Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Aww, Shucks! – Frog Painting

“Twenty years from now you will be
more disappointed by the things
that you didn’t do.  So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.”
–Mark Twain

Yeah!!!
 



Aww, Shucks! – Frog Painting

2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor from Anything Goes Exchange

I painted 24 frogs for this exchange in 2008.  Since I am busy working on my art licensing collections, I’ll share these frogs with you, in stead of posting new work.  I’m a little hesitant to reveal too much of my new stuff, before I go to the show.    :D

Mark Twain [pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835-1910), quintessential American humorist, lecturer, essayist, and author wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876);
“Tom did play hookey, and he had a very good time. He got back home barely in season to help Jim, the small colored boy, saw next-day’s wood and split the kindlings before supper–at least he was there in time to tell his adventures to Jim while Jim did three-fourths of the work. Tom’s younger brother (or rather half-brother) Sid was already through with his part of the work (picking up chips), for he was a quiet boy, and had no adventurous, trouble-some ways.” Ch. 1
More…..

Monday, November 29, 2010

Best Friends

“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.”
– Vincent van Gogh



Best Friends
6″ x 9″ Watercolor

This is done from a photo by Catherine at WetCanvas.  It’s the first time I have been able to participate over there in a long time.  This painting will be part of my art licensing collection called “Patchwork Puppies”.  I only have 6 weeks before I go to the Atlanta show, so I am working like crazy on my mockups.  Fun!  :)

About Vincent van Gogh

The Dutch post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh worked as an artist for only ten years, but he had a profound and lasting effect on the art world. He was born in 1853 in Zundert. He briefly became a minister but was dismissed for caring too much about his impoverished parishioners. His brother, Theo, was a close friend and supporter. He only sold one painting during his lifetime. He is known for his heavy brushstrokes and strong colors. He died in 1890 of suicide.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Thank You Note from my Beach Series

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”
– Ursula K. Le Guin



Thank You Note from my Beach Series
Photoshop CS5 Product Mock Up

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I enjoyed a day with friends and it was great!

Here is another one of my little product mock ups.  It’s a very slow process, from painting each little individual icon, then scanning it in, cleaning it up, removing the background and creating patterns and borders.

I have no prior experience with Photoshop CS5, but Tara Reed has published some great ebooks and videos, which I am using to learn and create these little mock ups.    She uses CS3, but I found the CS5 at a really good price at Buy.com.  I am such a babe in the woods in that program, but I’m trying very hard to enjoy the journey.  :D

About Ursula K. Le Guin

American writer Ursula K. Le Guin’s beautifully crafted, lyrical novels transcend the science fiction and fantasy genres; her books have been finalists for the Pulitzer Prize and have won the National Book Award and the Pushcart Prize, among many other honors. She was born in Berkeley in 1929, met her husband in Paris, and settled in Oregon to raise her family. Her best known novels include The Dispossessed, The Left Hand of Darkness, and The Earthsea Trilogy.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Patchwork Christmas Collection 1 – Plate

“If you’re going through a tough time during this holiday season, and you’re finding it difficult not to be sad, reach out and do something kind for someone in need.  It’s amazing how much better you’ll feel!”
–Beth Parker



Patchwork Christmas Collection 1 – Plate

Woo Hoo! Now you can see a little sample of what I have been up to for the last month or so.  I painted a bunch of little Patchwork Christmas Icons, then put them all, individually into Photoshop CS5.  They each become layers and then patterns.  It takes a lot of work to get to this point and I have a whole bunch of different images to work with.  I have everything from fish to dogs in my little portfolio, just waiting for me to turn them into patterns.

I really think my art is meant to be licensed and I won’t stop until it’s a reality!    Weeeee! I’m in for an exciting new ride!  :D

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Masters Study – American Flamingo 1838 by John James Audubon

“I always have enough time to thank people for their help and kindness, no matter how small their act was.”
–Richard Carlson, Ph.D. (The Don’t Sweat Affirmations)



Masters Study – American Flamingo 1838 by John James Audubon
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor ATC

A link to the original Audubon painting is here.  This is the last one of the Masters Study series.  I wonder what I’ll do next?  he he

My life has been a whirlwind lately.  I haven’t had time to get around to the blogs and visit, but I will.  I promise.  Soon.  :)

The Don’t Sweat Affirmations
 
100 affirmations that reinforce the don’t sweat philosophy of life: that not letting the little things get to you is a great way to reduce stress overall. These peaceful, beautifully written affirmations are simple statements that hold a big impact. Readers who repeat only several affirmations a day will find their lives becoming more calm and less frantic immediately.

About the Author

Best-selling author Richard Carlson, Ph.D., creator of the popular Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff series and the just published Don’t Get Scrooged, died suddenly of cardiac arrest enroute to New York on December 13. Carlson, 45, published his first book in 1985 and went on to publish more than 20 books that remain popular in English and in translation in 130 languages and 35 countries. Richard Carlson grew up in Piedmont, CA. He received his undergraduate degree from Pepperdine University and his Ph.D. in psychology from Sierra University. He was in private practice as a psychotherapist when he started to publish books about psychological and spiritual health. As his books started to attract a large audience, he began writing full time so he could teach more people how to live with presence and ease by cultivating gratitude and generosity. Dr. Carlson was a large supporter of and participant in the National Center for Family Literacy and at the time of his death he was working on a project with them called for “A Penny a Book” from publishers, authors and literary agents to promote literacy. Dr. Carlson is survived by his wife and life partner of 25 years, Kris Carlson, his co-author on Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff in Love and the author of Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff for Women, his loving daughters Jasmine and Kenna, sisters, Kathleen Carlson Mowris of Olympic Village, CA and Anna L. Carlson of La Selva Beach, CA, and his parents, Barbara and Don Carlson of Orinda, CA. A private memorial service will be held next week. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made in Richard’s honor to local food banks, Challenge Day, Girls Inc. or Children Inc.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Masters Study – American White Pelican by John Audubon

“Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing attempt.”
–William Shakespeare



Masters Study – American White Pelican by John Audubon
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor ATC

Tomorrow is the last Masters study, in case you’d like to see something new for a change.  :)

A link to the original is here.

I have been working on my art licensing collections.  I’m pleased with what I have come up with.  The real work starts now, as I get it all into Photoshop and do the repeat patterns and mock ups.   Whew!  It’s all fun, even though I have a huge learning curve to deal with.

William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564; died 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist.  He is often called England’s national poet and the “Bard of Avon”. His surviving works, including some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.  More…

Friday, November 19, 2010

Masters Study – Edgar Degas, a crop from Dancers Resting

“There ain’t nothing from the outside can lick any of us.”
– Margaret Mitchell



Masters Study – Edgar Degas, a crop from  Dancers Resting
2.5″ x 3.5″ Van Gogh H2Oils on 140# Watercolor paper

Here’s a link to the original Degas painting.  If you haven’t tried them, Van Gogh H2Oils are water soluble  oil paints.  They are fun to play with.   I remember spending a lot of time on that white dress.  There are a lot of colors in it, along with texture and shadow.  Fun!!  :)

About Margaret Mitchell

Margaret Mitchell wrote just one book, the immensely successful Civil War novel, Gone With the Wind, which she wrote while convalescing with a broken ankle, basing it on tales her relatives had told her. She then put the book away until a publisher asked if she had ever written a novel. After giving him the manuscript, she got cold feet and asked for it back, but he’d already begun reading. The book still sells more than 200,000 copies a year. She was born in Atlanta in 1900 and died in 1949.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Masters Study – Edward Hopper, Lighthouse at Two Lights 1929

“You get what you reward.  Be clear about what you want to get and systematically reward it.”
–Bob Nelson



Masters Study – Edward Hopper, Lighthouse at Two Lights 1929
2.5″ x 3.5″ watercolor ATC

I really became a big Edward Hopper fan during this exchange.  Here is a link to the original Hopper painting.  In looking back at them now, mine seems much lighter than his, but that’s okay.  It was so fun to do.  (Imagine that…. me having fun! :D )

I got today’s quote from my little book by Gary Ryan Blair, “Goals – The Ten Rules for Achieving Success“.  I cannot be sure which Bob Nelson he was quoting, so I don’t have an author’s bio for you today.  I found Bob Nelson quotes from a motivational speaker,  a comedian,  and a host of others.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Masters Study – Emile Bernard, Iron Bridges at Asnieres 1887

“No one can really pull you up very high — you lose your grip on the rope. But on your own two feet you can climb mountains.”
– Louis Brandeis



Masters Study – Emile Bernard,  Iron Bridges at Asnieres 1887
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor & Gouache

A link to the original Bernard painting is here. This one was really fun!  Well, of course it was.  They were all fun!  :)   Jeanne at WetCanvas has started another Masters exchange.  You can find the project here.

About Louis Brandeis

American judge Louis Brandeis was the first Jewish Supreme Court Justice, and one of the most influential Justices in the history of the Court. He was born in Kentucky in 1856 to Czech-born parents. He graduated from high school at age 14 and later became head of his class at Harvard Law School. As a Justice, many of his decisions created greater protections for individual rights of privacy and free speech. He died in 1941. Brandeis University was named in his honor.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Masters Study – Georges Seurat A Sunday on la Grande Jatte crop

“A life of reaction is a life of slavery, intellectually and spiritually. One must fight for a life of action, not reaction.”
– Rita Mae Brown



Masters Study – Georges Seurat A Sunday on la Grande Jatte crop
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor ATC

I loved this entire painting, but was too chicken to do more than a little crop.  I like the  feel of the original, with all the ladies in their Sunday finery.    I really am creating current art, but it’s not ready to post yet, so thanks for hanging in there with me, while I share my 2008 Masters series.   :)

The original Seurat painting can be seen here.

About Rita Mae Brown

American author Rita Mae Brown became a pioneer of lesbian-themed fiction with the publication of her first novel, the best-selling Rubyfruit Jungle. She was born in 1944 in Pennsylvania and ultimately settled in Virginia, where most of her novels take place. After she lost a college scholarship due to her political activism, she briefly lived in an abandoned car with a friend and a cat named Baby Jesus. Her many novels include a mystery series “co-written” with her cat, Sneaky Pie.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Masters Study – George Seurat Crop

“The gain in self-confidence of having accomplished a tiresome labour is immense.”
Arnold Bennett

Brian Tracy (author of Eat That Frog) calls that “Eating the Biggest, Ugliest frog first”.  I’m learning that he’s right.  It’s hard to put in to practice, but I’m trying to get better at it.
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Masters Study – George Seurat Crop
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor ATC
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A link to the George Seurat original is here.  Another one that is much harder than it looks.  Being so new to painting, after a thirty year break, I tried to pick images that would be easier to copy.  HA!  Boy did I learn a lot!  :D
.
Well, I bit the bullet last week and decided to go to the Altlanta Americasmart License & Design show.  I am sure Art Licensing is the direction I want to go with my art, so I made a commitment to get my feet wet.  I am not exhibiting, just observing and networking.  I spent all day Sunday, working on additional collections of art.  It’s going to be very exciting!  :)
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Imagine me “wiggling my butt” if you dare!  he he

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About Arnold Bennett

Popular British novelist Arnold Bennett wrote more than 30 well-received novels, including The Old Wives Tale, the fictional life story of two sisters. He was born in 1867 in Hanley, in the heart of the six Staffordshire towns known as the Potteries. Although he left as an adult, settling in London and then Paris, he set much of his fiction in his birthplace, giving the novels a gritty realist texture. He died in 1931.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Masters Study – Pablo Picasso, Autoportrait 1899-1900

Today I am posting a little extra.  This comes from my little book, Time for Joy, by Ruth Fishel (daily affirmations) and the stuff she says after the quote is really good.  So I am going to type it all in here for you, one little finger peck at a time.

“Whatever we see as our “self” must have a place in our own hearts and consciousness before we can become individualized as personalities.”
Marsha Sinetar

“The way we see ourselves begins with our earliest memories.  It comes from the messages we received from those around us.  If we see ourselves in any negative way, we are letting these messages from others run our lives in a negative way.
It takes time to identify those voices and know that they are not ours.  We need to take that time to know that no matter what and who we are, we are just where we need to be to grow and mature.
Once we can allow ourselves this respect, we can develop as individuals.  Today is a wonderful day for this.”

“Today I am discovering who I am.  Today I am becoming my person, worthy of developing all of me.  Today I am beginning to know that I am okay the way I am.”
Ruth Fishel

Isn’t that cool!



Masters Study – Pablo Picasso, Autoportrait 1899-1900
2.5″ x 3.5″ Gouache on Art Spectrum Colourfix

I remember every brush stroke I did on this, like it was yesterday.  Again, something that looked easy was very difficult.  I loved every minute of it, right down to that little “YO”.  :)

A link to the original painting by Pablo Picasso is escaping me again.  I can’t find this painting, so I’ll do a little photoshop thing, to show you both.



I am going back to my post with Ferdinand Loyen du Puigaudeau to do the same, so you can see the original.  You can find it here.  Mine is awful, when you see them side by side.  I was so new to painting and it was really difficult, especially 2.5″ x 3.5″.  :)

Marsha Sinetar, Ph.D., is an organizational psychologist, mediator, and writer who for the past several years has been increasingly immersed in the study of self-actualizing adults.
Marsha Sinetar’s life and works are about helping adults move toward wholeness. She lectures, teaches, and writes about how the entirety of what you do in live, including your work, should contribute to your happiness, joy and fulfillment.

I have probably given you Ruth Fishel’s bio many times, since I quote often from her book, so I’ll give you a link to her Facebook page in stead.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Masters Study – Pablo Picasso – Portrait d’ Utrillo

“Luck is the by-product of busting your fanny.”
– Don Sutton

Happy Veteran’s Day! If you served, or are serving  -  which includes being a supportive family member – Thank You!!



Masters Study – Pablo Picasso – Portrait d’ Utrillo

2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor and Gouache ATC

This was amazing!  Here is a link to the original.  It looked so simple and easy and it wasn’t.  I worked and worked at it and had a ball!  I enjoyed the background, too.  I love Picasso!   I did his self portrait, too.  I’ll show you that tomorrow.  :)

About Don Sutton

American Major League baseball player Don Sutton, never a flashy player, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame after an amazingly consistent winning career as a pitcher. He was born in Alabama in 1945, and broke into the big leagues at age 21. By the time he retired in 1988, he had won 324 games, recorded more than 3,500 strikeouts, racked up a record 21 consecutive 100-plus strikeout seasons, and never missed his turn in the pitching rotation. He is now a TV announcer for the Washington Nationals.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Masters Study – Paul Cezanne – Pines and Rocks

“We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”
– Carlos Castaneda



Masters Study – Paul Cezanne – Pines and Rocks
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor & Gouache ATC

A link to the original is here.  This was fun!    It’s funny when I type that.  Have you ever seen me say “This wasn’t a bit fun.”?  ha ha ha  The part I like is all the bursts of color in this painting.

About Carlos Castaneda

Carlos Castaneda, the Peruvian-born new age writer, is known for his book series about his apprenticeship with Don Juan Matus, the Toltec shaman, including A Separate Reality and Journey to Ixtlan. The books are about the nature of perception and include many hallucinatory experiences. It is unknown how much of his writing was factual. He wrote the first three books as an anthropology student at UCLA, and they quickly gained cult success. He was born in 1925 and died in 1998.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Masters Study – Crop from The Red Dog by Paul Gauguin

“The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want.”
–Ben Stein



Masters Study – Crop from The Red Dog by Paul Gauguin
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor & Gouache ATC

I guess you can tell that I didn’t have time to paint anything last weekend.  Here is another study I did in 2008.  I learned so much doing this.  I can still remember that I worked on that white dress forever!  :)

A link to the original Gauguin painting is here.

Ben Stein (Benjamin J. Stein) was born November 25, 1944 in Washington, D.C., (He is the son of the economist and writer Herbert Stein) grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland, and attended Montgomery Blair High School. He graduated from Columbia University in 1966 with honors in economics. He graduated from Yale Law School in 1970 as valedictorian of his class by election of his classmates. He also studied in the graduate school of economics at Yale. He has worked as an economist at The Department of Commerce, a  poverty lawyer in New Haven and Washington, D.C., a trial lawyer in the field of trade regulation at the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, D.C., a university adjunct at American University in Washington, D.C., at the University of California at Santa Cruz, and at Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA. At American U. He taught about the political and social content of mass culture. He taught the same subject at UCSC, as well as about political and civil rights under the Constitution. At Pepperdine, he has taught about libel law and about securities law and ethical issues since 1986.  More, at his official website – Ben’s House.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Masters Study – Ferndinand Loyen Du Puigaudeau

“Most people are so busy knocking themselves out trying to do everything they think they should do, they never get around to do what they want to do.”
– Kathleen Winsor



Masters Study – Ferndinand Loyen Du Puigaudeau
2.6″ x 3.5″ Watercolor & Gouache ATC

This one was really hard, if I remember correctly.  I couldn’t find a link for the original painting by Ferndinand Loyen Du Puigaudeau.   I have a copy, but if I post it here, Facebook will pick it up in my automatic feed and I don’t want any misunderstandings.  If you want to see the original, I can email it to you.  If you can find it, please put a link in your comment.  How weird is that?

But… while looking for it, I saw many of his other paintings that I would love to try.  :)

About Kathleen Winsor

American author Kathleen Winsor is best known for the racy historical novel, Forever Amber, which made a huge splash when it was first published in 1944, selling 100,000 copies the first week. It was banned in 14 states for its sexual content. The ensuing debate contributed to the loosening of restrictions that allowed works by D. H. Lawrence and Henry Miller to be published in the US. Winsor wrote a number of other novels, none as successful. She was born in 1919 and died in 2003.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Masters Study – Edward Hopper’s Room in New York Crop

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



Masters Study – Edward Hopper’s Room in New York Crop
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor ATC

I fell in love with Edward Hopper, while doing this Masters exchange.  His work looked so easy to do and it was soooo hard.  I think it is amazing.   He wasn’t readily accepted by his peers early on, but stuck to his guns and I’m glad he did!  (to the best of my understanding)  :)
Hopper’s original painting is here.

I’m off to Muskogee to fly!  **wave**

About Marva Collins

“American educator Marva Collins pioneered progressive education for disadvantaged children. She was born in Alabama in 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 recieved 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.”  (I like that!)

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Masters Study – Van Gogh Portrait of Joseph Roulin

“If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain;  If I can ease one life the aching, Or cool one pain, Or help one fainting robin Into it’s nest again, I shall not live in vain.”
–Emily Dickinson



Masters Study – Van Gogh Portrait of Joseph Roulin
2.5″ x 3.5″ Gouache on Art Spectrum Colourfix

This is my third Van Gogh study.  The other two are here and here.  The original Van Gogh painting is here.

Looking back at these, reminds me that I should do more.   The other Masters that I studied on ATCs are John James Audubon, Edgar Degas, Edward Hopper, Emile Bernard, Fernando Puiqaudeau, George Seurat, Pablo Picasso, Paul Cezanne, and Paul Gauguin.  Can you imagine?  :D


Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1830. She attended Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in South Hadley, but severe homesickness led her to return home after one year. Throughout her life, she seldom left her house and visitors were scarce. The people with whom she did come in contact, however, had an enormous impact on her thoughts and poetry. She was particularly stirred by the Reverend Charles Wadsworth, whom she met on a trip to Philadelphia. He left for the West Coast shortly after a visit to her home in 1860, and some critics believe his departure gave rise to the heartsick flow of verse from Dickinson in the years that followed. While it is certain that he was an important figure in her life, it is not certain that this was in the capacity of romantic love—she called him “my closest earthly friend.” Other possibilities for the unrequited love in Dickinson’s poems include Otis P. Lord, a Massachusetts Supreme Court Judge, and Samuel Bowles, editor of the Springfield Republican.  More on Emily Dickinson here.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Masters Study – Van Gogh’s Yellow House

“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.”
–Epictetus



Masters Study – Van Gogh’s Yellow House
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor & Gouache ATC

This is a crop from the original painting.   I really enjoyed these little studies.  Here is a link to the original painting.    I’m off to Muskogee now, to go fly!  :D

Weeeeeee!

Epictetus (Greek: Ἐπίκτητος; AD 55–AD 135) was a Greek Stoic philosopher. He was born a slave at Hierapolis, Phrygia (present day Pamukkale, Turkey), and lived in Rome until banishment when he went to Nicopolis in northwestern Greece where he lived the rest of his life. His teachings were noted down and published by his pupil Arrian in his Discourses. Philosophy, he taught, is a way of life and not just a theoretical discipline. To Epictetus, all external events are determined by fate, and are thus beyond our control, but we can accept whatever happens calmly and dispassionately. Individuals, however, are responsible for their own actions, which they can examine and control through rigorous self-discipline. Suffering arises from trying to control what is uncontrollable, or from neglecting what is within our power. As part of the universal city that is the universe, human beings have a duty to care for all fellow humans. The person who followed these precepts would achieve happiness.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Masters Study – Vincent Van Gogh

“Can anything be sadder than work unfinished? Yes, work never begun.”
– Christina Rossetti



Masters Study – Vincent Van Gogh

2.5″ x 3.5″  ATC – Gouache on Art Spectrum Colourfix

When I first started painting, again after a 30 year absence,  I joined an ATC exchange on WetCanvas where we studied the Masters.  I learned so much in this swap, because I have no formal art training.  I understood why they were the Masters while I was studying their paintings.   I did these in early 2008.  Since I haven’t been able to paint much in the last few days, I thought I would share some of these ATCs.  The original Van Gogh painting is here.

I had a great lesson with my new flight instructor yesterday.  I have renewed hopes for actually getting my private pilot’s license.  YAY! :D

About Christina Rossetti

Christina Rossetti, the Victorian era English poet, is known for the melancholy themes in such poems as “Goblin Market” and “When I Am Dead.” She was born in 1830 in London to Italian-born parents. Her father was poet Gabriele Rossetti and her brother was the painter/poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti. She rejected two marriage proposals because, although she loved both men, neither shared her religious devotion. According to her brother, she wrote effortlessly and rapidly. She died in 1894.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Old House in Bethville

“Were the diver to think on the jaws of the shark, he would never lay hands on the precious pearl.”
– Saadi



Old House in Bethville

7″ x 10″ Watercolor

The reference (by ddpatterson at WetCanvas) for this painting was an old, crumbling house.  I had a great time rehabbing it!  There were no pens used for the outlines, just a wee little brush.

I am late getting to my blog today, because I actually got to fly this morning.  I found a new flight instructor, in Muskogee.  I haven’t flown in 2 months, so it was wonderful getting back up there.  Can you hear me “whoo-hoo-ing” from there?  :D

About Saadi

Saadi was a Persian moralist poet best known for Gulistan (The Rose Garden), which combines prose and verse, and Bustan (The Fruit Garden), which includes histories, anecdotes, and fables. He was born in 1291 and lived in Shiraz in what is now Iran. For 30 years, he traveled throughout the Middle East, including Turkey, Egypt, and Arabia. One of his most famous poems adorns the entrance to the Hall of Nations at the UN building in New York. He died when he was 107 years old.