Category: Art Journey

Art JourneyContemplationsGrandmothersPhoebe and Luther

When Life Feels Like a Painting…

Posted on by sue boardman

It’s been a bit of a day. As the old song begins, It’s raining. It’s pouring…

There are 265 total pounds of wet, snoring Newfoundlands lying at my feet.

We made it home from an excursion not only out of the house, but up the big road, to visit my ortho guy. It went the way I hoped it would. Basically, “Yes, several things hurt but the bionic knee parts are holding up well!”

This is powerful good news. And a perfect reason to catch up with my physical therapist buddy.

The new laptop registration thing they’ve added to the office, though, needs to go!

While Republicans booed Liz Cheney today, I am cheering. I agree with her about virtually nothing except that we need truthful leaders we can trust to uphold the Constitution and rule of law. Which brings to mind one of the new questions on my list of hugely important things to wonder… What are the girls learning by watching us?

Just in case you have littles, too, I’m happy to loan you my question!

All of which, in a round-about way, brings me to my work-in-progress painting for this particular Wednesday.

It’s supposed to be last year’s Red Madonna painting, which I only began in January or February, in the company of a dear Paint Sister. I tried following the process. Really!

Somehow, though, there’s a message in there insisting on being heard.

And, in my world, that means it’s been time for the heavy body paints (Think brightly colored toothpaste!) and the palette knives. (I’ve moved on from swiping kitchen spatulas!)

It’s an amazing tool for new perspective. And there are lots of layers on this canvas. I think I know what’s coming next, but only time will tell. For this moment, I’m in love with the colors and the energy.

And the reminder that we often don’t know where we’re going until we wind up somewhere else.

Actually, I’m winding up somewhere else on Sunday, and you’re invited! (Really!) We’re going to learn how to use prayer dots, or Dots of Hope, to energize postcards (and their writers) for things like getting out voters.

Here’s the link for all the info. Great people. One of those ways we hope our kids will learn from watching what we do. And, maybe even by helping!

ps… the dots work for other things, too. Like peace signs to go with prayers for our sisters and brothers around the world. Or a healing heart for those struggling with loss and fear and loneliness. You get the drift…

Art JourneyContemplationsGrandmothers

Not Your Typical Saturday!

Posted on by sue boardman

You know how, every now and then, there’s a day that feels like you need all of you – all the many parts of you – working together to pull it off?

Saturday was kind of like that. Including the little hints around the edges that maybe, just maybe, I needed a few more parts of me than have become fully conscious yet.

It started with more than the optimal amount of joint and muscle pain. That led to half a tube of Arnica gel and some time in the magic chair with all the angles just so. Predictably, I fell asleep, with Leonard Cohen serenading me from YouTube.

I woke suddenly to the raucous sounds of horns honking and cars racing down the (in)famous, big road behind our house. I will admit to being more than a bit cranky about the whole thing. And then I figured it out.

Saturday was the designated National John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Day of Action. And I live on the edge of the late Congressman’s district. In Atlanta. And the noise was honoring in action.

So, crankiness aside long enough to notice that I didn’t hurt quite so much as before, I decided to work some more on the painting I’m doing that includes Congressman Lewis’s face.

It’s an adventure. I’ve painted LOTS of faces but this is the first one I’ve attempted that is supposed to look like somebody recognizable. You know, not imaginary!

Then it was time for another of my teachers… Sam Bennett. A get together for some integration after last week’s journey into what the expert refers to as Peaceful Pricing.

I, predictably, was integrating several things at once.

  • What to offer next that would benefit from Peaceful Pricing.
  • New options for actual Grammy Camp® … possibly in N.C.
  • Some slightly hazy, but stunning, connections between the way-back machine known as world history and the news of this moment.
  • And a quote Sam often shares, I think from Seth Godin, that goes a lot like this, “People like us do things like…”

Trust me. They do all go together. Explanation to follow…

All of this was capped off by a Zoom meeting called Gifts from the Black Madonna in the Time of Covid & BLM which involved the Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox and some very talented musician/theologians.

By that point, I was just covered in chills and wiping away tears, certain that the questions rolling around in my head do go together and they will, eventually, point to a path.

Here’s what I am certain of…

I have two granddaughters growing up in this world.

For now, there are people to add to my painting with John Lewis. (It’s important to note that he’s not done yet… and neither am I!)

And a moment to wish Bill a very happy anniversary tomorrow! (We’re going to wait just a bit longer before venturing out to the Iberian Pig. Which, as I think of it, really isn’t too far from everything else going on in this post!)

ps… whoever you are and however this day feels for you, you are loved.

Art JourneyContemplationsFoodGardenGrandmothersPhoebe and Luther

Giving Thanks!

Posted on by sue boardman

After three days of hail storms and tornadoes in the area and trees down over wide parts of town, I am blessed to be able to say that the house didn’t fall on us and the trees didn’t fall on the house. (Read that new roof and solar panels!)

Today is grey and gloomy, with an in-between feeling about it. Like waiting for whatever is next.

The beasties are anxious.

Malicious elves somehow climbed into my laptop and made all my favorite bookmarks disappear. (This is NOT a happy event!)

What I had planted in the garden looks pretty beat up.

Bill went to the Farmers Market with 10 things on his list and came home with two. This is a statement about existential weirdness in the neighborhood, not about Bill!

Blessedly, the space in our house formerly known as the breakfast room which now most resembles an appliance showroom, has two freezers in it!

Thus, our menu for this evening… thawed stuff on a bun with real tomatoes!

My calendar is running over with tech-y things inclined to make me want to hide.

The atmospheric pressure is still out of wack because of the weather which makes the things that hurt, hurt more than usual.

Here’s the weird thing… It’s all good!

Today I got to tell the person who’s been my best friend since the first day of seventh grade, “Happy Birthday!” despite a previous adventure with a very nasty brain aneurysm.

My Soul Expression Breakthrough group is doing amazing work as we round the bend to the future.

Gloria, my Intentional Creativity/Seminary intern, has finished her last class before graduation! (Details to follow…)

My painting of John Lewis has told me what comes next!

And, odd as this may seem, I have words for what I do!

Are you ready?

(Am I?)

Here goes…

You know how we get stuck sometimes and all the stories and tips and rules we’ve learned don’t help us to see what’s next?

Well, that’s what I do! I help women, many of them grandmothers, use the creativity deep in their souls to nurture the lives they long for! ®

There will be lots of examples, and opportunities to join in, coming soon. And I’m here if you have questions.

For this moment, the beasties are hungry and there’s only one answer to that. Sardines!

ps… Oh, and blessings for you and yours… from the early days of a Legend painting.

pps… If you haven’t joined the blog mailing list yet, and are curious about what’s coming, now would be a great time! Just click that annoying thing that usually drives you nuts while you’re reading and join the family!

Art JourneyContemplationsGrandmothers

Last night I went to summer camp!

Posted on by sue boardman

Well, not exactly, but it sure felt like it!

Back in the early-mid ’70’s when I was actually doing the summer camp thing, we had real campfires, and huge trees and Florida bobcats wandering down the road late at night.

We also had helicopter sized mosquitoes and rampant poison ivy.

And, with the exception of one miraculous summer, really, really bad food.

A lot of the things that are important to me now grew out of those weeks, surrounded by open minded women and all the words to the music, which my mom referred to as weird hippy stuff, that I still love.

We took care of our environment the best we could. We learned how the plants and animals and people were related and meant to live in harmony. One summer, we swam in a spring with Manatees!

Phoebe was our stand-in Manatee for last night.

Zoom was our campfire.

We had awesome musicians with un-electric guitars singing of a better world.

And, we had me, painting. Frankly, I was terrified. Until we started. And then the camp memories kicked in and I knew where I was and why I was there.

You see, the real artists for last night were a crowd of people writing postcards. Postcards to encourage U.S. Senators to support the For the People Act associated with the legacy of Congressman John Lewis.

And, as I tried to paint John Lewis, and adapt to the time frame, despite the fact that, no matter how important the project, paint still needs to dry, the postcards were stacking up. Postcards for a better, kinder, more just world.

The photo, above, is just a glimpse of my painting, which still has more than a bit to go.

People made of prayer dots, sheltering in the shadow of John Lewis’s care and vision.

I’ll post more when I’m closer to done.

For now, please hear me say that, whoever you are, you’re included in those prayer dot people. And, if you listen closely, you’ll hear lots more of us singing and writing and holding a red thread that connects you and me and all of us.

ps… just in case you want to know more, to sing along or help out, check www.envoysforhumanity.org

Art JourneyContemplationsGardenGrandmothersPhoebe and Luther

What are we learning?

Posted on by sue boardman

Living with a 165# dog who sees with his heart is a bit of a challenge sometimes.

Luther, as you may have heard, has been expanding his perceived parts of the house lately. I’m delighted. Mostly.

The fact that he and Phoebe spend a lot of time camped on the rubber mat in what serves as our family room can be a navigational challenge, especially on less than optimal orthopedic days, even though I just love having them there.

He’s really good at the door they use to get out back and he knows exactly where his placemat is for the canine fine dining experience. (I’ll spare you the details!)

Last night, though, he went on an adventure. I could hear him wandering and tried our usual strategy in which I call his name and tap on a piece of furniture to give him something to follow.

Somehow, though, we weren’t making much progress.

Finally, I went hunting.

He was all the way down the hall at the door to our room, doing his tap dance thing and wagging his tail.

That was quite the adventure for him!

As it was a couple of hours or so before anyone was likely to go to bed, I called him to come back down the hall with me.

He stayed put, wagging.

Being a huge believer in choice and opportunities to learn, I rubbed his ears and left him to explore.

Not too much later, I heard him making his way back up the hall.

Step. Step. Sniff. Step. Step. Bump wall.

He was working it out!

I added in some voice cues and a bit of chair tapping.

Eventually, he was safely back on the rug, curled up with Phoebe, while The West Wing played on.

As many of you know, I’m convinced that context is a critical factor in making meaning out of things.

Earlier in the day I had chatted with a friend who just had her second vax and was doing quite well.

Before that, I had checked out CNN‘s assertions that having the vax was, indeed, important, followed, before too long, by some conversation about conservative, evangelical pastors loudly taking the other side of the issue.

It occurred to me, after considerable watching and listening and pondering context, that we’re all a lot like Luther in this moment. A world full of things we’ve never experienced before. No real certainty about the path from here to there. Sometimes, even, the sense that we’re feeling our way along on our own.

In some ways, the world is always like that. These days, though, most of us are a lot more aware of not knowing.

Our children may be even harder to teach than my enormous, blind dog.

Here’s where I think we start:

  • It’s okay to feel what we feel.
  • We get to choose what to do with our feelings.
  • Not everybody will feel like we feel.
  • That’s okay.
  • There are lots of things to do with our feelings that don’t hurt us or others. (Art, music, tears… you’ll know.)
  • What we feel now won’t last forever. And, we get to learn from it.
  • When we feel scared or mad or sad, it helps us understand others.

When I think about how brave and wise Luther is, even with all he’s been through, it inspires me. And makes me want to help others.

Which, if we try really hard and listen with our hearts, may turn out to be what we all learn most in this moment. That, and new skills for finding our way.

ps… Spring has sprung in our garden!

pps… There’s still time to get in on the postcard party Tuesday evening! Live music and (me) painting. Just click here for all the info. We need all the Good Trouble we can get and you KNOW you want to help change the world!

Art JourneyContemplationsFoodGrandmothers

What Grandmothers Do!

Posted on by sue boardman

Last night I did what grandmothers do. I wept in relief at the news coverage of the verdict in the George Floyd case, while praying for all of our children in this world. And I got up every twenty minutes or so to wash my hands and baste the chickens roasting in our oven.

And as I wept and basted I thought of the genealogy work I’ve been doing and the fact that, on Monday night, I had managed to work my way back to 20 generations of direct ancestors on my Gramma Elsie’s side of the family. Back to the 1300’s. People with names!

Back to the time when very few women could read and nobody could vote and there was no CNN for everyone to gather around and find out what was happening.

Luther needed water. Great heroes of the American Civil Rights movement spoke. And one of George Floyd’s brothers said, “We’re gonna sleep, but we’ve still got to work.”

And we do.

I don’t know what that means in your world.

I do know that in mine, it means that we have to admit that something is wrong before we can work to fix it.

Monday, I went to see my doctor. I had an earache and chills and a rash on my arm. I’d been doing my usual home remedy routine, including olive oil with garlic in my ear. I wanted it to get better.

But I wasn’t getting there on my own and I’d about exhausted my DIY options. And, most importantly of all, I couldn’t see in my own ear!

A proud possessor of an otoscope, my doctor had a different perspective. I did, indeed, have an infection. And the rash on my arm, along with the odd chills, were pronounced a vaccine reaction.

Now I have different stuff to put in my ear and on my arm. Stuff that came with more information and perspective.

[Time out for a public service message about vaccines… I have strange body chemistry and react to all kinds of things. Frankly, I was surprised I didn’t react to the first shot. PLEASE don’t let the fact that this has been a bit more challenging for me keep you from having a vaccine if at all possible for you. For the vast majority of us, and for all those around us, the risks of not having the vaccine are much greater than the risks of having it.]

Now, back to our story…

As the chickens roasted on, and I cried through CNN, I was hugely proud of and grateful to President Biden and Vice President Harris.

My heart believes that the verdict in this case was what it needed to be for for the memory of George Floyd and for his family. My head knows that our work is far from done.

Kamala Harris said, “A measure of justice isn’t the same as equal justice.”

And Joe Biden assured George Floyd’s daughter that “Daddy changed the world,” calling for a legacy of peace, not violence, in the name of “justice.”

I suspect we’re still going to be working on these issues throughout my life. It won’t be easy.

Here’s one thing I do know. It’s time to teach our children different than so many of us were taught. Not by lecturing, but by modeling. And time to hold not only hope, but accountability.

I’m not the only one with kids growing up in this world!

ps… that’s Tree Woman, watching over my shoulder while I get set up for week 2 of Soul Expression Breakthrough. email me for info on a new group starting soon, or for the Premium option if you’d prefer to work individually with me suesvoice@gmail.com

pps… long awaited hair cut soon! Fully vaccinated salon! (I’m still on it, Mr. President!)

Art JourneyContemplationsGrandmothersPhoebe and Luther

The Sentence I Never Guessed I’d Write…

Posted on by sue boardman

I dreamed, this morning, about John Lewis.

Yep. That John Lewis.

And music. And cameras. And paint. And a big, blank canvas.

And people – people I don’t know yet – everywhere. Watching. Me.

It’s not exactly as unexpected as it sounds. You see, yesterday I said YES!

Yes to a new friend.

And yes to painting, live, in an event known as Zocalo Zoom, which I’m only just learning about.

Here’s the short version… Musicians, activists, and me. Virtually gathered for some fun and community and postcard writing.

Yes, the political kind. And not just to our own Senators but to a bunch of pivotal Senators who need to hear our voices.

Primarily, at the moment, on a bill about fixing the filibuster so that the Senate can vote on voting rights. Civil rights. Human rights. Rights the late Rep. John Lewis spent his life on.

My job is to be the artist. I have a plan. Thankfully! But one of the things the plan depends on is me, painting John Lewis’s very recognizable face.

Live. Fast.

And doing it while painting the rest of the canvas, too. Layers to dry. Lot’s of dots to make. Background. Glazing.

Did I mention the dots?

And, you can join in, too!

Here’s all the information.

Phoebe and Luther, the resident Studio Angels, have already signed up and they’re really hoping you will, too!

So is Bella Mama!

And, just in case you might be wondering what Bella Mama, who was once so purple that Bill called her Elvira, is doing in this conversation…

She told me how to do it!

For this moment, some more layers for my Psalms painting. Quite possibly about courage!

And the contest entry to finish.

And, just in case you’re wondering, Why?… that’s easy. I have two granddaughters growing up in this world.

ps… the painting at the top is a Psalm of Creation in progress!