Take Control of Your Health Care

Speaking out on taking control of your health care by asking for all of the raw data and information in your charts. Watch this and recognize if you are/ have been or know of someone who has been at the mercy of our health care system then this 3 minute video will inform and help with websites and places to get support from other patients.

Dave deBronkart: Meet e-Patient Dave | Video on TED.com

In January of 2011 my mom was diagnosed with an aggressive uterine cancer and underwent surgery and aggressive post cancer treatment involving chemo and radiation. The treatments were awful - very debilitating. Mom already had advanced Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and had misdiagnosed medications a few years ago which damaged her liver and kidney. Her body/immune system was already so weak. The side affects - weakness, neurosis of the feet and hands - will remain indefinitely.

The lengthy, extreme post treatments did not guarantee total cure.

If mom had refused some or all of the treatment they said "it could come back". If she did all of the treatments they could not guarantee total cure - "it could come back." Health Care here is a business first. Doing all of the treatment means more insurance dollars. I did not hear of any suggestions or action for alternative treatments/medications.

As of today my mom can shuffle walk, has precarious balance, two wigs, a cane, and can only take Tylenol for her RA. She is 72.

I wish my parents had seen this video. Would it have changed their patient behavior? Maybe. They are old fashioned and believe the doctor is Always right, even though it has been pointed out that the family doctor they have had for decades has made some seriously poor decisions/calls. Change is not easy. Gets harder as we age, especially when health is compromised and fatigue is a constant companion. No energy left to protest or research.

But for those of us who are born fighters/Warriors/Rebels, we do not go quietly into the night. We have energy reserves of stubborn defiance. We are always asking Why and listen to our intuition and then ask MORE QUESTIONS. Behavior which governments and institutions such as our health care system find vastly annoying. They try to ignore us, give excuses, then tell us to Go Away. I am so glad there are individuals out there - Rebels - who will speak out and question traditional medicine and demand better answers and care. Patients taking control of their own lives/health.

Sweet Lucy is a border collie. Done for a border collie rescue in acrylic on canvas panel.

Because Border Collies and most of the herding group of dogs are highly intelligent, high energy dogs they need owners who understand and work with their special needs.

These working dogs need J-O-B-S. Due to their high intelligence, they will become bored with the mundane and are not the couch potato types!

Before getting this breed people need to really look into what their energy level is. I Highly recommend a book called The Perfect Match by Walkowicz. Great help in choosing the right companion.

Spinach, Strawberry & Goat Cheese Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette |

Spinach, Strawberry & Goat Cheese Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette |

Here is a link to a wonderful, fresh salad. I chose slivered almonds instead of whole ones to toast. It was Soooo good!

Yes, I love to try new recipes and pairings with wine/beer.

Enjoy!

Clyde

Clyde is such a cutie I could not resist! 5" x 7" acrylic on canvas panel. Unframed.

Want your companion's portrait done? Commissions welcome.

Smoochie Poodle

Smoochie is such a sweetie and lives up to his name. Like many poodles he is full of bouncy energy and always happy to see people.

My love of animals and especially dogs has been with me since I can remember. Dogs have always been a part of my life and my current companion australian shepherd Risa is the love of my life. In fact I am focusing on aussies as subjects for many pieces. My commission work, like Smoochie is an extension of my passion for dogs.

This acrylic is 8 x 10" and part of my series of dog portraits.

Golden Retriever puppy learns to bowl

Ronan came into Colleen’s life while she was recovering from hip surgery. She had recently lost her older dog, Haley, the previous year, and with this available time at home, she decided to bring a new Golden into the family. In her spare time, she was able to train Ronan how to perfect his tricks and she even acquired new employment at a local dog training facility due to her extensive work with Ronan. “I sent the video of Ronan to the gentleman who will now be my new employer, so in essence, Ronan got me the job!” said Colleen.

Mosaic adventure with Laurel Skye

Be inspired by the music in this video and the art of Laurel Skye - amazing mosaic artist. I want to see that house in person!!

10 self promotion tips that aren’t sleazy

With all of the talent out there it takes imagination and a bit of thinking, planning to promote wisely. This post by Passive Panda makes some good points that are worth reading - even if it's stuff we have already read before.

We all want our creative voices to be heard in a way that draws instead of repels!

So read on and let me know what you think!

10 self promotion tips that aren’t sleazy

Jewels of Nature

A couple of little gems for an upcoming show on hummingbirds at Tohono Chul Park. They are fine art contemporary wildlife paintings - my favorite!

At 2 3/4" x 6 3/4" for the green and 4" x6" for the violet, they will need custom matts.

With all of the fires raging in Arizona I just know the wildlife as well as people are struggling. My heart goes out to them! Sending vibes of love, hope and courage their way!

Carabobo Fire

This is in memory of Carabobo, the sweetest kitty. She had dignity, poise and grace - a classy cat.

A sunset background with bits of green to suggest the green of her amazing eyes.

On another note - Arizona is on fire. The smoke from fires in the area have caused so much damage. My heart aches for the people and animals caught in it. Today I just heard Mrs. Green's cabin in Greer AZ was burned to the ground.

I stopped by to introduce myself again to Mrs. Green, the radio celebrity environmentalist. The buzz of activity I encountered when I arrived at Renee's Organic Oven was totally unexpected. Apparently it was a soft grand reopening of the restaurant that specializes in an organic and gluten free menu. Everyone was rushing around and I wondered for the 'inth' time how i lived in an alternate universe - unaware of the goings on. Though my work has hung in the cozy eatery, I tend to happen upon events - an unintended party crasher - again. Where is that inside loop, the 'in crowd' so I can join too?

There was an open house sampling inside the new and improved interior, another sampling outside via Yelp, and a radio show all at the same time. Kudos to Renee for pulling off the hyper busy events.

Mrs. Green graciously included me in her radio show and I got a few minutes to explain what I do and say my name and website. She's a gem and very simpatico, sincere.

Lastly, for all of those out there who have asthma, doesn't the smoke from the fires makes breathing feel like your lungs are two sizes too small?

Risa - Belly Rubs, please?

Risa asking for even More belly rubs! She is so easy to spoil. This is a rich red, which I loved working on. Now for the next one, another aussie since I am in an aussie painting mode. I love the breed and am really working to get more exposure in this genre of dog painting/portraits. I love dogs, but aussies are my passion - intelligent, intuitive, quick to learn & respond, a pleasure to train.

Stay tuned for more paintings and a very cool mosaic project. Hint, it has to do with a wonderful wildlife organization ...

Yo-Yo Ma - Bach Cello Suite N°.1 - Prelude (HD)

Sent in a post for my birthday from a mosaic artist!

Just a Dog?

"We Are Tucson Wildlife Center" - start of our monthly film series

I will be doing the sign for their gate. I LOVE this organization for what they do. As wild areas are shirnking and urban encroaches, wildlife incidents become frequent and this is an organization that is helping the injured and rehabilitating them so they can be released back into their wild homes. Completely donor funded. I am so glad to do what I can for them.

Risa - A Pearl of a Girl

Here is my K9 aussie companion Risa at her smiling best. The pink and pearls are so Her and the piece is getting a lot of positive comments. It was easy to do once I started to translate my feelings about her into glass.

When you love what you paint/mosaic it shows in the work. This piece shines with Risa's vitality, happiness and enthusiasm for life.

Animals enrich our lives in so many ways as studies have proven. How fortunate we are to have them as part of our lives and family.

I put this piece as the new home page image on my site www.suebetanzos.com

Now, to grout or not... ?

Saad R Mikhaiel 09 The Micro Mosaic Master - VOA

It's great when an artist can share the beautiful pieces he makes with the public. So much wonderful art sits in a collectors private collection never to be seen by the rest of the world.

Risa Star Gazer

"The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Whoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead, and his eyes are dimmed" -Albert Einstein-

Risa and I (not pictured) wondering at the cosmos;

"Why are we here, what else is out there?"

"How beautiful."

The Power of Words

Forever Home

Kitty Kat is a rescue that was abandoned when the owners moved. They took the dogs but left him behind. He waited a month under the shrubs at the house and a neighbor fed him and told me about him. I took him home (he was NOT happy the first week) That was 12 years ago, almost a year before I got Risa. Today he is the most loving sweetie. This is his forever home where he is treated with respect and love.

a week in the life of a glass artisan

Check this out! I want to do one too!

My Risa.

Acrylic textured painting.

Duke the Therapy Dog

Animals enrich our lives and dogs are such wonderful friends!

Sweet Risa Mosaics

I am reposting this favorite series because I am starting a couple of new pieces. I immersed myself in mosaic sites to get jazzed about doing a new more 3-D piece involving paper clay or foam. I also am starting a couple of portraits of my Best Girl Risa. She is having a few health issues that come with being 11. It's so hard to watch our companions age. So I am doing what I have been Meaning to do for years - her portraits. I have designed them several times already - well now I'm doing them.

Manifesto

Why don't we each write our own manifesto? According to Wikipedia, a manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions. It's as simple as a list of goals and guidelines to help you focus on your life's big picture destination.

Last week I attended a writing workshop at the Tucson Festival of Books and one of the speakers told us the importance of always having a destination in mind in everything we do. Every day we are moving forward, but where are we going, what are we looking forward to? It made so much sense to me. Life shouldn't be about getting through each day, it should be about living with adventure, capturing moments and memories as we make our way to the finish line, whatever that may be. A manifesto is a sort of a reminder to stay on your very own yellow brick road.

If you were to write your own manifesto, what statements would you include? (Psstt...if you aren't into all the work, then just buy the poster!)

**this is from the Diary of a Crafty Chica daily newsletter I get - Glass jars.

Backyard Friends!

Posting the front cover of a children's coloring book I did few yeas ago thru a grant with the Tucson Botanical Garden because I just signed and gave a copy to a very dear little friend who wants to write books someday.

It's a story about how to attract wildlife into the garden.

The book is bilingual with story by Rita Magdaleno, illustrations by me and my parents did the spanish translations, isn't that cool?!

x

Birds of a Feather Mosaic Together

Peel

Is this cool or What! This is a favorite artist who always inspires me.

TEDxPugetSound - Simon Sinek - 9/17/09

One More Thought For Today

A while back I said I would post a quote every day because I love literature and to keep me in the habit of posting! Well as you can see - I will try it again. So here is a quote I really liked:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Used by Nelson Mandela in his 1994 inaugural speech

Thinking Abstract

Here are some new pieces from my abstract Nebula series. They are fun to do and I am lucky enough to have a friend who makes the frames.

I'm doing them in color groups; jewel tones, desert colors etc. These babies are some of the jewel tones.

They range in size about 5 3/4" x 9 3/4" and come signed on the back and ready to hang.

Nature Vision Mosaics

I am reposting this in a larger format and because it is part of my abstract nature series and these were voted favorites by my fellow artists this weekend. The abstracts are a direction my work is going in lately and I am designing the tempered glass tiles with bits stained glass.

Desert Impressions

New desert color samples for my contemporary tempered glass mosaic pieces. Impressions of mexican sage, southwestern sunsets, golden browns with greens. Some have natural stones and minerals added.

Applications for the samples: back splashes, cabinet door insets, and anywhere your imagination can dream of. I like to incorporate the technique with traditional mosaic in abstract and contemporary interpretations of the natural world. Autumn Shimmer and Heart Song are good examples of this.

Pictures coming soon!

Hawk Dreams Sold

Well I just have to say it. When a favorite piece sells I wonder if I should have sold it and then tell myself to stop being so ridiculous. After all, that is my business and I should not get so attached to my work. I think as artists, we all have certain pieces that we fall in love with and hang onto for a while.

This piece held a special place in my heart and I was glad it found a good home. It's one of those pieces where everything felt so right and it was a pleasure to gaze on it every day.

Reverse glass painting mosaic with stones & mirror.

Red Tailed Hawk 10"x 27"

A little more Amore

Here are more of the little love note tiles. The nebulas which are actually experiments in different application for the contemporary tempered glass series are almost finished.

Love Notes

Here is the first finished mini piece for the February show Love Notes. Only 11 more hearts and 4 nebulas to go. I am displaying my work at a favorite restaurant Eclectic Pizza that features organic ingredients and fabulous food. I like the venue not only for it's cozy intimate atmosphere and great food, but also for the enthusiasm of the owners. I think above all, live what you love.

Just sent out my first press releases - woo hoo!! Have sold two pieces and received some very nice emails. Possible commissions for sure.