The world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before.
― Neil Gaiman
More than 500 people came to enjoy the display of art at the Madison Valley Arts Festival yesterday.
Sue Kinn-Brown created something new with pottery. I love her poppy motif.
Another artist created unique purses with beautiful fabric. I love this elegant belt as its closure.
Joe Gillispie used old wood to create a unique table (Thanks, Joe! )
This artist used her photography skills to capture unique images. Then she enlarged and framed them. Aren’t these fox kits adorable?
As a seamstress, “Joy” creates personalized gifts.
You can capture meaningful phrases and create unique wall hangings.
This is personalized fishing gear. Those rod cases and fishing nets include etched names – personalized for your favorite fisherman!
Start your children young – enjoying art festivals and creating their own art… Who says giraffes can’t have red eyes?
This children’s art area also gave kids a chance to paint rocks. Why not?
Always good to have a spot where young artists can create their own unique items that weren’t there before.
Let your photography enhance other folks’ homes! Do you have a wall that needs something that wasn’t there before?
Thanks, Margie Reck, for ordering our 25th anniversary cake. Baking and cake decorating is another way to create what’s not there. And within a half an hour it’s not there again! Festival customers enjoyed this dessert – celebrating with us!
Before these artists created their cakes, photo images, colored giraffes and painted rocks, rod cases and wall hangings, stockings and tables, purses and pottery, those items obviously were not there.
Use your God-given talents and unique inspirations to create what’s not there yet.
The world would be a very different place, a much less interesting place, an environment with much less beauty if we didn’t have artists. Thank God for our artists!
No one told me that my scribbles might lead to a creative talent that would be appreciated by others!
But, I was encouraged to sing as a child. That was a talent that did not go unnoticed. How could you ignore it when I was a 3-year-old singing “Appo-Tee, Appo-Tee, AppoTee” all the way through the hymns at church. Singing loudly and joyfully!
Hah! It was during the time of WWII and a popular song was “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree (with Anyone Else But Me).”
You’re probably not old enough to remember it!! Go ahead, click on it here. You’ll love it!!
So how did my “Appo Tee” singing graduate into a full-blown creative talent? Like any talent, it takes involvement, participation, practice.
I have been a member of a choir for as long as I can remember… … always in school, then in church, and eventually our community choir. I am not a soloist, but I love singing in a duet or trio or with a large group. Recently our church choir was able to start up again… it is such a joy!
Once I even got to sing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir during one of their dress rehearsals for their Christmas concert!
The rendition below of “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” was sung by the University of the Pacific Choir at Bob’s and my wedding 2/11/62. Here is the Mormon Tabernacle singing it. I love it so much!
If your talent is not singing or painting, maybe you developed a talent in another area – like cooking or woodworking or metal sculpture.
Of course, one major talent I forgot mention Is instrumental music … the piano or a woodwind or string or brass instrument… Such talent brings so much joy to the player as well to a world of listeners.
I played the accordion and the clarinet as a child and continued to do so until just recently. My accordion is not functioning, there’s a hole in the bellows.
Perhaps I will find another small accordion that I can handle… and will resume that creative endeavor. The children at the day care center and the residents at our local Nursing Home enjoyed it!
Here’s just a small clip – (it’s only 10 seconds!!) of me playing for the residents at my sister’s place in PA a couple of years ago. (I won’t burden you with too much of this!) Hah!
My cousin always used to send me comic strips about the accordion. One was a guy entering heaven and the angel said, “Welcome to Heaven, here’s your harp.” The other was a gal entering Hades. The angel greeted her and said, “Welcome to Hell, here’s your accordion.”
Hah! I miss Cliff and those jokes!!
The question remains: What are your God-given talents? Have you developed an area of creativity?
I forgot to mention writing!! Us bloggers imagine ourselves to have that talent or else we wouldn’t be posting here on WordPress, right?
But, even this writing talent doesn’t improve without practice, right? Never stop learning and trying to improve – regardless of the area of creativity… gardening & photography (Derrick) – poetry (Dwight, Richard, Pat, Rahul, etc.) cooking (Andre’ & Caralyn) You know who you are… and what you need to do!
Our library was having a book sale last week. For a dollar, I was able to buy this wonderful book. Copyrighted 20 years ago, it’s never outdated, and I can never stop learning how to be a better writer. Like any talent, it takes practice, study, and more practice. And feedback always helps!
Roses are red. Violets are pink. I’m an emerging poet. Man, don’t I stink?
No, don’t badmouth yourself!! Keep workin’ at it…
Embrace Creativity! Tell me about yours…
Thanks for sharing! See ya tomorrow (God willing) Love, JanBeek
Bless the artists who
Enrich our lives with meaning
Far beyond our eyes.
They see far more than
Our limited vision does.
God bless our artists!
Today our Ennis Arts Asociation met at one of the art display and sales stores right here in our little town of less than 1000 residents – in the gallery called “Artists on Main.”
My sub-title here on Jan Beek is “Love One Another.” We show our love in so many ways. One of them is through our respect for one another’s artistic expression… another is through our love of hospitality. Read on to see our very sincere invitation.
Today the Ennis Arts Association featured a session on Pottery. Folks like me, who have no experience in the workings of clay and wheels and all that jargon, went to see how it’s done – start to finish.
My friend, Carol Clarkson, who runs the Artists on Main Gallery showed us how she takes the various parts that she formed the day before and puts them together to make a teapot.
Look up there on the right, and you will see the basic pot, its lid, and potential spouts.
She put them together for a teapot that has such character!
I can hardly wait to see it fired and painted and glazed and ready as a finish product.
Our second potter, Sherry Jarvis, demonstrated her skills on the potters wheel. She creates bowls, vases, ornaments, and free-form items that are as enchanting as she is.
Working with clay is just one form of art that entices the visitors to visit our little town’s Artists on Main shop. You will find many items to encourage you if you come to Ennis. And when you do so, be sure to look us (the Beekmans) up.
The gallery has such an eclectic collection.
Come and see!
The painitngs are beautiful and varied.
The leather journals are inviting.
I love the assortment of wooden bowls and spoons that are each unique and beautiful.
Stained glass decorate the front window
as well as colorful
stained glass paintings that appear as collages
Ennis, Montana has at least five art galleries
showcasing art from creative Montana artists… and beyond.
You need to come and visit our quaint little town!
Bob & I have a spot here that welcomes friends unconditionally.
Hospitality is one of my spiritual gifts. You’d feel welcome in our home because you are one of my WordPress friends. We have a lot in common – and I would love to get to know you on a face-to-face basis.
We are only an hour from Yellowstone National Park. You could use our home as “home base” as you travel to see this amazing site:
You’ll be inspired to create art -written and visual arts – based on the sites you see in our Montana wonderland.
Art is Life.
Come and experience it with us!
Write us at our e-mail address: bobjanbeek@icloud.com
Put in the title of the e-mail these code words: WordPress.MT.Visit.Art is Life!
