANY here! You Spirit Art followers know what
a hummer lover I am. Although maintaining my huge
colony is a lot of work in the summer, the birds are a great
source of joy, inspiration and encouragement to me. This stunningly
beautiful documentary really got me missing my little flying
friends; (Munchkin, Yard Dog, Mommy Girl and all the many others)
but I felt much better after I went through all my hummingbird
images and ordered the
DVD for myself. |
| Today's Image is
from my August
2007 Drawing Everyday Blog 8/30/07 ~ Hummingbirds And
Columbine ~ I got a little carried away with this idea sketch,
but I was having so much fun! Crossing a fine line between a
sketch and a painting, this was created in my sketchbook, so
it's more a study than a painting. Besides, tomorrow's the end
of the Drawing Everyday Blog for this summer and I'd like to
go out in style! |
I can hardley wait until
the return of my hummers and Drawing Everyday 2010!
See My Hummer
Feeding Frenzy video from 2008 here.
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sandy sandy
January 14th ~ Symbiotic Relationships
| The dictionary
defines symbiosis an interaction between two different
organisms living in close physical association, typically to
the advantage of both. In my last post, I mentioned that after
viewing a new PBS documentary about hummingbirds, I now understand
how so many multiply and thrive here. There has recently been
a discovery in Arizona which I am sure is also true here. Hummingbirds
build their nests in close proximity to those of Coopers Hawks,
of which we have plenty! This prevents or greatly reduces the
predation of the hummers' offspring by Crows, Blue Jays and others.
The hawks don't seem to take much interest in their tiny neighbors.
The comparative giants probably see them as just too small, feisty
and agile to bother with. If this is a true symbiotic relationship
however, the hawks must get something out of it too. This little
example reminds me that there are so many natural mysteries and
lessons yet to be discovered! |
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"The world basically and
fundamentally is constituted on the basis of harmony. Everything
works in co-operation with something else." ~ Preston Bradley
"It is probably not
love that makes the world go around, but rather those mutually
supportive alliances through which partners recognize their dependence
on each other for the achievement of shared and private goals."
~ Fred A. Allen
"Nothing in the universe
exists alone. Every drop of water, every human being, all creatures
in the web of life, and all ideas in the web of knowledge are
part of an immense, evolving, dynamic whole as old, and as young,
as the universe itself." ~ Unknown
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sandy sandy
January 18th ~ Best Friends
| This past weekend
I had the pleasure of conducting a photo shoot here with a couple
of dear friends. It was fun, heartwarming and inspirational to
see the close relationship that a mother and daughter can have.
These two people are truly "best friends". I think
that their memories of our fun filled day of photography will
stay with them for a long time. It may even stand out as one
of life's wonderfully happy memories. I am honored to document
the transition of this lovely girl as she turns into a young
woman and be a witness to the genuine love, caring and respect
that they share for each other. |
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"A daughter is the happy
memories of the past, the joyful moments of the present, and
the hope and promise of the future." ~ Author Unknown
"My mother wanted me to
be her wings, to fly as she never quite had the courage to do."
~ Erica Jong
"A daughter is a little
girl who grows up to be a friend." ~ Author Unknown
"My mother's my teacher,
my advisor, my greatest inspiration." ~ Whitney Houston
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| This is the last
photo of our lengthy photo session. Although the shoot was for
her daughter, I convinced mom to join in for the last few. I
love this shot. For me it really portrays the essence and spirit
of mother/daughter love. |
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sandy sandy
January 25th ~ Affirmations
| Affirmations are
positive statements that express a desired situation. When repeated
many times, these words impress the idea as truth on the subconscious
mind. Formal declarations have been proven time after time to
generate a positive outcome when repeated with conviction and
emotion. It is said that the fastest way to make something happen
is to believe and act as if it is already so. |
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"I figured that if I said
it enough, I would convince the world that I really was the greatest."
~ Muhammad Ali
"Affirmations are not bound
up in rules. An affirmation can be long or short, poetic or plain.
If you love a phrase and find that it helps you, that is a valid
affirmation." ~ Eric Maisel
"Affirm it, visualize it,
and it will actualize itself." ~ unknown
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sandy sandy
January 28th ~ Education
| There is so little
time and so much to learn! I've been spending my days and nights
learning image editing software and photography lately. It is
often frustrating and I frequently try again and again
before I grasp the idea. However, there is a deep satisfaction
when I finally understand a method, develop a skill and produce
an acceptable end product. My friend, Nan Louie, says we must
continue to learn or we get "lazy brain". I do believe
that in some ways, the mind is like a muscle. The more we exercise
it, the stronger it gets and the more we are capable of. I strongly
believe one of the ways to stay young is to always continue to
challenge yourself by learning new things. I also believe that
the harder you struggle, the greater the satisfaction is in the
end. |
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"A man's mind may be likened
to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed
to run wild; but whether cultivated or neglected, it must, and
will bring forth. If no useful seeds are put into it, then an
abundance of useless weed-seeds will fall therein, and will continue
to produce their kind." ~ James Allen
"The roots of education
are bitter, but the fruit is sweet. " ~ Aristotle
"For the things we have
to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them."
~ Aristotle
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| Today's image is
what I was working on today in Photoshop. I isolated this hummingbird
and Columbine from their background and created clipping
paths. They are not completely finished as I have to go back
and refine my selections. I plan on uploading these and others
to my microstock sites. This will allow designers to change the
color of the background or add these elements to other images
with a couple of clicks of their mouse. See the original painting,
which is still available for sale, here. |
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~ February 2010
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