Hello!  This is my first blog since 2017!  Oops . . . I was going to write one every month . . . . ha, ha!  Anyways, I am writing to tell you about a very talented fellow artist who is also a person who shares her knowledge and enthusiasm in the most generous ways.  Kirby Plessas offers free chats twice a week to fellow artists who have the opportunity to pre-select topics of importance and interest.  The chats are done on zoom for an hour and I always walk away feeling inspired and informed.  Kirby herself is an amazing artist and she understands the many marketing and technical challenges artists experience.  Her help has been invaluable to me and many other artists. I highly recommend you check out Curous Kirby Creatives on Facebook​ to see how you can join in the fun!  To see Kirby's captivating artworks please visit Kirby Plessas Fine Art. And in addition to all that Kirby is also an extraordinary human with a heartening journey.  Kirby is the founder and CEO of Plessas Experts Network, Inc. This is a Service Disabled Veteran and Woman-Owned Small Business that focuses on training that keeps pace with emerging communication technologies, research tools and the latest in Internet innovation. It has been a great pleasure for me getting to know Kirby better this year.  A great silver lining in 2020!  

It’s a very special time of year.  Many couples will be “tying the knot” in the coming months and more and more brides and grooms are coming up with unique and greatly sentimental ways to express their love and commitment, not only on their wedding day, but for always.  If you are engaged or a family member or friend of someone who is engaged . . . this blog is for you!  I hope this gift idea will delight you as it has for numerous other couples.  Flowers are a very traditional and incredibly beautiful part of many weddings.  Understanding the significance and importance of flowers, please allow me to tell you about my “heartwork”.  Please don't throw your beautiful flowers away after your ceremony!  I can work hand-in-hand and heart-to-heart with you to create a private wedding commission painting utilizing actual foliage from your wedding.   I can show you just how simply we can, together, create a piece of art that will be a forever tribute to the love you share and a lasting memory of your wedding day.  Your custom painting comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. The process is easy and fun.  Please go to the Commissions tab here on my website to get the information you need to get started.  And please know I will be available to personally assist with all aspects of this endeavor.  I can be reached via phone at 602-550-1987 or via e-mail at [email protected] to answer any questions. These photos are just four examples of previously commissioned wedding compositions.  Options are endless. ♥ Wishing you all the best and I hope to hear from you soon.

What can I say about the concept of “Find A Way” other than . . .  I love it!  I was very inspired by Diana Nyad on an Oprah Super Soul Sunday interview a few years back.  Diana Nyad tried five times in 35 years to swim from Cuba to Florida.  She was doing this without a shark cage, in jellyfish infested waters, and against the odds.  Her dreams came true on September 2, 2013 when she completed the 103 mile swim in about 53 hours in the ocean, at the age of 64!  When Oprah asked her how she did it, Diana said she kept silently repeating her mantra, “Find A Way”.   This is a mantra I suspect I have used throughout my life, but so much more consciously now.  So here I am following my dreams and sharing my art and my poetry with you.  My painting and poem titled “Find A Way” is my attempt at encouraging hope of connection and peace for all people.  I hope you will enjoy this visual of the painting as well as the poem.  I hope you will always “Find A Way” to achieve your dreams too.  I’d love to hear about your dreams and how you are “finding your way”.  Oh, and I have to ask, have you looked up today?