Thank you @siffermus ! I will post it when I’m done.
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Hi @siffermus
Thanks so much for posting these lovely photos. The last two are my favorites. I think it is because the boats are such prominent focal points. By the way, I know you are definitely capable of turning these into artwork yourself.
Terri Robichon
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Sys - I envy you for living in such a beauty of nature. Do you know the oil painting Matt did years ago if a terrific sky & beach scene? Maybe this lesson will help you with your project.
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Hi Buddy,
I have seen it. I just haven’t had time to do it yet. I have completed Ashleys serie on introduction to oilpaint, and also the dog on black canvas. I am currently working on Drawing bootcamp 2.0. I am also working with the acrylic lessons.
Sys
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Okay - I am officially DONE with this recordbreaking heatwave in the North! One of my pet chickens died from heat stroke.
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Dear Sys, I am so sorry for you and the chicken and hope that all the other chickens are holding up. We had 5 pet chickens and a cock in our garden, when I was a teenager and I loved all of them. It cooled down today, still about the same temperatures than you would expect on Barbados. Yesterday, they found 7 uncuncious persons in their appartements here.
I so understand you! This heat wave is worse than the one we had a fiew years back.
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Thank you Buddy. Chickens are pretty cute. I have saved the others. One was very touch and go, she almost lost consiousness as I carried her to the cold bath. But after 10 min. inthe bathtub, she livened up again. She seem fine now. I have been giving them cold baths in a chicken bath tub I fashioned. And they get lots of ice cubes in their drinking water, and they try to cool down by leaning on the cold water container. I also give them plenty of fresh fruit and watermelons, which I store in the refrigiator, so they can cool down and get hydrated by eating the cold fruit. I hope everything is o.k. with the people ypou mentioned.
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To at The Virtual Instructor Forum and Matt Fussell
When I received the email welcoming me back to The Virtual Instructor this morning, I was honestly overwhelmed with emotion. I had missed being part of this wonderful community—and the amazing, humble, witty, generous, and incredibly talented teachers here—more than I realized.
My first thought was to share the news with my dear friend, Terri Robichon. As it turned out, she was already texting me at that very moment with the wonderful news that she had been in contact with Matt about her artwork were I was the subject of, being submitted for critique and that my membership was being reinstated. What a beautiful coincidence!
The Virtual Instructor has given me so much more than art instruction. Through this community, I have gained knowledge, inspiration, shared experiences, encouragement, and, most importantly, a true friendship with Terri. And now, through an incredibly generous gift, I have been given yet another reminder of the kindness that exists within this community.
I am deeply grateful.
Although I came to art later in life, creating has become so much more than a hobby for me. Art has been a form of therapy—a place to quiet my mind, work through life’s challenges, and simply breathe. Some challenges are ones we carry with us from childhood; others arrive completely unexpectedly. Through all of them, art has been a blessing. The lessons and encouragement I’ve received through The Virtual Instructor have become very much intertwined with that journey.
I have been away for a while because life took an unexpected turn.
In March of this year, during what I thought was simply a routine mammogram, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. There is no history of breast cancer in my family, so the diagnosis came as quite a shock. From that point forward, everything seemed to move at lightning speed—appointments, tests, surgery, lab work, treatments, follow-ups, and all the side effects that come along with them.
My cancer was caught relatively early, but it is an aggressive, fast-growing type, which means my treatment has also been aggressive. I had the tumor removed shortly after diagnosis and have been going through chemotherapy ever since. I have completed the whole 16 rounds of chemotherapy as of August 28th, with radiation to follow. Depending on some additional testing, there is also a possibility that I may need further surgery.
I share this not because I want attention or sympathy, but because sometimes there is something to be gained from sharing the difficult chapters of our lives.
If my experience can encourage even one person—man or woman, with or without a family history—to keep up with routine medical examinations and not put them off, then sharing it has served a purpose.
Life has a way of reminding us that we don’t always get to choose the challenges placed in our path. But we can choose what we do with them.
For me, art has been one of the things that has helped me keep moving forward.
So, coming back to this community means more to me than simply returning to an art forum. It feels a little like finding my way back to a place that has brought me joy, friendship, inspiration, and a sense of belonging.
I am incredibly grateful to be here again. I look forward to creating, learning, sharing, laughing, and following along with the lessons from the Matt and Ashley.
Thank @Matt and forum friends for welcoming me back.
And to anyone reading this who may be going through a difficult season of their own: I hope you find something that gives you a little peace along the way. For me, that something has been art.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Sonia Alonzo AKA @Meme5
P.S. Sorry for the long post, which Chat GPT helped me write
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Hi Sonia - I hope you get through this. I am also a breast cancer survivor - the agressive kind. I have been cancer free for some 8 years now. And it was because of the cancer I got back in touch with my creative side.
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Hi my very dear friend Sonia @Meme5
What a special letter. It so very much touched my heart and I’m happy to see you here in the forum once again. Many have benefited from all the artwork and advice you have given in the past. You were missed.
I look forward to your future posts with the understanding that you are still on this journey to recovery. Others should understand that the side effects of treatment and pure exhaustion will linger for quite some time. If posts are shorter than in the past or less frequent, that’s okay. We’re just happy to see you again and we stand by your side.
Terri
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Dear Sonia @Meme5 ,
even thou I don’t know you as much as your other friends from the forum, I did notice immediately that you were not around. You were missed and I have been thinking about you every now and then (and especially when I saw some interesting clouds 
). I am happy you are slowly coming back. 
Take care and see you around here.
Lucy.
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Dear Sonia,
You were so missed!
Your dearly letter, even with the little help of ChatGPT to overcome your tired chemo brain, has deeply touched me. Matt said the other day, be thankful for every breath you take, as each breath is a gift.
My husband is a colon cancer survivor and cancer free for almost 7 years now. His journey did change him for the better by planting even more love and gratitude in his heart.
Dear Sonia, decades back, I was diagnozed with a fast growing and bleeding tumor in my liver that could not get operated. I was told, the chances to survive would be 50%. My only chance was that this tumor might stop messing around, and after years of growing & shrinking, fear, anger and hope, it finally did freeze at the size of a lemon.
Dear Sonia, I wish you everything you need for your fully recovery!
Buddy
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Hello @Buddy!
Thank you for your supportive words and sharing your own experiences with cancer and tumor. I am happy to read it’s all in the past for your husband and yourself now. I am hoping it’s the same for me as I had my 16th and last chemo round this past august 28th!
Blessings to you and your husband.
Sonia @Meme5
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Such fantastic images. Very nicelt composed. You are lucky to have such beauty so close.
Your pictures remind me of how very much I miss the sight and sound of loons. Have a listen to one of my all time favorite pop songs. Do you remember hearing this on the radio? Search Youtube for Minnesota by Northern Lights.
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Hello Lucy, it’s good to be back. I have been doing mostly small quick sketches and such to not lose practice but sure have been missing all the good stuff here at the forum.
I am still obsessed with clouds 
, thank you for remembering 
Sonia
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Hi Forum Friends.
Pre and post-op from Thursday. Had cataract surgery on left eye and right eye will be done in about 2-1/2 weeks. So far, so good. The only thing that hurt(s) are the drops and really bright lights. The drops sting for a few minutes but are better if I put in a plain eye drop first and wait 5 minutes. It’s now 2 days later and I’m able to work on the computer with no glasses. Still a little blurry, but the big computer screen helps with that. Not ready for artwork yet. Maybe tomorrow. If my replies to other people’s posts are brief or non-existent, you now know why.
Terri Robichon
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@robichon
Happy to see you smiling! Your art has been already wonderful with cataracts, I can’t wait to hear your thoughts about what you see after all your treatments are completed!
Speedy recovery is in my prayers for you!
Sonia
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Wishing you a fast recovery, Terri @robichon
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Wishing you all the best, and pray for a speedy and uncomplicated recovery.
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