woman – Varla's Blue Sheep Art

February 11, 2022 Varla Bishop driving

A Kiss for the Road

This time of year involves traveling for many. Some of us travel by plane, car or bus; we travel near and far. Traveling can make me a we bit anxious. I know the facts about traveling but it doesn’t always help. Fact: we are safer in planes then on the road. Fact: people die in crashes closer to home then faraway. Fact: seat belts save lives. I could go on and on. Highway safety was kinda my thing before retiring. I was in law enforcement for over 30 years so this was what my agency focused on.

I think about these facts whenever we leave the house. My husband and I get additional insurance when we travel out of state. Before we leave our driveway we kiss and say “safe trip”. I really don’t remember when this started, but we’ve been doing it for years. Once we reach our destination we kiss and say “thank you God”. We always do this.

I’ve seen the aftermath of enough vehicle crashes that no matter how good of a driver you are you can’t control the other drivers who share the road with you. You can’t control the deer that may run out in front of you. You can’t always know when your vehicle will have a major equipment failure. So many variables that are outside of your control.

So when we travel I like that we kiss. That we take a tiny moment to say out loud what is in our hearts. We hope this trip is uneventful. We hope everyone gets to where they want to go safely. We don’t want any excitement along the way.

So this holiday season have a safe trip. Do what you need to do to arrive safely. I would be interested to hear if you have a ritual you would like to share. In the meantime be safe. 💋

November 2, 2021 Varla Bishop portrait, Watercolor Paintings

Feel the Love

Nothing is more heart warming then seeing two people in love. You see it in their eyes, you hear it when they talk, it really is quite infectious. We all smile back at young lovers perhaps remembering the beginning of our own love story. Yes, there is always a story that goes with love. There is a story when he or she proposed and there are stories of their big day.

My story begins with meeting my husband, before he was my husband, at a crossover on the interstate. This is an unusual place to meet, but not so unusual if you are state troopers. 🤪

I now kid him that I thought he dropped a fork when he got down on one knee to ask me to marry him. It was a fast drop and I had to be paying attention. He was sure people were watching us. We decided to get married outside at a beautiful botanical garden.

At the time we were saying our vows to each other, someone, outside of this peaceful garden setting, decided to burn some rubber with what I imagine was a souped up car. All we could hear was the roaring of the tires. I am not sure if anyone heard a word we had said to each other, but we did.

We actually got married on a Sunday, went on a honeymoon and came back to have our reception on Saturday. Yes there were people confused on when we actually got married, and yes we had a very logical reason for doing this. Just got to trust me on this one.

We arrived early at the reception wanting to personally greet every guest. But fate stepped in. My mom, who was very excited about the wedding and very excited to have out of town guest coming, got suddenly very sick while at the reception. So sick we had to call her an ambulance. My father, my new husband and I followed the ambulance to the hospital. She was ok. She was diabetic and her levels got too high. She needed to stay overnight for observation.

We went back to our reception. The food was all gone, but the cake still needed to be cut. Photos were taken and I got to dance with my dad and my new husband. It was a long day. If I remember correctly we took a bottle of wine home and killed it. All that had happened was crazy stressful. But I now had someone by my side to help me get through life’s many challenges.

We’ve been married 34 years now. We have lost family members, dealt with health issues, went to college, travelled and did our share of moving. Now we are retired. Now we enjoy grandkids, family and friends. It has been quite the journey.

But our journey started with just a look. With a simple cup of coffee and a lot of laughter. Just like this painting full of love and possibilities. I wish them both a lifetime of happiness and great stories.

“She Said Yes” 11”x14” watercolor on Arches

January 14, 2021 Varla Bishop Acrylic, Clothing and Shoes, Denim Jackets

Famous Paintings on your Back!

I’m following this artist in New York named Hansel and her business is hanselclothing.com on Instagram. I love her work. I reached out to her and asked a few questions. I told her I was going to try to do the same. So I went looking for slightly used denim jackets ( I believe in recycling) and began painting.

I’m grabbing only women’s jackets and in a variety of sizes. I’m off to a good start. This is my winter project. They are available for purchase now or in the spring at the Wood Station in Ocnomowoc.

I am always asked if the garment can be washed. Yes. Turn the jacket wrong side out on gentle cycle. Don’t put in the dryer let it line dry. Do not iron directly on the painted area.

I have added a hand painted (yes by me) wood disk that serves as a gift tag. Just a fun little extra, plus a card on the bio of the artist and the painting that is on the back.

Jackets are available for $85. If interested or have questions leave me a message.