i love books

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for a lot of people books are like old friends and if you ask them, they will tell you that books are full of soul. to see them. touch them. smell them. read them. they take you to other worlds. fantastic worlds. dark worlds. magical worlds. romantic worlds. the words. crawl into your mind and touch places deep inside. they spark thoughts. make you smile, make you cry. books don't mind who you are. it doesn't matter if you're rich or poor, happy or sad, have a degree or a fancy job. they don't ask why you read them. or where. or how. as long as you choose to read them, books will be there for you.

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i found these at a half price bookstore last week, some of them only $2. for me it starts with the cover. if it pulls me in, i'll pick it up and read the back to decide if i'm interested or not. and the answer to "what do you read?" will change from day to day, depending on my state of mind...it can be romance, drama, mystery & crime, whimsical, biography, short stories, poetry, spiritual, self improvement, arst & crafts, english or afrikaans, even a stephen king horror every now and then. it doesn't matter. as long as i always have a book close by...pst. here's a little secret...bookstores make me happy. deeply happy.

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i wish for you always to find the book that you need to read at that moment in time.

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hope you had a lovely thanksgiving.

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(C) Photographs, MJ Calitz, 2009

sunsoaked berries

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(C) Photographs, MJ Calitz, 2009

balancing on paintbrushes

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this is one of those unplanned paintings that started with cleaning paint brushes & ended in the realization that there's a crazy kind of balance in my life & that i am loved. this is why i love art. it feeds the soul.

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[this painting: acrylics, water colors, oil pastels & permanent markers on muslin with stitched border]

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(C) Art, MJ Calitz, 2009

be kind to yourself

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whenever you doubt yourself, even when you think you should have done better, or know you have in the past, acknowledge that you did your best aT tHat mOmenT...and let that be enough.

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(C) Photoart, MJ Calitz, 2009

sit cross legged

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let your thoughts float away...
& breathe
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(C) Photograph, MJ Calitz, 2008

fill me up

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last night i had this urge to fill a page with oil pastel color. no plan or theme...just fill it up with color. so i sat down and i started coloring until the page was no longer white. no white anywhere. just abundant color everywhere. what does that mean? i don't know. but i feel better. maybe i just needed to empty my mind. that's the beauty of creating...when you start to concentrate on the art, you forget about everything else...time fades. and so does stress. i like to think of it as constructive meditation.

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i did the piece below earlier in the weekend. it's all about identity. how you see yourself. how others see you. how you think others see you. do you let what you do, what you say or what you wear influence who you are or the other way around? what defines you? (what's inside or what others see and know about you), etc. what you don't see on this picture is that the whole piece is covered by a layer or gloss gel, making it shiny like plastic. i also used color pencils and acrylics.

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(C) Art, MJ Calitz, 2009

sharp & bubbly

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i predict that you'll see a lot more of this bunny in my art. i adore it. this piece was quick, spontaneous and fun.
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(C) Art, MJ Calitz, 2009

i promise

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for me, weddings are celebrations of love, family & ethereal beauty. this one was no exception.

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congratulations Ricky & Julie. & thank you for inviting us to share in your special day.

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[again, please excuse the quality of the resized uploads. unfortunately, i don't have control over how that turns out. & some of these pics are blurry either by accident or on purpose but i think it gives them a more dreamy look.]
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so why is the title of this post, "i promise" and not "i do?" i found this quote on a website for "famous wedding quotes" (of all places!) and of course i had to use it :-P

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[Christopher Robin to Pooh]

"Pooh, promise me you won't forget about me, ever. Not even when i am a hundred."
Pooh thought for a little while.

"How old shall i be then?"

"Ninety-nine."

Pooh nodded. "i promise," he said.

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(C) All photographs, MJ Calitz, 2009

walking tall

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sometimes we feel small...be it in a new job environment, attending a big function when you only know two or three other people there, or stepping into your own skin. we can't help but question our value and coming up short somedays. but here's the thing...remember WHO you are. remember that you are worthy just because you exist and that you have just as much right to BE as anybody else, no matter who they are...so, walk tall my friends. walk with the elephants and horses. & have a great weekend.

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(C) Art, MJ Calitz, 2009

it makes you thirsty

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then alice climbed the spiral stairs. where does it lead? she wondered. she got so lost in that thought that everything else faded away...

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& before she knew it, she had reached the top of the stairs. to her surprise, she found a field of psychedelic flowers. how curious, she thought & promptly sat down for a sandwich & a sip of tea.

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(C) Words & Photoart, MJ Calitz

remember to

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love yourself

no matter what

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another muslin square painting - acrylics, water colors, metallic markers, embellishments & stitching. mini fairy painting - acrylics & metallic marker on wax paper...yes! wax paper. i have no idea if this will stay, but that's the idea of these paintings...to experiment & learn :-P

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& an e-mail from my friend john is the inspiration for posting this photograph. i found these books in a gift shop and sneaked a pic opportunity. heh. (have fun working in the bookshop john...)

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(C) Art & Photograph, MJ Calitz, 2009