I Am R.E.T.I.R.I.N.G…

Tags

abstract art, abstract art for sale, art, art on sale, black, black and white, black art, black magic, black paintings, blue, blue and white, blue art, blue paintings, buy abstract art, buy art, classy, contemporary art, design, energy flow, for sale, minimal, minimal art, minimalism, minimalist, minimalist art, modern art, original art, original paintings, pure water, sale, sharon cummings, simple paintings, sophisticated, Unique Art, water

No not entirely.  I could never do that!  I will continue to create new paintings and mixed media pieces until they pry the brush out of my gnarled hands!  New photography is also coming soon!

But I am R.E.T.I.R.I.N.G. my “Pure Water” and “Black Magic” styles….it’s been an amazing 10 years with these! I’ve sold over 1200 as originals and commissions! ONLY 11 “Pure Water” left…I sold 4 yesterday! 28 “Black Magic” remain…..All are O.R.I.G.I.N.A.L.S…..And S.I.G.N.E.D…..And they are ON SALE!! When they are gone, they are gone and no more will be created!

Pure Water is here:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/BuyArtSharonCummings?section_id=5536987

Black Magic is here:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/BuyArtSharonCummings?section_id=5536986

Prints are available for a handful of these works, but nothing beats an ORIGINAL!!  Get em while you can!

Words of W.I.S.D.O.M…

Tags

antique, art, buy, contemporary, desiderata, desiderata poem, drawing, drawings, english, for sale, inspiration, inspirational, max ehrmann, max ehrmann poem, motivational, motivational words, of, old, old english, on original painting, online, paintings, paper, poem, poems, poet, poetry, prints, sharon cummings, text, texts, wisdom, word, words, words of wisdom

An old favorite of mine written by Max Ehrmann in 1927.  I have combined the “Desiderata” with my “Peaceful Understanding” which seemed like a perfect combination.  The last two lines sum life up for me pretty well, “With all it’s sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.  Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.”  Enjoy!

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

A Tale Of Two K.O.I…

Tags

abstract, abstract fish, alive, aquarium, art, blue water, bold, buy, colorful fish, fish, fishes, for sale, koi, koi pond, magic, magical, mosaic, mosaics, online, orange koi, paintings, peace, peaceful, pond, prints, red koi, sanctuary, sharon cummings, texture, vibrant, yellow koi

I am often asked by people if I have prints of certain paintings in my archives.  So often, I do not.  Ten plus years ago when I started painting and selling my art for a career, I did not have a camera that could take pictures with high enough resolution to produce quality prints.  I am lucky to get small prints of some.  A few have been successfully digitally remastered as well.  But my “Koi” were a no go on both fronts.  The piece above has been very popular for me as a commission and I absolutely enjoy painting them!  However, I wanted to be able to create prints as well.  So I painted one specifically for this purpose.  Now this piece can be enjoyed in a massive size!  Enjoi the koi!

.

.

.

.

.

Let The M.U.S.I.C. Play…

Tags

&, abstract, abstract art, and, art, bands, blues, blues songs, brass, buy, classical, classical music, classy, College, director, faabest, for sale, french, french horn, french horns, horn, horns, instrument, instruments, jazz, jazz band, marching band, marching bands, Music, music instrument, music room, music teacher, Musical, musical instrument, Musical instruments, musical notes, online, paintings, prints, rock, rock and roll, rock&roll, roll, room, sharon cummings, song, songs, teacher, university, violin, violins

With the incredible success of my abstract guitars have come requests. Can you do a violin? A saxophone? A banjo? I created a beautiful violin two days ago and was inspired to keep going. The french horn is a work of art in and of itself. I love the circular patterns and detail. Music is as much an anchor in my life as artwork. I play tunes when I paint or create on the computer. Some days it might be rock and roll or country. 80’s music is also a favorite. But many days it is classical.  Just the sound of the musical instruments and nothing more…..

See ALL of my musical instruments here:

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-sharon-cummings.html?tab=artworkgalleries&artworkgalleryid=255306

P.E.A.C.O.C.K. Love!

Tags

abstract, aqua, art, bird, birds, blue, brown, buy, canvas, contemporary, cool as hell, copper, feather, feathers, for sale, green, labor of love, modern, online, paintings, pea cock, peacock, peacock feather, peacock feathers, peacocks, pebble, pebbles, prints, rock, rocks, sharon cummings, stone, stones, tropical, wall art

When I was a little girl growing up in Myakka City, FL, there was a neighbor just down the road who raised peacocks.  These creatures are surprisingly loud and when the wind was just right, our yard would be filled with their haunting cries.  I would sometimes take the back pastures over to their farm.  I had to go through a handful of barbed wire fences which is something I became an expert at.  I would greet  the cows being careful not to irritate any of the bulls.  I would inevitably pick some wild flowers, but it was the sight of of those brilliant feathers I was after.  The males with their jewel colored plumes always mesmerized me.  Once in awhile I would get lucky and one of the fowl would have strayed close to the fence and lost a feather.  This was the grand prize!

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

The Wonder Years….

Tags

aging, anxiety, art, bathroom, bedroom, botanical, botanical prints, bug, bugs, butterflies, butterfly, butterfly garden, butterfly wings, buy, career, change, ecology, face lifts, Family, feminine, for her, for sale, fun, garden, gardens, gift, gifts, growth, happy, healing, insect, insects, joy, joyful, letting go, living room, marriage, mixed media, mom, mother, mother's day, online, paintings, pentas, personal growth, powder room, prints, season, seasons, sharon cummings, skin, spring, summer, uncertainty, wing, wings

 

Are you trying to hold on to your youth?  Your children?  A dysfunctional family?  A job that isn’t right for you?  A marriage that doesn’t work?  That D you got in trigonometry in high school?

So many of us cling tightly to what is familiar or comfortable.  Others bind themselves to the past and allow it to punish them for their entire lives. Change is scary.  Some just cannot picture a life different than the one they currently have.  I have learned that the harder you grasp something, the more it hurts when it slips away from you.  The secret to life is “letting go”.  Also known as acceptance.  This has nothing to do with giving up and everything to do with knowing when it is time to move on.

I had a few years of uncertainty and fear as I moved into middle age.  I was panicked at the thought of my little girl out in the big mean World all by herself. My marriage had a major hiccup one Summer and I was not sure we would make it.  I noticed that I was starting to lose the interest of men when I walked into a room.  My body and face were aging and I did not know how to handle it. I was also very confused about what I wanted to do with my business.  I considered shutting it down and taking a different path by getting back into Holistic Medicine.  I call those years “the worry years”.

Slowly I started to realize that I could not hold onto all of those things that I wanted to remain the same.  More importantly, I did not want to. I discovered it was safe to let go and just celebrate where I was headed.  I was not only physically different, I was also mentally and emotionally transformed.  At 45 I am now excited to watch my daughter leave for college and blossom into her own life.  I will not be keeping her bedroom as a shrine where I can focus on the past.  Instead it will be converted into a sanctuary for yoga and thinking. She will be welcome to visit anytime, but I will use that space for mediation.  I have learned to work “with” my partner instead of “against” him as we weather life’s bumps.  I am less selfish.  I have also decided that I will not be artificially preserving my youthful face.  It’s gone and no amount of face lifting, injecting or sand blasting is going to bring it back.  It’s o.k. to have wrinkles and fine lines.  In fact, if you allow yourself to let go of what society dictates is beautiful, you can actually admire them for what they really are: signs of a life that has endured numerous storms and celebrated many triumphs.

As for my career that is still being pondered.  I have a few new ideas about what direction I would like to move in. But whatever I decide, the process leading up to it will not be fraught with anxiety.  No, these are truly “the wonder years” for me.  The dictionary tells us that “wonder” means:  a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable.  And that is exactly where I am.  Bring it on life!

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!

British Invasion!

Tags

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. 🙂

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

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!

Getting Into Trouble!

Tags

356, adventure, antique, antique car, antique cars, buy, car, car keys, car parts, Cars, chrome, chrome wheels, classic, classic car, classic cars, detail, detailing, details, for sale, italian, key, key hole, keys, online, porsche, porsches, prints, sharon cummings, speedometer, speedster, sport, steering wheel, vintage, vintage car, vintage cars, wheel, wheels

 

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/getting-into-trouble-classic-porsche-door-handle-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

Yesterday while out driving around with my Hubby looking for places to take some pictures, we stumbled across a parking lot filled with vintage Porsche’s.  What a sight to see!  And best of all, the show was over and there were hardly any people about.  We had free reign to take as many shots as we pleased without any pesky humans in the way. 🙂  

Whenever I see one of these old classics, I think of my crazy uncle.  Doesn’t everyone have a “crazy uncle”?  Well I do.  And if you are reading this, you are mine Uncle Rick. 😉  

When I was around 13 years old and staying with my cousin for a week up in the hills of Georgia, my Uncle Rick thought it would be great fun to teach me how to drive.  Now that sounds like a pretty normal thing to do right?  Normal unless you consider that he put me behind the wheels of a 1954 Porsche Speedster that he had lovingly restored to absolute perfection.  It was a beautiful thing.  

All went well until he told me to not be afraid to put on the gas.  I listened like a good student.  It was a wild and crazy ride through winding roads.  I had driven a stick shift once before, so hey, I was practically a pro.  My memory gets a bit sketchy, but all of a sudden I took a curve way too fast and didn’t correct myself.  Uncle Rick grabs the wheel to help me correct and next thing we know we are smashed into an embankment of dirt.  That’s right.  I wrecked my Uncle’s shiny Porsche.  While I am sitting there drenched in sweat and trying to find my lungs again, I hear cackling.  Laughter.  Crazy insane guffawing.  He thought it was an absolute riot!  He told me to start it back up and keep going.  

Yesterday I was reminded of that time and of him.  And the thought occurred to me that maybe there was some wisdom in that wild ride.  Perhaps Uncle Rick wasn’t so crazy after all.  What he taught me was that “things” were just “things” and that the experience and people were far more important than an expensive car.  He also showed me that it was o.k. to let go of fear and just move forward. And lastly, that no matter how scary and crazy life gets….even if you crash sometimes……you can just start it back up and keep going. Broken and bruised……you can still enjoy the ride….

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/ready-to-roll-vintage-porsche-car-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/steering-clear-vintage-porsche-car-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html