A synopsis "A People Project"

It's funny how, in this journey of life, even though we may begin at different times and places, our paths cross with others so that we may share our love, compassion, observations and hope.  This is a design of God that I appreciate and cherish. 

~Steve Maraboli

 "A People Project"  a series of three paintings from photos that I love of people in quite different settings.

I took a little time off this summer to deal with a few medical issues with a few of my family members.  It has been a crazy year!  I still made a little time to be creative, painting and also planting a garden.  I am finished with all my orders and attempting to move forward with the many changes for me.   I decided to paint something challenging, some meaningful illustrations of life, beauty and joy.  Happy moments that we all experience and are grateful to experience them and experience through others too. 

 So I began my search for interesting people.

    "The life that I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt."

~ Frederick Buechner

I am afraid to admit that sometimes I will observe my surroundings from the outside in, almost like watching a play with the characters unfolding before me.  Many times it can be a very surreal experience, especially if God is trying to show me something that I might need to know. 

A really good example of this is when recently a car accident happening right where I was walking.

 My account ,June 8...  
"Today a car accident happened next to where I walk.  I heard the loud crash and and two families where devastated.  A handful of mamas ( me included) ran to assist in anyway we could. Like a well oiled machine, we stopped a woman with a concussion from wandering off, stopped and directed traffic from both sides, called paramedics and we consoled the ones that were involved.  Level headed women coming together to do a little part in some strangers lives. {Teamwork}."

Still helping but observing, how did everyone know their place and run so smoothly?  I guess I am a bit too nerdy in my over analyzing all the time, but sometimes I notice all the beauty too.

This brings me to my first painting,
🖌 "Beauty" 
  
I have been a volunteer for World Vision for 12+ years now doing music concerts and events, and I have been a child Ambassador for about 4 years (I need to go look that up to see for sure).  I am amazed at some of the photography!  The incredible joy and beauty of the people and the rich cultures displayed, almost literally pulled out on these wonderful photographs. 

For this painting I asked a world-renowned photographer from World Vision (Laura Reinhardt) if I could paint this photo. I really loved this photo from Rwanda. A beautiful, almost whimsical moment between a mother and child carrying water in a lush (almost tropical) setting.  What a gift to capture such joy and beauty even in the hardship of carrying water for miles. 

Of course the painting
was no match for the beautiful photograph,
she was so gracious for allowing me to try. :)


↘

"The sacred moments, the moments of miracle, are often the everyday moments, the moments which, if we do not look with more than our eyes or listen with more than our ears reveal only...a gardener, a stranger coming down the road behind us, a meal like any other meal. But if we look with our hearts, if we listen with all our being and imagination... what we may see is Jesus himself."

- Frederick Buechner

                                                                          Photo credit; Laura Reinhardt (Rwanda)World Vision

                                                                   ⚘💮⚘🎨⚘💮⚘

My second painting is a tribute
 to my love of music. 
🖌"The Violinist" 

I don't play myself but I do admire people that can
 play musical instruments! 

"The Violinist" 

 This painting is a violinist that I saw at a show that I did a while back. This place was an upscale senior art fair and the ladies were going gaga over this guy!  They were leaning over the balcony and giggling like school girls. I thought it was  really funny until it struck me,  right in the middle of sharing sponsorship with a lady. 

He started to play the theme song from Schindler's list
 and I started to cry.  
He got me too!  
This has absolutely never happened before!
 He just played so beautifully and with such passion
 it made a good (but funny) memory.

                                                             🎜♬🎻♫🎝

My third painting is of my own grandchild
walking down a path with his cousin.
🖌"Little Leaders"

This is a painting of my grandson
 with his trusty stick, 
in an endearing photo
 with his cousin. 

He is always an interesting subject for me, even when he gets that smirk on his face and drenches me with the hose. 

Stories are the single most powerful weapon in a leader’s arsenal.
 ~Howard Gardner, Harvard University

Life itself is the most wonderful fairytale of all. 
~Hans Christian Andersen

   

🎕💟🎕

And the garden...

The garden that I planted has took over it's tiny space in my yard. Apparently we are going to have a pumpkin patch!

(I think)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWsfExiA4hL/?taken-by=bannerandsail

Fact notes...
My final synopsis

Gardening is actually similar to art and to anything in life.  It takes a step of faith to plant, paint or do anything on a bare canvas, a sheet of blank paper or a plot of dirt.  Moving forward with faith allows growth.

Plants and people are also very similar in the fact that they do well with even just a little love and care.  Just a little investment in a human life can go a long way for growth.
  and as for faith...
 If you have the faith the size of a mustard seed, 
you can move mountains! 

Have a good day! :)

"If we are to love our neighbors, before doing anything else we must see our neighbors. With our imagination as well as our eyes, that is to say like artists, we must see not just their faces but the life behind and within their faces. Here it is love that is the frame we see them in."

~Frederick Buechner

Jesus replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”   

Matthew 17:20

Fourth of July

Happy Fourth of July! We stayed home this year and we didn't have any family in town this year, so I went for a walk at my favorite place. With so many people that had to work, and just in case some of you got stuck at home like me this year I thought I would take you through my walk.

The walk was especially pretty today so I took some pictures.

Ready? 

The pathway starts here.

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A nice shady park with a playground and pathways.

The native plants were stunning today!  Flowers line the pathway with birds calling in the tall trees.  Pink, orange, yellow and white were the colors of the day.

A light scent of Jasmine is in the air, but I don't know from where.

A few steps in, you can see the path layered with white fluff from the cottonwood trees. 

I love this little pine in the mist if all these tall trees.

The shade trees made it seem like you are in a rain forest.

                                                                 And just around the bend...

The waterfront!
No more shade,
all open skies. 
There I find a sailboat,
all dressed up for 4th of July.

Wildlife abounds!

                                                                               A mild warm day today, even in the shade.

                                                                 A pretty peaceful place.

Even the boats are at rest.

Across the river people were already starting to camp out and wait for the firework display tonight.  I especially liked this moment when a picture perfect sailboat met a dilapidated sailboat with no sail and unpainted or dressed up for the 4th of July event.

I loved the wild poppies and the daisies that popped up everywhere.

Wildflowers

                                                                                                           Back the way I came.

 I hope you enjoyed my favorite place to walk! 

Have a safe and happy 4th of July!

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
2 Corinthians 3:17