Hero’s Art Journey

Posted on October 17, 2013 by MaryALivingston

I’m all for sneaking bliss, but sometimes you gotta’ just reach out and grab it with both hands. I just found out there’s room in Hero’s Art Journey! We’re only a few days in and I am ecstatic to be along for this expedition in art filled bliss.

The fabulous Mira Reisberg and dynamic Maya Gonzalez are leading the way along this artist road of bliss. It’ll be easy to jump right in, so go ahead treat yourself to an early holiday gift.

Registration ends Friday. Click here for a Super Secret Hero’s Art Journey e-Course Special and brace yourself for a bliss filled treat.

I’d love to see you there!

Just in case you missed the link, click the image….

Hero’s Art Journey

Just One More Thing

Posted on March 5, 2013 by MaryALivingston

In 1997, the pastor of our parish asked if I would assist a fellow parishioner named Walt to purchase a computer and learn how to use it.

When I greeted Walt, I recognized him immediately. The previous summer I took a portrait of him with his wife, Ruth. Ruth had Alzheimer’s and wasn’t too keen on me positioning her for the photo. Walt began speaking to her softly, “Now, Ruthy, it’s okay, she is going to take our picture.” She caught his eyes and was immediately calmed. Her eyes danced in the photo. It was obvious to me, there was something special about this man.

With this we began our journey.

Walt had a dairy ranch, much of his computer lessons involved teaching him to enter data on his heard, run reports, etc. Walt is bright and eager to learn new things, so he caught on quickly.

A 30 minute session took 4 hours.

The tech stuff was accomplished in the first and last 15 minutes. The rest, well Walt told stories and if he noticed me looking at the clock, he said, “Just one more thing.”

And so our routine was born. I started planning for the longer visits. In time, he needed no assistance with his computer, but we went through the motions anyway.

We all need story tellers and Walt is a master.

Little by little I learned of his youth. I learned of his days in WWII. Which roses in the yard he liked the most and about stray voltage in the barn.

Sgt. Matthews
Photo from the Walter Matthews collection

I laughed and cried when he shared stories of his daughter, Pat. She was the light of his life and brought much joy to Walt and Ruth. Pat died at 37 from primary biliary cirrhosis.

Not long after that Ruth was stricken with Alzheimer’s. For many years, Walt cared for her every need. The kind of care not born of obligation, but born of love.

A few years after Ruth passed, Walt was blessed with another chance for a love in his life and Bee came into his heart and ours.

Bee and Walt, just after Valentine’s Day 2008. Photo by MaryALivingston

Every once in a while, we still sneak a morning together and a cup of tea. We make no pretenses of caring for the computer, the time is ours to enjoy the stories and share a little bliss.

If you ever have the occasion, ask Walt to brew a cup of tea and tell you a story.

Your life will be richer for it.

I love you Walt,

Happy Birthday

The two of us. Photo by Bernice Bennett (Bee)

Good-bye Tom-dog

Posted on January 6, 2013 by MaryALivingston

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“Our animals shepherd us through certain eras of our lives. When we are ready to turn the corner and make it our own…they let us go.” Author Unknown

Tom dog came home to a young 11 year old boy. Now 26, Tom’s “boy” misses him the most.

We knew this day was coming. The average lifespan of a retriever is 10 years. Tom-dog was 14 years, 8 months when we said good-bye today.

He came home to our youngest son many years ago and was the grand-pup of our first retriever. In the learning hands of a growing boy he was trained into an outstanding hunter and companion.

Stephen and Tom with Tim and Blaze following successful Senior Hunter Qualifiers.

When his boy grew to manhood, left for college, got married and started his family, Tom stayed with us. In the years that have followed, this magnificent family member has been greeted by 3 rowdy grandkids that he loved dearly.
Tom-dog always loved kids. It is only fitting that Tom-dog’s grand-pup, Jake, now resides with Tom-dog’s first person and family.

Tom dog (R) walks with GrandThing 3 and Jake (L) Jake is Tom dog’s grand-pup.

A Little More of that Back Door Bliss

Posted on November 1, 2012 by MaryALivingston

Today is All Saint’s Day. I once had a wonderful golden retriever with today as her birthday, we named her All Hallow’s Tessa. A well bred, well trained, loveable girl. But this is not about how well she hunted or the number of spirits she lifted when visiting nursing homes and the sick.

This is about how she changed the course of a little boy’s life.

When placing puppies from a litter we scrutinize each possible owner with an application and references. Since our dogs are high energy bird dogs, almost all owners are hunters or families that include dogs in activities.

Such was one new owner, a young boy soon to be 11 years old. He had waited for a puppy and proved to his mom that he was ready. Of course. she knew she would have to provide a safety net. The application was in and approved before the pups were born.

We assist our owners in pup selection. We spend weeks with the pups and know their personalities. Truth be told, the puppies choose. Milo would pick up his puppy last.

I often post photos of pups online so the new owners can watch them grow. Everyone liked the little boy with the blue ribbon, his photos were most commented on.

The day came for pups to go home. One by one the new owner’s came. Each time little blue boy sniffed the air, walked about ten feet from the other pups and just laid down. He was waiting, these were not his people.

Finally Milo came. His mother got out of the car. I will never forget her words, “We have a problem.”

She went on to explain. Milo informed her at breakfast that the little blue boy would be his pup. God told him in a dream.

I smiled. I told her it all worked out, little blue boy waited for Milo.

She grew pale and said, “But we don’t do God.”

I smiled again, “Apparently, Milo does.”

While we spoke, Milo slipped from the car and his puppy met him in the grass.

Milo told us he looked up Tessa’s name and read about All Saint’s Day. So when in his dream, God told him the little blue boy was his puppy, he believed God. His mom was visibly shaken as she took care of the paperwork. Nothing like an awakening to rattle an atheist to the core. Been there. A door had opened, Milo boldly walked through. His mom cautiously followed.

God slipping a little bliss through the back door.

Tessa all ready for a visit. She was an active participant in Rx Pets. She often carried a basket of fun while cheering people.

This photo was taken a few weeks before she died, spring 2012. Today is the first birthday without her. Many lives were touched by this wonderful girl.

Becoming an Illustrator

Posted on October 17, 2012 by MaryALivingston

Interesting how one thing leads to another. I was asked to participate in liturgical environment planning. Just for a season. Nothing official or formal. I think part of the plan was for me to learn a bit more about the faith I had awakened to as an adult. A little backdoor catechesis perhaps. Not sure at what point I became a regular team member. I spent many years that followed as a part of the liturgical design team in our local parish.

Liturgical environment planning involves reading sacred scripture for the applicable period and designing the way the surrounding environment will look. The key to designing sacred space for worship is presenting an environment that supports and enriches the written word without adding to or detracting from it.

Using brainstorming notes from the liturgy team, and the colors designated for the season, I would bounce ideas around and watch faces for the tell tale sign of ah ha.

Sometimes using imagery, sometimes just color and shape, but always the surrounding area is designed to invite into the story. A successful design will awaken the listeners to the fullness of sacred word spoken. An unsuccessful one will leave them perplexed.

I realize now, this was the first time I illustrated. It was also the first time I publicly presented art other than photography. A seed planted long ago was nurtured.

I imagine the process is the same, regardless of your faith tradition. People have been illustrating the sacred since before it was written word.

Should you have the chance to participate in such an endeavor in your personal faith tradition, I encourage you to do so. You may find it to be enriching, rewarding and enlightening. You may even come a bit closer to bliss.

Form and color practice to present to the liturgy team for review. I sneaked into my husband’s watercolors, this was this was the second time using watercolors since I was a child. (I have since remedied that dry spell.)

The final piece. The background is painted with dyes on cotton muslin. The wheat is painted with dyes on felt. For the last 9 years it occasionally appears during the late summer/autumn ordinary season. 6’x9′

Another Odd Duck

Posted on August 28, 2012 by MaryALivingston

Remember this? Donald in Mathmagic Land

I recall seeing this in film format, back in the days of projectors and traditional film in classrooms. In our case, the entire school viewed the film. I was absolutely fascinated.

This animation by Disney attempted to convince kids that math was important. Even though it utilized animation and a familiar character, this little film did not awaken math for my fellow students, rather, it cemented their dislike.

Not to pick on my daughter-in-law, but when she uttered the words, “I hate math,” I was compelled to show her the video of Donald. Yes, I have a copy. Her poor face contorted into a twisted ball of raw pain. This experience, at her expense, really enlightened me. Start with art. She, too, is a photographer. We can talk about f/stops, shutter speeds and light temperature without missing a beat.

Since drawing is innate to a child, really to the human creature, it is a more functional approach to utilize art to teach math and science rather than trying to tell people the reason they like art is math.

The paper Drawing on Student Understanding, Using illustrations to invoke deeper thinking about animals., By Mary Stein, Shannan McNair, and Jan Butcher exemplifies a more modern approach to recognizing the interwoven nature of art and science.

The enrichment program I started in middle school and continued through high school lacked this interrelatedness. A few successful instructors invited all disciplines for students to expand their understanding of the world around them. For most, however, they appreciated math and tolerated art in student achievement.

Years later, as I bring my personal art out of hiding, I am awakened to a sense of wholeness.

Odd Duck

Posted on August 25, 2012 by MaryALivingston

One of the boys grabbed the snake from her cage, she bit him. He dropped her and she quickly hid behind textbook boxes. The kids all stepped back. When I reached into the six-foot boa’s hiding place, she calmly slid into my hand. We became friends. It was the first week of school, I turned 11 that week. I liked drawing pictures, racing bikes, climbing trees, snakes, and math. I was an odd duck.

In all fairness, I understand her perspective. The program instructor from Seed Planted 4. When the program instructor told me that I was not good at art, that I should focus on math and science. I was crushed. She did not do this to be mean, she was trying to help me. The circumstances were such:
I lived in a poor community.
I was from a poor family.
I did not have a good home life.
I had a high math and science aptitude.

The instructor viewed math and science as my way out of cultural poverty. This was back in the days, those unenlightened days, of girls don’t like math. I was an odd duck. I liked math and was good at it. The numbers just made sense. So when she announced that I had a class where I could learn anything, I said, “I want to learn to draw,” my request did not sit well with her plan for my future.

Truth be told, I don’t think she relayed the message from the expert who looked at my art. I did not receive direct feedback. It came from the instructor, not the source, and the instructor had an agenda.

The saving grace for growing up. My favorite teacher. My grandparents.

Art finds a way in, no matter the path we take.
When the front doors are closed, we may just find a back door left ajar and have a chance to sneak bliss on the naysayer’s watch.