When I first started painting
I had no idea what I was doing..
but that didn’t matter.
All I needed
was the unshakable
unrelenting desire
to create.
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inspirational
Secret Galleries and the Art of Home Repairs
.
We had an art show a few weeks ago
with a single attendee..
the handyman who came to repair our wall.
.
He examined the paintings that surrounded him
while he worked..
and as the plaster dried
he walked around
staring at all the art.
.
He spoke to us about our paintings
and shared stories of his own collection of art..
his father’s landscape paintings
which he treasured.
.
As he was leaving
he thanked us for the experience
and his unexpected trip
into an art exhibit.
.
This is art the way it is meant to be
not cloistered away in a sterile, white-walled gallery
but as a part of everyday life..
living in our homes
like family.
.
Lost Dolls and the Art of Perserverance
“Lost and Found Again” by Michele Bledsoe
The floppy yellow doll in the lower left corner of this painting is Beth..
my sister’s beloved childhood doll.
Many years ago,
in a moment of carelessness
Beth was lost
and my sister was filled with regret.
It broke my heart.
For over 20 years, I have relentlessly searched for Beth.
Antique stores, yard sales
and endless, insomnia-fueled internet searches.
A noble quest
to reunite my sister with her beloved doll.
Recently, my doll-hunting obsession
came up in conversation.
My sister remembered me telling her about it
10 years ago.
She was touched that after all this time
I had not given up.
I told her I would look for Beth
for the rest of my life
if that’s what it took to find her…
The next day, Beth was found.
As my husband held me in his arms..
I wept tears of joy.
My quest is over.
I am at peace.
Love and the Art of Collecting Laughter
My husband and I keep a journal next to our computer.
Whenever something makes us laugh our heads off
we write it down.
Occasionally,
we read from it
and crack up all over again..
It is our collection of laughter.
Dollhouse Paintings and the Art of Giving Your All
My sister asked me to make a painting
to hang in her dollhouse.
So I did.
With squinting eyes,
I leaned in close
and poured my soul onto that tiny canvas.
Is it a waste of time to put so much of myself
into a 2″ x 2″ square?
No.
Art is all or nothing.
Every time.
Painting and the Art of Conversation
“Like Clockwork” by Michele Bledsoe
When I paint
I don’t make preliminary sketches
I don’t plan anything out beforehand..
I just sit at my easel
and dream.
It is a spontaneous conversation..
an intimate, spiritual exchange
between myself and God.
Camping, Cats and the Art of Mondays
Summer is over..
and we’re back as volunteer art teachers
for a group of inner city kids.
We spent the evening as we usually do
sitting at a table
elbow to elbow
drawing pictures together.
Can’t think of a better way to spend a Monday night..
This cat looks a lot like my grandma. I must have been thinking about her while I was drawing.
“Molly Pitcher” by my husband, Richard.
Cats were a recurring theme… This one has a butterfly on her nose.
Portrait of the artist on the balcony of her apartment.
Singing in the tent, camping under the night sky.
