The circle of life - in memory of Glen Spaid

This has been a sad week. The founder of my husband's company passed away. He was loved by many, and he enriched so many lives in so many ways.

I just want to take the time to celebrate Glen Spaid's memory. An avid fisherman, he took my husband on many trips in the Chesapeake Bay, on the "Ace of Spaids". Glen always caught the largest fish! Just last weekend, he went fishing twice with friends. Even at 80 years of age, he came into the office, and talked with many employees, joking around, and spreading his happiness for life. He went out doing what he loved.

I met him when my husband first started working at the company, more than 23 years ago. He and his wife, Alma, took us out to dinner. Glen always made us feel at ease, and always had a smile on his face.

Last fall, he and Alma bought two of my paintings at a little show I had in West Annapolis. I was just so honored to have them come out on such a rainy night. Last evening, Alma commented how my artwork makes her smile when she looks at it everyday. I cried at the notion that I could bring happiness to others, by marks and strokes on paper. It made me realize that we all have the capacity to touch each other in ways that are a uniquely human experience. What we say and do ultimately has so much power to make someone smile, laugh, or cry.

Funerals give us the opportunity to see people we haven't seen in a while. Although the occasion is somber, the sharing of stories and memories helps to ease the pain. Kids grow tall; we all get gray hair; we all are a bit older, and can't help but think that this is our opportunity to make a difference in the world. It also shows us that we really need each other, and how important it is to "just be there" for someone, when life throws us challenges.

Glen and Alma's five capable children, and grandchildren now run the company. My sincerest sympathy goes out to all of them and their family, as they come to grips with his unexpected departure. I hope they all know that many people are here to help them through all of this. My husband is working hard at the office, to help out as best he can - and I will continue painting, perhaps to bring a smile to someone's life. I am humbled by the circle of life. And with each passing, the realization of how precious life is really hits home.

Bless everyone with love and happiness, Cathy

Changes and souls

Life is all about change. Seasons change, dreams change, technology changes - and we change.

Just when you think you got it all figured out, life changes in ways that we cannot predict or control. Doors close, and other doors open. Sometimes only a window opens, and we have to leap through, trusting that we will land on our feet.

Why is a painter writing about such things? Because art is all about change, and change is necessary to grow. Our art reflects our growth, not only as an artist, but as a person. Each piece of art I produce has a part of me in it, a part of my soul. My art visually reflects my journey.

This past week has been a week of intense reflection. I have had some notable changes in my life, and around me. Paintings are flying around in my head, like butterflies - doors opening, doors closing, people running, people hiding, and people leaping for joy. Visions of whirl pools, with birds flying out, and grasses blowing in the wind. This is the kind of art that only we may fully witness, whether in our heads, or on the canvas. Others may or may not "get it". Humans are also gifted with the written word, and although a painting may speak a thousand words, for some, translation is needed. Art is a language unto itself.

It has also been a week of sharing thoughts with family and friends. One of the conversations involved souls - tender souls, wise souls, old souls. Each of these souls handles change in a different, yet important way. Our souls are our essence, and are revealed in everything we do.

I am happy to share my soul, through my art and actions. And when others share their souls - that part of them that is most precious - I am humbled and grateful beyond any expression than art or words can yield.

I had a show in March I titled "Journeys with Nature". (Some of the work is featured on my website.) Each piece had deep meaning for me. And some of the work touched the souls of others.

Back to change - the March show artworks were created with pastels. As I begin a new chapter in acrylics, people are asking why. I have plenty of practical reasons (the dust, the framing headaches, the problems in shipping), but the primary reason was that it was time for a change. Time to leap out the window, and hope for a soft landing - only then, can the new journey begin.

This has been an eclectic post. I found that I could not separate the topics, because everything is mixing together. Eventually, something new will come out of it. Stay with me for the ride!

Paint yourself a great day,
Cathy

Solitude and Rainy Days

It is pouring here today. The trees are dancing, and the vegetation is an intense and lusty green, like the kind of green that art buffs tend to dismiss as "not realistic". The birds are at our feeders, so it will probably rain most of the day. (During brief showers, the birds hunker down under bushes and lawn chairs.)

I love days like these. I feel a universal permission to enjoy the sound of the rain, and paint my heart out. The rain becomes my music, a constant in the uncertainty outside in the world. No matter how much technology changes, the rain always sounds, well, like rain. The trees take on saturated colors, and the earth is cleansed of dust and grass clippings. Rain is like a bath for the earth.

We humans can take a cue from this natural experience, to slow down, and bathe ourselves in silence, and refresh our souls. Part of my renewal is painting. I hope you may find a renewal that feeds your body, mind and soul, and partake of it often. It is there for the taking! peace, Cathy

Messy Painting

Last night, I had the privilege of giving a talk to seven eager Girl Scouts about being a professional artist. The young ladies are working towards a visual arts merit badge.

It has been a long time since my daughter was that age, and I had obviously forgotten how interactive and uninhibited children are. So, when I launched into my brief speech about how I became a "professional" artist, their eyes glazed over with that distinct "boring" look. So I started to ask questions, which led to more questions, and one youngster asked if I would paint for them.

So, I grabbed a blank canvas, laid out some yellows and blues, and started mixing. As I put swatches of the different greens on the canvas, a big-eyed girl asked if they could paint, too. "Sure", I said without thinking that acrylics don't come out of scout uniforms. I nervously told the moms that you gotta crack some eggs to make an omelet, and they relaxed. I gave each scout a small panel, a bit of direction, and just let it happen.

The night was transformed into a self-esteem building workshop - all from some messy globs of paint. I talked about the joy of the process of painting, how there are no bad paintings, just "starts", and that we all have creativity built into us as human beings. Each of us has special gifts, just waiting to be discovered.

We laid all the canvases on a big piece of Kraft paper. I was floored. The colors and imagination were beautiful. As the masterpieces dried, the girls followed me like baby ducks into the utility room, so we could clean the brushes (and ourselves). The apprentices watched me clean the brushes like I was doing magic tricks. It reminded me how much like sponges are children are.

What started as an opportunity for me to give back to the community, ended up being more food for my soul than I could have ever imagined. As I tidied up the studio after they left, I felt like a child myself, eager to make a new "start", and engage in some messy, satisfying painting.

Greetings! My Introduction

Hello fellow travelers!

This is my very first post, as I bravely step out into the world of blogging. I hope you find some interesting, entertaining, and artful moments to share with me.

I am an artist in the Chesapeake Bay region, and I will be posting acrylic paintings, and talking about our adventures on our boating trips. While I am a slow painter, I seem to get a lot done while "out at sea". More of my work can be seen on my website.

I am taking a leap, and switching from pastels to acrylics. Fellow artists will understand why...maybe not, but acrylics are easier to ship, take with you in the field, and less costly to frame. Plus, acrylics are very tough - some believe tougher than oil paintings. And, they dry fast, making them ideal for working while out on the boat.

Thank you for getting this far! I have no idea what I am getting into, but I am sure it will be exciting, unpredictable, and fun.

Paint yourself a great day!

Cathy