Christmas Egret

“The Golden Rule works for men as written, but for women it should go the other way around.  We need to do unto ourselves as we do unto others.”
– Gloria Steinem



Christmas Egret
Watercolor & Ink

It’s weird to think about Christmas, but we are waiting for the mother of all storms to hit our area (and many of yours) tonight.  I have been running around this morning gathering provisions and getting prepared.  Then, I discovered I had a flat tire, so my truck is now at the tire shop.  It has been a crazy morning.

My flight on Saturday was wonderful!  I flew from Muskogee to Fort Smith, then to McAlester and back to Muskogee.  I had my CFI with me, but it was still good.  I now have an endorsement in my log book that allows me to fly solo in Muskogee or McAlester, and points in between!  YAY!!!

I hope that wherever you are during the coming storm,  you are safe and warm.

Gloria Steinem

Social activist, writer, editor, and lecturer. Born on March 25, 1934, in Toledo, Ohio. Since the late 1960s, Gloria Steinem has been an outspoken champion of women’s rights. She had an unusual upbringing, spending part of the year in Michigan and the winters in Florida or California. With all this traveling, Steinem did not attend school on a regular basis until she was 11.  More….

My Chilly Flamingo

“Once the ‘what’ is decided, the ‘how’ always follows. We must not make the ‘how’ an excuse for not facing and accepting the ‘what.’”
– Pearl S. Buck

Boy, isn’t that the truth!



My Chilly Flamingo
Watercolor & Ink

This little flamingo is modeling the new winter line.  I did put palm trees on her scarf, to make her feel at home. 

We are enjoying some amazing weather here in Oklahoma.  It is supposed to be in the 70′s today and tomorrow!   But…. Tuesday, the high is supposed to be 27.  **shiver**  I’m going to take advantage of this beautiful day and do graphics on store windows in Quinton.  Saturday, I hope to do my long cross country flight with my instructor.  YAY!!

About Pearl S. Buck

Prolific American author Pearl S. Buck is best known for her 1931 novel, The Good Earth, which depicted peasant life in China; the book, published by the John Day Company, won the Pulitzer Prize. She was born in West Virginia in 1892, but her missionary parents raised her in China. She and her first husband lived in China until 1934, when they had to flee the political strife. She later divorced and married John Day’s publisher, Richard Walsh, in 1935. In 1938, she became the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in literature. By the time of her death in 1973, she had published over 70 books, including collections of stories, poetry, and children’s literature.

Flamingo Flair

“He who cannot change the very fabric of his thought will never be able to change reality.”
– Anwar al-Sadat



Flamingo Flair
Watercolor & Ink

I don’t know a single respectable flamingo who wouldn’t love these shoes!  I have painted a ton of animals with shoes on over the years, but flamingos seem to wear them with flair! 

On the news this morning, they were talking about a new line of makeup WalMart is introducing for 8-13 year old girls!  I can hear my mother now… “You’re going to be old a very long time.  Stay young as long as you can!”  Back then, it was agonizing, but now I see her point.  Young is good!  I wore my innocent face until I was 16, and even then, she denied the blue eye shadow.  he he

About Anwar al-Sadat

Egyptian president Anwar al-Sadat won the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize in conjunction with Israeli prime minister Menachim Begin for the Camp David Accords. He was born in Egypt in 1918. He participated in the 1952 coup to oust the corrupt King Farouk and became president in 1970. He led Egypt into the Yom Kippur War to reclaim part of the Sinai Peninsula. When that failed, he took the risky diplomatic path, opening the door to détente. He was assassinated in 1981 by Muslim extremists.

Are You Still Back There? - Bird Painting

“Valor lies just halfway between rashness and cowardice.”
– Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra



Are You Still Back There?

Watercolor & Sharpie

I  saw on Facebook yesterday (from our Mayor) that Willie Nelson is coming to play at the Eufaula Cove Amphitheater on July 2nd.  That is way cool!  This little burg will be hopping that weekend.  We already go from around 2500 to 25,000 people on a holiday weekend, during the summer.  I imagine we’ll exceed that by many thousands.  Today is the first time I have seen the video on the Levelland Productions website.  That’s a lot of people packed in there!   (I haven’t been to a concert at the cove.)

Can you tell that I need to think about summer?  This week, we are supposed to see some 50s and 60s, before it gets cold again.  I’m going to plan some outside jobs and get a little vitimin D. 

This is the last of the little birds I painted a couple weeks ago.  Gee… I wonder what’s next?

About Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

The Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, who was renowned for his picaresque novel Don Quixote de la Mancha, had as colorful and difficult a life as his hero. He was born in 1547 near Madrid. He lost the use of his left hand in the battle of Lepanto, after which Barbary pirates captured him and his crew for five years. Later, he was fired from his tax-collecting job and began writing Don Quixote in debtor’s prison. It was published in 1605 and made him an overnight success. He died in 1616.

I Don’t Think My Feet Are Big! – Bird Painting

“Trust your hunches. They’re usually based on facts filed away just below the conscious level.”
– Dr. Joyce Brothers



I Don’t Think My Feet Are Big!
Watercolor & Sharpie


I flew my night dual (CFI in the plane with me) cross country last night!   A cross country is flying between airports at least 50 nautical miles apart.  We flew from Muskogee to McAlester and back.  As we flew over Lake Eufaula, we could see the light in my yard!  How fun is that?

If the weather holds out, we’ll do a dual cross country on Saturday, from Muskogee to Ft. Smith, AR,  to McAlester and back to Muskogee.  Then…. (drum roll please)… I’ll make that same trip by myself, not long after that.  I am so excited!!

About Dr. Joyce Brothers

The popular American psychologist and advice columnist Joyce Brothers first found fame by winning The $64,000 Question game show. She was born in 1928. Her influence, through a daily newspaper column, radio and TV shows, and more than ten best-selling self-help books, has made her one of the ten most admired women in America, according to a number of polls. After her husband died in 1989, she wrote her most personal book, Widowed, delving into her own grief. She lives in New York.

Awww… You’re Making Me Blush – Bird Painting

“I care not what others think of what I do, but I care very much about what I think of what I do! That is character.”
– Theodore Roosevelt

 

Awww… You’re Making Me Blush
Watercolor & Sharpie

Doesn’t this little bird look like he’s blushing from a huge compliment?  he he

Half the fun of painting these birds, is giving them their own personalities. 

About Theodore Roosevelt

Known both for his larger-than-life personality and his many achievements, Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest US president at age 42. He was born in 1858 in New York. He led the Rough Riders, a motley volunteer cavalry, to victory in the battle of San Juan Hill. As the “Trust Buster” president, he instigated some 40 lawsuits to break up monopolies. An ardent conservationist, he put 230 million acres under federal protection. The Panama Canal was begun under Roosevelt. He died in 1919.

Rainbow Bird

“Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, but only saps today of its strength.”
– A. J. Cronin



Rainbow Bird
Watercolor & Sharpie

Yay!  I got up my driveway this morning!  I worked at home yesterday, but it’s still a little worrisome when I can’t get to the sign shop.   I don’t want to miss anything. 

About A. J. Cronin

Archibald Joseph Cronin, the Scottish novelist who wrote as A. J. Cronin, had a full career as a doctor before turning to fiction. He was born in 1896, worked as a Royal Navy surgeon during World War I, and later was appointed Medical Inspector of Mines in Wales. Some of his most famous books are The Citadel, The Keys of the Kingdom, and Pocketful of Rye. His works were known to reflect both his religious beliefs as a Roman Catholic and his medical training. He died in 1981.

Simply Green - Little Bird Painting

You’ve got to create a dream.
You’ve got to uphold the dream.
If you can’t, go back to the factory
or go back to the desk.
–Eric Burdon

Simply Green

Watercolor & Sharpie

I’m trapped at the bottom of my long driveway…. again.  It wouldn’t be bad if it was just snow, but we have an unfriendly little layer of ice underneath the snow.   Have I mentioned that I am not a big fan of winter?  I did bring work home with me, but my husband will be clawing at the walls.  He is not very good at being trapped.  :)

I hope my little green bird brings a moment of spring to your life today.

Eric Burdon, Singer, songwriter

Sometimes referred to as a “black singer trapped inside a white skin,” Eric Burdon achieved international fame by belting out bluesy rock numbers with theAnimals in the mid-1960s. His raw, hard-edged vocals were a key ingredient in a number of hits for the band in their native United Kingdom and abroad. After the original Animals disbanded, Burdon made his mark as a vocalist with the black band War.

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/eric-burdon#ixzz1BaBfhRrA

Mellow Yellow Goose

“We cannot do everything at once but we can do something at once.”
– Calvin Coolidge



Mellow Yellow Goose

Watercolor & Sharpie

This is another little bird painting I did a couple weeks ago.    It’s so fun to paint birds.   You can add a ton of detail or keep it simple.  Just play.

Boy, that is a great quote.  I seem to have so much on my plate that the only way I can manage it, is to break it into chunks and attack one chunk at a time.  It was the same way in Atlanta.  AmericasMart has three huge buildings, with a total of 800,000 square feet.  Building 1 has 20 floors, building 2 has 18 floors and building 3 has 13.  Building 2 even has a west wing with 11 floors.  Each floor is really huge.  To give you an idea, the second floor of building 2 had 210 showrooms or booths!  It was a daunting task, to figure out where I wanted to go and who I wanted to see.  I did hours of planning before, and hours of note taking after the show each day.  If  I didn’t break it into chunks, I would have never been able to make the most of the experience.  I would still be trying to make my head stop spinning.

Mr. Coolidge had some great advice, didn’t he?  “We cannot do everything at once but we can do something at once.”

About Calvin Coolidge

John Calvin “Silent Cal” Coolidge was the thirtieth US president, ascending to the duty after the death of Warren Harding. He was born in Vermont on July 4, 1872. A woman once bet that she could get the tight-lipped Coolidge to say three words during dinner. His response: “You lose.” As president, he was a Federalist, believing in local self-rule, though he lowered taxes and reduced the national debt, inciting the growth of the Roaring Twenties. He died in 1933.

Does My Butt Look Fat in These Feathers?

“Inspiration usually comes during work, rather than before it.”
– Madeleine L’Engle



Does My Butt Look Fat in These Feathers?
Watercolor & Sharpie

My husband named this painting.  Isn’t he witty?  I painted some simple little birds a couple weeks ago, just to have fun and practice birds.  I really enjoyed it.  As you may have noticed,  if you were reading this blog a couple years ago, I did a series of 24 birds for an exchange once.  I’m guessing you may not be ready to see another 24 of anything from me, after just getting through the frog series. 

As soon as I dig myself out of the pile of sign work I came back to, I am going to do some more original paintings.  I’ll share these little birds in the meantime.  Thanks so much for coming by and visiting my blog.  You make my day!

About Madeleine L’Engle

American author Madeleine L’Engle is best known for her young adult novels (including the Newberry Medal winner A Wrinkle in Time), which weave science and fantasy into sprightly adventure tales. She was born in New York in 1918. After her marriage to actor Hugh Franklin, they opened a general store and raised three children in a New England town. She has written more than 40 books. She spent her last years in New York as the librarian and writer-in-residence at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. She died in 2007.

Giggle Fish Pattern

“Hope is not a dream, but a way of making dreams become reality.”
– Cardinal Leon Joseph Suenens

Yeah!!!



Giggle Fish Pattern

This is one of the patterns I took to Atlanta.  What a great experience!  I met  so many people and came home with some incredible opportunities.   One of my best leads wants to see my flamingos in high top tennies.  Is life great, or what? 

So much to do and so little time.  My flight instructor is already calling to set up flight times and my sign shop is completely in need of my full attention.  I am so lucky to be me and have all the opportunities before me.    I better get to it.   Have a great day!

About Cardinal Leon Joseph Suenens

Cardinal Leon Joseph Suenens played a major leadership role during the Second Vatican Council in the early 1960′s; his reforms include reciting the liturgy in modern languages, expanding the role of laypersons, and opening a dialogue with other religions. He was born in 1904 in Brussels. Wealthy relatives wanted him to study economics and manage their fortune, but instead he entered the priesthood. He was witty and charming, with an enthusiasm for soccer. He died in 1996.

Frog Collection – Product Mock Ups

“Be happy. It’s one way of being wise.”
– Colette



Frog Collection
Mock Ups for Art Licensing

For all of the art I’m taking to Atlanta, I have done these mock up pages, showing what the art may look like on their products.  This one is pretty simple, because I didn’t make any patterns, icons or borders for the frogs.    I found myself running out of time and getting everything into Photoshop CS5 is very time consuming.  I am taking 16 collections and some loose art, along with my new brochures and business cards.

Now, if they just don’t cancel my flight and my hotel is still open.  *sigh*  It’s a good thing I am taking my sense of humor with me. 

See you on Monday!

About Colette

Colette was the pen name of Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, the French author acclaimed for her intimate, lyrical novels, including Chéri and The Vagabond. Born in Burgundy in 1873, she moved to Paris in 1893 when she married Henri “Willy” Gauthier-Villars, who locked her in a room and demanded that she write. After their divorce, she became a music-hall performer and continued to write. During World War I, she converted her second husband’s estate into a hospital for the wounded. She died in 1954.

Sunnie Louise - Frog Painting

“Be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else.”
– Judy Garland



Sunnie Louise
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor & Gouache on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Today, it’s much easier navigating around southeast Oklahoma.  I wish the same could be said for Atlanta!  What a mess!  I’d like to think it’ll all be cleared up before I get there, Thursday, but it’s not looking too promising.  They are not supposed to be above freezing until Thursday.  (The big adventure continues.)  I am meeting another artist for dinner Thursday night that is driving from Charolette, NC, and they got 5 inches of snow.  I hope she can still make it.  Mother nature is giving us some interesting challenges to overcome, but I am still excited!

About Judy Garland

Beloved American actress Judy Garland will always be associated with her role as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. She was born Frances Gumm in Minnesota in 1922 to vaudevillian parents. She made her stage debut at age two and a half. She starred in 26 films over 13 years and became a huge star. In 1950, MGM ended her contract. Though she primarily gave concerts after that, she did star in a few more films, including her famed role in A Star Is Born. She died in 1969.

Squeaky - Frog Painting

“Action is the antidote to despair.”
– Joan Baez



Squeaky
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor ATC

Snow…  1-2″ cripples the area I live in.  I’m not sure I have ever seen a snow plow in my neck of the woods.  I finally got to work about 11:45 am.    Of course, my straight uphill 500 foot driveway was the main culprit.  After I scaled that, the rest was easy.  It did give me the opportunity to paint for a couple hours this morning.  Red poppies.

Have a great day!

About Joan Baez

American singer Joan Baez, known for her clear soprano and her belief in music as a tool for change, is widely considered the godmother of modern folk-rock. She was born in New York in 1941. She is an ardent activist, working for civil rights, nonviolence, and worker’s rights. She received the ACLU’s Earl Warren Award for her commitment to international human rights and, at the 2007 Grammy’s, was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Her music includes the chart-topping version of “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” and the album Diamonds and Rust. She has one son.

Speckles - Frog Painting

“Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson



Speckles
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor and Gouache ATC

I painted this little dude on Art Spectrum Colourfix paper, which is usually used for pastels.  I use my gouache kinda thick and it feels wonderful on the paper.  It takes more coats to obtain the opaqueness on the dark paper, and I mix watercolor pigment in with the gouache for the colors I want.  It’s fun!

Have a great weekend! 

About Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson helped spark the transcendentalist movement with the essay Nature, which described his belief in the spiritual essence of humanity and the natural world. He was born in Boston in 1803. He was a Unitarian minister until he resigned in 1832 to become a philosopher and writer. He suffered the untimely deaths of many of his loved ones: three brothers, his first wife at age 20, and his eldest son at age five. Emerson died in 1882.

Skippy - Frog Painting

“Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.”
– F. Scott Fitzgerald

What a great Quote!  It’s that type of thinking that has kept me flying. 




Skippy
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor

I can be fairly certain that I made up this froggie’s coloring.  I just really love purple critters.  he he he

I did much better on my instrument training yesterday, so I’m going to do it again today, then fly around by myself for a while.  How fun is that?  It’s going to be 59 degrees and sunny!  If the plane didn’t cost so much per hour, I’d fly all day! 

About F. Scott Fitzgerald

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, who wrote as F. Scott Fitzgerald, is best known for his novel The Great Gatsby. He was born in St. Paul in 1896. Fear of mortality spurred him to write the novel This Side of Paradise while in the Army. It was rejected twice by Scribner’s before they finally published it. His wife Zelda’s schizophrenia was the basis for his novel Tender Is the Night. After they separated, he moved to Los Angeles and wrote screenplays for studio films. He died in 1940.

Ralphie - Frog Painting

“The art of living lies less in eliminating our troubles than in growing with them.”
– Bernard Baruch



Ralphie
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor & Gouache ATC

He seems to be saying, “so… you look like you have  never seen a frog pee before? Would you mind?”  he he he

I’m heading to Muskogee in a few minutes to fly.  I am doing the part of my training where they put special glasses on you so that you can’t see out of the plane.  You fly by the instruments only and it is really disorienting.  I still need 1.5 hours of it and they just have you do it 30 minutes at a time.  Not my favorite part of flight training.  I’ve already done 1.5 hours and it’s not getting easier.  Maybe today, it’ll click.  

See you tomorrow!  *wave*

About Bernard Baruch

The American financier and unofficial presidential adviser Bernard Baruch was known as the “Park Bench Statesman” for his penchant for taking meetings on park benches. He was born in 1870 in South Carolina. By the time he was 30, he had become a millionaire. During World War I, Woodrow Wilson asked Baruch’s advice on economic issues, which began a long-term relationship with the White House. He refused to become Treasury Secretary in FDR’s cabinet, preferring his unofficial role. He died in 1965.

Petunia - Frog Painting

“The only certain means of success is to render more and better service than is expected of you, no matter what your task may be.”
–Og Mandino



Petunia
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor or Strathmore Textured Paper
 
Don’t ask me where I came up with the names for these frogs, but she does look like a Petunia, right? 

Augustine “Og” Mandino II (December 12, 1923 – September 3, 1996) was an American author. He wrote the bestselling book The Greatest Salesman in the World. His books have sold over 50 million copies and have been translated into over twenty-five different languages. He was the president of Success Unlimited magazine until 1976 and is an inductee of the National Speakers

Peek-A-Boo! - Frog Painting

“To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.”
– Bertrand Russell



Peek-A-Boo!
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor

Nope.  I’m not out of frogs yet.  Soon…. I promise. 

I’m working like crazy, trying to get all my ducks in a row for Atlanta.  It’s almost here and I still have so much to do.  I am very excited and can’t wait to be at AmericasMart! I’ll share some new art as it gets closer. 

About Bertrand Russell

British philosopher Bertrand Russell was greatly responsible for the shift toward logical analysis among philosophers; he introduced rigorous scientific methodology to the field and was best known for his books Principia Mathematica and The Principles of Mathematics. He was born in 1872 to an aristocratic English family but raised by a strict paternal grandmother after his parents died young. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950. Albert Einstein collaborated with him on a manifesto calling for nuclear disarmament. He died in 1970.