ONCE IN A GREAT WHILE DOES SOMEONE TRULY AFFECT YOUR LIFE

and you determine to make some changes.  Today a collector (has some eight paintings from over the years) came to pick up a  painting that was in Lay Away.  In a period of 5 months, Stan lost some 50 pounds by changing the way he thought about food and then following through his thought process with action.  He says there comes a time in life when you must make smart choices.  And, he determined that he was not going to live to eat, but that food was a means to life, just a fuel.  He knocked out sugars and does not have carbs after 2 or 3:00 in the afternoon, broils fish and chicken.  He hired a personal trainer for 5 months to make himself accountable to the personal trainer via pushed, technique improved, or even infuriated into motivation. He works out every morning before going to college class to teach in the music world.

He knows that practice makes perfect and that it takes 10,000 hours over a period of 10 years to truly become at the top of your skill level.  Practice can actually change the body.  And, perfecting skills in one area does not make you skillful in other  areas of life.  For instance a great Chess player may be able to remember hundreds of intricate moves in Chess and not have a great memory.  Short term intensity cannot change long term commitment.  The kind of practice is the key:  the kind that does not take NO for an answer, but says "dust yourself off and try again and again and again".

Few people have reached the top of their game, be it a stupendous pianist, great artist, or gymnast, who has not put in the 10,000 hours  of practice over 10 years.

Here is one of their many paintings:

Two Paintings in the Top 15 % of the Bold Brush Online Show

This makes about 20 paintings in the Top 15%.  Have not won a top award in this prestigious International Show.  That is a goal this year to make it into the top winnings.  Here are my two paintings:
Phoebe and Pickles was a commission by a husband for his wife for birthday (two dogs).  And the brownish dog died during the time I was working on the painting.  Felt like I had lost my own dog.  Other painting of Calf was from a farm on Hwy 281.  Mama Cow would not let her milk down for farmer to milk her until they brought the calf in.

A Night to Remember

What a night it was.  Some favorite clients (who have become good friends) picked me up and transported me to their home in Grapevine.  (This is the family who bought a painting of mine in an estate sale and wanted a photo of me with their daughter and the painting.  They have since purchased and have in lay away some 10 additional paintings and we have become solid friends.)  They have more fun in their various collections and work as a team in finding items at garage sales and estate sales.  I had the privilege of seeing these wonderful collections, meeting their Son, meeting their pets, seeing my paintings and a wonderful Henri painting,  enjoying a fabulous meal (with enough food from this meal  sent home with me that only tonight, four days later, have I finished all of that good food), wonderful conversation, and then sent me home with a little live Christmas tree and mints.  THIS IS WHAT YOU CALL A MEMORY MAKER.  Will never forget the evening.

Here is one of their paintings:

Fun Morning, to say the least, with young Friend

The ER Doc who bought these two paintings for his lovely wife for 2013 Christmas spent the morning with me.  We toured my gallery, my gallery in Grapevine, and a show hanging in Grapevine at the Visitor's Center (clock tower building across from Rail Station-Tarantula).  These two people introduced my daughter and her husband many years ago, for which I am grateful.  

I am happy and feel so blessed to be hanging around with them.  Here are the two paintings:

National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society Just Sold This One

If the International Salon in Scottsdale will sell my entry there, that will mean every single entry into all shows this year have sold, and that would make me ecstatic.