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New Wine available here.
Just as grapes are crushed in the process of creating wine, we are also crushed during times of sorrow and affliction. Like sweet, new wine, we are able to transform into more wise, understanding, and compassionate people as a result of living through these moments. This piece of art is an abstract expression of that process.
Entangled By Words available here.
Words can break down and words can lift up,
Intent will empower them and align their result;
Care is required because words contain power,
To fuel hope or dismay, acceptance or rancor.
-Diamante Lavendar
Today I’m very excited to introduce an amazing artist named Joe Gilronan! I came across his art while working on my FAA site. I absolutely love his work and am very happy to be able to pass it along to you! Joe wrote the blog post below. So, sit back and enjoy!
Halloween Express, available here.
Art and creating have always been a part of my life, my father before me had a successful career as a British landscape artist, so it seemed only natural to follow in his footsteps. As well as my father's influence, my love of all things magical has led me to where I am today.
Growing up I found inspiration all over the place: TV, film, and most of all books and one book, in particular, The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien. For many years I painted mainly Tolkien-inspired work and still receive requests for commissioned pieces to this day. The world Tolkien created is full of wonders, and at the same time, very real. This is what really inspires my work and fires my imagination—finding the magic in the natural landscape.
I have been very lucky in that I have always lived in close range of amazing scenery—the Snowdonia National Park, the Cheshire plains, and now the Andalusia mountains of Spain. Whenever possible, I go for walks and take photographs and do lots of sketches. So there are lots of trees, mountains, castles, rivers, and landmarks that I have sketched and photographed that end up in my finished works.
A typical day for me starts at 7:00 am when I grab a quick breakfast, check e-mails, and start creating around 8:00 am. I will work all morning until around 3.30 and then take a break to go out for an afternoon run, I find the time out an essential part of the creative process, and where I mull over the direction the work will take.
I work mainly in oil and acrylic but have recently started to dabble in mixed media, combining both traditional and digital mediums, it's a steep learning curve but one that I am enjoying immensely and is probably the direction I see myself gravitating towards.
However, whichever path I eventually decide upon, one thing will remain constant, and that is the challenge of creating a sense of wonder.
Concerning Hobbits by Joe Gilronan.
If you love what you see, as I’m sure you do, you can find Joe’s website here. What an inspiring and magical collection to get lost in! Thank you, Joe, for being a guest on my blog!
Shooting Stars by Joe Gilronan available here.
Fairy Nook available here.
Waiting is hard to do. It requires a great deal of faith and patience. In our humanity, we want things to work out in a certain time frame, particularly if we’ve been waiting for something for a long time. Learning to wait patiently is a virtue. And learning to wait in faith without seeing an answer for a long time is also a virtue.
Throughout my life, I’ve wondered why certain things have happened. It has required great faith and dedication to my spiritual walk to be able to come to terms with a lot of those things. Hardship has brought me to my knees and has brought anger and pain to the surface of my life. It has seemed to me that the more difficult the circumstance that I’ve encountered, the more it has taught me, albeit unwillingly much of the time. But I have learned to believe and come to know that whatever is divinely ordered will someday be made right, and will bring me into a deeper understanding of God and the purpose he has for me. It’s been extremely difficult, sometimes more than what I thought I could bear.
The last few years have been indescribable for all of us. There has been so much pain and anguish that it is almost unbelievable. Yet it is happening around us every day. Questions of why will haunt us. Images we see bring pain to us. How do we survive these types of things? By believing that someday we will understand, and by knowing that someday we will find peace on the other side of these problems. It is of little comfort when we try to reason things out ourselves. Trusting in a larger perspective and understanding will open us up to higher truth and meaning. Knowing that “this too shall pass” gives us the hope that one day we will recover and be able to move on.
If you are suffering, please find refuge in the fact that you are loved and cherished. Try not to take things that hurt you to your core in such a way that you will never be able to mend or recover. You have great meaning and value. Your life matters as do the lives of your family and friends. If we could only spread a spirit of kindness and compassion amongst ourselves, we could make this world a better and more palatable place to live and survive in. Pain begets more pain and is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Love and light are a choice, particularly in the face of destruction, anger, and demise.
When my children passed away, I didn’t think I could survive it. I struggled for years in grief, anger, and desperation. I finally came to the conclusion that the only way I could live was to make the decision to be of help to others and to bring good from the horribly bad things that had nearly destroyed me. We need to find a way to continue on, to persevere, and not give up. Procreating purpose and good is a wonderful way to achieve that goal.
I sincerely hope that I can help you decide to continue living within the parameters of hope and meaning. It’s extremely difficult at times but worth it when you come to the other side of your pain. Being an overcomer is a beautiful thing, particularly when you are able to help others be and do the same!
The art piece that I’m sharing below is an illustration of that process. I hope it inspires you and encourages you! It is true that we need to be the change we want to see in the world. Start the chain of hope today by being a light in the darkness!
Becoming by Diamante Lavendar, available here.
After a year of silence, I have decided to begin posting blogs again. I had a while to think about life, my plans, and what I hoped to do going forward. I’ve been stuck, not sure if I wanted to continue writing. Things that happened in the last year made me unable to write much of anything besides very short 4-8 stanza poetry pieces. I didn’t know how to proceed.
I’ve been feeling the nudge of the Holy Spirit lately and I’ve come to the conclusion that I need to post on my blog to lift others up and help them continue on to what they are destined to do. Over the years, I’ve made my own plans and tried to prosper what I was doing within my own strength and I succeeded somewhat, but nothing ever goes as it should if we rely more on ourselves than on God. So I’ve learned to yield to Him, following the desires and dreams He puts inside me but relying on Him to let them go where they need to go and do what they need to do.
I’ve been meditating on hope a lot lately. Hope is essential in following your destined path. And many times hope is very difficult to find, especially when the world gets overwhelming around you. The events of the last couple of years have really been rough on so many of us. This world has changed drastically in a very short amount of time. And hope is the rudder that will guide us through if we don’t lose it. Hope, to me, is a stabilizing factor and a rampart of strength. It is something we need to seek, something we find when we trust in God. When everything is shaky, run for the fortress found in Heavenly peace and discernment. That is where we’ll find safety and strength.
Faith is wrapped up in hope. Faith is defined as, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1. That was always a tough one for me because I was someone who had to see things in order to believe. I’ve really had to change my attitude and outlook about that! I believe that’s why we are given an imagination. And we are free to use it however we choose. When we think about our dreams, we are fueling our faith to step out and make them happen! I believe that everyone has a dream in their heart and I think that this world is the place where we need to discover it and walk it out. Sometimes it can take a while, and when it does it’s easy to lose faith and hope. I am reminded of the saying that anything worthwhile in life takes time. And that certainly does seem to be the case. We are tested on our ability to persevere.
If you find yourself going through a rough patch, cling to the promise that there is good planned for you and that you have a unique dream to achieve-one that nobody else can accomplish quite the same way you can. And if you’ve failed before, take heart. Failure is a learning curve for us all. How would we know what works if we hadn’t tried numerous things that didn’t? You’ll find your way. Have hope, have faith, and persevere! You’ll soon discover the silver linings of every failure you’ve been through which will lead you to your path of destined light!
My art piece titled Faith.
Faith is a rainbow of colors wrapped in trails of glittering light!
This year has certainly been something out of the ordinary-something nobody could have predicted. I think it can suffice to say that this year has been ‘otherwordly’. Before the pandemic hit, I created a piece of art that fit very well with the onslaught of 2020.
Growing Through Adversity, available here.
The description of this work was written as follows: Hardship in life is inevitable. We will all experience it from one degree to another. Hardship redefines us and makes us grow. Much of it we have no control over. But it can make us stronger and wealthy with wisdom if we choose to have the right perspective about it.
Now that I look back at this work, I find it almost haunting that I uploaded it on my art site on April 24, 2020, with the pandemic hitting only weeks afterward. It is true that hardship really causes us to grow. I find it almost amazing how much. It seems that the deeper the pain and the valley that is forged within, the deeper the insight and understanding we gain. A difficult part of being human.
Then on May 3, before the pandemic became critical, I uploaded a piece as a response to the beginning of the craziness that was befalling us. The work was titled A New World Order. And how strange it has been to see the civil unrest and disunity that this pandemic has caused or brought out among people. I truly believe that unity is the answer to fighting this pandemic and to rising up as accomplished, caring citizens of this country.
A New World Order available here.
The description of this work is written as:
Current events have changed our world;
Hardship and heartache have brought much concern.
A world divided against itself will surely fall,
Unity is the answer to destiny's call.
How true that became after the pandemic had caused economic issues and social unrest. I pray for a better future- a world of unity, cooperation, and understanding rather than division and anger as we have seen run much too prevalent in current times. Everything that has happened has reminded me of Martin Luther King Jr’s statement: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." His words still ring true to this day! I pray we can rise up and adopt that stance in our current societal condition!
My art entitled Pandemonium.
“What’s going to happen? Do you even care?” she looked at him, her eyes welling with tears.
“I don’t know. Nobody knows what tomorrow will bring,” he rubbed her back.
“Why aren’t you worried? Why are you acting like this is just another day? Our father is sick. He might die.” She sniffled. A lonely tear fell down her cheek.
“We can’t change it. We have to take it one day at a time and see what happens. If we fall apart, it won’t do either of us any good.” He looked at her, pushing his dark hair behind his ear. “It might be fine. You don’t know. Why always take the pessimistic route? It could turn out better somehow. I’ve seen stranger things happen.” He fidgeted with the ring on his middle finger.
“It seems like you’re trying to talk yourself into that being a reality. How could our father in ICU be a good thing? How in the heck could that make things better than before?” Her voice was edgy.
He answered quietly, “Well, when mom died, it brought us closer together. You never know the outcome until you’re living it.”
“Yeah. It’s pretty pathetic that her death had to be the reason we started talking again.” She glared at him.
“Maybe,” he shrugged. “But it’s true. You never know how something will affect you until you live through it. And I’m really glad we’re closer now.”
“I guess. But I don’t want dad to die. Losing mom two years ago was enough for me.”
“I know. I don’t either. But you have to accept whatever happens. Any other choice would end up screwing you over somehow. You have to take the good with the bad. That’s just how life goes.” He leaned back against the car, waiting for her to reply.
She was staring straight ahead in a daze. An awkward silence fell over them.
***************************************************
During these stressful times, don’t give up hope. Stay as positive as you can and try to be a friend for someone to lean on. We all need each other. And the flip side of this virus is showing us that reality. What we do affects those around us. Instead of becoming fearful and angry, try to be caring and understanding. A little good goes a long way!
My art entitled Faith.
Not only is natural light important for our bodies, but so is spiritual light-the inspiration we receive from spiritual practice.
In our crazy world with its ups and downs, we need a calming influence. A reminder that we can find refuge amidst the chaos and calamity of the societies in which we live. Inspiration means different things to different people. But the basis is the same for everyone. And that basis is peace, hope and meaning within our day to day timelines. No matter where we come from, those are the things we crave. And people receive that guidance or uplifting presence from their religion, beliefs and activities.
For me, a Christian perspective has helped me navigate through a lot of pain and turmoil. And stemming from that perspective is my daily act of writing and artistry. When I am overwhelmed or stressed out, I sit down at my computer and begin to create. I also do it when I’m relaxed. But I find that artistry lends a presence of Spirit and hope to my day.
Whether it’s cooking, exercising, meeting new people or taking a trip to someplace new, everyone has an outlet in which they find hope and meaning. And recently I’ve been focusing even more on spiritual art and poetry. I’m trying new things, expanding my horizons.
The piece you see below is entitled Let Your Light Shine. It’s a mixed media work in which I share my belief that everyone has something important to offer-a destiny to fulfill. I hope that this work will persuade you to shine your light. The world is in need of love and encouragement. When you decide to let your light shine, I know you’ll be so glad that you did!
Let Your Light Shine available here.
Here is another new work I created. I titled it Subconscious Impressions.
I am very interested in the role that our subconscious plays in our lives. I believe it has a huge influence on who we believe we are and what we do. I also very much believe that if we change our deep-seated understanding and concepts regarding what we’ve been through in life and begin to believe more positive, proactive, and kinder things about ourselves that we will change who we truly are. I do believe that Spirit is a huge influence in this process. It has been an outstanding role and influence in my life, turning negativity into positivity and bringing beauty from the ashes of my past.
Subconscious Impressions can be found here.
Description:
Subconscious impressions affect our decisions,
They weigh in on our consciousness and influence our opinions;
To increase our awareness is a part of our cause,
If we wish to find freedom and decrease our flaws!
Stay blessed and have a joyous day!
This art work was directly inspired by my Christian beliefs. I wanted to convey the beauty of transfiguration, when our spirit joins our loved ones waiting for us in heaven. This is a very poignant piece for me since several of my children are waiting for me to join them there. I can imagine the celebration that must take place when we are united together again!
Transfiguration is available here.
Here is a poetic description:
The beauty of transfiguration,
Is a blessed, hopeful inspiration;
Fear has no depth with which to claim us,
For God's faithful promise guides and saves us!
I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and I wish you a very Happy New Year!
I believe we all have guardian angels. I believe that they’re with us each moment of every day and night. The thought of angelic beings watching over me brings me peace. I see angels as messengers created by and working for God.
This is an artwork that I came up with earlier this month. I was thinking about our planet and all the life teeming on its’ surface and in its’ atmosphere. It is mind boggling to meditate on how many species live with us on our beautiful planet. As I considered the numerous plants and animals that share this space with us, I began to wonder if earth is watched over by angelic beings. I can only imagine that our Creator would have made special angels to take care of the planet and instruct us about ways to keep our earth safe and healthy for upcoming generations.
This is the result of my ponderings. It is entitled The Guardians and is available here.
The Guardians by Diamante Lavendar
We are very fortunate for the beauty of the the natural world around us. Even the stars that light up the night are astounding. I hope that during the hustle and bustle of the holidays, you are able to take a moment to relax and appreciate the simple things in life. Happy Holidays!
Do you ever wonder why we cry? So often we believe that tears are a sign of weakness. Have you ever been told that you’re a “crybaby”? Unfortunately our society devalues tears. However, tears are actually cleansing. If you’ve been through trauma, tears are a good thing. They help us purge negative emotions and thoughts. Tears need to be felt, released and then understood. Tears can be a misguiding influence at times if we feel the pain, cry and continue to be stuck in it. But if we feel the pain, cry and learn from it tears are a beautiful thing.
It is actually a sign of strength to show weakness. It is so easy to hide from hardship instead of having the approach of learning from it. When times get down and dirty, like death, divorce or financial distress, it can be so easy to get mad and want to get even. It takes great strength to feel the pain, learn from it and move on. I can almost hear you asking, “How do you move on when someone dies?” My answer: you learn from the situation, decide to be grateful for what you had and make the most out of your future to honor that situation.
When my children passed, I wanted to be angry. And I was for quite a while. But then I knew that I had to find good in the heartbreak and use that wisdom to move forward in becoming a better person any way that I felt I was being led to do so. And out of their loss came my books and my art. It was an outlet for me to not only help myself but to also help others who have experienced the same types of things head on. And when I was reeling from the effects of being abused and molested, I knew I had to find a way to make some good come out of all the agony and negativity. That was another reason why I wrote my books, talking about my life and healing journey to help myself and others. Gut wrenching pain like that needs to be acknowledged. And the journey of healing needs to be shared so that others affected by the strain and pain of difficulty can know that there is hope for better days to come.
This life isn’t easy. For anyone. Some go through more than others but the struggle of pain is universal. When we understand why we cry and why God gave us tears in the first place, we know that He wants us to learn from hardship the truth of His reality. He’s in the healing business. He’s in the business of growth and understanding. When we experience trouble,. we gain wisdom and insight not only into ourselves and others but also life in general. This world is a place to stretch and expand into a more loving, creative version of ourselves in His image. And with His depth of character and wisdom, the most effective way I have learned was through the pain I suffered. Fun is great and success is amazing but we can’t be “well rounded” beings without understanding both the valleys and the mountains. I believe God gave us tears, in His great mercy, to empower us to withstand those lessons. So if you’re having a particularly difficult time processing your pain, try the stance of being grateful for your tears. That in itself is an empowering lesson!
“Why Did You Leave Me?” available here.
The Visitor available here.
About a week ago when I was praying, I asked a question. It was something I have been wondering about for a while now. In order to have this make sense, I need to explain that I have two children buried next to each other in the same cemetery. One died after ten hours and the other died after nearly nineteen years. My question was this: “Why, Father (God) do you promise to bless us with long, meaningful lives and then let some of us die so young?”
I truly didn’t understand what the answer could possibly be. I have prayed that prayer so many times, believing and hoping for my loved ones to have long, earthly, happy lives. And I had been wrong twice with my own children and watched so many other young people die. It made no sense to me.
A few days ago, I was listening to a message online and I received the answer. No matter how old we are when we leave this planet, we are blessed with long, meaningful lives. He said, “You never truly die. You only change form. You live forever.”
I guess I should have been able to figure that out but the answer always eluded me. Because I was focused on this life-Earth life. I didn’t consider the transformation of death to be a continuation. I knew we transformed but always considered it a new beginning. And it is in many ways. But in other ways, it is a continuation of our time here. They joy of having an eternal perspective is so beautiful! I just wanted to pass my little revelation along!
In my two most recent books, I write about my kids that have passed into Heaven. I tell stories about them and speak of what their lives meant to me. My youngest daughter who passed two years ago loved fairy tales and spiritual stories. When she was young, we spent a lot of time swimming in the summer. One of our favorite activities was swimming in the rain. There was something magical about being in the warm water while the cool rain dropped around us and created a mist. It was like being in another world. It was beautiful. Those memories are bittersweet now.
We used to talk a lot about folklore and fairytales. My daughter was convinced that she had been a mermaid in a previous life. She told me how she remembered sliding down some type of embankment as a mermaid child. She was always very accurate in telling the same story: she hit her head and fell into the water, drowning before her mother could get to her. It was magical listening to my daughter talk about the things of other realms. It made me believe more in other universes and possibilities.
This piece of graphic art is one I created in remembrance of my precious child. How she loved to dream and imagine! This is a piece I call The Gathering Place. It is a place of serenity and rest where mermaids come to relax and reminisce. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating it!
The Gathering Place available here.
I find it intriguing that at the age of twelve I attended a writing class at a local university. In that class I wrote a story about a mermaid who fell in love with a human. Their story was one of sorrow because they weren’t able to marry and be together. Maybe there was a reason for that story. Some day I may receive a confirmation about that! In the meantime, I’ll enjoy the memories of my daughter and think of her when I look at this piece of art. Perhaps she’s waiting for me in a realm somewhat like this. You never know. Many times truth is stranger than fiction!
What happens when we leave this earth? Where do we go? What do we do? Age old questions of uncertainty. As I speak, my father is wondering what the answers to these questions are. He has been advised to be put on hospice. I am again contemplating the answers to these questions myself. My daughter passed into eternity two years ago and I am preparing for another round.
I have spent years studying the afterlife-since I lost my first child nearly 30 years ago. I have read books, watched documentaries, even delved into a sampling of physics and other sciences. I have read the Bible. I have learned a few things but it seems that the more I learn the more questions I have.
Essence Of Soul I available here
Is it even possible to understand what we look forward to after we leave here? I think as God’s children we will come to know much. But I don’t think we could ever know all. Only God, in His wisdom could ever understand all of the nuances and infinite possibilities that His realm has to offer.
When I was younger, I imagined Heaven to be a place where we floated around on clouds and watched angels fly by. Now I believe Heaven is so complex that it would take eternity in itself just to begin to comprehend all there is to know. I guess I’m grateful for that. Because I don’t like to be bored! So I am looking forward to being infinitely amazed once I get over there. And very much looking forward to seeing my children again.
A parent-child bond is a beautiful thing. I could share stories of visitations from my children; signs that they are still around. And actually I do share quite a few stories in my upcoming book. It was written as a dedication to my youngest child that passed away two years ago. I prefer to say that she graduated. Anyway, now as I prepare to send my father off in God’s love and light, I hope he sees her and tells me that she’s doing well. I know she is. I still feel her around me, wrapped in God’s love. A beautiful feeling. I am and ever will be grateful for that love and that guidance until I too join them on the other side.
Essence Of Soul II available here
I created these pieces of art as I imagined what we look like when we journey Home. I think of us as being healthy, happy, in perfect condition physically with God’s beautiful light shining in and all around us. Overwhelmed with gratitude and peace. That’s how I hope it will be. I look forward to hugging and laughing with my dearly departed ones. Until then, I will write and create art inspired by the beliefs that I hold.
I am convinced that this life is a learning ground. A school for the soul. I know I’ve learned a lot here and I still have time left. So I strive to do my best through the good and the bad to evolve to a point where I can be happy and peaceful here as well as in Heaven. That is what I wish for all of us. And for understanding that we can forgive and move on from all types of hardship, knowing that the harshest of days create in us empathy, compassion and understanding. All qualities that I consider to be of high spiritual significance.
Until next time, take care and try to enjoy your journey. The time we have here really isn’t that long. Even one hundred years happens in the blink of an eye. If we make the most of it and learn from our pain, I believe we have gained enough wisdom to enjoy our next phase of existence!
I am jazzed to say that one of my pieces of photography won 3rd place in the American Art Awards! This is a great honor since artists from 59 countries enter. Not only that but the winning pieces of work are juried by 25 of the best museums and art galleries in America! So this is a wonderful honor!
When great things happen in life, be sure to rejoice! It's wonderful to have good news between the curveballs that life throws at us. If you don't celebrate the 'wins', you'll feel inundated by the harder things that come to call.
Last year I was pleasantly surprised that I won three times in the digital art category as well, so this is a very sweet reward! If you'd like to check out my winning art from last year, you can find it at the link below. The pieces that won in 2017 are Taken, Angel Of Light and Of One Accord.
Art site: https://diamante-lavendar.pixels.com
Thanks for visiting!
Here is a fun piece I created while remembering the kaleidoscope toy I loved when I was a kid! It was fun to watch the colorful images seeming to melt into each other. A wonderland of shapes and hues in the imagination of a child!
If you enjoy this image, you can find it in all different products here:
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/kaleidoscope-diamante-lavendar.html
I love nature. There is nothing as soothing as taking a walk through a forest or on a beach. Anxiety slips away and peace comes to rest in my heart. I love Mother Earth. I love the trees, the flowers, beaches and lakes. Our planet is so beautiful.
This piece entitled Neon Leaves celebrates the diversity of trees that decorate our yards and forests. Without them we would be unable to live. Every day we need Mother Earth but so often we forget about her value and importance. This piece is offered with a great cheer to her beauty. May we always love and respect her!
You can find prints of this piece below:
https://diamante-lavendar.pixels.com/featured/neon-leaves-diamante-lavendar.html
Everything in life seems so important, sometimes dire-until we look at the big picture. The big picture keeps everything in its proper perspective.
Here is my digital art piece entitled Life In A Nutshell. It's a great reminder to keep yourself focused on what's really important.
https://diamante-lavendar.pixels.com/featured/life-in-a-nutshell-diamante-lavendar.html
Enchantment begins when you start to believe in the unseen possibilities all around you. Enchantment opens the mind and imagination to amazing new perceptions and understanding.
You can find Enchantment at the link below:
https://diamante-lavendar.pixels.com/featured/enchantment-diamante-lavendar.html