Mary Jo Leisure

Diary of a Painter

Painting is an expression of ones feelings. It can take you to another place at another time. Art comes from your heart, mind and soul. I hope you will enjoy reading My Diary of a Painter. I write periodically so I hope you will visit often. My desire is for you to feel and experience the inspiration that is all around you.

Please notice the dates as you read my renderings. You may notice that some of the dates may be from another time or year and I wanted to use them regardless of the date because I thought they each had something to say about our emotions and feelings, what we see and how we react, particularly as creative people. These segments will be kept in My Diary Archives in case you would like to return to them for reference when I move on to new thoughts.

With My Brush in My Hand/ Decorative Floral

A new Decorative Painting
to go with a landscape.
Both, my joy and my love.

Mary Jo Leisure, February 4, 2012

With My Brush in My Hand

Excitement comes when I pick up the brush
and fill my palette with paint.
Sometimes I don't even know
what I am going to do.
I run my hands over the surface and
the movement seems to get
me involved and inspired.
Horizonal, vertical, dimensional,
I love it all,
but the surface makes the difference.
My feelings dictate the colors.
Only the past couple of years
have I found myself going
from florals to landscapes and back to florals
and loving both.
Decorative painting has filled my life
for 50 years.
Landscapes have given me a new challenge.
I never dreamed I could reach out in this direction.
Decorative Painting however
will always be my joy and my love.
They are totally two different processes,
even though they both help each other.
Today I feel blessed to enjoy both,
landscapes and decorative painting.
I am reaching for my brushes
as long as I am able.

Mary Jo Leisure, February 4, 2012

Fall is Trying to Hang On

The colors are constantly changing,
trying to hold their brightness.
It has been a beautiful season in Eastern Kansas.
Many areas now are showing shades of Brown,
from brown sugar to
cool brown grays.
Even that is beautiful.
Warm and cool temperatures.
Darks and lights.
Values and intensities.
They bring it all together with a beautiful balance.
I am holding on too,
because the colors will continue to fade,
and the textures will become brittle.
Driving to the city this morning
I saw the landscape is changing.
You can now see through the thick woods
to the fields beyond.
Last week you could not see the fields.
The leaves are falling fast and
some hedge apples will not let go.
The bright yellow green leaves on the bittersweet is gone.
The tall grass on the fence line
is dry, light tan, and brittle.
Then there are surprises just around the corner.
Vibrant color.
I will keep kanging on,
till the last hedge apple has fallen.

Mary Jo Leisure, November 5, 2011

My Heart is Full

The moon is full.
Tonight it is peekig
through the clouds and the trees. It is beautiful,
a little chilly but that is good
stimulating.
My heart is so full of creative excitement.
I seem to want to capture everything
with my brush ,
and there isn't enough time
"Moment of the Rose",
my new book,
published in Japan and written in both
Japanese and English,
soon to be on my website.
Roses again ready to share.
My heart is so full of the joy
of painting,
of teaching,
of designing,
of sharing.
I see the line of designing in everything..
the way Bruin lays,
the rocks in my garden,
the clouds rolling by,
the beautiful cedar tree across the street,
the Wisteria vine climbing on my arbor.
And then, there are the
sunsets and the sunrises,
the sunflowers blowing in the breeze.
I don't have to look very far.
My heart is so full.
Thank you God for such joy.

Mary Jo Leisure, October 12, 2011

Mr. White Rooster

Beautiful, cocky, proud
and the list could go on.
He stands in the little dirty puddle
where the water drips from the air conditioner,
to cool his feet,
and sometmes to get a drink.
It is 105 degrees.
He crows first thing in the morning...
4am,
and all day long.
There is no doubt where he belongs.
Sometime he strutts by
like he is leading the parade
I call him
Mr. White Rooster
He is certainly not afraid.
He doesn't know it
but my brush will
capture him in all his glory
when I get home.
Mr. White Rooster

Mary Jo Leisure, August 7, 2011 (Texas)

Reaching High

It's like the pines are reaching to the heavens.
Tall and straight
swaying in the breeze
singing very softly.
Then, without a warning
the creshendo is loud and strong.
The wonderful breeze touches you all over.
Like the hand of God
reminding you of
His power,
His strength,
His greatness.
There is something lonely
about that sound.
It is beautiful and peaceful
and time stands still.
There is a message
if you hear it.
Thank you God
for filling my heart with
the love of your creation,
the beauty of your colors,
the shapes, the moement,
the touch of the breeze,
the power of the moment.

Mary Jo Leisure, August 7, 2011 (Texas)

Listen

The wind is blowing
through the tall pines.
Birds are singing,
an airplane is crossing the sky.
The rooster is crowing
as he proudly prances up and down.
The wind chime is playing a melody.
The breeze supplies the movement.
The wind comes and goes as it directs the symphony.
A pinecone drops to the ground.
The breeze feels so good on my face.
It is climbing to over 100 degrees today.
Texas is very hot and dry.
Every sound is crying out for rain.
The animals are all looking fo a spot to keep cool.
The creek bed is dry.
It is surrounded by beautiful pines.
There is a bench setting on the bank
and the walking bridge
invites you to the other side
where the trails lead in all directions.
How beautiful...how inspiring.
My mind is going wild.
Even in this severe drout it is beautiful in its sadness.
I have no lack of photos
to help me decide what I will capture with my brush
when I get back to Kansas.
I'm dreaming,
listening to the sounds among the pines.
Close your eyes...
listen...
listen closely.

Mary Jo Leiure, August 5, 2011 (Texas)

It's Hot, Really Hot

It is extremely hot
It was yesterday, today, and will be tomorrow.
I am very thankful
for a very warm breeze this morning.
It helped as I was giving my flowers a drink.
My flowers are having a hard time standing up.
They are fading fast
in color and strength.
They love the water
and it takes so much.
When I am watering,
my yard is full of birds.
They follow me like the Pied Piper,
flying, playing and flapping their wings in the water spray.
The squirels play hide and seek in the trees
shaking their fuzzy grey tails.
Water sustains life to all living things.
Back in the cool of my house
my paints are out,
ready to paint a garden of flowers
and bring them to life.
Thank you God
for the birds and the squirels,
the flowers in my garden,
and the flowers under my paint brush.

Mary Jo Leisure, August 2, 2011

Passing By

All summer long I can find
color along the road way.
A yellow carpet of wild flowers line the highway..
thick bright and beautiful.
It doesn't matter what they are,
they fill my heart.
The trumpet vines fill the trees
and the fense posts
with their beautiful bright orange trumpet flowers.
The Crown Vetch cover the rocks
and drip a soft lavender
along the roadway.
The blue cornflowers are thick this year,
framed by thousands of Queen Ann's Lace.
Little pink butter cups hover together
in the ditches.
Wild purple flocks stand tall
to show their beauty.
Ther are many shades of green
and rocks of all shapes, sizes and colors
How beautiful
and we just pass them by.

Mary Jo Leisure, July 14, 2011

Days of Summer

Beautiful mornings on the deck
with a soft breeze and a cup of coffee,
planning my day.
Hot hot hot afternoons.
Painting inside and looking out.
Evenings, watering and more watering,
watching the birds and squirels
play in the water.
They ran from the camera, teasing me.
My garden was full of excitement
as they splashed across the water.
They played and they sang.
They seemed to be waiting for me,
and they inspired me.
Some days I just want to be lazy,
read a book, design a painting, write a note.
Where is my pencil....I need to sketch.
That fills my heart.
Evenings bring a warm breeze
and a beautiful full moon.
I enjoy setting on my porch swing
reviewing my day
looking at the full moon,
thinking of my children,
grandchildren and great grandchildren...
"how beautiful".
Thank you God for day's of summer.

Thank you God for days of Summer.

Mary Jo Leisure, July 12, 2011

A Drive in the Country

A beautiful day.
Just east of Pleasanton, in rural Linn County,
the sun is shinning.
There is blue sky above
saying ...open your eyes,
it's time for a drive in the country.
A time to think and pray
in the middle of God's beautiful landscape.
I give thanks to God for the
joy of seeing
colors,
shapes, movements
all wrapped up together.
Spring awakens the countryside.
It feels good to drive by
and bask in all the beauty.
The redbuds, the creeks, the green hillsides
the cows by the ponds,
the flowers blooming in the little cemeteries,
the barns that have been standing many years,
the houses of yesterday
the windmills, and the plowed fields.
Don't miss the wonderful things around you.
Be filled today.
Be inspired.

Mary Jo Leisure, April 13,, 2011

That's A Good Thing

It's raining,
but that is a good thing.
A little bit of warm weather
and some rain
and things change outside.
The grass will be turning green,
the trees and bushes
will pop out
with beautiful green leaves and blossoms,
almost overnight.
I set here by the window
watching it rain,
dreaming about tomorrow.
The flowers, flats to be planted,
beautiful colors,
birds singing and a warm breeze.
I have been a dreamer
my whole life,
seeing with my minds eye,
planning and designing,
what I will paint tomorrow.
The sun is coming out.
A train is passing through.
The sounds, the smells, the sights.
Spring is coming
and
That's A Good Thing.

Mary Jo Leisure, April 7, 2011

Daffodils Today

I am so excited...
I have been waiting and waiting
My first blooms of spring.
Yellow Daffodils/
Yesterday nothing...Today 2 dozen...Tomorrow a painting.
It is even warm today.
I feel inspired and empowered in awe of God's beauty.
I hope you enjoy your day today.

Mary Jo Leisure, March 21, 2011

Minus 2 Degrees, My Canvas Is Ready

It is minus 2 degrees, the sky is blue
and we are under a deep white blanket.
Beautiful cold day.
I would like to go out and take pictures
but not sure I can walk or even stand up.
Maybe later today.
My canvas is ready.
The paint is on my palette.
I have printed pictures I took
a couple of days ago of the strip pit on Tiger Road.
I sat on the road in awe of it's beauty.
I want to share it with you.
Painting landscapes, skyscapes, and snowscapes
has been a new adventure this year.
I have loved it.
Thank you Dave for encouraging me
and seeing that I got to a Windberg Seminar.
Decorative Painting is still my love.
The lines, the shapes, the softness
is so beautiful.
But oh me, I am loving this too.
So much to learn, so much to see.
There is still
beautiful lines, beautiful shapes,
beautiful textures and softness.
Painting whatever it is, is what you see, and what you feel.
Look closely, feel deeply, touch lovingly.
I have always told my students...
"If you can see it you can paint it.
Enjoy the day.

Mary Jo Leisure, Feb. 10, 2011

It's Cold, It's Beautiful, It's White

This past week we have had a blizzard,
the blizzard of 2011,
with 15 inches of snow.
Beautiful and cold.
A couple of days later
2 more inches of snow.
Beautiful and cold.
Last night 9 more inches of snow.
Untouched beauty
I am so inspired by the beauty around me.
My mind is overflowing.
Peaceful, quiet, awesome
God is smiling.
The cedar is draped with clinging thick snow.
Beautiful white pillows set on the lawn chairs.
Everything is white.
Every direction you look is a new picture.
One day I am painting roses
White roses.
The next day I am painting a snow scene.
There will never be enough time,
to see, to feel and to capture with my paint brush.
I stand in awe.
It's cold, it's beautiful, it's white.

Mary Jo Leisure, Wednesday Feb. 8, 2011

Two Degrees and White

It is a beautiful day .
It is a very cold day.
Today everything outside is covered with a beautiful White carpet.
White is beautiful.
I love painting White on White.
The challenge...the excitememt,
White flowers on a White background.
Maybe today a beautiful White snow landscape
with White roses and violets on the side.
My bedroom is White...shades of white,
great for reading, lingering and creating..
I am going to cozy down
with pencil and paper,
start the doodling,
creating lines and lines of movement.
The excitement will flow from my mind's eye to my pencil.
My mind is remembering
all the beautiful shades of White.
The many soft discrete colors and shadows involved
to make White more beautiful.
It is time to dream, stretch and grow.

Mary Jo Leisure, January 12, 2010

Continue Your Journey

I woke up this morning
to a beautiful sunny morning,
and the sound of bird's singing.
You would think spring was
just around the corner,
only it is January 5, 2010.
My memory reminds me
how exciting it can be waiting for spring;
birds, sunshine and then color.
The memory of color explodes in my mind,
beautiful mauves, solft pinks, accents of deep violets
and a splash of orange,
and of course all shades of green.
Colors become more beautiful
when they share their many values and temperatures
with each other.
I love the feeling of capturing the moment
in my minds eye,
and with my paint brush.
Look...look at everything,
fill your soul with what you see.
Study the shapes, the colors, the movement.
Remember your journey.
Look for the values and the temperatures,
always reaching for more.
Continue your journey.

Mary Jo Leisure, January 5, 2010

A New Day

Arkansas...Anticipating 21 degrees...Cold
The sun came up.
The trees came alive.
The beautiful blue sky peaks through the trees.
Quiet, peaceful, only the crunch of the leaves under my feet.
Brisk, chilly and beautiful,
A new day.
Oranes and Gold,
Yellows, Greens, Burgundy,
Deep rich Reds,
All shades of Brown
and many shades of Green accents along the way.
A painter's dream,
in awe of the colors of fall.
The light walking through the trees,
captures my soul.
God's precious gifts of beauty,
surrounding me.
The tall trees stretching to the
vibrant blue sky.
Thank you God for this moment
and for my paint brush to help me remember

Mary Jo Leisure, November 5, 2010

Today's Beauty

A rainy Wednesday morning.
My flowers are getting drentched.
I am hoping they will perk up again
after days of rain is over.
The rose I picked yesterday is smiling.
I hope I can capture her beauty with the brush.
Her blushing pink beauty reminds me
of the thousands of roses I've painted through the years,
the joy I have had teaching otherswhat I love so much,
the smiles, the excitement, the frustration
the WOWS.
Forty five years ago Nadine Farquhar
caught my attention with her beautiful roses..
Her brush was all over the palette,
picking up everything under the rainbow.
Today I find myself all over the palette.
I love the softness, the boldness, the gracefulness,
the looseness, the movement.
To touch the painting with gentleness
and with love, is true joy.
I set here and paint with loving memories.

Mary Jo Leisure, May 19, 2010

White Roses with Lots of Color

What does that mean...
White roses with lots of color.
Look closely.
I love it...
color tucked in the cracks,
on the edges, underneath petals,
tight in the bud,
soft tints,accents,
to make me feel good.
I love imagination, discovery, feeling,
and the real thing.
My painting begins with
my feelings, my memories, and my minds eye.
It develops as I go.
The masses taper and the flow moves gracefully.
When there is not enough color, I add more.
When there is not enough dark, I add more.
When there is not enough light , I add more.
No rules, just feelings.
Well, maybe some rules...I use them...I make them...I break them.
Only to create my feelings and make my painting comfortable.
It is important to know what makes things
look the way you want them to.
I always want to know more abnout the painting,
how to get where I want to go,
color, composition, design,
experimenting, testing, executing,
searching, searching, searching.
Look for the color in white.
Look at everything you see.
The answer is in what you see.

Mary Jo Leisure, March 24, 2010

Where Is The Moon?

There is a full moon out there somewhere.
Tonight...
the clouds rolled in and I lost the moon.
As I kept looking
the clouds broke up.
There was the moon, moving in and out
of the broken clouds.
It was beautiful, just beautiful.
The sky holds so much beauty
day and night.
Tonight...
dramatic colors and contrasts
as the full moon lights up the puffy clouds.
Tonight...
my mind tried to capture all that beauty.
Tonight...
I was filled with memories of all the beautiful sky's
from the top of our Cedar Crest Hill.
The pameramic beauty
of a lightening storm,
the colorful sunrises and sunsets,
the rainbow at the end of the storm.
Tonight...
as I watch the full moon
I remember.
My heart is full
and my mind's eye is working overtime.
If only my paint brush could capture it all.

Mary Jo Leisure, February 28, 2010

Winter, White, Cold and Beautiful

It's winter.
It came again, snow that is,
cold and white.
This time it came
cold, white, beautiful, and peaceful.
Gradually the ground was
covered with a white carpet.
More than that,
the trees were full and beautiful.
The roofs were the color of the sky.
Everyting outside was touched with this
beautiful white soft texture.
It snowed about 30 hours.
At one point all most a whiteout.
It leaves you in awe, surrounded by God's beauty.
It makes me want to paint something white.
To paint white on white,
is a challenge and one I like.
There are so many shades of white.
Shadows and reflections
showing off shapes and dimensions.
My dear dear friend, Aileen,
would say,
" We are painting one of those white flowers again
that's not white".
I would smile and add another color
and the bright white highlight
would show off.
What do you see and what do you feel,
when you look at white?
Maybe we need to look more closely
to see the many subtle colors in white.
It's winter,
It's white,
It's cold,
It's beautiful,
and my brushes are ready.

Mary Jo Leisurer, January 30, 2010

Sky No. 2

I became so excited that they (the paintings) came fast.
Nos. 3,4,5,6,
and they continue.

(This is sky No. 2)

Mary Jo Leisure, January 22, 2010

Capturing The Sky

After missing some magnificent skies,
I keep my camera close by.
As the sun is coming up
and
as the sun is going down,
Its' beauty changes rapidly.
There are many pictures during a
sunrise and sunset.
The colors, the shapes of the clouds,
the intensities, the softness,
the shadows, and the reflections.
I seem to always be saying
WOW!
This past year my collection
of photographs of the heavens grew extensively.
I had talked long enough
about painting these beautiful gifts of God.
My paints and brushes were waiting
for this moment.
I love capturing the sky with my paints.
My eyes are drawn to the heavens
to see what God has given us this day.
Every morning is a new sky, a new gift,
a new painting.

(This is sky No. 1)

Mary Jo Leisure, January 22, 2010

The Sun, The Snow and the Shadows

What a beautiful bright day it is.
The sun, the snow and the shadows.
It is so cold it probably won't melt,
not for awhile anyway.
The sky is a beautiful clear blue.
It is so still,
barely a breeze.
Outside is a winter garden.
The shadows are so bold.
When it is so still
the shadows are sharp and clean.
Depending on where the sun is
makes a difference where the shadows are.
They can change pretty fast.
Life is trying to get back to normal
after the blizzard of 2009.
I will keep watching all day,
inside and outside,
storing up what I see in my mind,
saving it for a painting some other day.
Who knows what it will be.
My mind is on overload.
The sun, the snow and the shadows are so beautiful.

Mary Jo Leisure, December 28, 2009

Today, I Remember

Today is a day of remembering,
remembering many things.
First it is the anniversary
of losing my husband of 57 years.
My children's Dad,
my grandchildren and great grandchildren's Papa
His most known and precious name is Papa.
We all know where he is...home in heaven,
free of pain, tears
and joyously singing praises
to our Heavenly Father.
Bittersweet...
sadness and joy bound together.
Sadness is for our void and loneliness.
Joy is his wholeness and happiness.
He was my encourager
and many times my inspiration.
Remembering we are encouraged and inspired
by what is around us.
That is, only if we see it.
I remember...
calling him in 1993 from St. Louis.
I needed him
to come and take me home,
to shield me from the pain and the hurt.
He came...he took me home.
He was my protector.
I remember...
the joys we shared at Cedar Crest,
with students from all over the world.
He loved them, visited with them
and encouraged them,
lovingly telling them
their apples looked like tomatoes,
taking them to feed the fish
and on hayrides,
on picnics in the pecan grove,
popping them popcorn, carrying their bags,
making them comfortable.
I remember...
How very much he loved family,
especially the children,
never complaining about babysetting
or changing diapers.
He loved being with them
going fishing, and golfing with them.
Teaching them
the importance of God and family.
I remember...
He traveled all week
and on week-ends he cut wood for my students,
AND
we all went to church together on Sunday.
I remember...
The months and the years
we traveled often to the doctors and hospital.
We spent much time in the car,
visiting and times setting quietly together.
But we also enjoyed the opportunity for a lunch date
and taking the long way home.
Those times were special.
I remember...
Many Christmases together,
getting up early,
always Harold reading the account of Jesus birth
from the Bible,
playing the new games,
just enjoying the day together
as a family.
The tears and smiles come easy for each of us.
The memories are treasures.
I will paint tomorrow
knowing Harold would be encouraging me.

Thank you dear friends for remembering with me.

Mary Jo Leisure, December 22, 2009

Have I Soaked Up Enough?

Today was a beautiful fall day.
The sky was a clean beautiful blue with soft white clouds.
The sound of the wind brought back many memories.
It was blowing so strong.
Leaves were falling like rain.
The grass was still a beautiful green.
Color everywhere was exceptional.
I drove to the country to take pictures.
Every direction I looked
was another picture,
or two or three.
The rains are supposed to come in
the next couple of days.
The wind and the rain will gradually
take away the beautiful color.
Have I soaked up enough
to last for a full year?
I want to paint everthing I saw today.
I wonder if I could.
I really don't paint landscapes
BUT
I want to.
Maybe it's time to strike out.
The feeling...the desire is there.
Just give it a try.
I never plan to give up my flowers
BUT
I need to stretch.
As I walked through my garden today
I saw,
mums, deep violet and yellow mums,
marigolds,
and even some petunias.
Zinnias, geraniums, cosmos,
periwinkle, ageratums,
sweet potato vines,
blue salvia,
they all have a different look in the fall,
but still beautiful,
reminding us that winter is just around the corner.
Have I soaked up enough
to last another year?

Mary Jo Leisure, October 20, 2009

Petal by Petal

Petal by petal,
as yellow as the sun.
Driving for miles I found myself watching them sway
in their beautiful way.
I was anxious to find a brush and capture them that way.
September in Kansas they are top of the line.
They fill my heart with memories
of days long gone by.
As they return in years to come
they will still be
petal by petal
as yellow as the sun.

Mary Jo Leisure, September 28, 2009

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