The Other Woman

Title: The Other Woman
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Size: 9 x 12 inches
Artist: betsisanders 09

This is another version of my painting of a Woman. The original painting was done in oil.

The other woman is just as happy, content and grateful. She loves life and only wishes to pursue happiness for herself and for her loved ones. She desires to be a delight, a source of joy and pleasure, and inspiration, to those around her. If she fails today, she will try again tomorrow. She will make the right choices. It is never too 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 a woman, Strong, forceful, bold, tough... words that describe the man. However, the woman can be stronger, even bolder than the man.
WOMAN POWER!!!

Delight

Title: Delight
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Size: 9 x 12 inches
Artist: betsisanders

Delight ... something that gives great joy or pleasure.

To a child, that ice cream cone will give him great joy and pleasure. On a hot summer day, that same ice cream is a welcome treat to both young and old.To a diabetic, this delightful, pleasurable, rich, sweet and creamy frozen food is 'poison'.

Life is all about choices.

The woman in the painting is making a choice, to indulge and savor the delicious, delicate and pleasing sweet taste of the ice cream ... or chew on a carrot. She may not be a diabetic, but is probably conscious of her weight and wishes to maintain a slim figure... or she simply chooses to eat healthy.

Every single day, hour, minute or second... we all make choices. In the morning, we choose which bath soap or body wash to use, which toothpaste to brush our teeth with, which perfume or cologne to put on, which pair of jeans or shirt to wear, which color-coordinated designer bag and shoes to use... and these choices are made on the first hour of one's day.

Then one goes for breakfast and chooses to have a ham sandwich. I remember my friend, who had this 'funny' unforgettable experience, the first time she ordered a ham sandwich in the States. The waitress asked her what kind of ham she wanted, smoked ham, honey cured ham, American ham.... then, she was asked what kind of bread she wanted, wheat, whole wheat, rye, ... then, she was asked if she wanted everything on it... tomatoes, lettuce, mayo.... :) my friend had always been used to having sweet ham on white bread with nothing in it while in the Philippines. She was further asked if she wanted eggs for breakfast, so she said yes. You probably know what happened next... boiled, scrambled, sunny side, poached... ha ha ha. This actually happened to my friend. Many versions of this story has been passed on through email... maybe because it happened to a lot Pinoys.

Choices... everything in life is about choices. What we are today is the result of the choices we made years ago. Our career choice, for example, would determine success or failure in our chosen field. I chose Dentistry because my mother wanted me to become a doctor. She specifically instilled in my mind that I cannot be called just a Ms. or a Mrs., but a Dr. ... and Dentistry was the fastest way to become a doctor, six years compared to eight years in Medicine. My mother actually asked me if wanted to go to Med Proper after I graduated from Dentistry! :( I always wanted to take Fine Arts but my mother used to say that artists do not earn much.
I'm a golden girl now, a semi-retired dentist, and an aspiring visual artist. It is never too late to make the right choice.

Choose to give rather than always be at the receiving end. Choose to show gratitude and express it through acts of kindness. Choose to be truthful and not fabricate lies or make up stories. Choose to be humble and kind. Choose silence than boisterousness and not attract attention specially in public. Choose to act one's age and not act as if one is still in kindergarten, running around or pushing classmates. Choose to be generous with praise and never say bad things about one's in laws, no matter how badly they treat you. Choose to say 'thank you' to your dentist who gives you free ortho treatment, rather than terminate her free services. Choose to say I'm sorry, and mean it, rather than say I'm not ready.

Choose to walk away from those who hurt you. Choose to shut the door, and be with your thoughts, rather than, tell people how much you hurt. Choose to cry in the confines of your bedroom, rather than burden your friends with your insecurities, sadness, anger or hatred. Choose life and love. Choose happiness. Choose to be a 'delight' to others, to be a source of joy and pleasure for others... all the time.


betsisanders 09 / August 12, 2009

Gratitude

Title: Gratitude
Size: 9 x 12 inches
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Artist: betsisanders 09

"To whom much is given, much is asked in return." This is how we must live our lives. To give in return for all the blessings that one has received. It isn't enough to just say 'thank you', but to express one's gratitude thru reciprocal acts of kindness. Words are not enough, one's gratefulness must be shown in acts.

We should always be grateful for everything that one has received. One must never grieve for what one does not have, but to be joyful for what one has. One should always see the good in everything. One should always be happy not just for one's self, but for others as well.

An ungrateful person, no matter how much he possesses, will never be truly happy. She will always ask for something, want something more, or need something else. There is no end to her desires, needs and wants. She is never content, always wanting, needing, expecting more and more. Always at the receiving end and never giving in return. She will never be happy.

The key to happiness is gratitude. I always say that the happiest person, is the most grateful of all. Be thankful for every little thing, for a beautiful sunrise, for a magnificent sunset, for the rain, for a sunny day... be thankful because you have a loving husband and an obedient son; be thankful for sisters who make you feel loved and important; be thankful for parents who made sure you had a good education and provided for all your material needs; be thankful for in-laws who accepted you as part of their family; be thankful for nieces and nephews who became your 'bundles of joy' when they were little; be thankful for every single friend that has been truthful and appreciative of your generosity; be thankful for the beauty that is around you, for the birds that chirp, or the simple lotus flowers on the pond; be thankful for everything that God has given.

The Buddha says, "Let us rise up and be thankful for if we didn't learn a lot today,at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die, so let us all be thankful."

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I finished this painting today, August 5, 2009, a very memorable day for all Filipinos. Today, the Filipino's icon of democracy was laid to rest. The entire nation mourns for the loss of this woman. The Filipino is grateful to this woman who restored democracy and freedom in the country that was ruled by a dictator for more than two decades. The Filipino is proud to be a Filipino because of this woman. Today, I share the sentiments of all Fiipinos, a grateful nation, a proud people, the happiest people.

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Two words... thank you... if this is our only prayer, then this is enough.
Live, love and always say 'thank you'. A grateful person is a happy person.

betsisanders 09 / August 5, 2009