A day of inspiration

What sometimes amazes me is the amazement that Tina, our dog, doesn’t go out of our motor home. She was trained not to leave. The people that go by constantly comment on that fact and are amazed by it. A training manual states that dogs have the intelligence of a four year old. And they can count to four – at least some breeds. We have trained her not only to stay in, but to come when called. But at times she is distracted by birds, dogs, etc. and wants to point or play. One time she was on the beach one early morning and she saw a couple of sandpipers. I could not see them. She was slowly creeping and pointing. I looked at her and said you crazy mutt, you are pointing at rocks! Soon the birds I did not see took off and so did Tina. Unfortunately, she was half way to San Clemente. No matter what I tried, no commands could curtail her enthusiasm to chase those birds. As they stayed close to the sand near the waves, so did Tina. They disappeared into the sunrise over each dune. She kept going until I could not see anymore. So, I being out for a short walk, started walking south, figuring I would catch up to her just before the border. Just then, I caught a glimpse of our motor home heading in the same direction. My wife was attempting to cut her off at the pass but ran out of park and had to stop. She headed out for her yelling for Tina to come. Five minutes later, here comes Tina. Tongue hanging, tuckered and tired, Tina walked slowly to the motor home. Jennifer was yelling Truck! Truck! Tina had been trained to go inside the motor home with that command. I wanted to kill Tina at first, but I knew it was my fault for not having her on the leash. I let her off the leash so she could run around and so she did. Tina was so happy that day. We would love to have the run around like that every day, after all, she is a bird dog. We have found an unconfined space where she can run. Now, dogs walk by on leashes and Tina cries. Is it because she feels so bad for those dogs and wants to tell them where to run?

Do it now! Just do it. You can’t sell what you don’t paint. What happened to painting every day? Your Job - Are you a quitter? Get shirts from second hand stores. Do your painting outside in public. Show your shirts at the same time take the computer to show other shirts print and frame. Provide pictures of shirts pictures for walls to take with signed copies. Make money on art already done. If you are an artist, why don’t you act like one! You are willing to go out in bone chilling cold and stand outside praying for work at hard labor when God’s given you a gift of artistic freedom and you don’t do anything about it! You just sit there doing nothing!! Just nothing! God must be really happy about that. Hoowah. Wasting the talent He gave you. What a waste! If you had not given up you would already have the money you are seeking. Hollis and everyone always ask if you are painting. Your answer is always no. No wonder they think you are a loser. They wonder why you are wasting your talent. And they wish they had that ability. So why are you doing nothing? It just doesn’t make sense, does it? So, you better get off your butt or maybe you should stay on it and just do it. You are on it anyway so what is your problem? Get to it!!!!

Art is as interesting as the artist themselves. Their life experiences guide their type, style, medium, subject matter etc. Some love to paint perfection, some abstract. Some of the supposedly greats of their day seem to instill the unforeseen emotional reality of the human condition capturing the wonder of possibilities of canvases. In their day spending months or years on a project was not a problem. Life’s simplicity made time a non issue of the time involved on a project. In this day and time, time is money. Unfortunately, the time it takes to create a work that is affordable to the vast majority of people. Meaning the time spent verses price the more time spent the better the perfection of the piece. Good things take time. It converts to I LOVE THAT! And then they walk away. I recently had a girl walk by the motor home with 4 dogs looking at my paintings on the side she passed by then after walking about thirty feet she stopped and turned around to come back and asked me if I would take six dollars for that bird. I asked which bird. She pointed at a giant blue heron standing in the water reflecting its beauty on the ripples at the days dawning patiently waiting for the morning’s bountiful schools of bait fish. Not hesitating, I said, “sure.” I came out of the home on wheels and pulled the Velcro-ed art off the side as she said I love birds. A smile came upon her face as she walked away staring at it as she left and continued to stare at it for some time. The fifteen hours I spent painting the bird I had called PATIENCE some months earlier was time well spent. Upon reflection of that day, I’m reminded of a friend who has spent a lifetime perfecting his art. After a devastating accident being hit on his bicycle by a car and years of recovery, he is plagued by his energies. He plays for a small portion of the bar and tips. It’s a far cry from what once he came. The time spent learning his craft and becoming very successful at it is what we strive for. Fortunately for us, his love for his craft, the love of beautiful music his guitar makes, overrides his physical limitations. The one thing that we can all depend on is that the pieces of the puzzle not yet reveled to us always seem to have a purpose. For him, the love of music is our gift. The time spent isn’t an issue, which we are all grateful for.

Poetry by Craig

I am a weakling and I'm weeping
I'm lost, wondering what the cost
I'm to pay the price it seems like ice
I'm cold and wonder Why the thunder
I'm God's servant today so I'll have to pay
I'm in His Hands I have no bands
Thy Will be done even if be hung
His Plan we'll see at the end He'll be.

by Craig Hunter