Windmills of our minds

We capture the wind only to have it blow us around and around in the windmills of our minds...to and fro, back and forth. We try to harness the wind's power...but it only takes us for a ride. The trick is to enjoy the ride...to places familiar or unknown.

Green: the color of spring

Not a scene you often remember once the summer heat sets in. Even now our roadways are looking yellow. This place just made me so happy, I had to paint it. I'll show you the painting next time.

A prayer for our oceans and their friends

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels,
and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands;
thou hast put all things under his feet:

All sheep and oxen yea, and the beasts of the field;

The fowl of the air,

and the fish of the sea,

and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

KJV, Psalm 8:4-8

And I didn't even get arrested!

The Big Yellow Yonder Texas Hill Country
9x12 oil on board, © 2010 by S'zanne Reynolds

I have passed through this beautiful expanse of hills and mountain-like ridges between Johnson City and the Austin 290 turn-off, many times...wishing I could pull over and paint it. But I always worried that I'd get in trouble on a busy highway, cause an accident or get a ticket.

This time, I'd NEVER seen the hill country so burgeoning with color and beauty. The blue ridges, green hills and yellow wildflowers were calling to me, PAINT ME, PAINT ME! It was a veritable yellow brick road of flowers everywhere up and down the highway. But in passing, I saw an amazing cross section of hills, valleys, flowers and distant mountains. So, I did a couple of U-turns until I could slow down and pull over safely with the 70-80 mph passing traffic.

I pulled the van off onto the shoulder as far as possible into the ditch, and hiked down the hill a bit to avoid feeling the traffic swooshing by. The wind was boisterous, hurling my easel to the ground....a storm was coming in. I knew it might rain and I'd better paint fast and furious!

It was exhilarating! It was like trying to grasp a bit of heaven on earth. I almost forgot to breath, I was so intent on taking it all in: the changing light, the fog rolling in to the distance, the golden yellow intensity, the vibrations of green.

Apparently still visible to passers-by, two different cars stopped to see what had caught my attention. One a professional photographer and the other an amateur, they both commented on their surprise and delight at finding this vista and wondered how I'd found it. I laughed as they were both envious that I could avoid painting the power lines which would show up in their photos. A few shots later and they were gone...leaving me to about 3 hours of work.

Curiously, it wasn't the end image that mattered to me here. It was that I did it...something I'd always wanted to do and had been afraid to, not confident enough or had some other concern of time, inconvenience, etc.. Just as it began to rain, I placed the final strokes, signed my name and delivered my new work to the floor of my car next to a week's worth of workshop paintings. I had done roses and peonies in vases and a couple of people who modeled for us...as well a three other outdoor scenes near my cottage. But I was proudest of this highway painting. There is something so satisfying in doing something you've always wanted to!

And I didn't even get arrested!

Dreams: Stepping stones to awakening

"This life is for awakening to who we are–
co-creators with God.
Our dreams are the stepping-stones to that awakening."
–Mary Manin Morrissey

............

From Daily Word for Women:

When I stop trying to make something happen and just allow myself to be in partnership with God in letting it happen, I am amazed with the results. Obstacles to my goals disappear and doors to opportunities open to me.

What may seem too simple is absolutely true: There is nothing more I need to do than to be open to and cooperate with God's presence in order to experience divine wonder in all matters– from daily routines to life-changing events.

I release all to God and remind myself, "I am in partnership with the one power of the universe." As if transported on the wings of spirit, I move from feeling concern to being one with God in creating a life order and peace.

In partnership with God, I experience divine wonder.

Terrified but Unstoppable

"Sun Setting over Primroses"

Photo © 2010 by S'zanne Reynolds

"Primrose Promises" 9x12" oil on linen
© 2010 by S'zanne Reynolds

"I have been terrified my entire life, and I've never let it keep me
from doing a single thing I wanted!" --Georgia O'Keefe

The above photo was taken last week in Fredericksburg at the Wildseed Farm. The farm had just closed and I stayed outside their gate and painted anyway. My painting's perspective was very different from the worm's eye view the photo was taken from. I was painting standing under a tree's shade, looking through a fence and some cactus, out over a field. And it was a couple hours before the sun set so the lighting was completely different. I wished I had had a couple more easels to paint on 2 or 3 canvases as the light changed, like Monet!

Several folks pulled off the highway to see what I was doing...just when I congratulated myself on having privacy. One old guy even wanted to chat until dinner time! Thankfully no one stopped to critique my work...just to be friendly, and maybe a little curious.