E is for Egg - June 30, 2009

"I'm in constant search for my truest expression. Each painting takes me to roads traveled and worlds unknown and provides challenges for growth and humility."

-- Bela Fidel

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E is for Egg

from the WetCanvas Alphabet Swap

2.5" x 3.5" Watercolor

Goldie Studies June 29, 2009

"Face your deficiencies and acknowledge them; but do not let them master you. Let them teach you patience, sweetness, insight."

– Helen Keller

I did three little ATC studies of my step-mother's dog, Goldie. I am studying her, to see if I have what it takes to do a portrait of her. She is such a character! I think a few more studies are in order before I do the portrait. My favorite here is the one on Yupo.

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Goldie 1

2.5" x 3.5"

Watercolor on Yupo

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Goldie 2

2.5" x 3.5"

Watercolor & Gouache on Illustration Board

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Goldie 3

2.5" x 3.5"

Watercolor & Gouache

on Dark Brown Art Spectrum Colourfix

Rose Macro - June 26, 2009

"The point is not to pay back kindness but to pass it on."

– Julia Alvarez

That's a nice quote, but I also like to pay it back... It's all good!

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Rose Macro

4" x 6" Watercolor

on Indian Village Handmade Paper

Captain Wiener - June 25, 2009

"Many men go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish that they are after."

Henry David Thoreau

To spend one's whole lifetime waiting for life to come to us... thinking that if we just quiet our minds we will find peace... waiting for life to make us happy... could there be a greater waste.

That is not to say that serenity and peace are not found in fishing. They certainly are, as they are found in many other quiet hobbies and activities. And they are certainly an important part of life. But they are not what life is all about, not what we are to spend our lives looking for.

The beginning is in the quieting of the mind. That is just the beginning. As we quiet our minds our answers will come. And we will know what right action steps are to be taken.

From A Time for Joy
by Ruth Fishel

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This is Captain Wiener.

I designed him for a client who sells hot dogs.

My life is incredibly fun!

Snowball the Rooster - June 24, 2009

"Rate the task above the prize; will not the mind be raised? Fight thine own faults, not the faults of others; will not evil be mended?"

– Confucius

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Snowball the Rooster

4" x 6" Watercolor

on Indian Village Handmade Paper

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This is the same rooster I posted on Monday. I see things differently each time I paint them. Isn't life fun?!

Three Hungry Goats - June 23, 2009

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes."

– Marcel Proust

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Three Hungry Goats

2.5" x 3.5"

Watercolor on Yupo

The Painted Rooster - June 22, 2009

"Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come. 'Tis grace that hath brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home."

-John Newton

Today and always, let joy be your compass. When choosing a direction in life, choose the path of your heart. Do what you love, follow your bliss.

Fun is an underestimated emotion in our culture. We are told as children, "If you waste time having fun, you won't get anything serious accomplished." Yet most successful people describe their work as being incredibly joyful. An office that sings with laughter is always more productive. As one executive remarked, "The more I enjoy my work, the more efficient I become.."

Joy and laughter improve the quality of our relationships. Couples who lighten up rarely split up. Laughing at a difficult situation fosters detachment and understanding. It is only when we get too serious that trouble arises.

-Douglas Bloch

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"The Painted Rooster"

8.5" x 10" Watercolor on Yes! canvas sheet

Donut - June 19, 2009

"The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it."

– John Ruskin

Donut

2.5" x 3.5" Watercolor

Alphabet Swap

Coffee - June 18, 2009

"We evolve at a rate consistent with the groups we are plugged into energetically."

- Caroline Myss

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C is for Coffee

2.5" x 3.5" watercolor & ink

Alphabet Swap

Oranges - June 17, 2009

"The golden opportunity you are seeking is in yourself. It is not in your environment, it is not in luck or chance, or the help of others; it is in yourself alone."

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– Orison Swett Marden

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Oranges

Watercolor on 4" x 6" Postcard

Solitary Boat - June 16, 2009

"Few people know that they have the power to bless life. We bless the life in each other far more than we realize. Many simple, ordinary things that we do can affect those around us in profound ways: the unexpected phone call, the brief touch, the willingness to listen generously, the warm smile or wink. We can even bless total strangers and be blessed by them."

Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D.

I like that!

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Solitary Boat

4" x 6" Watercolor

Birthday Cake - June 15, 2009

"Scientists tell us that our body is constantly
rebuilding and curing itself. When the body is fed the
mental picture of wholeness, it builds it's cells
according to that picture, whereas when fed thoughts
of hopelessness and incurability, the body builds the
cells according to that mental picture."

-Catherine Ponder

Today, see yourself as well and whole. Put all your
energy into positive thoughts, knowing that the body
is healthy and strong.

"Time for Joy"
Daily Affirmations by Ruth Fishel

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B is for Birthday Cake

2.5" x 3.5" watercolor and ink

Alphabet Exchange

Strolling Geese - June 12, 2009

Thinking positively about your abilities tends to release positive mental forces that produce effective action.
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-Norman Vincent Peale
Positive Thinking Every Day
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Strolling Geese
Acrylic on two 4" x 4" canvases
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Tomorrow, I am driving to Kansas City to visit my step-mom. I haven't been to Kansas City since I was twenty. She's taking me to an art gallery Saturday and we'll be having dinner with my step-sister and her new husband that evening. After brunch on Sunday, I'll make the 5-6 hour drive back to Lake Eufaula.
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If it's not raining, I plan to take my time and do some exploring on the way back. I love all those small towns and they make great inspiration for future paintings. Let's hope for a sunny day!

Aaaachooo! - June 11, 2009

"Vitality shows not only in the ability to persist, but in the ability to start over."

– F. Scott Fitzgerald

"Aaaachooo!"

4" x 6" watercolor

on Indian Village handmade paper

MJB Coffee - June 10, 2009

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go."

– T.S. Eliot

MJB Coffee - 8" x 10" Watercolor

Foresee Concrete Plant - June 9, 2009

The world in which you live is not primarily determined by outward conditions and circumstances but by thoughts that habitually occupy your mind.

--Norman Vincent Peale
Positive Thinking Every Day

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Foresee Concrete Plant

7" x 12" watercolor

YMCA of the Rockies - June 8, 2009

The way to happiness: Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Fill your life with love. Scatter sunshine. Forget self, think of others. Do as you would be done by. Try this for a week and you will be surprised.

-Norman Vincent Peale

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YMCA of the Rockies

Watercolor & Inktense pencils

8" x 10"

A is for Apricot - June 5, 2009

"Difficult times have helped me to understand better than before how infinitely rich and beautiful life is in every way, and that so many things that one goes worrying about are of no importance whatsoever."

– Isak Dinesen

Apricots

2.5" x 3.5" Watercolor & Pen

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This is the "A" card from an alphabet ATC exchange I took part in recently on WetCanvas.com. Okay... I'll share the whole alphabet on my blog this month. It was fun. The letter they drew for me was H. So far I have received Hot Air Balloons, a Hackberry Butterfly, a Hippo, a Hungry Mouse, H is for History with Mr. Peabody and his boy Sherman, with their "way back" machine, and a Happiness card. Fun!

Checotah Feed Store - June 4, 2009

"There are no shortcuts to any place worth going."

– Beverly Sills

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Checotah Feed Store

8" x 10" Watercolor on Yes! Canvas

Main Street Gallery - June 3, 2009

"Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns. I am thankful that thorns have roses."

– Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr

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Tomorrow is the opening of our new Main Street Gallery. It's the first show at the gallery and my first show, outside of cyber-space. I'm nervous and excited. So far, I think there are about a dozen of us showing. I have 12 paintings there. The largest being two 16" x 20" paintings. Most of mine are 8" x 10" or smaller.

All the paintings are done by local artists who are a member of our art's council and all of the paintings are "Lake Eufaula" themed. I was over there last night, helping to hang some of the work. We have a musician who will be playing and if the weather is good, the whole event will be spilling out onto our quaint little Main street. It could be really wonderful. I'll let you know how it goes.

Checotah Downtown - June 2, 2009

"Map out your future, but do it in pencil."– Jon Bon Jovi

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Checotah Downtown

8" x 10" watercolor

Hidden Ridge View - June 1, 2009

"If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again."

– Flavia Weedn


About Flavia Weedn
American artist Flavia Weedn is best known for her illustrations of children's books such as I Love You Very: A Child's Book of Love, which her daughter wrote, and her solo outing, Flavia and the Dream Maker, in which her self-titled character learns to appreciate her life. She grew up in Los Angeles. She got her start selling art at local fairs. Her paintings are ethereal and dream-like, with strong colors and soft lines. She has two grown children and one granddaughter.

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"Hidden Ridge View"

8" x 10" Acrylic on Canvas