Category: gratitude

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Happy and creative New Year: do not forget your artistic side

Sunset village, Christmas painting

Belief is like light that never goes out as long as we have strength to overcome our weaknesses and doubts.

The year is almost over, just a few hours, and we will be writing 2016. Was 2015 a year what I expected it to be?

Yes and no. I usually do not write any New Year’s resolutions since I am simply doing what I have decided. If I have made a decision, I will bring it to implementation no matter what. For me it is always: speak less, do more.

Winter creek, acrylic painting

Time disappears too fast, that is for sure. Although, January 1st is just a point in time which we are using as a date to mark the beginning of a new year, many people associate lots of expectations and hopes  with this date. It feels like a new chance to refresh, to regroup and to start with renewed energy and more understanding. It certainly is a good time to review what went wrong in the previous year and what should be changed in the New Year. Realistically, any date for changes is as good as this one because any changes are up to us. When the desire to achieve something is strong enough, I cannot see why it would not take place.

Red and gold, artistic side

I also hope that more people will include their artistic and creative side in their self-improvement programs. That is incredibly important especially because we are spending way too much time looking at screens of different devices. Therefore, keep your artistic activities away from devices, food and drinks.

Artistic side, gallery show

Our brain has a wonderful ability to adjust. We are able to learn something new regardless of our age and so we should. Learning, challenging our capacities is the key to staying young longer. That does not involve a face lift, but that refers to a much more important part of our existence: memory, thinking and decision-making ability and brain flexibility. Therefore, I wish those who have at least the smallest intention to devote some time to drawing, sketching and painting: do it. For the sake of more relaxed you, for the sake of happier you, and to multiply and grow great things around us.

Sunset village, Christmas painting

I would like to say also a huge Thank you to all my fellow bloggers who stopped at this blog for numerous times, commented, made me laugh and think, made me explore and dig deeper, made me a better me. Thank you, and without you my dear friends, my world would have much fewer colors as it does now.

Happy New Year! See you in 2016!

If you get a chance, please follow also my other blog http://inesepogalifeschool.com/

The current post talks about New Year’s resolutions and goals: Setting steps and path to achievements

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Snow paintings for Christmas delight

Snow paintings, village and countryside

Bright snow paintings for Christmas

Shadows in my tea-cup, darkness behind the window and soft warmth from the small outdoor lights. That is the calming scene which surrounds me at the moment. The scent of a live fir-tree is absent, but I can certainly imagine that, too.  As the year is fast approaching its end, my hopes and expectations get smaller and smaller until they will fade away completely. I paint bright snow paintings to lift my mood.

Feeling better after cold

What a terrible thing that is to get sick straight before Christmas! I did exactly that, I worked very hard for about a month and then my body told: that’s it, I need to shut down for a while and get some rest. Well, I missed all the potential sales opportunities since I couldn’t even move my arm, not to mention do show preparations, final touches on art or crafts, and I did not post any ads. I even did not turn on the “Open” sign.  It’s the first day now when I am a bit better. I can see the computer screen at least. What a relief!

Snow paintings, acrylic

Large snow landscape painting in acrylic, 24 x 30 inches or 61 x 76 cm

Why not spend something on art?

When I hear the big numbers about what people are spending during Christmas and holidays, I get even sicker. Is that even possible? Most likely it is. I wish some of that would come my way, too. I think, this is the right time to buy art, and it doesn’t have to be even winter art since prices are set to sell. I know many people, who would really love receiving artistic gifts. I usually give something free with every purchase. as a sign of appreciation. It can be a box of watercolor paints or a framed sketch.

Snow paintings in acrylic

Winter creek, 24 x 18 inches or 61 x 46 cm, snow art at its best

Taking art photos, adding light

I took some pictures of the recent works with my phone. It’s so dark, that trying to take a picture with my camera is out of question. Oh, and like all people who are born under the Leo sign, I love warmth, sun and light. I have actually painted so much art which brings more light into any space. The current weather isn’t good news for me so far. My potential sales aren’t either because nobody even knows I worked a lot to make this pre-holiday sale happen, but broke down straight before the finishing line.

Snow paintings in acrylic, sunset

Winter creek sunset, 20 x 16 inches or 51 x 41 cm

Christmas traditions

I don’t put up a Christmas tree or decorations in November. I do not do the Christmas shopping until the last-minute also. Therefore, I am only catching up when others are way ahead of me. My Christmas means to put up the tree in the morning, decorate it around lunch time, and then cook a nice meal to have it at night. That’s how it always was since I can remember. My dad and I went even to the forest to get a tree early on the Christmas morning sometimes. If I have everything ready month before this day, I am losing all the Christmas spirit. Songs, flavors, candle lights and sparkles on the Christmas tree is all I need.

Fir cones, snow paintings

Fir cones under guarding snow, 20 x 20 in or 51 x 51 cm

Hopes, hopes, hopes

Since there is still a full week until Christmas, I hope that my bank account will miraculously turn from red into black. That might be also the only occasion when black is a nice color. I could supply myself completely with all the medications before the pharmacy’s shut-down period. I sincerely hope there might be a person who wishes to see some of my original paintings on their wall or believes my art is the right thing to be presented as a gift. Despite the poor odds, I won’t panic just yet. Everything goes on with or without fireworks.

Snow paintings, village and countryside

Village sunset painting, acrylic 24 x 20 in or 61 51 cm

Art  class was painting this winter scene along with me. We are doing some winter painting every December. Snow paintings allow creating stunning paintings with using all shades of white. That might be not always easy in acrylic, but if you use artist grade paint, it will be less problematic. Good luck!

The Life school blog talks about memories which are beautiful, but can be painful, as well:  http://inesepogalifeschool.com/2015/12/18/christmas-memories-that-can-make-us-cry/

For art prints and other art products, please, go to:

Art collections by Inese Poga

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Ode to perseverance and how to overcome I cannot

Art project

In order to improve oneself, perseverance is important. Life is always full of something, and we are mostly busy, sometimes with the most beautiful things and events, sometimes with terrible issues. We simply deal with that, but not everybody has the courage to take a special time for themselves or to spend it as they wish. There are billions of excuses, and behind “I cannot” is quite often hiding: I don’t seriously want it. I am not willing to make a commitment. I am not sure if I want anything at all. It is so much easier to do nothing. It is less complicated to let everything flow by and to go with the stream. The power of doing nothing is huge.

Who doesn’t know moments of emptiness, moments of weakness, and moments of a complete exhaustion: mental and physical? That is life, and, unfortunately, nothing and nobody can prevent such moments from happening. I know this so well: it can be abnormally tough at times to resist the tiredness and pain. Well, we have two choices: feel sorry and cry or stand up and get going. Here I would like to mention perseverance again. We stick to decisions and goals no matter what.

Improvement

I am for these, who make everything happen. I am with these, who fight their own moods, pain and helplessness. We have a fantastic tool to make our life better: it is self-improvement. Step by step, one move at a time.

Therefore, I feel extremely blessed that my art and painting classes have brought me together with such sincere, honest and creative people. It is very simple to take a brush and swipe it over canvas. Play is attractive. How about when we want something more? Not only spots and splashes, but something way exceeding basics?

Art classes and workshops

Creativity and self-improvement are both: rewarding and demanding. Rewarding all the way through the discoveries and confusion, giving back things which we never even expected; and demanding because we cannot give up our efforts by facing the first difficulties. Self-improvement requires perseverance, a strong spinal cord and ability to go against the wind. I suppose, life is generous mostly to those, who dare. Dare to overcome at least their own resistance and remove the internal brakes.

Birch project

I would not call the participants of the Wednesday group students anymore. Some of them have become established artists after attending my classes. I am really proud of that because I care how my students are doing and they try to do their best. I am sometimes telling them: you don’t even need any classes any longer. They answer: we love the group and the atmosphere, and we still appreciate the advice.

Art project

The Wednesday class takes a break now. We are meeting closer to the fall again. However, the question that surprises me most is: how do these really busy people always find the time not to skip any single class? Well, the secret is most likely  unsophisticated: we can always find time for things we love. I would like to thank all my long-term creative friends and participants of my painting classes. Keep your brushes wet!

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Please accept these lovely flowers

Spring daffodils, watercolor painting

Flowers are nature’s mysterious beauty that is so easy to reach, to enjoy and to give as a gift.

Where do flowers come from?

From happiness.

How did they get their fragrance?

From love.

How can they be so beautiful?

God allowed them to use any color and any shape to remind us

Beauty is timeless but lasts for a short while.

I hope all moms received plenty of flowers today. They are a thing of extraordinary beauty, and they can say everything without words, just like art.

I also hope you are showing your love to your mom while there is still time enough, and you are not too late with your “I love you mom!”

It is so easy to love a small child; it takes more than superficial attraction to love genuinely very old people. To understand them and to appreciate, and to be grateful they are with us. Moms of people who belong to my generation are getting close to 90.

Thankfully, my mom is still doing lots of good things, sewing and gardening, not to mention small daily stuff like dishwashing, or cleaning. She loves flowers, so I sent her some, although, the Ocean is between us, that cannot stop us from exchanging some words on the phone or over Skype. The distance has the ability to make things clearer and more valuable. Simple words can get a new meaning.

Well, I was not very productive recently, but I have made some watercolors for cards, something unsophisticated, but sincere.

Spring daffodils, watercolor painting
Pen and watercolor, Spring daffodils painting 12 x 12 in or 30.5 x 30.5 cm

Happy Mother’s Day to every mom, grandmother and great grandmother! I hope your kids, grandchildren and great grandchildren are blessings to you.

Watercolor painting, pansies
Smiley purple pansy faces, pen and watercolor wash

 Please accept these lovely flowers as a small thank you for everything you are to my every single day!

Watercolor painting, pink tulips
For soft and gentle flowers, all shades of pink is probably my favorite choice

Beauty never ends, flowers will live as long as we do and they will keep inspiring us. Always.

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The art of giving gifts 2: traditions, colors and symbols

Art of giving gifts

Giving generously

This is the time of giving, forgiving and showing our love and gratitude to people, who are in our lives, to people who we know and to everybody who we don’t even know, but believe they need some Christmas mood lift.

The Latvian proverb goes like this: Dear God! Help us be so well that we could give others generously and not beg them kindly. Giving generously involves giving gracefully, with pleasure and beautifully.

Have golden heart

The ancient Latvian proverbs, folk songs and fairy tales were given verbally from one generation to the next one for many thousands of years, and they carry the Latvian moral and ethical code. They always emphasize that it is not a big deal to have much of golden money because much bigger deal is to have a golden heart. Well, we know how it is in reality: we need both, and yet, we need the latter one way more.

Traditions

Many centuries have passed by and life is not the same, obviously. The Latvian Christmas was initially mixed with the celebration of winter solstice, and we have so many superstitions and traditions regarding this time of the year! Thousands! Did you know that it is not a coincidence the Christmas or Advent wreath is round? This shape symbolizes the year and the human lifetime: the end meets the beginning, so our children pick it up where we left things.

Advent and Christmas wreath

The circular shape of the wreath also represents God, with no beginning and no end. Circle means completeness and abundance; and it is also related to the eternity. The evergreens in a Christmas wreath are used to share the message of the eternal life. The tips of a spruce tree branch remind a shape of a cross, which means this wreath is going to protect us from everything evil.

The Western world got its first wreath around 16th century, in Germany. Latvians were using wreath and circle shaped ornaments and decorations ever since they existed. The solstice is the time to call the sun back, and it needs to know the place where to return. Latvian wreaths and ornaments initially symbolized the eternity, the divine and the Sun. Whatever its meaning and whatever it means to us, the Christmas wreath is a beautiful thing. So are all the decorated gifts. Adding greens from the backyard adds so much freshness. We love the green color because it symbolizes the life and everything what is alive.

Be generous

It is important to be generous, not only at Christmas time, but always. We think giving a gift is a small gesture of kindness, but in fact, it’s much more. It is how we interact with the rest of the world. The more we give, the more we receive back. Small or large gifts, they all have to be wrapped up nicely because that shows we care about the person who is receiving our gift.

How to wrap up your gift

I kept my gifts in the traditional colors: heart red, evergreen green and added a bit of gold, silver and green-blue.

Art of giving gifts

An idea wrapping up round objects: make it look like a vase with blooms of ornaments and pine cones.

Roll up a tube of a firm paper. It has to extend the length of the gift item. Tape one edge of paper to the back of the gift object. Wrap around the wrapping paper. Tape one edge on the back. Fold in the bottom nicely and secure with tape. Fold in the upper edges. If needed, secure with tape from the inside. Wrap ribbon or gift string around the object. Add a bow or leave loose ends. Fill the upper part with tissue paper or some other light paper in any suitable color. Add some branches, pine cones and some small ornaments at the top.

It looks like winter vase with Christmas flowers! This takes practically 5 minutes when we have some materials and greens.

How to wrap up flat or large gifts

Flat and square objects are easy to wrap.

Ideas for gift wrapping

Sets of gifts look nice and they also speak to recipient with enhanced beauty.

Art of giving gifts

Traditional and very attractive colors warm up our hearts.

We start with the base and place the gift facedown. Tape with transparent tape or tape in a matching color. Use some ribbon or colorful strings; once again we start with placing the face side of the gift downwards. Add some bow or roll up the ends with the blade of scissors. They become curly and look very artistic. I like splitting up large surfaces, just as with painting, so I’d use everything what’s around. Gifts are wrapped for a short time, so we don’t need to worry about the durability of our construction. Its main purpose is to say “Merry Christmas, I love you!”

Art of giving gifts

Santa was helping me, as well. I also listened to beautiful music, and gift wrapping is a huge pleasure for me, in fact, always has been!