I Couldn’t Resist…

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abstract bird, adorable, art, art prints, artwork, bahamas, beach, beach home, beach house, bird, birds, bright, california, canvas, canvas prints, caribbean, cheerful, colorful, costa rica, cute, exotic birds, eye, feather, feathers, florida, fun, funny, island, islands, jimmy buffet, macaw, miami, naples, ocean, ocean life, paintings, parrot, parrots, pets, prints, sarasota, sea, sharon cummings, st. thomas, tommy bahama, tropical bird, tropical colors, tropical decor, vacation, vibrant

“Parrot Head”

New Mixed Media Art Painting

Sharon Cummings

2014

I really couldn’t resist naming this guy “Parrot Head”.  After all it is both, literally and figuratively.  And I do live in paradise close to margaritaville.  I’ve got tropical shirts and a hammock.  I just need to turn on some Jimmy Buffet tunes and I can convince myself that it is 5 o’ clock somewhere. 😉

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The Surprise…

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art, art prints, Artist, beach, beach art, beach house, beach prints, beach themed art, clouds, digital photography, faabest, heaven, heavenly, ocean, people, photographs, photography, photos, prints, sea, seaside, sharon cummings, sky, summer, sunset, sunset art, sunset photography, sunset prints, sunsets, vacation, water, waves

When I was a little girl, I was fascinated with photography.  I had my little Kodak Ektra camera and I would take quick snaps everywhere I went.  The most exciting part of the process was always going to the drug store to pick up the developed photographs.  Back then there was no one hour photo.  It took about 5 days and the anticipation would drive me crazy!  I would constantly ask my Mom if they were ready yet.  Then I would revel at the surprise shot.  The one that wasn’t anticipated.  A casual shot that turned out to be a “wow”.  Today it isn’t much different.  I still take snaps wherever I go whenever something catches my eye.  And then when I get home, the anticipation of downloading them on my computer is the same as when I was young.  The only difference is now I wait mere minutes instead of days.  Recently I had a beach getaway where I took over 300 shots and this was the “surprise”…the “wow” shot….

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Oh, My Sweet Carolina

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art prints, asheville, carolina panthers, carolinas, cary, charlotte, charlotte bobcats, checkers, durham, east coast, fayetteville, greensboro, greenville, high point, hurricanes, north carolina, panthers, raleigh, sharon cummings, south, southern, state, states, wall, wilmington, winston salem

 

When I think of North Carolina, the Ryan Adams’ song “Oh, My Sweet Carolina” comes to mind.  He croons “All the sweetest winds they blow across the South.  Oh my sweet Carolina.”  As a Southern girl, I know these words are true.  I have traveled all over the United States, and those sweet winds always call me back.  I have never found a place so lovely as home.

I have spent a lot of time in the great state of North Carolina.  I love the city of Asheville with it’s mountains, quaint shops and great restaurants.  It is a quintessential Southern town with lots of charm that we are known for down here.  I am also a big fan of Winston-Salem with it’s beautiful gardens and art museums.

I am looking forward to going back soon.  As Ryan says, “May you one day carry me home.  Up here in the city feels like things are closing in.  The sunsets just my light bulb burning out……”

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When In Rome…

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amalfi coast, art, art prints, bologna, canals of venice, canvas, colorful maps, colosseum, countries, country, europe, european, florence, genoa, interior design, italia, italian, italian food, italian restaurant, italy, italy map, leaning tower of pisa, map, map of italy, maps, milan, naples, palermo, piazza del campo, pompeii, prints, rialto bridge, rome, santa maria del fiore, sharon cummings, st. mark's square, travel, turin, vacation, venice, verona, wall art, wall decor, wall maps

Do as the Romans do.  I always thought that meant something scintillating, but all it really means is: It is polite, and possibly also advantageous, to abide by the customs of a society when one is a visitor.  Oh well.

Today’s map study is the beautiful country of Italy!  When I think of this place, my first thoughts are always about food.  Italian plays a part in my heritage so I can tell you that there is nothing like a homemade pasta sauce with fresh herbs and spices.  There is an art to perfect marinara. It cooks slowly all day long.  The smells that fill the house are insanely taunting.  Turns out that I have Celiac disease and all of that pasta I grew up with was tormenting my insides.  5 years ago I switched to Gluten Free fare and get to still enjoy those delicious tastes!

Some fun facts about Italy:

*  Italy is approximately 116,400 square miles (including Sicily and Sardinia), which is slightly larger than Arizona.

*  Italy is one of the most crowded nations in Europe.^a Its population is estimated to reach 58,126,212 by July 2009. The population of United States is estimated to reach 307,212,123 by that same date.

*  Italy is said to have more masterpieces per square mile than any other country in the world.

*  In 2007, a dog named Rocco discovered a truffle in Tuscany that weighed 3.3 pounds. It sold at auction for $333,000 (USD), a world record for a truffle.

*  When McDonald’s opened in 1986 in Rome, food purists outside the restaurant gave away free spaghetti to remind people of their culinary heritage.

*  Parmesan cheese originated in the area around Parma, Italy. Italians also created many other cheeses, including gorgonzola, mozzarella, provolone, and ricotta. No one knows when the pizza was invented, but the people of Naples made it popular.

*Vatican City is the only nation in the world that can lock its own gates at night. It has its own phone company, radio, T.V. stations, money, and stamps. It even has its own army, the historic Swiss Guard.

*Over 50 million tourists a year visit Italy. Tourism is vital to Italy’s economy and provides nearly 63% of Italy’s national income.

Vivid P.E.A.C.E.

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art, art for sale, art prints, balanced, bands, block, blocks, bulls-eye, buy art, canvas, center, circles, cool, energy, green, groovy, orange, painting, peace, peaceful, perfect, pink, red, retro, ring, rings, serenity, sharon cummings, soft art, softness, square, squares, vibration, vibrational, vibrations, wall art

We often think of “peace” as a calm environment and gentle thoughts, but I believe it can also be a strong vibrant energy.  I feel the most peaceful at the beach with the churning waves, rushing currents, seagulls calling and children playing.  I am completely calm and relaxed there, but the scene is so very vivid and kinetic.

I have a friend that finds total peace by taking long drives at night.  His stressful thoughts evaporate into the distant lights and the darkness comforts him. The gentle hum of his engine and the passing cars are relaxing.

Where do you find your Peace?

Introducing my latest piece from my Transforming Energy series.  “Vivid Peace”, like all of the work in this set, has been transformed from a previous painting into an entirely new piece of art. Enjoy!

OMG Yes!

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art, art prints, big, canvas, connecticut, maine, map, maps, Massachusetts, new england, new england map, new england patriots, new england states, new hampshire, northeastern united states, paintings, patriots, prints, rhode island, sharon cummings, state maps, vermont, wall art, wall decor

This isn’t the piece I had planned on listing today.  When a new father living in Seattle contacted me yesterday to tell me how much he loved my maps and that he wanted a special piece for his new baby girl but could not find anything, I couldn’t resist creating this one.

In his email he explained that he grew up in New England and that he wanted to share his heritage with his daughter.  He wanted things in their home to remind him of his childhood and to teach her about it as well.   Once I finished the work and sent him a preview, his response was:

“OMG Yes!”

And that is what makes my job so rewarding.  I can make people that happy just by doing things that come naturally to me. 🙂

French Panties?

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arc de triomphe, art, art prints, artwork, canvas, eiffel tower, europe, european, france, french, french alps, french maps, french riviera, les plus beaux villages de france, louvre museum, map of france, mont saint-michel, painting, palace of versailles, paris, paris france, parisian, posters, print, sharon cummings, travel, wall art, wall decor

All the ladies in France,

Don’t believe in underpants.

So they walk around town,

With their hineys hanging down.

As a kid we used to sing this little song that ended with all of us giggling at the thought.  I have no idea where this ditty came from, but I had the impression for many years that French ladies never wore panties!  Funny.

It is interesting what you “think” you know about a country that you have never visited or studied. I grew up on a horse ranch in Myakka City, Florida and we were not cultured or exposed to much outside of our little town.  It wasn’t until I moved away at 18 that I started to learn more about the real World.

As a youngster the French brought us french toast, ballet, french fries, armoires, croissants, brassieres and pie a la mode.  But they did not bring us panties!

Some interesting facts about France:

* There is a Victor Hugo street in every town in France.

* France produces over 400 types of cheese!

* Crayola is a French word that means “oily chalk”

* The number of times the French kiss each other as a form of greeting varies depending on region. In Corsica, the number of kisses can be as many as 5!

* Coco Chanel’s real name was Gabrielle Bonheur.

* The French had an early version of the internet called Minitel, where as long as 1984, they could pay bills and shop at home using the Minitel service.

* Paris nicknamed “city of lights,” lights actually refers to the number of intellectuals who live there

British Invasion!

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art, art prints, artwork, Britain, british, British flag, buy, canvas, colorful maps, country, England, english, europe, european, Flag, flags, for sale, great, great britain, kingdom, map, map of england, maps, online, paintings, prints, sharon cummings, symbol, united, united kingdom, united kingdom map, wall art, wall decor, wall hangings

I am continuing to work on my map series and England is my next offering. Why not the United Kingdom?  The United Kingdom is not a country.  It is actually 4 countries grouped together (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).  Seems Scotland is working towards independence so who knows what that map will look like in the near future.  So I just chose England as a stand alone.  It’s a beautiful shape for an artist to work with and I am pleased with the finished image.

Some fun facts about England:

1. Big Ben does not refer to the clock, but actually the bell.
2. London has been called Londonium, Ludenwic, and Ludenburg in the past.
3. French was the official language for about 300 years
4. The shortest war against England was with Zanzibar in 1896. Zanzibar surrendered after 38 minutes.
5. There is nowhere in Britain that is more than 74.5 miles from the sea.
6. The first telephone directory published in England contained 25 names.
7. While the Great Fire of London was largely destructive, the casualty rate was just 8.
8. The first hot chocolate store opened in London.
9. There are over 300 languages spoken in England.
10. The English drink more tea than anyone else in the world.

Oh and how about a flag?  England has a fine flag with a red cross over a white background.  I have not done an image for that yet.  But I do love the United Kingdom’s flag for it’s bright contrasting colors and interesting design.  It’s so distinctive and eye catching. Another artist’s dream. 🙂

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Can You Do This?

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abstract, art, art for sale, art prints, balanced, bands, buy art, canvas, center, circles, contemporary, cool, energy, lavender, lotus, meditate, meditation, modern, neuropathy, painting, perfect, pink, purple, purple abstract, purple abstract art, purple and yellow, purple painting, purple print, rebuilder, ring, rings, sharon cummings, the rebuilder, transcendental meditation, vibration, vibrational, vibrations, wall art, yoga

I am talking about MEDITATION.  Can you meditate?  For years I tried to bring this practice into my life.  After all, I am a type A personality.  And I am not talking an A- either.  I excel at motivation and drive.  I do not stop until I get the job done kinda gal.  I always knew it would be good for me to learn how to mentally “check out” and just “be.  I just did not know how to accomplish it.  I read books, watched videos and listened to tapes.  But I just could not relax and I certainly could not just observe my thoughts and let them pass through like leaves in the wind without attaching myself to them.  It was frustrating which did not help me feel better.  In fact, it did the opposite.  Every time I’d try and fail I would feel like something was wrong with me.  Until…..

About 7 years ago I developed some peripheral neuropathy as a result of a stomach virus.  They call that side effect Guillain-Barré Syndrome and I was lucky that mine was mild.  Some people end up on life support for awhile and others die. I just had pins and needles in my hands and feet.  I got off easy.  Anyway, in a quest to get relief from this annoying buzzing in my extremities, I happened upon a device called a “Rebuilder” which was being used to treat diabetic neuropathy with great success.  It was FDA approved and insurance would cover it if there was a medical need.  Sign me up!

I ordered and received my equipment which consisted of a small rectangular box with 2 dials and electrodes that you attach to the bottom of your feet and palms of your hands.  I am not too keen on electricity passing through my body, but I gave it a go.  It felt kind of strange…like tickling but I tolerated it well.  Once I got used to my 30 minutes a day I started to realize something.  When I used it, I could mentally “check out” and not focus on my thoughts.  I did not fall asleep.  In fact, I’ve tried it for insomnia and it never works.  Instead it puts me into a deep relaxation where my brain can take a breather.  When I snap out of it.  And that is what I do…after about 15 minutes of relaxation I snap up and feel so refreshed it is amazing.

It did heal my neuropathy over time, but it gave me so much more.  The ability to relax and finally…..meditate!

Got Spring Fever?

Tags

art, art licensing, art prints, bed and breakfast, bird, birds, birds of a feather, bluebird, canary, chickadee, circles, colorful birds, cottage, country, country cottage, cute, design, designs, Family, feather, feathers, feminine, finch, girly, green, happiness, happy, home decor, joy, joyful, life, lifestyle, line, lines, mosaic, mosaics, natural, nature, painting, prints, rainbow, robin, series, sharon cummings, spring, spring birds, spring colors, springtime, springy, whimsical, whimsy

Spring has sprung in Florida!  The weather is absolutely perfect.  The azaleas are blooming in glorious hot pink beauty.  The grass is greening up.  Bees are buzzing.  My orchids are budding. And then there is the pollen.  Aaaaaachooo!!  Yup, I get allergies bad this time of the year and that sticky yellow stuff gets in my nose, eyes and lungs and I spend my time indoors or masked. If I venture outside I wear a hat (so it doesn’t get in my hair), a mask and glasses.  I shower before bed and keep my sheets as clean as possible.  It only lasts about a month or so like this, but it is a wait.  What to do?  Create of course!  I love the LOOK of Spring and decided to keep it positive with this fun and whimsical piece today.

This work is a mixed media piece combining some of my Labor of Love paintings with a stock background and graphic elements.  A real joy to put together. 🙂  Enjoy!

 

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