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Dingo Love: Caring About the Environment

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To purchase a print of Love is Environmentally Aware, check out my Fine Art America Store by clicking on the pic above.

To purchase a print of Love is Environmentally Aware, check out my Fine Art America Store by clicking on the pic above.

Love is Caring About the Environment

Once upon, a time The Dingo decided to go on an adventure. It was a cool brisk morning, he put on his favorite hoodie, packed a few snacks and headed out the door to the woods near his home.

As a young lad, he loved to explore the great outdoors. He could often be found quietly observing the wildlife, making sure not to disturb or disrupt the environment around him, and best of all, just taking in all the beauty. As he got a bit older, life got busier and busier and he spent less and less time in nature. Today, he purposed to go outside and enjoy the great outdoors!

As he made his way towards the woods. From far away he could see a big section of trees that had been cut down from the forest. In their place was a new strip mall. It was sad to think of how many beautiful trees were gone now because of this new development. This was not an uncommon theme in his town, and as the years passed by, it only seemed to be getting worse.

Now in the woods, The Dingo noticed quite a bit of litter on the ground: glass bottles, fast food containers, cigarette butts, plastic soda can rings… There was so much trash everywhere!

What happened to the beautiful pristine utopia of his childhood? Why did it get this bad? How did it get this bad?

The Dingo had always been sensitive to the fine balance of nature. From the water in our oceans to the air in the sky, from the creepy crawly insects in the dirt to the birds that fly high, everything mattered and had it’s purpose. He knew how important it was to recycle, reuse and reduce as best as he could or knew how. After all, there really is no such thing as an unlimited resource and when resources start running out, prices go up and when prices go up those that suffer the most are generally the least fortunate of us. The Dingo realized right then and there that something had to change and change soon.

As a self proclaimed tree-hugger and friend to all woodland creatures, The Dingo went home & found the definition of the word “environment” in the Merriam-Webster dictionary:

  • 1 :  the circumstances, objects, or conditions by which one is surrounded
  • 2 : a) the complex of physical, chemical, and biotic factors (as climate, soil, and living things) that act upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its form and survival: b) the aggregate of social and cultural conditions that influence the life of an individual or community

According to this definition, our environment is complex, we are all interconnected and what happens upstream affects those living downstream and everything and everyone in between. The Dingo knew it was time to empower the masses with the knowledge & resources to live cleaner and greener. It’s true that exploiting our natural resources can definitely help make a few people rich, but a clean, safe & thriving environment is priceless because it benefits everyone who lives in it.

The Dingo began his crusade by doing some pretty extensive research on several environmental subjects including climate change, littering, recycling, land fills, deforestation, and energy conservation, just to name a few; he wrote letters to his elected officials regarding the disappearance & neglect of the natural environment in his region and he got some of his close friends & neighbors to do the same; he arranged river & highway cleanup days with kids from local schools; and he even went as far as committing to participating in Meatless Mondays.

The Dingo smiled as the warm and fuzzy feeling of love overcame him. He knew that being environmentally aware not only impacted his neighbor next door but it also impacted his neighbors all the way on the other side of the globe and that was pretty awesome in his book.

Walk in Love.
Y.C.Lozano ©2014

The Dingo Walks in Love is a project that teaches lesson in love with the power of art, social media, books, pubic art, & random acts of kindness.

Dingo Love: Community

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Love is Community prints are now available through my Fine Art America Store

Love is Community prints are now available through my Fine Art America Store. Click the pic for details.

Love is Community

Once upon a time The Dingo was sorting through his mail and he came across a letter that was delivered to the wrong address. It was meant to go to his neighbor who lived just a few houses down. Her name was Ms. Jade, a kind elderly lady who lived alone.

The Dingo would often pass by her house during his morning walks. He remembered thinking how she had one of the nicest houses on the block. It was always tidy, the lawn and garden were well kept, and she would often be found enjoying the afternoon breeze from her rocking chair on the front porch. Recently though, The Dingo had noticed the sparkle in her house had vanished: the grass was overgrown, the garden looked lifeless, and Ms. Jade didn’t seem to be spending much time outside anymore.

As The Dingo approached the neighbor’s house he looked around and noticed the paint was peeling off the walls and the windows needed a good cleaning. He rang the doorbell and Ms. Jade answered, “It’s so nice to see you Dingo! What brings you by?” The Dingo explained the postal mix up and handed his neighbor the letter. With a smile she thanked him and offered to bring out some sweet tea for them to enjoy on the front porch. The Dingo accepted the invitation graciously.

Concerned for Ms. Jade, he asked her if everything was okay. She explained that all was well, but about 6 months ago she got laid off from her part-time job at the library because of city budget cuts, so times were tight. She used to be able to pay a young man down the street to help her with various chores around the house that were too difficult for her to do alone, like mowing the lawn, cleaning the windows, and other random odds & ends. With some recent health issues that she was just now overcoming, she found herself having to prioritize her savings to go towards the medical costs first. Hopefully, after she found another job, she would be able to pay for some hired help to get her house sparkling again.

The Dingo felt bad for Ms. Jade. He didn’t exactly have a green thumb or any house painting supplies, but he could certainly help her with something. So he offered to clean her windows. She was delighted and thanked him profusely.

As he walked back home to get a change of clothes and some cleaning supplies, he thought about how he could further help Ms. Jade with the many things that needed to be done around her house. If he tried to tackle the various tasks alone it would take forever but, then he remembered a quote that he saw the other day: “Many hands make light work.”*. “THAT’S IT!” The Dingo shouted, “I’ll reach out to my community and ask for help! Together we’ll get Ms. Jade back to her old self in no time!”

But first, he decided to look up the word “community” in the Merriam-Webster dictionary and this is what he found:

  • : a group of people who live in the same area (such as a city, town, or neighborhood)
  • : a group of people who have the same interests, religion, race, etc.
  • : a group of nations

From the definition, he figured out that his community could include anyone and everyone. Well, in this particular situation, anyone and everyone was going to consist of those neighbors, friends & family that were willing to help. He quickly found someone who would help paint Ms. Jade’s house, another who would cut her lawn and get her garden growing again, and he also got little Max to commit to helping her with other random odds and ends. The Dingo even contacted his friend, a local bookstore owner, and found out that they were looking for part-time help.

With a smile on his face, The Dingo went back to Ms. Jade’s and broke the good news to her. He explained how several people were going to help make her house sparkle again in no time; he also informed her how himself & little Max were going to come over once a week to help with random odds & ends; and then he gave her the bookstore owner’s name & phone number and told her that he was expecting her call for a possible job offer.

Ms. Jade was moved with emotion as her eyes welled up with tears thinking of the love that she was witnessing. She knew without the help of many, without The Dingo’s big heart and quick action, and without the kindness and generosity of strangers, she couldn’t of done it herself.

As The Dingo washed the windows, he was thankful that he was in a position to help Ms. Jade. He knew that walking in love was a full time job and if we all stopped for just a moment and looked around us, we could always find opportunities to be a blessing in someone’s life. Today, he was able to be a blessing to Ms. Jade.

 

Walk in Love.
Y.C.Lozano ©2014
*Quote from : John Heywood

The Dingo Walks in Love is a project that teaches lesson in love with the power of art, social media, books, pubic art, & random acts of kindness.

 

My Delusional Childhood in the 80s

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Image to the left: This is How I Wanted to Dress in the 80s. Image to the right: But, This is How I Really Dressed in the 80s acrylic on canvas 24"x36" (2 panel) ©2011

Image to the left: This is How I Wanted to Dress in the 80s.
Image to the right: But, This is How I Really Dressed in the 80s
acrylic on canvas 24″x36″ (2 panel) ©2011- Not for Sale

In the beginning, I thought I was a typical child. I was full of hopes and dreams and I truly felt invincible. And then life happened…

Come to find out, I was an awkward child to say the least. I was taller & skinnier than the average bear for most of my younger years and my thick glasses did not help my cause either. Buying clothes and shoes was always an adventure and it required much compromise on my part & I often had to resort to wearing boys clothing & boys shoes.  I had lots of trouble trying to convince adults that I was not older than I appeared and I would often hear comments like “They shouldn’t let her do this Easter egg hunt with the little ones, it’s just not fair to the other children.” or “Aren’t you too old to be trick or treating?” And who can forget the kids who felt the need to constantly be pointing out what they thought were my “flaws” with colorful imagery & loving phrases like “hey Olive Oil!” “Nice coke bottle glasses!” “Long Legged Grasshopper!” “Where did you get your clown shoes!?” etc., etc., etc.

I experienced a lot of unsolicited ridicule for stuff I had no control over.  It definitely took it’s toll. It caused low self esteem issues, I felt undervalued & that I would never be “good enough”, whatever that meant? This teasing led me to avoid eye contact, I developed a serious problem with slouching so I wouldn’t appear taller than what I was, and I preferred to be a wallflower than be recognized or pointed out along with many, many, many, other repercussions…

But, somewhere along the way I realized, there wasn’t anything wrong with me, I started to embrace my quirks, feel blessed that I could reach stuff on the top shelf without a ladder or chair; grateful that with the advancement of technology I was able to wear comfortable contact lenses; overjoyed with the fact that I could walk long distances with my larger than normal feet; content in knowing that my happiness & self worth belonged to me because regardless of what anyone thought: I was, I am, and I will always be “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) and so is everyone else on this planet. We all have value and worth and it breaks my heart when I hear someone devaluing or dismissing someone else because they are not “hot” or physically “attractive.” It’s amazing that so much more value is put on the beauty of the superficial as opposed to the beauty of the inner heart. A dark heart full of much judgement, ridicule, and hate is way less attractive to me than a few extra pounds, a blemish, crooked tooth, birthmark, or whatever.

When I completed the painting above, it was done with a desire to show that regardless of which type of child I was, a high fashioned trendsetter or a tall quirky kid,  that both versions of me should of been acceptable and not met with unrelenting ridicule by some of my peers. Beauty comes in all different shapes and sizes, but more importantly, it comes from within. Our differences should be embraced and celebrated so that we can be allowed to grow up in a world that empowers us all to be the best person we can be. So smile, life is good, you are beautiful, and never forget to take a deep breath and remember that you are all fearfully & wonderfully made 🙂

 

-Y

NOTE: in Sept. 2019, I got diagnosed with Marfan Syndrome. Looking back at many of my childhood stories and paintings, I realize how this genetic disorder personally impacted the narrative of my life. I’m now hoping to raise awareness of this disorder through my art, stories, and through my #MoosieContemplations instagram campaign.

If you feel inclined, please share theses stories and/or donate to my fundraising page for the upcoming #WalkForVictory on 12/7/2019 with the Marfan Foundation.

 

Are You Ready for Some Kickball?!

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Are You Ready For Some Kickball?! 22″x28″ acrylic on canvas

It was roughly 1982, and I was attending Phoebe Hearst Elementary School in Metairie, LA. Our P.E. uniforms were all green, with our school logo in yellow, not the most fashionable attire, but I don’t think school uniforms ever really are.

So with my favorite pair of green tennis shoes , my sweatband in place & my jock socks pulled up all the way, I was ready for some kickball action. I was the tallest & lankiest kid in my class and I was never really good at any sports, but one sport I was pretty good at was kickball.

There were several perks about this particular sport that seemed to work in my favor such as but not limited to:

  1. The ball was big & red, which definitely was a bonus for my poor vision.
  2. Unlike other sports, it was customary for the person serving the ball to ask you “How do you want it?” My response was always the same: “Slow and Bouncy!”
  3. The 2 previous perks allowed me enough time to brace myself, prepare my ridiculously long leg to swing, and with the bounce element factored in, I was also able to time my large foot exactly where it needed to be: right under the ball as it was coming down from a bounce.

With all the above in place, I swung with all my might, sending the giant red ball farther than most anyone in my age group, but never far enough for a home run. Though I had pretty decent kicking skills, my awkward stature made me a super slow runner. Either way, at the very least, I was able to impress the masses with my kicking ability, even if it only was just for a moment 🙂

Would you like to own your very own piece of fine art that celebrates the innocence & joy of childhood? Check out my For Sale page for available works.