Christmas Turkey - October 30, 2009

"I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence, but it comes from within. It is there all the time."

– Anna Freud

Christmas Turkey
4" x 5"
Watercolor on Yes! Canvas paper

I guess this little Christmas Turkey is fitting for today's post, because this just may be her Halloween costume.

About Anna Freud

Austrian psychoanalyst Anna Freud was a pioneer in the field of child psychiatry; she also worked closely with her father, Sigmund Freud, in developing his theories. She was born in Vienna in 1895 and fled to London with her parents in 1938, escaping the Nazi regime. When her father became sick with cancer, she took over his studies, becoming his intellectual heir. She founded the Hampstead Clinic to work with children. She died in 1982.

Nestled in to Autumn - October 29, 2009

"Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash."

– George S. Patton

Nestled in to Autumn

4.5" x 7" Watercolor

I painted this little watercolor from one of my photos, taken on my recent trip to Idaho. It just didn't look finished to me. There was no real depth. After reading Leslie White's blog last Friday, I was inspired by her technique of using colored pencil to bring more detail into a painting. So I tried it.

It worked better for Leslie. I kinda just made a mess of my little painting. Not being one to give up easily, I took an eraser to it, then played with watercolor on top of the colored pencil that remained. I used a bigger brush than I would normally use, so I wouldn't be as tempted to fuss too much.

I like it. It's still not a first class painting, but I was tickled with the possibilities. Who knows what the next step may be. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Thanks, Leslie!

About George S. Patton

George S. Patton, the American Army general who fought in both World Wars, received numerous awards during his 46 years of service, including the Purple Heart and the French Legion of Honor. He was born in 1885 in California and was descended from a long line of soldiers. He was an early advocate of armored warfare and led the U.S. Tank Corps in World War I. The 1970 movie Patton cemented his reputation as "Old Blood and Guts." He died in 1945 of injuries sustained in a car accident.

Christmas Tree in Red - October 28, 2009

"Calm self-confidence is as far from conceit as the desire to earn a decent living is remote from greed."

– Channing Pollack

Christmas Tree in Red
2.5" x 3.5" Acrylic on Strathmore Canvas Paper

I'm still playing with ideas for some Christmas cards. This was a fun little painting to do. In case you hadn't noticed, I love purple.

About Channing Pollack

American playwright Channing Pollack is best remembered for his work massively redesigning the plot of the film Metropolis after it was shot. He was born in 1880. He worked in every aspect of New York theater, first as publicist for the Shubert family of theater owners, then as a drama critic who was banned from every Shubert theater, and finally as a playwright whose work included the morality play, The Enemy, as well as Clothes and The Fool. He died in 1946.

Itty Bitty Truck - October 27, 2009

"What is important is to keep learning, to enjoy challenge, and to tolerate ambiguity. In the end there are no certain answers."

– Matina Horner

Itty Bitty Truck

2.5" x 3.5" Acrylic on Strathmore Canvas Paper

Remember when vehicles had personality? I can't imagine that an painting of a new truck would have the same fun factor. After all, I'm in it for the fun.

About Matina Horner

American psychologist Matina Horner is best known for her groundbreaking research in the late 1960's on smart women's fear of success, which became known as the Horner Effect. She was born in 1939 in Massachusetts. During her 17-year tenure as president of Radcliffe College, she helped integrate the women's college into a mainstream presence for women on the Harvard University campus. She has received several awards and serves on the boards of many institutions.

Sleepy Cat - October 26, 2009

"We arrive at the truth, not by the reason only, but also by the heart."

– Blaise Pascal

Sleepy Cat - October 26, 2009
2.5" x 3.5" Acrylic on Strathmore Canvas Paper

I did several little paintings on Sunday. It was a nice, relaxing day.

Eufaula's 4th Annual Art Walk is over. We started the event off with a free concert by Selby Minner & Blues on the Move. They were great!

Saturday was the best day! We had a street blocked off and filled it with artists, musicians, a storyteller, a poet, demonstrators, kids in costumes, a flute maker, two wineries doing wine tasting, a silent auction, beans & cornbread, sold in bowls the Quinton High School kids made, and an artist sharing his potter's wheel with anyone who wanted to get their hands dirty. I'm sure I left something out, but it was a wonderful day.

It was the first time I had a booth. I am always behind the scenes, but this year, I jumped right in the middle of the fun. I had such a good time. I sold two paintings, which is great, but I'd have had fun even without the sales. Of course, I lived on coffee, candy bars and cookies all day, so the caffeine and sugar may have been a factor. he he

Blaise Pascal was not only a mathematician and philosopher, he was also an inventor, having created the hydraulic press and the syringe. He was born in France in 1623. He showed a gift for math early: At age 12, he started rediscovering Euclid's theorems on his own. Later, spurred by a friend who liked gambling, he developed the theory of probabilities. After a life-threatening accident in 1654 he had a religious conversion, which led him to write about religious ethics and belief. He died in 1662.

Miss Target Market - October 23, 2009

"There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do."

– Freya Stark

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Miss Target Market

4" x 6" Pencil Sketch

I am taking a Creative Marketing class with Laura Bray (an artist with an MBA). One of the exercises Laura has asked us to do, is describe our target market.

So far, I think mine is a woman between the age of 25 and 30. She is probably an apartment dweller, living in the city. She is either single or a newlywed and hasn't started her family yet.

I think she likes health food, but can never resist good chocolate. She enjoys chick flicks, blogging, tweeting and Facebook. She has to read a lot of business journals, as she is establishing her career, but when she gets a quiet moment, she may read the occasional Cosmopolitan. Her hobbies are entertaining friends and music.

She doesn't make a lot of money yet, but she knows what she likes. She enjoys color and funky, happy things that make her smile when she wears them or looks at them. Her pain is the high stress of her job and all the hours she spends being the best at her profession. Buying the occasional piece of art that makes her feel good, is one of her greatest pleasures.

More about Laura Brays classes can be found here. This is my second class with Laura and I recommend them. The classes are very hands on and practical, so you really do walk away with a plan.

About Freya Stark

French-Anglo travel writer Freya Stark was one of the first Western women to see the deserts of the Middle East. She was born in 1893 in Paris and spent her childhood split between her father's family home in England and her mother's in Italy. Her first book, Valley of the Assassins, brought her grants to continue her travels. She focused on remote areas of Turkey and the Middle East, seeking cultures that the modern world had not yet altered. She died in 1993 at age 100.

Lamb in Pastel Wool - October 22, 2009

Happiness is a by product of an effort to make someone else happy.

--Gretta Brooker Palmer

Self-centeredness aggravates the natural flow of circumstances surrounding us; too much attention on ourselves distorts whatever might be troubling us. However, focusing on others' needs diminishes what we'd perceived as our own pressing need. This is a simple principle we might all consider adopting.

None of us is free of problems. That's one of life's givens. Through their resolution we grow and ready ourselves for the next group of challenges. Each group we survive enables us to offer better assistance to someone else who will confront a similar problem. Perhaps we'd do well to see all our problems as preparation for guiding someone who will come into our life. Helping someone else is certain to lift spirits and foster happiness, but the unexpected reward is that the helper reaps even greater benefits than the one helped.

My happiness is guaranteed if I help someone else find it today.

by Karen Casey and Martha Vanceburg
from the book, The Promise of a New Day

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Lamb in Pastel Wool
5" x 8" Sennilier Oil Pastel on Black Paper

Okay, pastel is quite a departure from my normal work, but I have seen some beautiful art done in pastel. I am not comfortable with them, but have tried them from time to time. I usually blend the OPs, but for some reason, I liked the colorful strokes in this.


The Promise of a New Day

One of the World's Most Popular Collections of Daily Wisdom...
To Help You Make the Most of Each and Every Day

Every day — happy or sad, challenging or just business-as-usual — makes new demands on us. Each day brings new experiences, new tasks, and new rewards. As each day dawns, take a moment for quiet reflection and discover the promise of a new beginning and a fresh start full of optimism, hope, and joy.

Karen Casey is the best-selling author of Each Day a New Beginning: Daily Meditations for Practicing the Course, Keepers of the Wisdom, and numerous other books. She has also written two books for girls: Girls Only! and Girl to Girl. Her signature book, Each Day a New Beginning, has sold three million copies. Karen enjoys golfing and riding her Harley with her husband. She lives in Minneapolis, and Naples, Florida.

A graduate of the University of Chicago, Martha Vanceburg is the author of A New Life and co-author of Family Feelings and The Promise of a New Day. The mother of three, she lives in Minneapolis with her husband.

V is for Veggie Patch - October 21, 2009

"I get up. I walk. I fall down. Meanwhile, I keep dancing."

– Rabbi Hillel

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V is for Veggie Patch

2.5" x 3.5" Watercolor & Ink

There's something wonderful about seeing the first little sprouts in the garden!

About Rabbi Hillel

Rabbi Hillel is one of the central figures of Jewish tradition, shaping rabbinical philosophy. Born in Babylonia in the first century B.C., he moved to Jerusalem to study the Torah. According to legend, he couldn't afford the admission fee to the school, and because of him the fee was abolished. It is believed that he coined the Golden Rule. When a Gentile came to him, wanting to understand the Torah, Hillel said, "What is hateful to thee, do not do unto thy fellow man. This is the whole Law, the rest is mere commentary."

U is for Uemboshi - October 20, 2009

"We are made to persist. That's how we find out who we are."

– Tobias Wolff

About Tobias Wolff

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U is for Uemboshi
2.5" x 3.5" Watercolor & Ink

In my alphabet exchange, I had to find a food that started with U.

Umeboshi (Japanese; literally "dried ume") are pickled ume fruits common in Japan. Ume is a species of fruit-bearing tree in the genus Prunus, which is often called a plum but is actually more closely related to the apricot. Umeboshi, which are a popular kind of tsukemono (pickles) and are extremely sour and salty, are usually served as side dishes for rice or stuffed inside of rice balls (sometimes without removing their seeds inside) for breakfast and lunch, and are occasionally served boiled or seasoned for dinner.

American author Tobias Wolff is best known for the memoir A Boy's Life, about Wolff's childhood with an itinerant mother and abusive stepfather. He was born in 1945 in Alabama and spent most of his childhood in the Pacific Northwest. His book In Pharaoh's Army: Memories of the Lost War recounts his experiences as a young soldier in Vietnam. He is an acclaimed writing professor at Stanford University. He has three children.

Hoppy Holidays - October 19, 2009

Acceptance is not submission; it is acknowledgment of the facts of a situation. Then deciding what you're going to do about it.
--Kathleen Casey Theisen

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Hoppy Holidays!
8" x 10" Watercolor & Ink

It's that time again, to work on my Holiday cards. I did the first one over the weekend. I have a 10% off coupon for Moo.com holiday cards that expires October 31st, so I better pick one soon. I also like to get them done early enough that I can hand write the envelopes.


I couldn't find anything on the net about Kathleen Casey Theisen. It's a shame, because I love that quote.

Unspoken Comfort - October 16, 2009

"I love deadlines. I especially like the whooshing sound they make as they go flying by." (Douglas Adams)


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Unspoken Comfort
4" x 4" Watercolor


I picked this little quote up from my Robert Genn "The Painter's Keys" newsletter. No matter how busy I get, I always read his newsletters. This one is especially good. "The Miracles of Attention & Focus" is perfectly timed for me.

Robert mentions a book he is reading by Winifred Gallagher, "Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life". I read the statement on the Amazon site and it sounds like a great book. Of course, focusing enough to read it may be a problem for me. **sheepish grin**

Today, I am going to try to focus. I think I'll take on one thing at a time and finish it. The one-thing-at-a-time act is growing increasingly difficult for me, in my very busy life. Wish me luck.

T is for Taco - October 15, 2009

"The capacity for hope is the most significant fact of life. It provides human beings with a sense of destination and the energy to get started."

-- Norman Cousins

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T is for Taco
2.5" x 3.5" watercolor & Ink

This is a fitting painting for today. I am having 25-30 girlfriends over to my house for a Mexican pot luck "girl's night out". Every month we get together somewhere and tonight it's my turn. It'll be fun!

About Norman Cousins

American writer and editor Norman Cousins is best known for his book, Anatomy of an Illness, an account of how he used nutrition and positive visualizations, including laughter, to heal from an illness diagnosed as fatal. He was born in New Jersey in 1915. He served many years as editor-in-chief of the Saturday Review, a job he loved. Under his guidance, circulation increased from 20,000 to 650,000. He received the UN Peace Medal for his world activism. He died in 1990.

Shrimp - October 14, 2009

Simplicity and greatness go together.
-- Monty Cralley

We have probably heard the phrase Keep It Simple thousands of times. It's possible we are mystified by it, even yet. So many things in life have seemed complicated: getting an education, starting a new job, advising children and friends. Not many things can be pursued without careful consideration. When we have approached situations carelessly, we have often blundered badly.

Keeping it simple means doing only the next right thing, not a sequence of fourteen things all at once. To keep something simple means to focus on only a tiny bit of the problem at a time. If we employ a little hindsight, we'll quickly recall how many situations began to improve as we attended to just a portion of them.

God never gives us more than we can handle. How many times have we heard that? It means we'll always be shown the way to handle something little by little, very simply, in exactly the order we need the information. Don't we see this is how it has always been? Why would it change now?

Today I need to listen. I don't need to figure out all my problems at once.

Karen Casey

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Shrimp
Sh in the Alphabet Series
2.5" x 3.5" Watercolor & Ink

We had an extra person in out alphabet exchange, so Sh became a letter for a card. I love this little guy.

Karen Casey, Ph.D., a Naples, FL resident since 1991, published Each Day a New Beginning, her first book, in 1982. This daily meditation book for women in recovery has sold more than 3 million copies. The 25-year Anniversary edition of Each Day a New Beginning was released in August, 2006. It was closely followed by The Promise of a New Day, another daily meditation book for both men and women in search of serenity. It has sold more than 1.2 million copies. Following on the heels of these two books, Karen has written 22 books with more on the way. In April of 2006 she published ALL WE HAVE IS ALL WE NEED and she published three more books in 2007. SERENITY was released in March. BE WHO YOU WANT TO BE, in April and in the December, a companion book to ITS UP TO YOU: A PRACTICE TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE BY CHANGING YOUR MIND.

S is for Sandwich - October 13, 2009

"Inspiration is a guest that does not willingly visit the lazy."

– Pyotr Tchaikovsky

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S is for sandwich
2.5" x 3.5" Watercolor & Ink

About Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Pyotr Tchaikovsky, the Russian classical composer best known for the Nutcracker and Swan Lake ballets, was renowned for his passionate melodies and for bringing Western music into the Russian tradition. He was born in Kamsko-Votkinsk in 1840. He taught music until a widow offered her financial patronage, then retired to the country to compose full time. He never met his benefactor.. He died in 1893, just after the first performance of his Sixth Symphony, the "Pathétique."

Grazing in Westbroek - October 12, 2009

"Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing until it gets there."

– Josh Billings

.Grazing in Westbroek

8" x 10" Watercolor on Yupo

I finally spent a little time with my new Yarka travel watercolor set. I like them. They are very rich in pigment. They are almost thick, and never really dry hard on the pallet. There is a stickiness to them, that keeps me from closing the lid and using them for travel, because all the pans stick to the lid. When you open up the lid, all the pans are stuck to it. I guess I could glue them down. Anybody have any ideas?

I learned a few things this time, about working on yupo.

It really does make a difference, if you wipe the whole sheet off with isopropyl alcohol before you start. It removes all the invisible little fingerprints that cause the paint to repel from the yupo. This is why they recommend that you handle yupo with cotton gloves.

I used a barely damp fan brush, to get the details on the grass. I let everything dry really well before I went back in and added the cattle. The whole painting still only took me 30 minutes. I enjoyed the process a lot.

About Josh Billings

Josh Billings was the pen name of folksy American humorist Henry Wheeler Shaw. He was born in Massachusetts in 1818. After he was thrown out of college for stealing the clapper from the school bell, he roamed far and wide for 26 years before settling down in Poughkeepsie, New York, as an auctioneer. His essays were initially snubbed; he became successful only after he adopted a more eccentric phonetic spelling. He was best known for his annual Old Farmer's Allminax. He died in 1885.

33 Weeks - October 11, 2009

"I accept the fresh ideas that are flowing toward me, and I am grateful for having an open mind with which to receive them."

The Don't Sweat Affirmations
by Richard Carlson, Ph.D.

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33 weeks
3" x 4" Watercolor

My niece sent me a 33 week photo that she took of herself in the mirror. I just had to paint this little painting for her. Her and her husband have been trying for over five years to get pregnant. Finally, they got their miracle! My niece has such a beautiful soul, that I just can't wait to meet her child. They live so far away, that I may have to wait a while, so I'll celebrate with her through an exchange of photos and paintings.


Richard Carlson Ph.D. (16 May 1961 – 13 December 2006) was an author, psychotherapist, and motivational speaker, who rose to fame with the success of his book, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…and it’s all Small Stuff (1997), which became one of the fastest-selling books of all time and made publishing history as USA Todays bestselling book for two consecutive years ^[1]. It also spent over 100 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list, and was published in 135 countries, and translated into Latvian, Polish, Icelandic, Serbian and 26 other languages^[2]; thereafter Carlson went on to write 20 books.[3

R is for Radish - October 9, 2009

"Life begets life. Energy creates energy. It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich."

– Sarah Bernhardt

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R is for Radish
2.5" x 3.5" Watercolor & Ink





Here we are.... the last two days on the ArtNowForAutism auction. Everything that's left is $30. Go take a look. Let's leave them with nothing and support a good cause.

About Sarah Bernhardt

Sarah Bernhardt, the French stage and silent film actress known as the Divine Sarah, was born in Paris in 1844 as Rosine Bernard, the illegitimate daughter of a Jewish courtesan. She began her acting career at age 13 and quickly rose to international stardom. Oscar Wilde wrote the play Salome for her. After her right leg was amputated in 1915, she continued to perform onstage with a prosthetic limb. She was very close to her only child, her son Maurice. She died in 1923.

Q is for Quince - October 8, 2009

"I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I have just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well."

– Diane Ackerman

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Q is for Quince
2.5" x 3.5" Watercolor & Ink

About Diane Ackerman

American poet and nonfiction author Diane Ackerman has written more than 20 books and is best known for the eloquently written best seller The Natural History of the Senses. She was born in Illinois in 1948. While working toward her Ph.D. at Cornell, she studied both arts and sciences, feeling "the universe wasn't knowable from only one perspective." She has a molecule named after her: the dianeacerkone. She lives in upstate New York with her novelist husband.

P is for Peppers - October 7, 2009

"According to the laws of aerodynamics, the bumble bee cannot fly."

There are times when we must go beyond all logic and take a chance with what we feel. These are the times when everything and everyone shouts No at us, and yet something deep inside says, "Go for it!"

We must go with our own convictions, our own conclusions. Life is too short for us to be led by the conclusions of others when we do not agree that they are right for us.

I am filled with the strength and energy I need today to follow my own truth. I am willing to take risks today and find out for myself what works for me in my life.

Time for Joy Daily Affirmations by Ruth Fishel

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P is for Peppers
2.5" x 3.5" Watercolor & Pen

This is one of my favorite little ATCs. I'd like to do some more peppers, in acrylic perhaps.

ArtNowforAutism is doing a reverse auction to raise money for autism research. The first two days, the artwork was all $90 each. Today, they went to $60 each. They will stay there today and tomorrow. On the 9th and 10th, they will be $30. Check it out. There is some beautiful artwork there. They raised $2660 in the first two days. I'd love to see all of the donated artwork sell.

Ruth Fishel, is a therapist, retreat and workshop leader, and author of several books, including "Precious Solitude," "The Journey Within, A Spiritual Path to Recovery," a pioneer book on meditation, spirituality, and recovery, and the best-selling "Time for Joy." She also teaches "Stop! Do You Know You’re Breathing?" a program she developed for teachers and health care workers. She now co-directs Spirithaven, Inc., which she co-founded in 1989.

O is for Orange - October 6, 2009

Self importance is our greatest enemy. Think about it - what weakens us is feeling offended by the deeds and misdeeds of our fellowmen. Our self importance requires that we spend most of our lives offended by someone.
--Carlos Castaneda

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O is for Orange
2.5" x 3.5" Watercolor & Ink

Today, I was looking at Leslie White's wonderful Blog and I checked out an artist on her blogroll, Rog Lyngaas'. Oh my! Go see his beautiful Idaho landscapes. It's fun to discover new artists.

Carlos Castaneda (25 December 1925 – 27 April 1998) was a Peruvian-born American author. Starting with The Teachings of Don Juan in 1968, Castaneda wrote a series of books that describe his purported training in traditional Mesoamerican shamanism. His 12 books have sold more than 8 million copies in 17 languages. The books and Castaneda, who rarely spoke in public about his work, have been controversial for many years. Supporters claim the books are either true or at least valuable works of philosophy and descriptions of practices which enable an increased awareness. Critics have tended to claim that the books are works of fiction, citing what they see as their internal contradictions and Castaneda's description of a peyote culture that, to them, did not exist.

In his books, Castaneda narrated in first person what he claimed were his experiences under the tutelage of a Yaqui shaman named Don Juan Matus whom he met in 1960. Castaneda wrote that he was identified by Don Juan Matus as having the energetic configuration of a "nagual," who, if the spirit chose, could become a leader of a party of seers. He also used the term "nagual" to signify that part of perception which is in the realm of the unknown yet still reachable by man, implying that, for his party of seers, Don Juan was in some way a connection to that unknown. Castaneda often referred to this unknown realm as nonordinary reality, which indicated that this realm was indeed a reality, but radically different from the ordinary reality experienced by human beings who are well engaged in everyday activities as part of their social conditioning.

N is for Nuts - October 5, 2009

Have great hopes and dare to go all out for them. Have great dreams and dare to live them. Have tremendous expectations and believe in them.

Norman Vincent Peale
Positive Thinking Every Day

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N is for Nuts
2.5" x 3.5" Watercolor & Ink

Another one for the alphabet exchange.

Way Fun Canvas Totes - October 4, 2009

"It is good to act as if. It is even better to grow to the point where it is no longer an act."

– Charles Caleb Colton

Way Fun Canvas Totes

Acrylic on 12" x 12" Recycled Totes

English minister and author Charles Caleb Colton was best known for his book of essays, Lacon, or Many Things in Few Words. He was born in 1780 in England. He was an avid collector of both wine and paintings and was known as an eccentric for his lifestyle, which was both lavish and ramshackle, and for his church work, which was sometimes brilliant, sometimes slipshod. After leaving the ministry, he lived in Paris for many years. He died in 1832.

Autumn Jungle - October 2, 2009

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to the body and soul." John Muir

Autumn Jungle
5" x 7" Watercolor

John Muir (1838-1914) was a Scottish-born naturalist, author, and early advocate of the preservation of wilderness. His essays and books were fresh with the spell of wilderness, particularly of the Sierra Nevada in California. Muir popularized the idea of nature as healer. Yosemite and Sequoia National Park, the Sierra Club and the modern environmental movement, are direct results of his gentle insight.

With the influence of a rigid, biblically-minded father, Muir, by age 11, could recite most of the bible by heart. Words and turn-of-phrase did him well, and while he escaped orthodox beliefs with little apology, he wrote well and often of a universal view of the power of deity through attention to nature.

Lily Pads - October 1, 2009

"There is only one real sin and that is to persuade oneself that the second best is anything but second best."

– Doris Lessing

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Lily Pads

2.5" x 3.5" Watercolor & Gouache

I had the best time this morning! Vikie Lea emailed me about this wonderful artist, so I just had to go see. Karrie Evenson is another artist who loves color and has a wonderful style, like Lindy Gruger Hanson, who I have been following for a while. When I spend time looking at art like theirs, I am always inspired to take a few more chances and get a little more bold with my art. They just seem to be having so much fun! Thanks, Vickie!


About Doris Lessing
Doris Lessing, the iconoclastic British author who writes both realistic literary novels and humanist science fiction, is best known for her book The Golden Notebook, an experimental novel about a blocked writer who jots down her thoughts in a set of notebooks. She was born in Iran in 1919 to British parents and grew up in Rhodesia. She went through a communist phase but became disenchanted after witnessing the reality in the Soviet Union. She was awarded a Noble Prize in Literature in 2007. She has been married twice and has three children.