ART by Diana Obe

Apologies for Being so Behind on posting Art!

2011-09-04T08:54:00.000-07:00

West Indies

2010-07-09T21:41:00.000-07:00

Tropical Series #4

2010-06-20T17:34:00.000-07:00

Chicken Bone George

2010-06-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Chicken Bone George is from the West Indies. He is noble.

Red Nude

2010-04-08T07:09:00.000-07:00

Artichokes

2010-04-08T07:07:00.003-07:00

2010-04-08T07:07:00.001-07:00

Nevermore Resurrection

2010-04-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

Much is going on under the watchful eye of "Nevermore."

March 2010 - Acrylic Painting.

Nevermore II

2009-11-23T18:35:00.000-08:00

Conte, charcoal, and select pastels - second "Nevermore" Raven.

Housefire

2009-10-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

This was painted from a newspaper story in a local paper. A house fire killed this man's four dogs and destroyed his house. He was able to rescue this dog. I couldn't help but want to record this poignant picture.

Family

2008-12-14T12:41:00.000-08:00

The weekend draws to a close and I will take my grandson to his new house. Then I'll come home - my ideas of many things I could do today have dwindled down, to "I'm tired, give me my house and quiet."

This coming week we have a choir special to attend - its excellent, short and a prelude to Christmas vacation. I have found the misplaced Christmas presents and found I only have three more people to take care of, and they need money so that should be easy. My older grandchildren, ideally, I would like to take each to lunch separately, listen to them, then take them to buy a new outfit of clothing and then grace them with a little money. They are becoming adults. I want to know more about who they are now.

It is possible they would rather take the money and shop with their friends....that would be as it should be as they get ready to become separate while still a part of a family and discover their own lives, ways, friends, and choices.

Family - why do people have children? I had them because I wanted to. I couldn't articulate any reason. It's what people do. Now I look back and see that there are lots of options. People really should think it through before having kids. "How will I raise them, what will schooling cost, am I patient enough," and in case of couples, "what if something happens to my other, can I raise children alone?" As with owning a dog - you have to give something up to get something - scooping poop, diapers, limiting freedom for with dogs, devotion and love - in the case of kids, not forever freedome limiting but with dogs - for their lifetimes. With kids, constant devotion and love are not guaranteed. Are you willing to love unconditionally? Wow.

There are also lots of reasons not to have children: You need someone to love you (what will you do when a very ticked off kid looks you in the eye and says "I hate you!" - They probably don't mean it - if they do, run don't walk the family into counseling), a family line of addictions, do you want to bring children into the world to battle for a decent life - I would think twice, our increasingly pressured world and increasing amount of horrible crimes - fear is a reason not to have children. Realizing your own limitations or goals - do they include children? I have a friend who prayed and prayed for a child, when one became available she realized that her priority was her ministry and she didn't feel she could do both justice - I respect her for having the guts to articulate her decision and stand by it with her head held high. She is wise. And, definitely not less of a person - her sphere of influence is far beyond a house with children, she is a brilliant person with many, many people she touches along her way. Her choice was neither good nor bad socially, but personally, she chose what was good for her and should be respected for the courage to choose as she did.

On the other hand, with children, there is something very satisfying about that feeling of continuity - of looking at all those who came from you sitting around a table in all their beauty and glory of existance. I wonder, more so now, I believe that we exist in heaven before coming here - why else would God say that we were known before we were born? And if so, we are here for a reason. We are not guaranteed life without pain - the vast majority of parents want to protect their children from pain - but if we could do that, wouldn't they be shocked when as adults they faced their first big heart break? Having children is agreeing to take a chance on heart break like you never dreamed heart break could exist. It's also taking on a bouquet of love that overflows your arms, more than you can ever hold by any method, other than in your heart.

What about kids who have come here and suffered incredibly? Maybe that person, soon to be child and God had a conversation and the person agreed to come to give certain people a chance at becoming incredibly better humans - but the people didn't take the gift, instead became worse and abused the gift. I don't know. I don't know. I do know because of my son, though he went back "home" early, he gave me an incredible gift....of meeting God. Not just myself, but the rest of my family as well.

My heart is often broken about stories of children in harm's way. But I do know that life is so very very short compared with the eternal....do we exist eternally....how could we not......I have been studying quantum physics as much as my poor mind will absorb and most agree that there has to be an intelligence behind the design of the universe. Accidents are chaos. Just the mere fact that we sit here with a beating heart, faithfully beating, day after day, year after year is not chaos. I don't know all the answers - I only know after many times reflecting on my son not living past 27, that I will know someday, but I do know how He longed to meet God face to face, he left the most awesome poetry about those meetings - that I can't make any judgements, I can only wait for my answers.

In the meantime, I am grateful for the lessons, the love, the messes, the joy, the fun, the tears, the pride, even the problems that all come bundled up with children - I would have never done it differently.

In Progress

2008-05-10T08:56:00.001-07:00

This one is coming along. It helps to get rid of the "painters' block."

Group Think

2007-12-20T12:49:00.000-08:00

From an older period.......done several years ago. Family won't let me sell it.

Charcoal Drawing

2007-11-07T17:24:00.002-08:00

Bird

2007-11-06T14:34:00.000-08:00

Papaya

2007-11-04T12:19:00.000-08:00

Best Friend Gone

2007-11-02T13:27:00.000-07:00

Fight or Fright

2007-11-02T13:24:00.001-07:00

Hanging out together - the soldier and the vampire - on this strange night.

Fairies

2007-11-02T13:12:00.000-07:00

Portrait of Her

2007-11-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

Cajun Hibiscus

2007-10-15T19:06:00.000-07:00

October 10, 2007

Digital Leopard Series

2007-09-02T15:30:00.001-07:00

Manx Kitten

2007-07-18T13:26:00.000-07:00

Charcoal & Pastels

For Fun

2007-07-14T12:18:00.001-07:00

This bag was born of a flight of fancy after a visit to the material store. (The bottom part is a deep green velvet, the lining is satin.) I call them "Princes' Purses." This closing dangle was far to irresistible, I love this guy (camel).

Beggar Man

2007-07-12T07:42:00.000-07:00

This painting was done from a photo of a beggar man in Centeral America. It is part of a series of elderly people, done in subdued and somber hues. Life is not always easy! Again, the dreaded shine is not helping with a good photo of the painting.

Random Acts

2007-07-12T07:34:00.000-07:00

Random Acts was a commissioned painting for a church. Often, with oils or finished acrylics it is hard to get a photo that does not reflect the high gloss.

Old Woman

2007-06-20T16:53:00.000-07:00

Diminished Returns

2007-04-22T18:57:00.000-07:00

Ferns

2006-11-30T17:07:00.000-08:00

Common Polypody and Bird's Nest Fern - Watercolor

No. 5

2006-09-21T21:41:00.000-07:00

Reclining Woman

2006-08-12T09:32:00.000-07:00

My Thoughts

2006-08-06T19:11:00.000-07:00

Fruit

2006-08-06T19:01:00.000-07:00

Deja Vu

2006-08-06T18:46:00.000-07:00

Artichokes

2006-08-06T18:43:00.000-07:00

Haunted by Memories

2006-08-06T18:42:00.000-07:00

Ravens on a Fence

2006-08-06T18:39:00.000-07:00

Cut

2006-08-06T18:38:00.000-07:00

Tangled Raven

2006-08-06T18:35:00.000-07:00

Doll One

2006-08-06T18:32:00.000-07:00