Life Reflections

Fall Friends for Playful Pups Collection/Susie Q's Dog Rescue
5x7 Watercolor on W&N 140# Paper
©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts 2014

This wasn't a week for a lot of progress in the studio. It was busy with work (the one that pays the bills) & family events.  It was more of a week for reflection during the sporadic quiet times.

It was a week that reminded me that we have no clue as to how much time we have. Nor any idea of the future quality of our time on this plane. Many of us with silent illnesses or horrid invasions of our bodies struggle to keep a positive aura. Sometimes, though, we just can not. Yet we still try.

It was a week that showed us those we could truly count upon, either in person or in spirit. Not only in our immediate lives, but also to others who have hidden strength to share with those without it. And in discovering that others believe in you, despite your own doubts.

It was week for family. The joy of love's cocoon during a time of fear was evident in places unsuspected.

It was a week of rain showers, bright sunlight, & lingering grays. All the while, the golden hues of the leaves reflected any & all light, as if to bring us to tomorrow. 

It was a week of miracles. Life sustained by the minds & talents of many before us. Others were given futures because of the sacrifices of some. 

It was a week to admire the art of living, of appreciating the love, of revealing of meaning. 

It was a week to realize how fortunate I am.

 Baby & Buddy for Kitty Kapers Collection/Another Chance Pet Rescue
(In Process)
©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts 2014

And, it is now time to say, "Thank you!" and to send virtual hugs to everyone. Did you notice the note cards feature friendship today? 

Building Rescue Love

A Tail to Tell!

In talking about our respective causes & procedures with Stephanie, the author & proprietor of Crystal Allure Creations, the conversation turned to developing designs. Years ago, I'd designed a collection for her transplant awareness foundation, Lungs for Life, of butterflies. Flights of Life represent the gift of new breath with healthy lungs, post-transplant.  I ran her through the steps of how I do a watercolor note card design. It's similar to the process I showed a few months back in doing my Bird Squares.

It may seem like a lot of extra work, and, in a way, it is. But, what I find is that it makes me feel more secure in approaching an art piece.

One of the bad habits we have, as artists, is to overwork a piece . By taking a few extra steps, that tendency can be avoided.

Inspiration for the Painting: The Minions

Sketch for Minions & Squirrel
©Bronson Hill Arts 2014

I start with a basic sketch on regular sketch paper. It enables me to safely erase errors without real damage to the paper's texture. Once I have the lines & composition I want, I darken those details and lightly erase the superfluous marks.

Then I scan the picture into the computer. I can clean up any stray pencil marks and sometimes see what needs to be fine tuned on the following sketch.

Yes, the following sketch: I'll make a print onto heavier paper (such as watercolor paper) and adjust as many deficits as I can. At that point, I'll add the crosshatch/shading to the image. Then, you guessed it, scan it again.

Shaded Sketch for Minions & Squirrel
©Bronson Hill Arts 2014

Why? If I'm not satisfied with the second step, I can do it again! The same principle applies to the 3rd, , 4th, etc., steps!

Once I finish the sketch completely, I'll make a copy on higher quality watercolor paper. From there, I can paint away!

If I fumble, I can easily start again at any point I'd like. It takes a certain hesitancy out of the flow. I've used this method several times over & love the freedom it gives me to try. And try again, if necessary!

Making Progress on Minions & Squirrel

That being said, here is the final painting of the Kitty Kapers "Minions & Squirrel" card:

A very special "Thank you!" to Dina & her family for the great photograph &, mostly, the fantastic amount of love they put into raising these fur babies, the Minions, from the beginning!

The Minions & Squirrel
5x7 Watercolor on 140# Canson Paper
©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts 2014

All profits on the Note Card collections are given to the specified charity. In the case of Kitty Kapers, the proceeds will go to Another Chance Pet Rescue. 

Rescuing Love

Fun! for Playful Pups CollectionProceeds to go to Susie Q's Dog Rescue/A Second Chance
4x6 Watercolor on 140# Canson Paper
©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts 2014

For as long as I can remember, I've been in a home with at least one pet. Primarily, cats with some dogs sprinkled in along the way. My early years were spent in apartments, as was my young adult life, so cats were an easier option  for that type of housing situation. And, though we would love to have a dog (or 2), our livelihoods require long shifts & we truly feel that it would be unfair to any pups to leave them alone that much.

Right now, we have 2 cats. We'd like to have more, &, except for my hubby's allergies, we would. But that allergy thing is awfully hard to ignore. We have had up to 3 at one time, but he does better with one less. Also, as our "babies" age, they need more & more attention & from us.

Somewhere along the way, we became rescue advocates on a limited scale. Anyone who has seen my Facebook page knows that I cannot stop myself from reposting calls for donations, adoptions & lost pet searches. Once a friend dubbed me "the patron saint of stray & lost animals".

Base drawing for "Fun!"

However, the amount of time, money, effort, & love that some individuals devote to homeless & sick animals is Homeric. The consensus is that I cannot foster furry beings as these people do: I would never be able to let anyone else take them away! We are in awe of the work these volunteers put into each beautiful little life. And, cannot fathom how they deal with the grief & tears when the battles are lost.

As a small contribution to the cause of a rescue,  up a couple of note card collections wherein a portion of the proceeds would be forwarded to various rescue organizations. Since I haven't been doing the local vendor routine this past year, or so, there hasn't been any  revenue coming in for donations. Not holding up my end of things very well, am I?

A photo posted recently by one of the great foster "mothers" gave me the perfect image to start getting started on a new collection (or two!).

Minions Photo Courtesy of ACPR

Kitty Kapers Collection for Another Chance Pet Rescue (in process)

The goal this time, though, is to donate 2/3 rds of the revenue to the charities. There are close to a dozen local charities deserving of support; I'm not sure yet if I'll pool the funds and divvy them from there, or specify the charity to which each card will contribute. Any thoughts on the subject would be appreciated!

For now, here are the starting sketch & the inspirational photo. I'll keep you updated on the progress! In the meantime, the original Note Cards for charity are available for viewing on this blog, our website, & the Etsy shop.

Do you have a favorite charity organization for which you could do something special to help? We'd love to hear about it! And, thoughts on our revenue distribution are welcome, too!

White on WhiteProceeds of Note Card Sales to Susie Q's Dog Rescue/A Second Chance
Ink on Smooth Bristol
©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts 2012

Generations

Family Tangle
Ink on Smooth Bristol©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts

This month we had our annual family reunion. 

The gathering was started as a graduation celebrating our oldest daughter when she finished high school. It was such a wonderful experience, the decision to create an annual gathering was made.

It's not just a reunion though: it's a way to connect to a large, semi-scattered group of people who are intimately tied to each other by blood or marriage or less "traditional" relationships. And, even though we only really bring this many of the limbs of the family tree together one time a year, you realize that they are all a part of you and the course that your life has taken.

Gatherings like these make us whole. And remind us that our family will only continue to grow.

Seeing my children playing and fawning over my great-nieces and nephews, makes it clear that they want that connection. The great-nieces & great-nephews of varying ages taking care of each other, just naturally bonding, shows how much they belong together. And it is amazing. Listening to family stories and adventures brings the proverbial laughter and tears and, mostly, understanding.

We realize we are family, quirks and all. We belong to each other and we love each other.

Appreciating It All

Chickadee
3.5" square Water Soluble Oils on Canvas
©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts

With the Fourth of July weekend of celebrations just a few days away, it is undeniably summer. 

No room for chickadees in this part of the world. For now.

After a particularly brutal winter, it's easy to appreciate the warmth, even at it's humid peak. 

Appreciation is hard to hold in place. It's so very easy to let the negative overwhelm the good in our lives. Whether it is our gratitude for our own lives and loves, or being valued by others in our world, appreciation can simply become nonexistent.

Over the last month or two, I've been feeling appreciated in pleasant, unexpected ways. It's my turn, now, to remind all of you how much I appreciate you. Even if it seems that our visits are often sparse, you are never far from my heart and mind.

All of you!

Appreciating it all: winter & summer, chickadees & bluebirds, special & mundane, friends & family, work & leisure.

Keep life wonderful! Have a great holiday!

IF Intention: The Gift

The Gift
Permanent Marker 6x6 Smooth Bristol
©2012 BEDeuel/Bronson Hill Arts

I'm sure we've all had an occasion in our lives when it's been hard to gracefully accept a heartfelt, but awkward, gift.

The first time, that I can clearly recall, was when I was a kid. My great-aunt was part of the family and had taken to hand-feeding a sickly cat who had taken residence outside our house. The cat, named Tigger, regained her health (and went on to live a very long life) thanks to Aunt Marie's efforts. You might guess how Tigger repaid her based on the illustration for IF posted here. Yep: dead critters left at the front door. There were a lot of screams on a lot of early mornings. Aunt Marie thought she could avoid the gifts by going out through the garage door, but Tigger caught on quickly and started to deposit her presents of gratitude at that door. The morning screams continued for quite a while.

Another time, in more recent years, was that first well-intentioned, but, decidedly, unromantic gift from the hubby, at-that-time boyfriend. I learned then (but still forget frequently) he actually does listen to me when I mention something I might like to get. Like a convertible vacuum cleaner. For my birthday. Yes, very awkward, indeed.

Most of the time, we manage to gather our wits enough to react, perhaps belatedly,but with as much grace as we can. However, the gift-giver knows, no matter how rapidly we may recover. 

I don't know about you, but I find that when that happens, I feel so awful for not being grateful, that I start to see the gift in a different light. It becomes all the more precious for the thought and love put into it, from the giver to the recipient, even if it doesn't meet the expectation initially.

When a daughter needed a vacuum cleaner for her school residence, she asked if she could take that convertible one with her. Oddly enough, it was hard to part with it. I think you may know why now.

Capacity

Filled to Capacity
Permanent Marker on 6x6 Smooth Bristol Paper
©BEDeuel/Bronson Hill Arts

Today was one of those just-good days: Lots of chatting and laughing with my hubby into the early hours of the morning, a birthday phone call to an awesome friend, an early dinner with my wonderful parents, a great night of bowling with good people, and a surprise visit with one of the daughters which culminated in a late-night dinner.

Only hitch is that, well, we're definitely "filled to capacity". The stomachs may not really look like this guy's belly, but, boy, do they feel like it!

Hope your day was at least half as good and that you have an equally fantastic week!

Giveaway Time: Some Romance in a Small Container

These are small (about 2 1/2 " high) handpainted glass bud vases that I had a lot of fun making yesterday.

The thought hit me today that Valentine's Day is only a couple of weeks away. These really would make a lovely holder for a small, lovingly selected flower for your sweetheart!

Tomorrow I want to try to do some small hurricane glasses. Are you thinking a favorite scented candle, too?

I'd like to give one of these to one of my Fellow Fans of Life. Drop me a note that tells me what makes your loved one so wonderful by Sunday night, January 29th.

I'll start: the love of my life, my husband, has a heart as true as can be true. He's sincere in everything he does, be it work or love, family or friends!

I'm excited to hear what you have to say about your sweetheart! Let's have as much fun with this as I did in making these pieces!