So another year is just about to have passed us by and a new one is on it’s way.  How did it all happen so fast, where did the year go?  There never seem to be enough days of the week or hours in a day does it?  So much to do and so little time!

Each day, as a lot of you know, I use a different quote that I find either funny or inspiring and post it on my Facebook page Naive Art by Marie Jonsson-Harrison together with an image of a painting or sculpture and a link to my art blog to my artist website.  This week among others, I used this quote;

“Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts.” by Janice Maeditere  and one of the comments I got back was “ That should happen every day and not just at Christmas…. too much emphasis is put on being good and kind at this time of year but it only is one or two days out of 365… what about the rest of the year?” from one of my FB friends.   Which I thought was a point well made and a good place to start another art blog about New Year’s Resolutions.

WALL BASED SCULPTURE

This wall based sculpture in handmade ceramic and mosaic called Champagne Charlie was bought from one of my exhibitions at Greenhill Gallery and hangs in the restaurant of a hotel in Adelaide.  The subject matter I thought had a good fit for New Years.

THE ART OF BEING GOOD

I am quite sure that I am not always “good” lol, being a touch naughty at times, however trying to be kind to everyone is something I always strive to be, of course even with the best of intentions that does not always hit the mark but hopefully most of the time perhaps.

The experts say that most of our well intended new year resolutions go out the window after about 14 days and if we want to make sure we stick to them to promise small things – make tiny changes which therefore are not too daunting to stick too and then use them as a base to add some more.  Really New Year’s resolutions are just good habits.

Here are some of mine, most of the things on this list I do already but it never hurts to reinforce them I figure.

AN ARTISTS NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS

1. Pay it forward – be kind and do onto others and all that.
2. Eat healthily, and for me that means also sticking to my Vegetarian/gluten free diet, and try to read the labels of food a little more carefully to avoid falling off the band wagon.
3. When out partying make sure I drink one glass of water with every alcoholic drink, to help my liver and my head the next day.  Oh I know what some of you are saying – perhaps cut the wine out – but you got to have some vices right!!  As I have already cut out the Bad Men lol, I still got to have some fun!
4. Keep up the exercise an hour a day come rain or shine and don’t forget the arms Marie – you got to get some upper strength too – remember what the physio said – 127 Use it or Loose it in Art
5. Cut out the sugar, apparently sugar is responsible along with the sun for an increase in wrinkly skin, never mind the body’s overall health– so the sugar has got to go.  (have always had a low sugar diet but need to focus on that some more)
6. Stay close to family and friends, spend time together and tell them they are loved.
7. Try new things, keep up with technology, explore new horizons, keep interested, learn, move forward.
8. Travel and see the world – you only live once and are a long time dead, so do it now whilst you can.
9. Write down your paintings and art blog ideas in one book like you used too – makes things so much easier to find!

So this is my list, I would love to hear what your new year’s resolutions are?

GREAT QUOTES

Here is one I love by Edith Lovejoy Pierce;

“We will open the book.  Its pages are blank.  We are going to put words on them ourselves.  The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.”

I love to think that the next year is full of possibilities and opportunities – just there for us to go and find.  Another one is a quote on the topic of New Years Resolutions by a favorite of mine Mark Twain;

“Yesterday, everybody smoked his last cigar, took his last drink and swore his last oath.  Today, we are a pious and exemplary community.  Thirty days from now, we shall have cast our reformation to the winds and gone to cutting our ancient shortcomings considerably shorter than ever.”

However I will leave you this time with a quote that has been attributed to Mark Twain as well (although there is some controversy over that) which is one of my favorites quotes;

“Twenty years from now you will be more

disappointed by the things

that you didn’t do than by the ones you did

do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away

from the safe harbor.

Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Till next time happy painting and sculpting and whatever else takes your fancy.

Love Marie xxx

Why not come and have a look at Marie Jonsson-Harrison’s PAINTINGS FOR SALE, GICLEE PRINTS FOR SALE and SCULPTURES for sale or WALLBASED SCULPTURES.  Enjoy an original artwork on your walls or perhaps one on your bed ARTnBED.

So why this title; “Fifty shades of grey in Religion & Art”? Perhaps something to do with the painting of the cats and all the shades of grey they come in.  Well not exactly but as it is Christmas I thought this painting was a good fit even though it is not a religious artwork, which really is the topic of this art blog.

NAIVE ART BY MARIE JONSSON-HARRISON

You see I recently wrote a blog about Fifty Shades of Grey & Art about the book phenomenon and my thoughts on the matter and as I got hundreds of messages, comments and feedback on that I thought it was worthwhile to canvas the issue that was brought up time and time again.  Most of the comments were really positive and some 160 people shared the initial post from my Naive Art by Marie Jonsson-Harrison page on Facebook with over 1680 likes.

ART BLOG

The thing was that I had posted the blog with an artwork of mine made in ceramic and mosaic, a wall based sculpture depicting Adam and Eve and that caused some heated debate both from the Christian side as well as from the Muslims.

ADAM & EVE, CERAMIC & MOSAIC SCULPTURE

Some Christians thought it was an outrageous artwork and that Adam had a bottle in his hand was terrible.   That to me seemed a weird comment as I am sure both Adam and Eve had a drink, let’s get serious they would have gotten bored just eating those apples without making some apple wine or schnapps occasionally right?  The bible is all for alcohol anyway that is what every Christian church gives their followers on a Sunday morning, in the guise of the “blood of Jesus”.   That I had painted them a little bit plump which was for the most part approved of.

RELIGION AND ART

As far as the Muslim comments go, again for the most part the artwork was met with great comments and positive feedback however there were some that took offence and thought it was outrageous and anti Muslim!  So go figure if both Christians and Muslim think it is against their particular religion then I must have done something right I figure.

Which brings me to the question of religion and the fervor it stirs up in people, seems to me that all that matters is that their own point of view is right.  Why can’t everyone just believe in whatever religion that makes sense to them?  Whether that is Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindi, Budda or none and be an Atheist.  Why does it matter so much to some people what other faiths people believe in?

How do we even know for sure that there is a God?  I hope there is one; I do want to go to Heaven if there is such a thing.  I do believe in doing onto others and all that.  But in this evidence based world I just cannot say for sure what is true and what is fiction.  So until we get word from above as to who is running this show and what particular religion is right, let’s just try to live together and in harmony with each other.

THE ART OF THE CHRISTMAS WISH

My cousin Sonja sent me this picture from her time in Accra, Ghana.  It shows one of their favorite dancing spots where all sorts of people gather to have fun.  To the right is a Jew and to the left a Muslim, then there is two Atheists and behind are some Christians and they all had a great time together, that is the type of world I wish for.

Let me take this opportunity to wish you all a Very Happy Christmas or Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to everyone apart from the Chinese (which has their New Years a bit later).  I hope you are all able to spend some time with your loved ones, for that is really all that matters after all.

Here is a quote by the 14^th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, which I think fits pretty well here;

“The purpose of all major religious traditions is not to construct big temples on the outside, but to create temples of goodness and compassion inside, in our hearts.”

I think he has a fair point.

Till next time,

Happy painting, sculpting and spending family time to you all,

Love Marie xxxx

If you enjoyed this art & religion blog you may also like to see some of my religious paintings here are some links; 92 Art & walk across my swimming pool and 29. Religious Paintings

Why not come and have a look at Marie Jonsson-Harrison’s PAINTINGS FOR SALE, GICLEE PRINTS FOR SALE and SCULPTURES for sale or WALLBASED SCULPTURES.  Enjoy an original artwork on your walls or perhaps one on your bed ARTnBED.