Celeste J. Heery

Welcome...

Gallery Re-Vamp: 8/30; New Painting Added 9/26

November 20, 2008

I woke up to the most marvelous email in my in box. It was
from Jonas. I had sent him a thank you card (I am one of
those geeks with card-making software - I rarely buy a card)
with an image of one of my paintings on it:

[It's called Falling Backwards and is one of my favorites.] He
wrote to me:

"Dear Celeste,

Got your sweet card.
It's a pleasure to be of service.
The image on the card is the first time I have seen your
painting and when I opened the envelope my first reaction was
WOW.
I want to see more.
Don't delay.

Paint, paint and then……. paint some more

Jonas"

To say I am thrilled is an understatement. What a wonderful
way to start the day!

I am not going to do any packing this morning, even though I
am up early. I have to package up a bike to ship (viva la
Ebay). I got a bike box, but I am going to have to disassemble
some of it and I just hope I have the right tools.

Work has gotten busy, which is good, because it makes the day
go by faster. The problem is that when I come home, I literally
get in bed. I am not worth a damn after 5:00, and I hate that,
because I could have been doing some packing in the
evenings. Now I have a lot to do on Saturday. The move is
Sunday. Moving blows, but I am looking forward to the new
place, because it is forcing me to get rid of some stuff. Also,
my commute will go from 30 to 10 minutes. Pretty sweet.

One of my friends said he is going to buy a particular painting
of mine with his next paycheck. It's currently hanging at
Adorn Salon & Boutique. That would be nice. He had admired
it the night of my reception but didn't have the money. I could
use the extra bucks, so that would rock. I keep hoping a slot
will open up at Woolworth Walk. The exposure would be great.

Enough for now. Have a great Thursday.

Peace,
celeste

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November 18, 2008

Happy Tuesday! I had a great day yesterday. I sold another
painting at Urban Burrito. That place has turned out to be a
lucky one for selling my smaller paintings.

I was sitting in the office at work and I heard a raspy voice say
"Hello?" We were closed yesterday so the place was empty.
It was Jonas Gerard. He is hanging another painting in the
restaurant and came over to look over the space. He told me
he wanted me to send him some pictures of my work. I told
him I'd rather show him in person, since my pictures don't turn
out very well. We started talking, and he asked me the largest
size canvas I've painted. I told him it was 30 x 36, but only for
financial reasons - that's I'd love to do a larger one. The next
thing I know, we are headed to a local art store (one that I
didn't even know existed) and he is buying me canvases! I
was in shock with gratitude. He bought me 5 canvases, one is
40 x 48! Then we went to his studio and he gave me three
more. THEN, he gave me 40 8 oz. jars of the paint he uses
(that I can not afford)!!!! I am still in shock. He said I am like
his daughter. I feel like God himself was behind this miracle. I
have wanted to use Golden paints for so long but could never
afford them. It was a "maybe someday" kind of thing. I
couldn't help but ask aloud if my Dad was somehow behind
this. :) I'd like to think so. Thank you, Jonas! He's not just my
hero, he's also my friend (not to mention Santa Claus!).

Peace,
celeste

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November 11, 2008

Happy Veteran's Day. A big salute to our troops, past and
present. Whether I agree with the war or not, I honor the
people who put their lives on the line for our country.
Speaking of which, my Dad's interment will be held on Dec 29
at Arlington Cemetery. 21-gun salute, bugles and all. What an
honor. We are taking a limo to the cemetery, naturally. I am
sure it will choke me up but in a good way. We decided to ask
for donations to be sent to the library in Warrenton. It was his
second home before his stroke. He probably read every book
in the place. :) The American Heart Association is our back up
charity.

My only wish is that my sister Denise will contact the family.
She hated my Dad because of how he was during her
childhood. I learned the hard way that carrying around hatred
and resentment is like taking poison and expecting the other
person to die. It just slowly kills your spirit. She hasn't talked
to the family since 2004. While I have missed her terribly, my
Mom has felt the impact the most. They used to "talk" (at
least on email) daily. If you're out there, Denise, please
contact Mom. She needs you now.

I hope everyone has a great day.

Peace,
celeste

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November 10, 2008

Yesterday was great. Jonas did three paintings.

For more pics, go to this page.

We also stopped by the studio of Shelley Pereda, who does
fantastic charcoals and mixed media paintings. It was a fun
day.

Well, I'd better try to get back to sleep. I have a lot to do
today - no time for insomnia!

ROLL TIDE!

Peace,
celeste

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November 9, 2008

I am excited today because my beloved Jonas Gerard is doing
a live painting performance at 2:00. I will be taking my
camera, of course. I can't wait! His art is still hanging in the
restaurant. I always walk around and touch them during the
day. It lifts my spirits and makes me feel blessed. We are also
going to the studio of the daughter of David Pereda, the
author and teacher of our fiction class who bought my
"Introvert" painting. She does abstract painting. I wish 2:00
would get here! I guess I will do some packing in the
meantime. We will probably go early to get a seat. The studio
is always packed when Jonas paints.

Have a great Sunday!

Peace,
celeste

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November 8, 2008

Well, it's official. We found our new home and are moving in
within the next three weeks. It's a much smaller house, so I
will have to get rid of some things. My office will be smaller (D
gets the larger office this time.) :)

It will be good to get rid of stuff I don't need. One thing I need
to get rid of is my collection of CDs. I've already downloaded
them to my IPod. There are about 700 of them. I am going to
try to sell them on craigslist. Less than $1 a CD. I'd probably
make more money listing them individually on Ebay, but what a
pain that would be. I am going to try to sell them on craigslist
first. Then I have an "Old School" BMX bike that I bought
years ago because I was going to use it for parts to fix up
another bike that I had wanted as a kid but my Dad wouldn't
buy for me because it was expensive. The funny thing was,
instead of getting that $300 bike in 1977, I got a Huffy but
over time got him to agree to replacing everything but the
frame and mag wheels. So, in the end he paid a lot more than
$300. Oh, Dad. Silly Rabbit. I am also going to sell my bass. I
have had it since 2003 and it just sits there depreciating. If I
ever get the urge again, I will buy a cheap Fender. I spent
$1500 on the one I have. It's beautiful. Anyway...

I am almost fully recovered from my nose surgery. I don't
think I have mentioned it before. I went to the nose doctor
because I was hooked on Afrin (is that stupid, or what?) and
found out I had a partially deviated septum. It was shaped like
an "S." He said it was probably from an old injury. I think it
happened when I was playing goalie back in 2006. Or during
some clutsy move. I am constantly banging myself up and
getting little cuts. The recovery was much worse than I
thought. Thank God for Percocet! Not being able to breathe
through your nose is really annoying. It still hurts a little, but I
am off the Afrin and should be breathing more like a normal
person soon.

I am wearing my Dad's ring from his undergraduate college.
He had to have it cut off because it got too tight. So, I used
pliers to bend it together to fit my index finger. I should have
left it up to a jeweler because I bent it a little off-center.
When I have extra money again I am going to take it to a
jeweler and have them fit it for me. It's a nice way of carrying
him with me throughout the day.

I had posted some great pics of my Dad on my Family page, if
you want to check them out.

O.k., enough blathering for the moment. Hope you have a
great weekend!

Peace,
celeste

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November 6, 2008

I realized that what a wrote yesterday about my Dad was a bit
of a downer. My sister sent out the following note to her
friends. Other than leaving out that he was a talented artist,
she really captured the spirit of who he was:

"Dear friends,

While Tues, Nov 4 was an exciting day for America and one
that my Mom enjoyed immensely as she spent the day working
the polls for our incredible election, it was a sad one for my
family; as my Dad, John Heery died. He fought a remarkable
battle these past 18.5 years with my Mom courageously by his
side as his advocate and caregiver. This past month we saw a
rapid decline, and his last weekend was a rough one for him.
We knew his time with us was limited and he would not return
home from the hospital and nursing home, but we were not
prepared for his sudden passing. His passing will finally bring
him some peace.

Prior to his first, permanently damaging stroke in March 1990,
my Dad was an avid reader, and a remarkable communicator..
He had the most wonderful way with the written word; writing
poems, haiku, and short stories throughout his life. He was a
first-generation American from an Irish family who settled in
the Bronx. A WWII vet, he used the GI bill to enable him to be
the only one in his family to go to college. He earned his
master's degree in English from NYU, and his undergraduate
psychology degree from Hunter College. Being an avid reader,
he was self-taught on many incredible subjects. He had a long
career in the space industry and retired from IBM one year
prior to his first of many strokes.

Many of you have been so supportive over the years, and I
thank you for being my friend. Also, thank you for keeping my
Mom and my family in your thoughts and prayers. My Mom has
been so strong for so many years, I know if it had not been for
her, my Dad would not have been here for so many years (he
celebrated his 83rd birthday on Oct 12) or had the quality of
life he had since his first stroke. She was with him and there
for him every step of the way. I hope she will find the strength
to carry on alone after 56 years of marriage.

The interment will be held on Dec 29 at Arlington Cemetery. In
lieu of flowers and fruit baskets, a tax-deductible contribution
remembrance can be in the name of John P. Heery, to:

Fauquier County Public Library (Warrenton Branch)
Att: Linda Yowell
11 Winchester St
Warrenton VA 20186

OR the American Heart Association

Acknowledgements sent to:

Vanessa L Herman
8917 Magnolia Ridge Road
Fairfax Station VA 22039

Vanessa"

This is a painting he did which I treasure. My Mom told him not
to fill in the faces so he left them blank. I thought the end
result was cool.

Thanks to everyone who sent their condolences. It really
helps.

Peace,
celeste

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November 5, 2008

I am writing today with mixed emotions. First, I am happy -
very happy - that Obama won and am filled with hope. Today
is a sad day, however, because my Dad died yesterday. He
has struggled since his major stroke in 1990. In a way, he died
back then. He was never the same since that stroke, and he
couldn't communicate or understand very well. His condition
deteriorated over the years. In a way, I feel like I never knew
him. Two years prior to his stroke he was an active alcoholic
and the two years he was dry before his stroke we didn't like
each other. So, part of me feels sorry for myself because of
this. I know if he hadn't had that stroke that we would have
become good friends. We are very much alike in many ways.
The good and the bad. My Mom always says so. I am mostly
sad for my Mom. While he wasn't much of a partner, he was a
live person and that brought her some peace. They were
married over 50 years. I pray that God will bring her comfort
through this difficult time, and I am grateful that he no longer
has to suffer. I love you, Dad.

John Patrick Heery
1925 - 2008

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October 27, 2008

I am excited to report that I have sold three paintings this
week for my highest asking price yet (two of them, anyway)!
What a blessing, especially now when we really need the
money. The ones which sold are Introvert, Coffee (the large
version), and Unnoticed. I will leave them in the gallery, at
least for now. I haven't removed the ones that sold or that I
have replaced in a while.

I am feeling better. I still have the cold, but it has abated a
bit. I had a lot to do today, and have accomplished most of it.
Back to work tomorrow.

Hope you had a happy Monday!
celeste
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October 26, 2008

As you can see, I have cleared away my blog from the last few
months. If you want to catch up, go to my blog archive page.

We just got back from another trip to Northern
Virginia/Maryland. The second trip in two months. This time I
was taking care of a friend and her son while she recovered
from surgery and hubby was at work. Delores visited with
family in Maryland. It's good to be home. I have missed
painting. I have a gnarly head cold but am fighting it with all
my power. It's manageable. Everything is manageable, if you
manage it right. How redundant that sounds, but it's true.
Sounds like something Yogi Berra would say. I have some
challenges in front of me financially, but I prefer to live in faith
rather than fear. Just like that church sign that hasn't been
changed since we moved here:

God has always somehow taken care of me when I most
needed it, as long as I was willing to do the footwork. I am
willing. Time management will be of paramount importance to
me in the upcoming weeks since I have a job to show up to but
still need to find time to make phone calls, run errands, and
find time for myself. The same challenges most everyone has,
but now I don't have the "luxury" of doing things when I feel
like doing them. I am learning to push through. That has
never been easy for me since the depression started and my
immune system got weakened (I catch everything that goes
around, it seems), but I am capable of being stronger than I
have been and I just need to remind myself of that.

We need to move. We can't afford, due to recent
circumstances, to live where we are. $400 power bills in the
Winter for a house that has a lot of rooms and an inefficient
(to say the least) heating system just won't cut it. We have
more space than we need anyway, and I want to be closer to
my job. So, goodbye to the mountain and hello to the next
chapter of our life. I am not looking forward to packing, but I
am excited about the possibility of living in Asheville and a nice
cozy - but roomy enough - space. Both D and I need our
separate offices and I need space to paint. If I HAVE to, I can
convert a dining room into a small studio. I will just have to
cover the walls, ceiling, and floor with tarp so I don't get paint
everywhere.

Jonas Gerard posted my testimonial on his web site (at the
end). He wrote back:

"Celeste,

That was way beyond what I expected.

Your are indeed very receptive to what's really going on here.
Your experience is one the very reason why I paint [sic].
Payment for the sale of a painting is a blessing but this is a lot
more fulfilling.

Many get it to some extent but you really got it on a very deep
level. Thank you for taking the time to write.

It's too long for a quote on the web site but I will condense it
and/or take sections and make up a quote. [He actually
included the whole thing]. I'll send it to you. You're so sweet.

Your friend,
Jonas"

I have a poem that is in process that I want to send to him too.

I am wordy today. I have a lot on my mind, I guess, and
decided to vomit some of it on you. Hope it wasn't too boring.
:)

I hope this rambling finds you well.

Peace,
celeste