Week #19 of Donna Downey's 48 Weeks Workshop My first painting of Frida Kahlo "Don't Build a Wall"

Hello again as you know now we are all facing and living in unprecedented times. From lockdowns, to containments, quarantines, self-quarantines, rationing, limited supplies, no where to work if you fall outside of the essential personnel. Airlines, cruise ships, hotels, trains, any tour guides, recreational activities such as gyms, have all had to close or limit to essential needs only. Our medical staff are in high demands and are strained, along with our hospitals and the need for critical equipment. We have all faced uncertainties, but this is a silent unknown unforeseen circumstance, that we are all facing with no certainties known for our future.  Every person on this planet is in this position. What we all need to do is remain calm and take heed to recommendations and safe distances, sanitizing, excessive hand washing, and frankly stay PUT!!! No one can know who has it or where it will show up......PLEASE folks stop going places unless it is absolutely NEEDED!!! I totally get it!!! But seriously do you really need to go shopping for furniture right now, the FedEx driver told us they have been delivering furniture and shoes....etc. yes I can understand you moved or something or your only pair of shoes and a hole. I have talked to some folks and they tell me they out shopping for decor........I'm like SERIOUSLY!!! PLEASE FOLKS TAKE THIS SERIOUS!!! Think of your family members or others. This is no game....stop playing golf, stop having game nights with other families. You health depends on it!! I see these thing going on....and frankly its ludicrous. Oh and the beaches.......HELLO we are in a PANDEMIC!!! Stay off the beaches stop sharing hookah pipes, or any other forms of resectional needs keep it a PERSONAL use only!!!!!! I have seen these pics of YouTube which has been my only form of information or my mom sharing texts to me. Bruce and I have always been preppers being we have prepared ourselves for those HARD times. However with all our shows cancelled until further notice. Being farmers and feeding folks we face uncertainties to face we have been selling our eggs weekly to a grocery store and some honey last week I took him 22 dozen eggs and he called the next day to tell me he had only four left, he is a very tiny tiny store in Va. Beach but we are so thankful he has stepped up to help us with our extra products, since we have no markets. I will continue all my efforts to grow and produce what we can here to meet demands we have been selling our elderberry syrup and pickles, jams etc. If I have to I can bake or even make dinners to be delivered out of my USDA and CS Inspected kitchen. Like in war times "back porch dinners" when needed one family might of feed many just from dinners from their backdoor. 

OKAY maybe enough on my soapbox but I have a lot of anxiety and stress at trying to keep many safe. I worked in the hospitals during the aids/hiv times and fears of ebola. I can remember getting a so called fax (they were not fax machines then) from the CDC on concerns of the Ebola outbreak back in 1989. So as I always say "what you don't know won't hurt you and what you do will" FEAR.

STAY CALM

So this was what I was working on before the trip to FLORIDA my first painting of Frida. I didn't actually get to finish until I got back and we were so far behind in just a few short days. Colten took care of everything while we were gone even did well with the plants that we have growing in the greenhouse, inside our house I have three full racks of shelves. I have planted extra to meet many needs this year. 

I watched Donna Downeys video on the 48 Weeks workshop week #19 and I was like I just can't do another mostly black layer of painting as Bruce thinks automatically "something is wrong" my aunt even said on one of my other paintings that was majority black paint she said "this one looks like you were mad" okay I thought.......maybe I was it was my inner-self perhaps screaming....who knows. Art tells all....but as you can see I did go black with bright pops of beautiful colors.....and AN AMAZING WOMEN!! Who I have been a fan of for many many years!!! I have collected art, trinkets, and made dolls with Frida in mind. What I am saying in this painting.....is so true.....

            Fridas quote "Don't build a wall around your suffering. It may devour you from the inside." is so much a personal feeling at the same time....many don't know but I suffer from chronic pain from the fibromyalgia and the spinal stenosis. Some days are better than others and I always keep going to the best I can. I feel like sometimes I build this wall. I have in the past many many times from being overweight at 300 lbs to separating from individuals due to anxiety. The list goes on but you get it! Now with what we are facing with this invisible enemy (as the President says) we all have had to build this wall in ways never foreseen. From borders closing to self quarantines to social distancing. Then I think of how when I went to all my shows and markets my friends how we embrace each other with hugs and sharing love with each other, sharing and trading items we make that has a wall around that too.  As you may know for any of those who have done the workshop this was TOTALLY a U-Turn for the inspiration Donna provided week #19.

I always like to show you how large this journal is......

If you would like to see any of the other weeks look below

WEEK 1

WEEK 2

WEEK 3

WEEK 4

WEEK 5

WEEK 6 

Week 7

WEEK 8

Week 9 

WEEK 10 

Week 11

Week 12

Week 13

Week 14

Week 15 

Week 16

Week 17

Week 18 

 The butterflies really added a nice touch and as you can see they were breaking thru the wall and onto the other side. One bright shiny butterfly makes it to the sweet beautiful roses.

 There is a lot of texture. The thorns on the wall for the hard times and the suffering that Frida endured, thru her paintings you will see some of the pain and some good times as well.

I was very happy with my first painting of Frida and enjoyed the process immensely. Anything creative for me is exactly what I like to do....it can help ease the pain and fears and the anxiety. 

I love my work here on the farm it just is sometimes you need an art break....and it is extremely hard to come by. Today Bruce and I are making sauerkraut we have 10 heads of cabbage and it will go a long way. We make this either in November or March. It's a normal staple here. My boys love it too. 

Frida Kahlo 

Here is a pic of the sauerkraut from a few years ago in half gallon jars. 

With Easter coming and moms and dads looking for something for the kiddos to do this was a option maybe you had already bought some of maybe you can buy some offline....I looked at Amazon and they have them online and Walmart dot com has them too free shipping over $35. See videos below. 

Jet Puffed Marshmellows in the dehydrator   

Dehydrating Peeps 

with us not being able to have markets I have been putting more items on my Etsy store 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/LeafLoveSoaps

So please my market friends if you need something please reach out to me as others have I will ship and if you don't see it listed just let me know. 

We started our seed potatoes for planting

I have tons of plants ready if you need some drive thru for a dirt road side delivery. The whole greenhouse if full.

As I close for this rainy Saturday as we continue to make sauerkraut and ship items out from our Etsy store. 

SAFE SAFE

STAY CALM

As Jane Davenport said QuarARTinig (make art)

A lot of wonderful people, companies, and friends have stepped up as we all work together to fight this invisible enemy. 

BE PROACTIVE!!!! 

Protect yourself and others!

Cyber Hugs from six feet away! 

Dawn Gallop

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