Old Year's Night

So the last night of 2012 has arrived and what a grand year it has been. We travelled to South Africa to get married, bought a house and then the real work began.We have added a few new skills to our armoury - painter, gardener, electrician, plumber and master ant killer. Next year we may become tilers and carpenters. We'll be master renovators in no time.

I'm looking forward to 2013 and the new adventures or challenges that await us. I wish you all a fabulous and festive end to your 2012 and that 2013 brings you more happiness than you deserve, that all you wish for comes true and that everything you resolve to achieve your succeed at. 

Happy New Year to you! See you next year! 

Thankful Thursday #14

What if the Mayan's Calendar coming to an end really does mean the world ends tomorrow? What have you done today? Will you have no regrets? Or will you be thankful when you wake up on Saturday morning to see the beginning of a New Era? Apparently that is what Mayans alive today believe- that the end of the Calendar is not the end of the World but the end of an Era. I read an interesting article on CNN. You may find it interesting.

I will leave you with the same words as those with which they ended their article :

'If you are reading this on Friday, you'd better read this fast. If it's Saturday, and no major calamity has occurred, then relax and go celebrate the beginning of the 14th baktun with the Mayans.'

Thankful Thursday # 13

Firstly sorry I've been gone a while - I have been unable to write or edit any of my posts for over a week now. It has been driving me insane and moments came where I considered moving to Wordpress. I'm thankful to be back online

It is my favourite time of year. Besides the obvious stuff that I love about it there is one thing I love the most. I love how people seem to soften and seem kinder, more patient, more charitable towards their fellow man. Of course, there are still those who prefer to be Grinches and bah humbug the whole season but maybe they just need a hug.

Today I think I have to be thankful for all the people who make it their mission to make the lives of other people better. My Mother, a prime example of such a person, sent me some photos recently of a Children's Christmas Party she helped organise. My Mother, through her Rotary club, has helped set up this Children's Day Care Centre which is in the middle of an informal settlement near where I grew up. I'll write more about this place and the amazing things that are happening there one day. For now I just want you to look at the faces of the children in the collage below. These are children who come from the poorest families. Families who wouldn't have the money to spend on presents for their children at Christmas time. In fact, Christmas is probably like any other time of the year except maybe they get a Christmas box from work and a few, hopefully, paid days off work. Are you looking at the faces of these children? The happy-and-excited-about-their-one- present-in-the- brightly-coloured-paper-faces. Pure joy! Children are children. These children will see through old eyes far too young but this Christmas they got to be children. Beautiful, happy children. I'm thankful that these faces made me cry and made me smile in one moment. Ngiyabonga! Thank-you!

Hit me with some Inspiration!

I've been toying with an idea for a while of having a regular blog post dedicated to someone who inspires me for whatever reason it may be. I started a list and it grows daily. Today I read this quote on Pinterest and it made me think of someone. Today I dedicate this blog to her: Heidi Dawson, my artist, you inspire me.  We met in London. 1996. Both long-time residents of a Backpackers Hostel in Shepherd’s Bush. It took us a while to become friends though. Both Observers so we circled around each other for a while. Hung out with the rest of the pack. We did though. We ended up living in the same house in Stratford and that’s pretty much all I can say about that. Purple teeth :) Whatever happened in the house in Eleanor Road, stays in the memories of those who lived or visited there. If they still have a memory. Heidi used to do this thing that… I’ll never tell.
 

We’ve been friends ever since. Sometimes going years without seeing or speaking to each other. Then there’d be surprise visits to South Africa, trips to Australia to play bridesmaid and we must not forget the many, many drunken phone calls. Her never worrying about the time difference, me afraid to answer the phone. We’re the pick up where you left off kind of friends.I digress. I meant only to tell you about how this woman inspires me, not get all gushy and take a wander down Memory Lane. For as long as I’ve known Heidi (almost 17 years, really?) I remember her drawing. In London she drew mostly beautiful women. I remember when I came out to Australia to be one of her Bridesmaids she had an art room in the house she was living in. The room with the most light I think it was, only the easel in the middle of it. She never showed off her talent though. Unless I happened to catch her doing it or she’d left a creation unattended for a moment, I’d never have known. Then she stopped. For years. Until, on a trip to London, she met up with my little brother for a drink. My brother is a remarkable young man and one day this blog will be dedicated to him. I’m not sure what he said but she returned to Australia with the spark reignited and picked up her artistic tools again. The spark has become a fire and it burns with passion in her eyes when she speaks of her art.So privately talented and unaffected by her brilliance, it has taken a small army of close friends and relatives to convince her to start showing the world her masterpieces. She took a giant leap forward and created a Facebook page to show some of her work. She hopes to start selling her work soon and some of the proceeds will go towards a Charity close to her heart in Zimbabwe.

Every time I see one of her pieces I am blown away. She inspires me to work at my own craft. Let’s pretend for a moment I can see the future. I see great things awaiting my talented friend. I see her getting the recognition she deserves. I see happiness and contentment as she lives her dream and gets to do what she loves every day. I see grand, sold out exhibitions. So, as I can’t really see the future, I will wish these things for her instead.If you do only one thing today, go click on her Facebook page and hit that Like button.

Heidi, never stop doing what you love in the way you do it. Below is just one example of what she does. It is one of her recent Scratchboard creations. 

Copyright 2012 Heidi Dawson Artist