October's blog

​Life is full of choices...

Whether we take the expressway or the scenic route...both will inevitably get us where we're going. However, how we get to our destination depends on the road we take. And sometimes the slower more scenic route may get us to our destination faster if the expressway is congested. That has happened to me many, many times! Living on Long Island we are constantly reminded of the back-ups on the L.I. Expressway going in or out of NYC at any given time of the day. So, to avoid the traffic, I will take the back roads. 

Choices... Those choices...

Life is jam packed full of the choices we make and the consequences of them. The choices we make along our life's journey will inevitably effect our goal or destination. I've often thought about the choices I've made on my life's journey. In retrospect, I can say unequivocally that almost all of the choices I've made have had a positive impact on where I am today on my life's journey. I wouldn't be the mom of a famous canine artist and his muse if I hadn't made the choice to get involved in volunteering for Canine Companions for Independence and becoming a Puppy Raiser for them.  In addition, I  would have never pursued an art career if it hadn't been for a supportive husband and kids. Going back to school later in life was a difficult and challenging choice that I made. I learned a lot about myself during my years at Hofstra University as I sat in a classroom with students half my age. I learned that the older we get the more we don't know. There's so much to learn and understand about life through education. I also had the great pleasure of learning that as an older student the professors became my peers and friends. They encouraged me to strive to be the best I can be in every situation and never, ever give up. I truly believe that the decision to enter into the scary and unknown world of academics...a world where I thought was unattainable for me...turned out to be a world that I grew to love.  While majoring in Fine Arts and Education, I never knew I was good at math and computer science. I even learned mandarin and tia chi. I had my very first solo art show at Hofstra University. To my great amazement, it was a huge success. After leaving Hofstra and earning the Golden Key Award for Academic Excellence, I entered many contests and won so many of them. Then I started pounding the pavement searching for an Art Gallery that would represent me. I will never forget those days when Denis and I would fill up the back of our Toyota Four Runner with all of my paintings stopping at almost every gallery on the east end of Long Island trying to pitch my work to a gallery.  I would go into the gallery and Denis would start unloading the car showing painting after painting to the gallery owners. It was an arduous job...To say the least. It was also a lesson in humility where I was turned away numerous times by gallery owners who said they weren't looking for new artists or my work didn't fit in their gallery. It was not only depressing, but a blow to my self esteem. Then one day as we were traveling, we stopped off at a Gallery in Bridgehampton, NY called Clayton Labratory.  Owned by an aunt and a niece who had been veterans in the art world, it was located in a small house on Montauk Highway. At first I was apprehensive to even enter the house knowing full well how accomplished these ladies were. But, with Denis' support I rang the bell. To my surprise, they were interested and interviewed me as I sat in their living room talking about my work. They then said, "OK, let us see what you have." As Denis was half way through bringing in my paintings...the ladies looked at each other and said to Denis, "Stop bringing in any more paintings...You have a Show!" They loved my work. That was my very first show other than my show at Hofstra U. I was even written up in the local newspaper by an art critic who gave me a great review. I had later learned that he very rarely gives positive reviews to anyone. WOW! I was over the moon thrilled. I sold almost all of the over 40 paintings in the show. After that I was represented by Chrysalis Gallery in South Hampton, NY for 12 years and now for the past 15 years I have been represented by Fitzgerald Gallery in West Hampton, NY.  A Gallery owned by two of the nicest people you will ever meet. I'm proud to be showing in their Gallery. Currently, I'm still painting. I specialize in Pet Portraiture. However, my life took another turn on the highway of life...I've been traveling on a unique road for the past 3 1/2 years with my four legged famous artist, Dagger DogVinci. His life has taken me on roads that I never dreamed I'd be traveling on. It has been the greatest honor to be his master and facilitator during this exciting and wonderful journey.

The choices we make take us down roads that we never knew existed nor ventured to even go down. Life gives us choices everyday. Whatever choices we make, may they make us better individuals filling the world with goodness, kindness and love. To me that's the ultimate goal...That's the destination I want to reach. I know I have a ways to go to reach that goal.  I also know that through faith, love and support I can make it...and so can you.
😘
​Because you know...

Happy Tales to you,
xoxo
Yvonne