LoraBelieves

I started over again.
My new space is www.Lorabelieves.com.

Or, on Instagram @LoraBelieves

Things are always changing.

  The original portrait is somewhere between the two of these.  

Someone emailed me a beautiful quote the other day.

“The hours I spend with you I look upon as sort of a perfumed garden, a dim twilight, and a fountain signing to it…you and you alone make me feel that I am alive…Other men, it is said, have seen angels, but I have seen thee and thou art enough.” – George Moore

I am grateful to know a few angels.

Balance - My Red and Blue Horse

A couple of weeks ago I was feeling all the strain of keeping balance in my life.  I often feel like a blend of hot and cold, details and abstracts, peace and chaos.  Often my life is about managing the balance.  It's about holding my ground in the middle of the storms.  And sometimes, I'm just trying to make crazy look good.

 

In the midst of one such stormy day, I saw this image in my head. 

 

 

 

In some of my rare art moments of late, I've been playing with pastels.  I really like them.  The colors are vivid and bright, and I love that they smear so much. 

 

 

Painting with Watercolor

 
     Over the past couple of months I tried to squeeze in some experimental painting time.  My mother-in-law has painted with watercolor paints for many years.  She's been letting me learn with her a bit.  Here are some  of my little paintings.  I say little because they are all about 5x7 inches or smaller.  Good watercolor paper is quite expensive.  By cutting the paper into smaller sizes, I can practice without feeling as guilty.  My mom-in-law gave me that great tip.  The small paintings can make great fronts for  greeting cards later as well.

  

Fire Dance

 
      I took these pictures one evening when I was getting the charcoal ready for the grill.  It was just dark enough to see the flames coming up out of the charcoal chimney starter.  The sparks were mesmerizing.  Fire is a living, breathing, beautiful thing to behold.  I love to watch fire dance.
     We recently celebrated our country's birthday.  I enjoy watching the fireworks light up the night sky.  Some of them are beautiful only for a second, and if you are not watching you miss them.  I was thinking about that during the fireworks, when someone would shout out, "Oh, look!"  But by the time you looked up, it was already gone.  You had to be watching the sky while it was just plain dark, and comparatively less spectacular.
     Sometimes, spectacular things happen in the briefest of moments and if we don't keep our eyes open and we aren't looking for them, we just might miss them.

Drawing Again

   
    It can be a strange thing to draw again when I don't for a few months.  I feel a bit apprehensive, like maybe I won't be able to do it anymore.  When life is busy sometimes I almost forget that I have ever drawn at all, and I see one of my drawings, and I'm a little surprised and wonder, "Did I really draw that?"   But somehow, the ability is there tucked into some remote pocket of my consciousness, and I remember.
   
   I remember how to look for the shadows and the light.  I remember not to be afraid of the dark because it makes the light parts really outstanding.  I remember that sometimes the smallest shadow or highlight creates amazing dimension on a flat piece of paper.  I remember that every face is beautiful.  I remember that everyone has something amazing about them, even you and even me.

Weeds can be beautiful too...

Have you ever heard that quote by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, "A weed is but an unloved flower."  Every time I see a pretty weed, I think of that quote.  It also makes me think about people, and how sometimes we may  feel more like a dandelion than a "Knockout" rose.  When we love someone or something, we can see the good and special things about them.  We learn to appreciate them just the way they are. 

 Weeds have a place in the world, and they can be beautiful too. 

P.S. Click on an image to see it bigger. :)