Rainbows

Rainbows. What images they bring to our minds. There is the coolness of the rain, which is really appealing now that it is summer here in the desert. The dictionary defines a rainbow as " The arch of prismatic color formed in the sky opposite the sun and caused by refraction, reflection, and the dispersion of light in raindrops falling through the sky." The red rocks of Sedona appear different in this magical light.
Sun, sky, rain...what a series of images they evoke in our minds and souls. 
The  use of color is something we always think about as artists. I use watercolor, or the opaque form called gouache, in my calligraphy. Even one color in all its tones and hues and density can create a  rainbow effect. The  sheer power of which colors we choose to place  near, next to, or touching each other, can evoke a whole other mood or impression. We have to plan these effects. Mother Nature seems to just get it. And in this picture she did it twice!
 I look forward to that  summer rain and the magical first glimpse of those gently rounded shapes of color that peek out from the clouds, just  before it  come out in full rainbow glory. 
  Any thoughts about your personal rainbows?  

Expect the Unexpected

Well here it is the 14th of April and it's snowing! The leaves are out; the blossoms on my fruit tree are blooming; the roses are getting their buds. Yet here come the big, cold, wet slashes of white stuff onto my garden. It isn't supposed to snow this late in the year!

The unexpected. How often does that happen in art? I have the layout all organized in just the right proportions, and then a word of calligraphy must go on the next line. There goes the " expected," and I must rally quickly and figure out how to make the unexpected look exactly as if it were planned out precisely that way.Is it a mistake, or a chance to be even more creative? Sometimes it works out even better, and sometimes you just have to make the best of it.

Kind of like life , I am thinking. You've planned out just how you want the day to work out, and then Boom, something happens and everything must change to work around the unexpected.

My lesson for myself is to just get over my expectation that I have control over these events. Why do I get upset over things that are out of my control? Mother Nature certainly has more power than little old me. So that is my mantra " Expect the unexpected";aka... go with the flow; roll with the punches, make chicken soup out of chicken bones. Now comes the hard part, living out these words.

Please share your thoughts on this with me.