Sharing Is Caring

School Update: I have transferred over into a Master's Program in Professional Counseling at South University in Columbia,SC! I'm still living in Charlotte & commuting to classes on Saturdays.

Work Update: I have now been hired on perm at LexisNexis as a Records Specialist, woohoo!!! :) Benefits, Paid Time Off, and a job that never fails to use my brain!

Home Update: Living in Charlotte,NC with three, shall we say interesting, roommates. Beats living alone these days!

The November Art Everyday Challenge should be coming up again soon (starting November)... I'm hoping so anyway. I can't wait to delve back into some art projects, especially ones that I can incorporate into SecretAgent drops around town. Have you checked out the SAL project yet?  www.secretagentL.com 

Remember, any day you wake up is a good day, then YOU make it Great!  ~ Be well ~

The World Keeps Spinning

Only absolutely random things are popping up here since I'm now in touch with 98% of my friends on Facebook. Yippeee...

But if you're looking in... I just graduated with my B.S. in Social Psychology. I've been accepted into a Master's program in Criminal Justice that starts in June, and we'll see where it goes from there.

Not much painting going on write now since I'm insanely busy with a full-time job (yep, found one!). I'm learning ASL in my spare time and doing my best to catch up and keep up with friends (now that I'm done with the military). Life is good!

And right now, I'm listening to Peter Parcek's new cd ... http://peterparcekband.com/

Be well & Live it Up!  ~ Cora

What Goes Around...

In between classes, I finally feel like I have the down-time necessary to catch up...

As noted in my last post, I have finally begun the painting process again, 

now that I'm settling into my new home. 

Some updates: 

I have one more semester (two classes) to go to finish my B.S. of Social Psychology with Park University. It's been a long time coming. Now, I have applied for a second Bachelors in Art with a minor in Art Education at UNC Charlotte. I'm still waiting on an acceptance letter (soon, soon!). My GPA is still 4.00 so I'm doing well. :)


I recently bought a rowing machine, a Tunturi R25, so that I can get my work-out going on from home.


I've also recently found a great book called Appetites, which goes into one woman's journey through anorexia and her battle with her psychological and physical appetites. She expresses herself in a way that truly speaks to our condition of wanting, not just of food, but of other things as well.


So, more art should be coming soon... til then, go check out Art21 and meet a new artist!

Labyrinth Painting: Greed, Guilt, Growth

Finally, the art returns...
I have nearly settled into my new home and here's my first painted piece

Greed, Guilt, Growth
Copyright Cora Drew 2010
12x36 Studio; Made w/ Acrylic, Texture, Reflection

The inspiration for this painting is a labyrinth, which is partially represented with the white lines. It is not a maze but a journey to center and out again. For me, physically walking a labyrinth clears my head, brings my awareness to the present moment, and helps me feel more rooted in my body. There's one about 11 miles from my house at the Presbyterian Hospital (a Chartres style) that I can walk anytime I like.

The labyrinth style represented here is a Native American design called Man in the Maze as well as a Spider Labyrinth. I included the raven because of its totem qualities and the presence it has in my own life. The Raven is the keeper of those secrets and therefore is the keeper of this particular labyrinth painting.

The labyrinth can be seen as a journey inward to find your own inner secrets and mysteries. It's a place you can visit alone or with another. Walking a physical labyrinth brings so much awareness to many things. I had the opportunity to walk the Chartres labyrinth in France, (which checked off a thing I had to do before I died) and it was a wonderful experience!

I like the dark quality of the painting as well as its title bodes. Greed, Guilt, Growth represents those things that come to our awareness when we walk a labyrinth. We think of our needs, wants, desires and how we can go about getting them. In conjunction with these thoughts, we may feel guilt for wanting these things or for having done something to another to obtain them. Even the texture of the painting is symbolic of the rough terrain that we trek on our journey. Growth comes when we first realize our own greed and then choose to change our process, to become more Giving (which is the final but unspoken word that must be discovered).

Overall, this is a power painting. As a reminder and for reflection.

~ Cora Drew

This painting is also listed For Sale on Etsy. Click HERE to see it there.

Be Grateful Year-Round

This article was posted in my management class...

How Gratefulness Destroys Negativity

Thanksgiving in America is over, but I hope for all of our sakes that gratefulness is not. It is the boundary that keeps negativity at bay.

For example…

- Being grateful for the freedom we have in America gives us perspective to handle frustrations we have with administrations or bureaucracy.

- Gratefulness toward having a job or career we love gives us patience to handle short term seasons of animosity or worry.

- Being thankful for our families allows us to put up with any pettiness that naturally exists in day to day living.

In my experience, when gratefulness is turned up to its highest level in a person’s life, then areas of selfishness, greed, and unnecessary worry and frustration get pushed out of that life.

It makes sense, doesn’t it? When a person spends more time being grateful to our Maker, thankful for the people in their life, or appreciative for their job, then their perspective will produce a different spirit that is attractive and helpful. This cumulative thankfulness spreads like wildfire in a person’s mind and heart and inevitably spills over onto other people around them.

Being grateful is a great way to live.

Where do you start? Well, for me, I start with my journal and begin making lists. Try it.

What are you grateful for? Really. Don’t just list the obvious, but give detail like…

• “I am grateful that I have a job in this period of time that is life-giving.”
• “I am grateful for a wife that not only loves me, but supports me in who I am.”
• “I am grateful for kids that are healthy and fun and who respect us the way they do.”
• “I am grateful for…”

You get the picture. Now start painting your new perspective.

A second list is required to go along with the first. Make a list of the things you are ungrateful for and watch your perspective change after you have made the first. Once you realize the number of things you are grateful for I suspect that your levels of frustration will diminish before your eyes.
Here is why… Most of the things that we are grateful for have longevity. Most of our frustrations are short term, and are usually caused by ourselves.

Once you have finished your grateful list, share your thankfulness with those on the list. Live a life of gratefulness and watch your negativity begin to wash away in the flood of new perspective.

Jeremie Kubicek

Relocation

Finally managed to move, again... now in Charlotte, NC.

I'll be updating my blog again soon once the packing / homework is finished.

Til then....

30NOV09

The last piece of art for the month...
Thanks to Leah for hosting such a phenomenal sharing!

This one is entitled "Satyam"
which is also the title of a song by Prasanna
that inspires me to dream big and be the change.
Click here to hear a clip of Satyam

Copyright 2009 Cora Drew

The painting is on a 24x36 canvas
(one of the largest pieces yet)
and it's now hanging over the head of my bed.