04 Sep The New Normal – Finding Art & Beauty Within Harvey’s Tragedy

Elements Art Exhibition at Davis Gallery, Austin, TX.

Today is Labor Day, and my heart is with all of you affected by Hurricane Harvey, laboring so hard to get your life and home back and those laboring to help the families and businesses.  There’s this constant mixture of sadness, trauma, confusion, but also love, hope and beauty. Many Texas families are in shelters, some families are having barbecues today, and some are driving truck loads of donated supplies to help the victims. No matter what you’re doing, or what nature has thrown our way, life must move forward, and Texas is a shining example of that strength. On this Labor Day, I wanted to offer you a slight reprieve from all the devastation.

We’ve experienced, or seen, image after image of tragedy from Hurricane Harvey. No one in Texas, let alone the country and world, will not know Harvey. Perhaps in the past, we’ve associated this name before to a great uncle, or a beloved family pet, but now “Harvey” will always be known for the epic hurricane and 100 year flood that shattered Texans daily lives, and possibly many people’s futures. It’s truly heartbreaking.  It continues to be heartbreaking and everyone is still in shock from this horrendous trauma, those in the thick of it and those of us watching it all unfold.

One friend affected is Leslie Carothers in League City, just outside of Houston. She has decided to carry on with her opening of her Pop Up shop this Friday at Upper Bay Frame and Gallery to “help everyone rebalance and come together to be uplifted by beauty and art and a sense of calm and organization.” So please see all about it on her Design Happy Living Instagram.

Leslie and her sense of optimism within tragedy, has been my inspiration for this post. She shared on her Facebook what I think is an important message:

“Today, some of my friends are still homeless, some are homeless AND without power, some are cleaning up & cleaning out, some are okay and helping others in whatever ways they can, some are trying to figure out where next month’s mortgage or rent money is going to come from, since they can’t get to work due to flooded out cars and no rental cars available, and some are trying to figure out where to send their children to school and how to get them there.

My own car is flooded out, but thank God I work online, and that I have family nearby.

This is the new normal here…but I want you all to know:

It does my soul GOOD to hear and see your happy, regular news.

There is not a soul alive in Houston whose eyes do not crave color, calm and beauty right now…and I am sharing this image I took earlier this year… to bring some to you.”

Photography by Leslie Carothers.

So in the spirit of what Leslie has said above, this post is about “happy, regular news”, a simple Friday night date with my husband David.

At the end of this post I will briefly mention a few ways you can donate to help the families and businesses suffering through the wreckage of Harvey, which I’m sure by now you’ve already found countless ways to help.

To take a break from all the horrific images, and be able to be outside when it was not the suffocating 100° of August, my husband and I enjoyed a beautiful evening out. We’re trying happy hour dinners (more on that in future posts) and we finally went to an art exhibition that is running through Oct 7th, Elements – Rock, Steel, Felt, Wax, at the Davis Gallery.

Elements: Rock, Steel, Felt, Waxfeaturing Giota Vorgia, Randall Reid, Barbara Attwell and Annie Darling
AUGUST 26 – OCTOBER 7, 2017

My friend, fellow artist and Mainer, Annie Darling, was exhibiting her Encaustic paintings in her 1st gallery group show in Austin. I first met Annie in May of this year when she had exhibited her work at my studio during the West Austin Studio Tour (WEST)

With tragedy comes beauty. Sometimes you have to look really hard for it, especially in difficult times like this. But Harvey will never break the spirit of Texas, nor the every day beauty of a sunrise or sunset in our world.  In fact, professional counselor’s advice right now is to try to establish a new routine, even if you’re in a shelter…do things you love to do so you can begin to normalize you’re life.

Please enjoy a little Friday night art for you at the David Gallery in Austin.

Encaustics artist Annie Darling speaking with guest and the owner of the gallery, Bill Davis, in front of her paintings.

Colorful paintings of stones by Giota Vorgia.

Annie Darling Encaustic paintings at Davis Gallery, Austin, TX.

Artist Annie Darling with friends, painter Denise Jaunsem and

It helped so much to be out in the community on a beautiful evening, seeing friends, and enjoying inspiring art.

In fact, I hadn’t realized the deprivation I was feeling first from the oppressing August heat and then from all the rain, until I was actually in the gallery.

And it was packed!  So many people came out to see these 4 talented artists.

Guests enjoying the company of friends and art at David Gallery.

A tad blurry, but me with friends artist Virginia Fleck and Carol Robinson.

Below is one piece of art that really spoke to me, The Whale Rider by felt artist Barbara Attwell.

Whale Rider – The whale is carrying the sleeping girl across the seas on a 7-day journey to a new island to start civilization over again – a civilization where wildlife is held in high regard. 

The Whale Rider by Barbara Attwell.

I wasn’t really thinking about the movie of that name, but of all the canoes rescuing families from the floods.  As I stared at it seeing how it protected this little girl inside of the felt whale, I couldn’t help but think of the beauty and giving spirit in the heroic rescues that took place all over south Texas in a simple canoe.

And in a way, because of nature’s wrath, Harvey creates a new journey (civilization) for thousands upon thousands of families in Texas. I kind of made a wish that all those affected by Harvey would feel the peace and protection that this little girl has inside the whale.

The sleeping girl inside the Whale Rider.

Below is the talented felt artist, Barbara Attwell, with some of her felt hoods. David and I had a meaningful conversation about nature and wildlife and how in many ways we’ve lost that connection.

I know for me, at any time in my life, if I need clarity I walk in nature.  Nature is my salve. I pray that all those affected by Hurricane Harvey will someday again appreciate nature and find art in the beauty of it amidst all the tragedy.

Nature has forced Texans to reach out and help their neighbors and come together as one.  If there’s anything good that can be taken from Harvey, it is that, the spirit of “community” and of “humanity”, all of us being one, connected to each other and the earth.

Artist Barbara Attwell in front of 3 of her felt hood art pieces, Davis Gallery, Austin.

This is the final slice of beauty I captured leaving the gallery, a front lawn covered with wild onion flowers. Little tiny white flowers against the moonlit sky. I hope this gives you as much peace, calmness and joy as it does me.  Please see below opportunities to donate and a benefit taking place in Austin to help support all the families, towns and cities affected by Harvey. I offer continued prayers for all those lives affected by Harvey. Bless you! XO PG

Thank you to individuals, small businesses, and larger corporations for all your loving care, prayers, and donations for disaster relief aid for my fellow Texans in need.  The need will still be here months from now, so plan on donating what you can then too. And please think before you donate and read the article about “The Wrong Donations – Some Tough Words on Disaster Relief.”.

Below are 10 organizations to donate money and/or help. There are hundreds more, and many benefits (See below for Fashion X one coming up this Friday) going on locally and statewide. The first four I’m listing to support my friend Leslie and those in the design industry affected. The rest are statewide and ways to help in Austin. Thank you!

And let’s not forget about Fulton/Rockport area!!!

Rockport ISD has closed indefinitely! Rockport is being forgotten. The media is keying in on Houston. Rockport was demolished. They have no water, no electricity, no groceries. There is so much help trying to get into Houston, that groups are being turned away. If you or your group is wanting to help, please consider Rockport. Other areas are being forgotten as well. Spread the love and help! #dontforgetaboutRockport

1. Lorenzo Marquez #HarveyFund

2. The Bayou Animal Services shelter

3. The League City Pets Alive shelter.

One incredibly happy pet owner reunited with her two pets.

4. The Houston Furniture Bank 

5. Greater Houston Community Foundation

6. Habitat for Humanity

7. United Way for Greater Houston

8. Austin Disaster Relief Network

9. Central Texas Food Bank

10. Michael and Susan Dell Foundation

Facebook: Add a Donate Button. You can add a donate button to your post to raise money for a nonprofit on Facebook.