Near Jackson Hole, WY Airport – 2009 – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor

“Kind words are a creative force, a power that concurs in the building up of all that is good, and energy that showers blessings upon the world.”
–Lawrence G. Lovasik



Near Jackson Hole, WY Airport – 2009 – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor

This was the last thing I painted before I left Jackson in 2009.  Tomorrow, I will be back there.  YAY!!  I’m going to spend a few days with family and a few days on a solo painting retreat.  I am so ready for that! 

I was born in Laramie, WY, then lived all over the place.   My parents were born and raised in Idaho.  My brother ended up back there first, then my mother followed.  She has been there 20 years.   It’s very beautiful.   Bonus:   Tomorrow, in Eufaula, OK, it is supposed to be 109 F.  In Idaho, I’m going to be enjoying 82 F.  YAY!!!!

In looking for a biography on Lovasik, I found the book he wrote, titled “The Hidden Power of Kindness”.  I found the book on Amazon.com and saw the greatest review.  Check it out….. 

“I was recently on a pilgrimage to Rome. My pilgrimage director was so atrocious, had I not taken this wonderful book with it’s simple guides on charity, patience, and kindness, I would certainly have killed her. The simple pledges, and easily applied steps, helped me not only hold my tongue, but led me to enjoy what could have been an otherwise unbearable experience(…even though the surroundings were spectacular!) If you’re serious about improving your daily relations with the people you deal with, you have to read this book!”

“Strength of character means the ability to overcome resentment against others, to hide hurt feelings, and to forgive quickly.”
— Lawrence G. Lovasik

Fr. Lawrence G. Lovasik (1913–1986) said that his life’s ideal was to “make God more known and loved through my writings.” Fr. Lovasik did missionary work in America’s coal and steel regions, founded the Sisters of the Divine Spirit, a missionary congregation, and wrote numerous books and pamphlets emphasizing prayer and the Holy Eucharist.

Idaho Ranch

“Difficult times have helped me to understand better than before how infinitely rich and beautiful life is in every way, and that so many things that one goes worrying about are of no importance whatsoever.”
– Isak Dinesen

Idaho Ranch – 5″ x 8″ Watercolor

Over the weekend, I booked a trip to Idaho to see my mom and my brother.  I will fly in and out of Jackson Hole, WY and drive to Blackfoot to see them.  When I did this in 2009, I took lots of photos from that drive.  It really was beautiful!  I painted this from one of those photos.

This time, I am going to spend three days in a cabin in the Teton Valley, painting, before I go home.  I am so excited!

About Isak Dinesen

Isak Dinesen was the pen name of Karen Blixen, the Danish author famously portrayed by Meryl Streep in the film of her best-selling memoir, Out of Africa. She was born near Copenhagen in 1885. In 1914, she and her new husband moved to Kenya to run a coffee plantation. She stayed on after divorcing her husband ten years later, living an unusually independent life. Her book of stories, Seven Gothic Tales, sold well, but Out of Africa made her a worldwide success. She died in 1962.