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A CHANGE OF SCENE
A CHANGE OF SCENE For the longest time I have been painting still life paintings. I am drawn to them, especially floral paintings. I like realism and details. Out of nowhere, I decided it was time to...
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BORROWING TROUBLE
BORROWING TROUBLE Living in Virginia, this year winter has been mild and almost non-existent, which has been quite okay with me. Due to the mild winter and the warm temperatures, spring has appeared...
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HOMEBOUND
HOMEBOUND Topics for my articles generally are stimulated by interactions and experiences encountered day-to-day. Between the snow and the cold, I have had excuses to stay home. I understand that...
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LIFE IMITATES ART: THE STORY OF MUFFIN'S BIRD
LIFE IMITATES ART: THE STORY OF MUFFIN’S BIRD Retirement allowed me the time to begin watching TV shows I had been hearing about, but had not had the time to actually view. I watched one or two...
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LOWER EXPECTATIONS LEAD TO INCREASED HAPPINESS
LOWER EXPECTATIONS LEAD TO INCREASED HAPPINESS The United Nations, in 2012, began to study the happiness and well-being of the world’s citizens. Denmark, until the most recent study, had been...
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ART: THE ROAD TO WIDER AND DEEPER
ART: THE ROAD TO WIDER AND DEEPER I have always been fortunate to have possessed a desire to learn and to know more and to excel. Once I discovered a nascent interest in art, I found myself wanting...
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DECISION FATIGUE AND THE ARTIST
DECISION FATIGUE AND THE ARTIST Social psychologist, Roy Baumeister, identified a concept known as decision fatigue. Essentially, the more decisions a person has to make, the poorer their decisions...
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DON'T PUT OFF 'TIL TOMORROW WHAT YOU COULD HAVE DONE YESTERDAY
DON'T PUT OFF 'TIL TOMORROW WHAT YOU COULD HAVE DONE YESTERDAY This is advice I wish I had given myself and followed some time back. I had developed a bad habit of finishing paintings and/or bringing...
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LIVING ALONE CAN BE A RISK TO YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
LIVING ALONE CAN BE A RISK TO YOUR MENTAL HEALTH Recently I visited with an old friend. She and I are both getting old and we have had a long friendship almost 65 years long. It was dismaying to...
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IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE VIEW, CHANGE YOUR ANGLE
IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE VIEW, CHANGE YOUR ANGLE This is the title of an article written by J.R. Monks. The article, reprinted in Fine Art Views, describer a plein air outing for sketch booking....
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MIXING PRIMARIES FROM SECONDARIES
MIXING PRIMARIES FROM SECONDARIES Almost two years ago (June 26, 1015), Michael Chesley Johnson wrote a blog titled “Mixing Primary Colors from Secondary Colors.” The title and the process intrigued...
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SERENDIPITY
SERENDIPITY Upon awakening this morning, I slowly oriented myself to the fact that it was Sunday. This particular Sunday, I didn’t have to prepare a big dinner; nor do I exercise on Sundays. It also...
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HOW TO I LOVE THEE3F
HOW DO I LOVE THEE? Elizabeth Barrett Browning took pen to paper and immortalized these words. She went on to answer her own question with “Let me count the ways.” When I was actively involved in...
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SALES PEOPLE
SALES PEOPLE Recently we had a salesman knock on our door one night near sunset. This person did not call in advance, had not sent a letter, nor an email. There was no advance notification of his...
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CURMUDGEON
CURMUDGEON Recently, I mentioned to a friend that I was turning into a curmudgeon. I had no patience or tolerance for people who should act, but do not act, in a professional manner. Her husband, who...
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THE CREATION OF A DIVA
THE CREATION OF A DIVA This week, several friends and I were discussing the way our rescue dogs have evolved into divas. One of the synonyms for diva is prima donna. Dictionary.com defines prima...
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HOW TO START A PAINTING
HOW TO START A PAINTING “I dream of painting and then I paint my dream.” Vincent Van Gogh This past week, at a meeting of the Blue Ridge Art League, a friend asked another artist and myself how we...
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OLD SCHOOL OR JUST SCHOOLED3F
This blog began in May 2014. Since that time I have written and published one article each week. As I anticipate being preoccupied with our first grandchild, I also anticipate not expending time/energy...
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BUCKET LIST: CHECK OFF ONE ITEM
BUCKET LIST: CHECK OFF ONE ITEM The bucket list I have been working on is very modest. I have no desire or need to see exotic countries, although I would not pass up an opportunity to do so. Nor do I...
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DOING IT MY WAY
DOING IT MY WAY Thank you, Frank Sinatra. It is often said, as a person nears the end of their life, few regret not spending more time at their place of work. Instead, regrets tend to be related to not...
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