Artists

Today I am grateful that I am surrounded by artists.  Since I’ve joined Facebook I have had more and more people “come out” and share their original artwork.  It doesn’t’ get much better.  I know it’s risky to share something you’ve created, but I hope you share anyway.  You don’t have to be a Van Gogh, or Rembrandt, or Monet to be an artist.  If you do anything creative. . .that makes you an artist.

There is no “wrong” in art.  Every single piece of art work is subjective.  It will be adored by some and not so much by others.  To each their own.  That’s why art museums are jammed to the ears with so much diversity.  I might spend twenty minutes studying a painting that someone else will walk right past.  They might dissect with their eyes every inch of a piece of armor that I might ignore.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of seeing the latest painting of my friend David.  Amazing.  Words can’t describe his technical skill and the passion he creates in one large, relatively simple painting.  When I arrived he had his family room full of six or more of his most recent work.  It’s as though his walls were papered in creativity and life.  Each one tells its own story.  You can literally get lost in them, forgetting that a person actually painted them with painstaking skill and effort.  It’s that way with a lot of art.  I love that feeling.

While I can only aspire, like so many of us, to have talent like some, that does not mean I don’t have talent.  It’s the same for others of you out there.  You probably have a lot of talent but you might be embarrassed, or scared to share it.  Please don’t be.  Share anyway.  I never knew a friend, Jayne, painted tiny animals on ornaments, but they’re awesome.  I knew my friend from a billion years ago, Evie, painted, but I had no idea how fantastic she was becoming.  Molly is an awesome artist who draws better than most people I know and she also sings like an angel.  I’m thrilled to see what LeAnn’s daughter, Melissa will next create, in cookies of all things.  I had no idea she painted, so I almost fell off my chair when Nilsa shared her wonderful work and I can’t wait to see more.  When I hear my brother-in-law, Tim at the piano I could cry.  It’s the same with my sister, Judy on the viola.  My house is full of gorgeous ceramic pieces done by my friend, Tim, in Wisconsin.  Some of you are artists in the kitchen, or with music, or writing, or sewing, or crafts or something I don’t even know about.  I encourage you to celebrate any skills you have and share.  I don’t feel the sharing of your art is self-serving or bragging.  I find it empowering. And fun.

We cannot all be Van Gogh’s, but I am very grateful to be surrounded by real artists. . .like you!