For several years, Ann sent me a note over the holidays that would feature an original watercolor on the front. Her goal, she said, was to stay alive long enough to send a watercolor that represented every season of the year.

Inside each card, she would handwrite a short note that included details that were important to her:

“Have a fantastic book my daughter Michele gave me – “Japanese Death Poems.” It is indescribably fantastic haiku. She was shy about giving it to me – I welcome it will open arms and need it.“

“I am glad Christmas is over. It’s just too much – too material – too pressured. My 88 wants more Spirit! My studio awaits me.”

“I like going to church for the rituals which I consider important in my life and for the feeling of unity with other humans – it’s really a lovely feeling, this.“

Her notes bubbled over with energy. She embodied, according to one curator, “contained exuberance.” When we met in March of 2006, I asked her about the unflagging spirit of her inner voice.

SAINT: My first duty is to my own inner voice and what it’s capable of doing.

SHARON:  How does that help a hurting world?

SAINT:  It helps because that’s your gift.

SHARON:  And how does my gift help the world?

SAINT:  It helps the world because you influence people by your depth of spirit and the direction you go in.  You put it out there and it connects like we did.  My art connected with you.  Your spirit connected with me.  That’s it.  That’s all we can hope for.  Just do the best we can.  I don’t think we need to set the world on fire.  We’re on fire.  That’s good enough, isn’t it?

The last question I asked Ann:

SHARON:  If you had only one piece of wisdom to leave behind for your children and the world — something you never wanted people to forget — what would it be?

SAINT:  Love, and the search for love, is everything.  Love.  I’m very passionate about love.  Even saying the word, love.   I love to say it. Love. Love.  Love.  God is love.  He’s so burning with love that we know that we’re wanted and cared about.  He’s all powerful.  All beautiful.  All awesome.  He’s the fire that we need.

SHARON:  The fire image comes in a lot whether you’re talking about God or the artistic process or love.  You talk a lot about being on fire.

SAINT:  What can I say?  All my life, I’ve been on fire.  

“All my life, I’ve been on fire.” Ann’s last in-person proclamation to me. I love that Ann loved this about herself. I also love the last sentence in the last card I received from her in January 2008:

Off to Wal-Mart for bird food. Love, Ann

TOMORROW: Ignite — BIRTHDAY EDITION!