A Photography Win From The American Art Awards!

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 links 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!

Kaleidoscope

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!

Neon Leaves. A Fun Graphic Art Piece.

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!

Life In A Nutshell

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.

Enchantment

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.

I'll Always Remember

I'll always remember,

No matter how far;

No matter the distance

That divides where we are.

Because you have given me

A love so divine,

Forever and always

My love, you'll be mine.

Life Is A Game. Play It Well.

Dimension means a measurable unit of space. The dimension of earth occupies a space-but only a tiny space as compared to the universe.

The earthly dimension demands our attention. But often we give it the wrong attention.

This dimension demands that we take heed of its specifications. However, we need to learn that its specifications-in a large way- are brought about by our beliefs. What we believe comes true-good and bad. We directly affect ourselves and our personal space on earth according to what our core beliefs are. That is why we must carefully guard our hearts and minds.

Of course, the constraints and freedoms we experience in our lives here are also spiritually determined. There is a path we have chosen to take that we find ourselves walking day after day. Our beliefs affect that path moment by moment, day by day, year by year. Therefore it is important to believe in good so that we end up in a good place-not only here, but also after our game here is over. This is true regardless of what has happened to us. If our lives have been harsh, we need to believe in good all the more!

Earth is a learning ground. We've all come here to grow. If we grow tall in light and love despite our circumstances, we are winning the game of this dimension. Because, after all, "life" here IS just a game. But an important game. A game, if played right, of growth and wisdom. The stronger we are-the more able we are to live according to love and light-the more we evolve.

Hardship is the greatest teacher. If you're experiencing great hardship, you're learning invaluable lessons that will help you evolve into love, light, and truth. Embrace it to the best of your ability. After all is said and done, when you're standing in the light of eternity, you will understand that this life has only been a game of learning. So play it well.  You'll be really glad you did!

Sky Maiden

My new piece titled Sky Maiden!

The Sky Maiden lives in the essence of love;

With butterflies, rainbows and peaceful doves;

The Sky Maiden reminds us to give love a chance;

To laugh, to inspire, to embrace, to dance.

We Are The World

We are the world. Together we can create peace, love and prosperity for Mother Earth. It is up to us individually and as a community to make the dream of heaven on earth come true. We hold amazing power to change for the better if we make the decision to do so.

Sending Some Sonshine

Angels and fairies laugh and dance,

When we give God's love a chance;

Through landscapes and heartscapes so divine,

Love heals and stands the test of time.

Missing You

The truth of your love you left behind,

A treasure, a gift, that you hoped I'd soon find;

You helped me to learn and wished that I'd grow,

I never imagined I'd be missing you so;

Life seemed so harsh many years ago,

Now darker than I ever wanted to know;

I'm not sure how to handle this agony and pain,

As I look at your pictures again and again;

A mother's love is not taken for granted,

For children she prayed for and desperately wanted;

I'm not sure how I can go on living,

But I know you'd tell me to keep on trying.

I think of heaven and I hear your voice,

In my heart and my head where you left a deep void;

I wonder if maybe I'm losing my mind,

Because I'm wishing so hard you hadn't left me behind;

Celby, Jazzy, my beautiful girls,

My love, my passion, my yearning, my world;

Please tell me you're still here, right beside me,

And ask God to wrap me in his presence and hide me;

I beg Him to some day heal these misgivings,

So I know I can live in a state of forgiveness.

I am lost without you. 

Love Mommy.

The Gift Of Life

When life gets tough, it's not easy to see it as a gift. When we are hurt or bad things happen, life seems to be anything but a gift.

This is a world where we come to learn, to grow, and to understand. The only way to do these things is by living through good times and bad, in pressure and happiness. Learning from rough things is what we need to do. And eventually moving past them is what we need to do, but only after we've addressed the issues presented to us.

Life is a test and a testament. A test of whether or not we can get through hardship and a testament as to what we've conquered.

Through pain and turmoil, we learn about meaning in even the littlest things. Life is a gift: of growth, learning, seeking, finding, and understanding.

Introducing Artist Monika Vijay!

I met Monika on Fuzia.  She is an artist from India-a very talented artist!  I offered to feature her on my blog and social media sites.  Here are a few pieces of her work:

U & Me

Autumn Beauty

Lord Buddha

A Note From Monika:

Hello, This is Monika Vijay. I am from Bihar. I was never into painting and writing until I got older. With my parents' pressure and interest, I was taught painting by Diya Mam when I was in 7th study; but after that I didn't do much work with it until prompted by my husband. Now, after marriage and getting free from studies, my hubby encouraged me to be a painter. He bought colors, brushes, charts and everything required for painting. Now I'm used to it and I love painting whenever I get free time. I have also started taking drawing classes. Next, I'm going to sell my paintings for home decor or for hotel & restaurant interiors. People can contact me as per their painting requirement. I would like to thank my hubby for encouraging me and for helping me to become a fine painter now.

How To Contact Monika:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011561172639

Where To View Monika's Work:

https://www.facebook.com/mvartgallery.in/?pnref=story

Four New Photographs!

Here are some of my new pieces. All available on my art website. The first is entitled After The Rain.

Water falls upon the earth anew.  From morning's mist to setting sunlight's dew.  Cascading upon nature, bringing life again.  Another simple pleasure from heaven's blissful realm.  Celebrate rain and our earth's health!

My photograph entitled Cotton Candy Clouds.

On a warm, winter day as the snow melts away, the clouds came out to shift and play in a cotton candy formed array!

My photograph entitled Purple Rain.

Rain is soothing to the soul.  How much more is purple rain?  The color purple uplifts and calms.  It is the color of royalty and spiritual awakening.  Purple also encourages creativity.  What more could you ask for?

My piece entitled Moonlight Branches.

On a lonely, moonlit night, gnarled branches caught my artist's sight.  Displaying calm and peaceful gloom, their image met my camera's zoom!  I love night time.  I see the most peaceful things in the dark of night.

You can find all of these and more at https://diamante-lavendar.pixels.com/

Sea Goddess

My newest piece of fractal/digital art.

Water is one of our most precious commodities.  We need to respect it and take good care of it so that it can continue to sustain us.

Sea Goddess interprets the beauty of water on the planet and acknowledges that it had to have been created by divine guidance.

Available on Fine Art America at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/sea-goddess-diamante-lavendar.html

Angel Of Light

Here is my newest creation entitled Angel Of Light! A combination of digital and fractal art!

Angels are all around us all of the time.  We can feel them in our hearts and see them in our minds' eye.  Sometimes we're lucky enough to see them with our natural eyes and they can be felt too with a cool, prickly sensation or a warm, loving sensation.  They are only a heartbeat away!  (https://fineartamerica.com/featured/angel-of-lilght-diamante-lavendar.html?newartwork=true).

Meet Artist Sherry Shipley!

Sherry is a member of my group Emotive Art on Fine Art America. She recently was tied for first place in a contest with her piece entitled Getting To Know You.  Sherry's art flows beautifully and is full of color.  Here is her winning piece:

Statement from Sherry:

Art has been a part of me all my life. I could never stop drawing as a child and in high school picked up my first paint brush. That was 1965. I have been painting ever sense.

Over the years I have explored many mediums and expanded my art skills when I attended the Art Institute of Seattle.

I depict animals in my art to create a feeling of wonderment with our connection with these creatures and a bond that only a true animal lover can feel. Animals have been depicted in art and stories since the beginning of time and our bond with them lives in legends and lore.

My art creates and reveals that bond in bold and colorful images either through letting the paint flow and working the images into it or use of lines that weaves the design around the subject to create it’s own story.

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A short bio:

Growing up in the shadow of the Cascades, the beauty of the Pacific Northwest inspired my love of nature and wildlife. Trips to the mountains have supplied a stunning and endless backdrop for my wildlife subjects which I have been painting for over 40 years.

My work has been seen in galleries from Seattle to New York. My wildlife art designs have sold on shirts and tote bags in Alaska, and many of the lower 48 states.

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If you enjoy this piece, you'll love looking through her portfolio!  It's stunning!  Here's the link:

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/getting-to-know-you-sherry-shipley.html

Thanks for visiting!  I hope you'll be back soon!

Welcome artist Audrey Keenan! Angel creator extraordinaire!

I ran across Audrey on twitter and was intrigued by her art.  I looked through her photographs on her twitter account and instantly wanted to interview her!  Her art is one of a kind as you can see:

So without further adieu, here is her interview!

1.  Please tell me what led up to you beginning to create your art and why you decided to create it.

I was looking for a purpose after being diagnosed with cfs and fibromyalgia so I began praying. I spend a lot of time bedridden.

Art was something I tried in hopes of finding an interest which would enable me to work at home in my own time.  The feeling of being able to release my emotions onto canvas brought a sense of peace within that I found comforting.  Expressing my love for life and compassion for humanity meant inner freedom although I was physically limited.

2.   Please describe your creative process.

The creative process is taken with a very easy going, intuitive approach.  It's effortless, free and without much thought...I invite my angels, guides, god's loving intention and the rest is pure surrender.  I'm simply a channel as I hold the brush and paints.  It's like I'm in another state of consciousness.

There's no fear of outcomes.  What I feel can be described as divine love and joy flowing through me as the painting comes to life.

3. What would you like people to know about you as an artist?

I had no previous art experience other than a few lessons.  One day I was in severe pain and read a book entitled God Calling.  I was praying for strength to cope.  Suddenly I felt a strong urge to paint a picture in thanks to God.  Without realizing it, I painted an angel.  I was amazed and delighted.  I proceeded to do more painting on small canvases.  Eventually I looked around and counted 13 angel paintings in a short space of time.

I then heard a soft voice which I believe was God, saying,  "Now do you believe in yourself?" Then a conversation took place.  I fell to my knees overwhelmed with gratitude, love and happiness.  I was also completely drained.  My art was presented to me as a gift in my mind.

4. What do your paintings represent? Is there a universal theme behind them or does each one mean something completely different?

The paintings represent hope.  I feel we as humans want to believe in angels and guidance; comfort that in times of sadness we can sense we're not alone.  There's a universal theme that the angels are there for us.  Emotions of love, sorrow, freedom, peace and joy are transferred onto canvas.

How do you feel that situations in your life contributed to your work? Was it a process of everything in your life leading up to your art being created or individual situations causing your art to be creating as an evolutionary process over time?

Situations in my life have allowed me to feel deep empathy.  I've overcome much adversity.  The loss of 3 babies in one year at the age of 19;  aged 3 months called Tammy and 2 miscarriages brought inner turmoil and higher insight into my spiritual life.  I meditate and focus on eternal life.  Therefore I have come to realize that angels are dedicated to those who suffer.  Loss and grief is something we all inevitably will have to endure.

On reflection, I believe there were many events that led me to this calling.  Some do appear in the pictures unintentionally.  So it's therapeutic.  I cry after many of them as a surge of emotions are released.

A combination of life experiences and working in mental health allowed me to understand human suffering.  Healing is something we all need at some  point.  It can be delivered in many ways.  I have dreams where angels appear and guide me;  also messages from spirit as I paint or connect with other energies.

The art is my way of contributing to help lift hearts and to shine light into others' lives.  People often share stories with me of their own situations which can lead me to subconsciously paint an event that transpired in their past, present and possibly future.  This brings them meaning and gratefulness.

 6.  How has your art affected you?  What do you wish to achieve with your art?

We can have low self esteem for many reasons at different times in our lives.  My esteem has grown as a result of creating my art.

I would love for anyone reading this article to ask yourself to believe that trusting in a higher power can lead to the manifestation of your dreams.  My life has changed as I'm doing what I love and receiving so much support and encouragement.  It gives me the will to continue and develop as an artist.  For this I'm truly grateful.

I'm also paying tribute with my art to my lost angels.  I'm reminding others that some things are unseen and a mystery but can be felt through imagery.  That departed loved ones may be ethereal angel beings living in majestic realms at peace.  Watching over those they hold dear.

It gives me the greatest pleasure to know that my beloved family, friends and art lovers will have something of my soul within these creations.

Where you can find Audrey:

https://twitter.com/AngelHealingArt

My colored pencil piece entitled Eternity

Here is my newest piece of art. It is made with colored pencils on paper and is entitled Eternity:

This piece is available on Fine Art America and Red Bubble (minus my name printed on it--that was done only for security reasons).  I wanted to create a piece of art that speaks about all humans as being part of the circle of life.   Nature, humanity and creation are all one big, beautiful piece of art.  One revolving system of love and light.  Here is my description as seen on Red Bubble and Fine Art America:

Eternity is around us and in us. Each of us makes up a piece of eternity and combined we are eternity alive. We are all filled with the same spirit and life essence plus we are gifted our own unique talents and abilities to share to make the world a better place. When we realize this truth, we will be living in heaven on earth.

This piece can be purchased in many different items including stationery, gift items, home decor and more.  I've included the links below in case you may find yourself interested in taking a peek!

Red Bubble:  http://www.redbubble.com/people/diamantelavenda/works/21711043-eternity-by-diamante-lavendar?p=greeting-card

Fine Art America:  http://fineartamerica.com/featured/eternity-diamante-lavendar.html