A child that survived!

When I first saw this photo and read the quote, I thought...that is me! I was drawing my Mom said from the time I could sit up and use my little fingers. Now I know a lot of kids who are NOT abused, like to draw and color. But for me, my art was a way to escape without ever leaving my home. When I drew or painted, I was happy. When I created, it made me feel safe and of some worth.
 So even though this little girl may not be a victim of abuse, then again she might be. The fact is there is way too much abuse in the world today and it is our job as friends, family, teachers, and adults to PROTECT them as much as we can. Most will survive, but they usually will have to go somewhere ( even if it is in their minds ) to survive.
I am a survivor of incest, I am an artist ...and how grateful I am for the opportunity to escape my world... as soon as my paint brush touched the canvas.
Good night dear friends!

Getting to know my son Bradley!

 Our oldest son Bradley was only two years old when we moved to Seattle from West Virginia. At that time he just loved to play ball, play outside and collect bugs. As he grew older, I had a craft business that I did in the evenings and on the weekends. Many nights before the kids went to bed, they would help me paint or finish my items for the next craft fair. Many times my inventory was large and there was a lot of work to do. I hoped that the kids somehow would benefit from doing all that painting and creating with me. They all had to help a lot, by the time Lauren and Lee got a bit bigger....I was slowing down on some of the shows and began to sell my patterns to catalogs and teach classes out of my home. I teased that I had to stop making the kids work so hard with me ...because of Child Labor Laws! :)
Still it seemed like all the kids have loved ART, probably because that is what they were first made to do...oops I mean first thing that they were exposed to! :) I have to admit, now that I see my son Bradley as a Graphic Design Artist,  I am feeling a little less guilty about all the work I had them do. He just recently was interviewed and I was amazed at how much art has effected his life for good. He is an amazing artist and so...maybe all that hard work that they did in their youth, really did pay off! ( Actually all the kids are quiet good artists ) If you want to read more about Brad's work you can, check it out just under this photo that he did of Seattle.
So long story short...sometimes we Moms luck out, and actually do the right thing!
Good night dear friends!
 

Read the interview with Bradley here:

" A man travels the world over in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it."- George Moore
 
" Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one."  - Jane Howard

"Getting things done is not always what is most important. There is value in allowing others to learn, even if the task is not accomplished as quickly, efficiently or effectively." - R.D. Clyde

"Give me a fish and I eat for a day.  Teach me to fish and I eat for a lifetime." - Chinese Proverb

Happy Birthday dear Angie!

Six years ago yesterday, I became a Nana for the very first time. I was so excited and anxious about what that would really feel like. I had heard many others talk about how great it was to be a Grandmother, but I could only imagine it up until this point.
It was amazing, it had been a long hard night for Amy in the hospital and we had all been up for the whole night, still when the Doctor delivered little Angie, I couldn't believe my eyes. I had a Granddaughter, she was beautiful and amazing all wrapped up in one. When I held her, it felt a lot like when I held her Mother for the first time, it's an incredible feeling
.
To me Angie looks a lot like her Mom, only with red hair.

Like her Mom and Nana, she is comfortable with a paintbrush in her hands, actually a crayon, marker or pencil too. She loves to draw and create, interesting how that happens? :)

She is fun, wild, sweet, strong willed, and has a big heart. It has been a treat to watch her grow up. What an amazing person she is already. I feel grateful to have more time to spend with her, and our other two Grandchildren, and make memories with them! Yes life is good, real good!
Happy Birthday to our Angie girl!

"Surely, two of the most satisfying experiences in life must be those of being a grandchild or a grandparent." ~Donald A. Norberg

The day that you arrived
I knew right from the start
You’d be the little girl
That would win my heart
You’re my little treasure
You mean so much to me
Happy Birthday Granddaughter
With much love to you from me!

Found the poem here:

Brotherly Love

What a neat article my son Brad sent to me. Bradley has always had a love for Art, and a love for those with special needs, no wonder he loved this story. Now this is truly Brotherly Love at its best! Thank you Brad!

Enjoy and good night dear friends.

Tom & James Draw is the beau­ti­ful col­lab­o­ra­tive art project between James Gulliver Hancock and his brother Tom, who was born with Down’s Syndrome. Their work is gor­geous — lay­ered, col­or­ful and fas­ci­nat­ing. Here’s more:
Their col­lab­o­ra­tion is unique as they are shar­ing expe­ri­ences between the out­sider and “insider” art world. James iden­ti­fies with Toms abstract use of visual cod­ing and Tom builds around James’ skilled and con­fi­dent mark mak­ing. Tom relaxes James’ tech­ni­cal obses­sions, and James enables Tom’s con­cen­tra­tion and play­ful mark­mak­ing. Together they make worlds of expe­ri­ence, encom­pass­ing peo­ple around them and their actions, ani­mals, plants, engines, and some­times hilar­i­ous nods to the human expe­ri­ence and perception.
Both of them are inter­ested in obses­sion, both within mark mak­ing and the role obses­sion plays with per­cep­tion and life in general.

Found the article here:

Here is Brad's post on the story, he too writes a daily blog, he is his Momma's boy!

http://www.visualnews.com/2012/04/26/two-brothers-one-piece-of-art/

" To the world you may be just one person, but to just one person you may be the world"

What makes you come alive?

I read this quote the other day that said … “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes  you come alive and then go and do that.  Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”                       ~ Harold Whitman

I love that, what makes you come alive? And when we find that out, that is what we should be doing with our lives!

My daughter sent me this video of people who are sharing their  talents. As you watch the video, you can truly tell this is what makes them feel alive. Just watching these people do what they love, inspires me!  Hope it does you too.

Good night dear friends!

Here is the video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ_fkw5j-t0  
and the quote:

"Don’t only practice your art, but force your way into its secrets, for it and knowledge can raise men to the divine." ~Ludwig van Beethoven