JUDE HARZER FINE ART

When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back. A week is more than enough time for us to decide whether or not to accept our destiny.”~ Paul Coelho

A young and vital child knows no limit to his own will, and it is the only reality to him. It is not that he wants at the outset to fight other wills, but that they simply do not exist for him. Like the artist, he goes forth to the work of creation, gloriously alone.
Jane Harrison

Jude Harzer Artist/Art Educator

Jude Harzer Artist/Art Educator
My art is a reflection of my effort to recognize and embrace the beauty in the world around me, even when it seems most difficult to find. Contact me at judiharz@aol.com or visit my website at http://www.judeharzerfineart.com

Visit My Website

http://www.judeharzerfineart.com

"Most of us have two lives- the life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands resistance."Steven Pressfield

"The greatest freedoms are freedom from regret, freedom from fear, freedom from anxiety, and freedom from sorrow."
Thich Nhat Hanh

Friday, August 22, 2008

"The Art of Living": Infinite Hope and Strength





Carol Saylor is an artist. She used to paint and draw but has focused her efforts, as of late, on sculpting. Her work is exquisite and is meant to be touched, gently handled and "experienced." Some of her recent works resemble organic vessels that conceal delicately sculpted figures, faces, tear drops and other hidden objects. Unlike most art, Carol's work is intended to be caressed and explored. When you reach inside the clay forms, your hands discover unexpected treasures.

Carol painstakingly and lovingly creates figures that evoke a sense of sorrow, intense joy and beauty. Several of her pieces were inspired by Carol's youngest child, Alice, who succumbed to cancer in her early thirties, leaving behind three young daughters and a husband. Her absence is evident and still greatly felt.

I had the opportunity to spend some time with Carol Saylor this past week.It was marked by incessant conversation and laughter. Her home and her art are reflective of her energy and spirit. I believe Carol is uncomfortable continuously hearing that she providesincredible inspiration to others. For Carol, being blind and deaf, is "inconvenient" and "annoying." She is very matter of fact about the "choice" to live fully in the face of such obstacles.

Carol's "story" may seem tragic in some ways but it is incredibly wonderful as well. The "tragedy" is more a result of the loss of two children and her husband, than the loss of her vision and hearing. Carol seems to have drawn unimaginable strength from her art and her desire to live not only for herself but for her surviving and beloved children and grandchildren.

I hope that you will take time to view Carol Saylor's website: http://www.carolsaylor.com/ and watch her two part "youtube" video where she talks about her art, life and family. Carol generates most of her income from speaking engagements. She is eloquent and powerful in her thoughts and words. Technology enables her to "hear" and to effectively communicate. Carol was sighted and able to hear for some forty years. Her experience and perspective, having lived in "both" worlds, is manifested in more than just her impressive body of art work.

Carol Saylor is talented and inspiring and has chosen to embrace life and its "possibilities".
My visit with her was a gift.
"Seeing" is a matter of perception.
Carol Saylor has never lost "sight" of what is most valuable.
Enjoy! -Jude

Jude, Art and Inspiration