7.8.15 – NEWS FOR THIS WEEK

All the participants in the Open Studios Weekend have now received all the information they will need to make their own weekend as special as they choose to. I salute you and wish you every bit of luck you can lay your hands on! Spread the news as far and as wide as you can and … let’s continue to be UNIQUE!

(I’m re-blogging from a personal blog that went out yesterday – I hope you find it interesting)

8.8.15 – A GOOSEBUMP KINDA DAY
It has been a while since I last blogged … The reason for this is that I am simply proving myself to be That Crazy Old Lady.

In early 2014 I created a website directory for all artists in Cyprus, to try and substitute what we had in the old Open Studios organisation; the one that went phutt in 2011 and left the artists who used it in the doldrums.

 
The new website went OK and I had a number of the past participants join the new website ( www.art-en-route-cyprus.com ) and we even staged two exhibitions last year. However, exhibitions were not what I had in mind. I still MISSED the Open Studio experience when I had some 80+ visitors over a weekend and made quite a number of sales. Life-blood for artists as it validates what they do.

 
At the end of 2014 I went to South Africa and spent 5 wonderful weeks with family and friends but as always, even that time was not long enough! I came back to a dreary winter that seemed to drag on and I stayed in my hibernating cave until the beginning of June! Suddenly, I realised the sun was shining out there and I emerged from my winter slumber. Over the winter months I had done a lot of reading and studying and gaining information about ‘How To’ run a website, such as the one I created, successfully.

 
One morning, I woke up with the thought: “Why don’t I arrange an Open Studios Weekend in September?” Now, if anyone knows about these things, planning for such an event would start at least a year in advance. Here I was with three months ahead of me to recruit participants, buy advertising space, write press releases, design promotional material and, in a nutshell, get the show on the road. There was no time to obtain sponsorship or funding of any kind which meant that the participants would have to share the costs equally amongst themselves.

 
Bless their cotton socks – 31 thought it would be worth the gamble! And here we are, each one of the 31 ready to make the best of their weekend. I have supplied a package to each one with invitations, labels, flyers, road signs, and suggestions as to how they could make it as painless as possible and they all seem to think it will work. I only managed to attract two regions this year, i.e. Paphos and Limassol but I am totally confident that next year there will be 5 regions!

 
Now, here’s the goosebump-thing. I had a radio interview today. As you may be aware, this date is the third anniversary of my beloved Donald’s passing which made it a bit of a heavy day. However, the DJ (Joep Klinkenbijl) was really nice and did a lovely job. At the end of the interview, he said: “And for a wonderful lady, we will play something classical : Fur Elise.” The goosebumps jumped almost out of my skin. Why? The station was RockFM and they don’t DO classical! And also, because that is the piece of music that was indeed very special for Donald and me since 1976 when, whilst I was recording a voice letter to him, my niece was playing that piece on the piano in the background … How about that?! I still have that tape!

 
Yup! I knew you would feel it too.

 
I shall leave you with that feeling for now as I still need to make peace with this day. I have read two books by Dr. Wayne Dyer lately – one was his autobiography called “I can see clearly now” and the other was “Wishes Fulfilled”. My next piece of reading was “Dying to be me” by Anita Moorjani, who was cured of cancer as a result of a Near Death Experience, when she was expected to breathe her last breath. Medical records exist. This book confirmed everything I have ever believed and if you would like to have peace of mind, I can thoroughly recommend this as a must-read.

 
Synchronistically, I watched the Stephen Hawking film last evening and my bedside table reading matter is “Chop Wood, Carry Water” – massively humbling – reading it for the second time.
(End of re-blog)

 

A few years ago, Donald and I went to Lake Como in Italy – me to try and learn how to do Modern Impressionism, him to just enjoy the lake and its people. We both LOVED it so much we repeated the exact same experience the following year. Once again, we were not disappointed.

 
I fell in love with the teachings of my tutor, Jerry Fresia and I swear, one day, I shall let my brush dance across the canvas like his does. Meanwhile, I am still too focussed on the facts … This link will take you to Jerry’s newsletter and I thoroughly recommend you reading, and listening to, the wonderful richness contained therein.
http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=35bd1d3c35be5a98e19b4b9be&id=fdc4cc96be&e=e91c9793ad

 

 

On this Pale Blue Dot in a borderless Universe I wish you Namaste! God is Love. And the Divine in me bows to the Divine in you.