This Orange Cat (too early) for Halloween!

2 Easy Steps to Remembering You Are WORTH It!

Hayley Hobson | September 14, 2013 | Living

1. You Set the Bar.  You got it. You do. You get to determine what you’re worth.  Now, don’t become a complete diva, but make a list and write down what you feel you deserve. And once you’ve compiled it, put it in a place you can see it and live by it.  Treat yourself the way you want others to treat you. Let them follow by example.
2. Value Yourself.  Interpretation: stop hanging around with deadbeats who are bringing you down. Stop lugging around the extra baggage.  Surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you; let go of those that are not allowing you to grow.
Such great advice!!!
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Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

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A Bit Too Early for Halloween!

I couldn’t help myself.  I drew the cat and the rest of it just kept coming.  Sorry for being so early.  “D

Hayley Hobson

Hayley Hobson is an author, speaker, business coach, yogi, Pilates and holistic nutritional expert based in Boulder, CO. Hayley creates lifestyle transformations by coaching her clients to strengthen, nourish and evolve through the cycles and shifts in life. Combining cutting edge understanding in all three disciplines due to years of anatomical study and dietary theory, Hayley’s approach leverages their blended benefits and results. Her unique and intelligent style promotes strengthening while softening–empowering her client’s to heal not only their physical bodies, but their hearts and minds as well. Hayley studied at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, continues her studies with David Wolfe, raw food expert and is an essential oil expert in her own right.  She is a doTERRA Certified Oil Diamond Director and a Pangea Organics Beauty Ecologist.

Her insights and articles can also be found on her blog, Mindbodygreen, Elephant Journal, Masters Shift and Islaorganics. She has also been featured in Pilates Style magazine, Natural Health magazine andTriathlete Magazine.  She has fun running and playing in the mountains with her husband, former world-ranked triathlete, Wes Hobson and their two beautiful daughters, Makenna and Madeline . To learn more about her nutritional courses, events she’s hosting and custom programs go to hayleyhobson.com or follow her on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest.

Hey... What is that cat up to?

“Never look down to test the ground before taking your next step; only he who keeps his eye fixed on the far horizon will find the right road.”
– Dag Hammarskjöld

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Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

What is that cat up to?
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I think he’s yawning, feigning boredom, to lure that mouse into a false sense of security.  Or maybe he’s an opera singing cat… serenading that mouse.  He is in Bethville, afterall. 
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About Dag Hammarskjöld
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Dag Hammarskjöld, a Noble Peace Prize winner, was a diplomat who strengthened the United Nations’ peacekeeping mission. Born in Sweden in 1905, he followed his father’s footsteps into national government, where he coined the term “planned economy” before becoming a delegate to the U.N. and a two-time secretary-general. He negotiated the release of Americans captured by the Chinese in the Korean War, worked to resolve the Suez Canal crisis, and was on a mission to the Congo when his plane crashed in 1961, killing all aboard.

Another Cat Portrait

“The human mind thinks in pictures.  Having visual images of your dreams, goals and heart’s desire helps manifest them into your life.  Paint a picture in your mind.  Create a movie in your head.  Play that movie again and again.  You are the star in your own life.”

–B.J. Gallagher

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Another Cat Portrait – Panny 4″ x 4″

Panny belongs to Wildhorse Australia from WetCanvas.  This is an older painting, as I am still working on my commission.

I want to take a moment to be thankful for all the men and women in the Armed Forces, who have given  their lives so that we may be free.  Happy Memorial Day weekend!

BJ Gallagher is an inspirational author and speaker. She writes business books that educate and empower, women’s books that enlighten and entertain, gift books that inspire and inform, and kids’ books that charm and delight. Whether her audience is corporate executives, working women, or a group of giggling youngsters, her message is powerful, positive, and practical. She motivates and teaches with empathy, understanding, and more than a little humor.  More…

A Rainbow Colored Cat in a Hat

“Mishaps are like knives, that either serve us or cut us, as we grasp them by the blade or by the handle.”
– James Russell Lowell

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Keetah – A Rainbow Colored Cat in a Hat

This is Keetah, Sharrm’s (from WetCanvas) cat.    It’s another old one, while I work on my commission.  Have a great day!

About James Russell Lowell

 

James Russell Lowell, the sometimes romantic, often ironic American poet, was also a diplomat, serving as ambassador to Spain and, later, Britain. He was born in 1819 in Massachusetts and became known as a New England poet. His satire The Bigelow Papers was his best-known work. While a professor at Harvard, he wrote critical studies of Dante, Shakespeare, and Chaucer, among others, and also served as the founding editor of the influential magazine The Atlantic Monthly. He died in 1891.

Shhhhh... It's a Cat Nap

“The be-all and end-all of life should not be to get rich, but to enrich the world.”
– Bertie Charles Forbes

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Lucy, the The Cat is Trying to take a nap!  Shhhhhh….

Okay, time for another cat.  This one is from the archives, also.  It’s Lucy and the photo of the cat in a plain old box came from Crispur at WetCanvas.  The embellishment came from….. you got it…. Bethville! 

About Bertie Charles Forbes

Bertie Charles Forbes, known as B.C. Forbes, is remembered as the founder of the long-running Forbes magazine, aimed at investors. He was born on May 14, 1880 in Scotland. He worked as a reporter for a Dundee newspaper until 1901, when he moved to South Africa and founded a newspaper there; but he stayed just three years before moving to the United States, where he became a financial editor and columnist. His sons Bruce and Malcolm succeeded him as editors-in-chief of Forbes. He died on May 6, 1954.

Yes... the kitty is Pink - 4" x 6" Watercolor Postcard

“Hope is the feeling you have that the feeling you have isn’t permanent.”
– Jean Kerr

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Colorful Kitty – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor Postcard

I did this little painting last May, from a photo by Lotsofmoggies at WetCanvas.   I’m working on another Eufaula painting, but it won’t be done for a while, so I hope you don’t mind the older work.
I’m getting a bit of a late start this morning because my darling hubby took me to breakfast. 

About Jean Kerr

Comedic American author Jean Kerr is known for her wry take on married life in the suburbs in such books as How I Got to Be Perfect and Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, which was turned into both a movie and a TV series. She was born in Pennsylvania on July 10, 1922. She often collaborated on plays with her husband, drama critic Walter Kerr. She also wrote a number of plays by herself, including the extremely successful Mary, Mary, which ran for nearly 1,600 performances. She died on January 5, 2003.

Proof that I am a Little Weird – Acrylic on Canvas

“Make voyages! — Attempt them! — there’s nothing else…”
– Tennessee Williams

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Proof that I am a Little Weird – Acrylic on Canvas

It’s a cat in Bethville!  Oh My!   This is a little diversion, since I’m sure you’re a little tired of Kansas City paintings.  Do I see life a little differently from normal people?  You bet! 

About Tennessee Williams

Tennessee Williams was the pen name of Thomas Lanier Williams, the multiple-award-winning Southern Gothic playwright best known for his plays Streetcar Named Desire and The Glass Menagerie. He was born on March 26, 1911 in Mississippi, where he had a difficult childhood with an abusive father, a smothering mother, and a schizophrenic sister. His emotionally honest plays often feature sensitive souls who don’t fit into a confining culture. He spent most of his adult life in New York City. He died on February 25, 1983.

Whiskers for Illustration Friday – Watercolor

“What I think about surrounds me. What I allow to be entertained in my mind becomes a reality. If I think negatively, I will attract negativity in my life. On the other hand, if I concentrate on developing positive thoughts, I will attract positive people and events to my life. My potential will be increased.

 I cannot control what thoughts come into my mind, but I can control my perception and reaction to them.”

–Anonymous – from the book Help for Helpers, Daily Meditations for Counselors

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Whiskers for Illustration Friday – Watercolor

Whiskers is the word of the week at Illustration Friday.  I spent the weekend working on commissions, so my whiskers kitty was painted a while ago.  It is all watercolor and sprinkled with folly. 

That anonymous person has put into words what I live by.  I just love that!!

Black Cats are Haunted by Halloween – 6″ x 6″ Watercolor & Ink

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

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Black Cats are Haunted by Halloween – 6″ x 6″ Watercolor & Ink

Haunt is the word of the week on Illustration Friday.    If you see a black cat over the next few days, give them a friendly pat or hug.   This is a scary time of year for them.    Their owners hide them inside  to keep them safe from all the pranksters that are out and about after dark on Halloween.   So… I thought I’d paint some happy looking black cats. 

I have an alarm clock that automatically changes for daylight savings.  The problem is the clock is 15 years old, so it changes when daylight savings used to be.  The moral of that story is… I got an extra hour of sleep today.  I was an hour late for work, but since I work by myself, I’m the only one who noticed.  he he

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 1184 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.

Jasper is Trying to Tell Us Something – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor & Ink

“The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect andbeginning the work of becoming yourself.”
–Anna Quindlen


Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012


Jasper is Trying to Tell Us Something – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor & Ink

Mlou Jhu posted this photo on WetCanvas.  Actually, it was 2 photos… one of Jasper and one of the koi.  I merged them.     I may do a caption contest on Facebook.   Stay tuned.

Anna Quindlen is the author of five previous bestselling novels (Rise and Shine, Blessings, Object Lessons, One True Thing, Black and Blue), and seven nonfiction books (A Short Guide to a Happy Life, Good Dog. Stay., Being Perfect, Loud & Clear, Living Out Loud, Thinking Out Loud, and How Reading Changed My Life). Her New York Times column “Public and Private” won the Pulitzer Prize in 1992. From 2000-2009, She wrote the “Last Word” column for Newsweek.  More….

A Colorful Pile of Cute Little Kittens

“Let us always be open to the miracle of the second chance.”
–Reverend David Stier

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

A Pile of Kittens

I finished painting the McIntosh County Courthouse this morning, but I figured you had to be tired of looking at buildings.  So… for a nice change of pace, here is a pile of kittens. 

Have a great weekend!

There were too many David Stiers on the internet to know which one said this, but I can tell you where it came from.  I found it in my little book:  “Believing In Myself – Daily Meditations for Healing and Building Self-Esteem” by Earnie Larsen & Carol Hegarty.

They Look So Innocent When They Sleep - Quickie 4″ x 6″ Watercolor & Sharpie

“I have always believed that whatever good or bad fortune may come our way we can always give it meaning and transform it into something of value.”
– Hermann Hesse

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

They Look So Innocent When They Sleep
Quickie  4″ x 6″ Watercolor & Sharpie

This is a 15 minute quickie that I did this morning of Lin’s (Old Rock Chick at WetCanvas’) cat, Dave.  I have painted Dave so many times over the last 5 years.  I didn’t have much time this morning, but I couldn’t pass up his innocence. 

Have a safe and fun Labor Day weekend!

About Hermann Hesse

Hermann Hesse, the Pulitzer Prize–winning German writer, became extremely popular in the 1960′s and 1970′s for his deeply spiritual novels spiked with Eastern philosophy. He is best known for the novels Siddhartha, The Glass Bead Game, and Steppenwolf. He was born in 1877 in Germany and immigrated to Switzerland in 1912. Hesse was exposed to Eastern thought from childhood: His grandfather taught Indian studies, and his mother had been born in India. He won the Noble Prize in Literature in 1946. He died in 1962.

Green Eyed Cat – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor & Ink

“Happiness is different from pleasure. Happiness has something to do with struggling and enduring and accomplishing.”
– George Sheehan

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Green Eyed Cat – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor & Ink

Happiness also has to do with things that just feel silly for no reason…. like this cat. 

I painted it from a photo by Surob at WetCanvas.  I think the cat’s name is pumpkin.  I like all the white I left in it for a change of pace.

About George Sheehan

American doctor George Sheehan changed course midway through his life. He was born in Brooklyn in 1918 to a cardiologist father and grew up to follow in his footsteps. At age 45, bored with his life, he began reading philosophy and took up running. Within five years he ran a 4:47 mile, the fastest ever clocked by a 50 year old. He started a weekly column and became medical editor for Runner’s World. He wrote eight books. Bill Clinton dubbed him the philosopher-king of running. He died in 1993.

Lost – 4″ x 6″ Prismacolor .05 Fine Art Marker on Indian Village Handmade Postcard

“All growth is a leap in the dark, a spontaneous unpremeditated act without the benefit of experience.”
– Henry Miller

I Like that!

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Lost – 4″ x 6″ Prismacolor .05 Fine Art Marker on Indian Village Handmade Postcard

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Lost is the word for Illustration Friday this week.  Can you see the cat and the bearded dragon that are lost in this forest?  I painted this from two different photos by Mginsberg at WetCanvas.
There’s a very good chance that you’ll see this one again…. in vivid color. 

About Henry Miller

The bohemian American novelist Henry Miller is best known for his sexually daring autobiographical novels, Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, and for his love affair with benefactor Anaïs Nin. He was born in 1891 in New York. His writing blossomed after he moved to Paris in 1930 but was banned in the United States for its erotic content. Miller eventually won the right to publish in the U.S., becoming an icon of the sexual revolution. He died in 1980 in California.

All the mice are safe today! Kitty has something shiney!

“I have accepted fear as a part of life, specifically the fear of change, the fear of the unknown. I have gone ahead despite the pounding in the heart that says: Turn back, turn back; you’ll die if you venture too far.”
– Erica Jong

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Shiny for Illustration Friday – 4″ x 6″ Postcard

All the mice  are safe today.   Kitty has something shiny, which is Illustration Friday’s word of the week.  This is Jock and was painted from a photo by Rozzi at WetCanvas.  Jock is a special needs cat who loves to sit like this.  In the photo, there was no toy.  I had to give him something shiny to ponder.

It’s painted on a handmade paper postcard by Indian Village.  I got a bunch of these real cheap a couple years ago.  I’m almost out and I can no longer find them.  Bummer.

About Erica Jong

Erica Jong, the American author who made a splash with the sexual frankness of her first novel, Fear of Flying, has written several works of fiction as well as nonfiction books, including the autobiographical Fear of Fifty. She was born in New York in 1942 and now splits her time between New York City and Weston, Connecticut. She has been married four times and has one daughter.

Sweet Kitty Face – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor

“Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even.”
– Muhammad Ali

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Sweet Kitty Face – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor

I painted this from a photo by Annie (lotsofmoggies) at WetCanvas.   No sharpies were used in the painting of this cat.  **gasp**  Moggies are cats, in case you were wondering.   Annie lives in Chelsea, and she is (and I quote) “Mum and slave to- 17 budgies, 13 corn snakes, 10 guinea pigs, 7 cats, 4 dogs, 4 chickens, 2 parrolets, 2 cockatiels, 2 rabbit,2 children, 1 partner.”  Can you imagine?    I also had to look up budgies and it seems they are small Austrailian parakeets. 

About Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali, the American boxing legend known for his saucy rhyming boasts as much as his quick fists, was a three-time heavyweight champion. He was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. in Louisville in 1942. His bike was stolen when he was 12, and a cop suggested he take up boxing. Though he became known as the greatest fighter of the twentieth century, with 56 wins and only five defeats, the sport took its toll in pugilism-induced Parkinson’s disease. Since retiring from boxing, Ali has dedicated himself to civic and humanitarian issues. He was called on to negotiate the release of hostages in Iraq in 1991, and in 2005 he was awarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Kitty wants that treat…. pleeeeeeease!

“How pleasant is the day when we give up trying to be young – or slender!”
–William James

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Kitty wants that treat…. right now!  I can smell it! – 3″ x 4″ Watercolor & Sharpie

Susan (Surob) at WetCanvas posted a photo of her cat, Trixie for us to paint last weekend.  I love painting cat eyes.  I think this expression could also say… “Who me?  Those are not my claws in the dog’s nose!  I have an alibi!  I was right here napping…. feel the warmth on my back from the sun?”.

William James,  January 11, 1842 – August 26, 1910

William James was born into an affluent family. His father was deeply interested in philosophy and theology and strove to provide his children with a rich education.

The James children traveled to Europe frequently, attended the best possible schools, and were immersed in culture and art, which apparently paid off – William James went on to become one of the most important figures in psychology, while brother Henry James became one of the most acclaimed American novelists.
Early in school, James expressed an interest in becoming a painter. While Henry James Sr. was known as an unusually permissive and liberal father, he wanted William to study science or philosophy. Only after William persisted in his interest did Henry permit his son to formally study painting.
More here.

Kitty Cat Easter Hat

“Neuroplasticity is our ability to change our mind,
to change ourselves and to change our perception of the
world around us; that is, our reality… we have to change
how the brain automatically and habitually works.
The ability to make our brain forgo its habitual internal
wiring and fire new patterns and combinations is
how neutoplasticity allows us to change.”
–Joe Dispenza, D.C.

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Kitty Cat Easter Hat – Watercolor

I thought this little painting would put us in the Easter fashion mode.  I know there is more to Easter than eggs, bunnies and lovely pastel colors, but this is an art blog.  I get to giggle and play with the fun things the season has to offer.  One Easter weekend about fifteen years ago, I died all my white painter’s overalls different pastel colors.  It was fun!  Overalls used to be my sign shop trademark, but my husband does the laundry and he hates to listen to the clanging buckles in the dryer.  So… without hesitation, I gave them up. 

Have a wonderful Easter weekend!

Joe Dispenza, D.C.

Take Your First Step Toward True Evolution

Ever wonder why you repeat the same negative thoughts in your head? Why you keep coming back for more from hurtful family members, friends, or significant others? Why you keep falling into the same detrimental habits or limiting attitudes—even when you know that they are going to make you feel bad?

Dr. Joe Dispenza has spent decades studying the human mind—how it works, how it stores information, and why it perpetuates the same behavioral patterns over and over. In the acclaimed film What the Bleep Do We Know!? he began to explain how the brain evolves—by learning new skills, developing the ability to concentrate in the midst of chaos, and even healing the body and the psyche.

Evolve Your Brain presents this information in depth, while helping you take control of your mind, explaining how thoughts can create chemical reactions that keep you addicted to patterns and feelings—including ones that make you unhappy. And when you know how these bad habits are created, it’s possible to not only break these patterns, but also reprogram and evolve your brain, so that new, positive, and beneficial habits can take over.

This is something you can start to do right now. You and only you have the power to change your mind and evolve your brain for a better life—for good.

Kitty in Bloom

“When you cannot make up your mind between two evenly balanced courses of action, choose the bolder.”
– William Joseph Slim

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Kitty in Bloom – Sharpie on Vellum

Here’s another flowerdy critter.  The cat and the daisies are from Dewi’s references at WetCanvas.  It’s so fun to combine the two and end up with something oddly wonderful.  I guess I took today’s quote to heart.  

About William Joseph Slim

The courageous British commander William Joseph Slim, who led forces during both world wars, led an impressive turnaround of the so-called Forgotten Army in Burma during World War II after he trained them how to fight in jungle conditions. He was born in 1891 in Bristol. He joined the army as a second lieutenant at the outbreak of World War I and was wounded in the battle of Gallipoli. He served as governor-general of Australia, a ceremonial role, from 1953 to 1960. He died in 1970.

Itty Bitty Kitty ATC

“Morality, like art, means drawing a line someplace.”
– Oscar Wilde

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Itty Bitty Kitty ATC – 2.5″ x 3.5″ Quickie Watercolor
I did this little 20 minute watercolor sketch from Elaine’s WetCanvas photo of her cat Mollie.   Sometimes it’s fun to just play, right?

About Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde, the clever, colorful Anglo-Irish writer, is best known for the play The Importance of Being Earnest and the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. He was born in Dublin in 1854 but left when his lady love became engaged to Bram Stoker. He was a leading member of the aesthetic movement and embraced its doctrine, “Art for art’s sake.” Though married with two children, Wilde was known to have affairs with younger men and was jailed in 1895 for “gross indecency.” He died in 1900.