I've
written the travel blog I promised. I didn't know last year at this
time I would be traveling quite so much in 2015, but this is how it
happened.
Many
people helped me go places this year - I have already thanked them, and
remain very grateful for how they have reached out to help me! Having
hospitable, generous friends is one of the best things about my life!
I like what Lewis Howes recently posted on Facebook:
Our Father in heaven has answered many of my prayers for direction and provision this year. For His help and wisdom, I am awed and thankful. Most of the time, people stepped in to fill needs.
Below, I will try to portray a realistic example of what my artist's life really looked like in 2015.
January opened with me on
the frigid coast of Maine, and my mother nearly homeless back in
Vermont. She had fallen and injured herself very badly in late
November, and moved back to Vermont to be closer to a good
chiropractor. I spent hours on the phone after working all day, calling people, trying to
help find her housing from a distance.
I had been looking for a
new home myself since the previous September as my kind aunt was planning
to close up her house and move. I didn't have too many options, not
having funds to pay for even room rent. I was under a huge amount of
pressure, on a daily basis.
Food and utilities, purchasing three cords of green wood, some additional
funds and the assistance of several generous workmen who gave their
time, were what I had been able to contribute since arriving back in
Maine in July 2014 with $11 to my name, after helping my mom move and
get through the previous winter.
In late January, an
emailed notice arrived, letting me know I had a firm moving deadline
of May 15, 2015, otherwise my possessions would be put into a storage
unit. My heart began beating very rapidly. I had already experienced
eviction from our home of thirty years in 2009 and this felt very
much like a repeat of those tremendously pressure-filled days, six
years earlier.
Meanwhile, I had been
painting diligently 3-5 hours a day for months in my studio bedroom.
One of my commissions was large and highly detailed – 102 hours
when it was finally completed was a record. I'd never spent so much
time on one painting.
I've watched an oil artist
paint a $1,200 piece in a period of four hours and a nationally known watercolor artist do something similar. Unfortunately, my
name and watercolors are not yet considered this valuable, despite the
amount of work and time I invest. Otherwise, my life might be
considerably more comfortable.
My studio space was
chilly. I was wearing two wool sweaters, a hat, wool scarf, ski pants
and had a hot water bottle on my lap in order to stay warm enough to
paint.
I did have the joy of
seeing my children's books, Gos's Big Dreams and Gaby's Big Dreams, come out in print that same month; my friends
were hugely supportive and I was able to regain a portion of the
printing funds invested. Of course, most had no idea what sort
of other pressure I was experiencing.
After painting each day, I
walked one-half-mile to check my email and mail books to people who
bought them. Finances were very tight, the printing costs had taken
all I had saved.
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| Walking to the Library on January 31, 2015 |
Playing piano and
selecting hymns for my church family each week provided a needed break
from my other work. How much I enjoyed the empty sanctuary,
practicing songs!
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| Stained Glass window in the church sanctuary where I played and sang last year |
There was no other option
but to finish my painting commission. One does not get paid unless the work is
completed. I planned to deliver the painting in NYC and then
continue down the east coast. Two old family friends had invited me
to come live in extra unused rooms in their large homes and I desired
to visit the families before moving, since relocating is expensive
and rather a big deal.
And so, my first of five
long bus, train and car trips this year began!
I love to travel! For me it means facing the unknown, exploring new places, meeting new people
after being holed up for months in my room, and the unexpected
challenges that often happen...some people take emotional or physical
risks – I guess I take those sometimes, but more often, I take
financial risks in the form of traveling.
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| Subway platform, 42nd St. Station, NYC, February 2015 |
I left a very cold and
snowy Maine in mid-February, after buying one final cord of wood and
stacking it to try to keep my aunt warm. My trip south would not have been possible without the
extremely kind assistance from friends in Maine, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Virginia and North Carolina.
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| 30th Street Station, Philadelphia, February 2015 |
My friends dropped me off and
picked me up at several bus and train stations and housed me with great
warmth and kindness. It's true you don't need a car if you have
friends. For the hospitality of each of these kind friends, I am
sincerely grateful.
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| Amtrak rails, Philly 2015 |
My traveling costs from
Maine to South Carolina with stops all along the way, and back were
only $350. This is mainly because I took Megabus and Amtrak and did
not fly.
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| California Poppy, painted in April or early May, 2015 in Maine, Private Collection |
Coming home I had my first
Chinese night-bus experience – leaving from Greenville, SC and going to
NYC. I was asked why I had chosen this route. It was simply a matter
of the price. I could not afford a different method of travel,
otherwise I would have chosen differently!
I'm sure anyone traveling by night bus would choose another way to
go, if they could afford it!
This
night bus was an
experience to remember for the rest of my life! This particular bus
was not clean or in good condition. The engine would quit every hour
or so, and the driver would pull to the side of the interstate and
push several buttons to re-start the bus. I texted my brother with this
news and told him I doubted we'd reach NYC...he told me he and his wife
were praying for me!
The bus was first very hot, then
very, very cold. The air-conditioning system was dripping water on
folks sitting in the rear seats. The heating system had broken and
would not turn back on, so everyone was freezing cold as the bus went
further north in the cold rain, except me. I was dressed for bear and had
plenty of wool layers. I took off my heavy coat around 2AM to place it over
the woman shivering in the seat in front of me. She had a 3-year-old
child she was trying to care for...What did I expect for $40? Not
much more. I was content.
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| Common Lilac, painted in March 2015 while on my long trip down the east coast, Private Collection |
It was truly an adventure.
The people I spoke with around me – in front of me, in back and to
the side, were all going to stay with friends, they told me, for they
also had no money for rent. It was sort of “the homeless bus.”
Many people fall on hard times. I was not alone and I felt glad to
meet each of them.
I continued on home to
Vermont for Resurrection Day, to see my family for the first time in
nine months. I had a lot of good times caring for my little niece.
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| Smooth Hydrangea, painted in March, 2015, on my trip, Private Collection |
Arriving back in Maine in
mid-April, my low back was injured from all the sitting - painting
and traveling. I was also really struggling emotionally with a
sense I didn't belong anywhere – not in Maine, not in
Vermont, not down the coast. The people I had visited on my trip had
each changed their mind and told me they could not house me after
all. Without a car of my own, they felt I would be too dependent. Yeah, yeah. Our
Father was in this, too, but I felt like my life was just a burden to
others. I was extremely unsure of what lay ahead.
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| Texas Bluebonnet, painted in April 2015, Private Collection |
“Mom, I just feel like a
failure,” I glumly told her on the phone. “Elise, you are FAR
from a failure,” came my mom's reassuring voice back to me. I guess
I wouldn't be an artist today without my mom's continued
encouragement. Some people surely do see one's lack of being
entirely financially “independent” as a failure, that's true, but not my mom!
Yet God provided. Work
requests came in unexpectedly in the form of more illustrations and
helping some friends get their own book in print.
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| White Pine Cone, painted from a cone I saved, painted in early May, 2015, in Maine, Private Collection |
In the midst of more
painting deadlines, I packed up everything and moved on May 1st,
two weeks before my moving deadline.
Then I left Maine in early
May, for Harrisburg, PA and a large convention where I was scheduled
to help an old friend at a convention table.
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| Entering Lincoln Tunnel, 2015, heading for Philadelphia the second time this year |
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| Philadelphia Bridge, May 2015 |
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| Building in Philly, May 2015 |
I was attempting to test
the book market waters to see how my little children's books would
sell. Our booth location wasn't the best and there were 250 other
booths competing for sales. I learned I'd shipped way too many
books south, and had to re-ship them home after they didn't sell.
Sent book-rate I still took a $50 loss on this trip venture, but at
least had not had the cost of a booth. It was a good learning
experience and a chance to visit with old and new friends.
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| Work Unites Us - Mural in Philadelphia, May 2015 |
Then I stayed for three
weeks in Maryland with a hospitable family who had heard I did not
have a place to go...I was subsequently told they “did not want to
support my fantasy” - being an artist is an oft-rejected
profession. I had not asked for their support, had paid for my food
and utilities and was quite happy to head back north.
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| Come In, and Sup - painted in Maryland in May, 2015 - one of my favorite doorways in Maine |
There was a bit of a
detour before coming back to Vermont, however. I saw a dentist about
fixing a badly broken filling, and also went to help gather my mom's
summer clothing. This brought me through Albany, NY and I enjoyed the
old architecture there very, very much!
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| Albany, NY, early June, 2015. I'd only really remembered every seeing this city from the Interstate - I'd never realized how lovely the old homes are! |
I returned to Vermont to
live in the spare bedroom of a very old family friend. You can read
about this move here: Where Do I Live?
At the end of June, now
staying in another new location and without community who knew me
well, I purchased Storyline Conference and bus tickets to give myself
a firm deadline for my new book to be written by the end of October.
I began the daunting process of writing, tackling my nineteen chapter
outline, and page by page, a 40,000-word book slowly began to appear.
I also painted my heart
out on two very large 22x30 watercolor pieces for an international
jury in late June into July. My work wasn't accepted but I wasn't
terribly surprised. I really didn't have enough rest or time to
prepare and paint something of the highest caliber.
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| The Shining Path, 22x30, 2015 - a scene I saw a few days before beginning this piece |
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| Pears on the Windowsill - Psalm 37:16 - the table where I ate in Maine |
Needing winter clothing
and tired of living with the same garments packed into my small
suitcase since early May, I returned to Maine in mid-July. I painted
for a benefit auction and did some Farmer's Markets. I hitch-hiked to
one market. I don't usually hitch-hike and I don't recommend it – I
think I've tried it only about thrice in my life...but I did what I
felt I had to do to survive and buy groceries that week. It's an
interesting practice in experiencing rejection really, sticking out
your thumb...it took about 45 minutes to find my first ride!
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| String of Pearls - painted and sold on July 19, 2015 |
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| String of Pearls II, painted in August, 2015, Collection of the Artist |
I was staying across the
peninsula from my old home, and as I didn't know many people there,
had a perfect opportunity to work on writing my new book. It was the
time and the place. I wrote about half the book in one week.
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| Dorys tied up, 2015 |
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| Cape Rosier, Maine, 2015 |
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| Buck's Harbor, Maine, summer 2015 |
I felt extremely
blessed to have friends enabling me to travel around, helping
store my possessions, and also making it possible for me to gather my
things yet one more time. I paid my chauffeur for gas and we had a
great time, seeing the coast of Maine. Our Father provided for
beautiful folks who loved, understood and encouraged me! This is
probably the seventh time I've moved since 2009...not counting my
many trips, visiting.
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| Seamus on the Island, painted in August, 2015 |
After coming back to
Vermont, I painted a dog portrait and then almost immediately left for New Jersey to help my old
friend Jack, now 85, pack and move. I was kind of tired from all the
travel, but I still painted three portrait illustrations in two weeks
time. These were donated, not sold, but I'm happy they went to a good cause. Then Jack drove me home, carting a trunk of heavy books and a
very large, framed painting I had done back in 2009 while living in
NYC.
Returning once more to
dear old Vermont, I somehow got through the next two months, which
were extremely pain-filled. A dentist had kindly agreed to help me
save my teeth, replacing old fillings. After spending all the money I
had, I traded one of the finest pieces I'd ever painted for a lot of
dental work. Not having insurance, my teeth had been on the back
burner for many years. They could not wait any longer.
Because my bite was not
right, my cranium was not supported and my low back wasn't holding
either. The chiropractor patched me up several times, at even more
expense. My bite was finally adjusted properly and until I see the
dentist again, my back is stable and I am out of pain, thankfully.
In the meantime, I was
also helping my mother, who was again in need, find safe housing and
move once again. Her health was quickly deteriorating. She
blacked-out completely one day. I caught her just before she fell and
dragged her limp body back into bed. We tried to figure out what was
causing her health problems. Again, I found myself on the road,
hitch-hiking to get to a hastily-made doctor's appointment for her.
She almost died that day. But once again, God is in the business of
preserving life until His time comes to take us Home.
Finally the explanation
came - five dental abscesses...that's enough to kill an average
person. Bacterial infections are easier to cure than viral
infections. And so, my mother is regaining her strength.
I nearly canceled my trip
to Chicago due to my mom's health, but she told me to go.
I had just .35 cents to my name for a period of about ten days in mid-October. No savings, no debt, just those few pennies. But I'd painted a good painting and our Father provided through it's sale, so I could keep going. It was another financial risk to travel so far, but I went out in faith.
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| Bailey Boy, In the Garden - painted in October, 2015, this painted opened the door to Chicago for me |
It was such a joy to go to
Chicago in early November! All the other trips I took this year were
not planned based on desire to travel, they were based on a NEED to
travel – to meet commitments, find housing or work, transport
needed items, etc. I had not been going on holidays, even though
traveling was fun.
My artist job is completely transportable - I
painted on each of my trips south and east in Feb-April (13
paintings), May-June (4 paintings), July-August (four paintings) and
in September (two paintings). But going west to Chicago was more of a
true vacation – I didn't bring along my palette and brushes this
time. Of course, I got a cold from lack of sleep, but it wasn't too
bad.
For housing in Chicago at
first I looked into Airbnb, but I had a huge weight in my spirit
about that idea. When I finally thought of old friends who had
housing space, my heart leapt with joy, and I knew I was going in the
right direction, finally. Housed by friends, I spent $5 for a hotel
maid on this entire trip! Thank you, generous friends!
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| Bridge to Chicago, November 3, 2015 |
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| Looking north, off the previous bridge, entering Chicago, Illinois, 2015 |
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| A Spanish girl's head, Chicago, 2015 |
My Chicago bus tickets
cost $26.50 round-trip, Burlington to Chicago and back. This was only
because I planned the trip in July and really before I even knew I
would be able to go. I am The Queen of Cheap Tickets & Incredibly
Wonder-filled Adventures! =)
My sister had told me just
before I left, “nice people don't travel by night-bus.” Yet I
found quite the opposite is true! I met very fine folks, going and
coming back. My bus friends have really, really encouraged me. I find
them respectful and kind. Some travel by bus because they have sick
relatives. Some travel to find work. Some are artists themselves –
I've met people who work in photography/film, theater writing and
acting, music production and musicians on a bus.
Storyline Conference was
really positive. One of my favorite speakers was Jeremy Cowart, who
shared from his life how his parents had always told him, “I can do
all things through Christ who strengthens me” - Philippians 4:19.
This verse greatly helps me, too.
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| The Sower, stained glass at Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, 2015 |
The first draft of my book
was placed in good hands. I was also blessed to visit old friends
after the conference, one of my spiritual mentors, and see the place
where my “art career” was encouraged and directed, when I was
seventeen-years-old.
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| Cranes building a tower in NYC, November 11, 2015 |
Over this past year,
amidst all the strain and trials of life, I have painted 41+
paintings, and written a new book. Soli Deo Gloria! Painting has
helped keep me sane.
I give thanks this
Thanksgiving to our Father in Heaven for His abundant provision for
me, and for my family, in the midst of difficult trials. I am
grateful for a bed to sleep in, for clothing to wear and food to eat.
I am grateful I have not lost my country, as the Syrian refugees
have, through no fault of their own! I'm blessed to have family who
loves me, and friends I appreciate so much, old and new. I am very
thankful to still be an artist, to have had so many neat
opportunities to travel, paint and write this year.
I am glad for the faith
and strength to go out, not really knowing all the details before
leaving. Yet I have never traveled alone, the Holy Spirit has been
with me, guiding my way.
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| Canadian Goose in flight, Oak Brook, IL, 2015 |
For those interested in
traveling to gain the experience of seeing our country, I highly
recommend Megabus. It need not cost a lot of money, if you have
friends. All five of my travel adventures this year cost only
a total of $810.50, which includes all my bus, train and car
fares!
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| Megabus - heading toward home! |
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| New Jersey, November 2, 2015 |
December 2015 is yet to
come. I wonder what this new month will bring to pass?
What risks do you take in
your own life? What people or things are you grateful for?
I wish you a very Happy Thanks-giving!
I wish you a very Happy Thanks-giving!
With Gratitude and Love,
your painting friend,
Elise
“Behold, I will do a new
thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even
make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” ~
Isaiah 43:19
“Unto the upright there
ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of
compassion, and righteous.” ~ Psalm 112:4
