"There is a fountain of youth.  It is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of the people you love.  When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age."      
                                                       Sophia Loren

I was going to write something but I think this quote speaks for itself.  Have a wonderful Wednesday!

                                   Believe and act as if it was impossible to fail.
                                                         Charles Kettering, Inventor

I think this is such great quote.  I believe that there is nothing we can't accomplish if we set our minds to it and try.  Things may turn out a little differently than we originally planned but the only way we can completely fail is to never try.  Is there something you would like to do or try this week?   I hope that you will take that first step or steps to make your dreams come true. 
I took the above picture last spring.  This week I am going to begin a watercolor interpretation of the butterfly to remind me of all of the fun we had taking pictures on a beautiful spring day.  I am trying to combine my love of writing, painting, and now taking pictures as a way to be creative each day.

I have been taking a wonderful photography class which will end this week.  Several of our assignments have had us refer to our inspiration file of pictures in order to complete the assignment.  I have learned so much about myself and my photography that have decided to create an inspiration file for my paintings as well.  The above painting will be the first to be a part of my file.  When I look at it I remember where I was and what I was doing when I painted it.  I remember how relaxed I felt as I painted and how proud I was when I completed it.  It felt special to me and still does.  It inspires me to continue painting and to push myself to get better.  I think that is what an inspiration file is supposed to do.
This week my list of things that I grateful for could go on and on.  I am especially grateful for the incredible sunny and breezy day we had today.  It was perfect convertible weather so the top came down and the music was turned up.  Tomorrow it is going to rain again but at least we had today to remind us that spring is just around the corner.  I am also grateful for all of the support I get from my online friends both new and old.  I am so excited every time I read a comment or get an email from someone I have never met but consider a friend.  I have learned so much from so many people and I want to thank all of you.  And last but not least I am so excited that a Panera Bread opened five minutes from my house.  It will be a great place to meet friends for coffee or maybe even go and draw a little! 
                                                                 What are you grateful for this week?
                                   This post has been linked to Paint Party Friday something I look forward to each week.

Since I began my love of photography, I have resisted learning a lot about the techniques involved in taking pictures.  This is very unusual for me because teaching and learning are as much a part of me as is my name.  But I knew that at least for awhile I just wanted to enjoy the process and learn by doing rather than by reading or being taught what to do.  Last December I finally decided it was time to take a class on how to correctly take a picture.  Let me be sure to say the teacher was excellent and very kind when discussing our pictures.  Before the class I really liked the above picture.  I liked the way the water  sparkled and the way the waves curled.  When I brought my picture to class to share, I learned that the sparkles were really blown out spots and that there was probably a better way to take this picture.  Because I tend to be a perfectionist, this definitely changed the way I viewed the picture.  
This Sunday I was asked to choose a picture from my file for Kat's Intuitive Photojournaling assignment.   As I was looking through my pictures, I was again drawn to the above picture and to the sparkles on the water. That was when I was reminded once again that beauty is in the eye of the beholder  What may be a blown out spot to one person can be a sparkle to me.  And that's ok!  So no more worrying about techniques.  For now it is enough to be outside with my camera, taking pictures,  and enjoying each and every special moment! 

Last week one of our assignments for Kat Sloma's Journey of Recognition photography class was to shoot pictures in a different light.  I normally take pictures during the day in bright sunlight.  This is what I am most comfortable doing so for this assignment I decided to take pictures at night.  I am not sure if you can tell from the pictures but it was also raining quite a bit!  My husband and I went looking for interesting things to photograph. One of the things that caught both of our attention was the wind blowing the rain in front of the spotlights in the first picture.  I took the picture out of the car window from quite a distance.  When I got home I cropped the picture to help others see what we saw.    The second picture was also taken from inside of the car.  I like how the colors reflect on the road in this picture.  Both pictures are very different from the nature scenes I usually take but I think it is important for me to do new things if I am to grow as a photographer.  I definitely enjoyed the experience and I know we will take more night pictures together. 
Kat's series of classes are about finding your eye as a photographer.  As a person who spent many years of her life looking down so she would not fall, this has been such a wonderful experience.  I now notice things I never noticed before.  I am learning to see the details where before I only saw the whole picture. Taking pictures has opened up a whole new world which I now see in a whole new light.  What could be more exciting than that?

                        Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.
                                                                                                                         T.S. Elliot
When I look at the picture above I always wonder what it is like behind the gates.  I love long paths, gates, and beautiful flowers.  Is there a world full of possibilities behind these gates or just a life like any other? 
I am at the point with both my photography and painting where I need to take the next step or steps to see how far I can go.  The above quote was a reminder that it is time to get started.  What would you like to take to the next level this week?

It is hard to believe that it is Friday already.  I think it is safe to say that along with posting about what I am most grateful for each Friday I am also hoping to make it a habit to link to Paint Party Friday.  I really enjoy painting and it is fun to be able to share my work with such encouraging and inspiring artists. 
This has been a week filled with rain, mud, and construction workers.  It has also been a week filled with Valentine's candy and birthday celebrations.  I am grateful for all of it except for the mud.  I could definitely do without the mud.  It has been a pretty ordinary week but even in a week that is fairly routine there are special moments.  A hug from my grandsons, an email from a friend, an inspiring quote on a blog, and hearing my husband say just a week after his surgery, "I think I can breathe better today"  are all things that I am very grateful for.  This has been another ordinary week filled with many special moments.  It is amazing how many things you can find to enjoy and celebrate when you take the time to appreciate all of the little things that make life so special.    I would love to know what you are most grateful for this week.

PS  The painting above was done to help me remember a very special time long ago.  I have always loved the beach and when we were first married we lived for three years at the beach.  It was a special time but it is only now that I realize how very special it was.  I am grateful that I have such wonderful memories of being a very lucky but naive newlywed almost 45 years ago.

I am really enjoying my photography class with Kat Sloma.  It has helped to me learn more about myself both as a person and a photographer.  This week I have been looking at pictures I have collected for my inspiration file to learn or maybe relearn what inspires me most. 
I love to be outside taking pictures. I love nature and all of its beauty.  I am fascinated by clouds and always have been since the time I was small.  In school I loved to study weather each year.  So needless to say there are lots of pictures of clouds in my file.

I love to take pictures of flowers.  Their color, their shape and the way they sit there for all to enjoy fascinates me and brings me joy.  I love to walk through a quiet garden enjoying the day as well as the sights, the smells, and the colors of the flowers.  I am not a very successful gardener so it is always a special treat to go to a place where the flowers thrive and are there for everyone to enjoy. 

 
 
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  I love to be near water. It can be a stream, the lake, and of course the ocean.  Water can be quiet, peaceful, and calming.  Or it can be intense and exciting during a storm.  I love to capture all of the feelings that water can evoke.

My grandchildren are always an inspiration to me.  The way they take on any challenge or situation with exuberance, a sense of  fun, and determination reminds me of how important it is to keep on learning.  
Recognizing what inspires you and then making time to enjoy those things each day is so important.  Thank you Kat for another great assignment.

                          The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.
                                                                                                      Lao Tzu
This week my homework for my Journey of Recognition photography class was to take pictures of something that I don't normally photograph.  I am learning to be more comfortable behind the camera and I am recognizing what is important to me when I take pictures but I also know how uncomfortable I am having my picture taken.  So I decided that the something unusal I would take a picture of would be me.  As I was walking around the square, I looked into the window of a family owned Italian restaurant.  I could see lovely plants, oil paintings for sale and me.  I decided that this would be a great time  to become more comfortable both in front of and behind the camera.  As the quote above says,"The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."   At first I was uncomfortable taking the picture but as I became more involved in what I was doing I forgot to be self-conscious.  I am hoping that this first step will be just one of many in a long and interesting journey.  Is there a first step you would like to take this week?

As most of you know by now each Friday I write about what I am grateful for that week.  I believe that life is different when we focus on the positive and it is a practice that I like to share with others.  There are some weeks where everything looks bright and sunny and then there are the times that you have to look a little harder to see that bright sunny spot.  This week has had lots of special moments but there have  been lots of trying times as well.  My husband had surgery yesterday (scary) but everything went smoothly which is something to be very grateful for.  We are having construction done at our house which means lots of noise and lots of inconvenience but the workers have been wonderful and considerate which is something else to be very grateful for.  Then last night our dog decided to go for a walk by herself.  Actually, it was a run by herself but I was able to catch her when she stopped to visit our neighbors and get every dog in the neighborhood barking.  I guess the bright spot was that it was dark and noone could see who was causing all of the commotion.  So to be truthful this morning I was tired.  I was in the backyard, taking a breath, when I looked to my left.  If you stand just in the right spot at the right time of year, from my yard you can see a quiet peaceful pond two streets over.  This morning I was lucky enough to stand in the right spot at the right time.  I was able to see and enjoy the pond without leaving my backyard.  It is this type of unexpected  moment that I find so special.  I have learned that even in the midst of stress I can always find a peaceful place, person, or minute if I take the time to look for it!  I am very grateful for that knowledge.
I have been working on the painting above for Paint Party Friday this week.  It is not finished but I have enjoyed working on it.  Whether I am looking at water, lucky enough to be in it, or painting it, it always makes me feel better.
                                                I would love to know what you are most grateful for this week?