Tag: #MADDBeesStudio

Lifetime Skills – Imagine!

She realized at a young age that even the smallest wings could take her far and wide. Her wings were an extension of her life journey, and even though they remained small, their strength sustained her throughout her life. Her tiny wings remain unseen by others but, she knows exactly when and how to use them. A skill learned over a lifetime.

Author – Belinda @maddbeesstudio

News from the studio.

On June 8, I received an email from a publisher asking me if I would be interested in writing a short story for their upcoming book. The title of the book is Life Lessons from Grandparents. I am so honored to be part of this book publication. I have been so lucky to have grandparents in my life from childhood into adulthood. As a child, my grandparents were always there for me. Because of them and my mom and dad, I learned what it means to be a grandparent. I learned so much from my grandparents; they were always available. My mom’s parents became the subject of my short story. I choose to write about my Grandmother Florence. Her story is one of heartbreak from an early age to a joyful determination in her later years. I have uploaded my story to the publisher, and they responded back to me that it is one of the most powerful, heartwrenching stories they have ever received. They also realized her story is at the core of life’s ups and downs, a remarkable journey. I think I told the story my grandmother could never tell herself. I am honored to be part of this book along with other authors. I will share the release date once I receive it.

I Believe………

I believe in love. Not love at first sight. I believe in the kind of love that grows over time and is constant.

I believe in 1st, 2nd and 3rd chances. What you choose to do with once given the opportunity of 1st, 2nd and 3rd chances will make or break you.

I believe in TRUE. Being true helps you to be real.

I believe in mistakes. Make mistakes make lots of them. Making mistakes is like taking risks. You never know if what you are risking will be worth the effort. It could turn out to be the biggest mistake of your life but, it will be worth it. You will have the answer you seek.

I believe in gratitude. It affords you the opportunity to show appreciation. To spread kindness, around the universe.

I believe in grace. The acceptance of grace can fill you with extraordinary acquiescence. Sometimes, grace is your best hope.

I believe in resolve. It takes a lot of courage to stand firmly and not settle. Resolve happens when abjuration sets in. Look for the answer without self-sacrifice. It may not be the answer you hoped to find. Maybe you ask the wrong question. Never give up or give in.

I believe in brave. Be fearless, and venturesome. Run down the least appealing path. You may find that you have more strength by taking the most temerarious path. It may turn out to be the biggest challenge of your life. Be Brave and trust in your decisions.

I believe in atonement. No one is perfect and it takes a lot of courage to admit that you are wrong. We all have to fail at something. When we fail we begin to understand how fragile life is. Failing teaches us to show empathy towards others.

I believe in sorrow. Sorrow brings tears. Tears give us the ability to let go of hurt and sadness. Without sorrow, there would be no joy. Sorrow and joy give us emotional balance.

New Adventures – Licensed Artist

I have always been a gardener. I love flowers all kinds of flowers. When we first moved into our home, we had beautiful landscaping in our back yard. The stones placed in our landscape ran from the back yard down to the front, and a cute pathway runs along the side of our house. Surprisingly in our tiered back yard there was not one flower planted. Off the kitchen nothing but lovely stones in a semi-circle. I had a beautiful canvas waiting to fill with color. So I went about creating the flower gardens I always admired in books and garden magazines. I planted perennials in a manner that allowed us new flowers blooming every two weeks during the Spring and Summer. I filled in with annuals. I have always enjoyed garden flags beautifully printed in vivid colors. I have some of my first garden flags I purchased long ago. The colors are just as bright as they were the day I bought them. The brand I bought is labeled Toland. They make the most brilliantly colored garden flags.

I am so excited to announce that I am now a Toland Garden Flag licensed artist.  I can’t wait to receive my samples. I will share pictures with you once they arrive. I really do believe in the dream.

Coloring my world.

Today I have been thinking about my art. Wondering what drives me to create. Why do I feel so happy when throwing the color teal down on a canvas. Neon pink makes me giggle; neon orange makes me delirious; neon magenta gives me the chills. Color surrounds us in the blue sky; the green grass, the yellow sun, the red cardinal who sings faithfully every day and in every corner of our life color maintains us. There have been many studies on the effects of color and our moods. Advertisers use colors to draw us into their products. The purchase of a beautifully colored purse or dress is usually the result of an advertisement we’ve seen. How does this tie into my thinking about my art? The answer can only be color. I think a lot of the color choices I make when painting on canvas are not really thinking about the choice of color but, rather feeling the color as it splashes across my canvas. Some days I feel so neon pink and others I feel so deliriously orange and some days the choice of yellow causes a calm to run over me in the most assuring way. How does color affect you?

Heart over Logic

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Growing up my grandmother gave me lots of life advice. I think the most important advice she gave me is this; Do not let your heart be the lead when making important life decisions, use your brain. Now, I know that sounds harsh, but to a kid that made a lot of sense.  After all, how could my heart possibly help me to make a big life decision?

One day I walked by a paint brush laying on my kitchen table. A brush left laying there by my granddaughter, Maddy. I clearly remember picking it up, twirling it through my fingers and flicking the bristles back and forth across the top of my fingernails. Something about the way that brush made my heart flutter and my brain wonder intrigued me. This was the first time in my life that I had refused to follow my grandmother’s advice and instead made a decision based, not on logic, but on a deeply emotionally charged heart full of pain and yearning. I jumped in feet first and never once thought about the consequence of my actions. Seriously, what could happen to me by doing this? I was looking at a paint brush, then I was playing with color, paints and oh the joys of gesso, ideas just poured out of me. All kinds of beautiful, wonderfully colored views. It felt like a rebirth. I felt new again, I felt shiny and bright again. I am an artist.

Painting on canvas was part of an awakening within me. This was my way of explaining that sometimes you just have to go with what your heart is telling you. Don’t ignore it, or try to make it logical, just jump in feet first.

I have painted many canvases with some kind of hearts either attached, made out of newspaper, made out of plain paper, brightly colored, hearts with words scrolled across them and I have painted many different things since that first canvas. I joyfully subscribe to the yearning for creativity in my heart and not the logic in my head. The stories in my heart are endless. My story is to be continued……… What stories do you have in your heart?

 

New Year and New Intentions.

I have decided to started a journal of my intentions for the New Year.  Intention No. 1 – Be more proactive in showing my art on my blog.  Intention No. 2 – Blog every day regardless of the length of the blog.  I must continue to be a better caretaker of my blog.   Sometimes I find it hard to sit and blog about my daily life.  I will do better at sharing.  I am a Mixed Media Artist. I create art every day.  I have to create art every day because, in the end,  it keeps me centered.  I hope you enjoy my art pictures. I have added a widget which you can click to take you directly to my Instagram account.  I upload a lot of art on Instagram.  I hope you find something interesting to look at and please linger awhile and enjoy my photos.  Wishing you a New Year full of joy and I hope you take the time to make new intentions for your New year.  Your life’s work is important to you and the universe.  After all, the universe needs beautiful and caring souls like yourself……  If you would like to share some of your intentions for the New Year, I would be happy to read them. BeBe.