Visualize and begin to build!

Ashlen’s Vision 1 – 4 © Susan Morrison Sims

acrylic on canvas  (As one image 48″ x 64″ Individual 24″ x 32″ )

click on images to enlarge

~~

Visualize this thing that you want,

see it,

feel it,

believe in it.

Make your mental blueprint

and

begin to build.

~Robert Collier

~~

Yes, my dears…I am still among the living, and I’ve missed all of you! As usual thank you for your wonderful comments and emails! How are things in your world’s…good I hope! All is good in mine I have just been living, loving, and laughing, and I’ve been extra, extra busy. Among other things spending a lot of time on Drayton Island working on the old 1880 house.  I must stop calling her the “old girl” because she is getting a makeover, and she is evolving into quite a “babe” if you know what I mean. hee, hee In time I will post pictures of her on here and Facebook. Who knows someday you may come for a weekend retreat.  That is, if you are not afraid of being on a island, with no bridges, old Florida style..complete with deer, bob cats, wild turkey, bears, alligators,…. Hmmm… Cross Creek by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings comes to mind.

A few posts ago I told you I was working on four commissioned pieces that were quite a challenge. Well these are the pieces Ashlen’s Vision 1-4.  Why the title? Well, there is a young woman named Ashlen that is part of my art business world here. One day, I was in her business and while chatting I discovered her dream of traveling to Tuscany with her husband. She told me she wanted a painting that reflected her dream.  So we talked about what I saw and loved on my visits there, and what she wants to see. Her vision and my vision are the “things” in the paintings. Villas, grape vineyards, rolling hills, divine little roads and paths here and there, ……

At first,  she wanted one large piece for her wall. I mulled it over and suggested four separate pieces that work together as one image. Thus, the four pieces. It is a lot about connections for me, and I have always liked her energy…so I thought it over, and I called her with an idea. I offered to paint the pieces, and then have my printer create canvas giclee’ prints, which would fit within her budget. Needless to say, as my Grandmother would say that was going about it all  “back’ards.”  One normally paints the pieces then the prints follow…so this was certainly a first! :O

I won’t go into all the challenges, but here are just a few: I had to come up with four smaller compositions within one and they all had to flow together and yet work individually. Each piece was large so I had to line up easels to work on them, and it was cumbersome. She wanted certain colors with a Tuscan theme. Her colors of choice were the same that tend to be in my palette anyway (my energy colors) so that was a good thing.  Alas, you know I like challenges and all ended up as we both envisioned. When you stand in front of them you feel as if you are on a hill..standing at the edge of the vineyard looking out over Tuscany. It’s during the fall harvest, which is my most favorite time of year there (and here). As usual, I have some symbolism in it..when she looks at it I want her to feel as if

~she’s standing at the edge of her dream,

and

all she need do is step into it~

I think I told you that she was very happy with the results and so was her husband…so that made me very happy and the whole ordeal worth while. Besides, I learned a lot from it! Oh I forgot…she wanted the pieces in time for an important dinner party she was having on a Saturday. Her husband was literally hanging the last piece as the first guest arrived. (talk about timing!) As for me..I was spent so I propped my feet up and had a glass (or two) of muscadine wine while listening to my girl, Duffy! I have four commissioned pieces to begin after my trip to France ..but they are for four individuals. These are for the originals this time, and prints to follow if some souls out there feel a connection. So maybe, just maybe a little less challenging…eh?

*Little side Note: Not the best photos, but did you notice the rose bushes in the front of a few of the vineyard rows? Well, when I saw those in Tuscany I thought..oh these people are so creative and seem to make everything so beautiful. Well, that is true, but I found out the rose bushes are there for a reason other than beauty. The farmers  watch them for pest and disease problems before it happens in the vineyard. So one could say the rose bushes are there as sacrificial bait, but I prefer to think of them as the guardians of the vineyard. Hmmm…guardian roses…I happen to like that image! For as most of you know, I count roses among my most favorite flowers..esp wild roses. :)

Before I leave you again,  I want to say how much I believe Robert Collier’s quote to be true! This can apply to anything in our lives. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve put this into practice and it works!! Word of caution…one must be careful not to visualize the negative!

Do you realize how much power you have?

‘Tis all contained within your own heart and mind?

Powerful energies around and within all of us,

if only we…

open our hearts and minds to what is there!

So, my little pretties may we embrace Collier’s words.. …just visualize, see it, feel it, believe in it, make your mental blueprint, and begin to build!!!

~JUST STEP INTO IT~

Love and light to all of you!

mwah, mwah

~gypsy-he♥rt

Ps I will tell you when Ashlen travels to Tuscany, because I know she will someday! Speaking of travel. As I mentioned I will be leaving on a trip to France (May 26). I will be staying in a medieval village in Provence ten days or so.  Then three of us are renting a car and driving into Paris and where ever else the road takes us.  I’ll try to do another post before I go, but I am running out of time and still have much to do before the trip. I may just try to get around to visit all of you.   ta, ta for now.

~♥~

susanmorrisonsims.com