Teresa Satola, Ltd.

Spring is like emerging from a long, dark tunnel to which you thought there was no end.  How can one doubt the existence of God when one sees the world coming back to life with the buds of new life?  It is totally amazing how God renews the face of the earth each Spring and how He renews our lives, if we let Him.

I just saw a flock of robins the other day.  I also saw a raccoon on the patio and the skunks are out and about.  I hear those are signs of Spring approaching.  I am looking forward to this season when God renews the world with the gift of new life after such a harsh winter.  Just the thought of the warm sun welcoming the new little green buds waking up from under the melting snow is rejuvenating and inspiring.  It makes me want to do watercolor!  How about you?

There’s nothing better on a snowy day than to put on a crockpot of beef stew early and head down to the art studio.  Not only is beef stew “comfort food”; it’s aroma makes one feel safe and secure against the cold weather.  So many times, I’ve gone to my art studio (one of my favorite places) and after working all day and into the evening, I remember that I am hungry.  I would then think, “I should have put the crockpot on.”  But this time I did it right.  In that cosy atmosphere of the warm art studio, with the aroma of beef stew wafting through, it was a very enjoyable day of creating art.

Celebrate!  How wonderful it would have been to be in the stable with the shepherds that first Christmas.  To be in the presence of God made man, what a special gift!   We have that every time we go to Church.  We must never lose that sense of wonder and awe.  We must cultivate it, especially in this world today.  At this time of year, God is so close at Christmas that one can almost touch Him.  He wants us to know that His love for us is so great that He sent His Son to us.

God bless you and your families this blessed Christmas and no matter how dark it may seem, remember that Jesus is the Light we seek in this dark world.

We are now in the season of Advent, not Christmas, like the rest of the world would have you believe.  Christmas does not end on December 25th, but continues until the visit of the Three Kings.

Prepare a place in your heart to welcome the King of Kings this Christmas morning.  Haven’t you wished that you could have been there that first Christmas to welcome Him?    You can still do that.  Make it a point this Advent to spend time in front of the Blessed Sacrament.  Think of it as being like the shepherds, who visited Him in the manger.  Remember:  He is always waiting in great anticipation for your visit.  He is lonesome for you.

God bless you and Merry Christmas!  Buon Natale!  Feliz Navidad!  Frohe Weihnachten!  Joyeux Noël! Boldog karácsonyt!  メリー クリスマス!  聖誕快樂!  Vrolijk kerstfeest!  Wesołych Świąt!  Feliz Natal!

It has been an amazingly HOT July.  Nothing like a family get together in 102º weather that feels like 120º!  We had some serious storms that went through before the scheduled reunion that showed us God’s might.  We praise Him that  He protected us.  The reunion was a massive clean-up adventure.  Even during that time, I was able to schedule a photo shoot with a new mother and her twin boys.  God is good.

One way to get inspiration and material for artwork is travel.  Just as God has created innumerable types of flowers, so has He created innumerable places on Earth.  Each one unique.  Not only do you see places that you’ve never seen before, but travel gives you the chance to get a new perspective on art–especially when you see art in another country.  You will see things that are not native to you and will allow you to see new things to paint.  You will also meet new people and learn new customs.  This will broaden your mind and art.

What beautiful blooms this spring for this month dedicated to Our Lady!  I’ve been taking advantage of the abundance of blossoms and have been photographing spring flowers for future use in paintings.    It is a good idea to photograph seasonal items for future reference whenever possible.

I find that it is a good idea to take single close ups of the leaves and stems as well as the flowers.  Even if you get images off the internet, you cannot always have the flower positioned the way you like or see the details as clearly as you need to.  When photographing the flowers inside, choose a plain wall for a back drop, that way the flower will not get lost in the background.

In Nature there is a period of dormancy before we celebrate Spring.  So in the Church we have Lent to prepare us for Easter when everything comes back to life again.  We are once again rejuvenated.

This is the same with art.  We can now make plans to go on some art outings, to participate in some art shows, visit some art exhibits, some art museums and replenish our creativity.  Get creative!  Look at the world coming alive around you.

Happy Easter!

Even though we have had the “Winter That Never Was” here in Ohio, it is wonderful to see things starting to turn green and little buds come out on the trees and little flowers poke their heads out of the dirt.  Since we spent last month organizing our studio and supplies, we are feeling rejuvenated and ready to go out and paint.

Of course, around here it is still too cool for plein air painting even though the last few days have been teasing us.  Now is a good time to stock up on supplies during these Spring sales.  That way we will be “good to go” when the time comes.  Don’t forget after our reorganization of our studio last month to at least straighten up once a week.  You will feel more like “diving in” to work with a neater studio.

Now is also a good time to  photograph some of those Spring and Easter flowers for future paintings.  Be sure to keep a file of things you want to do, so that when the mood of inspiration strikes you will be ready.