I’m glad I get more time with them as I feel that none are complete. However, I’m pleased, meaning I would show these as is, if I had to.
But I am so grateful I don’t have to as they all need work and I need more time with them, especially the octopus and the goat.
For now, I’m on vacation and I’ll get back to it April 1. I’ll paint as I always do on vacation, but it’s easy, fun stuff, like ducks, butterflies, and Apple watch watch bands. I’ll complete a pair of shoes I’ve been working on, too. Stuff like that.
I’ll sip on cocktails and meet potential art lovers, because I could not do this without you, my family of art lovers.
Thanks for everything. You pushed me to next level and I can’t wait to see the next, then the next, and what’s next, and so on… (lol)
EYE TO EYE – painted in the almost lost art of egg tempura – solo show Bastrop Public Library – June thru July 2023
Divine dissatisfaction: it’s meaning reworded to suit me:This type of dissatisfaction is divinebecause it works alongside gratitude and awareness. It’s when you are simultaneously in tune with the beauty you’ve created while feeling pulled toward the next thing. This is a yearning that comes from something deeper in your nature, cultivated by learning the mind of God, enabling your true Self to emerge.
My EYE to EYE show is really about me and my love for animals.
They are self portraits. Look into their eyes and you’ll see my reflection…
Yep, that’s me. I just wanna be friends with all God’s creatures. I’m like, “please be my friend. I’m nice and I try really hard to be deserving and worthy of your trust.” As we learn from the Bible in Isaiah 11:6, in the millennial kingdom there will be peace among the kingdoms.
“The wolf and the lamb shall graze together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain,” says the LORD. Isaiah 65:25 (NASB)
That leads me to tell you about the images below; I’ve completed four of the five pieces that I’m calling Eye to Eye. The fifth piece is still in the ugly phase of the painting, but I believe it will be as engaging as the others in the group.
These pieces will be featured during my solo show in June and July 2023 at the Bastrop Tx Public Library. I am working feverishly to have them be done in time, and as a result I missed playing chess last night because of these guys. I’m so focused to have this done by the deadline, I can hardly keep track of the days.
We’re going to South Padre Island on February 27,2023. Will anyone join me?
I’m going to sip something with coconut in it while sitting in the ocean, painting and jewelIng leather iPhone watch bands and ducks.
I’ll even paint butterflies for your loved ones as I’m ready to paint on anything other than the eyeballs for the solo show, which will be hung at the Bastrop Public Library. This is a huge undertaking for me; I bet it will take over 250 hours to complete. How exciting!
Speaking of butterflies: Come see me and view the art called HOPE that I made. It’s the first piece of art for our community art installation called Message of Hope.
I’ll be speaking at #LostPinesArtCenter because the city, through the Bastrop Cultural Arts Commission, gave me some money to help cover the costs of preparing the canvas for the butterflies that we’ll make to honor our loved ones. All those butterflies need a beautiful place to live. Thank you #EdenEastFarm, I’m so grateful to all involved!
So, join me February 16, 2023 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m at the Lost Pines Art Center. There will be free food and drinks.
You’ll enjoy loads of great art and booths to tour, and I promise I will not bloviate. Luck you, I’m only allowed 5 minutes to speak amidst this great line up of cool stuff to see and taste!
There will be a sign-up sheet at my table where you can request a one-of-a-kind painted butterfly as a tribute to your loved one. The butterfly will live in our art installation at Eden East Farm, and a majority of proceeds from the sale of the painted butterflies will benefit the Bastrop County Emergency Food Pantry.
I’m on my knees in gratitude. For years now, my sweet husband has reached into his pocket and covered the bill for his community so that I could do my work that lays heavy on my heart.
I am delighted to get this news as it gives me HOPE that I’ve been on a great path.
I received the tourist tax dollars art grant from Bastrop’s Cultural Art Commission for my Message of Hope Garden location #2. It’s here in Bastrop, Texas and it’s located at #EdenEastFarm.
I have huge news about our first Message of Hope Garden located in Ruidoso, New Mexico coming Sunday, January 27. I’ll be talking about this announcement LIVE on my Facebook page at 4:00 pm. I hope you’ll join me!
But, back to BASTROP!!
Not only did we find a home for our art installation, we found some money to help build the canvas where the butterflies that we paint for our loved ones will lite!
Please come hear me talk about this development February 16, 2023, and then on March 3rd at the First Friday event. Let’s paint butterflies together honoring our loved ones and benefiting the Emergency Food Pantry. Again that will be March 3, 2023 First Friday, Downtown Bastrop, from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm.
The following is from the email I received announcing the grant award:
“Congratulations! Your Mini Grant Application was selected for funding at your full requested amount. The Cultural Arts Commission and the City of Bastrop are so excited to support the arts in Bastrop by providing funding for events and art installations through the Mini Grant Program.
The first step to receive funding will be to complete the attached vendor form and send it back to me. I will also be drafting a contract that you will need to sign and send back as well. I will send that out to you soon.
If you haven’t already been contacted by a Cultural Arts Commission member yet, they will be reaching out soon. We would like all our Mini Grant recipients to give a short presentation at the Cultural Arts Commission’s next gathering event on February 16th at the Lost pines Art Center from 6:00pm – 8:00pm.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you for all you do for our community and congratulations again!”
Yea! Isn’t that the coolest?
(The top photo is of the new art I’m working on for the Bastrop installation, and the lower one is of me at my first installation in Ruidoso, NM. (photo of me by #jalynnWest).
For years I’ve kept myself from jumping down rabbit holes that consume my time, especially when it’s for someone else’s vision. BTW all artists once they find their way, must learn to cut away distractions.
All artists at the beginning of their career, should indeed jump down other artist’s rabbit holes to gain the experience. As they help a master with his work and learn everything he knows, it’s done in hope that one day they, too, will find their own way.
The video features the Disney Wish Cruise Ship, and the beauty of this ship confirmed all of this for me once again as I contemplate taking a ride on her. What a distractions she will be.
If I were to go on the #DisneyWish, I would befriend an 11 to 14 year old kid in hopes that I would be allowed into the immersive experiences that only children get to enjoy on this ship. I know I would be obsessed with all it has to offer, instead of my own interests, because it’s just that fabulous.
The Disney Wish will have to be a one and done thing for me, because it would be 100% about their vision and experiences. I would want to find the flow of their entertainment and do it all. And trust me: there is a flow. She’s just that aesthetically put together and fabulous.
The ships I travel on have “eye candy” experiences that just take minutes to enjoy, not entire days or entire vacations. But on the Disney Wish, as it’s all just too fabulous. Even the most sophisticated eye will miss most of her greatness. And, the truth be told, the majority of her grandeur will escape the casual viewer. Whereas, I would be in tears at every turn.
The color combinations alone are phenomenal; enough to make me cry. I would love to meet her designers in person one day.
I’ll have to cruise her someday as I know it would creatively juice me for years to come, and that alone would be reason enough for me to ride on her.
But then it will be back to my favorite smaller class ships that have an indoor pool so I’ll have my work space, no matter the weather enabling me to focus yet again on my own vision.
So see, it’s always been about me and my art, my content and my footage that GRATEFULLY has led me to new friends and potential art collectors.
How can I delight my viewers while entertaining myself in my own artwork? Is now my only focus.
As many of you know, I’ve spent a lifetime in service and support of the emerging artist, and I’ve learned so much from all of you.
And I will continue to do so, only this time around it will be with the emerging artists who are willing to go to work on my vision, because I have one. I’ve earned one. And it’s an important one. Together we will help grieving mankind by building a giant, hopeful, community-driven art installation for the world to see, and/or build for themselves in their community.
So this is the truth: If you see it or read it from me, simply put, it somehow always relates to my vision and my art.
I’m like a shark who has to keep swimming to stay alive. That’s how art feels for me now, I have no choice but to do it. And I thank God daily for my desire for it, as I love it so much.
Disney Wish for her sheer creative majesty, is now on my bucket list, second place only to Playa de Carmans’ Hotel Xcaret.
First: her creators have taken my breath away in her design that works so perfectly with nature.
Second: classes of living beings, other than the Homo sapien class, interest me greatly.
Third: I hope I can afford it one day? Lol. It’s on my internal vision board. Yes, I have one. It goes everywhere with me, it keeps me on my path.
Therefore, #XcaretHotel is the place for me.
If your wondering how does any of this relate to my art ? Well, we will both know someday. But I assure you, I’ve been placed on this path for great purpose.
Now changing the subject to Bastrop, as many of my beneficiaries before you understand, that anyone who is interested in learning the business of art, are all welcome, as they assist me with my vision, in order to find their own way one day. Learn everything I know to add to what you know, as I’m an open book, and the knowledge I’ve gained over my 60 plus years should NEVER simply find its way to the grave.
Time, plus sweat equity, plus passion = vision.
So attention local Bastrop artists, perhaps even a little money can be had, as you learn and work to bring visual delight to this community because… “good news Y she be a coming.”
Now back to my art, and for tomorrow I’ll be at Lost Pines Art Center as I get to teach a painting class about watercolor and ink, and I cant wait to meet you all!
Shoe design inspired by my last trip on the Ruby Princess. Next up #RoyalCaribbean’s Radiance Of The Sea. She’s the perfect class of ship for me.
ONE LONG YEAR IN THE MAKING, BUT WE GOT OURSELF A TREE BASTROP!! Not just a tree but an entire farm as our canvas!
More. To. COME!!
(Old Photos of me at Ruidoso’s community art installation) I can’t wait to take photos of our hopeful community art installation here in Bastrop Texas! The take-away: Never give up no matter how many times you are told “NO.” NEVER GIVE UP!
We got our tree Bastrop!
I encourage you to show some love to Eden East Farm – click link above and click like:
I want to share with you the wonderful message I received from East Eden Farm:
Jana,
Pleasure to meet you yesterday.
My wife and I would be honored to host your, and the community’s, art piece for memory and celebration.
Let’s continue this conversation and get it started in 2023. The holidays will be busy for us, so January will be a good time to pay attention to this for us.
We are open to you using the tree that has the chandelier, or the tree in our circle drive – whichever you prefer. We can of course chat about that and anything else soon.
Thanks so much for all your work
David, Eden East Farm —-
(FYI we got the entire farm guys where the butterflies will fly and land where they may … as they make their way all the way to the back of the property where there will be a mural and the PeaceGarden – what a great day!)
Dane Porter, an American Photographer snapped photos of me that I never knew about.
Dane and Jana 1988
Thank you Chuck Palmetto for these great memories.
They say beauty is wasted on the young. I never got what that meant till now.
I did not like myself enough to see just how cute I was back than. I see it now. Lol. I was an artist in the making.
That cig makes me wanna light up. Lol. But I won’t.
Me in 1988 – 26 years.
Dane became a believer in Jesus Christ because I was stupid enough to say I prayed we would win. Thank God, the Holy Spirit was able to pick up that silly comment and make Himself real to Dane, and on 09/1/88 Dane placed is faith in Christ for Salvation and he starting learning the Mind of Christ.
The day Dane believed in Christ was the day we won the mega buck 2nd to top price. $8338 in 1988 was a lot of money back then. It was just the right amount to convince Dane I was right about God.
I received My Lil’ Plant the year I started college. I’m Grateful that it was young and healthy and didn’t need self-centered me at all.
After college, My Lil’ Plant followed me back to Lubbock. I was still young and dumb, I hardly knew anything – I think I watered it once a year, if I remember correctly. And I never loved on it, I never thought about it at all, and I certainly did not understood its importance.
But by the Grace of God, it survived my immaturity, and so did I.
Back then My Lil’ Plant loved the Las Vegas climate and it flourished, and there I paid it a tiny bit more attention, but just barely.
Then, Bless its heart, it struggled to survive in Ruidoso NM … it’s too cold.
So by the time I got to Bastrop, Texas It was damn near dead. AND not once did I EVER consider the age of the old gal.
But finally for the first time, with my plant barely hanging on, I prayed for it. I desperately wanted it to survive.
Because now I understand after 42 year, just how important this plant has been.
It’s been with me through my complete darkness, through all my mistakes and losses and loneliness, and then now, it’s here by my side, even in my wildly successful marriage.
See God honors His Word wherever it is found … every time. It’s His Integrity stake, it’s His Love.
SO If you got nothin’ between your ears about Him because you’re not interested, you need to know at a minimum that His Word is Truth, it’s foundational, and based on His Word there is FREEDOM.
31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
You also need to know that this is a God-given choice, and whatever you choose, He will honor your decision and butt out of your life completely.
FYI: I’m NOT TALKING ABOUT RELIGION. God did NOT invent religion. PERIOD. Religion is man’s attempt to gain God’s favor by man’s efforts. As fallen mankind (Rom 3:23 ..for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God), we have nothing of sufficient value that can earn or gain His favor.
I’m talking about a personal relationship between you and God through Jesus Christ. (John 14:6 Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.)
I’m talking about living inside God’s Grace pipeline. It’s like living inside the eye of a hurricane, all is calm in there even though a storm is swirling all around you. BTW the storm is allowed by God as a part of the invisible war, the Angelic Conflict that’s ongoing, that we’re here to play a part in resolving.
So back to My ‘Lil Plant, how do you fall in love with something?
You learn their mind and you start understanding how important they are in your life. Your gratitude overflows for what’s been provided.
I ramble so …
SAY HELLO to my lil’ friend. Back from the dead.
1980 – 42 years ago, a neglected friend that I prayed with all my heart for the first time that I would survive, because just now I finally GET it.
See it turns out, I was born with a horrific skin disease.
This plant has been with me every step of the way as I was cured of a disease that doctors say there is no cure. And it was through prayer that I found the right doctors who treat disease with REAL food, and a little plant that God provided.
So you see, GOD sent me a helpmate, that He knew I would would not appreciate but would desperately need.
LOOK AT it go! Looks better than the day I got it 42 years ago. It LOVES Bastrop’s weather.
