An Artistic Endevour

Ten years ago Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on the Gulf states. Shortly afterwards lady I know went to New Orleans a help out. There was devastation everywhere. One morning she saw something that summed up her visit. In a tree she saw a large battered birds nest, and a magnolia bud. The magnolia bud promised hope and rebirth for the city while the nest, no longer in good shape, could be rebuilt. She took a photograph so that she would remember.

When she got home, and had the photo printed, what she had was the full tree, and it was hard to even pick out the two objects that had caught her eye. This past year she mentioned what she had seen to me, and said she was going to bring me the photo, to see if I could paint a clearer representation of what she had tried to capture.

Someone kindly cropped the picture for her, so that it showed just the nest and the bud in the tree, but she was still disappointed. Magnolias bloom before their leaves come out, but because there were other trees behind it that were fully leafed out, they created a rather cluttered background.  She brought me the cropped picture, and mentioned that maybe she might have had a better shot if she had taken the picture from the other side of the tree.

Now, I admit that I usually paint from a photograph, painting what I see.  It still amazes me that I actually agreed to see what I could do with this, when clearly I could not paint from the photo on this occasion. She assured me it was just the idea that she was after, and I took on the challenge.

First I did some searching on the internet for pictures of large nests and magnolia buds. I found several that looked like they would be of help to me. I set out to draw how I planned to fit things on the canvas. Originally I intended to do this painting in acrylic, as mistakes can be painted over, numerous times if necessary. I fully expected to need to do that.

In the beginning I still saw what was in the photograph, and pretty well laid the painting out the same way, though I exaggerated the size of the magnolia blossom.  I knew the painting would be pretty ugly if the magnolia blossom only took up a small portion of the canvas so I wasn't happy with that plan. Then I remembered her saying that she should have walked around to the other side of the tree.

In my mind, I started moving bit by bit, like I would if I were the one taking the photo. I didn't have to go to the other side of the tree. I just had to go far enough so that the magnolia was in front of nest.  Yes, that would work.  I had a new plan.  The magnolia bud was in a much better position to make the painting interesting.  The painting was no long horizontal with lots of unneeded space. I now had a vertical plan.

I tested the idea out in watercolour, just to see how it was going to look. Since I had a much clearer picture in my mind of what I wanted the finished painting to look like, I just kept going.

Today, ten years after the worst natural disaster in American history, they are still rebuilding. I thought it was the perfect time to deliver the painting to the kind lady who took the time to try to help out so many years ago.

Have you paid it forward lately?

Gifts From Cyber Space

 Cyber friends are wonderful people who you may never meet, but who often go out of their way to do nice things for you.  Over the years I've had them send me a multitude of things, mainly just because they had something they thought I'd like.

I get wonderful cards at Christmas and sometimes even my birthday. I've received everything from specialty tea bags to a camera lens in the mail over the years. I've had people pass me software after they upgraded to a newer version. Last year a lovely lady I had never met in person before, drove well out of her way during a trip to drop off a couple of discs at my place.  She could have saved a lot of time and gas by just mailing them, but it was
so wonderful to meet  her, her hubby and her dogs, even if they couldn't stay for a visit.

Most recently I received a package all the way from Turkey.  It contained a calendar, two bookmarks and two magnets, all of which had cat designs on them. What a treat. The artist is Ayse Saray, and I met her in a photography forum.

People often say that cyber friends are not "real friends" but they are wrong. They are very supportive, encouraging, entertaining and just plain wonderful. If I ask for help, I get it. If I ask for nothing, I get gifts. That's one of the reasons I signed on to the Pay it Forward initiative this year. I want to send out some surprises to a few people myself. I have a list of five names to start with and I'm already thinking of things I could send them. I'm going to have fun with this.  Nobody will know what's coming or when.

Pay It Forward

Fifteen years ago, a movie came out that held an idea that would promote a better world. In "Pay It Forward" a wise teacher assigned the members of his class to do three nice things for other people, and to have those people pay back their good deeds by doing three nice things for others. The idea was to build a chain of events where everyone was doing good in the world.  One student took the assignment very seriously, and through the movie we see how even the simplest good deed can grow into something major.

This idea is still around, and January 16th to 18th is Pay It Forward weekend.  I found the event on Facebook and signed up immediately. The idea is to do least one random act of kindness.  Do something for someone or some organization without expecting anything in return. You can get in on this too by sending someone a card, volunteering  some time, pay for some stranger's meal, or anything else that you can think of. This weekend does not have to be the only time to do something for someone. This organized event is just a time where we can all do it together.

I'm sure you have heard stories over the past couple of years of people discovering their coffee has been paid for at Tim Horton's, or someplace.  That kind of thing happens throughout the year in recent times, and certainly does seem to spread once it starts.

Facebook has another way to kick start the Pay It Forward initiative too. There is now an e-mail chain as well.  One of my cousins posted an e-mail saying she would send something to the first 5 people who agreed to follow her lead.  They just had to type "I'm in" in the comments.  I jumped on it.  I'll get something from her, and send out 5 things to other people. And now those 5 people will also be sending something to 5 more people. I don't know how many links in the chain there were before I saw my cousin's message, but you can see how easily and quickly all this kindness spreads.

I took part in this kind of chain a couple of years back, but it wasn't considered to be a Pay It Forward project at the time. It was all about spreading your talents by giving away personally made items then.  This time it may be easier, as I don't actually have to make something if I don't want to.  I will, however, take some time to try and figure out what each of my recipients might like. That can sometimes be a challenge if you don't personally know the one on the receiving end......which in several of these cases I don't. 

I guess I'm already in Pay It Forward mode, as I just offered my brand new Sima Ultimate International Travel Adapter to someone who is going on a trip soon.  Once the idea is in your head to find ways to help others, all kinds of opportunities pop up.  Find someone to do something nice for today, and just keep doing it.

Freebie Friday - Jan 25

While it was never my intention to let this Freebie Friday thing take over my blog, I am at least glad I committed to it as otherwise you would likely not have heard from me in the past month.  The only other thing I have wanted to tell you about can't be put on here yet. It's a surprise. 

I got involved in a Pay It Forward project.  Someone on Facebook offered to send something they had made to the first five people who responded, on condition that they post the same offer on their page. I jumped in with both feet, not really knowing just what it was I would create.  I just knew I wanted to do it.

I got four takers on my offer, and somehow, luckily, I got in on their offers too, so, in reality, I'm exchanging things with these four talented people.  I have now finished two of those four projects (I think) and I'm itching to show them to you. If I did that now it that would ruin the surprise, not only for those who they are intended for, but perhaps also for those whose projects I have not started yet.....even though I expect those will be somewhat different.  In the meantime, I found out I could do something I didn't know I could do...but like I said, I can't tell you yet.
So I'm here, once again, to tell you what landed in my mail box this week.  I got five free things, all of which came from the same company, in the same box.  I had put in a little order to Yves Rocher, just for a lipstick and a new bottle of liquid hand soap. They always send samples and free stuff, and I do try to wait until I like what they are offering before putting in my order, just so I feel like I'm getting something for my postage charges.  This time I think I did very well. 

I got three small samples. One was a perfume, and the others were new face products, designed to keep me young looking.  I'm looking forward to testing those out.  The company wanted to start my year out right by giving me what they referred to as my "favorite product".  I'm not sure about that, but they did pick the most expensive thing I've ordered in the past year, so I'm very happy to have a new full sized bottle of the foundation makeup I use.  And finally there was a lovely light weight fold up nylon shopping bag for my purse that they referred to as my bonus gift.  All these freebies more than covered the shipping cost. 

Now if the new creams actually make me look younger, I'll be thrilled.