ART is a Good Distraction*

Wow, I can't believe I haven't touched this blog since September of last year.  I have been working on artwork to keep my mind off of physical pain which is a good distraction, I might add. Yet I guess the fibro fog kicked in and I forgot about my blogging that I love to do.
I am a member of the local art gallery and try to keep myself motivated to have something brought in the gallery every 5 weeks.  There was a funny moment about my artwork, In November or December, I was feeling a little delirious and not well yet I didn't have anything new to put in the gallery. I felt very weak and wasn't in my right mind. I went through some old sketches I did in ink when I was around 13 years old and threw one in a frame. I put $25 on it and displayed it in the gallery.  It even had my assignment grade of a "B" on it and the class number....I didn't think anything of it until I got a call from the gallery saying that someone bought it...I thought "Yikes, I really didn't want to sell it because it was from when I was a kid." I did take a picture of it so I would have a copy of it but I had to reset my camera phone and it totally erased that picture amongst others. So that was bye bye picture.

EYE in the STORM

I did enter a piece "Eye in the Storm" in a photography art show. First, people were just passing my picture by, but then I started interacting with them to get them interested. It worked.  People were literally sitting on the floor trying to figure out what my picture was. It was too funny. This picture is actually of me holding a glass of water that the light of the sun made the water glisten. I thought it looked so cool, so I took a picture and put it on facebook (FB) and asked people what they thought it was.  That is when I started a game on FB called "Tanya's Picture Game," which I still do.

Pilgrimage to Zion

I also had worked on another painting "Pilgrimage to Zion" for about 4 months minus the one month I took off for Christmas. My apartment is too small to have an average size Christmas tree and work on a painting at the same time.  I finally finished it in February. It was so great to finish it, yet it was so hard to let it go when I gave it to the new owner. My paintings are kind of like my babies because I put so much time and energy into them. I also had someone ask me to restore an old photo. I have never done that before so that was fun and a new challenge.

Eucalyptus Trees

Every year for the art gallery they have a Multi Medium Mini (MMM) Art show in March. I have been disappointed each year because I haven't been accepted.  I started asking what the other artists are doing and I learned from their techniques and what equipment they use. I decided  that I really need to improve my artwork abilities and supplies. This year, being very nervous, yet I pushed through the rejection I felt in the past and entered the MMM art show, I was finally accepted into the MMM Art show this week, where the "Eucalyptus Trees" is displayed. It felt good yet I did feel bad for the ones who didn't make it in because I know how hard it is when one's work is not accepted.

I am so grateful to God that He has given me this talent that I have been working at wholeheartedly in my middle aged life. Yikes, Yes It's hard to say that I am middle aged, but it's the truth. I have been there for awhile but didn't like to admit it.  I focused on my writing abilities most of my life and took a few art classes in elementary and middle school but I didn't think I was any good, yet now to see my art abilities grow, is truly an amazing experience and I do thank God.

Here is my link to my art portfolio that I am working on continually: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1380021952284491.1073741829.100008300975340&type=1&l=07061a5251


artwork is by me, "Expressive Praise"

Look Forward in this Life of Pain*

Wow what have I been doing for the last five months that I haven't even touched my blogs.  I know I have been doing a lot of taking care of the physical pain that I endure.
I have been trying to focus on my artwork to distract me from the pain, yet at times, it just wears me out that I can't do what I want to do, when I want to do it. If you suffer from chronic pain, you will totally understand what I am talking about.


In October I started working on a painting which I finished in February. It is called, Pilgrimage to Zion. This painting has different people on their journey to Zion (Heaven). There are all sorts of people there. Ones who are happy, sad, depressed, rejoicing, etc...I even added a person in a wheelchair who is struggling and feeling all alone. I know a lot of people in physical pain, including myself, may not be in a wheelchair but it's the universal symbol that a person in a wheelchair has physical problems. So I added it to symbolize all of us who may be struggling physically. We each need that eternal goal to help us on this earth. We hunger for something to even fulfill our spiritual appetite.

I have learned to lean on our Heavenly Father God to get me through the life I live, in this tremendous pain in my body.  I know that God can give you that strength too. He might not heal you but He will help you deal with it all.  I pray for healing, yet I learn to be content with all that was given to me. I know it is not easy and I know that God may never heal me yet I keep going forward.
I deal with Fibromyalgia, Severe TMJ which I need a jaw replacement surgery but there aren't any good results yet. I deal with Headaches that lead to migraines. I have anywhere from IBS to feet problems, to neck problems, to sensitivity in my ears where I can't be around a lot of noise, which also means I am unable to go to church often because of the noise levels. (I have found a church that I can do online live each Sunday).  Even as I am writing this, I am in tremendous jaw and head pain that is radiating through to my neck all because I visited a store that had loud music on. It overwhelmed my senses even with earplugs in, and now I am fighting a migraine. I am only telling you all this so that you will understand what I deal with and you may realize I may identify with you. Through all this pain I go through, I have to keep my focus on God and keep my focus on the eternal life of Heaven. If I don't keep my focus then all this pain can be overwhelming. In Heaven there isn't any pain or suffering, and I take pleasure in it. I can't wait for that beautiful day where there is no more pain in my body and that I can see God face to face without any filters.