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betsisandersSOLACE... comfort. It is an easing of grief,

eases or relieves. It is the source of pl

comfort that you feel when consoled in timoral or emotional strength. It is to chee

Don't we all want solace or become its sthings, but our precious time. We bring cof happiness. We give until it hurts. Wgenerosity will ever be reciprocated. In

solace may not come from those whomkindness is returned to us not from themos spec a y rom our a er w o oves

I've found peace and calm in solitary actiperson who is totally happy with one's senjoy solitary activities. One need norecreation from social gatherings. Oneexpressions of approval, glory or applautrue, honest, sincere, respectable, trustGod.

This is the Art of Calm 2010, compilatiofeelings immortalized on paper or canvaslife.

'Art of Calm 2010oneliness or discomfort. It is something thatasure, amusement or enjoyment. It is the

e of disappointment. It also is the giving ofor to amuse another.

ource to others? We give not just materialmfort to them and help them in their pursuitshould never expect that our kindness or

tead, always remember that our source of

e have comforted, helped or supported. Oure same persons but from other people andus.

ities -reading, writing and painting. Only aelf, comfortable and contented with life, can

the constant noise or boisterousness, ordoesn't need admiration, compliment, fame,e to become whole. One just needs to be...orthy, serious to one's self, to others and to

of betsisanders' paintings (thoughts andto achieve solace, comfort and calm in her

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Gratitude starts with aexpression in words and athe key to happiness.

feeling in the heart, aniving in return. Gratitude is

To whom much is given, much is askedin return. This is how we must live ourlives. To give in return for all the

blessings that one has received. It isn'tenough to just say thank you, but toexpress one's gratitude thru reciprocalacts of kindness. One must not grieve forwhat one does not have, but to be joyful

for what one has. Always see the good ineverything. Be happy for the self but alsofor others.

The happiest people are the most gratefulones. Be thankful for a loving husband,an obedient son, for a sunny day or arainy weekend, for birds that chirp or forthe simple lotus flowers on the pond.

Give praise and be grateful to ourCreator.

The Buddha says Let us rise up & bethankful if we didn't learn a lot today, atleast we learned a little, & if we didn'tlearn a little, at least we didn't get sick, &if we got sick, we didn't die, so let us all

be thankful.

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Namaste is agreeting, which me

common spokenns I bow to you.

Other more religiousmeanings: I bow tothat inherent in

you. I respect thev n ty w t n ou

that is also withinme. The light

within me honorsthe light withinyou.

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When Namaste is spoken, i bow made with hands preeach other, fingers pointed uThis gesture is called Annali

is accompanied by a slightssed together, palms facingpwards, in front of the chest.

udra.

Namaste can be performedwordlessly, meaning itmay not be spoken and it

still carries the same.

Nepali culture, the word isspoken at the beginning ofa written or verbal

communication. However,upon departure, only thewordless gesture (hand-folded gesture) is made.

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Bridge Over Calm Watpeaceful, relaxed, in plife, full of love, blissf

e

r...calm, quiet,rfect harmony withl, joyful & happy.

This is me or what I want toachieve in my short life. It isthrough painting and writing thatI achieve this state of tranquility,where I am not judged, where Ican be me, where I am most

happy. Ever one sees onl what I want

them to see. What isn't written orpainted are some things that youwill never see, my frustrations,heartaches or pain that I endure,both physical and emotional. You

will never know the thoughts,such monstrous thoughts thatsometimes invade the peace andthe calm.

What's important is that you seewhat God sees in me.

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The Sunflower Lady (Spexhibited last March 200night. I've made severalLady and gave them t

wonderful individuals wh

ing) ... this painting was& was sold on opening

ersions of the Sunflowerspecial people, those

appreciate what I do. The lady is carefree, fun loving, love

to party & dance, not afraid to exposeher real self, confident, has a greatfuture ahead of her. She is in thespring time of her life.

That lady is me, or who I was 30

years ago... daring, strong, ambitious,having fun all the time, partying,r n ng, anc ng.

All that is left now are the fondmemories of party time, dancing atCoco Banana til dawn, drinkingscotch in high ball glasses, smoking.But the parties had to end & I went

home tired, tipsy or drunk. I wantedmore but they had to end.

I realize that happiness is not foundin other people, or in parties.Happiness is in me, I just had tochoose happiness,

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Lady by the Sea (hopeless Romant

ummertime)... ac

Summertime is the time to play. I am

still in the summer of my life. thoughalmost at the end of it, I still long to

play, create & dream. The sea iswhere I always want to be, where Ienjoy soaking in the salty water,riding the waves, and looking at thehorizon, where He is waiting for me,watching over me, keeping me & myloved ones safe. It is not yet time tosto la in . Summer is here to beadventurous, playful, living, loving,dreaming and simply being.

What makes the lady, that's me,different from the Romantics ofyesteryears? I do not claim to create

art alone, nor attribute my works tojust my talent. I owe this gift only toHim, where I offer my creations,where everything I say or do arereflections of His love for me, andthat I am all that I am because Heloves me, and to Him I am grateful.

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Autumn Leaves. Thisphotograph by my friendgave him a painting of au

ainting is based on aNed. Ned said that I onceumn leaves too.

The blog I wrote about this painting wasabout my mother's death, how shesuffered from all the complications ofdiabetes and during those long months ofsuffering, very few people came to visither. But during her wake, all sorts offriends & relatives cam to bid her

goodbye. Should I be thankful that they allremembered Nana in death? Should I

be grateful for the 'abuloy' that they gave?Should I be glad that they came?

Where were they when Nanay wassuffering & needed their visits? Wherewere they when Nanay weeped all night

Everybody is around in death? Why not be around when the person was

suffering? Why not be supportive whenthe person needed to be praised? Why notgive comfort when the person needed to

be hugged? Why give flowers when sheis unable to smell or touch them? Why

praise when she is unable to hear? Whyvisit when she is unable to see or feelyour presence.

It is autumn, almost near the cold end.

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The Lady in Red (Winter), reprare all born naked, but as we gnot just our naked bodies but feelings. We behave and act in pwe want to break free. We pushield us, from those who wantof our joy.

sents life, birth until death. Wethrough life, we cover up, hideour naked self. We mask our

roper decorum. But deep inside,on the 'red towel' to protect,

to harm us, ridicule us or rob us

The Lady in Red is at a point inher adult life, where she begins todismantle the walls. She wants to break free from the dictates ofothers. She wants space & wishes

to be left alone. She iscomfortable with simply being,oun so ace.

She has lived a full life, is content& peaceful. She is nearing theend, that which is inevitable.

Aging started when she survived

her first fall and that death willcome with the second fall. The naked lady in red will soon

reach the end of her life, it iswinter. She has no regrets orunresolved issues. She is ready, tobe naked again, in death.

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Memories, the namemories that d

them, we have no

ked truth. It's ourfine us. Without

hing. Old people who have outlived their

memories & now sit screaming inlonely hospital corridors, scream notwith the pain of their deterioratingorgans, but rather the agony of nolonger knowing who they are, their

ears searching for the familiar voice,their eyes staring blankly notrecogn z ng t e r o aces or reflections. They live for nothing.

When the time comes that mymemory will fail me, or my body hasstopped working for me, please helpme out of this painful, dreadful,

situation. When my mind hasforsaken me, and fond memorieshave gone, I, too have gone away. Allthat is left is the naked, bare body.Just like a child, born naked, onedies naked, bare... that's the nakedtruth.

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Memories...nakedmemories, friend

material things.

truth. Collect, graces & not

While watching a local tv show, theyfeatured people who had 'collections',one had vintage electric guitars,memorabilia of rock stars, designer

bags. What if suddenly there is anearthquake or massive flooding?

Their collections will be buried inrubble or soaked in mud. en s t enoug en s t too

much? When is it a need, a want, awhim, an obsession or an illness?

Collect memories. Acquire thingsthat need not be carried, like movietickets, or tickets to a play, an art

show or a ball game. Purchaseseason passes to the ballet. Indulgein fine dining or simple fast foodmeals. Travel with friends & family.

Spend your time creating and notbuying useless things that clutter yourlife.

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Memories, the naked truth. Reminisce thusband. Think back on all the wonderyou. Never forget how he kept his cooleven kicked, out of your frustration & ahe has given you. Recall your son's firStore all these in your memory bank. Wthoughts, those wonderful fond memo

e good times, dates with yourul things your husband has done for

hile you recklessly insulted, shouted,ger. Bear in mind the kindness & caret steps, first words, first everything.en feeling down, log on to these

ies of happy times.

Memory is amazing. It shapes us &serve as a backdrop for our dailylives, context for our actions,arationale for our sometimes dubiousdecisions. Who we are today isextrinsically woven through with

memories of who we were yesterday& the days before that, where weg g t ep so es rom our past,

spotlighting our first loves, latestdisappointments or hates. They arewoven in the threads of our tapestry,called life. Pull one thread & watchhow the whole thing unravels. Who

did what to whom, what foods we'vedeveloped a taste for, what skillswe've mastered or failed at,... If wecan't remember such seeminglyordinary details, then, who are we?

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Look Up... the an wer is UP there!

Loss, death of loved ones, mygreatest fear. I asked why and foundno answers. I ran out of questions &ran out of prayers.

Loss, marriages fail, friendships end.How do you deal with this?Forgiveness is the answer. When weforgive, we release them away intothe hands of the Father the onl

judge. We place every dart & sorrowthat strikes in the care of our Saviour.The one who hurt us didn't hurt us,

but our God. One just has to Look Up... Our Father

in heaven, Holy be Your name, your

kingdom come, Your will be done onearth as it is in heaven. Give us thisday, our daily bread. Forgive us oursins as we forgive those who sinagainst us. Do not bring us to the test

but deliver us from evil, Amen.

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Can you see me? Doasked a classmatedescribe me in one w

ou know me? I oncefrom Dentistry to

rd. He said, Friend.

I am often called 'Mother' by the girls Iused to hang out with. Just recently, atravel mate also said I was 'motherly'.Another old friend said that since gradeschool, she had always known that I had anurturing soul, if there was such a term.

Then why did I have a 'falling out' of

sorts with some old friends? Thosefriends who have lost the R (respect) &have become fiends. It is because I havestopped loving them. I have stopped

being their friend. I realized that I wasjust useful to them.

Can you see me? Do you know me? I'm aloving wife, a caring mother, a dentist by

profession, an aspiring visual artist, aloyal friend, thoughtful, generous and

helpful. If all these roles are stripped away from

me, then I am just a simple soul. Saiwala,or that belonging to the sea. It's the onlyauthentic part of me. I am seen throughmy paintings and read through my blogs,where my truth is revealed, devoid of

pretensions, without the eccentricities, bare, naked. I have named my soul,

betsisanders.

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It starts with a thoughmeditative reflection, athese are the results of t

, an idea, a concept, arecollection, a memory,e process of thinking.

The woman is deep in thought,has found a way of redirectingher thoughts, through painting& writing. Creativeindividuals, painters, writers, poets, musicians, dancers

(Van Gogh, Tchaikovsky,Churchill Hemin waexperienced mood disorders,and so does this woman. Shemay never be great or famous,or loved as much, but her paintings are proof,

illustrations or manifestationsof her deepest and most seriousthoughts, done during her pensive, melancholic &creative moods.

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The Blue Ballerina, my versby a Foot & Mouth Painter).a white tutu. In my version,tutu.

ion of the original (paintedThe original ballerina woreshe wears a 'powder blue'

The lady is shown tying the lacesof her ballet shoes. While at it,she is probably feeling veryanxious, nervous, or excited. Orshe is simply having a quiet time,

alone, separate from the othergirls. These few minutes is spent,

praying that she doesn't make amistake, or probably thankingGod for the opportunity toexpress herself through dance,make an identity for herself, showothers what she is capable of,reveal an important part ofherself, the ballerina, the dancer,the performer, the artist.

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Delight, something that gives gthat ice cream cone will give hisummer day, that same ice crboth young & old. To a diabeti creamy frozen food is 'poison'

reat joy or pleasure. To a child,great joy & pleasure. On a hot

am cone is a welcome treat to, this pleasurable, rich, sweet &

The woman is making a choice, toindulge & savor the delicious, delicate &

pleasing sweet taste of the ice cream...orchew on a carrot.

Choices, everything in life is aboutchoices. What we are today is the resultof the choices we made years ago.

Choose to give rather always be at thereceiving end. Choose to show gratitude& express it through acts of kindness.Choose to be truthful & not fabricate liesor make up stories. Choose to be humble& kind. Choose silence & not attractattention. Choose to act one's age..

Choose to walk away from those whohurt you. Choose to shut the door & bewith your thoughts, rather than tell peoplehow much you hurt. Choose to cry in theconfines of your bedroom, rather than

burden your friends with yourinsecurities, sadness, anger or hatred.Choose life, love & happiness.

Choose to be a delight to others, a sourceof joy for others, all the time.

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The Stream... rephappiness, whichin my life.

esents calm &I hope to achieve

What is at the end of thestream?... a loving,generous, caring, loyaltruthful, sensitive, happyperson... a friend, that's me,betsisanders.

I gave this painting to an old.

There were no questionsasked, nor explanationsrequired. We have forgiveneach other.

Forgiveness is giving up theright to hurt you becauseyou hurt me. Trueforgiveness means trustingGod to handle the situation.

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It starts with a th ught ...

Boyet brought me orchids fromSingapore, as he always does. I placedthem in a vase, then later on, made a

bouquet, which Alvin offered to MamaMary on her birthday.

Some orchids were left on the vase. Thedeep purple flowers began to wilt & fall

off their stems. Then there was this lastone, that I thought of capturing,immortalize on a er.

Flowers, these delicate, beautiful,sometimes fragrant flowers, provideinspiration to artists, playwrights, poets,

painters, even mystics. The Buddha gave a silent sermon, where

he once held up a flower & steadilylooked at it. After a long while, a monk

called Mahakasyapa, began to smile &was said to be the only one whounderstood the silent sermon, which

became the origin of Zen, as passed on byseveral masters.

St. Therese, the little flower, sends you aflower, a white rose, when your wishesare granted.

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The Red Rose syou. It is life that

bolizes me, ors beautiful.

It starts as a bud, 'a child', who after sometime, becomes a full blown beautiful redrose, admired & wanted by everyone,

brings out a smile when given by ahandsome suitor, or gives comfort to a

bereaved family who just lost a lovedone.

The Red Rose will bloom & emit itsfragrance, that's her time, her moment,

, ,Red Rose will wilt, dry up & die.

Here I go again talking about death. It iscertain, inevitable. Its realization makesone live life more fully, it makes us valueeach day. By knowing that it is coming,we make the most of what we have today,

we give importance to those we love &keep them close to our hearts Death will come any day, any time, but

don't wait for it to come, don't lose sleepthinking about it. Just have the greatesttime of your life every day.... live, love &always be happy!.

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Reflections imagesreflected as seen on t serious thought or contwords.

roduced when light ise water. It also meansemplation, expressed in

Painting & writing requires seriousthoughts. These are my ways ofcoping and dealing with life, that atone point has become difficult, sad,filled with suffering, pain, fear &anger.

In this journey called life, I foundmeaning & happiness in theseso tary act v t es, ere am not

judged, where I am free to expressmy innermost feelings, whereemotions are released, where pain &anger disappear, (if only for amoment), where I create simple art,

where I can probably inspire othersthrough my writing, so they may findcalm and happiness.

Betsisanders' Prayer... Lord, may mylife be a reflection of Your love, inwhatever I say or do, I offer You mycreations, because they can onlycome from You.

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Woman, a reflection of mtransition, from being aelderly person. She hasbetter version of he

'betsisanders'.

soul. The woman is in aadult to becoming an

reinvented & created aself, whom she calls

This painting drawsout all sorts ofemotions. Emotion initself isn't unhappiness.Emotion plus a sadstory s un app ness.

She has dropped thesad stories of her life.Everyday, she says, I'mhappy, I'm pretty, I'msmart,I'm pain-free, I'mlovable and I'm loved.

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The Other Womaversion of The W

... anotherman

The other woman is just as happy,content & grateful. She loves life& only wishes to pursuehappiness for herself & for herloved ones. She desires to be adelight, a source of joy or pleasure & inspiration, to those

around her. If she fails today, shewill tr a ain tomorrow. She willmake the right choices. It is nevertoo late to make the right choice.Her life begins again and again.

Gentleness, modesty, delicacy,even weakness are just some of

the characteristics that describe awoman. Strong, forceful, bold,tough... words that describe theman. However, the other womancan be stronger, even bolder.WOMAN POWER!