Prolific Paintings

I have lived my life surrounded by talented artists. My brother, Ken, painted lovely oil landscapes. Both daughters are very talented in multi-media art. My sister, Linda, creates beautiful quilts and handbags while my sister, Muriel, was a folk artist. My much-missed partner, Brian, was a very talented artist who created amazing detailed paintings, stained glass works, and beautiful wood-turned creations.

I love all these talented artists.

Apart from the fact that throughout my life I've always kept busy with work, I never attempted to paint anything because I knew I could never create anything as lovely as my family members were creating. I believed my attempts could never be good enough. So, I am a little embarrassed to admit that I didn't even try.

This kind of negative thinking was something that I finally decided to throw out the window in my senior years. But it happened in an unusual way.

My dear Brian was, sadly, experiencing a slow recovery after a motor vehicle accident. He seemed to be losing interest in life. I had an ulterior motive when I purchased the big old dining table on the buy/sell site. I had it set up in our family room in the basement, covered it with plastic and arranged painting easels at either end of the table. I set out two painting stations - one for me, and one for Brian.

My thought was that, if I share the painting adventure with Brian, the companionship might encourage him to start painting his beautiful pictures again.

Brian did once again create some beautiful work, thankfully. His wood turning, his stained glass, his paintings - all were lovely. His work was of a high standard and he enjoyed sales in the Sault Ste Marie gallery in the U.S. This pleased me, but didn't surprise me.

What surprised me was that I was having a good time playing with these colours. I soon realized that I was almost as prolific with my painting as I was with my creative writing. I was a folk artist and loving the adventure. I was hooked.

I love my painting adventure! I've received no training but I've discovered that if I start painting at 9 a.m., before I know it, it's after 1 p.m., yet I feel as though I've been painting for 20 minutes. Time simply disappears.

I'm running out of walls for all my paintings, both oil and acrylic. No one is more surprised or happy knowing that someone else has liked something I painted. I am overjoyed to say that, as of today, I have sold twenty-four paintings.

All my folk art paintings are for sale. I've sold a few pieces and how exciting it was for me to sell two large 30 x 40" acrylic on canvas pieces on New Year's Eve.

My friend, Maggie Kirton, several years ago, was publisher of my early books through her company Wynterblue Publishing in North Bay. She encouraged me with my creative writing by often saying, "Keep that ink flowing".

I never dreamed that a day would come when I'd be thinking, hey, keep that paint flowing.

Our senior years may or may not be the golden years. But, by picking up that paint brush, your years will be any colour you decide to choose.

I encourage my friends to pick up that paint brush; write those stories; sing those songs, and play those instruments. Create, create, create! You will find that, before you know it, as Wayne Dyer suggested, you gain the awareness that you are creating your own reality. 

REAWAKENING

 Editorial Reviews

Review

With regard to this book let me share with you one review by Maggie Kirton who is the Executive Director of Wynterblue Publishing Canada, publisher of "REAWAKENING".

She writes, "Every now and then a manuscript comes across my desk that completely captivates me. Austin has reached inside the human heart and removed all boundaries pertaining to everlasting love ... and her ability to play with the English language successfully is astounding.

Austin's Reawakening is a must read. It will take you into a land not far from your heart and bring you back to earth again believing that all things are possible with love and hope."

Another review of REAWAKENING:

" Let me first wipe my droplets of moisture from my eyes. Some shed from sadness of a love so strong and true, that never seems to be a " togetherness of two the way I would hope. Then some shed for the amazing job... Austin did in making me laugh at the craziness of our "human" lives.

"Reawakening" is a story I could not give anything less than 5 stars to. It is a love story, mixed with sci-fi, also mixed with drama and the comedy that sneaks up if you have the ability to laugh at oneself. Would I go as far as calling this book a romance...no I cannot! It is a book of love, true love, something many think they know, but will realize if by this story very few may actually have it right. A love on earth where age, appearance were not important to the two involved, happiness, comfort, and love was without a question in their lives. A must read for men and women.

Ann237 Beauregard

From the Author

Reawakening is a novel that reveals itself in a place called Notsew. Here is a story that takes the reader on a journey, along with the story's characters, far from earth. In this place called Notsew the powers that be have great curiosity. They want to learn more about why human beings do the things they do and mostly they want to learn about some strange phenomena best described as emotion. The story's characters find themselves unwilling participants in an experiment.

I dedicated this story to my dear sister, Muriel, because she just loved it. Of all the things I had written this was her favourite. And though my sister is now also far from earth the love we shared continues to make me feel as close to her as ever.

Although I didn't know it at the time I wrote Reawakening, I believe there were greater forces at work. Why do I think this? Because the love my sister & I continue to share is the kind of love shared by the characters in this story. Nothing and no one - not even death - can lessen the power of love.

"Reawakening" is available in Kindle, Paperback, and Audio Book formats on all Amazon sites.

Visit my author's page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

Remembering 'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn'

 Once reminded of 'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn', I knew I wanted to watch it again. I was happy to find it on YouTube. What a great way to spend some Saturday hours! Since I grew up in Toronto, although I lived in a quieter, less busy, residential area than the Nolan family, the city setting made me feel right at home.

So much was familiar, the butcher shop, the junk man with his horse and cart, the kids finding ways to make money, the school classroom with its desks in rows, teacher at the blackboard with pointer in hand, kids playing in the streets with no worries about their safety, the insurance man who came each month to collect the premiums, the rollerskates that meant the world to this little girl. And the tree - the tree, like the people, reaching for the sun and, against all the odds, living a good life.

The world I grew up in was maybe no better, no worse, than our world today but the world I grew up in was very different, and I'm grateful that I have been able to experience and to enjoy the very different, less stressful lifestyle, where Saturday meant the matinee at the Grant theatre with double feature and a cartoon for fifteen cents. With our 25 cents weekly allowance we still had ten cents left over for popcorn and three for a cent candies. Sunday morning meant going to church and Sunday afternoons meant going, nickel in hand for the collection plate, to Sunday School. Weekdays meant walking several city blocks to school where we lined up and marched into our classrooms to the beat of the military band music that filled the school yard through the loud speaker.

There was something called 'service' in those long-ago days. I remember the milkman, the breadman, the coalman, the iceman, the doctor who came to the home when called. I remember city front verandahs where the parents and the grandparents sat and watched the kids playing in the streets. A city neighbourhood much like a small town where everybody knew everybody and kids couldn't get away with anything. There was always someone watching. These are all very good memories.

If you haven't watched "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn", I highly recommend it - a very authentic portrayal of life for many in 'the good old days'.

TABLE TALK - a series of five (5) mini workshops on Women's Empowerment

 

 

TABLE TALK

Mini Workshops to celebrate the Empowerment of Women

 

I am offering once again my 'Table Talk' series of gatherings for women. We will meet once a week, sit around the table, and we will stay focused on a specific personal growth issue of your choosing each time we meet.

This series of five (5) weekly mini workshop sessions will commence Wednesday, May 28^th, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Table Talk invites you to participate in a meditation and healing circle, followed by meaningful discussions on topics, chosen by you, focusing on women’s issues.

Fee for the workshops is $100 for five (5) workshops.

This fee can be paid in full at the first session or you may prefer to make a personal commitment to attend the five (5) sessions and pay $20 each Wednesday afternoon of the series.

Due to limited space, minimum  and maximum attendance is four (4) women.  In other words an attendance of four (4) is a requirement to assure these mini workshops will be a ‘go’.  Your commitment to attend all five (5) sessions is key to the success of the series for all participants.

If you wish to participate in Table Talk, please message me on Facebook, or email me – audrey@persona.ca