I know I saw that rooster...

“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 2013

I know I saw that rooster…

This is an older painting, but I always liked it.  The reference photo came from Sharrm at WetCanvas.  I am working on a commission, so no new paintings for a bit.

I have a 13 mile drive to work, on country roads.  This morning, a car passed me and about 10 other cars, some in a no passing zone through Longtown.  They were sure in a hurry!  I imagined all kinds of scenarios that required them taking so many foolish chances to get into Eufaula faster.  The part that made me laugh right out loud… they turned into the McDonalds drive thru line with about 15 cars ahead of them. 

Have a very nice day!

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.

Belize City Street Market

“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves.  The process never ends until we die.  And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.”
–Eleanor Roosevelt

Yeah!!!  That’s what I was talking about yesterday! 




Belize City Street Market – 5″ x 7″ Watercolor

This reference was super busy, with cars and junk everywhere.  I wanted to practice people, in the simplest form, so I eliminated a lot of stuff.  I have the buildings and perspective all wrong, but it was the people I was after.    I had a great time with this reference by KreativeKay at WetCanvas.   Oh, I added the dog and chickens from two of Kay’s  other photos.  They just wanted to be in the painting, and since I removed the cars, there was no danger of them getting run over. 

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt  October 11, 1884 – November 7, 1962) was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband’s death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international author, speaker, politician, and activist for the New Deal coalition. She worked to enhance the status of working women, although she opposed the Equal Rights Amendment because she believed it would adversely affect women.

In the 1940s, Roosevelt was one of the co-founders of Freedom House and supported the formation of the United Nations. Roosevelt founded the UN Association of the United States in 1943 to advance support for the formation of the UN. She was a delegate to the UN General Assembly from 1945 and 1952, a job for which she was appointed by President Harry S. Truman and confirmed by the United States Senate. During her time at the United Nations she chaired the committee that drafted and approved the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. President Truman called her the “First Lady of the World” in tribute to her human rights achievements.

Active in politics for the rest of her life, Roosevelt chaired the John F. Kennedy administration’s ground-breaking committee which helped start second-wave feminism, the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women. In 1999, she was ranked in the top ten of Gallup’s List of Most Widely Admired People of the 20th Century.  (Wikipedia)

Where Did She Put the Chicken Feed?

“My father used to say to me, ‘Whenever you get into a jam, whenever you get into a crisis or an emergency…become the calmest person in the room and you’ll be able to figure your way out of it.’”
– Rudolph Giuliani



Where Did She Put the Chicken Feed? – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor & Sharpie

Don’t they seem to be looking for something?  I painted this from one of Sharrm’s references at WetCanvas.  The chickens were all different colors, but I liked the white for this.    It felt so good just to paint for the pure fun of it.  I don’t care how busy I am, I think I need to paint a little every week.  Even if it’s just something small and simple.  It’s kinda like needing to eat or breathe. 

About Rudolph Giuliani

Rudolph Giuliani, the controversial former mayor of New York City, took the national spotlight after the events of September 11th, when he stood strong, pulling the city together, which garnered him the Person of the Year accolade from Time magazine. He was born in Brooklyn in 1944. As mayor, he presided over a massive urban redevelopment and implemented the “broken windows” policy, which cracks down on small crimes to deter larger ones. After his term as mayor ended, Giuliani founded an investment and consulting company. He remains heavily involved in American politics and ran for president in 2008.