Art – Cynthia Reyes

When Anger Leads to Art

July 10, 2019July 10, 2019 Cynthia Reyes

Imagine: you’re an attorney in New York, dealing with brutal cases and people — some of whom are your colleagues.

One day, out of the blue, you discover a love for painting. At first, it’s only stress-relief. Then onlookers start reacting. It seems you may have some talent.

Blog Photo - JJ Trees and city

A wife and mother of two young children, JJ did her best to ‘leave the work at work’. But two years ago, she felt her frustration growing.

“Being a Black woman in the legal profession in New York City can be brutal. I have been bullied countless times by my White adversaries.”

Worse, she came to realize: “There is nothing fair about the justice system in America”. That was a heart-breaker; JJ had attended law school because she thought she could make “real change”.

Then she started to read news stories about another woman of colour being bullied — very publicly — in newspapers and online. JJ felt immediate empathy for her.

“Seeing a hardworking, passionate, intelligent, go-getter woman of colour being demonized, dehumanized on a daily basis by a segment of the media not because of anything she has done, but because of her Blackness” triggered both a realization and an awakening.

“The world will not change much as long as there are closed-minded people who would rather dwell on negativity than shedding light on the good in this world. It won’t change as long as people with public platforms continue to use their platforms to spread lies and half-truths. Some people have been suppressing their hate, waiting for the right moment to strike.”

Blog Photo - JJ first art class - woman painting

During this time of growing frustration, JJ attended a friend’s bridal shower and was invited to take an art class there with other women.

Before it was over, she was hooked.

Blog Photo - JJ 2nd painting

“Until that class, I never painted a day in my life.

“I got married immediately after law school, had my first baby within that year. I never even thought about taking a painting class until my friend’s bridal shower. I was suddenly hit with a realization that I probably missed my calling.”

She started to post her early paintings on social media.

Blog Photo - JJ Woman and Baby

Encouragement turned into admiration. Admiration turned into purchases.

Blog Photo - JJ Trees and water

Stephanie, a Canadian buyer of one of JJ’s paintings says:

“I feel blessed to have watched and encouraged her growth as an artist. What inspires me is her expression of life with passion, strength and such beauty it literally hits me in the belly when I look at them. Whether it’s on social media or at my home where I have two gorgeous paintings, I smile with great pride for a sister of the soul.”

Blog Photo - JJ Waterfall-under-the-moonlight

JJ says painting allows her freedom.

“I can be brutally honest, and a lot of people don’t like honesty. Painting allows me to use my creativity as well as my honesty. Through my painting, I express myself freely without the constraint society places on women, especially a Black woman like myself.”

Blog Photo - JJ Waterfall3

JJ’s paintings arouse different emotions in the people who have purchased them or encouraged her to turn her hobby into her dream.

Blog Photo - JJ Trees3

Ava, who lives in Texas, says JJ’s paintings give her “instant peace and joy”.

“I like her paintings because they make me feel serenity and they have an effortless effulgence to them. I think her work is professional and more than just a hobby. She has talent, the kind you are born with and the kind you have to work hard to achieve.”

JJ paints almost every day, and has recently launched her website myhobbyturns2dream.com .

Blog Photo - JJ Barn Village

POSTSCRIPT: JJ didn’t want to identify the woman who helped inspire her art “because so many use her name for the wrong reasons.”

I insisted.

She then revealed: “I confess that without the hateful media campaign against Duchess (of Sussex) Meghan, I am not sure I would have looked for a hobby to channel my anger and frustration against racism.”

Blog Photo - JJ Sisterly

Quoting Michael Jackson’s lyric “Man in the Mirror”, JJ says that, with her paintings, “I’m starting with the woman in the mirror. I’m asking her to change her ways. And no message could have been clearer.”

But her greatest realization was inspired by the duchess herself, who has persevered and succeeded, in spite of the hate against her.

“It made me realize I should not settle for anything less than greatness.”

*The paintings above may not be replicated. Property of the artist.*

A Good Home, Arabella Magazine, Architecture, Art, Canadian Art, Canadian Gardens, Canadian Homes, Canadian life, Verandahs

The Verandah

June 21, 2017June 21, 2017 Cynthia Reyes

Like verandahs? (Perhaps you call them front porches?)

As a former island girl, I love them.

See my story in Arabella’s Spring Issue. It’s accompanied by sumptuous art:

http://www.arabelladesign.com/magazine_Spring2017/The%20Verandah/The_Verandah.html

A Good Home, Art, Artists, Arts, Canadian life, Creative Writing, Poetry

Home Is Where The Art Is

February 23, 2016February 23, 2016 Cynthia Reyes

So — you think your dwelling is too small? Try living on a boat.

Margaret Mair and husband Richard live on their boat “Into The Blue”. Margaret also paints and writes her poetry there. And produces her blog.

Margaret's Boat

“The space is very compact, and set up for both living and sailing”, she says. “That means having to think about everything we bring on board: it must be something we need (that includes art supplies, for me) and can store securely.”

Some people have a room to create their art. Margaret has “a corner”.

Margaret's Corner on her boat

There are advantages. She and Richard have traveled widely, from Canada to the US, the Caribbean, and elsewhere.

“We can cast off our boat and move, go exploring or visiting and know that we have our own comfortable place to stay. Anyone who lives on a boat lives very close to nature. We have an intimate relationship with the weather: when the wind blows hard the boat rocks and creaks and the ropes groan; when the sun shines the water sparkles; ripples on the water gurgle against the hull of the boat.”

Margaret's Painting of Boat on Beach

Margaret’s poems and pictures often reflect her close relationship with the sea:

It calls, the sea,
To the restless boat
Uncomfortably cotched
On a sandy shore,
Longing for
Rocking waves
And cooling current
And the feel
Of wake moving
Singingly along
Her planked hull….

Acrylic on canvasboard; 20 x 16

Margaret started writing poetry as a teenager. She started painting in her forties, first learning to draw and work with colour – chalk pastels.

“I worked my way through chalk pastels to experimenting with other media until I arrived at the medium I most frequently use, acrylics.”

Margaret Mair's painting - We are Islands

“It took a friend’s introduction to SPARK in 2011 to make me think most deeply about how paintings and poetry could work together. I did not really start creating my own melding of the two until quite recently – January 2014.”

Many poems and pictures followed, as you can see on her blog.

Her pieces often evoke powerful responses.

“Everyone responds in their own way, and finds the thing or things that speak to them and their experience.

“I gave my mother a piece that hung on her wall until she died, a first iteration of my Tree of Life, much larger and more delicate. One day while I was visiting I watched a young girl stand silently in front of it for a long time, just looking. That was one of my favorite responses.”

And a few final words about home:

“I have learned that what you bring to a place is as important as the place itself. Keep it reasonably clean and relatively tidy, as cool on the hot days and as warm on the cold ones as you can (we’ve lived in some drafty places), put your favorite pictures on the wall and fill the bookshelves with your books and magazines and pieces of art, let music fill the rooms, make space to do the things that are important to you, and love the people who share it with you.”

Brava, Margaret.

All photos by Margaret Mair. Artworks copyrighted.

A Good Home, Art, Artesans, Artists, Authors, Birdfeeders, Birdhouses, Books, Handmade porducts

“The Blog Shop”: Great Gifts by Creative People

November 8, 2014November 8, 2014 Cynthia Reyes

My blogging community is brimming with ultra-creative people.

They’re remarkable. They make beautiful things with their hands, hearts and minds.

Or support projects that help talented artisans to make a living.

So today I’m celebrating these creative types and highlighting some of their products/projects that would make great gifts for loved ones.

LOTUS WONDERS, made by women in a Cambodian village, in partnership with other women in Canada. Order products and read their story at: http://www.lotuswonders.com/collections/all

Thanks to consultant Stephanie MacKendrick, former head of Canadian Women in Communications, for bringing Lotus Wonders to my attention.

2. MICHAEL’S WOODCRAFT. Michael lives on a mountainside in S. Carolina. He carefully chooses the wood and makes each beautiful object himself: cutting boards, ice cream scoops, and other useful items.

Visit his blog and online shop at: http://michaelswoodcraft.wordpress.com/shop/

3. JEAN LONG AND JESSICA CHARNOCK’S CREATIONS. In their gorgeous log cabin east of Toronto, this couple is always creating beautiful objects.

The Log House - Photo by H. Grange — The Log House – Photo by H. Grange

Jessica hooks original wall-hangings using recycled wool, and makes large teddy bears using recycled fur.

Jean works with wood. He creates large pieces of furniture and unusual birdhouses and feeders.

See: https://cynthiasreyes.com/2014/01/11/youve-never-seen-birdhouses-like-jean-longs/ – or email: jenjes@mac.com

4. SIMPLY SPLENDID VICTORIAN AFTERNOON TEAS by Marilyn Mirabelli. Check out the gift packages including the Tea and Cookie of the Month Club.

http://www.splendidafternoonteas.com/services/TeaAndCookie.html

5. SARAH VERNON’S FIRST NIGHT DESIGN. Blogger Sarah produces beautiful art prints.

See Sarah’s website at: http://www.firstnightdesign.co.uk/

6. BOOKS BY GIFTED AUTHORS:

MT McGUIRE’s award-winning K’Barthan Trilogy series isn’t just for young people. She’s a very good writer, with a wicked sense of humour. Who else would write a trilogy made up four books? For more about her new release and the series, visit her blog: http://mtmcguire.co.uk/

You can also read about MT at: https://cynthiasreyes.com/2014/04/02/author-mt-mcguire-at-home/

SK NICHOLLS’ writing has also been highly praised. Her new novel, a roman-a-clef, is titled Red Clay and Roses.

Visit her blog for more: http://redclayandroses1.wordpress.com/redclayandrose/

WHEN CONCHI BLOWS, by Omar Sheriffe Vernon El Halawani. It’s an interesting book, based on the author’s own interracial family history in Jamaica. He died before the book was published, and asked that proceeds from it be used for a worthy cause. His cousin Robert Vernon carried out his wishes.

http://www.amazon.ca/Conchi-Blows-Sheriffe-Vernon-Halawani/dp/1463712235/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1382PA7Z0Y7T30Z9AWZ3

7. And, finally, from New Zealand, Quarter Acre Lifestyle has just launched their online store of handmade soaps and other products. I know this couple is still setting up some payment options, but thought I’d give their products a mention now. Visit: http://www.tumbledowns.co.nz/for-sale

As my blogger friend Gallivanta (whom I’ve never met in person) did for my book, A Good Home, I’m shining a little light on the good work of others.

**Dedicated to everyone who creates something, hoping that someone else will value it.**