Karin Wells Studio: Holiday

Showing posts with label Holiday. Show all posts

Who knew that Leonardo da Vinci liked Kitty Cats?

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

St Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland.

I wonder if we could get him to stop by the House of Representatives? The Republicans just cut NPR's funding.

Kiss me! I'm Irate!

I like to listen to NPR in the studio when I paint. I am in rural New Hampshire where the hate talkers rule the airwaves 24/7 (Limbaugh, Hannity, ad nauseum). NPR saved my sanity.

Losing NPR really gets my "Irish up."

Happy 2011

It's cold in my studio this morning. I'm wearing two sweaters, my painting smock and double wool socks.

Here are my (less chilly) predictions for this coming year:

The economy will be going gangbusters.

The people of our nation will wake up and stop listening to FOX News and Hate Radio, begin to check and discuss facts and vote accordingly.

Your boss will give you a raise.

Your family situation will be stable.

You will feel the best you've ever felt.

And the demand for art will be so great that all artists will be employed for years to come.

I could be wrong about something here - but I hope not.

"The three grand essentials of happiness are; something to do, someone to love, and something to hope for"

- Alexander Chalmers

Happy New Year!

2011: The Chinese Year of the Rabbit

I love bunny rabbits.

The Chinese Year of the Rabbit is traditionally associated with home and family, artistic pursuits, diplomacy, and keeping the peace.

Therefore, 2011 is very likely to be a relatively calmer year than 2010 both on the world scene, as well as on a personal level.

And now it's almost time to say goodbye (and good riddance) to the feisty Year of the Tiger 2010.

On a National scale, the Tiger was often unpredictable, overwhelming and frustrating. It always felt like danger was just around the corner.

For example, the biggest lie of the Year of the Tiger was: "Government Takeover of Health Care"

This tiger-sized lie stuck like gorilla-glue.

Sadly we had to drop the "public option" concept that was derided as too much "government intrusion."

The bullies smelled opportunity and didn't let facts get in the way of a great punchline.

Is there any animal more gentle than a rabbit?

I am really looking forward to a saner, sweeter and kinder 2011.

Unexpected Art at a Shpping Mall Food Court

Like all beautiful art - this piece doesn't require a fancy "frame" to delight the soul.

Enjoy the season.

On the New Year

On this New Year's Eve a miracle can occur.

Tonight we ring out the old and ring in the new. And more--much more--can change than simply the dates on the calendar. You can resolve this night to change your entire life...or any aspect of your self and your experience that you choose.

And should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? No. Keep old friends near, and old loves dear. For they will help you make those changes in your life that will produce miracles, if you let them. Happy, happy New Year!

This is Auld Lang Syne as performed by Scottish folk group The Cast. The lyrics to the song are actually a poem written by Robert Burns in the late 1780s, according to Wikipedia, but they (as well as most of the melody) may be more familiar to you as the song people tend to sing just after New Years. This version has no such holiday connotations about it but I think it just sounds nice.

Love,

Karin

Let There Be Peace On Earth. . .

. . . and Health Care For All

Christmas 2009

The reason so much of humanity commemorates this day is that so much of humanity seeks to give and receive love.

During this holy time, know that all times are holy, that every religion holds truth, that each tradition is sacred, and that it is in the simple sharing of love that we make our beliefs come alive, and our dreams come true.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Love,

Karin

Family, Turkey, Talk, Fun and Puns

On this Thanksgiving Day; Family, Turkey, a Weekly Address from the President, and some truly awful puns.

Sometimes our family Thanksgiving dinners get a little punny. Here' are some of the ones we served up that were less fattening than the gravy:

A vulture boards an airplane, carrying two dead raccoons. The stewardess looks at him and says, "I'm sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per passenger."

Two fish swim into a concrete wall. One turns to the other and says, "Dam!"

Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too.

Two hydrogen atoms meet. One says, "I've lost my electron," The other says, "Are you sure?" The first replies "Yes, I'm positive."

Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root canal? His goal: transcend dental medication.

A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. After about an hour, the manager came out of the office and asked them to disperse. "But why?", they asked, as they moved off. "Because," he said, "I can't stand chess-nuts boasting in an open foyer."

A woman has twins and gives them up for adoption. One of them goes to a family in Egypt and is named "Ahmal." The other goes to a family in Spain; they name him "Juan." Years later, Juan sends a picture of himself to his birth mother. Upon receiving the picture, she tells her husband that she wishes she also had a picture of Ahmal. Her husband responds, "They're twins! If you've seen Juan, you've seen Ahmal."

A group of friars were behind on their belfry payments, so they opened up a small florist shop to raise funds. Since everyone liked to buy flowers from the men of God, a rival florist across town thought the competition was unfair. He asked the good fathers to close down, but they would not. He went back and begged the friars to close. They ignored him. So, the rival florist hired Hugh MacTaggart, the roughest and most vicious thug in town to "persuade" them to close. Hugh beat up the friars and trashed their store, saying he'd be back if they didn't close up shop. Terrified, they did so, thereby proving that only Hugh can prevent florist friars.

Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and, with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him (Oh, man, this is so bad, it's good) a super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.

And finally, there was the person who sent ten different puns to friends, with the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in ten did.

Groan. Happy Thanksgiving!

11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month

Major hostilities of World War I (“The War To End All Wars”) were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the signing of the Armistice.

We now celebrate "Veterans Day" each year to honor all of our veterans since the signing of the armistice.

In 1982, Joseph Ambrose, an 86-year-old WWI veteran held the flag that covered the casket of his son, who was killed in the Korean War.

When a war breaks out, people say: "It's too stupid, it can't last long." But though a war may be "too stupid," that doesn't prevent its lasting.

~Albert Camus

Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.

~Albert Einstein

"While I will never hesitate to use force to protect the American people or our vital interests, I also promise you this—and this is very important as we consider our next steps in Afghanistan: I will never rush the solemn decision of sending you into harm's way," Obama said during a visit to Naval Air Station Jacksonville. "I won't risk your lives unless it is absolutely necessary."

What is absurd and monstrous about war is that men who have no personal quarrel should be trained to murder one another in cold blood.

~Aldous Huxley

A state of war only serves as an excuse for domestic tyranny.

~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

O peace! how many wars were waged in thy name.

~Alexander Pope

It is always easier to fight for one’s principles than to live up to them.

~Alfred Adler

At least we're getting the kind of experience we need for the next war.

~Allen Dulles

Today the real test of power is not capacity to make war but capacity to prevent it.

~Anne O'Hare McCormick

Make wars unprofitable and you make them impossible.

~A. Philip Randolph

Why should we hear about body bags, and deaths...I mean, it's not relevant. So why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that?

~Barbara Bush on ABC's "Good Morning America," March 18, 2003

I just want you to know that, when we talk about war, we're really talking about peace.

~George W. Bush

I think war is a dangerous place.

~George W. Bush

The American Red Cross has a program called "Holiday Mail for Heroes" and invites us all to participate.

Our enemies...never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.

~George W. Bush

The price of empire is America’s soul, and that price is too high.

~Sen. J. William Fulbright

When in the course of human events...

...it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands...

It's been painted.

And documented. And quoted.

My favorite part is:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..."

We celebrate these words every single year.

But dare I ask - do we really understand the words? Isn't it ironic that securing freedom for all is not open to all?

This Fourth of July, let's consider the true cost of "freedom for most." Beyond spilled blood and loss of life, our democracy is greatly strengthened by acknowledging our mutual dependency and "officially" tolerating those who are different from us.

So it's 2009 already and we're still seeing some patriots kicked to the curb despite the fact that they are still willing to fight.

The steady daily drumbeat of bigotry leveled against our gay soldiers is shameful.

You know the old litany: "we love those sinners....' but because of my rigid personal religion, you (gays, liberals, whatever) simply cannot have the same choices and basic rights that the rest of us enjoy.....ad nauseam."

For Pete's sake, this brave and amazing document we celebrate was written 233 years ago - and still a majority of Americans disregard it. In the ideal Democracy of course, the majority makes the rules that protect all of us.

But change is coming and not a minute too soon. It is time to grow-up and drop that intolerant "don't ask - don't tell policy."

Granting legal equal rights for any two loving adults, anywhere in this country, who wish to marry is a giant step toward a stronger and more tolerant democracy.

Wrapped in the flag and still thumping a Bible - will we continue to allow the hateful ones among us to dominate our airwaves & dictate our votes with their brand of "morality?"

So many of our elected leaders say one thing and yet take money to do quite another. They've used their considerable power of office to do do us all a world of bad.

Waiting for the polls to open in my hometown of Peterborough, NH, we give thanks that a group of dedicated patriots 233 years ago, handed us the power to vote the bums out of office.

Government isn't the problem - but only a strong and tolerant government is, in fact, the solution.

So from the bottom of my very liberal heart, please ponder these important issues and have a grand 4th of July anyhow.

So as Americans, let's rethink who and what we stand for. In the spirit of that 233 year old Declaration, let's demand equality and justice for ALL Americans and celebrate the passage of those overdue freedoms by this time next year.

So call me opinionated - but wouldn't that be nice?

Happy Father's Day

Lovingly dedicated to The Old Viking (my Dad) - Carl W. Christensen.

And all Fathers everywhere.

Julie London sings "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" (1961) - what a legendary voice.

"About Eastertime"

"About Eastertime" is a beautiful nonsectarian* handmade book by Allison Randall. It is a powerful message of hope for anybody, any time.

I cried the first time I read it.

This is my friend Allison. Or at least these are her hands.

A Quaker, she makes "Friendly Goods" - soft lovable quiet toys for children (and adults).

Long before I met Allison, I bought one of her velvet "Hands to Hold" and sent it to a friend who needed some comfort while undergoing cancer treatment.

It was an instant hit and I was delighted to eventually become friends with the woman who would think to make such a wonderful thing!

Allison is a very wise and talented woman who wrote and illustrated my most favorite Easter Story.

With her kind permission, I have reprinted her elegant story below for all to enjoy: