A Looooooong S.T.O.R.Y…

Tags

animal lovers, animal prints, animals, asia, asian, colorful animal art, colorful animals, elephant, elephant ears, elephant eyes, elephant trunk, elephants, zoo, zoo animals

“Colorful Elephant”

Mixed Media Painting/Collage

Sharon Cummings

2014

Cyber Monday was a raving success!!  Now the longest part of the year for me……The first two weeks of December.  The hours I work will be a lot longer than normal, but there is light at the end of the Holiday tunnel….Naples here I come!!

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Morning P.E.A.C.E…

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abstract, and, art, artwork, asia, asian, buddha, buddhism, buy, canvas, china, chinese, contemporary, cool as hell, duality, earth, earthy, judo, karate, martial arts, meditation, modern, new age, orient, oriental, orients, paintings, pattern, pebble, pebbles, print, prints, rock, rocks, sharon cummings, southeast asia, spiritualism, stone, stones, symbol, symbolic, symbols, tae kwon do, tao, taoism, wall art, yang, yin, yin and yang, yin and yang symbol, yoga, zen

“Colorful Peace”

New Mixed Media Art Work

From A Painting on Fabric Fused with Design Elements

Sharon Cummings

2014

Peace be with you on this Tuesday…

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I C.A.N.T……Stop!

Tags

animals, aquatic, aquatic life, art, asian, beautiful, blue, carp, carp fish, colorful, fins, fish, fish tail, fish tank, fishermen, fishing, garden, gift, impressionism, impressionist, impressionist fish, impressionist paintings, impressionist style, koi, koi fish, koi garden, koi pond, lake, life, lifestyle, lily, lily pads, meditation, movement, natural, nature, original, pad, peace, pond, ponds, pretty, prints, sharon cummings, swim, swimming, tropical fish, unique, van gogh, water, zen

I just cannot stop the creative process. Years ago, I was always a little sad when I finished a painting, sold it and sent it off to it’s new home. It meant that it was over. My baby had grown up and moved away. But with today’s digital technology, I can keep creating long after the initial painting is finished. My work lives on in other forms. How cool is that!

I can scan gigantic files of my work and crop out abstracts like this:

Or I can combine the crops and create mirror image work like this one:

It’s all so magical to me. 🙂 And I will not stop!

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What Is Success Anyway?

Tags

art career, asian, asian theme, botanical, botanical art, botanical photos, botanical prints, career success, Family, floral, flower, flower art, flower photography, flower photos, flowers, happiness, koi pond, lily pads, lotus, lotus flower, love, meditation, mom, mother's day, mothering, pond, relationships, sharon cummings, spring, success, successful art business, successful career, yellow flower, yoga, zen

 

What makes a person successful in this life?  Is it dying with a big ol’ pile of money?  Is it having the most friends?  Is it the big house and fancy car?  Is it being recognized by others for your achievements?  Is it being pretty and well liked?  Is it bagging a perfect spouse?  Getting that kid into Harvard?

Over the years I have dramatically redefined my perspective on personal success.  Everyone has their own criteria, but for me it has nothing to do with any of the above.  I have come to realize that true success has little to do with worldly achievements and everything to do with the inner peace that comes from not needing them.

Am I a successful artist?  Absolutely.  I am not getting rich off of my creativity, but I am earning a living.  If my spouse died, I could support myself entirely on my income.  I only have to work a few days a week now thanks to years of time investment.  I make money while I sleep and on the days I do not work too.  In my own mind, that is success.  I ignored those that said I couldn’t do it and I worked hard to achieve my goals.

Am I a successful Mom?  You bet.  I turned away from my abusive upbringing and defied the odds.  I did not perpetuate the abuse and I’ve helped my autistic daughter find her own voice.  I have supported her every step of the way and encouraged her to love herself just the way she is.  I did not teach hate or prejudice and as a result she has friends of all races, religions and sexual orientations. She is now enrolled in college and doing all of the things normal folks do.  She didn’t go for an Ivy League school, but one that fit her goals.  She didn’t win a bunch of awards or get a perfect SAT score.  But she is happy.  To me this is one of my greatest achievements and I feel pretty successful as a parent.

Lastly, am I successful overall?  The are so many ways to achieve success: Relationships, Job, Health, Family, Hobbies, Fitness, etc. The simple answer for me is:  Yes.  The detailed answer would be far too long to expect the average blog reader to get through.  I am at a point in my life that I no longer concern myself with how others view me.  I am satisfied and happy with who I am and all I’ve done. In the end, that is all that matters.  So, yes, I am truly successful.

Do you see yourself as a success?

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Achieving Zen…

Tags

abundance, abundant, abundant life, art, asian, bug, bugs, buy, chinese, cream, dragon, dragon flies, dragon fly, dragonflies, dragonfly, earthy, flies, flight, fly, for sale, happiness, happy, insect, insects, japanese, joy, joyful, life, online, oriental, paintings, prints, rejoice, sharon cummings, soulful, southeast asian, spirit, spiritual, spring, spring cleaning, summer, textured, yoga, zen

Spring is in full swing here in Florida and I have been one busy bee!  I have been painting lots of commission work and my print sales are at an all time high.  I just spent a few days with my daughter in Sarasota for her Spring break which was fun and relaxing.  But today it is back to work for me. We’ve been cleaning and doing some upgrades in our home.  I do not comprehend the concept of “light” cleaning. It’s always “deep” cleaning because once I see funk or dirt, I MUST clean it!  I cannot turn a blind eye.

How does this tie into “zen”?  The urban dictionary says:

One way to think of zen is this: a total state of focus that incorporates a total togetherness of body and mind. Zen is a way of being. It also is a state of mind. Zen involves dropping illusion and seeing things without distortion created by your own thoughts. “Sun is warm, grass is green.”

I have been experiencing the “zen” of cleaning.  My focus is intense and both my mind and body are fully together in my tasks.  There are no illusions here. Dirt and dog hair have infiltrated every pore of my home. “The house was dirty, the house is cleanish.” 🙂

Happy Spring Cleaning!

Spreading My Wings….

Tags

abundance, abundant, abundant life, art, asian, bug, bugs, buy, chinese, cream, dragon, dragon flies, dragon fly, dragonflies, dragonfly, earthy, flies, flight, fly, for sale, happiness, happy, insect, insects, japanese, joy, joyful, life, online, oriental, paintings, prints, rejoice, sharon cummings, soulful, southeast asian, spirit, spiritual, spring, summer, textured, yoga, zen

 

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/blue-dragonfly-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

I have really been branching out lately into new techniques and media.  I do not know if it is peri-menopause, the rotation of the sun or just a new mindset, but I am feeling so much happier about myself and my work.  I am finding myself a lot less critical and more open to the process of creativity.  “Making a sale” is taking a back seat to “making a moment”.  Yes….I am spreading my wings and it feels so good!

P.O.W.E.R.

Tags

aikido, armor, armour, asia, asian, battle, bojuka, bok fu, buke, bushi, comic, comic book, comic book character, energy, fighting, god, gods, guard, guardian, japan, japanese, ju-jitsu, ju-jutsu, judo, jujutsu, karate, katana, kendo, kenpo, kuntao, kyudo, martial arts, Military, mystic, mystical, mythical creatures, ninjutsu, nobility, pencak silat, power, powerful, red, reiki, root chakra, samurai, sci-fi, science fiction, soul, southeast asia, strength, sumo, superhero, sword, symbolic, symbols, tai chi, tao, war, warrior, warriors, wrestler, wrestling

 

As an artist I often create “pretty” things that people love and buy to decorate their homes.  There is nothing wrong with decorative work and I enjoy making it.  However, in this new series called “The Looking Glass” I am getting in touch with a more visceral side of my being.  I am allowing images to form without thought of decor matching or mass appeal.  I am just “being” and what forms forms.  This painting titled “The Samurai” is very powerful to me.  It evokes strong emotions of strength but also of protection and safety.  I’d like this to hang in my entry way to my home.  The colors and image are strong, but the essence is soft and comforting.  What does he make you feel?

More here:

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-samurai-abstract-art-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

Also new today….”Life Patterns 1″:

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/life-patterns-1-abstract-art-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

Mooning You

Tags

art, Artist, artwork, asian, astronomy, black and white, buy art, buy prints, earth, full moon, landscapes, moon, moon facts, moon myths, myths, nasa, night sky, paintings, planets, prints, red moon, sharon cummings, sky, the stars

 

Yes, I am mooning everyone again.  No, not that kind of moon. 🙂  But I do seem to have a fascination with the sky, the stars and that glowing orb that every human on the planet gets to gaze upon.  Many cultures around the world have interesting myths about the Moon.  Some believe there are many moons while others think it brings out werewolves. It has been reported to be made of water and even cheese.  It can cause lunacy and pregnant women are more likely to give birth when the moon is full.  Here is a moon FACT: The moon is not round (or spherical). Instead, it’s shaped like an egg.  In my art I like to experiment with different colors and textures and my moon piece is no different.  If you want to see the rear end kind of moon, I have those too in my paintings.  Today, however, you get to enjoy this red beauty….

Learn more here:

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-red-moon-landscape-art-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html