Find that patch of heaven in your heart
Find that patch of heaven in your heart
: a surprise "musical" right outside my home | 6/24 new drawings ⻦ (a haiga, visual poetry) | new product update! 🙌
HopeMail #130 | Sharing one new drawing and writing about life to brighten your inbox, twice a month on Fridays. This issue is the 6/24 new drawings for HopeMail. Counting down 18 more issues till we complete 24 new drawings in a year in October 2022. 💪🏻 If a friend shared this with you, and you'd like to receive my next newsletter, c'mon in.
This issue of HopeMail was brought to you by the marvellous Beauty around us. ☺️
Out from the quiet of my living room window, a loud musical sprang into action! Mondays seemed to be meeting days for my feathered friends. Usually, it’s the same regular ensemble. Occasionally, guest performing artists would make a special appearance. Wanting to record their song, I thrust my iPhone 6 through the window. And pressed “video”…
…suddenly
six yellow birds!
a patch of heaven.
I gave thanks. Smiled. With my heart full, I resumed my work.
Find that patch of heaven in your heart. Often—it’s closer and more accessible than you think.
👂 What is heaven to you? What does your patch of heaven look like? I’d love to hear your sharing. Comment or reply to this email and share a photo, a word, a few sentences, or you could even share a poem, doodle or drawing!
🎧🎶 Look at the World
This issue goes well with this beautiful song composed by John Rutter, performed by The Cambridge Singers and the City of London Sinfonia orchestra.
Listen on Apple Music, Spotify
Look at the World lyrics
Look at the world: everything all around us Look at the world: and marvel every day Look at the world: so many joys and wonders So many miracles along our way Praise to thee o Lord for all creation Give us thankful hearts that we may see All the gifts we share and every blessing All things come of thee Look at the earth: bringing forth fruit and flower Look at the sky: the sunshine and the rain Look at the hills, look at the trees and mountains Valley and flowing river field and plain Praise to thee o Lord for all creation Give us thankful hearts that we may see All the gifts we share and every blessing All things come of thee Think of the spring, think of the warmth of summer Bringing the harvest before the winters cold Everything grows, everything has a season Til' it is gathered to the fathers fold Praise to thee o Lord for all creation Give us thankful hearts that we may see All the gifts we share and every blessing All things come of thee Every good gift, all that we need and cherish Comes from the Lord in token of his love We are his hands, stewards of all his bounty His is the earth and his the heavens above Praise to thee, o Lord for all creation Give us thankful hearts that we may see All the gifts we share, and every blessing All things come of thee All things come of thee
Give us thankful hearts that we may see.
The pair of yellow oriole regular seen outside my living room window inspired one of my first few drawings, "Commitment". When they brought another four of their friends for a visit, they inspired this issue’s poetry and drawing; a modern haiga.
What’s a haiga?
It’s a form of visual poetry. Traditionally, it’s a haiku (a type of poetry of Japanese origin) with brush painting. Nowadays, it has been broadened to a haiku with imagery: a painting, a photo, a drawing, even a video.
⻦ Bring them home
📣 Update! Artwork now available as art stickers
See a story you like through my drawing? You can now bring them home as stickable art.
As an artist and a consumer, I want my art to be accessible to more people. Not to just a few elite art collectors. Nothing wrong with that. Just that it doesn’t resonate with me. So, I’ve been working behind the scenes developing my product range to be inclusive of people who want my drawing as wall art, and also for people who want something smaller, usable, cost less, and something they can buy more frequently whenever they see a drawing they like.
I reckon art stickers fit those criteria. 😄 And I’ve created three art stickers to start off with. There’s a 20% discount using the code STICKERS20. Take a look at my shop, and let me know what you think. I’m open to suggestions, what else would you like to see, digital phone wallpaper, note cards, etc.?
Using my iPhone 6, here’s the video I’d taken of the bird songs and the six yellow orioles flying around. Bonus, if you watch till the end, spot the model for my Tree Branch and Seven Birds line drawing! Can you spot it?
That’s all for now, folks. Thanks for reading. I had fun with the haiga! Maybe I’ll create more of them. Let’s see what life brings next and I’ll share them with you. See ya in my next issue of the newsletter on February 4th, where we’ll have the 7/24 new drawings for HopeMail. Take care.
💖 Melinda
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It almost looks like they were all out to impress you! What are the chances of that? It got me thinking if we visit our surroundings often enough chances are they recognize us too! Imagine if one bird said to the other, ‘it’s the lady with the pen, come on guys it’s showtime’!! That all in my wild imagination!
Absolutely loved how your brought the story of these musical birds to us. It reminded me to turn off my music every once in a while to listen to the ‘live band’ outdoors, especially in the morning.
#keepwritinganddrawingMelinda
Beautiful drawing - the patch of heaven! Thank you for sharing the video and the beautiful "musical"!