Watch me paint this dolphin in 2 minutes (time lapse)
What is the pursuit of happiness? Does it mean simply “feeling” happy, or actively living happily? A dolphin in the wild is playful and enjoys following boats, showing off for human audiences. I loved meeting this delightful dolphin named “Fungie” when I was living in Ireland. Unless captured, a dolphin answers to no authority and is free to pursue happiness. Apparently Fungie liked hanging out with his human fans. It seemed like he was looking and smiling directly at me, and stole my heart!
But there is something horribly wrong when a human being feels less free than a wild dolphin. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” seems like a good declaration for independence, for sovereignty over our bodies and our lives, and for the promise of freedom to follow our purpose, talents, vocations, lifestyles and dreams.
When governments and their “activist” proxies cancel some people but not others, when laws apply to some people but not others, when some of us are “essential” and others are not, when some of us can breathe free while others cannot, when some of us can travel, but others cannot, when some of us can work or go to school without restriction, while others cannot, are we free to pursue happiness? Have we declared our independence? Instead of looking wistfully at us from behind a glass aquarium wall in captivity, perhaps a wild dolphin observes us looking at him wistfully… wishing we too were on the other side of captivity.
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New Cardinal Friends
New birds have already found us at our new home. These cardinals are different, as I knew they’d be. When I was sad about leaving
I’m HOME!
All moved in and my Internet is up. Did you miss me? I missed you! I’ll catch up when I can. Just wanted to post
Moving Day!
This looks nothing like the house we’re closing on, but our house IS in Savannah. I had no idea when I painted this several years
MOVING TOMORROW!
WHEW! The issues are finally resolved and our delayed close on the house will happen TOMORROW! Tomorrow is moving day! I shall fly like this
S T R E S S E D
Today was a highly stressful day. We still haven’t closed on the house and we are now running out of time for the moving pods,
BAD DAY
Well, there must have been a bad moon a’rising because today was a horrible day. The close on our house was cancelled, and then thankfully
Super Laundry!
My son is college age now, not a little boy like in this art for children’s book “Grandpa Smiles” (about my dad, who died before
Happy Day!
Today we had the opportunity to bring the kids to the house we’ll be closing on. Until now, they’d only seen the pictures and video.
Bandits!
These birds have been coming around and stealing our strawberries! What a disappointment! I was enjoying a fresh berry with Cool Whip as a snack
Easy Going
This painting was a “free paint” project, in which there is no reference, plan, or agenda other than to let the paints flow. I start
Joyful Memories!
Moving is so hard and bittersweet. The passage of time is on display with every box that is packed, every room that is emptied. Today
WOOT!
“Fred” was my dad’s nickname for me. This painting was inspired by a black and white photograph he took to complete an assignment for a
Wild Days
Ever feel that you live your life with reckless abandon, like these wild horses? What do they care about consequences or the worries of tomorrow?
aww
My daughter brought me one of the boxes she packed herself for our move, for me to load onto the POD container. She said it
Nature’s Music
This painting was an experiment. A talented indie composer shared his work online and I asked if I could use it to paint what I
Ooh, Pretty!
These flowers are probably the closest thing I have right now to what my new “Freedom Rose” looks like, but imagine the buds and open
LOL, Pumpkin
I planted a couple of pumpkins in grow bags and decided that I’d take those to the new house. Well, one of the pumpkins decided
Bearing Up
The PODS container was dropped off today. I spent hours packing the first round of our household, mostly by myself. I felt victorious, like this
Lead me HOME!
When I painted this city of Savannah oil painting, I had no idea that I’d one day live not very far from this fountain square.
Strawberry Mine!
Guess what’s ready to eat already? I had the most delicious vibrant red fresh strawberry with a bit of whipped cream, MMMM! But you know
Moving Soon!
Oil painting “Autumn Cottage”, time lapse video to watch Natalie paint this art, journey of move during housing crisis