Weed Or Warrior

They pop up after it rains, sometimes in the harshest of environments. They often bloom beautiful flowers, blanketing the landscape with vibrant color… brilliant yellows, oranges, purples and blues. They dance gracefully to the wind, swaying to and fro. They often are mowed down but bounce right back, standing even taller than before!

Some are nutritional, some are medicinal, and some simply bring a smile with their beauty…they all nourish and strengthen our soil. Perhaps these amazing greens are not here to annoy us but rather, they are here on this earth to teach us. Is this just a plant growing in the wrong place? I don’t think so. I think these smart plants know exactly what they are doing!

During challenging times, we look for comfort and search for strength to get us through. What if we begin looking at these plants as a gift rather than as a nuisance? What if we begin to look at these strong and resilient flowering greens not as annoying “weeds” but as warriors… providing us with that strength boost we need to carry on…reminding us to be strong wherever we are planted, to be grateful even for the smallest of things, to never give up and to forever remind us that we all have a brave, beautiful & strong warrior within!

With Strength, Grace, & Love,
Jana

A Work In Progress

I am constantly learning and growing, striving to view all life experiences as gifts to deeper my understanding. I must say that my understanding is being put to the test right now in these uncertain days. I often wake-up thinking this was just a dream. My heart goes out to us all as we navigate through this time. We may be apart but together we stand, even stronger as we stay focused on the good!

Challenging times often brings reflection. I find myself being thoughtful of my blessings. The blessings in my family and friends are at the forefront always, cherishing the beautiful love that lives there. The little things like the funny, laugh out loud text messages from my brother and the sweet, just checking in messages from my daughters and friends. I give thanks for the sunshine, the singing birds and the blue skies. I give thanks for music, cruiser bicycles and the kindness strangers are showing one another. And, I am so incredibly thankful to all on the front lines working tirelessly to take care of us!

I am grateful for my cozy home studio…a peaceful, happy, joy-filled place to be still, create, and reflect. This online place to share my works is a gift. I have no idea how many people visit my site, read my blog or view my artwork and that is ok. If you have found your way here and have explored my website, I thank you! My hope is that on these pages, you will find things that you enjoy, take comfort in, resonate with, make you smile!

In this stillness I also must carry on ~ so I share with you a zoomed-in peek of a large canvas currently on the easel, a work in progress, just like me! Art, an expression of the soul …so deeply personal, so deeply healing….so deeply comforting.

May you find strength in the stillness of this time and remind yourself of the things that move your soul! Please take care and be well!

Much love,
Jana

Our ‘65 Mustang

She was a beauty… hard top, bucket seats, wall to wall carpet, great lines, all packaged in a soft champagne-gray topped off with a running horse medallion. It was my parents first car purchased as a couple with the hefty sticker price of $2,300. The 60’s were simpler times. I was brought home from the hospital in this beauty of a car, in a basket. This sweet coupe was the family car with baby and doggy in tow on most rides.

I remember one longer ride we took. It was after my dad had been preparing for an art show. It was time to hit the road with his creations and we were Colorado Springs bound! Our sturdy and sporty little car was packed to the brim with freshly glazed canvases. To create an extra shelf, the windows had to be rolled down a bit, probably not ideal for my mom’s 1960’s beehive hairdo!

I don’t remember much about the drive or the art show but I do remember that little car filled with my dad’s work. His handcrafted wares, each brushstroke a labor of love with an emotional attachment to each piece. I think often about how my parents persevered to support our growing family, not always easy as entrepreneurs! I admire that he was honoring and pursuing what was making him happy and I admire my mom for supporting that dream. Making it into the art scene wasn’t (and still isn’t) easy! Marketing back then was a pounding of the pavement, in person and by word of mouth.

I don’t know if we came home with an empty car after that art show road trip but paintings sold or not, my dad was beginning to make a name for himself in the art community. And for our ‘65 Mustang, well, looking back, if I were to give her a name it would have been Destiny ~ a beauty of a car, always sturdy, carrying precious cargo… always arriving us safely to our destinations, with a dream of creating and destined for great things! I am thankful to my dad for showing me that honoring one’s dreams and inspirations is important for the soul! And I am so very thankful that he shared his love of art with me! A ‘65 Mustang named Destiny and a daughter following her dreams, still believing in the pounding of pavement and old-fashioned word of mouth … I know my dad would be proud!

♥️Jana

Sense of Sight

The human body has always amazed me. The eyes in particular, I find incredibly fascinating… such complex organs that help us sense and experience yet in a different and special way for us all. I was reminded of this as I began pointing out some subtle variations in colors to a client. She shared with me that she did not see what I was seeing as I was sharing how some shades had more cool blue tones and others had warmer red tones. What one person may see in a creative expression (colors, composition etc.) another person may see in a totally different way.

It is often said that our eyes are “windows to the soul”. I can’t see what my eyes express as they view & experience my surroundings but I sure can feel the widening, softening, sadness, joy, happiness and so on that I know my eyes are reflecting from deep within! Is it the emotion one has as they experience what their eyes view that determines what they see? Do creative souls have deeper emotion while using their sense of sight? Do past experiences play a part in what we see? I don’t know the answers to these questions and I feel this goes way deeper than science. What I do know is that our eyes are magnificent organs and a beautiful gift to behold!

I feel truly blessed to have my sense of sight. I think often about those strong & beautiful humans that aren’t able to use their eyes to see but use their strong sense of touch to navigate their surroundings. I can only imagine the depth of emotion! Not for a moment do I take my sight for granted. I am thankful for the use of my eyes to mix paints, creating, sensing and experiencing, turning these colors into shapes on a canvas. I am thankful for the opportunity to gaze at vibrant desert colors, a gorgeous AZ sunrise or sunset, the soft clouds, the waves of an ocean, the majestic mountains. I am thankful to be able to look into the eyes of others. I am thankful to feel deeply and share what my eyes observe. I see the beauty in that we each have unique views of our surroundings. The sense of sight, you amaze me!

♥️, Jana