Rusty Old Truck Layered into Posey Park Painting

“I’ve learned that people whill forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
– Dr. Maya Angelou
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Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Rusty Old Truck

I painted this from a reference photo by Skappy at WetCanvas.  I left the background empty on purpose, so I could do this….

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Maya Angelou

Dr. Maya Angelou is a remarkable Renaissance woman who is hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary literature. As a poet, educator, historian, best-selling author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer and director, she continues to travel the world, spreading her legendary wisdom. Within the rhythm of her poetry and elegance of her prose lies Angelou’s unique power to help readers of every orientation span the lines of race. Angelou captivates audiences through the vigor and sheer beauty of her words and lyrics.

Kay Wall – Law Office – 8″ x 10″ Watercolor

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

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Kay Wall – Law Office – 8″ x 10″ Watercolor

I painted this portrait of Kay’s building for Janelle McKnight, who gave it to Kay for Christmas.  Wasn’t that sweet?

Kay tells me… “ It has been a little bit of everything.  A German man, Mr Seuss , I think, built it for a furniture making shop.  It was a pop factory,  and the city water line boys and local plumbers bring me bottles they unearth bearing the name. The corps of engineers used it as an office during the construction of the dam.  It was “Plock’s Undertaking Parlor”, and I have a wonderful photo of that!   Then, medical and dental offices.  Owning it has been one of my greatest blessings!”

Happy 2013!

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.

Houston Homan High School.. or uh… Middle School – 8″ x 10″ Watercolor & Ink

“No man can think clearly when his fists are clenched.”
– George Jean Nathan

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Houston Homan High School.. or uh… Middle School – 8″ x 10″ Watercolor & Ink

Houston Homan was dedicated in 1923. This four story structure was the second high school building located on the south end of main street at 111 Forest Street. Houston Homan was located west of and adjacent to Jackson Lee High School. Highway expansion required the demolition of the beautiful 3 1/2 story Jackson Lee Building.  (Hmmmm… three and a half?  What do we do with the half story?)

Houston Homan served the high school students of our district until the current high school was completed in 1967. The Houston Homan building then became Eufaula’s Middle School. In 2007, the middle school students began attending Eufaula’s new middle school building located west of town. The Houston Homan building is currently empty.

About George Jean Nathan

George Jean Nathan, the acerbic American drama critic, was renowned for what he called destructive theater criticism, which helped shape a more serious theatrical community and paved the way for modern critics. He was born in 1882 in Indiana. He and H.L. Mencken coedited the magazines Smart Set and The American Mercury. Although he found little to like in the theater, he became a fierce champion of the playwrights he did appreciate, including Eugene O’Neill and Sean O’Casey. He died in 1958.

Trinity Episcopal Church – Black and White Version

“You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working; in just the same way, you learn to love by loving.”
– St. Francis de Sales



Trinity Episcopal Church – Black and White Version

Excuse the terrible photo.  I took this in my studio this morning when it was still dark.  It’ll need a lot of cleaning up in Photoshop because I was too impatient to stop working, so I could bring it in to work to scan it.  (The black and whites will become a coloring book later.)  But I really wanted to start with the paint.  It’s so much fun painting these little building portraits. 

About St. Francis de Sales

St. Francis de Sales (1567–1622), known as the Gentle Saint, was bishop of Geneva. His motto was, “He who preaches with love preaches effectively,” and his religious texts, including Introduction to the Devout Life, have resonated with many non-Catholics. Pope Pius IX proclaimed him a patron saint of writers. Some consider him a patron saint of the deaf; he invented a form of sign language to teach a young deaf man how to communicate.

Eufaula City Hall – 8″ x 10″ Watercolor and Ink

“Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.”
–Charles Dickens

Great advice!!

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Eufaula City Hall – 8″ x 10″ Watercolor and Ink

It’s amazing what I learn when I paint these buildings.  This one was pure joy.  Although I initially dreaded doing all those rocks, it ended up being my favorite part. 

Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, the son of John and Elizabeth Dickens. John Dickens was a clerk in the Naval Pay Office. He had a poor head for finances, and in 1824 found himself imprisoned for debt. His wife and children, with the exception of Charles, who was put to work at Warren’s Blacking Factory, joined him in the Marshalsea Prison. When the family finances were put at least partly to rights and his father was released, the twelve-year-old Dickens, already scarred psychologically by the experience, was further wounded by his mother’s insistence that he continue to work at the factory. His father, however, rescued him from that fate, and between 1824 and 1827 Dickens was a day pupil at a school in London. At fifteen, he found employment as an office boy at an attorney’s, while he studied shorthand at night. His brief stint at the Blacking Factory haunted him all of his life — he spoke of it only to his wife and to his closest friend, John Forster — but the dark secret became a source both of creative energy and of the preoccupation with the themes of alienation and betrayal which would emerge, most notably, in David Copperfield and in Great Expectations.  More…

Eufaula Post Office – 8″ x 10″ Watercolor & Ink

“When we are grateful for the good we already have, we attract more good into our life…”
–Margaret Stortz

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Eufaula Post Office – 8″ x 10″ Watercolor & Ink

Just now, I went on the internet to find some information on our post office and my post came up that I did with the ink drawing of this.  he he  I love that my blog is ranking high enough to be the 7th item on page one of the search.   I had to stop looking because I was finding too much interesting stuff to read and I have to get back to work. 

I couldn’t find anything on Margaret Stortz that I was sure was about the person who said this.  I got it from my neat little Simple Truths book:  Stress is a Choice, by David Zerfoss.

Auntie Faye’s Building Portrait in Black & White – 8″ x 10″

“Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones.”
– Phillips Brooks

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Auntie Faye’s Building Portrait in Black & White – 8″ x 10″

I’m busy painting on this one and I should be showing it to you soon.  The store owners always get to see it before you, so it all depends on when James and Linda see it.  I imagine I’ll have it done Monday or so.  They did approve the pencil drawing before I proceeded with ink.  The sign in the painting just went up 2 days ago.  It’s colorful and fun!  Well, of course it is… It’s a Signs by Beth original. 

About Phillips Brooks

Phillips Brooks, the American clergyman now mostly known for writing the words to the Christmas song, “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” was one of the most influential ministers of his time, with his sermons reprinted in major newspapers. He delivered the eulogy at Abraham Lincoln’s funeral. Born in Boston in 1835, he spent most of his life there as overseer of Harvard University, rector of Trinity Church, and bishop of Massachusetts. He died in 1893, and the day of his funeral was declared an official day of mourning.

McIntosh County Courthouse – 8″ x 10″ Prismacolor Pen on 140 lb Cold Press

“Always behave like a duck — keep calm and unruffled on the surface but paddle like the devil underneath.”
– Jacob Braude

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

McIntosh County Courthouse – 8″ x 10″ Prismacolor Pen on 140 lb Cold Press

Don’t you just love small towns?  The buildings have so much charm and they are rich in character.  Of course, they are also old… as in I did not draw in the window air conditioners that are poking out of all the windows. 

I’ll post again after it’s painted.

About Jacob Braude

American judge and author Jacob Braude was a fount of humorous and inspirational stories and quotations, which he used to regale the courtroom in Cook County, Illinois, where he presided for more that 35 years. His books of sayings, including Speaker’s Encyclopedia of Humor and Braude’s Treasury of Wit and Humor, have been mined by toastmasters and lecturers for decades. He was born in 1896 and died in 1970.

Napa Auto Parts Building Portrait – 8″ x 10″ Watercolor & Prismacolor Fine Art Pens

“If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain; if I can ease one life
from aching, or cool one pain, or help one
fainting robin unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.”
–Emily Dickenson

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Napa Auto Parts Building Portrait – 8″ x 10″ Watercolor & Prismacolor Fine Art Pens

This is another fun little building portrait.  I am having such a great time doing these portraits and the business owners are having a great time, too.    I am encouraging them to use them to market their businesses.  They will be using the digital images for their Christmas cards and stuff like that.  I’m working on Auntie Faye’s Fudge Shop now and that building is colorful and fun.  I can’t wait to show you. 

Emily Dickinson

In 1830, Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts. 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….

Doctor’s Building at McAlester Regional Hospital – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor

“No great deed, private or public, has ever been undertaken in a bliss of certainty.”
– Leon Wieseltier

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Doctor’s Building at McAlester Regional Hospital – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor

I was in McAlester Monday and had 30 minutes to kill, so I drew this building on a little pad of 4″ x 6″ watercolor paper I had in my bag.  Then I painted it over the last couple mornings before work.  The ink is Prismacolor pen.  I have been using them more than Sharpie because I have more control and I have 5 sizes ranging from .01 to .08.  They are awesome! 

About Leon Wieseltier

Leon Wieseltier, the sharp-tongued literary editor of The New Republic, has used his role to deliver brilliant, scathing put-downs of intellectual fads and pretense. He was born in Brooklyn in 1952. He studied Jewish history and philosophy at Columbia, Oxford, and Harvard’s Society of Fellows. He won the National Jewish Book Award for the memoir Kaddish, about his year of mourning after his father’s death.

Sock Monkey Visits Steel Daffodils

“The game of life is not so much in holding a good hand as playing a poor hand well.”
–H. T. Leslie

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Steel Daffodils – 8″ x 10″ Watercolor and Sharpie

This is another sock monkey Eufaula building portrait.  Steel Daffodils is owned by Tammy & Helen, two of the sweetest ladies you ever want to meet.  It’s a wonderful store!  Our little sock monkey is enjoying one of their wonderful coffees. 

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

I couldn’t find anything at all on H.T. Leslie.  This quote came from the book, Our Best Days.  A daily meditation book for adolescents, Our Best Days offers support on issues such as responsibility, family members, peer pressure, and relationships.

Sock Monkey and the Stuffed Olive

“This I conceive to be the chemical function of humor: to change the character of our thought.”
– Lin Yutang

This must be why I often say “I needed that!” after a good belly laugh. 

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Stuffed Olive Postcard – 8″ x 10″ Watercolor

The owner of this restaurant, Debbie Gibbens,  has the best set of marketing skills!  She is always doing something original and quirky to promote her businesses.  (Besides this restaurant in Eufaula, she has 3 locations of Libby’s, a wonderful clothing store; in Eufaula, Tulsa and St. Louis.)  Debbie commissioned this postcard.  She wanted the restaurant, a VW bug and a sock monkey.  The trailer was my idea and she liked it.  I also did their sign when they first opened.  The olive is a carved, dimensional olive.
Here are some of the practice steps I took on the way to the final painting…

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

About Lin Yutang

Chinese author Lin Yutang wrote more than 35 books in English and Chinese, including My Country and My People and The Importance of Living, which brought him international fame. He was born in 1895 in the Fujian province in China. He created a Chinese-American dictionary, an indexing system for Chinese letters, and translated many classic Chinese texts. Written in a humorous, accessible style, his books bridged European and Chinese cultures. He died in 1976.

Beth Parker Art Window Display

“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.”
– Michelangelo Buonarroti



Beth Parker Art Window Display – March 2012

Glenna McBride, the Executive Director of the Eufaula Area Arts Council, surprised me with this window.  I think I have around 40 pieces in that gallery… mostly small of course.  The large painting, Little Pink House, is 24″ x 48″.  I get a little giggle when I drive by in the mornings.  Thanks, Glenna and the board of directors!

Check out the reflection of the buildings in the window.  We have such a cute downtown. 

About Michelangelo Buonarroti
Michelangelo Buonarotti, the Renaissance sculptor and painter, is considered one of the world’s greatest artists. He was born in Tuscany in 1475. He apprenticed to a painter at age 13, infuriating his father, who considered art menial work. By age 25, he had sculpted one of his finest works, the Pietà, in St. Peter’s. Working alone, he took four years to paint more than 400 figures on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. He also designed St. Peter’s dome and is perhaps best known for his iconic statue of David. He died in 1564.

Sock Monkey or No Sock Monkey

“To keep your character intact you cannot stoop to filthy acts. It makes it easier to stoop the next time.”
– Katharine Hepburn




Art Walk Poster – 11″ x 14″  Watercolor

You may remember that I did the poster for this year’s Eufaula Art Walk & Car Show.  The only thing they asked for was to put a car in it.  I also put a sock monkey in the car and well…. that didn’t go over so well.  They asked me to photoshop it out, so I did.  That’s okay.  Not everybody likes sock monkeys.  (what?!  Really?!)  he he

The prints that will be available for sale at Art Walk will be the ones without the monkey.  They will be auctioning off the original (with monkey) at their silent auction.  I still haven’t seen the posters with the Art Walk advertising on them.   That is why they have so much blank space on them… for the words.

Be sure to stop by the Main Street Studio, 201 S. Main, in Eufaula this  Saturday, October 1st.  I will be there from 8 am – 11 am, and the auction will run all day.   They are also offering several workshops in the studio.  Around Eufaula, there will be a car show, a golf cart show, an Indian Exhibit, over 30 local artists, kid events and food everywhere.  The hub, so to speak, of the event is going to be at Bank of Eufaula, inside and out.   (They always have coffee and really good cookies there, too.)
I have around 25 small paintings at the Main Street Studio, too, so don’t be shy.  They are all available for sale. 

Remember, there is only one painting with the sock monkey in it, the original, available at the silent auction.

About Katharine Hepburn

Gutsy American actress Katharine Hepburn was ranked the greatest actress of all time by the American Film Institute for her roles in films such as The African Queen and The Philadelphia Story. She was born in 1907 in Connecticut. Early in her film career, RKO took away her overalls, demanding she dress like a screen icon, prompting her to walk through the studio in her underwear. Her romance with Spencer Tracy led to their delightful verbal sparring in films like Adam’s Rib and Woman of the Year. She died in 2003.

Squirrel Eats the Pigeon’s Lunch

“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.”
– Orison Swett Marden

 

Squirrel Eats the Pigeon’s Lunch
4″ x 6″ Watercolor on Indian Village handmade paper

I loved this reference photo.  There really was a pigeon in it, watching the squirrel eat.  Of course, they we both kinda gray, so I had a little fun with them.  The background was a big tree trunk, so I sent them on an adventure in the country.  Isn’t art fun?  We can do anything our little hearts desire….. and get away with it! 




I just wanted to show you a little bit of history.  This Tastee Freez has been open in Eufaula, since 1956.  I just lettered the windows this morning and it got me wondering about the history, so  I called City Hall to get the date it opened.  Of course, in a couple weeks it will open up as Just ‘Wingin” It, but I am proud that nobody has had the nerve to remove the nostalgic Tastee Freez sign.  Our little town wouldn’t be the same without it.

About Orison Swett Marden

Orison Swett Marden, the American writer who is considered the forerunner of motivational authors, wrote an average of two books a year from 1894 to 1924. He was born on a New England farm in 1850. During college, he worked in hotel management. He then used his seed money to buy a resort in Rhode Island. Wanting to inspire people as he himself had been inspired by British author Samuel Smiles, he began writing books like You Can, But Will You? and founded Success Magazine. He died in 1924.