mjlustigart

Toronto Art Expo 2008 - A Success in spite of Blizzard Conditions

2008-03-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

The weather certainly affected us at the Toronto Art Expo this past weekend, resulting in low turnout on both Friday and Saturday. However, Thursday and Sunday more than made up for it. Collectors and friends (new and old) braved the blizzard to visit us. The show was a success for me, resulting in numerous sales (7) and a couple of commissions. When you stay the course and work steadily towards your goals, things can “suddenly” fall into place, rewarding all your hard work.
Since my return I have been sifting through emails, cleaning house, rehanging paintings and shifting into coaching mode. I look forward to making time to paint again as soon as possible!

2008-02-29T06:18:00.000-08:00

It's been far too long since my last post. Jeff and I have been finding ways to make the most of this icy season. In January we visited Ottawa and attended Winterlude. We enjoyed the ice sculpture competition, walking on the frozen canal and eating cinnamon beavertails while visiting with friends. It may still be cold but the days are already noticeably longer. I savour every extra second of sunlight.

Open House/Art Show November 2007

2007-11-14T13:38:00.000-08:00

This weekend was a double event for me as we held my annual Open House/Art Show and Sale and celebrated my birthday on Sunday as well. Special treats were visits from two of my children, Troy and Hilary. It was also wonderful to visit with new and old friends, acquaintances and collectors and to be able to share my art with everyone. It was gratifying to see so many people enjoying the paintings. The weather was perfect; crisp mornings and mild, sunny afternoons. The trees at the front shed their mantle turning the lawn into a carpet of golden leaves and preparing the ground for a frosty blanket.

The Mother Tree

2007-11-01T18:03:00.000-07:00

The Mother Tree

I have just returned from the first of four week-long retreats with the Coaches Training Institute Leadership Program. The retreats are held at "The Mother Tree" in California, near Sebastopol, one and a half hours north of San Francisco. It was an amazing experience; I fell in love with the people and the place. As a "Leader in Training" I am discovering the impact I have on those around me.

The retreat house is named after the Mother Tree, an ancient redwood tree on the property. She stands tall and weathered, her twin trunks reaching into the sky at least 60 feet high, a haven for a multitude of bird species. The air carries the fragrance of her breath. Each morning I stood in silence, inhaling the beauty of the terrain and savouring the calm. As the sun crested over the eastern horizon the Mother Tree's upper branches were bathed in gold and birds chattered noisily among themselves, flitting back and forth. Wild turkeys clambered over the gate nearby and disappeared into the meadow beyond. Deer grazed silently on the slopes while crows and hawks flew overhead. A woodpecker drummed high above.

The Mother Tree is over 1500 years old and her trunk is so wide that at least 8 people can stand side by side at her base. Her top is flat, her spires long ago ripped away by wind or lightning. She stands there serenely, a silent witness to the passage of time.

Daily I awoke to the fresh scent of the redwoods. One morning I discovered that fog had rolled in from the ocean and was resting in the valley to the west. The tree topped hills in the distance floated like castles in the air. Nature shared her rhythms and wove her spell over us all. I look forward to visiting this magical place again soon.

Cobourg Waterfront Festival Lions Fine Art Show

2007-07-05T15:35:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, June 29th through July 2nd, I celebrated Canada Day while participating for the third year in a row in the Lions Fine Art Show and Sale. The weather was perfect this year. Many of my friends and collectors came by to visit my booth. The show was a success; I sold several paintings, I had a wonderful corner booth right at the beach and had great exposure as the "Featured Artist", with radio and newspaper coverage in both Cobourg and Peterborough. We also enjoyed a larger than ever turnout and were treated to wonderful performances by the Snowbirds and the Skyhawks.This week I am getting back to the “drawing board”. I look forward to creating new vibrant, colourful images and to sharing my passion for Nature. Contemplating Nature can lead to inner transformation and I strive to create images that serve as a "gateway' that opens the doors for reflection and connection to spirit.

First National Encaustic Conference

2007-07-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

In June I attended the First National Encaustic Conference at the Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, Massachusetts. Three other Canadian artists and I gathered with just over a hundred American artists at the college which is located near Salem, an hour north of Boston. We four Canadians came from Ontario and Quebec. The Americans came from all over the United States to meet each other and share ideas about using this challenging art form. Encaustic is an ancient painting technique first used by the Greeks and Egyptians over two thousand years ago. It involves the application of heated, pigmented beeswax and resin on a hard, porous surface. After learning about it four years ago I became entranced with the fragrance, the translucency, and the vibrant quality of the medium and committed myself to the mastery of painting with wax. The conference was spearheaded by Joanne Mattera, artist and the author of The Art of Encaustic Painting and the staff at Montserrat College. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn and grow, with guest speakers, presentations and panel discussions. Among the panellists were an established artist, a curator, an art historian and paint maker, a gallery director, and an art critic. For the first time we had a chance to meet in person, artists whom we had read about or had corresponded with only by email. Everyone was amazed by the enthusiasm of the participants, their willingness to share and their eagerness to learn. It was exciting and inspiring – and left everyone wanting to make plans for future collaborations! For example, a group from the west coast met a group of New England artists for the first and are now forming an alliance for a future exhibition.
Mastery is dedication to the continuous pursuit of knowledge in one area. The Japanese call it Kaizen. Life is too short to waste a drop of it. I am putting to use what I learned and planning my next course of study. What combination of events are you waiting for in order to come out of the shadow and live your dream? Explore, Experiment, Expand!

Synchronicity at the Toronto Art Expo!

2007-03-19T20:18:00.000-07:00

Synchronicity abounded this weekend while I was at the Toronto Art Expo. Right next door to us in the Metro Convention Centre the Holistic World Expo was taking place. As luck would have it, I met James Redfield, author of The Celestine Prophecy and had my picture taken with him. He kindly autographed my copy of The Celestine Vision, which of course, I just happened to be reading at the time! Today I am recharging my battery. Last night Jeff and I got back from Toronto around midnight and still had to unpack all the paintings and store away the display booth. This year’s Toronto Art Expo was busier than ever, with over 17,000 visitors and some beautiful works of art. It was a great opportunity to network with other artists, plus I sold a number of paintings and made some very promising contacts. I was approached by two publishing companies that want to sell giclée prints of my paintings, two interior design consultants, a gallery in Yorkville, and the editor of Calgary based Synchronicity Magazine, who is interested in writing an article about my “healing” art for an upcoming edition. Now I have lots of follow-up to do from the show and catch-up at home.

Bald Eagle Sighting

2007-03-03T17:47:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, February 25th, Jeff and I returned home after a wonderful weekend at our friends' Tom and Laurel's cottage on Lake Dalrymple. On the drive we traveled down through Kirkfield on the way to Lindsay, enjoying the clear skies and sunlit snowscapes along the way. Just before we reached the locks I spotted a Bald Eagle sitting at the edge of the river. I yelled at Jeff to stop the car and we reversed back to the bridge. When we stopped to see it better the eagle spread its wings, flew up and rested in a nearby tree. It was absolutely beautiful; the white head and tail feathers separated by the mantle of shiny black in between. After a minute, not wanting to disturb it further, we drove on through the underpass at the locks. Within seconds we were passing through the intersection of the village of Kirkfield when I spotted a second bald eagle, depicted as the background of a small sign on the side of a building, indicating “Kirkfield Corner Store”. How bizarre! It is not common to sight these incredible creatures here, let alone in the middle of winter. I never consider such things as mere coincidence. I decided to google “eagle symbolism” and this is what I found:
The eagle is present across a range of beliefs or philosophies;
The Eagle represents spiritual protection, carries prayers, and brings strength, courage, wisdom, illumination of spirit, healing, creation, and a knowledge of magic. The eagle has an ability to see hidden spiritual truths, rising above the material to see the spiritual. The eagle has an ability to see the overall pattern, and the connection to spirit guides and teachers. The eagle represents great power and balance, dignity with grace, a connection with higher truths, intuition and a creative spirit grace achieved through knowledge and hard work.
The dictionary of scripture and myth, describes the eagle as;
A symbol of the holy spirit, which flies, as it were, through the mind (air) from the higher nature (heaven) to the lower nature (earth) and soars aloft to the self (sun).
How perfect…
Maura

Pure and Powerful Chiropractic Conference

2007-02-05T18:30:00.000-08:00

This weekend Jeff and I attended the Pure & Powerful Chiropractic Conference in Toronto. It was wonderful. I gained much insight from listening to all the speakers. Participating in such an event, plus speaking and showcasing my work - I feel that I have found my true calling. I am honoured and excited by the possibilities that are presenting themselves to me. I look forward to becoming more involved and growing in my ability to motivate and inspire others to be connected to Innate.

I am fortunate to be blessed with a unique insight into the Chiropractic profession. My husband is a Chiropractor and I fill in sometimes as an assistant at his clinic. Together we have attended many Chiropractic seminars. I know that chiropractors need to inspire, more than educate. Many doctors create a pseudo medical environment and fill their clinics with amusing educational and concept posters. Often the posters and brochures highlight the benefits of wellness care versus symptom relief. This approach may be useful at times.
However, posters and brochures alone won’t do the trick. A Chiropractor must above all else, do one thing to build his/he/their practice – INSPIRE. For when patients are inspired, when they have faith, confidence and belief in you – they don’t need to know or understand what you do. It is not within a patient’s ability to describe the five components of a Subluxation Complex. So what do they say to their friends that results in the referral of a new patient?
It is how they FEEL about the doctor, the staff, the care and the clinic environment. Artwork sets the tone and contributes to all of these aspect in a clinic for the doctor, the staff staff and the patients. For example, I don’t care about how my car works – I just want to trust my mechanic to take good care of me and fix it!

The minute that patients arrive at the clinic the healing starts to occur. When a doctor has healing art in his/her clinic, it serves both them and their patients. Healing Art inspires them to let innate flow – to be connected to the source of all healing. And it opens their patients to the healing.
Chiropractic is changing. Patients are changing. Patients used to just accept what their physicians would tell them. Now they question before accepting recommendations. They also educate themselves by doing research on the internet.

It is difficult to get people to come out to attend special appointments and health talks. They are tired and busy and suffering from information overload. The bottom line is that patients come to a Chiropractor to fix their problem. They need them to inspire them and give them hope and relief and create an environmental sanctuary from their stressful life. Does an office full of Educational posters create a soothing healing environment? Does the doctor want to spend the rest of their working career surrounded by beauty or Pinched Nerve Posters? Patients don’t buy the message, they buy the messenger! Surround the Messenger with what is inspiring to them and the messenger is more inspirational.

As a Chiropractor, Chiropractic Assistant or Chiropractic Spouse, the three most important things about your day are:
You must be inspired in order to inspire.
You must, through your inspired words personally communicate the benefits and value of chiropractic care while being congruent with the message. (Posters ALONE do not inspire action they educate.)
And thirdly, you must be on purpose in order to get the desired results.
Again, concept posters provide revelation, education and entertainment.

How many times do you think a patient will observe a concept poster before they tune it out?
Would you hang one in your own home?
When you visit your dentist do you want to see posters of dentures and people flossing their teeth – or would you prefer to be surrounded by beautiful art and soothing music?
I go to my dentist because he has skilled hands, pleasant staff, a confident, reassuring manner and I feel safe and cared for.
Whenever I am in a healing environment I want to see what inspires the healer - art work that reflects his or her heart, soul and values. It must be warm and authentic and best of all, original!

The Magic Paths of Italy

2006-12-11T10:18:00.000-08:00

I have just spent two weeks in Italy during the dark month of November. My trip began and ended in Ferrara. This beautiful city has a special attraction for me. It may not have the glamour of Florence or Venice today, but was for 300 years the seat of the Estes, a family reknowned for their power and intrigue. From 1300 to 1600 they built palaces and amassed a collection of art and music and were famous for the splendour of their court. While in Ferrara, I rose early each morning and went for a run through the misty, empty cobblestone streets and along the paths on top of the ancient city walls. I explored palaces and visited cloistered monasteries and pictured a time long ago. It reminded me that all we ever have is Now and to live consciously and gratefully and be available for what life brings us.
I flew to Italy to participate in “Magic, The Magic Paths of Art”, an international exhibition with 45 artists from around the world. The show was held in the Estense Castle in Ferrara, home of the beautiful, infamous daughter of Pope Alexander VI, Lucretia Borgia (1480 – 1519). Ferrara is an ancient city located in the Po Delta, a vast marshland just north of Bologna. It was exciting to meet and network with so many artists whose work is an exploration of their spiritual intentions and relationship with The Creator.
My companion Nadine and I arrived four days before the Grand Opening. Unfortunately, my paintings were misplaced by my airline and did not arrive until the day after the Gala. So I attended the reception without them. I was the only artist without any art! If anything however, my misfortune created celebrity for me and my art and everyone wanted to see the missing work of the artist from Canada. I feared that my art work might never show up. In spite of this I had a great time even though earlier that evening I had been in tears on the phone with my husband, Jeff back in Canada. As it turned out, the paintings were delivered the next day, shortly after Nadine and I had left to begin our tour of Florence, Ravenna, Venice and Verona. In my absence the director, Paola took care of everything and hung the paintings for the remainder of the show.
Nadine and I made our way south, out of the delta, through the mountains to Florence. During the rainy season, the land was cool and damp, often blanketed in fog, quietly resting and restoring itself. Italy is a fertile country that has for centuries been the source of wonderful food and wine and great ideas. It has been home to such masters as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli and many others. It was humbling and awe inspiring to see such beautiful art and architecture and to realize that it had been created hundreds of years ago. Viewing works of such genius and innovation reminded me that we are capable of so much.
Italians have a rich heritage and I was impressed by how active, fit and fashion conscious they are. Bicycles are as common as automobiles. During our adventures I was continually amazed by the warmth, courtesy and generosity of those I met. Italians are family oriented and openly express their respect for the elderly and their love of children and dogs. Every afternoon and evening people make time to be with family and friends. We could take a few pointers from them.
We had some challenges in getting around and our travel between cities was nerve wracking at times. The landscape was a mixture of mountains and marshlands. We had to contend with traffic circles, standard transmission, navigating in unknown places in the fog and trying to read the small print on a map in poor light. Yet wonderful coincidences repeatedly occurred. For example, on several occasions we had to make a decision on which way to turn at a fork in the road. Magically, it would turn out to be the correct one – over and over again. We also had instances where people would suddenly appear unbidden, to make suggestions about what step to take next, such as how to use our guide book and which ferry to take. Even more miraculous were two situations that occurred in Venice. One morning on the bus ride into the city two students asked us to be part of a university project they were doing and volunteered to be our informal guides for the day, showing us a side of the ancient city that few tourists ever see. On the following day we decided to visit the glass factories on the Isle of Murano. No sooner did we arrive at Saint Mark’s Square to look for a ferry than an official walked up and offered us a free luxury taxi and guided tour of the famous island!
It was an uncanny and at times I felt as though we were being divinely guided. The journey was filled with “synchronicity” in the occurrence of events and the appearance of helpful individuals along the way. Some moments were challenging and others were delightful. I realized that through my attitude I create my reality – no matter what the circumstance. Now, through my words and my art I look forward to sharing my inspiration and experiences with others.

Success at "The Gallery of Art" at Bayview Village Shopping Centre, Toronto

2006-11-13T19:24:00.001-08:00

This past week I enjoyed meeting new art lovers, publishers and gallery directors. It was great to see many of my collectors, who dropped by to visit and see my new paintings. I admit however, to being exhausted from the long days of sitting in a mall, presenting my work to all and sundry. Paying your dues requires stamina, determination and an unwavering faith in your work. Thank you to those who plied me with lattes and words of good cheer. I appreciate all the compliments on my paintings and words of encouragement. It was great to learn more about the business ups and downs from other artists as well. On Saturday I celebrated my birthday by handing out cupcakes to all my fellow artists and friends working in the stores. Here are a few photos of my booth.There's not much time available to recharge my batteries. Tomorrow I fly to Italy for the show "Magic, The Magic Paths of Art" being held by Trevisan Arte at the Estense Castle in Ferrara, Italy. The adventure continues - stay tuned for more!

2006-10-29T18:06:00.000-08:00

Upcoming Exhibitions:
Hello Everyone,
Just a quick note to let you know what I'll be up to during the month of November. Please visit me if you happen to be in Toronto or even Italy! I'd love to see you and personally show you my newest paintings. I am mindful of all aspects of creation and trust that my images will help others find and resonate with the beauty within themselves. I invite you to consider my work for yourself or as a gift for someone you care about. Acquiring and collecting original art is a personal decision, made when we are inspired by excellence and commit to surrounding ourselves with the "extraordinary" in our lives!
Check out my website http://www.maurajoylustig.com/ for more information.

On another note, the time has flown by since I last wrote. It's amazing how much the weather has changed in the meantime. Last night we all turned the clocks an hour back and had an extra hour's sleep this morning. Today I watched as wind and snow flurries changed my world briefly into a winter landscape. I am busy preparing for my upcoming shows in Toronto and Italy and have sent out exhibition notices to over 600 contacts. Swinging back and forth between confidence and fear over the steps I am taking, I remind myself that all we ever have is now, and that each of us must create our reality and live into it. I am grateful to have the opportunity to meet and know many souls. As the saying goes "A Stranger is just a friend that I haven't met yet. Who knows what the next month will bring! Here are two recent photos of my gallery at home and me, enjoying a quiet sunrise in my studio with a cup of coffee and a newly finished painting.
I would love to hear from you.
Maura

Greeting The Dawn

2006-09-22T05:48:00.000-07:00

I am one of those people who savour a good sunrise and this morning was no exception. Camera in hand I slipped outside with my steaming coffee and sat huddled in a lawnchair, watching the sun climb high enough to penetrate the thick ground fog. Just looking at the present moment through the lens of a camera increases your awareness and appreciation. Trembling with anticipation, Trinity (my Westie) bounded around the back yard hunting for squirrels, rabbits and chipmunks. I am grateful for moments like this.

Pow Wow at Curve Lake

2006-09-19T18:53:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Septembe 16, 2006 Jeff and I went to the Pow Wow at Curve Lake Reserve. It was wonderful - such beautiful, healing energy. I had a chance to observe a shaman dressed in magnificent traditional rainment, who left the dance circle to make his way up through the crowd of onlookers to give a blessing to a very ill woman. It was a powerful moment and many nearby were moved to tears. - Not something you witness every day. The weather was great and we managed to arrive just in time for the opening ceremonies. I love the costumes, the drums and the singing. This year I even tried my "foot" at some of the dancing. There is so much symbolism in everything. Every time you place your foot in a dance step you are supposed to touch your toe down first to awaken the Great Creator and summon her to the circle.

My Artwork on Display at the Womens' Business Network of Peterborough

2006-09-19T18:23:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, September 13th, 2006, I attended the Women's Business Network of Peterborough meeting at the Holiday Inn, Waterfront in Peterborough and brought a few of my paintings with me. It's great to start the season off with a booth presenting my paintings to the members and showing them some of the work that I have been doing during the summer. I enjoy being part of social groups within my area - it is so important to be involved with your local community while at the same time becoming involved in an international art community. As the saying goes" Think globally, act locally!" During the same week one of my paintings "Spirals of Light" was featured on the cover of a regional arts and entertainment publication "The Link" and there was an article on September 16th about me in The Peterborough Examiner by staff writer Andrea Houston, called "From businesswoman to artist". One step at a time. What you think about, talk about and do about, comes about!

First Blog

2006-09-05T18:47:00.000-07:00

Hi,
This is all new to me. I have finally, with great trepidation, entered the vast, mysterious world of blogging. Be kind and stay tuned for more.