Happy holidays and a happy 2014 to you all across the world.  On this painting you can see my husband and I kicking back and relaxing on our farm seizing the day.  Sitting under a tree having a picnic, sipping champagne, reading a good book all whilst being watched by the kangaroos and sheep and our two dogs; Moses and Saba.  Kai and Hillivi our children are flying kites nearby whilst the birds are all feeding their young in the trees, an idyllic summer afternoon (with a bit of artistic licence of course, lol) It’s from a few years ago now as the kids are all grown up and the dogs sadly passed on but still in our hearts forever more.

THE ART OF HAPPINESS

I hope this new year will bring you all that you wish for and be the happiest yet, and for some reason it doesn’t always work that way keep this in mind “The happiest people don’t have the best of everything they just make the best of everything”.  Wise words I think by an unknown author and something I have seen many, many times during our travels, some of the happiest people I have ever met have been in third world countries.  Happiness is not something measured by the number of cars you possess, the amount of money you earn or living in the fanciest of houses, no it is something within.  The beaming smiles and laughter and giggles often come from the simplest of dwellings, overcrowded and basic but everything is shared and strangers are welcomed as one of the family.

THE ART OF CARPE DIEM

So I would like to share a few quotes about Carpe Diem which means; to enjoy the pleasures of the moment without concern for the future.

“Life is short, God’s way of encouraging a bit of focus.”

(Robert Brault)

“Enjoy yourself.  It’s later than you think.”

(Chinese Proverb)

“Do not take life too seriously.  You will never get out of it alive.”

(Elbert Hubbard)

“Dream as if you’ll live forever.  Live as if you’ll die today.”
(James Dean)

“The important thing is not how many years in your life but how much life in your years”
(Edward J. Stieglitz)

“Be happy while you’re living, for you’re a long time dead.”

(Scottish Proverb)

“To change one’s life:  Start immediately.  Do it flamboyantly.  No exceptions.”
(William James)

“You live longer once you realize that any time spent being unhappy is wasted.”
(Ruth E. Renkl)

“Most of us spend our lives as if we had another one in the bank.”

(Ben Irwin)

“Minutes are worth more than money.  Spend them wisely.”
(Thomas P. Murphy)
“If you wait, all that happens is that you get older.”
(Larry McMurtry)
“Use your health, even to the point of wearing it out.  That is what it is for.  Spend all you have before you die; do not outlive yourself.”

(George Bernard Shaw)

“We’re fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance.”

(Japanese Proverb)

“Don’t ever save anything for a special occasion.  Being alive is the special occasion.”

(Author Unknown)

So on that note I leave you, till next time happy painting and sculpting and just enjoying life, Carpe Diem.

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.

My husband and I have always had a happiness trick that we have used throughout the years and that is to play Saturday night!

The art of happiness, what is that I hear you ask – well it goes something like this;

You know when you have those days or weeks where life gets you down, the car won’t start in the morning and then you get the electricity bill which throws you and then you drop the jar of jam which makes a mess everywhere.  Mmmm… that is when my husband and I looks at each other and decide now we got to play “Saturday Night”.

Playing “Saturday Night” is great and the best thing about it is it can be any day of the week.  All you have to do is to make it cosy.  A yummy dinner is required but it can be as easy as a take away pizza or as fancy as a 3 course meal. Take away containers are not allowed in sight as it should feel special, so no plastic cups either just good glasses.  Setting the table in an artistic fashion adds to the mood, all the colors in the paint pallet makes me feel good.   Candle light is always nice, as is a roaring fire or sitting by a pool in summer or running water (even a small water feature will do.)

Now for us a bottle of red wine is a must but of course, use whatever drink is your favourite.  When we were having money problems early on in our marriage the budget would only stretch to a $4 dollar bottle of wine, but that didn’t spoil our fun one bit, it tasted just fine to me at the time.

If you feel like talking do so over dinner but if you need to just switch off get a good movie and just get lost in it.

When the kids were little we always had chip and dip and lollies on a Saturday and watched a family movie together before they went to bed and then we would continue with the adult version of our Saturday night!

THE ART OF BEING CREATIVE

Of course you could also schedule in a picnic or a day’s outing as you can see in this handmade ceramic and mosaic artwork – where we are going to Granite Island, South Australia.  Of course painting,sculpting and just creating anything has always helped me be happy too.  So I would really recommend that – a hobby of some kind, even cooking is creative.

If you have little kids they may enjoy an extra Saturday night every week too.  We swear by it, of course whatever problems you have are still there in the morning but to take a little vacation from the stress and worry even if it is only for a few hours, certainly has always helped us.

Oh before you think that our poor kids were fed a diet of chip and dip and lollies I have to say that during the week both at school and at home we all ate a very healthy diet, so once or twice a week to be able to have some “naughty” foods made it all the more special.

Just as sometimes if we went to an all you can eat type of place we would let the kids attack the dessert bar before their main course, lol.  This happened rarely mind you but it was so worth it just to see their excited little faces!

So here is a quote I think fits perfectly here by Jacques Torres;

“Life is short. Eat dessert first”. – Jacques Torres

Till next time, happy painting or sculpting!

Love Marie xxx

If you fancy reading another art blog about how to make yourself happy here is a link; 33. Art & Dont worry be happy

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.