Maranda Russell's Blog, page 26
February 20, 2020
3 Old Acrylic Abstract Paintings
These 3 abstract acrylic paintings were actually made many years ago. I came across them not too long ago and decided to put them up for sale with my other art on my Ebay store. I was pleasantly surprised when they sold rather quickly. I do think I’ve come a long way as an artist in some ways, but it is nice to know even my earliest attempts at serious art appeal to others 
February 18, 2020
Video: Meet My New Kitty Rasputin
Excuse the baby talk lol, but I thought you guys might like to see this short little video I made for YouTube to introduce our new kitty to the world. We are pretty certain at this point we are keeping him (the trial period is up tomorrow). We have named him Rasputin, although we call him Razz or Razzy for short.
Let me know what you think of the name (and him)!
February 16, 2020
New Family Member?
Yesterday we brought home a new kitty for a 5-day “sleepover” to see if he might be a good fit for our family. He is right around a year old, very playful and active, but also quite nervous at the moment as you might imagine. Here he is hiding under the kitchen table, where he chose to spend most of last night:
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We weren’t planning on getting another kitty so soon, but ever since our kitty Spyder died around a month ago, our cat Mao Mao has been very sad and seems depressed because he lost his play companion and buddy. We do have another cat named Ichabod, but he is off in his own world and even though he is sweet, he is not good companion material for Mao Mao.
When they were introduced last night, Mao Mao and the new kitty were tentative and nervous, but not really aggressive:
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The new kitty did hiss at the other cats some, but I think that is just because he is younger, littler, and in a strange environment so he was feeling threatened. No swatting or attacking though.
The new kitty seems a little afraid of men and his tail looks like it might have been injured in the past by someone pulling on it too hard, so I do wonder if he might have been abused in the past. The rescue place didn’t really have much history on him, so who knows?
I’m hoping it works out. The new kitty is very sweet! Keep your fingers crossed for us!
February 14, 2020
Poetry – Someone Else
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I thought I wanted
to be an actress,
but now I realize,
I only wanted
the chance
to be someone else.
February 12, 2020
February 10, 2020
Poetry – While We Lay Together
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The rhythm
of the dryer
is soothing.
As the clothing
tumbles, I hear
a high-pitched ping –
like coins
shaken
in a pocket,
and the heavy thump
of footless shoes.
February 8, 2020
3 Oil Pastel Abstract Paintings
Here are a few recent oil pastel abstract paintings! I hope you like them! Let me know in the comments which is your favorite!
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Check out my art for sale on my Ebay store.
February 6, 2020
Wanting to Be Special
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Do you feel “special”? Do you long to feel special? It seems to me that people strive so hard to be special, to be exceptional. Ordinary is for losers…or at least that is the message we seem to get from society.
I’ll admit that I share this obsession. Maybe part of my problem started with being an overachiever in grade school. I always had to be the fastest, the best in my class. I went to all the gifted programs and was praised for exceptionally high standardized test scores. I was highly competitive and a horribly sore loser…something I still struggle with to some extent lol.
The problem is that when you are told all the time growing up how “exceptional” you are, it sets you up for unrealistic expectations in the real world. In the real world, it isn’t always the smartest, the most talented, or the hardest working that succeed, and that is a bitter pill to swallow.
From my experience, the ones most likely to succeed are the ones that have wealth and powerful families behind them. Yes, some people do manage to crack the glass ceiling alone by sheer luck or being at the right place at the right time, but the majority at the top of any enterprise are generally those with connections the rest of us could only dream of.
Of course, you can focus on the feel-good, conciliatory message that “everyone is special”, which is undoubtedly true in some ways, but when I hear that, I always think about Dash from the Incredibles asking, “If everyone is special, is that really just a way of saying that nobody is special?”
February 4, 2020
Poetry – Make It Up As We Go
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You read
faster
than I can
turn the page,
so I’ve
learned how
to make up the story
as we go.
February 2, 2020
2 Emotional Abstract Expressionism Artworks
I created these two emotionally charged ACEO abstract artworks not long ago. The first was sort of a cry of frustration when I was having trouble writing new poetry that I felt was any good:
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This second piece was sort of a plea to the world and to those around me specifically to see me as I really am, a feeling that is pretty common when you feel misunderstood (as I’m sure we all do from time to time):
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I hope you like them
