Merry Christmas

Sweet Dreams 9 x 12 oil

Not a Creature Was Stirring, Not Even a Cat 5 x 7 oil

Shhhh, everyone is asleep. The lights on the Christmas tree have clicked off. The house is quiet, my heart is full, my soul rejoices.

Thoughts are circling my head. What really is Christmas?

Christmas is not about giving,

we can’t possibly give as much as God gives to us.

Christmas is not about getting,

we already have been given so very much in so many ways.

Christmas is not about parties,

how could we possibly celebrate enough the birth of Christ.

To me, Christmas is a time to slow down and embrace all those around me, cherish their love, and their precious lives, rejoicing in the gift of knowing each of them. Most of all, it is a time for me to draw God deep into my soul and trust him with all of my heart.

The past two or three years have been a very scary time for most of us. There have been financial fears, emotional strains, and losses of loved ones. Some of us have been very sick, and some of us have been very alone. But through it all, we have God. He has always been there. He is the one rock that gives us high ground for safety. Reach out, even if you are fearful. Find God in your heart. He has always been there. Reach out and make new friends. Find your family. Heal broken ties. In doing so, you will find God right by your side.

This is a time of year that encourages all of us to remember that we are all from the same family of God. He loves us, one and all. Now That is a GIFT!

Merry Christmas!

This Time of Year

I love the Holidays. I love the color and the lights, the parties and the warmth of family and friends reaching out to each other. I delight in the decorations….. the Christmas Tree and the lights of the Menorah. The Holidays are a busy time for all of us. Some years I get the Christmas tree up just after Thanksgiving and some years I am muttering under my breath, “why didn’t I do this sooner” as I hurry to set up the tree on Christmas Eve. This year, to my great delight I set “her” up right after Thanksgiving. Now each night we have a lovely display of twinkling little lights from our living room. Ahhhhh.

Many Stories 30 x 40 oil

Don’t get me wrong. I agree, it is a busy time that can be so flustering for all of us, too. Add to that, all the parties and life gets a bit crazy. Most years Howard and I host an Open House in our Studios during the Holidays. It's great fun and a lot of work, but it is well worth it. We get to display our paintings, see friends and party for two or three days! We had one last weekend and it was wonderful.

Walking with My Sister 12 x 16 oil

Ever since I began drawing and painting, I have had an extra “artist’s dose” of the Holiday rush in the form of painting commissions for people for Christmas and Hanukkah. This is the time that I get create little and big treasured paintings for other people’s gifts. These paintings are often of their love ones, people and/or pets, but I have also done special homes, cars, boats and planes, favorite views and magical memories.

One More Time 6 x 8 oil

This is the time that I really experience how paintings bring joy into people’s lives. These creations probably will never be exhibited in a show or gallery or even sold. The families will keep them. These paintings will travel through time and generations. Originally painted as a little son or beloved pet, treasured home or special spot.... years later these paintings will be handed down to each generation as a painting of great grandpa, the beloved family dog, their very first home or family vacation spot. Being a part of this special joy really blesses me!

Sherican 8 x 6 oil

I like to wear red all year long, but especially during the Holidays when I feel like one of “Santa’s Helpers.” So, I had better get back to the easel, Christmas Eve is fast approaching!

Not a Creature Was Stirring, Not Even a Dog 6 x 8 oil

Thankful

Howard’s Pumpkin

10 x 8 oil

‘Tis the season to be thankful and I am. I am so grateful for all of my life. The good, bad and ugly. I have had a wonderful life of travel, love and inspiration. Sure, like everyone, there have been plenty of not so wonderful experiences, too. So, I choose to let go of those thoughts and memories. Today, as I think of how full my cup really is, I am grateful for all of the wonderful friends, family and strangers in my life that encouraged me to be an artist. Some bought paintings, some showed up for my shows and many many cheered me on as my career climbed and my brush strokes became more determined and confident. Thank you, all of you. Your support, joy and enthusiasm for my work have given me the courage to grow as an artist.

The list of things that I am grateful for is incredibly huge! One of them is….I am thankful for the colors in the world.

Color is the icing on life. Everyday we are tickled and thrilled by hues and chroma that surprise and delight us. As an artist I have learned to look beyond the obvious color of red, or blue or yellow or green and instead look at the very subtle color that is reflected into the known color. For example: How often I have seen the red of someone’s sweater splashing into his or her chin, changing the skin shade to red. The same thing happens when a green tree is close to a red barn. We see the red barn, we see the green tree, but if we look very close, we actually see the green of the tree bounced into the red of the barn and visa versa. Once my eyes were open to this beauty, I see it all around me. Color, all by itself, can put a song in my heart. I love color! I am so grateful for color.

On Cottonwood

8 x 10 oil

Loss

Good Hugs

15 x 20 Oil

Loss, I don’t handle loss very well. Most of us don’t. Several of my dear friends have lost love ones this week. When they are grieving, I am grieving, too. It is a time that naturally feels like we should crawl inside and pull up the walls around us. Healing takes time. When we humans are ready, we will reach out again, touch and once again relate to the world.

I turn to my painting. It is an inside place that is quiet and peaceful, without words, a place to float and recover. Focusing so deeply on the problems that a painting can create, letting the paint flow, watching it mix with the other colors and catch the light, actually soothes and quiets the words flying around in my head. Questions of “why” and “what if…” fade quietly for another time. I feel closer to God when I am quiet. The ultimate Creator, helping me create, helping me heal. All is good, all is peaceful.

We have been given the right side of the brain as a way to stop all the chatter. Whatever is your “right brain” experience, that is your healing spot, use it to heal the heart.

November Second

So, here we are. November 2nd is the big day, big election. The Big Recession has had all of us on the edge. No matter what side of each issue you are on, you are worried. It is an uncertain time.

A dear friend of our’s, Craig, wrote to us about this very issue, “ dark days.” You know what he said (not sure if this is his original quote, but it could be… ) and I quote “ Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning how to dance in the rain.” Wisdom for sure! What a great message for me and for all of us!

Do what you love, do it now! If it is painting, paint. If it is hiking, hike. If it is anything that is your passion, DO IT NOW! AND DO IT WITH ALL THE LOVE IN YOUR HEART! For me, that is painting. And so, my vote is in, my heart is now free to fly into the highest places and soar. That is what our individual lives are all about, that is what gives us joy, so let’s all go and do that! The world will keep turning whether or not the outcome of this week is what you expected, hoped or prayed for. We will survive. Our job is that we bring joy to the world by leaning into our own passion that brings us joy!

Be sure to Vote, then go out there and “dance !"

“Curtain Call” by Susan Blackwood

8 x 10 Oil

Now showing at Howard Mandville Gallery– Small Works Show, opens November 6^th.

A Great Time to Photograph

Are you having a wonderful fall? Here in Montana we are experiencing an incredible autumn! Two years have passed since we have actually seen the trees turn gold and orange. Last year the weather snapped into a deep freeze early in September and from there the leaves just turned brown and hung on most of the winter. But this year the color is glorious! The warm tones literally wrap themselves around my eyes, vibrating with joy. Every turn in the road reveals an exciting tree or bush. The mountains have become ribbons of golden aspens, shimmering in the light.

Silent Reflections 48 x 36 oil by Susan Blackwood at Highlands Art Gallery

Grab your cameras! All of you! This is just too good to pass up! All of you become artists with a camera in your hand. Not only will the camera teach you to see composition and values (especially if you set your camera to take black and white photos), but looking though the camera will stimulate the right side of your brain, the creative side…. And you will start seeing everything around you in a different way.

Years ago I learned the best way to photograph these fabulous trees and I will pass on the tip. Photograph the trees while you are looking toward the sun, straight ahead or on the right or on the left. That way you will get the intense color coming through the leaves. If you photograph the trees with the sun to your back, there is too much sunlight on the leaves and your trees will look washed out in the photos. It is a simple trick, but works wonders!

Now get out there and record this glorious time of year that shouts with color!

By the way, if you want to see a show devoted to fall, check out Highlands Art Gallery’s show that opened last Saturday night! Just click HERE.

The Results

Okay, I promised to let you all know about the wild weekend of three outstanding national shows

Are you ready for this… ?

Hang on to your HAT!

As many of you already know….I am overjoyed to announce that my painting,

“So, What’ll You Have”,

won Best of Show at the American Women Artists (AWA) Exhibition in Dallas, Texas at the Southwest Gallery.

So, What’ll You Have 22.5 x 30 Oil

It is an incredible honor just to be juried into any of these shows. As with all three national shows, I am humbled by the outstanding work.

The AWA Exhibition is a juried show of over 1500 entries from all over the USA. Only 60 works of art (paintings and sculptures of all styles and mediums) were accepted. A panel, consisting of 9 AWA Master Signature Members, were the judges that decided the awards for this show.

Here is the link to see the show

AWA is dedicated to the inspiration, celebration and encouragement of women in the visual arts. With membership of professional, acclaimed artists, AWA increases the public's awareness of women in the arts by exhibiting quality artwork in museums and galleries.

I wasn’t able to attend the AWA show (I was in Jackson Wyoming at the Western Regional Oil Painters of America Show at Mountain Trails Gallery). I would have had to be cloned twice to attend all three national shows.

Therefore, because I was unable to attend the award ceremony, this concept of winning such a big prize is still floating in the air, like an incredible dream that you keep remembering. People have sent me photos, told be all about the events, but not being there keeps it more like a dream. I know that once the mailman delivers the official written word, a hard copy of the award, then, I will finally grasp the total experience. In the meantime, I am still floating, too, and will be for a long time. This is a dream come true.

Thank you, all of you, for your wonderful letters and e-mails of congratulations. I have tried to write back to you, but it has been a landslide of correspondence. So if I haven’t written back to you, please know that I have read and cherished each note, smiled warmly, grinned a lot, and felt your enthusiasm and joy deeply in my heart! Some of these friendships are new, some span my whole career and some have known me ….. my whole life.

Thank you for all your support, thank you for believing in my work and thank you for loving art …. And me! My art needs you and your enthusiasm and so do I! You are and always have been, the “ wind beneath my wings”! Thanks!