Who are you? A lesson from St. Patrick. Photography by Kelly Schwark

I love St. Patrick's Day.

I bet you see me as a redhead and you're not one bit surprised to discover that little fact. Yes, I do love corned beef, cabbage and soda bread, and yes, green just so happens to be my favorite color. If you are familiar with my family at all, then you're well aware of the huge family party that my cousins throw every year. All of those reasons are fantastic reasons in itself to love this holiday- but I love it because of the message that St. Patrick shared.

In a simple three leaf clover, he taught the idea of the Blessed Trinity; God the Father, God the Son & God the Holy Spirit. When I was teaching religion, it was one of my favorite lessons to share. God comes to us in these three different forms- why? To me, it makes perfect sense. If you pause for a moment to think of who you are, you realize that you are more than just one title. It's a balancing act sometime, feeling like those parts are pulling you in different directions- but God made each of us capable of being all of those roles at the same time. We often confuse things by adding our own titles that we think we should be- but God doesn't make mistakes in designing us. When you let go of those things that are weighing you down, when you stop pretending to be something that you are not, when you respect all aspects of yourself as a person the way that God made, you are allowing yourself to be the person that you are destined to become. When you realize that these parts of you are ALL important- then the struggle fades.

Take time this St. Patrick's Day, to think of the different aspects of yourself and the complete design that God created you to be.

True strength comes from learning to share the heavy end.

We all need a simple reminder that true strength is never really obtained by bearing the weight of difficulties alone. Let God carry the heavy end, and you'll soon realize that you are capable of so much more than you ever even dreamed. Sometimes the lifting of your burden comes from answered prayers; sometimes it comes from a friend reaching out to you. Or sometimes a simple act of kindness from a stranger is all you need to lift your spirits. What can you do today to help to carry the heavy load for someone else today?

This thought came to me today, and I wanted to share it with you my readers. I've made the design available for purchase as a magnet or mug.

Observations of more than art at the Met.

I can get completely lost just watching people; taking note of their interactions with one another, reading their expressions and reactions from a distance. Life in so many ways is art in constant movement. As an artist, the joy of going to places like the Metropolitan Museum of Art actually consists of two equal parts for me. One part is the obvious, to stand in front of pieces that feel as familiar as old friends, studying detail of the brushstrokes and imagining the process of which the piece was created. But the second part of it, is actually watching the visitors viewing the works. The excitement, the emotion, the surprise- all of it.

In my most recent visit, this scene of four women really struck me, and made me stop to think about how we view other people. Do we observe, do we study, are we inspired or moved, or do we just judge? What their pen put to paper were just notes- but none of us will ever know what it felt like for the creator to take something that was nothing- cold, hard stone, or blank white canvas- and create. Life is like a piece of collaborative artwork in production, and we all have our parts to do. It is not helpful to judge others because you just don't know at what point in their process they are. If you stop long enough to observe and study instead of judge, then you may just learn something. You may be inspired, you may see something that you can offer to them to assist them in their process; or maybe you just feel joy and happiness to be in their presence. Let go of the judging, and be open to what you can learn from each and every person you come across.

Believe in your prayers.

Some of you may already know that I am deeply rooted in my faith. For years, I had taught religious education to children from second grade through eighth, from the east coast to Hawaii- but during this time of personal transition, I have had more conversations about my faith with family, friends and peers alike. It may just be time to take the lessons that my heart knows so well, and reach out to my readers to share those messages. 

The first lesson: Believe in what you pray for.

Do you have complete faith that God will answer your prayers when you open your heart to pray? I do. The key is not to ask for specific things, but for what it is that those THINGS will bring to you and your loved ones. Pray for peace of mind, pray for healing, pray for strength, pray for guidance- and soon you'll start to see that prayers really are answered, and that God does provide you and your loved ones with exactly what you need, when you need it. They may not always look like blessings, but the ones that are disguised as something ugly, are usually the ones that bring the sweetest rewards in the long run. Have faith that His plan is always better than even our biggest dream. 

I Heart Faces- Beautiful Black and White. Photography Westchester NY

This week's challenge over at I Heart Faces is all about beautiful Black and White photos!

The artist in me has always battled between wanting to pick up oil pastels and create work in richly layered hues, at the same time as wanting to sketch on textured paper with a beautifully soft 6B pencil & kneaded eraser. So, I'd like to thank I Heart Faces for at least narrowing down my submission this week to something black and white!

What's the big appeal to working on a piece, whether a drawing or photograph, that is in black and white for me? I love how equally important the highlights and darkness are. It reminds me of life- we need both to create a beautiful piece of work that we call our life. God gave us the canvas, but it is up to use to choose how we use those moments of darkness & lightness.

For more beautiful black & white submissions, click here.

Choosing Favorites... Photography Westchester Hudson Valley NY

Deciding to enter some of my photography in a local show is a fairly big step outside of my comfort zone, but I'm ready! The only problem? I'm having a difficult time deciding which pieces to enter. This is where you, my faithful readers and fans can assist! To help me decide which are the most powerful images, leave a comment on your favorites images in my gallery. (Direct link here.) I'll tally up and weigh the comments in about a week, and I'll let you know the results! *All photographs are also available for purchase. If there is an image that I have posted previously that is one of your favorites, and you do not see in the gallery- make sure to let me know!

Let the voting begin! Thanks for your help!

Warm tones in nature & architecture at the Bronx Zoo- Photography Westchester NY

It was near 60 degrees outside,
school was closed and
I haven't had a great deal of time to take my new camera out for a spin.

The result?

Surprise: I went to the Bronx Zoo yesterday!

Was this really the same place that just last year had mounds of snow for us to navigate through?

(photos from an old post here.)

Was the trip enough to appease my craving? Not even close! But it was a beautiful day to spend with a great friend and my enthusiastic daughter who knows the zoo as well as Grandma's house.

The old Elephant House, Feb. 2012

Simple Wedding Band, Complex Meaning- Photography Westchester NY

A gorgeous elegant event, dripping with fragrant flowers, shimmering lights, cocktails, and high heels on the dance floor moving to the sound of romance. But a wedding is so much more than that. Marriage vows are centered around love in it's full meaning; as both a noun and a VERB.

Below is a verse that was read at my wedding more than 10 years ago. So many people choose the passage because it sounds sweet, simple and romantic; but it is not at all simple. In fact, we all should try and live a life with more love in our relationships; whether it is with our significant others, children, parents, friends and even strangers.

‎"Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 
Love never fails. 
1 Corinthians 13:4"

If you have ever been in a committed romantic relationship, upon reading it you may be thinking that the love that is described above is impossible. If you are a parent, you know that it isn't impossible at all. And if you have a close relationship with God, you not only know it IS possible- but you have also experienced what it is like to be truly loved.

All we are asked to do in this life, is to live a life of love; to love one another. It sounds simple enough, but when you read that passage, and you examine the words you speak in any given day, the actions you take, and the goals you set for yourself, is love the message that is being shared? We all falter at times, but because God IS perfect love, He doesn't keep a record of our wrongs, He rejoices in truth, and He always hopes that we return to Him with love. He picks up the pieces in our darkest moments, helps us put it all back together even stronger and more beautiful than ever before. Any artist will tell you that a successful piece of artwork needs BOTH lights and darks to create movement and impact, so why would we expect anything different in the span of a life. Your life, in both moments of light and darkness, is beautiful and created with love.

Our precious Calico Cat. Westchester Hudson Valley Photographer Kelly Schwark

This is our lucky cat. When we adopted her, her name was actually Lucky, but found a more suitable name for the new member of our family. When my husband and I had finally decided that it was time to add a pet to our home, we made an appointment to visit a local "Adoption Day" event. Thank God for those crazy cat ladies, because if it wasn't for her caring for the strays and cast aways, we never would have been blessed with countless hours of purring, playing fetch (yes- our beloved calico knows how to play fetch) and cozy cat naps. Six years later, we couldn't imagine our home without her. Apparently, she couldn't imagine her life anywhere but with us too because she turns the other way when the door opens.

Aren't we the lucky ones that she had found her way into our hearts all of those years ago.

Wishes for a peaceful weekend for you. Westchester Portrait & Pet Photography

My wish for you, as well as myself, this weekend, is that cat-nap-on-the-couch kind of peace.

Enjoy!