Humpday H.A.P.P.Y. !

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animals, art, colorful cow, colorful cow art, country, cow, cow art, cow pop art, cow prints, cows, farm, pop art, rustic

It’s hump day….Now let’s get H.A.P.P.Y.! Think fine art is out of reach? It’s not. You can get an 8×8 for under 25.00 moos and that includes S/H! Yes really! Be a happy animal. 🙂

H.A.P.P.iness Found Here!

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The J.U.D.G.E…

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animal, animal art, animal canvas, animals, aqha, barn, country, country art, country photo, country photograph, country photography, farm, farm art, farm canvas, filly, gelding, horse, horse art, horse farm, horse ranch, horse riding, horse show, horses, mare, mustang, muzzle, paint horse, ponies, pony, pony art, pony photo, pony photography, quarter horse, quarter horse art, ranch, ranch art, ranch photo, ranch photography, stable, stallion, wild horses

“Wild Paint”

New Mixed Media Art Painting

Sharon Cummings

2014

I am not horsing around today.  Instead I am posting a tribute to a beautiful animal who brought my late Father a lot of love and joy.  His name is “Judge” and he spends his days now roaming new pastures with another human caring for him. Unfortunately, when my Dad passed away a few years ago, my Mother was unable to keep up the farm including their 5 horses.  But I am comforted by memories today…

“Judge”

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H.O.N.O.R.ing The Fallen…

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Air Force, america, american flag, american flags, Army, combat, combat vet, country, democracy, democrat, democratic, dog tags, Flag, flags, freedom, liberty, Marines, Military, Navy, of, patriot, patriotic, repulican, soldier, soldiers, states, symbol, tags, united, united states flag, united states flags, united states of america flag, united states of america flags, unites states, US Flag, us flags, usa flag, veteran, Veterans, vets, war

“Honor”

New Art Mixed Media Painting

Military Dog Tags

Sharon Cummings

2014

In remembrance of Edward T. Denham III.

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Bee C.O.L.O.R.F.U.L…

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bee, bee collector, bee hive, bees, best friends, bumble, bumble bee, busy bee, buzz, buzzing, collector, colorful, colors, comb, cottage, country, country decor, cute, design, friend, friendship, fun, gift, hive, honey, honey bee, honey comb, illustration, impressionist, insect, insects, inspiration, inspirational, mary kay, motivation, motivational, nice, pretty, primary, primary colors, quotation, quote, sharon cummings, sweet, typographical, typography, wisdom, word, words of wisdom

“Bee Colorful”

New Artwork

Sharon Cummings

2014

I have been as busy as a bee painting commissions and creating new art!  I am on a roll and find that I do not have as much to say right now.  So we can just play show and tell….I will show you and you can tell me what you think. 🙂

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F.I.G.H.T.I.N.G. Changes Art?

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art, art maps, asia, canvas, china, countries, country, culture, fighting, geography, india, indian, indian conflict, indian culture, indian people, indian territories, kashmir, kashmir dispute, kashmir region, kashmir region of india, map, map of india, maps, paintings, pakistan, prints, sharon cummings, southeast asia, travel, travel maps, war, world map, world maps

 

As many of you know, I love to create maps using my original paintings.  My World maps are extremely popular with my country maps running behind in second.  Sometime last year, I got a special request to produce a map of India. I was delighted to work on this piece because India is a very uniquely shaped country which for an artist keeps it interesting.  I finished the work and listed it on Fine Art America.  It wasn’t long before another artist who was Indian pointed out that I had left off the upper most region.  This region is called Kashmir.

The region is divided among three countries in a territorial dispute: Pakistan controls the northwest portion (Northern Areas and ‘Azad’ Kashmir), India controls the central and southern portion (Jammu and Kashmir) and Ladakh, and the People’s Republic of China controls the northeastern portion (Aksai Chin and the Trans-Karakoram Tract). India controls the majority of the Siachen Glacier area, including the Saltoro Ridge passes, whilst Pakistan controls the lower territory just southwest of the Saltoro Ridge. India controls 101,338 km² (39,127 sq mi) of the disputed territory, Pakistan controls 85,846 km²(33,145 sq mi), and the People’s Republic of China controls the remaining 37,555 km² (14,500 sq mi).

A lot of the maps I looked at before putting mine together left this area off or had it shaded out.  So I left it off too.  However, after consulting with a few Indian friends and my Southeast Asian studies professor husband, I decided to include it in my map.  As you can see, my map clearly shows this highly contentious region.

Two countries would like to see this map changed and it is possible with enough fighting that it will.  As an artist, it is not for me to take sides.  I am not making a statement here.  It is simply for me to create and if change is required in the future, I will do so.

Until then…..enjoy India!

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Some Gave A.L.L…

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Air Force, america, american flag, american flags, Army, art, combat, combat vet, country, democracy, democrat, democratic, fence, Flag, flags, freedom, liberty, Marines, Memorial Day, memorial day weekend, Military, Navy, of, patriot, patriotic, political, politics, repulican, sharon cummings, soldier, soldiers, spirit, states, symbol, united, united states flag, united states flags, united states of america flag, united states of america flags, unites states, US Flag, us flags, usa flag, veteran, Veterans, vets, war

 

#memorialday

I’ve Been L.U.C.K.Y…

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Air Force, america, american flag, american flags, Army, art, combat, combat vet, country, democracy, democrat, democratic, fighting in war, Flag, flags, freedom, grief, liberty, Marines, Memorial Day, memorial day weekend, Military, military families, Navy, of, patriot, patriotic, political, politics, repulican, sharon cummings, soldier, soldiers, states, symbol, united, united states flag, united states flags, united states of america flag, united states of america flags, unites states, US Flag, us flags, usa flag, usa flags, veteran, Veterans, vets, war

 

I will be in Orlando, FL this Memorial Day weekend with my daughter enjoying fun food, pampering and relaxing at the Gaylord Resort. I work hard and rarely take time off, so I do not consider this indulgent or lucky (though to many it surely is).  But that is not what I am talking about.  What I am referring to in my title is the fact that my loved ones who have served in the military have always come home. My Grandfather saw combat in World War 2 and made it out alive.  My Dad served during the Korean War and also came back to the United States with his life and without injury.  Two of my uncles have served and they are still with us today.  

So as we start this Memorial Holiday weekend with thoughts of BBQ’s and shopping, I am taking a moment to be silent and pray.  I am praying for all of the people out there who have not been as fortunate as I have.  Those that suffer the loss of the ones they loved who are now gone forever.  For so many it is not just a day off from work or a trip to the beach. And for me it is not a time to point fingers or judge governments either.  It is simply a time of remembrance and compassion….

Be safe this Memorial Day…

Just S.M.I.L.E.

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arrangement, art, bathroom, beautiful, bedroom, botanical, botanical art, botanical painting, botanical prints, bud, buds, cottage, cottage art, country, country cottage, elegance, elegant, feminine, floral, floral arrangement, flower, flower buds, flowers, garden, gardening, happiness, happy, health, health benefits, healthy living, kitchen, ladies slippers, lady slipper, orchid, orchids, phaphiopedilum, photo, photograph, photography, rich, sharon cummings, smile, smiling, soft, table, traditional, vase, vases, yellow orchid

 

It’s so simple.  Just smile.  Even if you have to look at cute videos on YouTub of babies laughing or puppies sleeping, it’s a great way to improve your health and it makes you feel good about yourself.  Below are some of the rewards of lifting those cheeks:

1.  It Lower Heart Rate – Smiling slows the heart and relaxes the body. People who smile and laugh often are less likely to develop heart disease. Smiling reduces blood pressure temporarily too.

2.  It Reduce Stress – Stress relief may be as simple as smiling a little more throughout the day. Smiling releases endorphins that counteract and diminish the stress hormones.

3.  It Increase Productivity – Smiling has been shown to increase productivity while performing tasks. There’s truth to the “whistle while we work” mentality. This also explains why silly internet memes and pictures of cute animals can actually get people motivated and working harder after a few moments of smiling or laughter.

4.  It is a natural Pain Killer – Smiling and laughter both have been shown to lessen pain. They release endorphins that lift our moods, but many of these act as natural painkillers too.

5.  It Increase Attention – Stress limits our perceptions and narrows our attention. Our body kicks into fight or flight mode where we can focus only on one of those things. Smiling counteracts this and widens our attention again, opening us back up to multitasking and insights that come from the fringes of our perception and our subconscious.

6.  It is Contagious – Around 50% of people smile back. This spreads the health benefits throughout those around you and it comes back to you several times as well.

7.  It makes you more Attractive!  – Smiling makes people look more appealing. This seems to be especially true for women. Men are more likely to approach a woman who smiles than one who simply makes eye contact while women aren’t necessarily drawn in by a smile alone.

8.  It makes You Look Younger – Smiles naturally lift the face and in studies have shown to make people look younger, around 3 years younger on average.

9.  It increases Longevity – The effects of a good smile extend past just the exterior good looks. People who smile more often live longer too, around 7 years longer than most according to one study. It releases stress, helps the heart, and much more to keep you healthy longer.

10.  It Boosts the Immune System – Smiles help the body relax and this lets the immune system react more quickly and effectively against invaders.

So C’mon…………………………………………………..S.M.I.L.E. 🙂

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You Had Me At ALOE…

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aloe, aloe vera, botanical, botanical photography, botanical photos, botanical prints, cottage, country, desert, desert art, desert photos, flower, flowers, garden, gardens, healing, herbs, holistic medicine, medicinal plants, medicine, plant, plants, sharon cummings. photograph, southwest, southwestern, southwestern decor, succulent, succulents, sunburn, vera, western, wildflowers

 

Another beautiful day in Florida and I was out early with my camera.  We have the most beautiful aloe plants growing all around our property and the humming birds love them.  I am not sophisticated enough as a photographer yet to start capturing those speedy little birds, but I did get some nice shots of the aloe flower spikes.  They are so delicate.  I use the aloe leaves for skin irritations and they are quite healing.  I wonder if the flowers are useful?  Here are some ways that the leaves benefit us humans:

1.  Aloe Vera Is High in Vitamins & Minerals:

Aloe Vera contains many vitamins including A, C, E, folic acid, choline, B1, B2, B3 (niacin), B6. Aloe Vera is also one of the few plants that contains vitamin B12.

Some of the 20 minerals found in Aloe Vera include: calcium, magnesium, zinc, chromium, selenium, sodium, iron, potassium, copper, manganese.

2. Aloe Vera is High in Amino Acids & Fatty Acids

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. There are about 22 amino acids that are necessary for the human body and it is said that 8 of these are essential. Estimates of the amino acids found in aloe range from 18-20 amino acids, with all 8 essential amino acids.

Alove Vera also includes quite an impressive range of fatty acids. Aloe contains three plant sterols, which are important fatty acids- HCL cholesterol (which lowers fats in the blood), campesterol, and B-sitosterol. All are helpful in reducing symptoms of allergies and acid indigestion. Other fatty acids include linoleic, linolenic, myristic, caprylic, oleic, palmitic, and  stearic.

3. Aloe Vera is an Adaptogen

Aloe Vera is a well-known adaptogen. An adaptogen is something that boosts the body’s natural ability to adapt to external changes and resist illness. It is thought that aloe’s power as an adaptogen balances the body’s system, stimulating the defense and adaptive mechanisms of the body. This allows you an increased ability to cope with stress (physical, emotional and environmental stress like pollution)

4. Aloe Helps with Digestion

Poor digestion is related to many diseases. A properly functioning digestive tract is one of the keys and foundations of health. Aloe is known to soothe and cleanse the digestive tract and help improve digestion. The interesting thing about taking aloe internally is that, because it is an adaptogen, it helps with either constipation or diarrhea, helping to regulate your elimination cycles in whatever way you need.  It’s been a great remedy for people with problems such as irritable bowel syndrome as well as acid reflux. Aloe also helps to decrease the amount of unfriendly bacteria and in our gut keeping your healthy intestinal flora in balance. Aloe is also a vermifuge, which means it helps to rid the body of intestinal worms.

5. Aloe Helps in Detoxification

Aloe Vera is a gelatinous plant food, just like seaweeds and chia. The main benefit to consuming gelatinous plant foods in your diet is that these gels move through the intestinal tract absorbing toxins along the way and get eliminated through the colon. This will help the proper elimination of waste from your body and help the detoxification of your body.

6.  Aloe Alkalizes the Body

Disease cannot manifest in an alkaline environment. Most people are living and subsisting on mostly acidic foods. For great health, remember the 80/20 rule – 80% alkaline forming foods and 20% acidic. Aloe vera is an alkaline forming food. It alkalizes the body, helping to balance overly acidic dietary habits

7. Cardiovascular Health

There hasn’t been a lot of studies conducted in this but there has been some research to show that Aloe Vera extract injected into the blood, greatly multiplies the oxygen transportation and diffusion capabilities of the red blood cells.

According to a study published in the 2000 issue of the British Medical Journal, beta sitosterol helps to lower cholesterol. By regulating blood pressure, improving circulation and oxidation of the blood, lowering cholesterol, and making blood less sticky, Aloe Vera juice may be able to help lower the risk of heart disease.

8. Aloe Helps Boost the Immune System

I think given the stresses of our daily lives, every one can use a boost to their immune systems. The polysaccharides in aloe vera juice stimulate macrophages, which are the white blood cells of your immune system that fight against viruses.

Aloe is also an immune enhancer because of its high level of anti-oxidants, which help combat the unstable compounds known as free-radicals, contributing to the aging process. (Free radicals are a bi-product of life itself, it is a naturally occurring process but we can overload ourselves with unnecessary free-radicals by living an unhealthy lifestyle) Aloe is also an antipyretic which means it used to reduce or prevent fever.

9. Aloe Vera is Great for the Skin

Because of aloe’s well-known healing properties for the skin, aloe is one of the primary compounds used in the cosmetic industry. It is a known vulnerary, (meaning it helps heal wounds) and is great for applying topically to burns, abrasions, psoriasis and even to bug bites. Aloe acts as an analgesic, acting to help relieve pain of wounds. It’s feels especially good to cut a stem of aloe, place it in the fridge and rub it on sun burnt skin – the immediate soothing effect feels like an absolute lifesaver. Aloe is also an antipruritic: A substance that relieves or prevents itching. Aloe Vera is an astringent: which causes the contraction of body tissues, typically used to reduce bleeding from minor abrasions.

Due to aloe’s high water content (over 99% water) it is a great way to hydrate, moisturize and rejuvenate the skin and fits within my general guideline: “Don’t put anything on your skin that you wouldn’t eat!” Aloe increases the elasticity of the skin making it more flexible through collagen and elastin repair. Aloe is an emollient, helping to soften and soothe the skin. It helps supply oxygen to the skin cells, increasing the strength and synthesis of skin tissue and induces improved blood flow to the skin through capillary dilation.

10. Disinfectant, Anti-biotic, Anti-microbial, Germicidal, Anti-bacterial, Anti-septic, Anti-fungal & Anti-viral:

Wow, I think that covers all anti- bases. Okay, I admit, that was just a sneaky way to add in another 8 good reasons why you should keep Aloe Vera handy and incorporate it into your lifestyle. Aloe Vera’s active ingredients are sulphur, lupeol, salicylic acid, cinnamic acid, urea nitrogen and phenol which are substances that prevent the growth of disease-causing microorganisms and act as a team to provide antimicrobial activity thus eliminating many internal and external infections, also active against bacteria. It also helps to treat fungal and viral infections.

Source:  Sacred Source Nutrition

My Petals Are All W.E.T…..

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arrangement, art, bathroom, beautiful, bedroom, botanical, botanical art, botanical painting, bud, buds, cottage, cottage art, country, country cottage, dew, dew drops, droplets, elegance, elegant, feminine, floral, floral arrangement, flower, flower buds, flowers, fuschia orchid, garden, gardening, hot pink orchid, kitchen, orchid, orchids, phalaenopsis, photo, photograph, photography, purple orchid, rain, rain drops, rich, sharon cummings, soft, table, traditional, vase, vases

 

It’s that time of year when all of the flowers are blooming and these quick little showers show up out of nowhere. My orchids look fabulous this Spring!  I can mostly get phalaenopsis to re-bloom year after year. When I buy some from a store or garden shop, I let them live out their flowering lives in my home.  When they are all done, I just stick them under the oak trees and they love it!  I do not do anything else to them.  I just let nature water and care for them.  The white and hot pink especially like to show their pretty little petals for me.  We just had one of those morning showers that leaves everything all sparkly with water droplets….I couldn’t resist!

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