Four years ago, I began to photograph sidewalk cracks. The patterns caught my attention.

I noticed them.

Six months ago, sidewalk cracks became an obsession. Every day I noticed new patterns. It was as though the sidewalks were speaking to me.

I envisioned painting a series of “Sidewalk Moments” abstract paintings.

My practical persona chimed in, eager to paint something that could reach more people, so I waited.

Recently, I noticed heliconia in yards where I hadn’t seen them before.

Eager to paint the flowers, I decided to incorporate the sidewalks with them, thinking they’d be a neutral background allowing the showy colors to shine.

A puzzled friend asked,

”Why sidewalks?
What are you trying to say?”

I thought I was simply painting patterns until it dawned on me while talking with Mari at the Art Kiosk at the Hilton —

I’m painting stress fractures!

That’s when I realized that the cracks in the sidewalks are showing me the ways in which the fabric of life has been stressed —

for - so - very - long.

It’s true of the world as a whole,
and of each of us individually.

Stress comes from the inside and the outside; from “underneath,” through underground movements in the earth, in our thoughts, the stories we tell ourselves — and from the movements “above ground,” in our outer world.

When we grow and stretch internally, we rub up against the outside world and feel stress.

We've been under compounded, compressed stress for 14 months; we're becoming inured to it.

Not a good thing.

Self-care is crucial. Even more than self-care, we must become aware of the stories we’re telling ourselves and one another.

Are your stories helpful or hurtful?

How do you feel when you tell them?

If you’re feeling a thrill of adrenaline, you might be tapping into collective fears.

True fear is an important feeling.

Heliconia Sidewalk is currently with the photographer/printer. Soon to be found in the Abstract and Fresh Paint Florals Portfolios

It’s good to know the source of your fear.

Fears generated by stories vs. things currently present in life can be detrimental to our physical and mental well-being.

Drawing is often, though not always, the foundation of a painting.

If you want your painting to closely resemble your subject, you’ll sketch or draw it before you apply paint to paper.

Sketching refers to a loose, unfinished drawing meant to give you an idea of the placement and general shapes involved.

Drawing refers to a closer representation of your subject, with or without details.

The act of drawing sensitizes your hand/eye coordination and hones your ability to see what’s really before you.

Drawing is a way to develop “Sherlock Holmesian” superpowers of observation and discovery.

Whenever you learn anything, receptivity is a prerequisite.

Open to expanding your sense of self and your abilities.

When drawing or painting, slowing down and moving your awareness from head to heart is a great place to start.

As technology continues to speed up access to our world, we’ve been speeding up right along with it.

Consciously slowing your awareness when drawing and painting is a gift to yourself, and to those around you.

Grounding yourself with a few deep, cleansing breaths before you start your creative endeavor is a calming way to begin.

One of my college drawing instructors once said,

“You each have 100,000 bad drawings inside of you, the sooner you get them out onto paper, the sooner you’ll get to the good ones.”

It takes time to sharpen your drawing or painting skills.

It’s time well spent!

While doing so, you’ll be practicing a form of open-eyed, mindful meditation.

Drawing and painting are my favorite ways to meditate — actually, along with walking, they’re the only ways I meditate!

I bought my first cat for 99¢ at Maxwell Street Days when I was six.

 My family knew I wanted a cat. I’d been told that when “so-and-so’s” cat had kittens, I’d get one. I waited — f-o-r-e-v-e-r.

When I saw “Butterball” at the street fair, I  knew she was mine. 

It takes time for cats to have kittens and more time for kittens to be weaned. Time means nothing to a six-year-old.  

Time is Elastic.

Sometimes it “races,” other times, it “drags on.”   

The way you spend your time determines its elasticity. Maybe you experienced both dragging and speeding time this year. 

Life is still shifting, and there’s a lot to consider.

My first “Balancing Act” was painted in 2014 (clearly, this is an on-going quest.)

 While we coped with life under social lockdown, changes took place within and around us.

 As I begin to face the outside world again, I’m not sure I’m ready.

Are you ready?

How do you want to move forward in your life and career?
(Notice, life before career!)

What do you want it to look like? How do you want to feel?

What did you realize this past year that you didn’t know before?

Life is in constant flux. We’re constantly recalibrating and balancing.

Even when we’re standing still, balance keeps the ever-moving molecules of our body working in unison. Fortunately, our body keeps track of that.

It’s up to us to consciously balance the rest of life.

We now have the opportunity to consciously balance ourselves, our interactions with others, and our planet.

I’m not interested in moving in crazy circles just because I can. I’m looking for a better way to live, not a crazier one.

Let’s focus on what it is that we do want to create and move toward that.

Let’s notice results and base next actions upon desired results.

Copy. Paste. Repeat.

Mix water, one of the most subtle yet powerful forces of nature with color, one of the most distracting characteristics of nature, and prepare to be amazed!

Watercolor put wings on my self-expression in ways I would never have imagined.

Watercolor, when allowed the freedom it enjoys, reminds us to be curious and playful.

Watercolor is deceptively easy to play with — it's a child’s toy for goodness’ sake!

It’s the powerful strength of water mixed with the entertainment of color that makes Watercolor a playful friend and teacher. 

Watercolor is flexible.

Oh my! A walk through the Hawaii Watercolor Society exhibit at DAC on Nuuanu St in Honolulu will astonish you with the myriad ways it can be used!

When you were a child, you marveled at your masterpiece in fingerpaint for the joy you experienced in the process. Your mom probably put it on the fridge for all to appreciate.

Later, you received coloring books and were praised when you colored within the lines. You’d mastered a measure of dexterity, conformity, and control.

Little did you know then how hard you’d work to unlearn and unravel that controlling behavior later in life!

Watercolor has taught me the importance of being aware of my thoughts and actions — in real-time.

When painting with watercolor, it’s a good idea to watch the painting as it forms because you never know when the water might take that color into areas you hadn’t planned for it to go.

When you paint, focus on what you’re doing in the moment and you’ll become a more thoughtful person.

Over the years, focus and thoughtfulness have crept into all areas of my life. It took more time in some areas and relationships than others, and there’s more work to be done. Yet, all areas have felt the results of the multitude of tiny, thoughtful changes I’ve made while painting.

Would you like to see what happens when you mix water, one of the most subtle yet powerful forces of nature with color, one of the most distracting characteristics of nature?

Join Me for some FUN!

Anything can happen — including
a lifetime of painting adventures!

If you haven’t painted in years, Or if you’ve painted and want more guidance, FUN 1.0 will get you started and give you a strong foundation for moving forward.

If you want more regularity to your painting practice, and you’ve learned color theory in a class with me before, Fun 2.0 is the ticket.