Artist

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Veroni *Salvador* Sablan

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i am a local artist born and raised on Guåhan.

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i was raised by a very creative, strong-hearted, hardworking CHamoru woman...

(Familian Tanaguan - Cruz Pereda).

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And from a soft-spoken, slow-to-anger, funny Filipino Dad (ilo ilo city, who passed away in 2015).

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My High School sweetheart, Jay Sablan, and i have been married for 21 years.

After 17 years of living off-island, we knew in our hearts that we needed to move back home to raise our four amazing children.

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When I paint / my story...

note to self:

i am simply Trying

to share my appreciation.

if we were put on this earth to Love, my Art is my attempt to Love as much as I can…while I can.

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from Love

i am always making mistakes, learning, trying, failing (repeat)

But i love it...

i love creating; working with my hands.

i love to watch watercolors spread onto the surface as it creates its own raw natural beauty.

i love the imperfections it makes.

i love to celebrate the beauty of our home and our people.

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Details of the details

The black lines in my paintings were meant to amplify the raw beauty of watercolors,

while also representing my deep appreciation and love for the details in

the simple things.

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True Beauty:

the scales on a lemmai fruit, the lines in a delicate flower petal, the banana tree leaves colors changing from green to yellow to brown….this inspires me.

The overlooked. The broken. The imperfect.

So much beauty there.

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TThr.........................................t.h

my heART

When you truly appreciate something,

you are Grateful for it

you Respect it.

You Love

and take care of it...

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Or at least,

this is my hope.

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My details:

with each step, i am grateful.

When i was three years old,

i fell hard

backwards

onto the lower part of my head/neck.

i was paralyzed from the neck down.
i remember not being able to move...crying...scared.

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Initially, the doctor told my mother that i was pretending and to go home.

When my mother realized the that i wasn’t pretending,

we were rushed to Hawaii to see a different doctor where my mother was told that i may never walk again.

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However, my mother refused to believe the doctor's words.

When we got back to Guam,

My parents put me through physical therapy they could afford;

They would bury me in a hole in the sand up to my neck,

place an umbrella over my head,

and waited for me to make my way to the water.

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like water...Let go, Flow, and Trust

My mother knew how much i loved the water.

Before my accident, i could sit in the water all day.

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She knew that my Love for the water would help me.

and she was right (like most mothers are).

Weeks

turned into years.

Digging

turned into crawling.

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Slowly...

i made my way to the water.

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beauty in “broken”

Not being able to walk when i was younger, forced me to be Still.

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i painted and drew things around me.

i was able to see things from a different perspective.

i saw the details in everything.

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Most days, i was angry.

I often cried, ‘why me?!’ when people were cruel.

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Now that I’m older, people can still be cruel...

However, i no longer get angry or ask that question.

i realize there was/ is a purpose for it all.

i know now, especially when i paint, that this Purpose

has absolutely nothing to do with....me.

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Not being able to walk when I was little

and still not being able to walk "normally" now,

every step...is my daily Reminder

to be grateful (for the *details).

i try to remember

when i stumble, when it gets really dark and difficult

that LOTS of Beauty and Love

come from (and to) Spirits who are 'broken'.
i share only to help and heal.

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#goals: give

grateful that Because I’ve first been loved, I am able to give it. And may everything I do and create point back to the ultimate Artist.

With your support, i am able to keep creating. I am able to continue to do what I love and share it.

More importantly, i am able to give back.
When I can, I try to donate

paintings, prints, or monetary donations to various organizations and fundraisers throughout Guåhan / Micronesia.

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SYM for your support

“People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.* "

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

~Mother Teresa”

I love you. Thank you

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