Faces of Strength: No Stopwatch for a Mother's Love

"I Arise" © Antonia Ruppert
12x14-  Mixed Media on Panel

Does a mother’s love have a stopwatch? What about an online timer? This week while painting, I was reminded that these do not exist.  I realized for perhaps the 1000th time that a mother’s love is strong and should not stop. I’ll write more about this today and also invite you to my next group art show.

I interviewed two mom’s and worked on drawings and paintings of each for my "Faces of Strength" project.  

"I Arise" progress © Antonia Ruppert

"I Arise" progress © Antonia Ruppert

I learned and was reminded that:

• Patience is the number one quality you need in motherhood.  (Sounds like being an artist)
• Mother’s don’t get to whine. 
• The best thing about being a mom is that look of love from your child.
• Getting up at 4am daily to care for one’s family is not too early.

If you are curious about what’s on the minds of mothers and women in general, I invite you to my next group show:

Valentines Day Opening

“Women of Many Colors” Group Art show curated by Dianna Long.  

Feb. 14, 2015 (1-4pm) Art show opening reception

March 21, 2015 - last day of show. It closes at 4p.m.

Urban Art Retreat

773-542-9126

1957 S. Spaulding Ave. Chicago, Il. 60623

(Chicago, Lawndale Community)

I’d love to meet you there.  I will have four paintings and a time based piece with paintings, drawings, photography, words and music. The idea that I can compile these various media to create a moving story to share fascinates me. 

Right now, there is no stopwatch for my girls.  The best thing about being a mother is the Thank You I get from my 21 year old and the hugs from my 9 year old. The best thing right now about being an artist is getting to talk about this in my work.

How does this resonate with you?  Comment below or tell me in person at the show.

Your Future Success is Tied to Your Outlook

"Breaking Free" ©Antonia Ruppert - Acrylic, 8x16 inches

Something happened today, yesterday and will continue to happen to people everywhere:

The average person will generate 25,000 to 50,000 thoughts per day.

This was reported by David Carnes of Livestrong.com.  He quotes Hara Estroff Marano, Editor at Large of Psychology Today magazine. 

Many of these thoughts will be surprisingly negative. Billions of earthlings everywhere will think and act on these thoughts.  Many of us, myself included, are becoming more intentional about our thoughts. I'm getting more creative about keeping a positive outlook.

My painting "Breaking Free"(shown here) illustrates the pushing past of negative thoughts.  The words say, "No" and "No not you." At some point, the hands come up to push aside the negative words.

This is important because "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he..." (Bible, Old Testament).

Working at Being Positive
 I work daily on being positive by:

1. Calling friends when situations got dicey.
2. Calling upon my believing mirrors when I just don’t feel like painting.
3. Catching up with my artist friends and checking in weekly about artsy stuff and family stuff.
4. Focusing on what I have to be thankful for.

I try to maintain a positive outlook, despite the fact that my outlook does not always match my situation.

For example, yesterday my youth art class, “Artists with a Purpose” started in Tinley Park, IL.  This unique class will raise money for a local charity by creating 100 acrylic painted panels and selling many of them.  As I drove to the class, I realized that I had not grabbed all of the acrylic paint--nor did I have gesso(acrylic primer) for the 24 panels I wanted my students to work on.

As I was strapped for time, I made the decision to be on time for my class and not make an emergency run to Hobby Lobby. At first, during my journey, tears were in my eyes as I thought of the “disastrous” class that awaited me.  Then something shifted, as I thought of my daily affirmations:

1. I Thank You God that your gracious hand is upon me.
2. I Thank you God that your favor keeps my enemies from triumphing.
3. I Thank You God that your favor will make a way.
4. I trample all obstacles and roadblocks to receiving unlimited
   prosperity.
5. The more grateful I am, the more reasons I find to be grateful.

 I had no idea exactly how it would all work out.

When I arrived, I met art teacher Carolyn - who was just finishing her class.  A master teacher, she told me she had been teaching at the Tinley Park Park district for 18 years. 

Without me asking, Carolyn and her aide Linda started helping me set up for my class.  First, Carolyn gave me tips on making my first day of class great.  Second, Linda actually helped me place newspaper on the tables to protect them - saving me loads of time.  Third, Carolyn pointed out that there was a bag of new acrylic paints in the supply cabinet. 

I felt overwhelmed with God’s favor.  In conclusion, the first day of “Artists with a Purpose” was awesome.

Final Notes about my Artistry
As promised in my last post - here are some of the work shown at my last show with artist Sylvia Westbrook at the Meet the Artist Night at Acorn Library in Oak Forest, IL.

This is "Happy Friday"...

"Happy Friday" ©Antonia Ruppert - Mixed Media, 9x12

and this is "Delivered and Set Free"...

"Delivered and Set Free" ©Antonia Ruppert - Acrylic, 8x10

I’ll leave you with this quote by LeAndria Johnson, Grammy winner -best gospel/contemporary Christian music:

“Always be positive.” “Don’t focus on the negative things in your life. Focus on the positive. The yes in you will be the yes for somebody else.”

New Painting is Accepted: “Genesis of Survival”

"Genesis of Survival" ©2011 Toni Ruppert, 30x40, Oil and Charcoal

Do you know a more inspired, more encouraged, more joyful artist from the "west side" than me?  Today I'm even more pumped!

Acceptance!
 
Yesterday, I got an acceptance letter for my painting “Genesis of Survival” to the show "Testimony to Being" at Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago, Illinois.  

I’m really excited about this acceptance as it is the first time I’ve entered something this personal into a show and it was accepted.  “Genesis of Survival” is one of my favorite paintings because I love the detail work done with a palette knife.  It's like painting with a flexible butter knife.


Detail:

"Genesis of Survival-detail" © 2011 Toni Ruppert, Oil and Charcoal

 

The exhibit will be on view from October 15, 2011 through November 5, 2011 at Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago, Illinois.  

Eeeeck! I'm Almost Speechless!

"Heart Stuff"  12x12  Mixed Media  ©Toni Ruppert

 I'm so excited.  Words can not express how I feel right now.  I will try though.  Eeeeek!  Wow!  Yes!  (see) The words come out like that.  I'm excited because the show is hung at Chicago's Flourish Studios's Envision Gallery.  It took a lot to get here.

A mere few weeks ago, I was floundering with this new direction for my personal artwork.  Painting was flourishing in my commission work, but nothing was coming forth in my personal work.  I knew I wanted to talk about healing from fragmented relationships--healing from brokenness.  But it would not come out like I wanted to.  I was surrounded by prayer, paint jars, glue muslin, wood panels, and etc.  All the stuff I'd use to make my pieces.  Enter my success team.

I joined a success team lead by Eileen Kerlin Walsh.  (Look out world--here comes Eileen!)  My success team encouraged me and one of them literally said "Create two panels this week."  I was like, "Okay." After doing this for a time--my goal was in sight.

"Behind Her Smile"  12x12  Mixed Media  ©Toni Ruppert

In Teamworks, author Barbara Sher says, "A Success Team will keep you going, steadily, step by step, week after week...until one day...you arrive right in the middle of your goal." That's what my team did for me.  Further, when I hit a snag with my frames, one of my team mates personally made them according to my specifications.

So...you see words cannot express how I'm feeling. My hope is that whatever you're working on these days will have you so excited --you too will be (almost) speechless!

I invite you to comment (use whatever words you want) on your own creative project or on how you're utilizing a team to making your ideas/dreams happen.

New Show at Envision Gallery: Healing from Brokenness

"It's In Between Us", Mixed Media, 18x24

My dining room table, my current spot for creating, is in a state of disarray right now. But I feel a cleansing coming on--an inner cleansing. Do you know what I mean? More and more, I am feeling the freedom that comes through expression. So I don’t mind the mess.

In about four months from today, my artwork and that os artist Sharon Burrink will be shown at Flourish Studios’ Envision Gallery in Chicago. Flourish Studios was founded by Dr. Julia Rahn and the curator is Meredith Siemsen. After meeting them both recently, I was truly inspired to keep creating and, well flourishing.

The show opens October 1st, 2010 with a reception - just in time for Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Chicago Artists Month. I will be available for a short gallery talk to discuss my processes and techniques. The gallery is located at 3020 N. Lincoln Ave in Chicago.

In addition, the show, “Healing from Brokenness” will be a fundraiser for IMPACT Chicago - a non-profit organization that is committed to ending violence against women.

I have posted my newest piece which has been tentatively named “It's In Between Us.” It is 18x24 and is a Mixed Media piece(pastel, torn paper, rice, photography and finger prints). I will be asking my fans on Facebook for their thoughts on my title.

I so appreciate this opportunity to share some deeper work about an issue that impacts us all. The "controlled chaos" on my table means that art is happening.

New Show at Orland Park Library

Oak Forest, Yankee Woods
©Antonia Ruppert
Mixed Media on Paper

In conjunction with my month-long exhibition, Orland Park Library’s Outreach Services is sponsoring a Meet the Artist night on Friday, September 4th, 2009 beginning at 7pm. In addition, I will present my talk, “Aging with Dignity and Compassion” on Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 beginning at 7pm.

For the last year, I have been grappling with the idea of aging and connecting that to my artwork. This new artistic direction came about when I started caring for my grandmother in the summer of 2008.  I cherished singing hymns with her or having her ask for more strawberry jello or black walnut ice cream.

After painting grandmother several times, I focused my artistic energies on capturing fleeting moments with her. I had no idea she’d leave us this past February.

Fleeting. Changing. Temporal. I found that with my experience with my grandma. I also found that same experience in my recent trip to Saugatuck, MI at Oxbow. The sun was there and then it wasn’t. Shadows moved across the space with the clouds. I had to paint, design and carve out negative spaces that moved.

Life is short. Creating helps me enjoy it.

Out and Around Southland Chicago

I'm sharing some pictures of recent shows and happenings. During the month of February, I was out and about in the Chicago Southland area. In addition to Calumet City, I was blessed to be at Tinley Park High School and Country Club Hills for African American History Month Programs. Thanks to Vikkey Perez(TPH) and to Joann Wade(CCH) for facilitating these events.

Here, I am pictured with another Antonia. Yes, that is my new best bud and name sake Antonia. We met at the Country Club Hills, IL African American History Month Program. We are standing in front of some of my artwork.

Here I am with Earline Hayden who is a staff member of the Village of Country Club Hills. She was really helpful to me at the show.

Here, I am with my mother at a presentation for the Senior Services Center of Will County. I presented "Aging with Dignity and Compassion" - paintings inspired by my grandmother. It was a bittersweet time - we held grandmother's funeral two days prior....A big Thank You goes to Wilma Hopkins for facilitating this event and for the invitation to share my work.