Eleatta Diver

Motivation Monday: Pile 'Em On!

2012-05-21T18:02:00.000-04:00

A series of Monday posts meant to inspire and motivate.

Each Time

"Pile 'Em On"by Eleatta 2011(c) 5x7 oil pastel on paper $35

Each time we pause to pluck up a thought of thankfulness from the rubble of life, we find ourselves looking a little higher up over the horizon.

*"Pile 'Em Om" is available for purchase by contacting: eleattadiver@gmail.com

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Monday Motivation: Just Jump

2012-05-14T18:00:00.000-04:00

A series of Monday posts meant to inspire and motivate.

"Up, Up and Away"by Eleatta © 30"x40"acrylic $450

Just Jump

There are times in our lives when troubles are so thick and the trials are so high, our options are reduced to two choices. Either we wallow in the thorn patch or dare to mount our fears and leap.

"Up, Up and Away!"will be available for purchase after the Behind the Seen exhibition by contacting: eleattadiver@gmail.com

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Life's Layers

2012-05-10T08:05:00.003-04:00

New work in progress

Here's a sneak peek!
A new addition to my Celebrations series, this wild rose is categorized as one of June's "Birthday Flowers".

Celebrate good times....and the bad!
These paintings are meant to celebrate the joy of living life in all it's complexities and triumphs. Seeing that life demands that we incorporate all the layers of challenges and joys, these new works are mixed media pieces that reflect such synthesis and uses multiple layers of recycled materials.

Wider spectrum of patrons
Creating these smaller pieces (12"x12") has afforded a wider spectrum of patrons to enjoy the luxury of owning a piece of fine art as well as giving me the freedom to explore new techniques on a smaller scale.

I'm almost finished with this new Birth Flower! I'm just putting some finishing touches on it now and will post the end result soon. Stay tuned!

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Monday Motivation: Look Underneath

2012-05-07T07:30:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Monday Motivation, a series to inspire and motivate.

Look Underneath

"The Untold Story" by Eleatta 2011 5x7 oil pastel on paper $35

We only really know people in part. We just see what lies on the surface. But beneath, there's an untold story, which if we were to know, empathy would surely be a more natural response.

*"The Untold Story"oil pastel is available by contacting : eleattadiver@gmail.com

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Flip Charts, Markers and Chalk

2012-04-24T11:45:00.001-04:00

Here are some sequential photos form yesterday's "visual recording for the Duke Health Summit in Durham. It was such a great experience. I love trying new avenues for artistic expression and definitely want to do more of this. Doodling for a whole day is my idea of a fun!

Stay tuned. I'll share more photos and thoughts on the day soon.

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A Do-Over!

2012-04-22T10:00:00.000-04:00

When "Up, Up and Away!" really got up and left.
Recently, while working on my contribution to the Behind the Seen Exhibition, I found myself thinking of the well known idiom, "Don't beat a dead horse." I had been working on the painting but felt like I was spinning my wheels and going nowhere fast! Two days before the commission's "due date", I decided to completely rework it.

From the beginning
The initial composition captured two figures, a mom and daughter, close to the neck of a horse. I knew from the beginning, it was going to be a challenging composition to pull off. After lots of hours trying to make it work, I knew it was a "dead horse". I knew the only thing to do was to get rid of it….and rework it from scratch. Below, are a few pics from early stages:

A good choice
After I'd painted over the canvas in a light blue, and started the new composition's sketch, I knew I'd made the right decision.

Now, that's more like it!
It began to flow. The second rendition more clearly communicated the story I wanted to portray - a mom's desire for her daughter to transcend her obstacles and trials.

Good, better, best...
The first was just OK. The second better describes the heart of the painting's inspiration- overcoming difficulties.
It has been an honor to be selected to help portray this family's story and to be a part of Behind the Seen. I can't wait for the unveiling next month and to share it with the mom and daughter represented. I'll share more as the story unfolds.

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Power Doodling

2012-04-20T10:19:00.000-04:00

"Lassoing Dreams"by Eleatta 2009© 36x48 $1,500

I joined the ranks
In transitioning out of a teaching role into the "full time artist" role, I have joined the ranks of the creative entrepreneur. The artist's challenge is to not only think creatively in developing his or her work, but also in translating that work into income. Being confident of this decision I have just tried to keep an open eye to opportunities. Art Parties by Eleatta were birthed. Recently there's another opportunity on the horizon.

A graphic-visual what?
MaryAnn Black, one of the participants of Durham Dreams, invited me to be a graphic (visual recorder for this year's 11th Durham Health Summit.in the lovelyWashington Duke Inn with an estimated 600 people present.

The power of yes
Here's the catch- I've NEVER, EVER done this before but am eager to give it my best. I'll include you, my friend, in this learning process -for better or for worse! I'm really quite interested in this field. The pay is quite well and all that's needed is an ability to doodle!….Well, there's a little more than that, but it's certainly tailor made for "right brain dominants", it seems.

How'd you do THAT?
I was thinking about the way in which I was offered this job and was reminded of the ditty, "one thing leads to another". By painting MaryAnn's .dream , I was "woven" into this opportunity.

A divine thread
In a painting series I did a few years ago, exploring human hopes,dreams and aspirations Lassoing Dreams captured the idea that just as no man is an island, neither is any dream accomplished in a vacuum. There is always a thread of relationships and divinely orchestrated encounters.

So, guess what I'm doing this week? Brushing up on my doodling skills!

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"Up, Up and Away!": One Mother's Dream

2012-04-18T10:25:00.000-04:00

A surprise visitor
During a routine "open studio" at Golden Belt's Third Friday , a young woman approached me about being involved with a unique community art project, Behind the Seen. Hesitant to say "yes" to crowding another thing on my too full plate, I was surprised to be easily persuaded as she explained its purpose.

So, what's it all about?
Using art as a medium to spread awareness of families' difficulties with children experiencing emotional or behavioral challenges, the art, she explained, was aimed at offering encouragement to the families involved and to help them feel less isolated in their struggle. I quickly replied, "I'm in."Being a Mom, a parent is challenging enough. When there are complicated conditions thrown into the mix, it can be really challenging!

Back in time
My mind raced back to about 13 years ago when my youngest child was being diagnosed with Sensory Integration Dysfunction and ADHD. Remembering how alone, isolated and helpless I felt, I felt I could identify with these families at a profoundly deep level!

16 artists:4 families
Four families, selected to take part in sharing their lives, were matched with sixteen artists.
I was paired with a brave single adoptive mother and her precious daughter.

Meeting with brave love

During my interview with a brave, loving mom, she relayed her desire to see her daughter

transcend the difficulties she's experienced. I teared up hearing her dream of her

daughter's future possibilities and her present daringness, interests and fantasies. While

listening, I searched for images and metaphor that I might be able to translate into a Dream

Portrait . Upon hearing her daughter's two favorite things in life - horses and super heros - I

knew I'd found the right direction to take my painting!

Being struck with the Mom's regal strength, I captured her as a "warrior" woman and quickly

easily cloaked the daughter in a super hero type of costume. Together they are ascending

up, up over their trials and are leaping to a new dawn in their lives.

Here is a brief interview with Gail Cormier, executive director of North Carolina Families United, the family support and advocacy organization that's hosting Behind the Seen.

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April's "Birth Flower"

2012-04-16T12:31:00.001-04:00

This "sweet" little 12"x12"painting from my Celebrations series, is one of April's "birth flowers". Creating these smaller pieces has been pure joy as they provide a wider spectrum of patrons to enjoy the luxury of owning a piece of fine art. This mini series has also afforded me the freedom to explore new techniques and reach new stylistic milestones. Incorporating the use of lively lines has enabled me to capture the feeling I was wanting of letting these pieces commemorate the joy and zest of living life!

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Stuffed Pockets

2012-04-12T09:11:00.000-04:00

A page from my sketch/prayer journal.

As a little girl, I loved to stuff and smuggle lustrous pebbles or shiny leaves in my pocket. Dumping them out onto my bed, I'd spill my wonder over their simple beauty. Collecting thoughts of thankfulness is a lot like that too. When we take a moment to gather up the specifics from our lives that are beautiful, and stuff our pockets, we can unpack them and pour appreciation over each. Suddenly, life just seems a little sweeter.

I am convinced that collecting a thankful heart can cure just about any angst and soften any pain.

"The thankful heart sweeps through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings! Henry Ward Beecher

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A Month of Tulips

2012-04-04T07:00:00.000-04:00

New Available Work:"Perfect Love" by Eleatta 2012 © acrylic on 18 x24 1" canvas $175

March was dubbed the "month of tulips" in my Art Parties. All month long dozens of party-goers interpreted unique tulip renderings. I will never cease being utterly memorized by the innate uniqueness of the individual! Given the same set of simple instructions, guests unleashed their inner artist in a myriad of ways! Here is a sampling:

And these are just SOME of them……!!!!

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Gotta' Love Google!

2012-04-02T21:20:00.003-04:00

Last week I whipped up two great things that I found in that Wonderland called Google. Just had to share the love!

The first gold mine find was this incredibly versatile and absolutely yummy muffin recipe. It's appropriately named Best Ever Muffins Recipe . True. You've just got to try them! We've made them twice already! They disappear as quickly as it takes to make them, so maybe you should hide a few for yourself for later munchies.

Secondly, in surfing for inexpensive chair covers- for my Art Parties, I found prices that I couldn't believe- they were so reasonable (cheap)! To give them some extra pizzazz, I added an inset of a harlequin printed fabric. Now I just need to hem them. Are you ready? They were only $3.50 each!

What's your best Google find lately?

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Peeking In

2012-03-27T12:36:00.000-04:00

Today, I thought I'd just share a peek into my world - some random things I've been up to. Hope you like it.

I love these lines from a little nursery rhyme ditty:
"Good, better, best,
Never let it rest
Till the good is the better
and the better is the best." Anonymous

I am always thinking and looking for ways to improve the things I'm doing, whether it's a painting I'm working on or ways to create a memorable experience for my art Party guests.

I recently turned my attention to the door of my Golden Belt studio. It was just begging me for some jazzing up!

Hosting Art Parties has been such a great way to meet fabulous people, introduce them to the world of
Golden Belt's Third Friday and (hopefully) release their inner artist!

Evenings are usually my best time for working on my own pieces or creating workable images for the Art Parties. I'm truly blessed to have a studio at home that I can simply close off and hide all the mess.

A friend recently said, "Eleatta, you are so organized!" I had to laugh. If only she saw my studio!
It goes to show, "You CAN fool some of the people some of the time…."

Here is a little guy I'm considering for an Art Party….Still thinking. The challenge is creating images that are relatively simple to execute and also desirable over a wide spectrum of tastes. What do you think about the owl? Maybe change his colors?….

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Don't Quit Now

2012-03-21T11:37:00.000-04:00

"When the Wind Blows" by Eleatta@ 11x14 Mixed media on tile SOLD

The greatest oak was once a little nut who held its ground. ~Author Unknown

Warning: This post is a 'reminder to self"

Don't quit now!

It's probably not presumptuous of me to think you might need this too. Most of us, if we're honest, walk around teetering on the edge of weary strained exasperation. The sister demons of Anxieties and Fears constantly push and press.

What to do? The best strategy? Simply dig in your heels and sassily say, "I ain't gonna" quit! No, not now, not never"

"Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance."

~ Samuel Johnson

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Wishes and Lessons

2012-03-14T09:38:00.000-04:00

Since launching Art Parties by Eleatta I have met so many fabulous folks. I consider it a privilege to be a host and guide in art making. In wearing the host hat, my goal is to make everyone feel comfortable and at ease. In donning my art facilitator hat, my goal is to create a launch pad of confidence.

Being keenly aware that guests arrive with unseen "baggage" of their previous interactions with creating art, my challenge is to gently coax the "child within" to emerge. I've never met a young child who is afraid to make a mark. Fear is a learned trait.

Fear can be trained to submit. But it's the "inner critic" in all of us that I think is the most defiant. He is so hard to control. Over and over again, I have seen courageous, fabulous explorations on canvas that are then met with such a clamor of self doubt, that I have considered hiring a therapist to be my Art Party assistant! Just kidding.....

No, I won't do that. I'm sure that would eat up my profits; they are paid far more than artists. But what I can do is learn from this lesson and continue to attempt a"search and destroy" missions when these little critic demons raise their ugly heads. My "take away" from all of this is to be just as vigilant with my own inner demons of self doubt as as I am with others.

There is another observation: we are so quick to encourage others but criticize ourselves. I see this phenomena around the party table. Praise and compliments flow freely across the table and around the room. But not so freely are kind words uttered for one's own work.

I wish, sometimes, I were a fairy godmother with a magic wand that could change folks' perceptions of their own work. Alas, however, I am not. So I will continue to do my part to cajole and convince this one lesson: we are all wonderfully unique. My wish is that we will come to celebrate such.

Here are some party pics. I think you will agree.

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Face the Fears

2012-02-29T17:10:00.003-05:00

A page from my sketch/prayer journal.

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.
Eleanor Roosevelt

FEAR, that miserable nuisance that gnaws at your gut, mercilessly squeezes and hungrily holds us hostage.

We humans are fear magnets. Have you noticed? Our fears create internal land mines and mazes of self doubt. We fear not looking like we have our act together. We fear being rejected. We fear being vulnerable.

But, I've noticed fear hides a dirty little secret. It's bark is louder than it's bite. I'm a slow learner though, and this understanding has regrettably taken most of my life to learn.

When I feel the hot sticky breath of fear on my back, I'm a lot quicker these days, to turn and square off with them. The majority slink off and dissipate. Stubborn ones, serve as reminders to be courageous.

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear." Mark Twain

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"Painting with Purpose": San Ramon

2012-02-28T06:30:00.000-05:00

This past Thursday night, I hosted a Painting Party to support the Casa Materna, a birthing center, in San Ramón, Nicaragua! It is the first official "Party and Paint with Purpose" fundraiser! The event was held in my redesigned studio in Golden Belt in Durham. It was so much fun and we were able to raise money to support the work there in San Ramon for TWO MONTHS! That's so fun!. I think we need to have a few more Art Parties like this! I chose the particular flower of the "Bird of Paradise", as our subject because it's native to this particular geographical region. It was so great to come together with "kindred souls".

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Party Prep

2012-02-19T16:49:00.002-05:00

I thought you might like to see a "behind the scenes" post of how I've transformed my studio into a great party place for our Art Parties! The above photo is the end result of painting, shuffling furniture and minding details.

This armoire, transfered from home, is the perfect piece to stash everything out of sight!

I painted it the same color as the walls to make it "disappear".The chairs, below, were jazzed up with a little paint and Sharpie!

Wanting to create a calm backdrop for the Art Parties, the walls were painted "amazing Grey" by Benjamin Moore. The space instantly looked twice the size.

The grunt work- filling in (a million) nail holes!

The new wall color really shows off some of my new paintings too!

Laying out canvases, I wanted to make sure there was enough room to comfortably seat at least 12 guests per party.

The two new sets of track lighting really make a difference in the ambiance of the room!

Putting the finishing touches on the room made everything come together. White serving dishes add a touch of elegance to an evening of painting, that's for sure!

I love the way white shows off the yummy treats.

Below, you can see the full effect of "before" and "after" in creating a soothing calm space for Art Parties!

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Love Day's Coming!

2012-02-09T12:37:00.000-05:00

Sketchbook journaling

So, I don't know if you ever think about things like this, but I do. Most of the real meanings of the "holidays" we celebrate are buried under piles of commercial clutter.

In my (almost daily) sketchbook/prayer journaling, I was thinking about our associations with LOVE. Aside from romance, chic flicks and Disney endings, LOVE is really a pretty gutsy sort of word.

Since celebrating our 30th anniversary this year, I've retraced the steps that have gotten us this far in our commitment to one another. It's a whole lot more than just roses and romance.

Recently, I came across the best way I've ever heard of explaining what REAL love is all about . I made a sketch to remind myself.

This description of love's attributes is amazing. I came across it in the The Message translation of a time tested text: 1 Corinthians 13. It goes like this:

Love never gives up.
   Love cares more for others than for self.
   Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
   Love doesn't strut,
   Doesn't have a swelled head,
   Doesn't force itself on others,
   Isn't always "me first,"
   Doesn't fly off the handle,
   Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
   Doesn't revel when others grovel,
   Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
   Puts up with anything,
   Trusts God always,
   Always looks for the best,
   Never looks back,
   But keeps going to the end.

Here are some pics from the surprise 30th our children put together for us:

Faith, John, Grace and Bryan conspired together to surprise us!

Visiting friends at Carolina Beach

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I'll Always Be True

2012-01-31T07:52:00.004-05:00

It's February!

Happy Birthday to all my February friends.

Did you know the violet is February's official "birth flower"? Did you know that it signifies

modesty, faithfulness, and love? I sure didn't, until I started this series exploring the meaning and symbolism of flowers. Here's a tidbit that's even more intriguing; during the Victorian era giving a violet to someone was a message promising "I will always be true!"

Regretfully, I do not have a green thumb and over the years I hate to admit this but I've managed to kill any violet that was unlucky enough to be called mine. So sad. It's color is so rich and beautiful! I've now vowed to only paint them instead of being the cause of their slow painful death.

This painting is sold, however, prints are available here:

Violet's Birthday

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Paper Prayers

2012-01-29T16:23:00.001-05:00

A new palette for 2012

I love January, with it's invitation to start things anew.
I thought I'd share two of my "new things" for this year.
1.) to use a new palette of color in my work
2.)to openly share my sketchbook/meditation journal

I deliberately chose a new array of colors in my palette because I wanted to stretch and explore beyond my comfortable ruts. The new colors will act as constant reminders.

I also made a decision to "open up' my sketchbook and post my painted journaling process. This is a "two-for-one special" of benefits!

Firstly, it will hopefully encourage you as I share little motivational messages.

Secondly, it will help me not take myself so dang seriously! The pages are roughly executed and lack the polish of finished work. They are my raw paper prayers.

I'm so loving this new kinda' blue addition to my palette!

Thinking/praying about the power of reciprocity: giving and receiving.

Thinking about hope and the power it has to "lift" our spirit, I scribbled the reminder to allow hope to lift. Sometimes I find myself too anchored down in fears and anxieties. So, I made a "note to self" to ALLOW hope to buoy me!

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The Power of Paint!

2012-01-25T09:10:00.000-05:00

I am more thrilled by a great thrift store than a giant mall. I love being resourceful.

I love the hunt and the challenge. In decorating the several homes spanning our 30 year marriage,

I have often proclaimed my allegiance to the almighty power of paint.

A simple can of spray paint can transform trash to treasure.

And a couple buckets of it can create heaven on earth.

Recently my daughter, Gracie, and I transformed her bedroom from cutesy to calm simply

by applying a blanket of "Lovely Grey". All hail the power of paint.

I say there needs to be a new twist on the saying, "Diamonds are a girls' best friend."-

it's really PAINT!

And this is what Buddy, my lazy little dog, was doing while we worked!

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My Dream Team

2012-01-23T09:28:00.000-05:00

My family rests while I begin planning a Durham Dreams II!

Have you ever just been so thankful that it keeps rising up on the inside of you like a cork? Pulling together the Durham Dreams gala was quite a feat. Without my wonderful husband, family, and devoted friends, I could not have ever done it! I am so unspeakably grateful for their love and support.

What would I have done without my Faith and her beautiful friend, Lucinda?

I'm currently in the gestation phase of planning a Durham Dreams II. The thankfulness in my heart just keeps bubbling up, so I thought I'd just reminisce with you and post these pics.

The crowd made it all worth the work!

My friend Rita explains one of the paintings to Mayor Bell.

Laura Watts talks it up.

John's friends volunteer their night off to help me! Wow!

Beth and Anitra - so helpful!

Gene, you are the best!

Kelly,being careful to go over all the details.

Our friends are our treasures.

Hilary!

With Eric present, I just knew everything would somehow run smoothly!

Lilly is wonderful at mixing and mingling!

We are one very tired bunch!

Bryan, my musical background for the evening.

Sarah and Adena adding their grace and charm.

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Design on a Dollar

2012-01-22T10:07:00.000-05:00

Simple design: profound style

My hobby is design. It's like a game to me. My toys are paint, lamps, pillows, wall art, and rugs. I particularly love the way principles of design apply to to interior decor as well as to developing a successful painting. When I teach on these design principles, I always highlight the particular principle of UNITY as the "big daddy" of them all. Unity is the trick by which a painting…or a room looks "pulled together" and cohesive. It is achieved both on a canvas and in a room, by a generous dose of repetition - repeating color, line or texture.

This lovely photo is from my friend Bethany's apartment and the painting is one I made for her and her husband as a barter for her event planning skills! I love the way their simple but elegant dining room is unified through the repetition of various tones of whites and creams.

Here is a pic of my daughter, Gracie's room. Recently transformed through the power of repeating neutral tones of grey and tan, it has now become a haven of rest through utilizing the principle of unity.

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The Message of the Violet

2012-01-21T20:16:00.000-05:00

Happy February, 2012!

Did you know February has it's own special flower? The violet is celebrated as it's designated "birth flower". In creating a series of small paintings on the topic of birth flowers. I was intrigued to find out that over time unique symbolic meanings came to be associated with each month's flower. Moreover, during the Victorian era, special "hidden messages" were conveyed in the giving of certain flowers as well.

Hidden message of the violet

The violet is said to be a symbol of faithfulness and humility. The "hidden" victorian code-message took on a variety of meanings according to color. Apparently purple violets spoke "I'll always be true!" and the color white whispered, "Let's take a chance and see what happens."

How things have changed!
I am enjoying painting this series of birth flowers. I especially love uncovering all of the secret languages these flowers carried. In todays "In your face" communication style, I find these subtle, discrete messages so alluring!

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