Float Your Boats

“When we focus on only the external indications of aging, we forget the internal treasures that we accumulate with each year of our lives.”
–Jean Smith

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Float Your Boats – 6″ x 6″ Watercolor and Sharpie 

I painted this from a photo by Lin (oldrockchick) on WetCanvas.  I think the photo was taken in Wales.  Since I don’t like painting outboard motors, I pretended that the marine repair shop there was having a special on motor tune-ups, so everyone had rushed their motors up there to get in on the great sale.

I also didn’t want to paint all the ropes going to nowhere (they were all tied to a cliff on the left), so I pretended it was a calm day and nobody’s boats were floating away.  Isn’t artistic license wonderful?

This painting was mailed off to Rochester, New York yesterday.  It has been donated as part of a fund raising effort, and this is the third year for me to participate.  They receive 6″ x 6″ paintings (a couple thousand)  from all over the world and I am their only Oklahoma participant, they tell me.  How cool is that?   They are not signed on the front, because some of the artists are famous people and you don’t know who the artists are until after they have sold.  Each painting is sold for $20, no matter who painted it.   Great little fund raiser, eh?

There are too many Jean Smiths to really know which one said this.  I got today’s quote from my lovely little book, “Wrinkles Don’t Hurt – Daily Meditations on the Joy of Aging Mindfully”, by Ruth Fishel.  I love this book and Ruth Fishel is an amazing author.  She also wrote “A Time for Joy“.

Chicken Dinner

“May I mindfully acknowledge that others, like myself, are still growing spiritually, and forgive their past offenses, as I forgive my own, so I can know the blessings of a loving heart.”
– Jean Smith

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2011

Chicken Dinner – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor Sketch
I did this sketch from a reference photo by Crispur2005 (Christine) at WetCanvas.  Christine lives in Australia and she said this was Christmas dinner for the chickens.  I like that! 

Jean Smith is such a generic name that I found artists, politicians, photographers, baseball players, etc.  So rather than give you information about the wrong person, I’ll just say that a very insightful person, named Jean Smith, is responsible for today’s quote.  I got it from my wonderful little book called Wrinkles Don’t Hurt by Ruth Fishel.