October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

                                                               'Believe in Yourself'

Domestic Violence.

  Happens way too often. 

                Not a pretty thought.

Violence of any type is unforgiving to me in this fishlife I live now.  My little fishlips are going to town on this subject – I have a bit of firsthand knowledge about DV.

Once long ago I lived with a man who had a short temper.  Verbal abuse was the mainstay, kicking or throwing objects came later, and a few times I got to experience the threat & action of bodily harm. 

His being an alcoholic and own abusive youth blurred what were healthy relationship boundaries.  

I got out after realizing my life was more important than anything he could offer in marriage.  I’ve been divorced for over 20 years and I don’t look back at all.  I made the decision that Domestic Violence or violence/abuse of any type was not going to be part of my life and would support anyone else looking to leave an abusive relationship.

I now live with a man who thinks the world of me in a healthy loving manner.  He is my biggest supporter of all that I do and encourages me daily!

Violence does not need to happen.  Folks can live without any type of violence or abuse in their life.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness month.

I have donated two of my photographs for a upcoming auction; plus one Mixed Media artwork for a public show speaking out against Domestic Violence.

A few sites that can help one learn and find help for Domestic Violence:

The Domestic Violence Awareness Project - http://dvam.vawnet.org/

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence - http://www.ncadv.org/

Upside Down or Other Warehouse 13 moments in Art

Outsider Art is a term I just discovered by accident.


If you like outsider art and you're a insider are you turned upsidedown?

What would happen if an outsider married an insider and they have offspring Are they then ~ INSIDEOUT?

When that Inside-out grows up do they become Upside Downs when they become artists?

Makes my head spin.  Does yours?

I understand why terms or classification are given; much easier for the brain to wrap around.  Some just do not make sense.

 OUTSIDER ART (noun)

 Meaning:

A genre of art and outdoor constructions made by untrained artists who do not recognize themselves as artists

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

naive art; outsider art; primitive art; self-taught art; vernacular art

Hypernyms ("outsider art" is a kind of...):

genre (a class of art (or artistic endeavor) having a characteristic form or technique)

Throughout life I was always the outsider which growing up was a tad scary.  Now I have a classification that actually means something but find myself once more being Outsider; while looking inside; turning upsidedown; and becoming insideout; thus once more Outside.  All this said with lips all puckered up in a lopsided grin.

Artful Deeds

From a lovely garden to behold at Kinaid Park in Anchorage, Alaska. 

Summer was filled with gardens west to east and north to south here in Anchorage.  I could not get enough photos of the flowers blooming.  Bees where busy when days blasted sun, rain made for riding my bicycle not so possible many a time.  But as soon as it stopped and I knew a break would last for awhile - off I would go snapping up photos of my favorite subjects.

Now as fall takes its hold upon Anchorage, my art will be basically exploring, refining, and printing out natures beauty one page at a time.