faith

When you have come to the edge Of all light that you know And are about to drop off into the darkness Of the unknown, Faith is knowing One of two things will happen. There will be something to stand on or You will be taught to fly.
-patrick overton

I am the eternal optimist. I see the bright side of everything. It's probably a little sickening at times but I think it's in my genetic makeup. Faith, hope, belief or whatever you call it .... I have it. I just spent a few days with a friend in Arizona who's just like me....lol! The mornings were awesome because we were both happy to greet the day.

My vacation is winding down. I think my last two journal pages have had a huge southwest influence. I may be considered a southwest artist if I lived here.....lol!

fill your heart with art

-manon

enjoying the scenery

The Great Spirit is in all things, he is in the air we breathe. The Great Spirit is our Father but the Earth is our Mother. She nourishes us, that which we put in the ground she returns to us.
- big thunder wabanaki algonquin

I'm still on vacation until Tuesday. I've been to Arizona many times and I have to admit that the scenery never gets old! From the mountains to the colors of the sunset, I seem to feel at home here. It's an artist's paradise. No wonder so much great art comes from these parts!

I tried journaling outside today! OMG! Acrylic paint dries at record speed in the desert. I painted this background as quick as I could then I switched to my watercolor crayons. Too bad I don't paint with oil...lol!

fill your heart with art

-manon

open your door

In oneself lies the whole world and if you know how to look and learn, the door is there and the key is in your hand. Nobody on earth can give you either the key or the door to open, except yourself.
-jiddu krishnamurti

When I was younger I was always afraid to open that door. As I get older I figure I've got nothing to lose. I feel that I can now walk through and see what's inside.

I would like thank Nancy of Every Photo Tells a Story for featuring me and a few of my mosaics in her new blog Created by Hand. Both Nancy's blogs are absolutely terrific! Please check them out if you have a chance!

fill your heart with art

-manon

inspired

In the morning you know
I wake up with the dawn
Everyday, there's a way
You know I got to carry on
To know the way
And take the road of right and wrong
And keep faith in my heart
Just keep faith in your heart

excerpt from Faith
-Shawn Mullins



I'm sitting here with my laptop just having finished this journal page. Having arrived in Arizona yesterday, I'm dealing with a little jet lag! My body tells me I should be in bed but I know that if I sleep early I'll be up at three! I brought two of my journals so I could paint if I felt motivated. After having seen the Shawn Mullins concert last night, I felt so inspired by his lyrics that I whipped out some of my supplies! It's great to see an artist with such passion! Thanks for the journal page Shawn!

fill your heart with art

-manon

dreamers of the dream

9" x 12" mixed media painting

We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of the dream. Wandering by lone sea breakers, and sitting by desolate streams. World losers and world forsakers, for whom the pale moon gleams. Yet we are movers and the shakers of the world forever it seems.
- arthur william edgar o'shaughnessy



Many posts ago I blogged that I was a dreamer. I've been pretty much that way my whole life. Things haven't change. What would this world be without the big dreamers? People who have taken their wildest dreams and made them real. Some may call them goals, visions, fantasies or intentions. I call them my dreams.



I'm going to Arizona on Saturday for a little vacation! I always bring my journal so I'll be sure to check in and post a little.
Saturday night I'll be at the Cave Creek Coffee and Wine Bar to see
Shawn Mullins. He's playing outside with all the twinkling lights! I think the place sits about 300 so it'll be great to see him at this venue!

fill your heart with art

-manon

see what matters

I love blogging! Alright, there are days when I don't really know what to say and I have to dig deep to find something.... anything. Most days, however, I have too much to say...lol! The best part, and I mean the very best part, is the community of like minded individuals I have met. It's fantastic that I can turn on my computer and share ideas and techniques with all of you! I would of never had this if it wasn't for my blog! I looked around today to see what mattered and this was on my list!!



Today I'm so very lucky to have found an awesome blog by Ken Flett. His latest post called Wandering and Wondering really touched me. Go see it!!

Check out my friend Rebecca Collin's blog! She is a fantastic artist who just painted my dog, Otis!! He's awesome....... and I'm not saying that because I'm his mama....lol!

fill your heart with art

-manon

creed of success

Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes and having fun.
-mary lou cook



When I first finished this piece I wasn't really wild about it. I left it for a couple of hours and came back to it and decided it looked to cutesy. Not that there's anything wrong with that... it actually still looks a little like that. Anyway, I got out my trusted sandpaper and went to town on it! It gave me a better look.



I'd like to give a big thanks to Dawn Epstein who wrote a lovely segment in her post about me! Please check out her blog.

fill your heart with art

-manon

time has no meaning

The Other Side Lyrics
-David Gray

Honey now if I'm honest
I still don't know what love is
Another mirage folds into the haze of time recalled
And now the floodgates cannot hold
All my sorrow all my rage
A tear drop falls on every page

Maybe I oughta mention
Was never my intention
To harm you or your kin
Are you so scared to look within
The ghosts are crawling on our skin
We may race and we may run
We'll not undo what has been done
Or change the moment when it's gone

I know it would be outrageous
To come on all courageous
And offer you my hand
To pull you up on to dry land
When all I got is sinking sand
The trick ain't worth the time it buys
I'm sick of hearing my own lies
And love's a raven when it flies

Meet me on the other side
Meet me on the other side
I'll see you on the other side
I'll see you on the other side

Check out David Gray's video.



Sometimes time really has no meaning. You don't see someone for years and when you finally reconnect you pick up right where you left off. The heart doesn't know time or space. The heart remembers ...... real feelings.... friendship, love.... the important things.

I think I might make this journal page a painting. It might work!

fill you heart with art

-manon

fab blog award

I just found out that R Garriott has tagged me with the Fabulous Blog Award! Thank you so much!! Check out R Garriott's fantastic work!! I'm in awe!

Here are the rules....

1. Link to the person who tagged you
2. Post rules on your blog
3. Write five random things about yourself
4. Tag random people at the end of your post and link to them
5. Let each person know they've been tagged

Um... five random things about myself.... I think I've posted this before..... let me try to think of some new things!!

1. I think lobster and champagne would be my perfect meal! I know this is probably not that interesting but it's true! Actually, to make it perfect I'd add french fries with vinegar!

2. I hit the gym six days a week! Yup... it's a little crazy but it keeps me sane!

3. Since I told you about the gym I'll also tell you that I've run a marathon and a bunch of half marathons. I don't run anymore because it hurts so I now lift weights!

4. I love the mountains! I also love the ocean but the mountains move me!

5. I'm such a dog lover and I didn't get my first one until I was thirty! He was a 125 pound Bernese Mountain Dog named PowWow! He passed away three years ago this month!

I'd like to give this award to.....

Melissa Langer because her work is terrific and she is such a generous person! Melissa you rock!

Nancy Medina. Nancy is a wonderful artist whose work I greatly admire!

Tweedles. I'm made to smile almost on a daily basis because of Tweedles!

Lynne Hoppe. My new blogging buddy whose work I find extremely inspirational!

Rebecca Collins. Rebecca is a very talented artist who specializes in pet portraits! Her work is incredible and she is a great friend!

BTW... I could of listed many other terrific artists but I'll keep them for another time... lol!

fill your heart with art

-manon

stepping out of the box

Over the years I've felt creatively trapped inside those squares. I was not letting my creativity come from my heart. It came from my head instead. It isn't until recently that I feel I can produce something that I'm truly passionate about...... a way of expressing myself from my soul. I really don't care much anymore how it looks but rather how it makes me feel!



This is a painting I did about 7 years ago that I've never really liked. I was just playing around with molding paste at the time. Each square is done with the molding paste. Today I decided to take it and just play with it.



I started by painting all the space around the squares black. I then added circles, text, pastels and some texture. I'm still not to crazy about what it looks like but the whole process felt fantastic. I felt free!



fill your heart with art

-manon

spring is coming

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.
charles dickens



Spring is in the air!! I'm so ready to put away the winter coat and boots! I will say goodbye to winter and say hello to spring!



The only thing that I accomplished today was a journal page. Other things came in the way of working all day! I hate it when that happens...lol!

fill your heart with art

-manon

be

be you
be present
be free
be happy
be hopeful



Finally dry! This painting took two days to dry instead of one...... double ugh! I did learn a thing or two!! I couldn't use crayons or colored pencils on top of this dried oil so I opted for the Portfolio Oil Watersoluble Oil Pastels! The oil pastels give a very soft look which is very new to me!



This pic of Otis cracks me up! Look at those eyes.... those ears! LOL!

fill your heart with art

-manon

I'm so impatient!!

I posted about my Shiva Artist's Painstiks a few months ago. I haven't used them much so I broke them out today. You know, I like them very much but I now know why oil and I don't mix very well! These Paintstiks will be dry in 24 hours which is a huge plus but I want them dry in 5 minutes. Yup..... I started this painting and I can't progress with my lady until tomorrow. It's torture for me. The thing I love about them is that they blend so well! I might need to get some patience! Can I buy some somewhere? LOL!



This is the unfinished painting! I'll get back to her in 24 long hours! She looks kind of freaky without her pupils!!



fill your heart with art

-manon