http://www.jjweststudio.com by Dianne Sammons

Hey, I was a featured artist on my friend and fellow artisan Dianne Sammons’ blog.  Interviewed and everything.  How cool is that?!  I seriously suggest you check her and her work out.  You seriously won’t be disappointed.

Fast forward and sappy stuff aside,  the time has finally come to deliver the painting I have now christened  “The Eleventh Hour”.  I am so excited to take a business trip to San Antonio close to where Stacy lives.  And by business trip I mean my favorite aunt and I are having a girlie get-away weekend full of Riverwalking, Art Gallery’ing, Shopping and Fun Time Having Weekend…all tax deductible, I am sure.  We will meet my “client” for possibly a delicious lunch or something, and see if she is kidnappable…errr…wants to tag along.  Regardless, I am super excited about this weekend as it has been a long time since I’ve had a fun “get out of town” weekend.  Baby J gets to tag along too.   I don’t mind; he doesn’t eat much.

I know many of you who already know about it are also anxious to have this painting finally delivered since I won’t post a picture until it is in her hands.  Until then… here is the last sneak peek…

Wenderflonia and Company will be invading San Antonio soon.  Be afraid people.  Very afraid!

prints will be reformatted to fit upon placing order.

“Fences are made for those who cannot fly.”

~Elbert Hubbard

Just saying.

Many artists I know shy away from commission work unless they must strive to be less starving and more artist.  Personally, I find that doing a commission piece is challenging, yet nerve wracking.  There is always the fear that your best isn’t good enough for the client.  However, there is also a sense of satisfaction when you can provide someone with a custom piece of your soul that they had a hand in helping build.  This is especially true when you can (hopefully) create inspiring pieces for someone who is already inspiring and creative themselves.  I recently had the pleasure to do so for a good friend and musician extraordinaire.   This was to be a gift from his wonderful wife Sarah to be hung in their Piano Room.   I’ve known Rusty for many years and hope that I captured something that is special to him and his awesome family.  I don’t usually post pics of all my commission works because I believe they are special to the client and their privilege to promote if they choose to do so, but this painting was special and I almost didn’t want to hand it over.

Here are a few pics of what I worked on today. All works in progress mind you.

A very small degree of hope is sufficient to cause the birth of love.
~Henri B. Stendhal

Everything is tied together.  Funny how that works. To have love without hope makes whatever one loves a little less meaningless.   This is my train of thought as I think about the journeys we travel throughout life.  As a newly revived in spirit artist, I find that hope does drive me in my creative life, but love is what steers me true.  Each of these feelings rely on each other to keep my dream alive.  But without a doubt, if there is not genuine love for what I am doing or creating then there would be no point.  When it is all put together then hopes are manifested into dreams, and a love for the dream creates flight.

My hope is that my dreams are recognized by the love that I have for my creative spirit.  In doing so I can fly.

err…..guess what tomorrow’s little birdie painting post will be?…….FLY!!! LOL

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.

~Walt Disney (Now this is a man I can believe knew his stuff)

I pray every day for courage!  Especially the courage to dream and dream big!  The one thing I have learned about dreaming is to keep doing it.  The path might not always be too clear (mostly a murky muddy swamp actually), and many times we get lost along the way, but  it is way better than sitting blindly on a stump.  Now if I can just figure out the time to dream actualization ratio.  I’m overabundant with dreams but, especially of late, falling short on time.  The day is already closing by the time I have a minute to spare.  I suppose this is also something that will work itself out in time.  For the time being, I will just go with the flow and see what happens.

The above painting is two of four mini bird series that I am posting over the next few days.  The original Hope Bird is available for purchase here. Price is $20.00+s/h.  I am also selling prints through Fotomoto.  These birds would look great as a blank greeting card.  See the link under the photo.