MORNING VISIT.

This morning a new visitor arrived outside our window, perching happily on the bamboo plant. Not our usual cheeky robin or the sparrows, but a bright , colourful little chap, quite at home and friendly.Whether an escapee from a cage or from further afield I don't know, but he certainly wanted attention.Not atall camera shy he posed unselfconsciously,----very photogenic too!----Sadly we had to go out for a while and on our return our visitor had flown. -----Still,- I'm glad 'I snapped 'him, that small glimpse of beauty to brighten our morning!



A bird does not sing because it has an answer,--it sings because it has a song.

Chinese Proverb.

TODAY'S PAINTING----SUNNY SIDE.

Today's Painting---Sunny Side. 24x24 inches.---acrylic on stretched canvas.

I'm used to teaching older children, but I always remember a five week teaching practice at college where I had a class of five year olds from a very rough area of London. these little ones needed so much affection and attention, and charged around most of the day like small human dynamos, leaving me in a state of physical and mental exhaustion well before home time. I remember too, though, how every afternoon they really loved resting their head on their desk and happily listening to the afternoon story. Up until then some unseen force seemed to drive them but they truly longed for this 'stillness'.

Me too!!---In this pressurised society, where everything seems to be geared to speed,I need that moment of stillness each day to try to find some kind of balance.Painting, meditating, reading, these suit me fine,---If I miss them I'm more of a mess than usual!

'Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing,of just going listening to all you can't hear, and not bothering.'

Pooh's Little Instruction Book.----inspired by A.A Milne.

SEA LIFE.

I thought I'd try a little textured painting today, -nothing elaborate, just a small canvas with textured background. Really enjoyable, I like the feel,---allows me to experiment and maybe be a little more whimsical. Anyway I'll work with the small size then maybe venture into deeper water.

Today's painting:- Sea Life- arylic on sretched canvas 8x8 inches ---€95

Man will begin to recover the moment he takes art as seriously as physics, chemistry or money.

Ernst Levy.

The true painter strives to paint what can only be seen through his world.

Andre Malraux.

TODAY'S PAINTING----TULIPS

Flowers again!--- For me each kind has a uniqueness, a 'personality' that is so impressive. The tulip, before full bloom, for me has a luminous quality, that subtle sheen and smoothness that simplicity of form that make it a delight to paint. Later , quite different, ---almost poppy- like with its coal black centre.

According to Persian legend, the first tulips sprang up from the drops of blood shed by a lover and so for many years it became the symbol of true love.

On a different note, in some parts of Japan, a flour is made of them, and apparently in times of famine the Dutch ate tulip bulbs when food was extremely scarce.

Today's Painting:- Tulips----acrylic on stretched canvas.

FLY WITH ME.

I know that my paintings and poetry try to convey a sense of lightness and colour, but these I believe to be the essence of Life, these and energy, all coming from a loving Source.I hold on to these as Reality, because otherwise for me nothing makes any sense.

Fly With Me.

We really should be flying you know!

We should soar to the heavens each day,

find a new life in the realm of light,

be happy with the clouds, the sun, the clear blue sky,----

saturate our senses with beautiful light.

We should rise to the heavens, float in space,

Feel free and happy and full of Life.

We should be as we can be, wish to be, and are;

we are love, we are light, we are stardust.

Believe me!

Today's Painting:- 'Light Reflections'-- watercolour --7x10 inches---€100

with mount.

LINA'S EASTER COOKIES.

Lina is the dear Italian friend who each week bakes us the most delicious bread using a variety of flours:- potato,maize,soya etc. --always wholesome, always perfect.Easter is the time for her cookies! Quite irresistible these,-a melt-in-the-mouth experience! This year she tried a variation on her usual recipe,--Here it is!

Yoghurt Cookies.

1 tub of plain yoghurt

1 tub of sugar

1 tub of ground almonds

1 tub of melted butter

2 tubs of flour

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 quarter teaspoon of salt

2 eggs---grated orange peel.

Beat the eggs with the sugar, add the melted butter, then add the almonds, orange peel and flour sifted with salt and baking powder. Place in the fridge overnight.

Roll out and cut into shapes. Bake in oven at 180 c. for 15-20 minutes.

HAPPY EASTER!

EASTER MORNING

Morning of all mornings, Day of all days, -New Life surges through the world in this moment of Glory.Much work still to be done to synchronise with this Spirit of Life,but I personally believe that It is always fully available to us if we can only believe in It and keep on trying!

Today's Quotes.

On Easter Day the veil between Time and Eternity thins to gossamer.

Douglas Horton.

Our Lord has written the promise of the Resurrection not in books alone, but in every leaf in spring-time . ------Martin Luther

Painting---acrylic on stretched canvas 24X24 inches

€220---Into the Glow

GOOD FRIDAY

Today's Painting-----Light Vibrations ----Acrylic on stretched canvas 12x16 inches.

A Day for reflection and hope.-A Day that speaks convincingly of the victory of Love over Fear,Suffering, Evil, and Death.A Love that was so powerful that it surmounted all of these to culminate in a supreme Resurrection. A Power that I believe will ultimately allow Humanity to unite in an empathic bond with God and each other and so restore the world to its true meaning -as Love.

Today's Quotes:-

Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence.

Eric Fromm

Love is above all the gift of oneself.

Jean Anouilh.

You don't have to go looking for Love, when it's where you come from.

Werner Erhard.

VINO-VINO!

Joey, proprietor of the little 'Italian' coffee shop that we love to visit, presented us last week with two bottles of his home-made wine .A delicious blend this,-no heavily adulterated grapes with additives, preservatives,-those awful sulphites, just a lovely old recipe from grapes planted by his father. So powerful though---A little hint of champagne here--- and so relaxing!

Why can't all wine be enjoyed like this? We seem to have removed ourselves so far from from that simple, pure, wonderfully intoxicating taste that it has almost faded from memory.So good to revive it ,---so good to appreciate wine as it should be.-----So 'Cheers 'Joey!-----I'm off now to sample just a little more.Wrong time of the day they tell me----but who cares?!

Today's Quote.

Wine is sunlight, held together by water.

Galileo.

'

FLOWERS

I truly feel that plants and flowers are my sustenance as much as food! If I'm feeling jaded and my surroundings are in sympathy ---bring me a cheery plant or lightly scented flowers and in that moment there is a transformation of body, soul and surroundings! Also in that moment I simply have to believe in a God who is beautiful, loving and divinely creative!

Today's quotes:-

People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time, to have such things around us

Iris Murdoch.

Perfumes are the feelings of flowers.

Heinrich Heine.

I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers.

Claude Monet.

If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom.

Audra Foveo

MORNING

Painting - 'Morning"--- acrylic on stretched canvas--- 7" X 10"----€100

PayPal facility on my Website:-

http://www.maureenhughes.artspan.com/

In Springtime here in Malta the early morning can be wonderful - a spiritual experience really - enveloping one in its awesome sense of mystery and stillness. The sea view enhances this,- an unruffled calm drawing one into the peace and all -encompassing sense of Life. ------- I feel an intense moment of gratitude !

Todays Quote:-

Sadness flies on the wings of the morning and out of the heart of darkness comes the light.

Jean Giraudoux.