My Barn Burned Down

Cuy and Friend Pet Portrait

Peace on Earth? If dogs and cats can…..you’d think we could, too.

This is painted in Genesis Heat Set Oils (I LOVE these paints!) on 11 x 14 gallery wrapped canvas. Shipping off to customer this AM; only 3 more to finish before Monday! Already sent off my donations to Tara’s Babies and Garuda Aviary, so thank you to all my customers on behalf of the dogs and parrots! Happy Holidays, and Peace on Earth. Please.

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By Artist Don Gray: Fallen Limb

I am reading a wonderful book called Meeting the Buddhas by Vessantara, and although I’ve read it before, it feels like I’m reading it for the first time.  When I was a wannabe artist I read it from the standpoint of wanting to understand the archetypal imagery used in Tibetan Buddhism and in particular, thangka paintings. Funny thing, that now that I’m actually learning to paint, I’m reading it and it is clarifying the spiritual path I’ve been on for almost (oh, gawd) 30 years.  The author takes you through the meaning of the use of mandalas and visualization in the Vajrayana method of practice and so you go with him on a poetic tour of the mandalas of the Five Buddha Families (which, it turns out, is a map of our own mind).

Much I could share here, but in keeping with the art theme of this blog, I was struck by Ratnasambhava’s mandala, and how it incorporates the arts and beauty as a method for refining the mind; the author speaks of being able to enjoy beauty – in nature, art, music – as a step towards being able to eventually make the leap into the very refined energy of the nature of reality.

I know that I have a busy mind and it is true that when something of beauty registers on my mind, my mind STOPS, at least for a nano second, and relaxes. All meditation teachers tell you that that is quite a feat actually, to relax the mind.  (More about that tomorrow, when I tell you about the other book I’m reading My Stroke of Insight – a brain scientist experiencing her own stroke and how when the mind chatter stopped she had no frame of reference for her-self.)

By Don Gray: Streak of Sun

But back to beauty and simply stopping in the moment and experiencing it. There are different things that will grab each one’s mind as ‘beauty’, and these are two paintings I have seen this week that did it for me.  I don’t want to analyze why these did it for me (although my busy mind certainly WANTS to get right on that); I’d rather just sit and experience the beauty of what the artist has conveyed. I hope they give you a nano second of beauty and relaxation as well.

And then, so as not grasp onto it a “mine”, I offer this beauty to all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the past, present and future as my teachers have taught us to do. May all beings be well, happy, peaceful and prosperous.

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Boston Terrier Pet Portrait

As the holiday deadline bears down on us, I’m trying not to freak out. I’ve got a couple of pet portraits I MUST finish this week in order to varnish and ship on time and I keep reworking things to ‘get it perfect’. Of course, for a Virgo, “perfect” never comes so I end up (in my mind) with “good enough I guess”. But this guy, even though he’s just a 6×6 painting, seemed to take FOR-EV-ER. Paintings with many different colors are easier for me. Being able to show the form with shades of black and white are difficult. I had to go back to my pencil drawing training to even see it with my eyes. But I love Boston Terriers and hope I captured that WILD EYE look they get before they go out to destroy something.  As always, 30% of the proceeds from the sale of this painting will be donated to animal rescue work. You can bid now on this painting!

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WATCH THIS AND WEEP:

Inside Puppy Mill

Sorry to dampen the the sound of jingle bells, but when you see this, you’ll understand why educating America to what is going on is so important. Now, I think there are too many dogs already, as so many get put down daily in shelters due to overcrowding, and I think dog adoption and dog rescue is the heroic thing to do. However, people will continue to breed dogs for money, but why do they have to be cruel to dogs  in the process? A place can be clean, the dogs can be given room to move around, fed well (that would help the “product” don’t you think?).  Where is basic kindness in these people?

Anyway, please share this and get the word out. The US Humane Society is doing a campaign to stop puppy mills: please support them! There is a link to the Pledge on YouTube on the right, as well as a donation link.

Thank you and Merry Christmas to all – joy comes from helping others, so spread the joy!

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I actually have relatives that are out there in the stores today, Black Friday. I guess it might be worth the hassle to save a few bucks but when places like amazon.com have so many great deals, I just can’t imagine heading out in the fray. Of course I’m prejudiced in that my granddaughter and I have spent the last few weeks building our Christmas shopping sites for this internet marketing course we’re plowing through. Our main hub is at Christmas Shopping Made Easy and then it has about 7 baby sites linked to it with product specific pages. Lots of learning and work but we find it interesting and fun, and are hoping it makes a profit! Another aspect of the internet marketing course is using Squidoo, founded by marketing genius Seth Godin so we’ve begun building sites there as well. I built a Star Wars Toys “lens” (page) yesterday and have ideas for many more. As you can tell, I find the world of e-commerce fascinating. Will post all my Christmas gift paintings soon – 5 done and 2 still to go. Then the dogs!

After Christmas I plan to really promote my pet portrait business as well as build some pet related websites with a big chunk of proceeds donated to Tara’s Babies and Garuda Aviary. I know they are struggling in this economy to care for the dogs and parrots. I also have prints and cards available of my German Shepherd painting, and 100% of all of those proceeds go to the Mid-Atlantic German Shepherd Rescue.

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