Taos Rhododendron 1

Taos Rhododendron 1
Originally uploaded by Ricky Holtman

Here's one of my sketches from vacation. This is done in one of my little journals. Can you see how much I was enjoying myself with the watercoloring of this flower? Let the healing begin...God is good. Now go do some journaling or copy this flower for your own enjoyment. Use colored pencils, crayon or whatever floats your boat.
God bless
Ricky

I'm BACK!

Hey fellow friends.......I'm back from a glorious vacation. WOWOW! We took off on a Friday, the day after getting unplugged from chemo. I made it to Trinadad, Colorado from Kansas City. That night, laying in bed, I said "Lord what have I done here?" I was fighting diahrhea, fatigue and wondering why I thought I could make a trip this far from home. But I wanted to go back to where we feel at home...Taos, New Mexico.
We were getting ready to move there, a little over two years ago, when I was diagnosed with this demon. So everything was put on hold and here we are today. But GOD is good and I made to Taos finally. After two of three days the chemo started to reside and I was feeling better day by day. In fact by the time we were leaving I was feeling the best I had ever felt in a long time.
This trip was the best medicine in a long time for me.
I stopped off in Cimarron and saw some artist friends and now I have to do a one or two week workshop next June for the art community there. So....God willing I will return and do this.
I sketched and took a ton of photos for painting reference in the future. You'll get to see some of these as the weeks go along.
Out of all this I found out I need to push myself more physically and HOW much you guys mean to me. You guys wrote some wonderful comments under the last two blogs and I thank each of you and especially for your prayers.
Art and journaling is such a healing gift given to us and we should all take more advantage of it.
God bless each of you and I'll start blogging again soon and welcome to all our new followers....please feel welcomed to comment because this site is about you. GOD BLESS....LOL

Vacation!!!!!

Hey friends,
I got unplugged again from chemo yesterday and my doctor said my platelets are really low and the only way to get them up is give me some space between treatments.
As you know it is every 14 days for 3days 24/7 for me but he said don't come back for 3 weeks....Praise the LORD.
I've decided to try and make it to Colorado, and spend time at Taos and Santa Fe. I haven't been able to go there for 2 years so I am excited.
I plan on getting some art material and just RR with the wife. You know the colors and vistas are going to be so special this time around....Excited I am!
I'll post when I get back....so don't leave me..
God bless
Ricky

This is a test

Every now and then we must run a test to see if any one is following this blog. Please comment below this blog with a comment of yes or whatever you feel. I will check back to see if its doing anybody any good. Thanks

Learning

Learning is a growing process........so if we aren't learning we are not growing and if we aren't growing we eventually start decaying. WOW! Can you handle that statement? Are you guilty of putting off that awkwardness of trying something new?
I am talking about this process of journaling and doodling/art. Ask yourself why you haven't started yet or started and stopped? Is it to hard to start something new or is it..."I don't know that I believe what's being said here."
All of the above is a process we go through so it is all good...it is when you stop striving for the answers or process. It's hard to do something that is good for us....better food, more exercise, setting time aside for yourself, and in reality all of these not only benefit you but benefit those around you like a rock into a pond and the ripple effect it causes.
I pray you will get going with something that will help heal you mentally, spiritually and physically.
Choose you today what you will do.
God bless

LOOKEY!

Jun11Art
Originally uploaded by CaptElaine

LOOK at Captn Elaines art journal. Gang you must get on board with this theme.......I'm loving it. Great job Elaine.......YOU are an inspiration to us all.

Visual Language ?

I hope all are well because after another night of glorious rain the air is clean this morning....birds are so loud ........and the grass so full of chlorphyll and water I think the green could almost rub off on me. Oh well that's not all bad. What I really want to do is take my shoes and socks off and walk out in the wet grass just to feel it like a kid again.......ok?
Let's talk Visual Language because medical field has found out that words are a secondary language for us.....you heard it correct.........a secondary language.
Our primary language is visual inner imagery. This is how we communicate inside of ourselves between body and mind.....WHOOF! That's a lot to take in until you meditate on it for a while and then it starts to make sense.
This is why doodling along with journaling gets the inner language into an expressive language (writing and art) that we can start to see what our Holistice self is saying on a daily basis. In other words we are starting to listen to our bodys in a way that can HEAL us!
That's all I'm going to say today because this is very important info to digest and it will take some time.
Praying for each of you and I'm off to journal some and doodle.....are YOU?
Happy trails until we meet again........God bless.