What would you do with a wooden fish?

Hi my friends!

Yes, it's been a very long time since I have published a blog post.  My brain was trying to wrap itself around the need to be out there with my art and the need to keep some of it hidden away to keep it safe.

I have been doing a lot of painting for the Art Licensing business and I've been keeping much of that art under wraps a bit.

One November day, I decided to put all of that aside and paint for pure joy.  For me.  In acrylic.  On wood.

Next thing I know, I am out in my work shop (here at Signs by Beth) cutting fish out of wood.  My Jig saw was so comfortable in my hand!  I was having a ball. 

Loving my Jig Saw

Well, the first 4 fish I finished sold within 4 hours after taking them to the gallery (Our Favorite Place) and posting them on Facebook.  So I started painting more fish.

You can probably guess where this is going.  No more fish sold.  Christmas is over.  I now have a lovely box of fish.

I have been getting creative, when I have time.  Here's one that I painted the back side with my 2015 "Intention" word.  It's hanging in the sign shop.

If you want to share any ideas, like Betty at Our Favorite Place, who suggested a mobile with little fish dangling below, I would welcome your ideas.  I have thought of putting hooks at the bottom for keys or pegs for hanging stuff.

Let's have some fun with this.  I'll share more photos, too.  If you are a blog subscriber and I make something with your idea and it sells, I'll send a free surprise gift.

Thanks for reading my blog!

-Beth

Whole Hawg Day Logo

“Could we change our attitude, we should not only see life differently, but life itself would come to be different.”
– Katherine Mansfield





30th Annual Whole Hawg Day Logo

I have been designing the Whole Hawg Days logo for many years.  This year they said “We want pigs on the beach, wearing swimsuits, playing poker, cooking a hog, with another pig in a boat, with cards.”  After I got over the shock of pigs cooking a pig… I drew this.  Oh, and you must use a limited color pallet.  Fun!

About Katherine Mansfield

Katherine Mansfield was the pen name of short story writer Katherine Beauchamp, who is best known for her collection The Garden Party. Born in New Zealand on October 14, 1888, she moved to England as a young woman and became friends with writers such as Virginia Woolf and D.H. Lawrence. Her writing style was influenced by Anton Chekhov; like him, she focused on intimate moments that revealed character. She in turn influenced a generation of short story writers. She died on January 9, 1923 of tuberculosis.

Cuckoo Clock Number 16

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2014

Cuckoo Clock Number 16 – A Watercolor Sketch

Another favorite.  I like my Captain Bird. 

Sadly, this brings me to the end of my cuckoo clock sketches.  Since Jell-O molds is the theme for the March lesson, you will see less of these sketches.  I’m trying, but I have been getting a slow start on the Jell-O molds.  Stay tuned.  Maybe my inspiration will come in the morning, since I do most of my painting between 5-6 am.

About Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was a powerful political figure in her own right, crusading tirelessly for humanist causes. She was born in New York on October 11, 1884 and was orphaned young. After Franklin was struck by polio, she acted as his eyes and ears. She was central to the creation of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which she considered her crowning achievement, and wrote numerous essays, including a long-running column called “My Day.” She died on November 7, 1962.

Cuckoo Clock Number 15

“Excellence is not an act but a habit. The things you do the most are the things you will do the best.”
– Marva Collins

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2014

Cuckoo Clock Number 15 – A Watercolor Sketch

Another one of my favorites.  I’m almost done.  Tomorrow is the last cuckoo clock.

About Marva Collins

American educator Marva Collins pioneered progressive education for disadvantaged children. She was born in Alabama on August 31, 1936 and in her 20′s moved to Chicago, where she founded a school for children who were at risk. After one year, every child tested at least five grades higher. Many public schools have successfully implemented her methods. She has appeared on 60 Minutes and Good Morning America and she received the National Humanities Medal from President Bush in 2004. She believes every child is a winner until someone convinces him or her too thoroughly otherwise.

Cuckoo Clock Number 14

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”
– Helen Keller

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2014

Cuckoo Clock Number 14 – A Watercolor Sketch

I hope you can see the crown on the bird’s head.  When I resize these for the internet, it is harder to see some of the details.  This one was fun!

About Helen Keller

American author and activist Helen Keller was born in Alabama on June 27, 1880; she became blind and deaf after a childhood fever. When she was 7, Ann Sullivan famously coaxed her out of her sullen, angry shell and taught her to communicate. From then on, Keller took on the world. She graduated from Radcliffe, traveled the world visiting sweatshops and speaking out for the powerless, helped found the ACLU, and wrote eleven books. She died on June 1, 1968.

Cuckoo Clock 13

“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.”
– Michelangelo Buonarroti

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2014

Cuckoo Clock 13 – A Watercolor Sketch

Yes, it’s a quilted cuckoo clock.  Who wouldn’t want to live in a quilted house?

About Michelangelo Buonarroti

Michelangelo Buonarotti, the Renaissance sculptor and painter, is considered one of the world’s greatest artists. He was born in Tuscany on March 6, 1475. He apprenticed to a painter at age 13, infuriating his father, who considered art menial work. By age 25, he had sculpted one of his finest works, the Pietà, in St. Peter’s. Working alone, he took four years to paint more than 400 figures on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. He also designed St. Peter’s dome and is perhaps best known for his iconic statue of David. He died on February 18, 1564.

Cuckoo Clock Number 12

“Make voyages! — Attempt them! — there’s nothing else…”
– Tennessee Williams

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2014

Cuckoo Clock Number 12 – A Watercolor Sketch

This one is really my favorite.  I don’t know why I didn’t use it on the cell phone case.  Oh well.  Did I mention that March’s project so far is Jell-O molds?  I haven’t drawn a single one… yet. 

About Tennessee Williams

Tennessee Williams was the pen name of Thomas Lanier Williams, the multiple-award-winning Southern Gothic playwright best known for his plays Streetcar Named Desire and The Glass Menagerie. He was born on March 26, 1911 in Mississippi, where he had a difficult childhood with an abusive father, a smothering mother, and a schizophrenic sister. His emotionally honest plays often feature sensitive souls who don’t fit into a confining culture. He spent most of his adult life in New York City. He died on February 25, 1983.

Cuckoo Clock 11

“If you want a place in the sun, you’ve got to put up with a few blisters.”
– Abigail Van Buren

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2014

Cuckoo Clock 11 – A Watercolor Sketch

Maybe a little of grandma’s house on this one. 

About Abigail Van Buren

Pauline Phillips, better known as Abigail Van Buren, wrote the syndicated “Dear Abby” column for 46 years. She was born on July 4, 1918 in Iowa. She had never written professionally when she contacted the San Francisco Chronicle’s editor and said she could do better than their current advice maven. Her version was an instant success. Her twin sister, Esther Lederer, became an advice columnist under the name Ann Landers. Phillips retired in 2002; her daughter, Jeanne Phillips, took over her column. Phillips died on January 16, 2013.

Cuckoo Clock Number 10

“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world the master calls a butterfly.”
– Richard Bach

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Cuckoo Clock Number 10 – A Watercolor Sketch

I know I saw that kitty cat somewhere.  Where did he go?

About Richard Bach

Richard Bach, the American pilot and author, became hugely successful with the publication of the slim novel Jonathan Livingston Seagull, a spiritual quest about a bird who loved to fly rather than seeing flight as a means to an end. He was born in Illinois on June 23, 1936, a descendant of composer Johann Sebastian Bach. He has been an Air Force Reserve pilot, a flight instructor, and a barnstormer; most of his books involve flight either directly or as a metaphor.

Cuckoo Clock Number 9

“Action without study is fatal. Study without action is futile.”
– Mary Ritter Beard

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2014

Cuckoo Clock Number 9 – A Watercolor Sketch

This is very fun, I think, with the bird sitting on the dash.  Notice I didn’t let him drive.  He is only a passenger.

About Mary Ritter Beard

The American historian and suffragette Mary Ritter Beard was best known for the acclaimed two-volume work, The Rise of American Civilization, which she cowrote with her husband, Charles Beard. She was born in Indiana on August 5, 1876. She became a spokeswoman for the importance of women’s history with her books, On Understanding Women and Women as Force in History. She and her husband were controversial, dynamic figures who helped frame the way we view American history. She died on August 14, 1958.