Christmas is sometimes a hard time of the year for many people. There are many memories of those that have been lost during the year or previous years. Some families have loved ones who are sick and suffering. Sometimes it is hard to feel joy in your heart at these times. I just want to let you know if you are in these situations that you will smile again. The pain will pass and the loving memories stay with you. I am not trying to gloss it over because some days you just don't want to get out of bed but then some mornings you look out the window and see the sunshine and hear the magpies and you want to jump out of bed. And don't forget to talk about those you have lost. Sharing their stories keeps them alive. 

After the rain comes the Beauty.

Just thought I would show you some little treasures I have painted up recently. Trying to keep up a positive message. I think they will make nice cards and prints

Hope you like them,

Dance

My Weekends Work

Just a short few words today because I am excited to be back painting. When life gets busy art is the thing that I don't give my time to but it is the one thing I should put time into. We all have something that makes our time so happy and hours pass quickly because we are doing that one thing we know we should be doing. Maybe it is reading, writing, art or sewing but we all allocate our time to housework, work or things that people do to make money.

What if life was reversed and things that make us happy came first and work came second? Many wouldn't approve but wouldn't there be so many more happy people walking around. Maybe not so much anger built up - less domestic violence, less shootings perhaps.

So if you can give yourself some time for just you and the thing you love. And if you know someone who might be just a little happier if they did that special thing like fishing or reading or whatever they love maybe you can encourage them to give themselves some time each day.

Here is what I have been working on this weekend. An Angel of Love. I hope you like it.

I Shocked Myself Today.

Well today I got a shock. I have returned to my blog which I have been avoiding because of guilt at not writing for awhile but when I looked at the date of my last blog it was one year ago today.

Nobody could be more surprised than me. I have let life get in the way of things I love to do and I haven't written or painted as much as I would love.

John Lennon understood he said that "Life is what happens to you while you 're busy making other plans" and I am sure you can all relate to his words and how it is reflected in your own life.

 Each year that passes I think of how fast time travels for me now. I plan what I want to achieve in a year and usually at the end of the year I have achievements but rarely are they what I had put forward in January. Do I mind?  Not really, because I feel like there is always an underlying force that is guiding me through that ends up placing me where I should be. I look back on things that I have learnt when I was young and I keep finding that those skills or experiences have helped me through life further down the track. Is this an accident or is life really planned for us at birth? I don't think we will know till it is all over but it is a lovely thought isn't it that someone or something is guiding us through.

The reason I am feeling so philosophical is that this week someone I really admired passed away. Many of you may know him, his name is Dr Wayne Dyer. He is a writer, a speaker and a philosopher. I have seen him speak 3 times in my life and he was an example of how to live your life. He spoke of love and dreaming and achieving what you what in life and the true proof of his success was there in his face. He had a pureness and angelicness (if that were a word) that shone from him and he loved life but he also was looking forward to the next adventure he was going to experience when he passed. I will miss him in this world as so many will but I am glad I got to hear his words.

Just as a last extra to this catch up I want to leave you with one of those unexplained things in life that I was talking of where you are guided towards something rather than head towards it yourself. 

A couple of years ago I was doing some classes where they were talking about using neutral colours which, if you know my work, it is not really me. I love colour and mixing them to create happy pictures. 

So to learn something new  I attempted a background with neutral colours and thought I would later paint something in the foreground of more interest. I let it sit for a few weeks so I could think about this new style. One day whilst putting my shoes on, I happened to stare at the painting and something jumped out at me from the background. I had never seen it before but remembered asking for guidance when I was painting it because it was so different to what I would normally do. It seems someone was guiding me. Have a look yourself and see if you can see what I and many people I know have also seen. If you see something leave a comment below or email me at wjw62@hotmail.com or come and see me at www.facebook.com/wendywinstoncreations  and leave me a message.

I would love to see what you see.

My own products

Throw Pillow

This is just a short blog to let you all know I am selling my products on Society 6. They sell a variety of items made up with my original photos and paintings.

Tote Bag

It is lovely to see my work not only on prints but on household items such as pillows clocks bags. They make me smile and I hope they do the same for you.

Print

There will be many more to follow and I hope you will come back and have a look as my range grows.

Mug

Clock

So head on over and let me know what you think.

http://society6.com/wendywinston/wall-clocks

1 Year Anniversary

Flowers from Work

This week was an anniversary of sorts for me. I have been in my new job for 12 months. 1 year of my life and it has been a happy year. I remember that first day and my nervousness. I was to begin in a job that I knew nothing about and was concerned about remembering all this new information. 

When you are twenty or so and you start a new job you are so sure of yourself because at that stage of your life you are bulletproof. Your confidence will see you through. But as you get older sometimes the bruises and battles you may have had to endure in workplaces make you unsure or nervous about your self. I had been through such an experience in my previous job. I worked for an angry man that impacted my life. Work doesn't just stay with you in those work hours it comes home and becomes part of you. 

What a great pleasure to now work with people who are kind and generous with their knowledge and experience. Every day I am happy to go to work. Each day I have different things happening and although it is a administrative position - no two days are the same.

You know we all have a choice in life and some people choose to make others lives unhappy and every day a battle but yet others take the road of support and encouragement. Which person are you or do you want to be - it is a choice?

The truth is you don't know what effect you might have on someone's life. Look at our beloved actor Robin Williams - on that particular day he left us, life was too much for him but the next day or the day after he may have felt safe and happy again . I don't think he realised what influence he had on others, because there has been such a big out pouring of love for him. He gave us all so much happiness and so many lesson on life. He taught us 

 "Carpe Diem. Seize the day, boys ! Make your lives extraordinary"

"All you have to do is think one happy thought and you'll fly like me"

"To live would be an awfully big adventure"

We never know what a kind word to a stranger or the people you work with may change the whole outlook for the day.So give and receive kindness at work, at home or  on the street.You can make a difference and share someone's load - it happened to me and I always try to pass it on to others. 

My Parents

  

My parents had a love story.

My parents spent  57 years happily married before we lost Mum, and then Dad passed three years and 1 month later. We always knew there was something special about their story. You see my parents had all these little quirky things about them. My Mum's initials were HJ and my Dad's were JH. They were born 1 day, 1 month and 1 year apart. They went to the same school at the same time but Dad was 1 year older so they never met.Then my Mum worked with my father's cousin and she was going to try and get them together at her wedding (unbeknown to my father), but my Dad being his own man he asked her to dance and they got together without anyone's help. That was it for them and a match was made.

They married and my Dad had a good job but someone at his work was going to be sacked because the work was running out. It was going to be another man who had a few children so my Dad put his hand up and volunteered to go.So his wedding present was losing his job. But shows what a good man he was and little did he know that soon he would be going to be a father himself. 

He found a job, but it was in Darwin and they were in Brisbane. For anyone reading this that is not in Australia, Darwin is at the top of Australia and Brisbane is on the East coast so this was a huge distance. 

So they needed to be parted for a while while Dad worked up there and he also had to build a shack for them to live in. It was rough and ready in the 1950's. Not the perfect place for a new couple but it was a good way for them to make some money to buy their first house.

Now comes the reason that inspired me to write this blog. We have been going through all their things to see what we want to keep and see if there is anything we can give to people to help them out, like clothes and blankets. That would be what they would have wanted because they were as kind as the day is long.

Amongst the normal household goods and loving memento's of our childhood we found the precious diamonds of their belongings.We found Mum and Dad's love letters from the time they were parted. They had a couple of months apart until  they were both up in Darwin together and they wrote such beautiful letters.

Mum always told us their were love letters here but we never read them. But we stumbled upon them one Sunday afternoon and sat together and heard the words of a young couple in love. My Dad was always a man of few words as he got older but in his youth he speaks of his darling wife and his love for her. That he is sorry he forgot to tell her he loved her when he was speaking to her on the phone one night.

When you have lost both your parents and that unconditional love that you received all your life - to find these precious words that remind you of who they were and the love they shared it is the most amazing gift in the world. I cannot share their letters completely with you because they are our treasures but wanted to share the feelings they brought to the surface. 

All I can say to those out there who still have parents make sure you treasure them and hug them whenever you can because one day that is the one thing that you can never get back. But you will be warmed by the memories you made with them while they were here. And listen to their stories because they are your history.

Handmade by Susie and Wendy

Well it has been a few days since my sister Susie and I started our new Etsy shop with our handmade and original cards. It has been a rush loading the photos. We had been going to do this for such a long time because when you do things that you love you get that wonderful feeling inside and you go to that happy place. You want to share what you have created with others. But then you need to find an outlet.

We use our cards to give to those we love but we have gone way beyond that amount.We have also put them in different shops but sometimes you just don't get to display them where or how you would like.So Etsy has become our new shop front and we are loving it. And guess what we have our first sale. And our card is on it's way to California. Wow.So our card is travelling half way around the world. What a buzz to think of that. Let it be the first of many. And with each one we send love in the envelope. We hope it shows. Here is our little traveller.

And here are some of our favourites that we would like to share with you and we hope that they all end up travelling across the world to find new homes.

Well here I am back at the computer and it has been awhile since I last wrote. 2013 was such a whirlwind for me with ups and downs of the major kind. The year  began with me being in a very unhappy situation that really challenged my ideas about people and myself. I had to learn to dig deep and face issues that none of us like to deal with - bullying and aggression. When you have been brought up in a loving family with support and you have to face those in the world that are only interested in bringing you down it is such a shock.

But you know these tests,as painful as they are let you find who is really there when you need them. I was lucky enough not only to have that continued family support but found that my circle of friends closed ranks and gave me the confidence to fight back. Bullies should never win. We all need to be aware of the signs and look out for others because we should never let anyone suffer alone.

This was the down but following that came a burst of painting and creativity that helped pull me back to the person I am and got me on the road back to who I was. Then came a wonderful stroke of luck that got me working in a workplace that is kind and supportive. We all spend most of our day with those people we work with, even more than our families and friends. What a pleasure to want to get up in the morning and love to go to work. We all deserve that. So my year ended on a high.

Now on to the beginning of this year.

I have just started a new Etsy shop with my sister. If you have read my blog before you will know I paint and I have an Etsy shop with prints of my work also I sell jewellery using my images.

https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/WendyWinstonDesigns



My sister Susie and I have been making cards for years and love to put all our heart into them. We have spent all weekend getting organised and putting together our new Etsy shop and feel wonderful to start a new venture. I would love to share some with you here.  Or come over and see them all at
https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/SusieandWendysCards

       

From Mistake to Magic

Today I came into work at my usual time to start and found out that my roster had been changed and I wasn't due in for another 3 hrs.  What would I do?  Too far to be bothered going back home but I was in the city and not keen on sitting in amongst the concrete.

I decided I would head over to Southbank (Brisbane) to have a look around the parkland and pool.What a great decision.If you have never visited our fair city. You might not have seen the beautiful sculptural walkway covered in bougainvillea . It is magical. I think it is a little bit of heaven on earth. It is almost as good as walking under the Jacaranda trees when they are in bloom. Or standing on the carpet they create as the jacaranda flowers fall. That is a special memory from childhood.

Also I sat and listened to the crows and the other sounds of the city awakening.
The joggers on the pavement and the sprinklers starting, because we have had one of the driest Octobers for years.

Then to fill in a little more time I went and sat in a small café and ordered breakfast. Something I rarely do unless on holidays and as I sat writing my little blog I thought of JK Rowling all those years ago sitting in a little coffee shop writing those magical stories and dreaming of big things in her life.  I also dream big .  I dream of a time when people will see my artwork and understand the positive messages I want to share with them.  To put my art on their walls and to believe in themselves and this miraculous world we live in. A world where going to work at the wrong time can make a really great start to the day.

Hope you have a wonderful day too!!!

Day 7 pt 2

Day 7 pt 2

Hi to those who read my last blog about the wonderful time I had at Dandelyon Gifts but I put in the wrong address. It is actually at 173 Boundary St, West end which actually crosses Vulture Street. Hope you are all taking my advice and popping in tonight or even today. Sorry about the mix up in the address. Have a great weekend.

Day 7

 Day 7 

This week I was lucky enough to go to a  shop that was new to me and is absolutely delightful. It is called Dandelyon Gifts and for anyone in Brisbane you should make your way there. You will  enjoy their huge range of Art, Christmas decorations, motivational messages, beautifully hand dyed tablecloths and so many more interesting things. Saturday night they are having their last night of Christmas Preview Nights between 5 and 7.30 pm. Make sure you let them know you are going on 1300 775 616 because not only do you get to shop but they are offering a little nibble as well.

 I was really impressed by the quality of items that were available and it was the perfect mix of handmade and commercial items to make shopping interesting. I popped in for a short visit but ended up staying over an hour. What was also amazing was the warmth of the owners Julie and Greg. They are genuine, hard working  people who are creative and very community orientated.  

So as Molly Meldrum used to say "Do yourself a favour" and try a new exciting shop where you could quite easily do your Christmas shopping. It is easy to find on 173 Boundary Street, West End. I would not normally just talk so much about a business and this isn't just a fake plug for a friend. I had never met either of the owners before Tuesday nor been to their shop before. It is just so nice to see a small business with so much heart and we all need these types of small businesses because we don't want to end up with just big chain stores.

Have a look for yourself

 https://www.facebook.com/Dandelyongiftswestend 

Day 6

Day 6

This is a little bit of a cheat on my daily blog. I am running a little time poor so instead of writing a blog I send you all a bunch of beautiful pentas flowers to try and put cheer in your day. They are wonderful plants and great to put colour in your garden.  Have a lovely day and I will see you here again tomorrow.

Day 5

Well today is Day 5 and I must admit I have loved getting back to my blog and getting all those creative thoughts going. I have had such a wonderful 12 months getting started and the only thing missing is finding the perfect audience and the way to share my work with people.  

I have been an artist for a long time but have never been able to focus time on what I want to do with my art.  Life is hard in that you still have to earn money to live and not just throw everything away and become a mad painter. But I have so many thoughts inside that I think can help people be strong in their life. Just reminding people how truly wonderful they are and can be.  I know that people need to be positive in life and I also know how words and thoughts have helped me during hard times in life.

 I  want to share  the beauty of life with positive words. My prints would be a great present for young people to believe in themselves. Or for a person of any age, just to remind you to keep believing in yourself and your friends and life. So if you have someone special in your life that maybe needs a pick me up, come over to my etsy shop and see if my words can make their lives just a little bit better.

www.etsy.com/shop/WendyWinstonDesigns

A special moment

Day 4 

I wanted to share a picture I painted that means hope for me. It  captured a moment of pure trust where such a small and fragile butterfly would trust a human many times it's size. This actually happened to me one day years ago and was a truly an amazing moment.

I was hanging the washing on the line and a butterfly began flying all around me, I decided to stop still and put out my hand. Within a few seconds the butterfly landed gently on my hand. It felt like a miracle. Then it slowly flew away and  it came back again . It landed three times on my hand and it was a feeling I cannot explain. Don't you love those moments that are so unexpected. 

It is like when you go whale watching and these huge animals come so close to you to let you see them and interact with them. I was on a boat at Hervey Bay whale watching when a whale came under the boat a couple of times and then it popped up right next to me so close I could smell it's breathe. I could look it right in the eye.  We have so many beautiful things in life to experience but most of the time we are just caught up in our daily life and sometimes just stuck in our heads.

I am planning on having more of these special moments and less of that stuck in my head stuff.

If you were reading my blog yesterday you might remember when I asked you all to have a go at something my birdie might have been saying.

I have had one taker Suzi Poland who said "Here's looking at you!"

Thanks Suzi

Day 3 and ready to blog.

Well if you have been following my blog since I started you would have seen that most of my paintings and prints have positive messages. Sometimes I start with a  message in my head and I then paint something to portray that message. Other times I start with something I am driven to paint and then I try to find the words that go with it. 

This little fellow has been sitting around while I have been having my little enforced break and he is just waiting for the words that match him. He looks so positive and happy. So this week I am going to be working out what he has to say that might be motivating for others (and for me).  If you have something amazing you think he would be saying, leave me a comment below. I would love to hear what you have to say. Let your imagination go wild.

My Four Legged Portraits

Well today is Day 2 of a week of blogs I am trying to complete. And  I thought I might share with you some of the commissions I have been lucky enough to do, of some beloved animals. I love the idea of painting things that touch somebody's hearts and our four legged angels, certainly fall into that category. Our pets let us behave like our true selves and know us like nobody else.

 It is always a challenge to really contain their personalities in a portrait. But I think if you can get the eyes right you can look inside their hearts. Some as you can see are soft, some proud and some are a little sad.
You may notice I have done blue backgrounds on a few of them and believe me I have thought of other colours and would be happy to do other colours if requested, but some how the blue brings out their coat colours and give them a really regal look. I hope you have enjoyed this look at some of my friends and will join me again tomorrow for day 3 of my week of blogs. See you then.