“But…books are so much more. Some of them are webs; you can feel your way along their threads, but just barely, into strange and dark corners. Some of them are balloons bobbing up through the sky: totally self-contained, and unreachable, but beautiful to watch. And some of them―the best ones―are doors.” ~ Lauren Oliver
photoprint – LaPortell – Erin Berzel – Art.com
“When you close the door of your mind to negative thoughts, the door of opportunity opens to you.” ~ Napoleon Hill
Door – Pinterest – Unknown
“Forgiveness is unlocking the door to set someone free and realising you were the prisoner!” ~ Max Lucado
“Celebrating my life for everything that it is” includes being grateful that I can visit my husband, hug and kiss him, tell him I’m glad to see him, and be happy that he’s not hurting, even though he wasn’t cooperating with the nurse on taking his medicines and made little sense when we visited today.
It also includes the fact that on the way home from the visit, we went to an arts and crafts store called, “Chunya Art & Craft” where everything in the store was handmade by the owner/artist.
I bought two things: a handmade notebook and a tablecloth.
The photo doesn’t do the notebook justice. The painting on the front is very subtle, but shows an elephant with a beautiful cloth on his back walking in dense jungle of green, blue and purple. The rope that ties the pages together is done in an intricate, lacy pattern that allows you to open the book, lay it flat. I thinks it’s wonderful.
The tablecloth is batik. The card that came with it says, “Each piece of Batik painting has a unique feel as a result of endless combinations of the dye coloring., wax effects, the fabric typs, and most importantly the story-telling of love and joy we want to pass on. Hope you love our Batik!” – Nisa C. Tanakorn.
I think it’s a work of art. I LOVE the way it brightens up the whole end of the room.
The owner/artist of the shop could not have been nicer to us. She answered questions and was honestly thrilled I was so happy with my purchases. I can’t recommend her shop more highly. I left a review with pictures on Google Maps that I hope will send more appreciative customers her way.
I’m getting my place ready for my housekeeper to come tomorrow. I’ve changed the sheets, will change out the towels and empty the trash, trying not to leave a mess (other than my puzzle table, where there is only so much I can do to neaten it up.)
I’ve been sketching, working on the puzzle a bit, and reading, since I haven’t been able to get to my computer until now because it was in the middle of doing an upgrade. It turned out that it didn’t work the way it should and Brian said he would try to get it to work again later.
This has been a good day. We’ll share some dinner soon and then I’ll enjoy listening to music on YouTube. I like it that I can use the remote on my TV to request music by people I like or want to hear for the first time, just relaxing with my headphones so I don’t bother anyone. 😁
I showed you the painting I chose as the first art for my condo. I looked up Kaew to find out more about the artist. I love supporting local people, and I fell in love with this painting.
“My name is Saengkaew Bongkotmat, but you can call me “Kaew” which you will see signed on all the paintings. I was born in Krabi province, Thailand on August 22, 1975. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education technology and I studied art as a minor, also. I like painting when I was young. After University, I worked in business, but was not happy. I was making money but not finding fulfillment in my work. Because of the unhappiness in my business life. I returned to painting full-time about 10 years ago, and discovered that this is really me. I began selling my art at the Chiang Mai Night Market, and now have a gallery and art shop in The Old City. Art is my passion and now my full-time job. My goal is to capture Thai culture in the style of my paintings. I intend to continue my best artistic work, and improve my painting.“
I think maybe it was his wife who packaged the painting for us so well. This is a small family shop exquisitely arranged to grab your interest and delight the senses the minute you enter.
Brian and I discussed where to hang the painting. I immediately chose what I thought was the perfect spot on the wall behind the sofa, where the wall has a section with the same rectangular shape. Brian thought the hanger wasn’t as secure as we would like, and so switched it to the spot where I posted the pics. (He then said THAT hanger wasn’t very secure, either.)
One of the things keeping me up last night was the placement of my very first purchased original painting. Today I have moved the painting to the spot I think is where it should live – celebrating the beauty of the busy, robust, creative, and colorful Thailand street.
Kaew captured one of the many things I love about Chiang Mai. I smile each time I raise the shades showing my wonderful views of the buildings and the streets and shops below. Now I have an original artist’s creation on my wall where I can celebrate the country and its people – shades up or down!
I love the art created by David Zinn, but I’m even more delighted by his vision. When most people look at the place where the wall meets a sidewalk, they see the weed growing. The fastidious among us might bend over and pull the weed, or think that the weed should be sprayed with weed killer.
David Zinn sees a rabbit wearing a ‘delicious’ tutu, practicing a dance pose. And he stops to draw the sweet rabbit so that others can share his vision.
This is what makes me remain hopeful. I love sharing the same planet as a man who thinks like this.
I just love it that people will create a new art form, then others will look at it with fresh eyes, turn it on its ear and build something entirely different. Each person looks, sees it differently, considers other possibilities, decides to add a new focus, another medium, a unique style.
I go back and look at the same art form I thought was wonderful the first time I saw it, finding that it has GROWN since I found images the last time. It’s become even more interesting, more creative….
I love living on this planet where human imagination is limitless!
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