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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.
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!
Here is my newest art piece which I titled Beautiful Night! It is a celebration of color and beauty!
Beautiful Night available here.
A beautiful evening and beautiful sights,
With a beautiful woman is a beautiful night!
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!
Who doesn’t love to have their wishes come true? Here is an artwork about the wonder and fun of fulfilled dreams and wishes!
Life is a game, or so it seems,
We discover our passions and chase after our dreams;
Some days can be hard but we find our way through,
And hope for the moments when our wishes come true!
Wishes are the stuff of tomorrow and the hope of new promises and outcomes. Wishes keep us going. They motivate us to try harder. What would we do without wishes and hopes? Life would be dull and very melancholy. If you have big dreams, never give up trying to accomplish them. Shoot for the stars and you just may find yourself living heaven on earth!
When Wishes Come True is available here.
In the last couple of months, I’ve been blessed with a couple of new art awards. The winning pieces and awards they’ve received are listed below:
Ministering Spirits available here.
This work is a mixed media piece entitled Ministering Spirits. It involves components of photography, fractal art and digital art. It won a tie for 5th place in Manipulated Photography (Category 45) in The American Art Awards. Artists from 63 countries around the world applied to these awards, so it is a huge honor to have won! Thanks so much to The American Art Awards and Thom Bierdz! I’m very grateful!
Hurt is available here.
My piece entitled Hurt also won a 4th place tie in Non-Representational Digital Art (Category 48) in The American Art Awards. This work is Digital Art which I created in 2015. A wonderful honor indeed!
I also was very happy that my work entitled Portrait Of Time was juried into an art exhibit this month, November 2019 at 3 Square Art’s exhibit, 100 Square Inches Of Art! Portrait Of Time is shown below:
Portrait Of Time available here.
My work entitled Electric Flowers was awarded 3rd place in Contemporary Art Gallery Online’s 2019 All Color Art Competition and Exhibit. Electric Flowers is shown below:
Electric Flowers is available here.
And another of my work titled The Prophecy was awarded 2nd place in the 2019 Portrait/Figurative Competition (Photography/Digital) hosted by Contemporary Art Gallery Online! You can view The Prophecy below:
The Prophecy is available here.
If you’d like to view any other pieces of my work, you can find it at https://diamante-lavendar.pixels.com/.
Thanks for taking a moment to check out my post! It’s always a pleasure to have new visitors! Take care and be blessed!
I recently had a contest in my Emotive Art group titled Art That Illustrates Appreciation. It was up to the artist to submit a piece that was voted on by Fine Art America members. Michael Durst won first place with his work, I Love You Darling!
I love the colors used in this piece and the feeling of love and appreciation. It really does capture the essence of what I was looking for in the contest.
I asked Michael to send me a biography. He is a very interesting artist indeed! Please find it below:
According to the Ico Gallery in New York’s Chelsea district, “Dr. Michael Durst is one of the most exciting South African artists to have exhibited in New York." Originally from the U.S. he has been living and painting in Cape Town for over 20 years. As a psychologist, Dr. Dust’s paintings create not only beauty for the beholder, but also a state of relaxation and healing. His work combines impressionism with fractal art, evoking an emotional link to the heart-thus the name he likes to call his art: Heartscapes.
Star Light Star Bright available here.
His exhibitions in New York, Chicago, Cape Town, the Netherlands and India have received rave reviews and gained Dr. Durst international recognition.
He loves to create art in two very different mediums: Impressionism and Fractal Art. His impressionistic work of the beauty of Cape Town--especially the Waterfront, Hout Bay, Table Mountain, ocean views, spring flowers, and the vineyards-- are breath-taking.
Durst's Fractal Art is based on mathematical formulas that produce order out of a world of chaos. What is created when chaos shifts to order, are beautiful “fractals” that have the ability to be explored as separate visual universes. Durst uses texture, pattern and colour to reveal the infinite visual depth and immense detail, inviting the viewer to plunge into an imaginary world of striking beauty. It seems that behind each curve and ripple lies a surprise, just waiting to be discovered.
In the last year, Dr. Durst has combined the Fractal art with painted images to create mixed-media "visions" of striking beauty. These works break down our sense of identity with intellect and form, and reconnect us to the sacred whole to which we all belong. He typically uses many different fractal sets and images, changing the light source, colour and perspective and then layers them into complex composite designs.
Two Hearts, One Soul available here.
Dr Durst is one of the best known artists on Fine Art America, having over 475,000 hits on his site and winning countless “First Place” awards in online exhibitions, competing with hundreds and in some cases, thousands of artists from all over the world. He has been named one of the "Impressionists of the 21st Century" and was voted First Runner Up in the ARTIST OF THE YEAR FOR 2018 by his fellow professional artists and international gallery owners.
He opened the DR DURST GALLERY OF ART AND ANTIQUES at 58 Loop Street, on the corner of Loop Street and Castle Street in Cape Town. The Gallery is located on the Second Floor on the Shark and Safari Tours on the corner of Loop Street and Castle Street.
If you would like to connect with Dr. Durst, you can find his website here. He can also be found on Facebook here.
Eternal Optimism available here.
I am currently featuring a beautiful piece of art in my art group, Emotive Art. The piece is entitled Eternal Optimism and it was created by Laurie Cairone. Her art is spiritual in nature and flows with a sense of peace and light. So I was immediately drawn to her creativity! I am always excited to introduce new artists and authors and Laurie Cairone is no exception! I asked her to write up a post about her creative process and background which you will find below:
I have created art intuitively for more than 40 years. Why Do I create art? Because creating soothes my soul and is a form of meditation for me. I enjoy working with Pastels, Watercolor, Acrylic, and Charcoal mediums. I also enjoy now learning and working with these mediums digitally in Procreate on my Ipad.
My interests in the Universe,The Healing Arts,The Metaphysical World, and the Mind, Body, Soul Connection influence and inspire my art. I have also practiced as a Registered Nurse for over 30 years and hold a Second Degree Reiki Certification. Over half of my nursing career was spent in the specialty area of psychiatry, so I am very drawn to the introspective process. I believe that keeping our minds healthy with positive thoughts is a main ingredient to good health.
I have always found Art to be a therapeutic, relaxing, creative process that soothes my soul. Creativity is a form of meditation for me that allows a way of letting go of the dust that builds up over time. Art can be a healthy form of distraction for us. Creativity can open the door to self-reflection that can aid in helping us gain clarity and peace over every day life. Drawing can be a sacred process of creating images from the heart.
The creative process for me is often from a shape and a color. I seldom have a vision or sketch out what will evolve. I love to see what evolves and once I feel a piece is finished is when I name it. Here is where the introspective work arrives. I analyze my creation and look to the symbolism behind each color and shape and that is when the title hits me. Sometimes the title provokes much contemplation about a subject, so I will then write about the piece in my description. Sometimes the description to a piece is left for me to do a little more introspection before I can write about it.
I have enjoyed the creative process since childhood and when I look back over certain times in my life, my work often reflects the joys and sorrows that we all go through at times. I will say that creating has helped me during some of the most difficult times of my life. I experienced a stillbirth full term many years ago and creating art kept me in one piece during that time.
A percentage of all my sales are donated to Magnolia Pediatrics to help Dr. Linda Del Vecchio-Gilbert provide palliative care to children with complex, chronic conditions. You can learn more here.
You can find Laurie and her amazing art here. Thank you, Laurie, for being a guest on my blog!
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!
I came across Julie Turner’s work while I was working on my art site. I immediately fell in love with her wisteria prints and contacted her about a feature on my blog. She happily obliged! Below you will find her biography:
Julie received her BFA from James Madison University (Harrisonburg, VA). She spent her career working in the visual arts for various industries producing commercial art, technical graphics and multimedia. Concurrently she created fine art, representing many disciplines. Her most recent works are primarily acrylic on canvas paintings and digital art for print and home decor. Her style is a unique blend of Abstract Expressionism and Expressionism. Turner has exhibited in the USA: San Diego, CA; Las Vegas, NV; New York, NY; Alexandria, VA; and Bologna, Italy. Her artwork has been published worldwide and has been sold to many private collectors.
Although she’s skilled in many art disciplines: drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, stained glass, jewelry, video, multimedia and digital imagery, she has a strong drive and passion for painting. She enjoys experimenting with difficult paint challenges and likes working with bold paint colors and varying degrees of paint thickness and layering. She’s inspired by love, family, friends, nature, music, dreams, astronomy and spiritual/metaphysical subject matter.
After I contacted Julie, I found that she and I share similar interests. Not only is she an artist but she has also written a children’s book. A kindred spirit indeed!
If you’d like to contact Julie, you can find her on her Website, Facebook, Fine Art America, and Handmade At Amazon. You can find Julie’s book here.
Dream 06 Julie Turner
Several weeks ago I found an artistically kindred spirit. Read more about her here!
Read more
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!
I recently won a gold medal for Poetry and Ponderings from Mom's Choice Awards and a silver medal for Finding Hope In The Darkness Of Grief. I am deeply honored to be part of the Mom's Choice Awards family which is recognized in fifty five countries for excellence in products. Both of my books join my book Breaking The Silence in the Mom's Choice family, which also won a gold medal.Please find links below to all three award winning books:
Finding Hope In The Darkness Of Grief: https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Hope-Darkness-Grief-Spiritual/dp/1982205687/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1533615942&sr=8-1&keywords=finding+hope+in+the+darkness+of+grief
Poetry and Ponderings: https://www.amazon.com/Poetry-Ponderings-Journey-Healing-Through/dp/0998167398/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1533617824&sr=8-1&keywords=poetry+and+ponderings+diamante+lavendar
Breaking The Silence: https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Silence-Diamante-Lavendar/dp/1502381257/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1533617913&sr=8-1&keywords=breaking+the+silence+diamante+lavendar
I love creating all types of art from paintings to photography to digital art. I've created some posters with pieces of my creations in fun decor ideas.
There are so many creative things available to add spice and love to your home or office! It is so much fun to design these items! Literally popping with every color under the sun!
From mild and mellow to hello colorful fellows! :) Check out more than one hundred pieces of work at http://www.diamante-lavendar.pixels.com!
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
Finding Hope in the Darkness of Grief gathers Diamante Lavendar's own insights on how she charted a path through grief, and pairs free verse poems that double as uplifting admonitions ("There is so much more/To every instance/Than we can comprehend.") with prose and the author's lovely color art images.
From illusions of darkness and separation to the realities of harboring false beliefs and following the road to healing, Lavendar's verse and insights follow the process of not only recovery; but finding the kind of empathy and understanding from the healing process that strengthens other connections in life.
The juxtaposition of nature-oriented images and art with these admonitions lends a visual touch to the written word that enhances both with a structure and reinforcement that either alone could not have achieved.
Those who will benefit most from Lavendar's approach are readers who are seeking their own paths to healing and greater enlightenment, who can accept her candid assessments of what the process of grieving leads to ("Death is not an ending but a beginning to a different reality, not only/for the bereaved but also for those who have passed into eternity.").
This audience will relish the message of Lavendar's art and words and will discover not just a quiet comfort offered within the pages of Finding Hope in the Darkness of Grief, but a broader message that holds clues to finding strength from weakness and ultimately transforming grief into a growth experience.
Readers interested in finding opportunities from the great of adversities will keep Finding Hope in the Darkness of Grief close at hand for reflection, inspiration, and ultimately transformation. -Diane Donovan, Donovan's Literary Services, Editor Midwest Book Review.
To purchase a copy, please visit:
https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Hope-Darkness-Grief-Spiritual-ebook/dp/B07F3113C3/ref=la_B00HZDSGU6_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1530436320&sr=1-3