Thoughtful Thursday Mark Twain Famous Quote

Trying to find new ways to be creative with my art so I added an inspiring quote by Mark Twain to one of my paintings:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did.”

What do you thinks about my idea and this quote? I think Mr. Twain was on to something when he wrote this.

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Thoughtful Thursday Social Interaction

Photo by Tofros.com on Pexels.com

I walk about 2.5 miles a day, 6 days a week. On some days I walk by the kids waiting for the school bus. It didn’t dawn at me at first but then I noticed something odd. It was super quiet and there were about dozen or so kids there.

When I used to wait for the bus there were about 8 of us at the bus stop. We were loud, laughing and carrying on. We told jokes or talked about the latest events going on at school. But all of these kids had their faces buried in their cell phones. They wouldn’t make eye contact with each other much less me as I walked by.

As human beings we crave interaction with others, yet here all they all were in absolute isolated silence. It makes me question if the use of cell phones especially at a young age is beneficial. As a parent I can say they do come in handy with changes in scheduling or for any emergencies. But we all got along great without them for years.

Texting on the phone, surfing the web or hanging out on social platforms like Facebook and Instagram is not the same as interacting with others. It’s kind of a form of isolation. Studies have shown that isolation can cause depression, anxiety and low self esteem.

From my daily observations, these kids didn’t appear happy. They were more numb and zombie like as they clicked away mindlessly at their phones. Would it be better to limit the use of the phones to certain times of the day or maybe just for emergencies? Or maybe go back to not having them at all but then kids want to be like everyone else and simply blend in.

It makes you question what will these kids be like when they’re grown. Will they be well rounded adults who talk to others and learn from life? I’m not sure but one thing’s certain, they’re our future. To really appreciate and live a happy life you need to be involved with your world using all of your senses. Trying to live life through your phone leaves you feeling rather empty and and unhappy.

Many times I’ve even seen families out to dinner and everyone is busy on their phone. There isn’t much interaction between them. This can’t lead to a balanced life filled with joy. Maybe, as adults we should lead by example and use the phone less and interact with our kids and surroundings more.

What are your thoughts?

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Photo by Maria Vidaurre

A New Day Abstract Painting

No matter how tough a day may be, tomorrow there’s always a new day filled with love and positive energy. But it’s up to you.

This is my newest abstract painting, A New Day. It’s painted on a 8×8 inch canvas panel in stunning hues of pink, orange, yellow and white. It’s accented with gold and a bit of glitter for a new day filled with magic. There’s lots of texture for interest.

If interested, A New Day is available in my Etsy shop.

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New Notecards

More exciting news, now available in my Etsy Shop, set of 3 Beach notecards with envelopes. These are also blank inside making them perfect to send warm wishes to someone special. Whether they’re well wishes, birthday or uplifting words of encouragement, these notecards are ideal. Professionally printed from my original photographs on heavy cardstock. Each card measures 4.25×5.5 inches and is blank inside for your inspiring sentiments.

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Jubilee Abstract Painting

Jubilee Abstract Painting by Maria Vidaurre

Everyday should be a joyful celebration of life. This is my newest abstract painting, Jubilee. It’s painted on a 6×6 inch wood panel in vibrant hues of pink, purple, white and splashes of silver. It has lots of texture and of course a little glitter for sparkly magic.

If interested, Jubilee is available in my Etsy shop.

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Thoughtful Thursday The Road to Happiness

Photo by Min An on Pexels.com

It seems that most of us are in a perpetual state of searching for happiness. If I only had that car, owned that house, had more money I’d be happy. But is this truly what happiness is?

For some, the material world and all it’s contents define their happiness. But happiness looks completely different from one person to the next. For me happiness is the scent of warm bread baking in the oven. It’s hearing the wind gently rustling the leaves on the trees. It’s seeing the sunlight sparkle and dance on the waves in the lake. It’s completely losing myself in my art, painting and letting the outside world with all of it problems simply fade away, at least for a little while.

Don’t get me wrong, you can buy “things” that make you happy, but the happiness is short lived. Although these “things” are nice to have, they don’t make you feel alive. They don’t bring that sense of joy and wonder into your heart and soul, filling every cell in your body with true happiness.

So what is happiness for you? What does it smell, taste or feel like? What makes you smile from ear to ear all day long? Have you found happiness or are you still looking for it? Would love to hear your thoughts….

Have a beautiful day, thanks for stopping by!!

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New Notecards

Very excited to share a new item with you available in my Etsy Shop, set of 3 Angel notecards with envelopes. They’re perfect to send warm wishes to someone special. Whether they need well wishes, birthday or uplifting words of encouragement, these notecards are ideal. They’re professionally printed from my original art on heavy cardstock. Each card measures 4.25×5.5 inches and is blank inside for your inspiring sentiments.

Included in this Set 1 of each design:
▪ Angel Valentina
▪ Angel of Tranquility
▪ Angel of Wisdom

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Echoes of Mercy Angel Journal Pages

I bought these embossed angel images on Etsy from a shop called Scrapaplenty. They’re made in Germany and are quite beautiful. I fell in love with them because they remind me of the vintage images used in cards from long ago.

I created this layout in my Strathmore 5.5″ x 8″ Mixed Media Journal. The background is painted using leftover paints from one of my canvases. As I looked at this color combination, it seemed to be a perfect fit for the angels. I used a stencil to create the clouds and added the quote “Angels descending bring from above, echoes of mercy, whispers of Love.”

Hope this inspires you today 😊

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Celebrate Flower Painting

Everyone needs to Celebrate the wins in life. Whether you’re cheering on a friend or you’re simply happy to have reached your goal. Big or small, they deserve recognition and so do you!

This painting was created with lots of texture on a 4×12 inch canvas with bright cheerful colors of blue, pink and purple. It’s accented with a little glitter and is overflowing with pure happiness.

It would make the perfect gift as this flower will last a lifetime! Celebrate is available in my Etsy shop.

Have a wonderful day!

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Imagination Abstract Painting

Imagination Abstract Painting by Maria Vidaurre

Imagination is the beginning of all great things. Albert Einstein is quoted as saying “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Where would we be today if we didn’t use our imagination?

This is my newest abstract painting, Imagination. It’s painted on a 9×12 inch canvas with gorgeous hues of blue and pink. There’s lots of texture and splashes of purple and yellow plus a little glitter for magic. Imagination is available in my Etsy shop.

Thanks for stopping by!!!

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