Grateful Life

Today is another gorgeous Fall day.  The weather is pretty much what I would call 'ideal'.  Probably a little on the cold side for many, but it feels nice to bundle up a bit and feel a chill after summer.  Before diving into painting today (and for the record I'm hoping to attempt a rainy palette knife painting and some more abstract pour paintings soon), I decided to do a blog since it's been a while and I'm feeling the blogging today.

Here are a few random quotes I am loving today:

"Life is an adventure in forgiveness."  -Norman Cousins

"Everyone has his burden; what counts is how you carry it."  -Joe Brown and David Brown

"People are all over the world telling their one dramatic story and how their life has turned into getting over this one event.  Now their lives are more about the past than their future."  -Chuck Palahniuk (1962-), Invisible Monsters, 1999

So far it has been a beautiful Autumn.  That Autumny feeling has set into the air and things seem magical.  I am enjoying being an artist every day.  I saw a quote from someone recently that was to the effect of "every day I wake up and am thrilled to be an artist".  I could not agree more.  It is a never ending journey of learning new techniques for me, trying new things, figuring out how to best express images in my head that day.  Should I use texture to bring out the petals?  Which colors am I feeling for the piece.  Should I do it on one canvas or 3?  It is the journey of learning new techniques for me that makes art so exciting.

Since it is a good practice to do (actually every day if one can), I am going to blog my list of things I am grateful for in life today here.  I highly recommend doing this to lift your spirits if you are down or just as a best practice for general happiness and a healthier life.  It is great to do every day, if possible as it puts you in a state of productive thought.

Things I am grateful for in my life today:

1.  My husband, a wonderful companion in all ways, who is the epitome of beauty inside and out

2.  Our home, which reminds me of an artist's loft (I like to pretend it actually is), and is spacious and clean with a view of the snowy mountains

3.  My cats, who love unconditionally and follow me everywhere.  Fluffy balls of goodness, they are.

4.  My art, which is always with me in my mind and heart no matter where I go, which gives me a source of expression and joy that doesn't compare to much else

5.  My parents, whom I have grown closer to over the years, who make me laugh so much and allow me to be completely myself with them and love me for it

6.  My husband's amazing family, who are warm and inviting and have become truly my second family.  Who I love spending time with

7.  My friends, who are beyond fun to hang out with.  They are incredible people that fill my hours with laughter, joy, and sharing, who I cannot get enough of.

8.  My plants, whom I adore.  I water, fertilize and love them, and they in turn reward me with green vibrancy and occasional blooms that reflect the essence of life itself.

9.  Feeling free because my credit card debt has been fully paid off for almost 2 years now and has not revisited

10.  Finding out my credit score is awesome!

11. And lastly, today I am grateful for maturity.  I am grateful for growing up because it allows me to make better choices in life.  To seek peace instead of battles, kindness instead of selfishness, reflection instead of anger.  It is this type of thinking that leads me more and more to a place of calmness, happiness, and serenity in my life.

Here are some recent paintings I have finished, and my Etsy site is here, should you want to visit:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/PaintedRainGallery  I hope everyone has a beautiful Autumn!!

Red Autumn

White Blossoms on Plum Gold

We Could Have Danced All Night

The Jade Tree

Lavender Serenity

Red Winter

Blue Serenity

Two Trees

Art is My Solace

Today, while painting (of course) my mind wandered to what art is to me.  This came to mind:  "Art is my solace."

See, I discovered art some time ago when I was going through a lot of changes as a person.  It was that time we all go through, hopefully for a lifetime since it should all be a journey, where we are figuring out who we really are and who we hope to become more and more each day.  At that point in my life I was starting to outgrow things.  I was in a relationship that no longer served me.  I felt stuck in a life cocoon I was terrified of busting out of, but knew if I stayed in it I would surely suffocate.  It was the scariest fear I have ever faced head on (besides my freeway car accident a year ago which was similarly terrifying in some senses).  I absolutely did not know how I was going to survive all the changes in my life, but with some encouragement and a feeling of "what's the worst that can happen?" I did face them.  And art held my hand the whole way.

Art had become for me more than just a hobby or pastime.  My discovery that I could actually do it...draw and paint with some measure of success and gratification...was at first as amazing to me as it was to everyone else.  Who knew?  I sure didn't.  Not through high school or even college.  It wasn't until shortly after that I picked up a paintbrush and just kind of started to go with it.  After that I wished more than anything I had studied art all through high school and college but I'm also kind of a big believer that we figure things out when we're supposed to...everything in its time.

So I found art.  This discovery was like opening a whole new world for me, to sound cliche.  *Cue singing of Aladin and Jasmine here*  But that's seriously what it was like for me.  The Heavens opened and I found a joy I hadn't really known at this point in life.  For more cliches, it was the best of times and the worst of times.  I had found my 'it', the thing in the world that could make me the happiest.  At the same time I was stuck in a lifestyle in which I was feeling terribly stagnant and unhappy.  Every time I picked up a pencil or paint brush I grew a little braver though.  Art became like a bridge for me.  As I learned new techniques and tried new subjects in drawing and painting I became a little braver and stronger in myself and learned a little more about who I was.  Eventually I busted out of that cocoon like a bad habit and spread my wings fully, even with fear making the very core of me tremble.  The feeling reminds me of this Anais Nin quote:

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."  -Anais Nin

Since then I have found a life I never imagined possible.  It might seem mundane to some.  I do spend a lot of time inside, painting, but with the windows open as much as possible so I can breathe the outdoors.  Every day is filled with new images in my mind that I seek to capture on canvas, new techniques I am aching to try.  And on those days when I feel kind of down or not as alive as I would like, I force myself to pick up my paintbrush anyway.  And art enfolds me in its wings and somehow makes everything better again.  Art my joy, my solace, my comfort, my friend...is always there for me, rain or shine.

Here is a recent interview I did for the Living Awesomely blog in which I talk about art, love, and life a little more:  http://living-awesomely.com/amber-elizabeth-on-love-and-art/

And a few recent paintings I've been working on:

Blue Morpho Crescendo

Dancing With Sunbeams

Winter's Reflection

I Love You in Red

Beautiful World

This quote came to mind today out of the blue.  I think it's applicable to everyone's life.  We live in a gorgeous world...surrounded by beauty in every direction.  Yet we focus on the small things in life a lot.  We make up problems out of boredom or w/e.  Maybe it is all very uncomplicated in reality:

"How beautiful is our world!  Why focus on anything petty when we could live in absolute wonder."
-Amber Elizabeth Graff

New Year and Tsunami Dreams

Last night I had another tsunami dream.  I think this is the 3rd one I've had in about 3 months.  This one was incredible.  I was on a high floor of an ornate looking building.  Felt like it might have been more of a scholarly building but hotel is possible.  I was looking out of the huge windows of the main room part down over the ocean.  Out of nowhere a gigantic wave came over the glass window I was looking through and the roof part of the building (for some reason I knew it was the top floor).  I was the closest person to the window and was so afraid at expecting the windows to shatter with the force of water that all I could do was immediately drop to the floor and lay there in fear.  Amazingly the wave receded.  Everything went back to normal as if nothing would happen.  I heard someone nearby remark that the wave was about 76 feet high.  There were even smaller windows that were open down the hall and still no water got in.  It was a pretty incredible dream.

My dream a month or so ago was around the time I went to Hawaii.  I thought it was a warning or something.  I dreamt I was in a condo type of building by the seafront, where I lived in the dream.  The ocean came out of nowhere and swallowed up the parking lot and surrounded the building.  I tried to get my car to safety but the ocean caught up and the car was swirling in the water.  I somehow got out and swam back to the building, getting to safety.  Then as quickly as it came the ocean receded and became normal again.  All the water that had circled the building was now back where it should be.  The strange thing was that of all the tenants in the building I was the only one who seemed to notice the ocean had come there at all.  They were going about their daily life like nothing happened.

After I woke up today I thought "well okay what is this all about...why do I keep having vivid tsumani dreams?" so I Googled it.  I found out a lot of people are actually having tsunami dreams and felt a lot less alone after visiting this incredible blog:  http://sonael.wordpress.com/2006/07/23/tsunami-dreams/#comment-5434  It turns out from reading here that tsunami dreams can actually be a symbol of some sort of awakening or positive change.

I like to think of it as an awakening for the world that so many people are having tsunami dreams.  I am probably idealistic, but it would be fantastic if people around the world really were being swept with a wave of change where they would practice more love in their daily lives and acceptance, judging others less and letting people just 'be' who they are with open hearts.  I think the initial terror of the waves is kind of like the initial terror of 'change' which many people are afraid of and initially resistant to.  Once they accept/embrace the changes within themselves things can become better.  We can all hope for this anyway.

Love and Acceptance

Today I am moved to write about a topic that I feel pretty strongly about.  It involves separateness and elitism, but more than anything else this blog is about love and acceptance.

In my mind/world anything that creates separation between yourself and another human being in the way of you seeing them as different and/or 'less than' yourself is not a positive thing.  I choose to believe there is no better or worse.  That these ideas are created by man and are an us-them mentality that is antiquated and was once needed for survival.  From racism to the religious "my way is the right way and the only way" which has resulted in so many deaths and condemnations, us-them thinking seldom has a positive outcome.  This is, of course, separate thinking at its most extreme and worst:

http://clg.portalxm.com/library/keytext.cfm?keytext_id=198

Luckily that extreme type of separate thinking is not very common.  Instead we see a lot of day to day types of behaviors...people avoiding others because they are a different religion, feeling uncomfortable around each other because of perceived differences, etc.  "I am better...I am right..."

I think it is only when we start to see the oneness in us all, to accept each other for who we truly are and find what we love about one another that the world will see positive changes.  Separating yourself from another is essentially caused by fear.  Fear rules much of our lives, sadly, even though there isn't really a need for it most of the time.  It was initially there for survival.  To give us that adrenaline kick we needed to run away from something dangerous or to remove our hand from fire (this might still be a good thing lol).  The more we can get to the root of the fear, the better.  Why am I angry with so and so's beliefs?  What is the real, buried reason underneath it all.  Usually the most extreme reactions we have to something can unlock the largest blocks we have in our way of thinking and give us the greatest freedom.

We seek safety in many things...finding others with similar views who support our beliefs without question is one of them.  But just because someone else supports what we think doesn't make us 'right'.  Honestly being right about something is a man created ideology much like time.  And really what is more important anyway...being 'right' about something?  Or showing love in your life.  Being a loving friend.  Being accepting of other people.  Loving them for who they are even though you may have different fundamental beliefs about living.  Feeling the bliss life has to offer when you are comfortable in your own skin and therefore comfortable with everyone around you.  To truly heal the world we should be accepting others and bridging the gaps, not creating more separation.

Personally I embrace everyone's religious preferences.  Anything that brings them close to divinity sounds good to me because I too have felt that wonderful feeling of being close to divinity.  I actually feel it every day through prayer, meditation, and simply being alive.  And if religion just isn't someone's thing then that's cool too, because I'm most interested in loving them for who they are as a person/being.

Let us not get so used to our created and perceived labels of ourselves and others that we forget who we truly are underneath it all.  That we forget who that being is without a religion label or a race label or our employment label.  But instead let that person be:  kind, loving, accepting, authentic, real.  If more of us could find a way to do this the world truly could become a 'better' place in 'time'.  But who am I to say that?  I am just another person, another being that is part of the whole...no different.

I will close with some quotes and recent artwork:




Gossip, public, private, social — to fight against it either by word or pen seems, after all, like fighting with shadows. Everybody laughs at it, protests against it, blames and despises it; yet everybody does it, or at least encourages others in it: quite innocently, unconsciously, in such a small, harmless fashion — yet we do it. We must talk about something, and it is not all of us who can find a rational topic of conversation, or discuss it when found."

-A Woman's Thoughts About Women (1858)

"A friend loves at all times, and kinsfolk are born to share adversity."

-The Bible, Proverbs 17:17

A friend is one
To whom one may pour out all
The contents of one's heart
Chaff and grain, together,
Knowing that the gentlest of hands
Will take and sift it,
Keep what's worth keeping
And blow the rest away.

-Dinah Craik, in A Life for a Life (1859)

“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” -Carl Gustav Jung

“The tendency to turn human judgments into divine commands makes religion one of the most dangerous forces in the world.” -Georgia Harkness

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear."

-Ambrose Redmoon

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” -Mother Teresa of Calcutta

'Autumn Amore' original painting by Amber Elizabeth Graff. This is a large painting two owls snuggling on their favorite maple tree branch as leaves fall all around them and the sun sets over the quiet lake.

Owls are associated with Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and foresight as well as being considered insightful, wise, protective, and mystical creatures.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/83341396/autumn-amore-large-original-painting-24

'Into the Plum Cosmos' 16" x 20" original acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas painting by Amber Elizabeth Graff. This is a painting of tree branches reaching past the plum clouds and into a starry cosmos.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/82605240/original-surreal-art-16-x-20-acrylic-on

'Royal' 16" x 20" original acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas painting by Amber Elizabeth Graff. This is a painting of a close up royal blue peacock displaying its vivid feathers.

Peacocks are symbols of beauty, prosperity, royalty, love, compassion, soul and peace.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/82912244/original-royal-16-x-20-acrylic-on-canvas

'Rainy September' original acrylic on canvas painting. This is a large painting of a silhouetted woman in a Victorian dress holding her umbrella in the blue September rain.

Rain is a symbol of nourishment and renewal, royal blue symbolizes royalty and the night sky and aqua blue is a universal symbol of hope and health.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/81977507/large-original-painting-rainy-september

'The Poem Tree' 16" x 20" original acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas surreal painting by Amber Elizabeth Graff. Against a purple sky crossed by a blue river of clouds, the poem tree blows. Are they blossoms? Lights? Who knows. But either way the poem trees' many sparkles and wispy branches inspire poetry and song.

Painting is adorned with over 40 genuine Swarovski rhinestones for a beautiful light catching effect.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/83521468/original-surreal-art-16-x-20-acrylic-on

Labor Day Weekend

So far it has been luxurious feeling.  Well okay not really but relaxing to say the least.  Shane and I hit the Provo Farmer's Market yesterday where we met up with my friends Vikki and Becca and had some delicious waffles in the open air.  They had this amazing family recipe type of syrup that was...just absolutely scrumptious.  Grabbed some cherry and lime flavored honey sticks and bread samples along with yellow feather earrings and a tarot reading and...good to go!  We all plan to meet at an archery place next for a day of bow and arrow target 'shooting'.  Win.


In addition to our outing I have been painting, of course while Shane plays some serious AC (Asheron's Call for the game abbreviation challenged) next to me.  I am working on another autumn tree globe painting (one with yellow trees and a magenta background) in my personal celebration of the season I love most and because I can't seem to get images of floating trees out of my head these days.  Who knows?  After that I am going to paint a red peacock.  Yes.  A red peacock.


So it has been restful and relaxing and we managed to get in some episodes of The Office.  Pam is currently in the hospital attempting to spawn.  Oh yes and we also worked out as we try to do almost every day and usually succeed at.  What a gripping life we do lead :D


Some fabulous quotes I found today:


"Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for truth."  -Benjamin Disraeli (1804 - 1881)


"In this life we get only those things for which we hunt, for which we strive, and for which we are willing to sacrifice."  -George Matthew Adams


"A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read."  -Mark Twain (1835 - 1910), Speech in New York, Nov. 20, 1900




And some recent paintings I've completed:

'The Calla Lily Field' original 24 x 36 acrylic on canvas painting. This is a large painting of a field of vibrant blue and white calla lilies against a vivid red sky.

Calla Lilies are symbols of beauty, magnificence, rebirth and faith. Red represents courage, passion, and energy. Blue is symbolic of strength, freedom, protection, and new beginnings.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/80731873/large-original-painting-the-calla-lily

'The Pink Forest' original 24 x 36 acrylic on canvas painting. This is a large painting of a lush pink forest with a gray stone path leading to yet more pink trees.

Pink is considered a color of good health and life and symbolizes pure love. Trees are symbols of strength and antiquity.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/80557577/large-original-painting-the-pink-forest

'Windy Calm' original 18 x 24 acrylic on canvas painting. The tree bends in the approaching storm, its red and white blossoms stirred by the wind. But there is a calm stillness in the two silhouetted butterflies approaching the sun as it peaks out from behind the clouds.

Butterflies symbolize the soul, transformation, and young love. Red represents courage, passion, and energy. Trees are symbols of strength and antiquity.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/80473608/large-original-painting-windy-calm-18-x

'We'll Meet Halfway' original 24 x 36 acrylic on canvas painting by Amber Elizabeth Graff. This is a large painting two detailed white trees reaching across and blue and purple sky toward each other. Two hummingbirds touch in the center light.

Hummingbirds are considered messengers that are able to stop time. They are also symbols of love, joy, and beauty. Trees symbolize strength and antiquity.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/81018854/large-original-painting-well-meet

Red Tree Globes 16" x 20" original acrylic painting by Amber Elizabeth Graff. Painting of little Autumn world globes floating in an aqua sky. Red leaves fall from each tree inside its globe as Autumn takes hold.

Trees are symbols of strength and antiquity aqua blue is a universal symbol of youth, fidelity, hope and health. Red symbolizes courage and passion.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/81116353/original-large-red-tree-globes-16-x-20

Friday Quotes, Thoughts, and Sunflowers

A few inspirational quotes for Friday:


"To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities."
-Bruce Lee


"Dont wait for your ship to come in, swim out to it."
-Anon


"There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other."
-Douglas Everett


So lately I have been seeing sunflowers everywhere.  They seem like kind of a life theme right now.  Shane and I have a literal 'field' of sunflowers growing right near our place and we pass them every night when we go for a walk.  Not only do they grow in the field, they grow through the cracks in the sidewalk.  I almost always have to just touch one as we walk by each night.  Their beautiful yellow faces turned to face the sun entice me.  I had sunflowers on the mind one recent day while going to get the mail and what should be in my mailbox?  The Reader's Digest my Grandma sends me...with a huge sunflower on the cover.  Lol!  So I had to look up the symbolism of these beautiful flowers:

Sunflowers turn to follow the sun. Their open faces symbolize the sun itself, conveying warmth and happiness, adoration and longevity. (www.teleflora.com)


I feel like I am turning to face the sun in two ways in life right now (well okay maybe three):  following my heart with painting, learning to love and trust more deeply, and trying new self improvement things like yoga and reading Gabrielle Bernstein's books.  And the warmth, happiness, adoration and longevity parts...well you can't beat that!


So I have been busy painting, living the artist's life, living frugally and enjoying every second.  Every painting teaches me a new type of technique.  I guess I learn best by doing, thus the self taught thing.  I have added so many new painting ideas to my handwritten journal lately.  It seems I can't paint fast enough to satisfy the pool of images flooding through my mind all the time.  Here are a few recent paintings:

'Two Peacocks' original large 24" x 36" acrylic on canvas painting. This is a large painting of two peacocks sharing a tree branch and looking at each other, their feathers entangled and a gentle breeze in the air.

Peacocks are symbols of beauty, prosperity, royalty, love, compassion, soul and peace. They can also be symbols of protection and immortality and are considered sacred in India and China. They are almost like mythical phoenixes as they regrow all new feathers each year. To me, peacocks are so beautiful that they seem to be fantasy creatures not of this world. Perhaps that is why they are my favorite subject to paint.

'Otherworldly Blue' original acrylic on canvas painting. This is a large painting of a surreal aqua sky and water scene with floating trees.

Trees symbolize strength and antiquity and aqua blue is a universal symbol of youth, fidelity, hope and health.

'Orange Colored Sky' original 16" x 20" acrylic on canvas painting. Named after the jazz song, this is a large painting of a tree silhouette against a vivid orange sky. This painting is inspired by an actual sky and tree I saw one afternoon when I lived in Arizona.

Trees represent strength and rootedness and the color orange is a symbol of love and happiness in Asian culture.

'One Blue Night' original large 24" x 36" acrylic on canvas painting of a white and cobalt blue peacock resting on a branch with a purple moon and cobalt sky and water behind it.

Peacocks are symbols of beauty, prosperity, royalty, love, compassion, soul and peace.

'When Love Takes Flight' original large 24" x 36" acrylic on canvas painting. This is a painting of two large hearts sharing a pair of wings, tied together with a red ribbon and flying together into the sky. Backdrop of a sunset, gilded trees, and other winged hearts flying or dangling from tree branches.

Winged hearts represent love, joy, freedom, and flying up toward the Heavens. They can also represent the soul and spiritual growth.

'Earl Gray Day' original painting by Amber Elizabeth Graff. Acrylic on 16 x 20 canvas. Painting of a gray day with a woman in a red dress and umbrella dancing in the rain.

Named for my favorite flavor of tea and love of rainy days. Rain is a symbol of nourishment and renewal.

Wishing everyone a beautiful Friday and hopefully some sunflowers too!