Cuckoo Clock Number 16

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2014

Cuckoo Clock Number 16 – A Watercolor Sketch

Another favorite.  I like my Captain Bird. 

Sadly, this brings me to the end of my cuckoo clock sketches.  Since Jell-O molds is the theme for the March lesson, you will see less of these sketches.  I’m trying, but I have been getting a slow start on the Jell-O molds.  Stay tuned.  Maybe my inspiration will come in the morning, since I do most of my painting between 5-6 am.

About Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was a powerful political figure in her own right, crusading tirelessly for humanist causes. She was born in New York on October 11, 1884 and was orphaned young. After Franklin was struck by polio, she acted as his eyes and ears. She was central to the creation of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which she considered her crowning achievement, and wrote numerous essays, including a long-running column called “My Day.” She died on November 7, 1962.

Cuckoo Clock Number 15

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

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2014

Cuckoo Clock Number 15 – A Watercolor Sketch

Another one of my favorites.  I’m almost done.  Tomorrow is the last cuckoo clock.

About Marva Collins

American educator Marva Collins pioneered progressive education for disadvantaged children. She was born in Alabama on August 31, 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 received 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.

Cuckoo Clock Number 14

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”
– Helen Keller

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2014

Cuckoo Clock Number 14 – A Watercolor Sketch

I hope you can see the crown on the bird’s head.  When I resize these for the internet, it is harder to see some of the details.  This one was fun!

About Helen Keller

American author and activist Helen Keller was born in Alabama on June 27, 1880; she became blind and deaf after a childhood fever. When she was 7, Ann Sullivan famously coaxed her out of her sullen, angry shell and taught her to communicate. From then on, Keller took on the world. She graduated from Radcliffe, traveled the world visiting sweatshops and speaking out for the powerless, helped found the ACLU, and wrote eleven books. She died on June 1, 1968.

See... I can paint bird feet. :)

“You have the power to control the content of your thoughts. Put your attention and energy on what you want to happen.  This is how you harness the power of your intention to create just that. If you hold in your mind what you want to happen specifically and feel those feelings, you will be more relaxed and positive, no matter what comes your way.”
– Terri Cole

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Hey Pretty Bird

Well, this is the end of my birds.  It’s been fun revisiting them.  Have a great weekend and I’ll see you Monday. 

Terri Cole is so smart!!  Here’s a link to her website:  Positively Positive

From the website:

“Positively Positive’s message has swept the globe. Embracing and broadcasting the voices of over one million fellow humans. For us, the response has been both inspiring and humbling.
At its core, Positively Positive is about optimism and inspiration. About seeing the possibility within each person—and within each day gifted us. It’s about wisdom and how we lift one another up to richer, more fulfilling lives. It’s about tapping into our true nature and capacity.

Our goal is simple: to bring uplifting voices and messages to our community every day. Our growing supply of blog posts, videos, and handpicked quotations are designed to remind us that there is good in every situation, and possibility in every person. Our contributors and guests hail from every conceivable walk of life, from Olympic Gold Medalists, to kids fighting for their lives, to everyday people wanting to make a difference in the world.

We’re here every day to help keep your Positivity Tank topped off. And maybe you’ll find something here that brightens your day a little. Or maybe, just maybe, you’ll find something that changes your life.”

Pink Tennies on a Red Toucan

“Lost warriors have only to open their eyes to find the right and good path.“
– Chief Red Mountain

“We all carry a fountain of joy inside. This joy is not something special given to only a few of us. An abundance of joy, happiness, and peace is our right. Our hearts were meant to be full of love and laughter.  Life will not be without troubles, but joy and gratitude will heal all wounds and shine through all problems.”
– Nancy Hull-Mast


Red Toucan in Tennies – Watercolor

One may think I don’t like painting bird feet.   

I leave for vacation two weeks from today!  Yay!  I only take one week off every other year, unless I travel for business.   Business trips don’t count, although I do try to add a day off to every trip, in case there’s something I want to do in that particular city.  I am really looking forward to this trip.  I get to spend time with family and some alone artist time.  Both good!

I couldn’t find any biographical info on either of these people, but I certainly like what they have to say.

Which came first? The tennies or the pink poppy flamingo suit?

“Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit.”
– Peter Ustinov

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Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Pink Poppy Flamingo in Pink Tennies

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This flamingo absolutely lives in Bethville, where no wardrobe choice is a surprise.  When people look at you and laugh, it’s because your pink poppy outfit makes them happy.  I believe that to our very core, that’s what we all want… to be happy. 

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By the way, changing themes did not correct my wordpress issues.  **sigh**

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About Peter Ustinov

British actor Peter Ustinov is best known for his Oscar-winning roles in Topkapi and Spartacus. He was born in London in 1921 to parents of blended pan-European extraction. He wrote several plays as well as a well-received autobiography, Dear Me. From 1969 until his death in 2004, he took on the role of goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, visiting disadvantaged children all over the world. He said his multicultural background gave him automatic loyalty to the UN.

I slipped a grasshopper in on ya....

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”
– Theodore Seuss Giesel

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Yeah!!!!

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

You thought you were going to see another bird?

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I slipped this little grasshopper in among the birds for fun.   We’ll return to our regularly scheduled program tomorrow. 

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Has anyone ever seen the periodical cicadas?  They only appear every 13 to 17 years.   They mature underground for all those years, then emerge to fly around and mate.  They have been surrounding us for the last few weeks.  They are loud and abundant.  We have them in our neighborhood, but they don’t have them in town.  Weird!!!

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About Theodore Seuss Giesel

Theodor Seuss Geisel, the beloved Dr. Seuss, is renowned to generations of children as the author of Green Eggs and Ham and other deliciously absurd picture books. He was born in 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts. His first book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, was rejected 27 times. He wrote The Cat in the Hat after Houghton Mifflin asked him to write a children’s primer using fewer than 250 easy-reader words. He died in 1991.

Hey! Where are my shoes?

“If you haven’t forgiven yourself something, how can you forgive others?”
– Dolores Huerta

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Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Hey!  I’m in Bethville…. so where are my shoes?

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Needs no explanation, if you know my art.  **giggle**

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Yesterday was the hubby’s birthday.  We had a very romantic day of knocking dirt dobber nests off the stucco and scrubbing the red dirt stains away.  It took us 5 hours, but it made the hubby very, very happy.   Pork ribs and sweet potatoes for dinner didn’t hurt either.   He was celebrating the 27th anniversary of his 38th birthday. 

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About Dolores Huerta

American labor leader Dolores Huerta cofounded the United Farm Workers and played a major role in the American civil-rights movement. She was born in a mining town in New Mexico in 1930 and raised in California’s Central Valley, where she saw the plight of farmworkers up close. She abandoned teaching for activism after witnessing her students’ poverty. Her best-known campaign was the successful grape boycott of the 1960′s. She currently serves as president of the Dolores Huerta Foundation, an organization aimed at promoting social justice in agricultural regions of California.

Wiggle My Butt, You Say? - Watercolor & Ink

“As a psychotherapist for over fifteen years, I have witnessed how thoughts create reality time and time again. I believe that chronic negative thoughts, limiting beliefs, and unexpressed feelings can make you sick. As a cancer survivor, I know my positive words and thoughts, combined with my healthy lifestyle and diet, directly impact my vibrant health.”
–Terri Cole

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Wiggle My Butt, You Say?

My hubby is the one that taught me that if I wiggle my butt at some random time during the day, it’ll make me giggle.  Kinda like a puppy wagging her tail.  Try it!  I swear, it works! 
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Terri Cole has the best website -  Positively Positive.  “  I wonder if she knows about butt wiggling?

“Positively Positive’s message has swept the globe. Embracing and broadcasting the voices of over one million fellow humans. For us, the response has been both inspiring and humbling.
At its core, Positively Positive is about optimism and inspiration. About seeing the possibility within each person—and within each day gifted us. It’s about wisdom and how we lift one another up to richer, more fulfilling lives. It’s about tapping into our true nature and capacity.
Our goal is simple: to bring uplifting voices and messages to our community every day. Our growing supply of blog posts, videos, and handpicked quotations are designed to remind us that there is good in every situation, and possibility in every person. Our contributors and guests hail from every conceivable walk of life, from Olympic Gold Medalists, to kids fighting for their lives, to everyday people wanting to make a difference in the world.
We’re here every day to help keep your Positivity Tank topped off. And maybe you’ll find something here that brightens your day a little. Or maybe, just maybe, you’ll find something that changes your life.”

Attentive Little Yellow Bird

“Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.”
– Will Rogers

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Little Yellow Bird

Such attention!  He looks like he’s patiently listening to someone or something.  Maybe he’s listening to the town gossip!   

About Will Rogers

 

American humorist Will Rogers was considered the Mark Twain of his generation. He was born in 1879 in Oklahoma, of Cherokee descent, and left school early to become a cowboy. In South Africa his showy roping skills won him a job in a traveling Wild West show, and he quickly switched over to vaudeville and film acting roles. He wrote six books and 4,000 syndicated columns. An avid flier, he died in a plane crash in 1935.

Embarrassed Pink Bird

“Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody.”
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Shy Pink Bird

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Doesn’t this little bird look timid?  Maybe he really is a white bird…. flushing with embarrassment.   

About Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

 

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a beloved American poet of the 19th century, is best known for “The Song of Hiawatha” and “Evangeline.” He was born in Maine in 1807. He knew Latin by the age of six, and when he taught at Bowdoin College, he wrote the textbooks himself. He courted his second wife while teaching at Harvard and frequently walked the several miles from Cambridge to Boston across the West Boston Bridge. The bridge that replaced it was named the Longfellow Bridge in his honor. He died in 1882.

Yellow Duck with No Shoes

“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”
–Zig Ziglar

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

A Shoeless Yellow Duck

Most people would probably look at that title and think I was nuts….. but we know that in Bethville, birds wear shoes! 

I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who looks at this blog and to those who comment.  I have been unable to reply to the comments lately, but I love every single one!!!  The fact that you take the time to tell me something I painted made you smile…. priceless!

Zig Ziglar is a motivational teacher and trainer who has traveled the world over, delivering his messages of humor, hope, and encouragement. As a talented author and speaker, his international appeal has transcended every color, culture, and career. Recognized by his peers as the quintessential motivational genius of our times, Zig Ziglar’s unique delivery style and powerful messages have earned him many honors, and today he is considered one of the most versatile authorities on the science of human potential. Ten of his twenty-eight books have been on the best-seller lists, and his titles have been translated into more than thirty-eight languages and dialects. He is a committed family man, a dedicated patriot, and an active church member. Zig lives in Plano, Texas, with his wife, Jean.

A Bird in a Business Suit - Watercolor

“Failure seldom stops you. What stops you is the fear of failure.”
– Jack Lemmon

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Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Businessman Bird – Watercolor

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I painted this bird in a motel during a bad winter storm.  We got 14″ of snow in that storm and we don’t really have snow plows around here.

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I never go anywhere without my watercolors! 

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About Jack Lemmon

Jack Lemmon is best known for the poignant sweetness he brought to comedic roles in movies like Some Like It Hot and The Apartment, but is also remembered for his dramatic roles, including the struggling alcoholic in Days of Wine and Roses. He was born in 1925 into a wealthy Boston family and knew by the age of four that he wanted to become an actor. He won two Academy Awards and was known for his collaborations with director Billy Wilder and costar Walter Matthau. He died in 2001.

Bird in Pink Heels

“Man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.”
– Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

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Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Bird in a Pink Hat and Heels – Watercolor

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I painted this one during an ice storm, at a motel, because our driveway makes it kinda dumb to stay there in icy weather.  Colored outlines are not as effective as black outlines, I think.

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It’s the 29th annual Whole Hawg weekend in Eufaula.   The rodeo started last night and the fun continues through Saturday, with a parade, a boat poker run, a car show, craft vendors, a carnival and a bunch of people cooking Hawgs all over town.  At 5:00 they give away free sandwiches at all the cookers, and there are cash prizes for the best tasting hawg.  Giggles all around. 

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About Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., one of the greatest American jurists of the twentieth century, was called the Great Dissenter because of the brilliance of his dissenting opinions. He was born in Boston in 1841 and was named for his father, the author and doctor. He was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1902 and became known for his pithy, quotable opinions. He stood strong on free-speech rights and was an advocate of judicial restraint and objectivity. He died in 1935.

Pink Flamingo in Stripey Boots

“We have to fight them daily, like fleas, those many small worries about the morrow, for they sap our energies.”
– Etty Hillesum

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Stripey Boots on a Pink Flamingo

I sketched this little bird in an airport a couple years ago.  Goofy… maybe.  Bethville…  oh yeah!

I just finished putting graphics all over a box van for a construction company.  It feels so good to be inside where the air is cool. 

About Etty Hillesum

Etty Hillesum, less famous than her contemporary, Anne Frank, lived a short life of great courage. She was born in 1914 in the Netherlands to a Dutch father and a Russian mother. She studied law, Slavic languages, and psychology. Hungry for knowledge, she cut down on food in order to buy books. She went voluntarily to the Westerbork camp to help fellow Jews interned by the Nazis. Her letters detail her experiences; her more meditative diary focuses on issues of faith. She died at Auschwitz in 1943.

Flamingo in Green High Heels

“Victory is won not in miles but in inches. Win a little now, hold your ground, and later, win a little more.”
– Louis L’Amour

Flamingo in Green Shoes – Watercolor

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If I was a girl who still wore heels…. I would SO wear those shoes.  My hubby would be mortified!  He’s picky about shoes. 

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About Louis L’Amour

Louis L’Amour, the author known for his pulp westerns, wrote more than 100 novels in his lifetime. Born in North Dakota in 1908 as Louis LaMoore, he worked across the southwestern U.S. on a string of backbreaking jobs including longshoreman, elephant handler, and cattle skinner. He saw his writing as akin to telling tales by a campfire and wanted to be remembered simply as a good storyteller. He won the Medal of Freedom in 1984 and died in 1988.

Teal Christmas Egret

“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.”
– Carl Jung

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

A Christmas Egret – Watercolor

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Okay…. hardly traditional, but he did come from Bethville, after all. 

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About Carl Jung

Carl Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist who originated such well-known psychological concepts as the archetype and the collective unconscious, has provided inspiration to people ranging from Joseph Campbell to Bill Wilson, the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. He was born in 1875 in a small town; he studied with Sigmund Freud before parting ways due to the radical difference in their views of human nature. Jung is considered second only to Freud in his influence on modern psychology, particularly in the area of dream analysis. He died in 1961.

Flowerdy Blue Bird

“Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.”
– Samuel Johnson

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Blue Flowerdy Bird – Watercolor

Another archive bird.  Now days, I’d have outlined it in ink.  It’s fun to revisit these birds, while I try to play catch up.   

About Samuel Johnson

 

Samuel Johnson, the sharp-witted British essayist, wrote the first English language dictionary; his definitions still form the backbone of current dictionaries. He was born in Staffordshire in 1709. Johnson married a widow 20 years his senior and lived in poverty before achieving success with his essays when he was in his forties. Later in life, he befriended the young James Boswell, whose Life of Johnson became the quintessential English biography. Johnson died in 1784.

Purple Bird on a Branch

“Painting is the passage from the chaos of the emotions to the order of the possible.”
–Balthus

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Bird on a Branch – Watercolor on Handmade Paper

I love Daniel Smith’s irridescent watercolors.  The outlines on this are a goldish copperish color.  I can’t remember the name, but it reacted well with the handmade paper, due to all the lovely texture.  Kind of odd, but I like it. 

Balthus (Balthasar Klossowski, 1908-2001) and his elder brother, Pierre (1905-2001), were born in Paris into an artistic and intellectual milieu. Their father, Erich Klossowski (1875–1946), was an art historian and painter whose family had escaped from Poland in 1830 during an unsuccessful revolt against Russia and who obtained German citizenship in East Prussia. The boys’ mother, Elisabeth Dorothea Klossowska (1886–1969), was also a painter and was known as Baladine.

As an eight-year-old, in 1916, Balthus had posed with his pet cat for a watercolor by his mother. Three years later he worked his adventures with a stray cat he called Mitsou into 40 pen-and-ink drawings. The German poet Rainer Maria Rilke, a family friend—who not long after became Baladine’s lover—was so enchanted by these drawings that he arranged for them to be published in 1921 in the book Mitsou, for which he provided a preface in French. At Erich Klossowski’s request, the cover of the book gave the young artist’s name as “Baltusz,” as he then spelled his nickname—which was a shortened version of his given name, Balthasar. At Rilke’s suggestion, Balthus signed his work from then on with this childhood nickname, at some point changing the spelling to “Balthus,” as we know it today. Rilke played an important role in Balthus’s life, as a crucial creative influence and also as a surrogate father following Baladine and Erich’s separation.  More…

I Have My Eye On You!

“You cannot out-give the universe.   Give all you have to each moment, holding nothing back.
When you give, it may not come back to you from where or whom you think it should, but it always does. The energy you put out will always recirculate and find its perfect way back to you.
Trust life.”

Kute Blackson

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

I Have My Eye On You!  -  Bird Watercolor

I’m going back to the birds.  I don’t pay a lot of attention to stats (because it’ll make you feel bad on a little blog like mine) but I noticed when I post birds, they go way up.  When I switch from birds…. yeah, they drop way off.  So… I’m guessing you want to see birds. 

Kute Blackson is a life coach and speaker. Unlike those who promise to simply help people “get” what they want, Kute’s work instead reveals to people what they have to give, by liberating who they are most truly and deeply. The focus: Freedom. For more on Kute, please visit his website and follow him on Twitter.