An Authentic Life…

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authentic life, creativity, healing, healing art, healing arts, healing energy, healing the inner child, inner healing, inner strength, overcoming

We are greater than our suffering. We can live an authentic life.

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The B.E.S.T. Compliment I’ve Ever Gotten…

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abstract art, art, art career, art school, Artist, artists portfolio, before Photoshop, career, colored pencils, dealing with criticism, dealing with haters, dealing with nasty people, drawings, friends, hand drawn art, happiness, ink, joy, making art, markers, old school, overcoming, pen, pen & ink drawings, pen and ink, portfolio, positive thinking, positivity, realism, realistic art, sharing, sharon cummings, vulnerability

When I decided to open up my 25 year old portfolios to the World, there was a sense of vulnerability that came with it.  I’ve been a professional artist for around 12 years now, so that leaves 13 years unaccounted for.  During that time, I worked on a Phd. in Holistic Nutrition and I was a personal trainer/nutritional consultant.  That is a long story, but here I am today making a living doing what I have always loved!

While I have greatly appreciated all of the positive feedback I have gotten from my fans, friends and collectors, it is a comment from a stranger that sticks out the most.  This person said that my pen and ink work is fake and Photoshop artistry.  This person meant to be mean and nasty, but what I realize now is that it is the BEST compliment I have ever received on my art in my entire life!  25 years ago there was no Photoshop.  In fact there was no computer artistry at all available to me.  Everything was done by hand.  Knowing that my work was as good then as Photoshop is today makes me feel more confident about sharing this older work with all of you. 🙂

While I could have taken the comment to heart in the way it was intended and closed up my portfolios for good, I’ve decided that this person will be a catalyst for me to share even more of myself.  So a big THANK YOU goes out to “Sylvia” for her negative comments.  You could have not have paid me a bigger compliment!

It’s old and frayed and the zipper is broken.

The one on the left contains originals and the one on the right are copies meant to show perspective employers.

Airbrushing, pen and ink, drawing and marker work are all represented here.

Billboard and magazine mock ups.

Markers were one of my favorite mediums to work with.  I loved the colors and detail I could get with them!

More pen and ink on cardboard with some watercolor work too.

I even did some screen printing work as seen on the left.  Pastels and markers are represented here.

More marker work and the strawberries are colored pencil.

And just for fun a few from childhood.  The dates say middle school.

***I’ve left these images FULL-SIZED.  Straight from my camera without any computer manipulation.  Quick shots early this morning before the sun was up.  So click on them and have a look.  And PLEASE when I list them…..Tell me they look as good as Photoshop! 😉

P.E.A.C.E. With The Past…

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abstract, abstract art, art, art for sale, Artist, artwork, blue, buy art, canvas, colorful, colorful abstract, Colorful Art, contemporary, contemporary art, emotional well being, energy, Forgiveness, healing, health, helping, love, making peace with the past, modern, modern art, overcoming, paintings, past, prints, sharon cummings, spiritual, wall art

I think one of the hardest things to do in life is to make peace with our pasts. So many of us let memories, words and actions from years ago punish us in the present moment. For me it had to do with forgiving each person who offended me. I had to let go of resentments. Then I had to forgive myself for all of the things I had done to hurt others including me. I wrote letters to a few people. Some I sent in the mail and others I simply burned afterwards. As I realized that I had made a lot of mistakes it helped me to allow others to do the same. I also made a conscious effort to not repeat the behaviors and actions that I had been taught. I became attuned to my feelings and learned to stop the patterns. And a huge realization for me was that I could not control other people or make them change. And I got some professional help. It’s all been worth it as at this time I am able to look back and focus on the good things….the pleasures…..the peace.

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Thank You…

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art, art for sale, Artist, attitude of gratitude, buy art, faith, Family, friends, friendship, gratitude, gratitude prayer, health, hope, life, love, meister eckhart, meister eckhart quotes, overcoming, pray, prayer, praying, sharon cummings, success, thanksgiving, the universe, universe

Thank You…

If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.

Meister Eckhart

This is one of my favorite prayers and I say it first thing every morning when I awaken and last thing before I go to sleep.  I am truly grateful for my life.  I have had a hard one, but I have always had gratitude in my moments of prayer.  I understand that my presence here is a gift from the Universe. Challenges are what allow me to see all of the good in my life with absolute clarity.  Right now I have so much love, health, friendship and success that I can see no other way to live it but in gratitude.  I still struggle at times, but even in the darkest hours there is always something to be thankful for.  Happy Thanksgiving!

What Haunts You?

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abstract, abuse, art, Artist, artwork, big, bright yellow, buy, canas, contemporary, deep yellow, EMDR, for sale, gold, golden, gray, gray an d yellow, healing, huge, indian yellow, large, modern, muted yellow, ochre, orange, overcoming, paintings, prints, PTSD, sexual abuse, sharon cummings, soft yellow, surviving, survivor, wall, wall art, wall decor, wall hangings, yellow, yellow ochre

 

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/triumph-yellow-abstract-art-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

 

I believe everyone has skeletons in their closet.  Today I am posting a special piece. When I was a little girl, something really awful happened to me on a bright yellow bedspread. For years, I avoided the color. I painted with blues, greens, reds, purples, earth tones, but left out yellow unless someone requested it. It is such a happy beautiful color and it wasn’t right to leave it out of my work. About 7 years ago I had therapy for PTSD using EMDR which helped me disassociate the negativity I had attached to this wonderful hue. I have triumphed over it and now EMBRACE it! It makes me happy to see yellow in my work now…….