“The man who has no imagination has no wings.” -Muhammad Ali
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Writing
“Imagination is the eye of the soul.”
Happy Holidays! :)
My Wish on Valentine’s Day
Lead an Extraordinary Life
Please Help Me Promote The First 2 Books in The Blood Stone Saga!
Mariah June is my youngest daughter and an amazing up-and-coming author. I am so proud! She currently has a campaign on IndieGoGo with the immediate goal of getting the first two books in her series published! In her own words:
“I have had this story whirling around in my mind for 11 years now, and it would bring incredible tears of joy to know that all those long nights spent fleshing out, writing and rewriting these books wasn’t all for naught. It has been my never-ending dream to share my stories with friends, family and the world. If I reach my goal with this campaign, it will MAKE THIS DREAM A REALITY!“
To see Mariah’s IndieGoGo campaign in full, in addition to the great Rewards she’s offering her supporters, please click here.
Your help—be it promotion, contributing or both—would be greatly appreciated! There are links on her campaign page that assist you in posting directly to Twitter, Facebook, etc.!
Thank you!
~Ana
Happy Birthday to Me! :)
#Believe
“I don’t want life to imitate art. I want life to be art.” Ernst Fischer
~Ana
“Chat with a Dead Man” – Excerpt From the Short Story by Ana Livingston
“His name was Guido. I‘d been enjoying a crisp, spring morning at my favorite outdoor cafe in the Montepuliano outskirts when he arrived. By “arrived” I mean one moment I was alone, and the next I wasn’t. I’d stolen a quick moment to study him as he settled on a stool across from me and estimated his age to be about 55; he soon confirmed that fact.
“Well,” he said, “At least I had been…right before my death.” And so the tale of his ending begins with a chat over the too dark and much too rich morning coffee I shouldn’t have been drinking.
“It’s funny how when one conducts their life responsibly for a short period of time they feel they deserve to be rewarded with the very thing that should be avoided like the plague. As my personal testament to that fact, when I was cheerfully dressing that morning my internal dialog went something like this…”
<stay tuned for the next installment!>
Beautiful Montepulciano, Italy. Opening for the short story by Ana Livingston titled “Chat With a Dead Man”.
Excerpt: Copyright © 2015 by Ana Livingston. All rights reserved.
A Bright Future Begins With You
The future is an open landscape resting at our feet. We each define it, day by day, through our perception of it and the steps we knowingly choose to take.
By perpetuating the good, we can make it a bright, shining playground for all!
~Ana
Happy New Year! I Love You With All My Art!
Peace to All!
May peace and happiness be with you, my friends. ❤
~Ana
“The Responsibility of Artists” by Ana Livingston
“The reality is that artists have a gigantic hand in injecting the beauty and vitality we all enjoy in present day life. I wrote an article about this very subject: the role of the artist in society and how their creative impact is broad and deep.
“Without the beauty continually brought into being by the many players in the various genres of art, this world would be a dull soulless place. My personal role and responsibility as an artist is to not only create beautiful work that uplifts others, but to also actively support my fellow artists.
“Art is my job, my life and my love, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
~Ana Livingston, Fine Artist
www.analivingstonfineartist.com
Van Gogh’s Advice for a Blank Canvas
Next month will come Ever Yours: The Essential Letters of Vincent van Gogh, which runs to nearly eight hundred pages and is frequently more absorbing, expansive, and instructive than a collection of letters ought to be. >Read more at the Paris Review here.
A sketch of a cicada in a van Gogh letter from July 1888
Hope you enjoyed.
~Ana
Lazy Day on the Skagit River in Mount Vernon, Washington State
I apologize for my long term absence here! There’s much updating to do, but that will have to wait for another day. Currently I’m back up in Washington State to visit my father, family, and this time around, to attend a school reunion. It’s been a great visit so far and here’s a shot from earlier day: the Skagit River in western Washington state. More photos and stories to come!
Hope you’ve all been well. Speak with you soon! 😀
~Ana
My Little Slice of Heaven
I wanted to share my special place—just a couple blocks from my home. It’s where I feel like I can connect with the rest of the world.
Wishing all my friends a wonderful weekend and Happy Easter. Be well!
~Ana
Coming Soon: Clearwater, Florida’s Exterior “Grapefruit Mural” by Ana Livingston, Fine Artist
COMING SOON: The “Grapefruit Mural” is a privately-commissioned exterior mural by Ana Livingston, Fine Artist in the city of Clearwater, Florida. It will be comprised of painted grapefruit on two entryway walls.
What can I say—my client LOVES grapefruit!
Stay tuned for daily mural progress updates!
~Ana
Decadance, Part 2: Colombian Santander Dark Chocolate
Coffee and Overindulgence: Two Peas in a Pod
A friend just flew in from Colombia bearing gifts: Cafe Quindio, Cafe Oribia, Cafe Mariscal, and, of course, Juan Valdez. Let the coffee (over) indulgence begin! 😀
~Ana
The setting of this amazingly beautiful place is threatened by a housing development………
Please help, if you can.
For more information: http://new.shropshire.gov.uk/get-involved/site-allocations-and-management-of-development-samdev-plan/
Aerial view to take your breath away
Bench by local Artist Woodcarver Frank Triggs after the Iron age Horse in the British Museum
Sketch by local artist Diana Baur drawn to the sound of skylarks overhead March 2014
Photography courtesy of Borderland Tourist Board
A crowd of the 8,000 plus campaigners, whose voices are constantly ignored by Shropshire Council outside Oswestry Guildhall intent on saving the Hillfort for future generations
Please help to save this. You can respond to the final 6 week consultation on the SAMDev Plan at
http://new.shropshire.gov.uk/get-involved/site-allocations-and-management-of-development-samdev-plan/
“Freedom on the Wing” – By Ana Livingston
It’s all about being at the right place at the right time.
“Freedom on the Wing” Photography Copyright © 2014 by Ana Livingston. All Rights Reserved
My Heart and the Last Light of Day
There’s something magical about watching the sun calmly drift across a room.
After arriving home, I’d placed my earrings on a nearby table and burrowed under a soft blanket on the couch. While the sun continued its gentle march and evening slowly consumed the last light of day, it was by chance I looked down at this moment: when my heart danced to life.
Life truly is beautiful, isn’t it?
~Ana
Sending Warm Thoughts to My Northern Friends
I am originally from the islands in the Pacific Northwest and from there moved up into the mountains (I am adventurous that way). I lived on a plot of land that bordered the National Forest. The air was fresh, our creek’s water was pure glacial run-off, and there were firs and pines as far as the eye could see. Idyllic.
After a wonderful first summer and beautiful fall, winter struck on the first of November. I found myself buried under snow for the next six months of my life. One quickly learns at a point such as this that you have a choice: do or die.
Needless to say I got very adept with a snow shovel (and later a snow blower) but even those tools didn’t do much in handling the constant physical (and mental) strain that arises from trying to carry on with even the simplest of daily activities.
I now reside on the Suncoast of Florida, but that does not mean I don’t have compassion and an understanding of what you folks up north are enduring. We are thinking of you down here and hope it ends very shortly.
From me to you, here’s a little something to warm your day:
Chin up!
Love,
Carnevale di Venezia! (Carnival of Venice) – A Short History
It has been said that the first documented use of masks in Venice dates back to the 13th century. In subsequent years, Carnevale evolved into a mass celebration where, being anonymous, one was not judged by their social standing. The result was that all classes could freely and joyously interact.
Photography source unknown
Masks were later banned in the 1930’s under the ruling Fascist party, but Carnevale was given the breath of life four decades later by a group of local artisans in the late 1970’s.
Photography source unknown
The Italian government quickly fell in step and now showcases this vibrant and very popular festival each year.
Photography source unknown
One of the most prized awards during the carnival is “the most beautiful mask” or la maschera più bella.
Photography source unknown
Carnevale di Venezia is one of the top festivals world-wide, drawing up to an estimated 100,000 participants and spectators each year.
Photography source unknown
Ciao for now, Venezia! I will see you next year!
~Ana
To My Friends and Loved Ones on Valentine’s Day – from Ana Livingston
Today I hope we all take an extra moment and let the people we care about know how truly important they are to us; how they brighten our days and enrich our lives; how they make this journey called life so very worthwhile.
I’m wishing you all a wonderful day of love, admiration and respect as each of you are important to me. 🙂
Love,
Introducing www.AnaLivingstonFineArtist.com
Hello everyone! It’s been awhile since I’ve checked in. I hope you’ve all been well and happy. 🙂
I’ve been a busy girl and one little project I just completed was creating a new website – www.analivingstonfineartist.com – for lil ol’ moi. I hope you can take a moment, browse and send me your feedback. I would appreciate it!
http://www.analivingstonfineartist.com – New website of Ana Livingston Fine Artist
We’ll be talking more soon—here’s to each and every one of you having a wonderful weekend! (BIG wink to NFL fans).
~Ana
On My Birthday this September 27th…
…I will be happily maintaining the style and decorum for which I’m known…
Enjoying life to the very last crumb.
Happy Birthday to me. 🙂
~Ana
Sending Love to Oswestry, England from Clearwater, Florida
I was pleasantly surprised to find that a splendid group of contemporary artists in Oswestry and the North Shropshire Borderlands, England (Inside Out Art Group), wrote an article about me and my murals (thank you!). The most heart-warming part of this gesture was the standing invitation they issued for me to come create beauty alongside them in their lovely town.
My answer in three short words: I would love to! Please drop in and see what these wonderful and creative folks are up to at http://insideoutart.co.uk/
Inside Out Art Group: a band of delightful contemporary artists in Oswestry and the North Shropshire Borderlands, England. http://insideoutart.co.uk/
Located in the North of Shropshire close to the English-Welsh Border is the ancient market town of Oswestry. Photo courtesy of http://www.oswestry.com/
Again, thank you John, et al. for your kind words and hopefully see you next summer!
Love,
Mariah June and a Sherbert Sunset – Clearwater, Florida
It’s another calm and colorful late evening. Seated is my daughter, Mariah June, enjoying the few last moments of a setting sun here in Old Clearwater Bay. In the distance is one of the beautiful barriers islands to the mainland: Clearwater Beach.
A nature woman just like her mother; my youngest, Mariah June
This sunset is a wonderful gradient of sherbert hues: yellow through to orange, pink, purple, and finally blending to blue. The tide is out, offering many treats for the seabirds and a warm breeze glides silently over the water with nary a care. It’s almost magical.
Wishing my friends an equally serene and carefree weekend.
~Ana
Poolside on the 4th of July Weekend
What a glorious weekend it is; low 90’s with a nice breeze, constant boat traffic to and fro in the Intracoastal Waterway, and I am enjoying every moment, in and out of the pool.
I’m downwind from someone’s great smelling bbq!
Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. My best to you all!
The water temperature is a little coolish. Perfect on a hot day!
~Ana
Through the Pages of Tuscany
Ah, Tuscany. My favorite place in the world.
Because Tuscany is a treasure trove of fine art, breathtaking architecture, savoury food and world renowned wine, travelers to the central Italian region often overlook its rich literary history. Yet for any lover of great poetry and prose — particularly writers like Boccaccio, Petrarch and Dante — Tuscany is also the muse that inspired some of the writers’ greatest works. Read on…
~Ana
Siena’s Basilica of San Domenico houses the partial remains and relics of the city’s patron saint Catherine. (BBC)
“The Grandness That Is You” by Ana Livingston
What is the value of a woman
Filled with the wonder of you?
One who loves you despite all
Who never sees shortcomings
Just the grandness that is you?
~Ana
Copyright © 2009 Ana Livingston. All rights reserved.
“I See Life” by Ana Livingston
Many see nothing ahead but a menacing storm.
What do you see?
I see a gentle road through dappled hills of green; a chance to fuse myself with the swirling clouds above; to catch the sweet scent of grass and trees.
I welcome the strong, cooling winds, the torrential rain about to fall, the lightning that will enliven me. Such serendipity to be here at just the right moment.
I don’t see danger ahead. I see life.
~Ana
Copyright © 2009 Ana Livingston. All rights reserved.
A Walk Down Memory Lane: 1943 Group Photo from MGM
This is a promotional photo of many of the actors under contract with MGM at the time of the studio’s 20th birthday party:
Recognize anyone?
1st Row: James Stewart, Margaret Sullivan, Lucille Ball, Hedy Lamarr, Katharine Hepburn, Louis B. Mayer, Greer Garson, Irene Dunne, Susan Peters, Ginny Simms, Lionel Barrymore.
2nd Row: Harry James, Brian Donlevy, Red Skelton, Mickey Rooney, William Powell, Wallace Beery, Spencer Tracy, Walter Pidgeon, Robert Taylor, Pierre Aumont, Lewis Stone, Gene Kelly, Jackie Jenkins.
3rd Row: Tommy Dorsey, George Murphy, Jean Rogers, James Craig, Donna Reed, Van Johnson, Fay Bainter, Marsha Hunt, Ruth Hussey, Marjorie Main, Robert Benchley.
4th Row: Dame May Whitty, Reginald Owen, Keenan Wynn, Diana Lewis, Marilyn Maxwell, Esther Williams, Ann Richards, Marta Linden, Lee Bowman, Richard Carlson, Mary Astor.
5th Row: Blanche Ring, Sara Haden, Fay Holden, Bert Lahr, Frances Gifford, June Allyson, Richard Whorf, Frances Rafferty, Spring Byington, Connie Gilchrist, Gladys Cooper.
6th Row: Ben Blue, Chill Wills, Keye Luke, Barry Nelson, Desi Arnaz, Henry O’Neill, Bob Crosby, Rags Ragland.
Hope this brought back some great memories.
~Ana
Friday Night Feast: Organic Freshwater Tilapia and Homegrown Asparagus
Tilapia and asparagus. Let me tell you it tastes even better than it looks.
Just add butter, garlic and enjoy.
Have an excellent weekend. 🙂
~Ana
Artists: Living the Present, Creating the Future
I have been an artist since I was old enough to pick up a stick and carve in the dirt. From there I took an even more active interest in art, and with my family’s support (and access to a small studio where I was allowed to paint a few times a week,) I finished my first framed oil on canvas at the age of 6.
Artist tools at an early age: any stick and a patch of dirt will do.
Now, I would never say I was a prodigy. I simply had an unquenchable desire to create beauty wherever and whenever, and it was sometimes nothing more than taking a crude watercolor brush to butcher paper or weaving a daisy chain while sitting in a field. The fact remained that there was a creative flow within me that never ebbed.
To state that I was most happy when I was creating art is a fact and probably true with most artists. But within that fickle activity called life, circumstances, sometimes out of need or ignorance, can take one down a path into the mundane and complacent. And if anybody ever wanted to know how to extinguish artistic urge, it’s to submerge it in the day-to-day humdrum routine of the ordinary. Surefire killer.
The best thing you can do for artists is simply let them do art.
That being said, it is of the utmost importance that an artist keep his head above water—vital, actually. The reality is that artists have a gigantic hand in injecting the beauty and vitality we all enjoy in present day life. I wrote an article about this very subject: the role of the artist in society and how their creative impact is broad and deep.
Ana Livingston, Fine Artist & Muralist. My Clearwater Mural project which is chronicled at http://www.ClearwaterMural.com and http://www.TheMakingOfAMural.com.
Without the beauty continually brought into being by the many players in the various genres of art, this world would be a dull, soulless place. My personal role and responsibility as an artist is to not only create beautiful work that uplifts others, but to actively support my fellow artists. Art is my job, my life and my love, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
~Ana
My White Sangria Sunday at the Lake
I just had to share—well, at least via a photo—a most delightful discovery I’ve made as of late: Eppa White Sangria. Now, I’m not a drinker by any stretch, but this stuff is just plain good and 100% organic, to boot.
In Eppa’s own words: “Introduced with a fruity and inviting nose that leads into a light-bodied and refreshing taste, Eppa SuperFruit Sangria is full of amazing flavor.” Too true.
The new Eppa SuperFruit White Sangria. My one-word review: yum.
http://eppasangria.com/
I’ve tasted both the red and newly-released white and though both are very good, my personal palate leans towards the latter. If you have the opportunity to try a glass or two, do write and let me know what you think.
Bottoms up! 🙂
~Ana
The Sleeping Giant Awoke
Well, I’m back.
It’s odd to think that those three little words are the first line of my long-overdue post while simultaneously being the last line of a long, yet very epic novel (spoiler alert for that link). At any rate, it’s been awhile, eh? Probably 3 months. And I’ve missed you. 🙂
I have been wrapped up in this and that, and well…you know how life goes. In deciding the content for my first post in so many months, I thought of my time in Hawaii so many years go.
I had just graduated high school at age 17, my step-grandfather had passed away, and I was asked by my grandmother to accompany her (with parental permission) to Hawaii that next winter. My family and I were living on the west coast at that time, and I had always wanted to experience the islands; all the while growing up they seemed so close but at the same time a million miles away. Now my dreams were to become reality.
Winter came and I found myself boarding my very first airplane to a new world. We left a frozen land, crossed an endless sea, and ultimately landed in an oasis of sun, fun and surf. The two of us then proceeded to travel the normal tourist route of shops, hotels and marketplaces in bustling multi-cultural Oahu.
I have to admit that Oahu—or The Gathering Place— being the busiest and most tourist-friendly of the islands, did not resonate with me. After due time I was happy to find myself finally climbing a tarmac staircase onto a rickety puddle jumper destined for Maui.
Now, this was many years ago, mind you, and probably at least 2 dozen major hotels have since been built on the leeward side of the Valley Isle, and built in what I remember as being “nothing more” than pineapple and sugar cane fields at the foot of the West Maui Mountains. In those days it was a magnificent sight and one I never grew tired of.
The West Maui Mountains back when pineapple and sugar cane fields ruled the shorelines.
After the Maui experience we flew up to the northernmost island, Kauai. The Garden Isle, at that time, was scarcely populated and I recall there being a building restriction in place: a maximum of 5 stories. Consequently, it kept the hotel chains to the bigger islands and the result on Kauai was that you were surrounded by the native culture, which I had come to love.
I stayed in a hut on the Wailua River. Banana trees grew in the front “yard” which seamlessly merged with the shoreline.
For a short time I stayed in a very small cabin on the Wailua River. This was a calm and quiet time, and I somehow escaped ever viewing the boat that would take sunburned tourists up the river to see the famed Fern Grotto.
The famous lava-rock grotto covered with hanging ferns otherwise known as the Fern Grotto. Kauai, Hawaii.
I was more content to pick ripening bananas off the trees by the shoreline or crossing over the road and down the hill to collect shells on the beach by Kapaa Town. And then, there were always the moonrises…
Moonrise on the shore of the Wailua River. Otherworldly, to be sure.
Kauai is known for many things, one of them being the mountain range that serves as the resting place for the mighty Sleeping Giant (Nounou Mountain). As Hawaiian legend goes, the giant (after much labor or overeating….or both,) laid down on the mountain ridge and never again rose.
This island also holds the record as having one of the rainiest spots on Earth: Mount Waialeale (Hawaiian: overflowing water). Rain has fallen more than 340 days within a single year here, and has at least once accumulated close to 700 inches of annual rainfall. The result is endless green.
The “Wall of Tears”: a mountainside in the crater atop Mount Waialeale, Kauai.
It’s interesting that I recalled these memories today, and perhaps even more interesting to me that I decided to share them. Simply put: Hawaii was a life-changing experience for me all those many years ago. It was there that I decided what I wanted to be in life—truly.
Is that to say I haven’t taken a detour now and again? No. But at least I knew when I had wandered, and which was the right path when I’d finally made my way out of the wilderness.
Well, I’m back.
~Ana
Another View of Clearwater Beach, Florida
This is from my sunset stroll in the Old Clearwater Bay area this evening: Clearwater Beach, which just recently was voted “Florida’s Best Beach Town 2013” by USA Today.
Looking west from the mainland city of Clearwater out to Clearwater Beach, Florida
That’s what’s new in my world.
Hope everyone’s week got off to a calm start…
~Ana
To New Beginnings…from Ana
To new beginnings…
My very best to all my friends in the coming year. Let’s make those dreams come true.
Love,
Ana
Happy Holidays from Ana Livingston
Tis the season, my friends. I am wishing you the very best in the coming year.
Just walked through my dining room and this was waiting for me. Happy Holidays.
Sunset from my Patio
A friend of mine is traveling Europe and the Far East for a month or so. I’m housesitting and loving it. I’ve temporarily traded in my Gulf view for that of a calm lake. No complaints here.
Sunset on the lake. Peaceful times.
“A Small Reminder” – Poem by Ana Livingston
He’ll feel no sorrow
As I turn and leave,
Except for losing
A small reminder
Of someone else.
“A Small Reminder”. Poem by Ana Livingston. Copyright © 2009. All Rights Reserved
~Ana
An Affair to Remember: My Blackberry Smartphone
After years of faithfulness in a definite love/hate relationship with the now third successor of my Blackberry Sometimes-Smartphone, I took the very determined step and bought what has become the new un-Apple of my eye: The Samsung Galaxy Note II.
Samsung Galaxy Note II: 5.5″ HD screen (1,280 x 720). Nothing but love.
Suffice it to say, I will no longer have to endure inconsistent cell coverage (I live right on the Gulf) and the consequential frustration. But much more importantly I’ll be able to keep in much better contact with all my friends worldwide.
Speaking of which, I need to head over and see what trouble Stephen‘s getting into today… 😉
Adiós for now.
~Ana
My Sunday Morning Gyro
Not what would be considered classic Sunday morning fare here on the currently-not-so-sunny Suncoast of Florida, but delicious nonetheless. And I unabashingly (if there ever was the word) devoured this in no time flat.
The gentlemen at the neighborhood Mr. Gyros know me well enough to start in on carving for my “Ana Special” the moment they see me coming through the door. Thanks, guys. It was loved.
My delicious “Ana Special”: pita, lamb, tasty olive oil and lots of feta. You can never have too much feta.
~Ana
“Michelangelo” – A Poem by Ana Livingston
Here is my published poem entitled “Michelangelo”. It has been printed in multiple publications:
“Michelangelo” by Fine Artist, Ana Livingston
Additionally, I have read this piece at poetry exhibitions as well as being a featured poet on the Suncoast’s own WTAN, Tan Talk Radio, here in Florida. I recited from memory on all occasions.
Poet Ana Livingston reciting her published poem “Michelangelo” to a crowd of poetry lovers at an outdoor poetry exhibition in Clearwater, FL.
Standing in the Rain – by Ana Livingston
Sometimes I miss being a child. The innocence. The grandeur of the world.
Standing in the Rain. Ana Livingston, Writer, Poet.
But maybe I can just change my mind.
~Ana
“The Most Powerful Force”
“The most powerful force on earth is the human soul on fire.” -unknown
~Ana
“Shadows” – A Poem by Ana Livingston
I can’t turn
or escape from
these shadows
that are me.
“Shadows”, a poem by fine artist and poet, Ana Livingston.
~Ana
Copyright © 2011 by Ana Livingston. All Rights Reserved.
