The hydrangeas are here.  Full blown, bountiful heads of blooms are everywhere.

Pink heads, blue heads, fuchsia heads, celadon heads and heads dripping with colors beyond imagination are swaying all over our garden.

Each morning a new shade comes out from hiding and slowly spreads itself across the expansive heads of blooms. These evolving color hues bring a fresh kind of osmosis inspiration into our studio each day.  Oh, we will so be using these colors in new artwork!

These hydrangeas just pour themselves out for us.  They give and give and give, becoming better as their gracious and generous nature unfolds.

They’re a bit like people.

 When we pour ourselves out for others or refresh others, a surprising result occurs …we’re refreshed ourselves! 


Refreshers are refreshed. 


St. Francis of Assisi recognized this phenomenon clearly and captured it in the lovely expression, “it is in giving that we receive.”

So, for those of you who’ve been pouring yourselves out for others lately, or giving when you just didn’t think you could give anymore, take a look at these hydrangea blossoms.  They just become more beautiful in their giving.  And so will you.  You’ll be enriched, refreshed and renewed.  Don’t be surprised if you see some new hues of joy and strength spreading across the landscape of your life.

The Velvet Lime Girls

“If you are generous… and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out, your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.”  Isaiah 58:10

View from our studio

"You Wash, I'll Dry"

On this first day of summer, we are certainly not thinking about the dog days of summer yet.  But we have really had dogs on our minds.   Marybeth has had some canine inspiration and we’ll be working on a new collection of artwork for dog lovers everywhere.  It will obviously include a bit of humor, because dogs are just funny.  If you don’t believe us, just take a look at this photo entitled, “ You wash, I’ll dry."

Enjoying a laugh on the first day of summer,

The Velvet Lime Girls

Special thanks to Laura's niece, Lauren and "nephew dog", Dakota Skinner.  He has his own facebook page and is seeking new friends.  

Watermelon Days

Watermelon Days

The first sure sign of summer is not the summer solstice, June 21^st or lightening bugs captured in a jar.  It’s a juicy, sloppy, slurpy bite of ice cold watermelon. A head plant into an entire watermelon half, as pictured above, is the best way to enjoy it.  You really should try it sometime.  Just forget about all pretense and plunge in. Make sure you aim for the middle. When you come up for air you’ll know the true definition of “delight”.

The dictionary describes delight this way … a high degree of pleasure, enjoyment, joy or rapture. Mr. Webster must have been thinking about watermelons.

These girls just describe it with a big “YUMMMM!”  Adding a long hanging - on– the –end  twang to the “um” part.

Sheer delight. Summer bliss.  Watermelon days are here again.

So, go feel like a kid again. Find a watermelon. Slice off a big chunk. 

And take your first bite of summer. Head plants are optional.

                                                                          

With watermelon slurps & smiles,

Laura

Lilly, Alexa & Sophia - watermelon girls.

Go Where You Are Celebrated!

“Go where you are celebrated, not tolerated”.

Do you remember the last time you were really celebrated?  Applauded, cheered, exulted, praised and partied over? Let this photo remind you of what it feels like.

Photo by Kathy Ward

 This is Marybeth, our creative art director, as she completed the grueling Iron Girl Triathlon last Sunday at Lake Lanier in Georgia.  Most participants were dragging themselves over the finish line at this point, with grim but accomplished expressions, after completing a 1/3 mile swim, 19 mile bike ride and 3 mile run.  It was tough. Marybeth, however, crossed the finish line with a steely determination and then glanced up to see that, to her surprise, her supportive audience had grown! James & I were among her family & friends cheering her on!  She hadn’t expected all this attention, all these adoring fans! This photo captures that moment.  That split- second moment when she realized that she was being celebrated with extravagant love.  A cheering crowd of family, friends and surprise supporters, shouted, yelled, hooped and hollered and completely abandoned all respectable forms of congratulations.  We we’re insanely proud of her, unashamed in our expressions, and we loudly and publicly showered Marybeth with support.  She was celebrated and it absolutely caught her off guard.

 I love the expression in this photo. It’s an expression we should all feel. Really.

We should all have this arms-out-stretched-I-can’t believe-I’m-so loved-and-celebrated-feeling everyday.  Because we actually have someone who does celebrate us.  Everyday.  He rejoices and shouts joyfully over us. Just listen to how much:

“The Lord your God is with you. He is a hero who saves you. He happily rejoices over you, renews you with his love, and celebrates over you with shouts of joy. Zephaniah 3:17

Just read that over again with your name in place of the “you”.  You are celebrated every single day. It’s an amazing thought. It’s a running- around- the- yard- I’m- so- incredibly- filled- with -joy –and-love- I -can’t -contain –myself- feeling.

You really should allow yourself to feel this way today.

  

 And tomorrow.  And everyday.

 The lover of your soul is having a party over you all the time.  Just think about it awhile and let the champagne bubbles of that being- loved- emotion pop the cork off of any ordinary day.

Feeling bubbly,

Laura

Celebrated granddaughters, Sophia, Lilly and Alexa running around the backyard.

Mother's Day Artists

Some kids just have a joyful spark and touch your heart as soon as you meet them.  The young artists we are featuring today are two such people! Their creative expressions simply pulse with life, laughter and love.  Perfect sentiments for Mother’s Day!

These young artists, Madison and Katie, are the daughters of Marybeth Wydock, the creative art director at Velvet Lime Girls.  They began to show signs of their artistic DNA, passed on from their mother, at a very young age.  Here are a few of their early expressions.

Madison Wydock created the piece above, entitled, “Sunflower”.  Who would have imagined that a sunflower could explode with such vibrant color?  Looking through the eyes of a child can be so inspiring!  We love the color washes, the squiggles and the center section filled with circle details. (“Those are the seeds, silly”). We’ll never look at sunflowers again without thinking of Madison’s spectacular interpretation. It just makes you want to celebrate when your eyes are pulled into the party going on in the center of that flower… and then, dance around a bit with those salsa-style squiggles scattered around the petals. If you look at it too long, you may find yourself dancing around the room with a sunflower clenched between your teeth doing the rumba.  Watch out, this painting has passion.

Katie Wydock created this next piece above, entitled "Butterfly”.  You have to know Katie to really appreciate this piece.  Notice the smile on the butterfly.  It’s not just a normal smile.  It’s a larger than life, I’m- about- to–pop-out-of-my–skin-smile. (Or, out of my membrane, green shell or exoskeleton).  He’s grinning from ear to ear, or antenna to antenna, since they don’t really have ears, do they? He has to be the happiest little butterfly ever created and he seems to be holding a surprise.  He knows something you don’t know and he just can’t wait to tell you.  There’s a little flap down his side that opens! Really. A little slit that holds a secret message inside! His smile almost gave it away, but the kaleidoscope-colored wings filled with unimaginable patterns hold your eyes in fascination.  You just have to rest a bit on those wings before you open up this dimensional piece … those wings almost look illuminated. When you do open up that long green body, the sentiment inside gives the butterfly away.  He was really a love bug, with beautiful wings, carrying a message from the heart.  That’s what Mother’s Day is really all about anyway. Carrying messages of love from the heart.

Celebrating Mother’s everywhere,

Laura

Message inside Katie's butterfly.

Mother's Day Art

Rebecca Rhodes Ladikos.  Circa 1987.  Copyright RRL.

The next few days we’ll be featuring some of our favorite Mother’s Day artists.  The first two artists that are featured belong to that heart- warming group that mothers everywhere recognize. Children. Many mothers have artwork from this talented group gracing their walls and refrigerators.  Today’s selections come from a collection known as “our children”.  In my mind, they were the finest little artists around in the late '80’s and early '90's.

Our daughter Rebecca, did the first piece above, an explosion of vibrant colors in an expressive, watercolor palette, around the age of eight. The color combinations and styling hint at a future talent now showcased at Velvet Lime Designs, as she splashes us with color selections and ideas for artwork that inspires.

  

Caleb Rhodes. Circa 1991.  Copyright CR

Our son, Caleb, did the second piece, an architectural study in pencil and watercolor, at around the age of eight also.  The linear projections, lines and “scaffolding” reveal a passion for building structures that is now seen in his projects at Green Friendly Homes. http://www.greenfriendlyhomes.com/

We love creative expression around here and we’re especially fond of the ones made by children.  We’d love to see yours and share them with our friends!  So, send us a copy of your favorite little artist’s work to: info @velvetlimedesigns.com

Look for originals from Marybeth’s girls tomorrow!

Celebrating “our little works of art”,

Laura

Collateral Creativity

They say a bamboo forest springs up suddenly. But, long before any signs of growth or shoots appear, a flurry of activity occurs underground. A vast network of roots busies itself for years…connecting, knitting and weaving a strong support system that will become the foundation for amazing creations. The little root connections all work together, helping each other grow and in the process, they become the “seeds” of the skyscraper-sized potential hidden inside them. 

Their quiet connections become a framework for their future success.

That just how we felt today as we participated in the design seminar, Discovering Yourself As An Artist, at the Hudgens Center for the Arts, led by renowned artist, Kathy Fincher.  A lovely, diverse group of artists gathered and the creative connections began immediately, with Kathy weaving an informative seminar around each participant. (You know it’s a good talk when everyone completely forgets about lunch and looks up to see that 2:00 has arrived!)

How does such a diverse group of creatives connect so quickly? By having the right “growing” environment.  Instead of competition, there was a camaraderie and a willingness to share every professional and artistic piece of advice that could be passed on. An absolute abandonment to creative development seem to spread through the entire session and all of our artistic roots were well watered.

Insights from Kathy on developing a creative voice, art licensing, branding, and web development had many scribbling notes rapidly... and her personal story of discovering art was so moving,(see yesterday’s blog and video link). Our wrap up included a review of artwork and websites by some of the participants … “bamboo shoots” themselves, some large, some small, some undiscovered, but all being strengthened and celebrated by each other for the unique creativity they possess.  Just get ready for the silent explosion of artistic expression that will come from some of these “bamboo shoots” we met today! Wow. We hope to share photos of their work in future blogs.

All this time for connecting could be considered unnecessary.  Why not simply focus on creating  artwork?  Because, like the bamboo forest, these connections make you stronger, better and open up collateral creativity. The kind that just makes you explode with new ideas and inspiration.  That must be how bamboo shoots feel when, after five years of no visible growth, they shoot through their earth canopies with a skyscraper soar and grow up to 90’ in 6 weeks.  An astounding rate of growth only achievable with a strong, connective, supportive root system.  Imagine the possibilities with a supportive network of creative people!

So, go develop that root system of yours! There’s still time to catch a few of Kathy Fincher’s seminars before her show closes.  Call the Hudgens Center for the Arts for details, since these last seminars may not appear on the events calendar. http://thehudgens.org/?page_id=42

Feeling quite creatively nourished, 

The Velvet Lime Girls