Painting for Hailey

For those of you who know me well, know that I am not so computer literate. This is my first attempt at a blog (thought that I would practice for my soon to be website).

There is an online art magazine that I follow that is always looking for stories about artists and how and what inspires them to be creative. I recently contacted them about what inspires me. As you all know I have been dabbling in art for many years now, but lately I have been driven by my beautiful granddaughter Hailey. Hailey has always loved to be read to. Her love for reading has inspired me to write a children's book for her "ABC's Flowers and Trees A Walk in The Public Garden's" What a lot of you who have read my book don't know is that there are a lot of hidden things in the book that are specific to my family, for example: The A is for Artist page is supposed to be me painting en plein air. On the page M is for Magnolia page, there is a man sitting on the park bench reading "The Boston Globe" where my husband is a pressman and has been for many years, and on the V is for Violin page, the wandering minstrels are in reference to my son (Hailey's dad) being a music industry major at Northeastern University. Not only was this a book written for Hailey to grow with but a book that has specific meaning to our family as a whole.
Anyway, after telling red easel about what inspired me to write my book and how from this day on any money raised from selling the book to doing author events, any paintings that I sell, anything at all to do with selling my artwork, all of the money raised will go directly to Hailey's many therapies that are not covered by insurance. Red easel asked me to write a story for them, and they will publish some of my work in their gallery and also set up a donation button for Hailey's cause. How exciting! Another thing that I have begun doing in 2010 is putting a discretely placed green Cerebral Palsy Awareness ribbon in all of my newly completed works. So if any of you have received or purchased a painting from me recently or in the future, look for that ribbon and feel great about contributing to a good cause.
Bottom line here is that I am doing something I love to do while trying to help someone that I love very much, and for that I am totally inspired, driven and committed.