Crystalline Waters — newest original oil painting by Steve Henderson — 12 x 16 on panel, 15 x 19 framed. Shipping is free to the U.S. and Canada.

From Start Your Week with Steve, the free weekly e-mail newsletter of Steve Henderson Fine Art

Steve Says:

Dysfunctional families, and relationships, exist, simply because anytime you throw human beings in the mix, problems will arise.

But we focus so much on the problems these days that we forget three important things:

1) All families and relationships have some factor, somewhere that is dysfunctional,

2) Just because dysfunctionality exists, does not mean it is the norm, and

3) All of us have some functional family relationship somewhere, and it’s worth nurturing, embracing, and valuing.

I thought of that this weekend as our son celebrated his 19th birthday, up in Alaska, and none of us heard from him. As a close knit family, we keep in touch, and it had been a couple weeks since we had received an e-mail, letter, or phone call. All of our son’s sisters were calling for updates, and the family consensus was, “Where is this guy? Is he okay?”

The people in our lives — exuberant, colorful, unique — are what really matter. Spirit of the Canyon, original and signed limited edition prints at Steve Henderson Fine Art; licensed open edition print at Great Big Canvas

Finally, Carolyn tracked down the number of the isolated resort where our son is working, and she called and found him: he was fine. Apparently last week’s e-mail had gone awry and he hadn’t discovered this for a week, and he was planning to call, and on and on.

No matter. A collective sigh of relief ensued.

My kids matter. As they grow up and out, they wander off for their adventures, and their mother and I are glad for them, but we connect, regularly, by any means we can because the most important thing in our lives is our relationship with one another.

I love my painting, I love my work, Carolyn loves her writing, we both love our simple lifestyle on acreage with too many cats and a dog that insists upon licking — but it all pales against the panoply of color and life that comes from the people in our life who mean the most to us.

It’s easy to forget this and take it for granted. It is easy in our society to strive for name and fame and money and prestige, and to feel that we are missing, something, somehow, if we don’t have it all.

But having it all isn’t what matters. Having the right things — and recognizing that we do — is what matters.

Somewhere in all of our lives is at least one other person who matters. This is something, and someone, worth being very, very thankful for.

Read the rest — Are you too ordinary to make a difference? New Painting — Crystalline Waters — at Start Your Week with Steve.

Yes, you can afford art, and it’s not a luxury that is too good for you. At Steve Henderson Fine Art, we sell everything from originals to posters, ensuring that there will be something in everybody’s price range. We also set up interest-free purchase plans, which means that you can make gentle payment over as much as a year, and you won’t have to pay any interest or fees. Your painting will sit safely in our studio, waiting for you, and once it’s paid off, it’s in the air on its way to your home. Contact us at carolyn@stevehendersonfineart.com and find out how you can be an art collector.

Seascapes, landscapes, figurative, seasonal — Steve Henderson Fine Art creates all types of fine art

Find and buy Steve’s art in the following online venues:

• Steve Henderson Fine Art (Inspirational posters begin at $10.95; original paintings and signed limited edition prints for reachable, reasonable prices)
• Great Big Canvas (licensed open edition art prints begin at $29.99)
• Light in the Box (licensed open edition art prints begin at $9.99)
• Sagebrush Fine Art (licensed open edition art posters begin at $16)
• Amazon.com, AllPosters.com, Art.com (licensed open edition art posters begin at $17.99)

Manufacturers and retailers — license Steve’s work through Art Licensing