I C.A.N.T……Stop!

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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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A Tale Of Two K.O.I…

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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!

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What Is Success Anyway?

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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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