Remembering 9/11

Today is a sad day, it is the 5th Anniversary of the bombing of the World Trade Center. I could not let the day pass without posting some of my remembrances of that day.

Like so many people, I was at work when I first found out. In this day of the cell phone, it was my husband who first called to let me know what had happened. He called me while I was in a meeting, and since he never calls my cell unless it is important, I took the call. I could not comprehend the fact that a plane had flown into one of the World Trade Center buildings. The initial reports speculated about what happened. Of course, at that time we did not know that so many more attrocities were to happen that day.

There are so many other stories like ours. Stories where people were late getting into work that day. Some act of providence that prevented this from claiming even more lives. My husband was supposed to be in the city that day, and had his meeting not been canceled he too would have been in one of the buildings that came down that day.

There were so many sad stories from that and so many families whose lives were changed forever. I was fortunate to have my family in tact, and for that I am grateful.

May God Bless all those families who lost loved ones that day. Those brave souls on the United flight who gave the ultimate sacrifice to save others. And to all those souls lost to terrorism around the world.

Artist Spotlight - Shari Beaubien Part II

September Artist Spotlight: Shari Beaubien, Part II

Yesterday we met artist Shari Beaubien and saw some more wonderful examples of her art, today I continue my article and we learn more about this talented artist, her support group, and what inspires her.

Shari’s love for her husband Steve is evident in way she mentions him and describes him as her biggest supporter and one of the people who continue to give her the courage to pursue her dreams. How can she fail when she has the love and unwavering support of her husband, “he is my rock and the love of my life… he makes my spirit soar.”

Speaking of inspiration, what is it that inspires? Inspiration is found all around, but it is those quiet moments that Shari treasures. Her favorite inspiration is in the “quiet of the early morning” because the “world is still, the air is cool, and nature is just beginning to stir.” These precious moments before the sun peaks over the horizon and the day begins are a treasure. Life is a challenge with no promises for the future, having the courage to work on her art is what makes Shari and other artists like her special. She follows her heart and takes steps every day to achieve her goals, every day her art gives her “heart a voice to sing.” Shari is blessed to have the support of a group of artist friends whose “creativity and insight make me want to better myself”. Some of the people who have had a great influence and have inspired her are Kristin Steiner, Teesha Moore, Karen Michel, Ann Baldwin, and Robert Burridge.

If you read Shari’s blog, you will find her to be truly inspirational.
She has a depth to her character and a wonderful way with words. Life has placed challenges in her path that she has bravely overcome. From her trip across country at 19, to the first piece of art that she sold, to the wonderful man she married who supports her dreams. She believes that you need to make goals and “take steps every day to lead you closer to your goals.” A final inspirational thought from Shari “Look deep into your soul to find your passion. Be true and honest with yourself. And then do it. Make it happen.”

On a personal note, I believe that life is meant to be enjoyed and that humor has a place in all our lives, so I asked Shari to share a funny story. Never afraid to take on a challenge, our intrepid artist once piloted an aircraft solo. Her flight instructor told her that any landing that you can walk away from is a good one. With her sense of humor on hold during the flight, Shari says that she did not immediately see the humor in his statement until she was safely on the ground. Her moment of solo flight was one that was “tremendously scary” and one that made her “tremendously proud”.

I want to extend a special thanks to Shari for sharing so much of her life, hopes, dreams, and inspiration with us. May she find true success as she continues to follow her heart and pursue her art. If you want to reach Shari you can go to the website she designed herself, a task that she says was one of her greatest challenges. She also writes regularly in her blog.

Shari truly finds inspiration all around her, when asked for her “tag-line or quote” she responded with “Life is a journey, not a destination. Enjoy the moments.” Please take this advice and don’t let life pass you by, try to take time to see the world around you and do more than just travel through life as an observer who goes to work every day. Become a participant in life and find time to be who you are meant to be and live the life you were meant to live.

Artist Spotlight: Shari Beaubien Introduction, Part I, Part II

Copyright Antonella DeFalco

Artist Spotlight - Shari Beaubien Part I

September Artist Spotlight: Shari Beaubien, Part I

Our September artist is mixed media and altered art artist, Shari Beaubien. Shari is a beautiful person who sees beauty and is inspired by life and the world around her. Her life is truly inspiring and she has courageously followed the path that was in her heart. At the age of 19, Shari moved across country from Michigan to California. Against the wishes of her parents who forbade her to go, she ventured forth alone because as she says, “It is so important to be true to yourself. Life is too short for anything else.”

Shari says that she has never regretted her decision to move across country to follow her dreams. Her greatest success was the day she sold her first piece of art to a complete stranger. She says that this was her “full circle moment” and confirmed for her that this is where she was meant to be. Her heart and skills brought her to art and gave her the courage to pursue her dreams.

When asked about how she creates that “magic” that is her art, Shari responded that she is inspired by what she calls the “mundane.” She is typical of many artists who see beauty in the world around us. I love the way Shari describes how her work and the how world “sings” to her… She tries to be aware of the world around her and absorb as much of it as possible so that she can capture those details that ultimately inspire her. As she says she can be walking in the grocery store and see a color combination that she really likes, or she might catch part of a conversation that rings true, or she will see something in the clouds as they pass by. When she sees or hears something that “sings” to her, she grabs her ever present sketchbook and captures it by pencil sketching her ideas. This allows her to have something to start from when she begins a new piece.

Shari says that she tries to work “fast and loose” her husband, Steve, lovingly calls it “messy”. This is the stage where the magic happens, where she spends her alone time and creates her art. This is where she tries to stay true to her original design while allowing herself the freedom to allow spontaneity to occur. Sometimes the end result is what she had envisioned and sometimes it is a total surprise. Whatever the result, Shari has the confidence in her work to know that what she has produced is something that her “heart needed to express”.

Artist Spotlight: Shari Beaubien Introduction, Part I, Part II

Artist Spotlight - Shari Beaubien

Artist Spotlight: Shari Beaubien
Introduction, Part I, Part II

You have heard the expression that “Art is in the eye of the beholder” this series of “Artist Spotlights” is my small way of giving back to those artists that make the world beautiful and interesting. I hope that you enjoy this series of interviews and the work that these truly talented individuals have graciously offered to the world. I consider art a gift that is bestowed by those courageous souls who place a piece of themselves for everyone to see, art is a form of magic that takes the ordinary and gives us something that touches our hearts. I hope you enjoy this Artist Spotlight series.

For September, I have chosen to spotlight mixed-media and altered art artist Shari Beaubien. I know Shari through one of the groups I belong to and ventured onto her website and blog and really loved her work. Shari has graciously given me permission to display some of her work on my blog, please do not copy or duplicate her work as she owns all copyrights.

Tomorrow I will post part one of my article on Shari, as a sneak peak you can visit her website or her blog. This is one of my favorites from the pieces that she shared with me. I really love the rich, deep earthy tones and the soaring bird in this piece. Let your imagination soar and your inspiration grow.

Artist Spotlight: Shari Beaubien Introduction, Part I, Part II

Copyright Antonella DeFalco