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Monday, July 18, 2011

The Beauty & The Potential in Aging

Hi, Friends, how are you? Did you enjoy a weekend? We celebrated "Christmas in July" and saw fire works. "Why fireworks?" I asked. A granny said CHEERFULLY, "Because the end of school holiday, ha,ha,ha!" Oh, Granny, be careful. Kids will call you, "Bad witch." Well, I hear some parents curse at school holidays. Messes, noises and fiascoes have haunted home. Now, finally, noble silence, routine and order come back to parents.But I always smile and raise a question for us, fussy grown ups, "Can you remember when you were young? What did you do?" All adults burst with a laugh and admit, "Ah, I did the same thing!" (*Children welcome my support?!) We seem to have buried our young stupidity in social norms. Kids, please turn a blind eye to us, adults. Getting older is not easy. Being old is a very demanding job.

By the way, talking of "Aging," generally, images are quite negative. Men appear to be more tolerant to admit a real age than women. Or I should say, sadly, society tends to celebrate being youngish, particularly about women.
Friends, "That's not fair!" should be added.
But I love making old people's portraits. A question, "Is getting older ugly?" My sketches are dead honest. In the work, a number of wrinkles is really not a big deal. A physical age is more likely to appear in the tension of muscles. I've never thought it ugly.Fortunately, I could have sketched many wonderful old people. The most beauty in aging could be matured personality endorsed by rich experiences, deep knowledge and profound wisdom. Those lively seniors I met did/do not care about their real age. Rather, they told me a real age with a big laugh in a healthy pride. I felt their acceptance of who they were ; it's REAL beauty, too.

Some sketched seniors are already established experts. Yet, humbly they keep up their skills and challenge new techniques. All of them say, "Still a lot to learn. A long way to go," and pursue "perfect." Experienced elderly people are also wonderful teachers, full of wisdom. Quite interesting to observe how they teach students and apprentices. In my eyes, a good teacher may give a nice lecture. But a better teacher gives a clue that leads a learner to answers (answers are not always one!). Further, an answer makes a student think beyond. A given knowledge is easy to forget. But a time spent thought-out answer remains in mind.
I heartily hope our society and culture will value aged people. Many masterful old people want to get involved with something or their favorite areas. Already pay or money is not a big matter. They are eager for contribution to society. Their concern and want for is the sense of belongingness and the meaning of life. Indeed, retired people are a great power in volunteer work that supports a welfare system.I really hope any organization and other opportunities tap these trustworthy people and activate rich assets in our society.
Anyway, happy painting!
I'm challenging new things and studying landscapes.
Let us get old with youngish hearts! Ahahaha!!






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44 comments:

  1. Lovely post and sentiments. With age we show how unique we are, the lessons learned, joy and heartaches felt...

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  2. Oh, Maria,
    Thank you so much. Let us "enjoy" sentiments and move on. I also know you're a wonderful teacher for students at your blogs. Please keep up!!
    Cheers,Sadami

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  3. The older I get, the more myself I become. So a big cheer for aging! Thanks for the wonderful thoughts and paintings!

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  4. Hi, Judy,
    Yey~~~!! That's the spirit. Let's go beyond!
    Cheers,Sadami

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  5. Beautiful artwork, Sadami.
    My impish heart still brightens up my wrinkles - and my hair! :lol:
    Have a great week trying to wear out your paintbrushes! xx

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  6. What a wonderful and thought provoking post Sadami - along with your wonderful paintings. You are so good a portraits. I look forward to your sketches and paintings each week....many regards, ann.

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  7. :) Nice post. Love your paintings. Getting old is something no one can avoid. Lets keep being young at heart and explore life, and art. There's always more to learn. Happy Weekend!

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  8. Hola Sadami, como siempre muy buenos trabajos, en particular me gusta mucho el primero, veo que sigues siendo defensores de los débiles , niños y ancianos, los dos nos aportan muchas cosas.pero, sobre todo en relación con los ancianos, muchas veces esta sociedad los desprecia y los aparta, cuando como dices tienen un gran potencial sin aprovechar, yo viví muchos años en Africa, allí, los ancianos son muy respetados, representan la sabiduría y se toma siempre en cuanta su opinion.
    Saludos.

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  9. Let's hear it for the seasoned folks, the ones who've been up and down and seen some things. Youth is appreciated for beauty,physical prowess and by retailers for potential sales. Seniors exchange their physical strength and beauty for smarts, have some bucks to spend, but don't spend easily. They also say exactly what's on their mind when it's on their mind and don't take any crap. Bum knee and all, I love where I'm at and I know you do too Sadami. Lovely portraits of the in crowd in my book.

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  10. Wonderful post, Sadami. I try to slow down and take time to listen to the stories told by the elderly I come in contact with. They truly are so interesting and colorful and have many of life's lessons intertwine within them if you only listen, not just hear them but really listen.
    Carol B.

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  11. Lots of interesting people today Sadami. I especially love that pensive look on your last lady. You capture their personality so wonderfully.

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  12. Dear Pat,
    Thanks! Your impsh personality shines through bloogs, which makes our world a bit brighter. Put aside wrinkles and let's have fun with paintbrushes like kids!
    xxCheers,Sadami

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  13. Dear Ann,
    Thank you! A good strategy to find a favorite area that always gives confidence and where a person can come back to for regrouping after challenging a new thing.
    Many&Kind regards,Sadami

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  14. Hi, Evelyn,
    That's the spirit and let's enjoy our lives fully.
    Cheers,Sadami

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  15. Estimado Francisco,
    ¡Gracias! Muy feliz de que usted apoya mi punto de vista. Increíble que he estado en África por un largo tiempo. Oh, algún día, espero que usted pueda escribir sobre ella con pinturas en su blog.
    Un cordial saludo, Sadami

    Dear Francis,
    Thank you! Very happy to know you support my view. Amazing you've stayed in Africa for a long time. Oh, one day, I hope you can write about it with paintings at your blog.
    Kind regards,Sadami

    >>>Francis said...
    Hello Sadami, as always very good work, especially I like the first, I see you're still champions of the weak, young and old, we both bring many cosas.pero, especially in relation to the elderly, often this society despises them and away, when as you say have a great untapped potential, I lived many years in Africa, there are highly respected elders, representing wisdom and is always taken into account their opinion.
    Greetings.

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  16. Wow, Linda! Spot on. Smart metaphors. What a lovely comemnt full of wisdome and self esteem!! I'm in awe to read your sentences. Yes, I do, too!! Thank you very much!
    Cheers,Sadami

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  17. Dear Carol,
    Thank you. I'm very happy to listen to others' colourful stories. Listening is art.
    Kind regards,Sadami

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  18. Dear Teri,
    Thank you so much. I love capturing a drama in a person. Paradox is we, humans are different and same.
    Cheers, Sadami

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  19. Wonderful sketches and sendiments.

    I love the comment left by one of your viewers, "The older I get, the more myself I become."

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  20. Hi, Elva,
    Thank you so much! Yes, "be what we are the most" is the beauty.
    Cheers,Sadami

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  21. I love aged people ! their eyes are always shining between beautiful wrinkles... and they have a lot of things to tell us !
    your paintings are wonderful
    dear Sadami, really wonderful !
    wish you a happy week

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  22. Dear Marty,
    Thank you! Your photos and art work, too, are wonderful! Please keep up. Have a nice week!!
    Cheers,Sadami

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  23. Hi Sadami, as usual, your artworks are very nice, to me the first two looks really fantastic.
    Lovely post, I'am old enough to appreciate your thought about aging. Hugs. Tito.

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  24. Hi, Tito,
    Thank you so much! Oh, you're forever young, because you're pursuing a dream such as watercolour paintingʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ!!
    Cheers,Sadami

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  25. Hermoso mensaje el que transmites esta semana, Sadami. Tanto como tus retratos.
    Un abrazo.

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  26. Hola, Onera,
    Muchas gracias! Espero que encontremos el sentido de la vida y seguir dando a la sociedad, y viceversa.
    Y vamos a disfrutar de la pintura, también!
    Cheers, Sadamiʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ

    Hi, Onera,
    Thank you very much! I hope we find the meaning of life and keep giving it to society, and vice versa.
    And let us enjoy painting, too!
    Cheers,Sadamiʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ

    >>>Onera said...
    Beautiful message that conveys this week Sadami. As much as your pictures.
    A hug.

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  27. it is not always easy to be "proud" of aging (in America!) --but I am indeed proud of my years. I come from a very interesting time and I would not switch places with someone younger than me. You are smart to value maturity...it would be an awful world if everyone in it was only 20!...Love all your watercolor paintings as always!

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  28. Hi, Celeste,
    Thank you!! We all start getting old after birth. Let us appreciate what "we are now" and maximize "what we will be" most. Yey, we enjoy painting, too!
    Cheers,Sadami

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  29. H Sadami! I liked your line that says Let's grow old with a youngish heart. Sounds really good to me. Love your portraits as usual!

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  30. Yey, Dora, that's the spirit! Don't you think so? And this is my secret..."look at subjects in awe like a new born baby" is my great advantage&tips to make lively & spontaneous watercolours.
    Cheers,Sadami

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  31. the top sketchpainting is super sadami ..have tried a few painting a few "wrinkles" in the past...your sketches are wonderful ! ..have a good w-e

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  32. Dear Jane,
    Ahahahaha! Thank you so much!! You, too, have a wonderful weekend, Jane!!!
    Cheers,Sadami

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  33. The second drawing is so nice! It reminds me of Lisbeth Zwerger's illustrations.

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  34. Hi,Tim,
    Thank you so much! Wow, I admire Lisbeth Zwerger! I'll keep up!!
    Cheers, Sadami

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  35. Since getting old is unavoidable, let's embrace it.! I love your post as always, Sadami!! Your sketches are wonderful.!! Now, I can start my day with a smile.

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  36. Oh, Hilda,
    Of course! We smile at ourselves and start a day. Let us cherish every single moment and step into a bright future.
    Cheers,Sadami

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  37. Loved your writing about old age and the sketches to go with it :)

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  38. Hi,Meera,
    Thank you for the kind encouragement. I always tell myself, "I want to be an old lady with a nice smile!!" at a mirror.
    Cheers,Sadami

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  39. Your portraits are just so amazing. There are drawings that intent to impress, and there are drawings that touch the soul of the subject - I think you know which category your portraits belong to.

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  40. Hi, Wren,
    Thank you for beautiful say that touches my heart.
    I've just started submitting portraits to shows from a last year. As warning was that portraits were hard to sell=not for shows, I kept my work at studio. But I chose to take a risk. Just last night, my work won something at an annual exhibition. I'm invited to an opening tomorrow. I'll explore the potential in portraits. Go,Sadami,go! Listen to my heart!
    Cheers,Sadami

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  41. Hi Sadami,
    There is a beauty in the age. The wisdom, the story, the great experiences! And for us artists there is plenty to work on, isn't it?! Wrinkles make us who ever we are; they show what life we had, what character we developed and how we can handle the stress of the life.
    I love smiling wrinkles, the ones that all that companies of Beauty Products try to get rid of ;).. In the world of Botox and Make-up we stopped seeing a beauty of the age; the beauty of the Mother Wisdom.

    Have a splendid weekend Sadami!
    Irina

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  42. Oh, Thank you, Irina!
    What's more I need to put on your say? Yes, I've decided to have nice wrinkles. Wrinkles come up just like how a person uses facial muscles such as smiling or grumpy. BTW, I've never used cosmetics because of sensitive skin. ...I want to try it a bit.
    Have a wonderful weekend!
    Cheers,Sadami

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  43. Fantastic work! Your brush is certainly magical:)! Have a relaxing weekend!

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  44. Hi, Harlequin,
    Thank you for warm cheers! You, too, have a wonderful weekend with the gorgeous family.
    Cheers,Sadami

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