Koopa's Painting has been hung!

Happy New Year to anyone who has stayed around and kept me on their lists despite the fact that I haven't written an entry in over a month!!! And thank you to all those who have sent emails ... I've been absent, but only regarding blogging, and I suppose if I were a true blogger, I'd be posting every day. I had time off from school, and a long list of things to do. I stayed focused and got most everything done I had set out to do this week.
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I wanted to show you something very special, something that many of you will remember from our AOL Journals time, when a certain little turtle named Koopa painted an abstract painting for me. If you are new to this blog, here's a quick recap:

Koopa, of Turtlekiss.com, and his owner Kira, made a painting for me after I had entered a contest and was one of the winners. Koopa actually did all the painting himself. Kira set up the canvas with the colors I chose, and turned Koopa loose. Here is a link to some videos that Kira has made of Koopa at work and play.
This is the part that Kira did, using words I had sent her that she worked into the painting in order to add the colors I asked for.

Then she put Koopa onto the canvas. He walked, or should I say, ran across the turtle-safe (non-toxic) tempera paint like it was wet mud .

The final result is called "Ponderings," to remind me of our pond which was (sadly)filled in two years ago. But in this beautiful abstract, Kira and Koopa have captured the feeling of our koi pond. I will always remember our pond when I see this painting, and I'll never forget the adorable box turtle who added his unique paint strokes and style.
I didn't know where I wanted to hang this lovely addition to our home, an original masterpiece which I will always treasure. It would get lost in the darkness of our living room walls (barnboard, rustic style). It would look very small in our bedroom, and no one would see it but us. But in my drawing room. Hmmm, now there was a possibility.

So, today I hung the painting right over my drawing table. Finally! Kira has probably given up on me, but I have to tell you that over the Christmas holidays I used my vacation time to reflect, to ponder, to rearrange, and to clean. It was more than physical cleaning that took place... I took a good long look at the 'vessel' inside, and saw the light still shining there. But that could easily be another journal entry.

Now, after I had hung Koopa's painting, it was then that I noticed the similarity between Koopa/Kira's, and one I had done using melted crayons about ten years ago. I call it Lightfall, Third Series. Possibly no one else will notice the similarities unless I put them side by side, which I haven't done yet. I'll do that another day and compare them in a blog entry to sharpen my critiqueing skills.
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BTW, Kira has retired Koopa from painting following a recent illness, but she continues to paint using her understanding of color theory and her own unique (personal) style. You might wish to visit her website at http://turtlekiss.wordpress.com/ to learn more about Kira's colorful abstracts and the story of Koopa's life as an artist.