Christmas magic

Another Christmas has come and gone. Did everyone survive ? It was extra special to us as it was Pedey and Lu first Christmas. The Christmas tree was full of stuffy toys, balls and bones. They both got the hang of it mighty quick, and loved the wrapping paper. Most of the toys have been destuffed, bones have been chewed and balls played with. We shared the true magic of Christmas, the simple magic of Christmas watching their tails wagging and seeing the excitement in their eyes. Dogs always remind us , "simple is good and often can even be great ".

I did my best to complete my Christmas commissions. My illness ran me out of time on some , so gift certificates were sent. There were lots of emails and updates being sent to my clients as their portraits progress forward, then working as a team we would capture their pets essence on paper. 

I would like to take this time to thank my Christmas Clients for supporting my artwork. I hope each portrait brought smiles and joy this Holiday Season

Waiting for Enzo

I wonder if you long for something hard enough, will it come to you ? Enzo sits quietly in my studio waiting for me to come back. The paint is now dried on my palette and even a little dust is on my table . Has it been two weeks? Wow, I do not even know, maybe more. Down I go as the days blend into one long dark stretch of fighting the battle of multi infections in my central nervous system. I know you are there .......and I will keep fighting . In the mean time I can close my eyes and see your soft curls of fur .

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Enzo, layers of paint, layers of life.......

Layer # 2

I paint in layers, connecting one on top of the other, having a deep faith that all the layers of paint will work well together. Enzo first layer were shades of purple into soft sky blue . The next layer was built around the amazing color of Enzo eye. Layer two brought the colors of fall, orange, yellow, and green. Now the purple and soft sky blue dance underneath, the fall colors. I spent a long time enjoying the Faith, Courage and Wisdom I saw in Enzo eye. I love eyes, they to are full of the layers of life. The next layer of paint will be getting lost in all that  beautiful hair, the soft curls of burnt orange into dark brown . I LOVE COLOR. The nose will be yet another great layer of paint......shades of pink, brown, and orange. 

Thank you Enzo for the layers of life you share with me and the wonderful journey we still have to go.

Layer # 1

Dog Rescue , Lana Schippers, Beth Seman , Hope Cruser and Tracy Sepela

I finished my cocker spaniel sketch for Cocker Spaniel Rescue of New England Fundraiser . It is exciting to give back to the world of Dog Rescue . I have such admiration for the strength and passion I see in , Lana Schippers, Beth Seman, Hope Cruser and Tracy Sepela and so many more who volunteer. They are the heroes and the hope for so many dogs . 

We had the sweetest little cocker name " Baily " who was only full of kindness, and this donation will be made in his name . 

Thank you , and big pat on the back to all who work at Cocker Spaniel Rescue of New England ! You are amazing !  

Hard lessons that I needed to learn !

It has been 3 1/2 years since I have done a Art show . With Anita by my side , we packed the truck and off we went to Freeport Fall Festival . I brought all the tools I needed a walker ,cane and a big basket of hope . We requested that our tents be next to each other, and Anita was always right there. 

I can write " I DID IT " 

I can also write that I am a stubborn and passionate artist , which can be good or bad .  The big lesson here is that I have a very long journey of healing to take place before I do another show . 

Sunday night after the show , my neurological symtoms showed up loud and clear . They included tremors , slur speech and teeth chattering and so much pain . Off to bed I went only to have a nightmare that I was going back on IV Antibiotics, I woke up screaming "NO ! NO ! 

So my body was sending me a message , that I was now hearing loud and clear . IV Antibiotic was the worst year of my life and I am NOT doing that again !! NO more pushing ! Moderation , healing , and resting are my new goals. 

New goals are to be ,rest in my chair and sketch ,on my really good days ,to paint in my studio or work in my garden . I am listening to my lessons !!!!!!!

" The Boys "

Well I am learning that often when one leaps , one does not always succeed . I guess I was just to excited to create this sketch of " The Boys " that I really never paid attention on where I put their moms name . If I do not take the time to put a name in my contacts at that very moment , well it will be gone from my memory for ever, nothing really sticks , part of my damage done  by Lyme disease. 

 

Lesson learn is that I need to ask Anita for help . I am not ready to fly solo yet, hopefully some day I will be  and if not , I will learn tools to at least help me along the way to keep better records. The hard part is , that it does not take much to confuse me and I get overwhelm very easy . I try not to get frustrated or disappointed , but it is hard , I know I am not to blame, that my late stage neurological Lyme  infection has damaged parts of brain. 

The most important part of " The Boys " is how much I enjoyed sketching them . Sketching leads to painting , it opens up the same pathways in my brain , the break down of color , thoughts about composition and design . I will keep sketching and feel free to ask me if I put you in my contacts ?Help is always welcome ! 

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” ― Pablo Picasso

I have started sweet " Stella" , only to have crashed into darkness again . It has been hard lately , lost in pain and exhaustion that can not be put into words . I miss my art , I miss that wonderful space I go to when the world vanishes and joy just flows from my soul . I miss bright colors , and the flow of paint on my brushes. I miss the smell of paint and the sound of music playing in my studio . 

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” 

― Pablo Picasso

Reality meets Stella !

My brain lesions are still here. Yes there was a secret little voice deep down inside me hoping the MRI of my brain would be different. I have read on line , as some people heal , so do their brain . Alas , mine are all still there, damaged done . 

 

So , now I will figure out how to go forward , with cognitive issues, memory problems ,and communication issues . Words and numbers are scrambled in my brain , and are very difficult fine. As I write this blog I realize I am not giving up my fight for good health, but I will no longer let these brain lesions stop me from creating my beloved art work . Yes, this blog may take me  over a hour to write and it may not be in perfect English , but I am going to do my best to communicate with the world . 

Meet " Stella " a silver lab who lives in Florida . Stella will be my next commission . I am very excited to get back to my studio and put brush to canvas. I look forward to capturing those soulful , sweet eyes and I see a background that dances with color ....more to come ! 

Art for Rescue !

Art for Rescue has been on my mind for years , and in the last couple of months it comes in my dreams and in my daily thoughts . I have been waiting for good health to start this journey with my art . Always waiting , how could I start this project if I do not even know if my brain will work tomorrow , or if I will have the strength to create ? 

What is Art for Rescue ? I am not even sure . So many questions to be answer. I do know step one is this blog .  I need help for ideas on how my art could help the dog rescue communities , so I am putting it out to the universe to show me the way . 

Am I ready ?  who knows ? But my battle with my on going infection with Lyme disease and its many co infections has told to put this into motion . Why does if have to be this big project , maybe it should start small , saving just one dogs life . That I could handle !! 

So I have begun , now I must have the faith , a on going word that I deal with daily , to find my way . So to all the dog rescue communities , help my find my way with " Art for Rescue " . 

Bela is going home !

I finish varnishing Bela yesterday . I love how the varnish creates a wonderful soft protective final coat on a painting . Today I will cut up lots of protective cardboard and bubble wrap and find the perfect box ,so Bela will have a safe trip home.  Bela and Coopers mom and dad are the special people who take care of dogs and cats , they are veterinarians . In fact the commissions of Bela and Cooper will be hanging in their new veterinary office and even better is the name "BelaCoop Animal Hospital of Northpark . 

Bela and Cooper have passed on , but I feel that part of them will be here forever , and they will help guide their mom and dad to take care of all the animal that pass through their doors . 

I will also be shipping out a paintings  of a German Shepard and Dachshund for their exam rooms . I truly hope that my paintings will bring joy and comfort to all that have a need to go to BelaCoop Animal Hospital . 

I have been off treatment for a week and half . No picc line ....my arm is free ! I wish I could say it has been clear sailing . But it is one day at time , and I am so thankful for a much needed break from I'V antibiotics . Be well my friends ! 

Cooper is home , and my soul is full of simple abundance

What ever we are waiting for , peace of mind, contentment, grace, the inner awareness of simple abundance , it will surely come to us , all theses traits are found in our dearest friend our beloved dog .
Dogs carry their serenity with them , a shady grove tree, a special toy and of course just green grass will make a joyful dog .

To capture and paint this joy , this simple abundance is a blessing to my soul . I know this is why and what my inner spirit is meant to do . Thank you "Cooper" for being part of my authentic life .

A note from Coopers Mom !
HI Pamela!! Cooper arrived today at 5pm and I have never been so excited! It is absolutely beautiful and just amazing! I had tears in my eyes just looking at the box! And when I looked at the painting, I cried and hugged my husband. Sam says that the background is so perfect and makes him look so happy and comfortable. He said it looks heavenly, like Cooper is smiling down on us. I like to believe that. It really is the best thing I have ever gotten! I love it! Thank you so much for doing this for us! I can't wait to see Bela! Thank you again!!

Life at the crossroads , looking with hope .

The Rockefellers wanted to have a mural put on the ground-floor wall of Rockefeller Center. Nelson Rockefeller wanted Henri Matisse or Pablo Picasso to do it because he favored their modern style, but neither was available. Diego Rivera was one of Nelson Rockefeller's mother's favorite artists and therefore was commissioned to create the huge mural. He was given a theme: "Man at the Crossroads Looking with Hope and High Vision to the Choosing of a New and Better Future."[1] Rockefeller wanted the painting to make people pause and think.[2]

I had a wonderful phone call for new commission today of a very special dog . Mixed with a multitude of emotions I said yes, a yes with full disclosed of my daily struggles with treatment . A yes with a promise I would email Anita so I would not forget the facts of the conversation. A yes that said I will do my very best , but explaining I have weeks when my paint brush does not move.

I live my life in the crossroads, going forward only to then go backwards , but then slightly forward . I live my life looking with hope to a new and better future. I live my life in the crossroads, not knowing what the next day will be. Little Lu comes to me when I am really sick from treatment . She lays her head on my chest , she knows , she is so gentle and peaceful around me . It is amazing , I can feel her strength and her kindness. I am blessed !

I hope to have a good day soon and see my brush hit the canvas again . In the mean time I will be in the crossroads looking with hope and high vision to choosing a new and better future .

Cooper is done !

A fresh coat of semi gloss varnish covers my painting today creating a lovely soft finish . Tomorrow I will mount the hanging hardware and begin looking for a box for shipping . Four months , one painting . Emotions are mixed with disappointment and pride. This size painting would normally have taken the old Pam a month . The new Pam takes four months . The Pam of six months ago could not even have painted it. So I am humble and thankful at the same time .

As I was varnishing cooper today , I wonder to my self if my art has change ? My life has change , I am no longer old Pam . I will never be old Pam. Hard to look that one in the face , but illness changes you . I do think my art has change , my brush strokes are softer, as my strength is not the same . I do see more of my heart, on the canvas , maybe more vulnerable as illness does this.

My desire to paint has not change , it is still there, calling me . My passion is strong , but my body is not always willing . So on that note I am proud to write I will be shipping cooper home this week . My first painting of 2013.

Thank you for Pedey and Lu ,to Tracy Sepela , Beth Seman, and Karen Flicher

I woke up this morning thinking about all the special friends and joy I have found on Facebook . For me who only leaves the house on a average one time a week to get my picc line bandage change and blood work at the hospital it has been my connection to the world . What a gift Facebook has given to me , social connection . It has been a long hard year in treatment , but out of it came dear friends that I have never seen in person , but now belong deeply in my heart.

I have wanted a dog for about 8 months . Yes I would check out pet finder, when Anita was not looking . I followed up on some posting on Facebook, only to find the pup was in California , how could I ever make that happen ?

Then I had the honor of sketching Malcolm and Lucy , who belong to Karen Flicher and Beth Seaman . Both these little guys are doxies, which I had my heart set on because of my illness I knew a little dog would be easier .

I spent months bringing up my wish for another dog with Anita . Yes, I knew she was right , She does daily IV infusion , shots , pills and i spend days on the couch . Anita was so busy taking care of me how could I expect her to care for another dog ?

But those sketches gave me the longing , and Beth Seman was into rescues. .Before I knew it dogs for adoption were on my Facebook page and other friends were pitching in on the sales job to Anita . Tracey Sepela and Karen Flicher were the greatest saleswomen and poor Anita did not stand a chance . Anita said YES ! Lu and Pedey are part of our family .

Just so you know ladies every morning I hear laughter and giggles coming out of Anita , as Pedey and Lu lick her face . To hear that is heaven to me .

Thank you ladies for the joy you gave to us !

New pups , new joy , and white blood cells count climbing

We have new pups ! They have brought so much joy and happiness to our house . Lu is four years old and Pedey her son is six months . They are rescues from Georgia , and I have to thank the wonderful souls who helped us adopt our pups . Thank you Mutts and More and The Connecticut Underhound Railroad . They are wonderful and I will always be so very thankful for their passion for dogs and the joy of Pedey and Lu .

These little kids come in at 14 lbs and 10lbs , but their impact in my life has been amazing . I am not the only one in the house who has come back to life , our jasmine at 14 1/2 now plays daily with little big man , Pedey . It often brings tears of joy to my eyes to watching the playfulness in our pack now.

For the first time in over 8 months , my white blood cell count is climbing . Could it be my treatment , yes ......but I prefer to think Pedey and Lu have a lot to do with my improving white blood cell count . I know in my heart this true . Love and joy are to vital to our inner souls .

We now have 3 dogs who come to work with us in the studio . Lu is even sneaky and steals my tubes of paint so I will pay attention to her and on those days that Lyme disease sends me to my knees and I spend the day on the couch , I have Lu , Pedey , jasmine by my side . I will always thank my biggest hero of my life , my beloved Anita . Thank you so much for Pedey and Lu .

Always reach for joy , even if it comes with short legs !

Life in our studio , love and puppies

As a artist, you long for those magical hours of putting brush to canvas. It is as simple as breathing and as vital . But I have learn new lessons from my battle to regain my health. Yes my art and my soul are intertwined, but with out my fellow studio mate, best friend, and someone I adore all would be lost. Thank you Anita, for sharing our studio with me, for dancing to music , playing with pups and smiling back at me . Our studio will be open this spring and all are welcome .....pups too . This blog is for you Anita!

Finding your own joy , art and fear

Paintings flowed from every inch of my soul for more than 20 years. They poured out of me , like the oxygen that I breath everyday . Yes I took it soooooo for granted. The sun would rise and I would paint. That is the way it was....day after day . Brushes, canvas, paint , and hours in the studio all just part of a normal day . This was life ....my life .

Today I will open up two new canvas " 30 x 24" , something that I would of done and not have a second thought . I will get my brushes ready , my paint , and of course pour a cup of tea. Things that are second nature , that now have dust on them .

Lessons to learn , fate, luck ,and tragedy all play a role in our human destiny . Here in the day -to -day world ( which is, after all, the only one we live in ), the job is often to just keep moving forward , by placing the responsibility for my actions in my own hands and walking into my studio . They are hands that live daily with pain in them now , but they are my hands , and they still long to create art .

So I am proud to introduce Coop and Bella, who will safely guide me back home to my studio , one brush stroke at a time .

Dog friendly Maine and all the tail waggin fun it has to offer !

Maine has more than 2,500 lakes for fido to swim in and more than 5,000 streams for fido to romp in . The Maine coast is filled with beach front cottages and lobster shacks for fido to relax in . The most amazing part of Maine is the connection you will find sharing nature with your dog .

As a Maine artist, I am blessed to share its beauty and fresh salty air with my clients and their beloved dogs with our open studio. We are blessed to have over an acre fenced in for the pups to romp off leash in and a deck chairs for us to sit in and enjoy watching them run freely in the sun . See you in the spring 2013 !

Amazing Maine , awesome dogs and dog art !

For the Love of dogs

They come into our homes and steal our hearts. They make us smile and giggle and laugh out loud. They snuggle , lick , bark and wag every day. They make us slow down and go for a walks and pay attention to nature. They are soooo joyful .

As a artist my goal is to capture that joy and spread that dog love again and again. This is a high standard to live up to . The greatest moments in my sketches is feeling that joy or tenderness , that I see in the eyes of dogs. It is all about the eyes. I can not express what a true honor it is to sketch a beloved dog . So , lets celebrate the love of dogs today !

People I admire , Lana Schippers !

We may never meet in person , yet Lana Schippers , my wonderful face book friend is a person I admire greatly . Through the years we both have suffer the loss of losing our dogs . We both have faced the big crack in our hearts that ache everyday when your pack is out of balance . But what is amazing about Lana is her passion to let her heart grow bigger and adopt another dog .
To have the kindness and compassion to welcome a new little girl into her family . What this little girl does not know is she is in her new wonderful forever home . Yes , it will be the best home she will ever have . I wish I could remember her name , but I will , my slow brain will learn . Yes Lana has much compassion for my lack of words , that Lyme disease has taken from me .

Lana donates her time helping Iowa Wiem Rescue ...which I am sure I spelled wrong .lol
Again Lana will forgive me, because she knows my great big heart and love of dogs makes up for my non functioning brain . Lana works full time and then some at Printing By Designs supporting herself , family , and her pack of beloved dogs . Not a easy task in these very difficult times . Lana loves art and design , I had the honor of creating a sketch of her beloved Jay .

Lana I admire you greatly for your passion and your great big heart . Enjoy every moment of love , laughter and joy , this lucky little girl will bring to your heart .

Your dear friend Pamela Creamer .

Final Dog Portrait of 2012

The 2012 had more in store for me than I would ever imagine , now I wonder what will 2013 bring to me ? My pencils sit still and my paint brushes are dry . Failure to paint taught me things about myself that I could not learn any other way . I have discovered about myself that I have strong will and that set backs can make me stronger, smarter and more durable. I have learn my passion for dogs and art has help drive me to do more and be more . Well 2013, I am open wide to what lesson I must learn , but I must let you know with kindness and compassion ,that dogs and art are part of inner soul and that will never change . There is a portrait and a dog waiting to be sketch. His eyes are sweet and wise, and I think of him everyday, so I know in my heart he will appear on my sketch pad and come to life. I just do not know when ?