837 Shining Light

The Campion home was filled with warmth and joy at Christmas and Chanukah.  We had a house full of family--many from a warm climate who loved the cold (go figure) and frolicking in the snow.  We were all bundled up to endure snowball fights, building forts, and the highlight-- snow tubing.  Food and drink were plentiful, and laughter filled the air.  Santa visited and left many gifts for the children after filling his belly with cookies and milk.  We are all so fortunate to have so many blessings.

Painting over the last few weeks was at a minimum, but I was too busy to make it a priority.  I was a little worried that the dreaded painter's block would slip in, but thankfully it didn't.  A giant antique door knob painting called out from the easel, and a beautiful amaryllis gift from a friend is blooming and stirring potential painting ideas.

But at this time yesterday and today, I felt compelled to paint another refugee child pictured on ANERA'S "#Shine Your Light" year-end fundraising campaign (www.ANERA.com) as part of The Innocents Project.  This little girl stole my heart with her big brown eyes and bowed lips.  This will make my 10th portrait in this series,  and I will continue painting until I have a body of work to display and raise awareness (and funds) for the refugee children in Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan. American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) has a great track record for providing education, shoes, warm clothes, medical supplies, improved water systems, and whatever else is needed to give refugees some dignity and the tools needed to make a better future.  It is very cold in that part of the world, perhaps you didn't know that, and heat is not plentiful even in regular homes, let alone in tents and makeshift cement structures. Imagine sleeping in 40 degrees without heat!  I hope you will check out ANERA's web sight and their Facebook page.  Their focus is on providing better lives for the refugees, NOT politics, so I hope that will further encourage you to read about their good work and to consider a donation.

I would like to express my gratitude to you for following my work and for all your comments, suggestions and encouragement.  I am grateful for the two galleries who represent me, Edgewood Orchard Gallery in Door County, Wisconsin, and The Leigh Gallery in Chicago.  I wish you all good things for 2017--good health, happiness, a heart full of love, and whatever prosperity means to you.

"837 Shining Light"
acrylic - 12x12 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/837-shining-light/542711

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Hob Knobbing

Even though it has been only a little more than a week since I last posted a painting, it seems like so much longer.  These are indeed very busy days with the holidays rapidly approaching, but rest assured, I am still painting!

I recently held an open house/open studio which was very enjoyable and successful for me, despite all the hard work in preparation, as well as in followup.  I am very fortunate to have a large space in which to work in our home, and it normally appears as if a tornado went through, but for safety's sake, I had to clean things up a bit.  I always raise an eyebrow when I see photos of artists' studios in magazines that look more like living rooms, neat as a pin, so I felt a little dishonest by having it so neat and clean.  It didn't take long for it to get back to "normal."

The painting above, "Hob Knobbing" is a variation of an earlier painting, "Hob Nobbing It" which sold through one of the galleries that represent me.  I used the original "Hob Knobbing It" painting along with my first Daily Painting "So Happy to Meet You" on my Open House invitation.  A collector saw the painting and really liked it, so voila! another appeared on the easel and, at her request, with a red knob where a blue knob appeared in the original painting.  There are sure to be more doorknob paintings in my future, as I enjoy the detail and uniqueness of each one.  While painting, my mind wanders and imagines the stories those old door knobs could tell if only they could talk.

We are thrilled to have all of our family together for the first time this Christmas.  It will be such a joy to have Santa visit once again after many years, and to have the laughter of children fill our home.  If I don't post until after the Holidays, please know that I am enjoying my family, my first love.  I am still painting in preparation for the new year, but will be working on larger paintings, which therefore take more time to complete.  

I am so grateful for those of you who follow my work, who take the time to comment, offer encouragement, and to those of you who like my work enough to purchase it and display it in your homes.  I love what I do, and I hope you can see that passion in my "work."