Ralph Faded Into the Forest

“I celebrate all of me today!
Weaknesses and strengths alike!
I celebrate every part of me
And
I
feel
JOY!

-Ruth Fishel

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Ralph Faded Into the Forest – Illustration Friday – 5.5″ x 5″ Watercolor and Prismacolor .01 fine artist pen

Ralph, in his infinite frog wisdom, discovered that if he climbed into the tree and held perfectly still, he faded perfectly into the background, keeping him safe from 5 year old boys.  We all know little boys love taking frogs home and putting them in the bathtub.  Ralph liked the forest better than any bathtub.

Faded is the Illustration Friday topic.

I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.  I had a whole 3 days off!  I am rested, relaxed and happy. 

Ruth Fishel, is a therapist, retreat and workshop leader, and author of several books, including “Precious Solitude,” “The Journey Within, A Spiritual Path to Recovery,” a pioneer book on meditation, spirituality, and recovery, and the best-selling “Time for Joy.” She also teaches “Stop! Do You Know You’re Breathing?” a program she developed for teachers and health care workers. She now co-directs Spirithaven, Inc., which she co-founded in 1989.

Spirit Haven, Inc can be found here… http://ruthfishel.com/Home_Page.html

The Egret and the Frog – Watercolor ATC

“When thinking won’t cure fear, action will.”
– William Clement Stone



The Egret and the Frog – Watercolor ATC

“I’m Ellen the Egret.  The thing I like best about spring is the beautiful sunrises.  I could just look at them forever!  Something is tickling my foot!”

This little ATC went to Darlene, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
I like today’s quote.  I haven’t flown much lately, because the wild and windy weather in Oklahoma is beyond my personal minimums as a student.  Friday was calm, so I mustered up the courage to go do some touch and gos at the airport in McAlester.  I was nervous, because it had been a while.  After carefully doing my preflight, I preceded to do some takeoffs and landings.   I learned a lot in just an hour, that I can’t learn from a book and I’m glad I went.   Unfortunately, the forecast for the next 8 days call for major wind, so I’m grounded again.   I still have a lot of studying to do, so the time will not be wasted.

I am so close to finishing that I can taste it.  I can’t wait until I pass my check-ride, so I can take my husband with me.  That’s when all the hard work will really pay off.  We are going to have so much fun! 

About William Clement Stone

American businessman William Clement Stone overcame an impoverished childhood to head an insurance empire. He was born in 1902 in Chicago. His father died when he was three, leaving the family in debt. Stone dropped out of school to help his mother sell insurance. He called cold calls “gold calls,” and started each day saying, “I feel happy! I feel healthy! I feel ter-r-r-ific!” He cowrote the book Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude with Napoleon Hill. He died in 2002 at age 100.

Frog Collection – Product Mock Ups

“Be happy. It’s one way of being wise.”
– Colette



Frog Collection
Mock Ups for Art Licensing

For all of the art I’m taking to Atlanta, I have done these mock up pages, showing what the art may look like on their products.  This one is pretty simple, because I didn’t make any patterns, icons or borders for the frogs.    I found myself running out of time and getting everything into Photoshop CS5 is very time consuming.  I am taking 16 collections and some loose art, along with my new brochures and business cards.

Now, if they just don’t cancel my flight and my hotel is still open.  *sigh*  It’s a good thing I am taking my sense of humor with me. 

See you on Monday!

About Colette

Colette was the pen name of Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, the French author acclaimed for her intimate, lyrical novels, including Chéri and The Vagabond. Born in Burgundy in 1873, she moved to Paris in 1893 when she married Henri “Willy” Gauthier-Villars, who locked her in a room and demanded that she write. After their divorce, she became a music-hall performer and continued to write. During World War I, she converted her second husband’s estate into a hospital for the wounded. She died in 1954.

Sunnie Louise - Frog Painting

“Be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else.”
– Judy Garland



Sunnie Louise
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor & Gouache on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Today, it’s much easier navigating around southeast Oklahoma.  I wish the same could be said for Atlanta!  What a mess!  I’d like to think it’ll all be cleared up before I get there, Thursday, but it’s not looking too promising.  They are not supposed to be above freezing until Thursday.  (The big adventure continues.)  I am meeting another artist for dinner Thursday night that is driving from Charolette, NC, and they got 5 inches of snow.  I hope she can still make it.  Mother nature is giving us some interesting challenges to overcome, but I am still excited!

About Judy Garland

Beloved American actress Judy Garland will always be associated with her role as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. She was born Frances Gumm in Minnesota in 1922 to vaudevillian parents. She made her stage debut at age two and a half. She starred in 26 films over 13 years and became a huge star. In 1950, MGM ended her contract. Though she primarily gave concerts after that, she did star in a few more films, including her famed role in A Star Is Born. She died in 1969.

Squeaky - Frog Painting

“Action is the antidote to despair.”
– Joan Baez



Squeaky
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor ATC

Snow…  1-2″ cripples the area I live in.  I’m not sure I have ever seen a snow plow in my neck of the woods.  I finally got to work about 11:45 am.    Of course, my straight uphill 500 foot driveway was the main culprit.  After I scaled that, the rest was easy.  It did give me the opportunity to paint for a couple hours this morning.  Red poppies.

Have a great day!

About Joan Baez

American singer Joan Baez, known for her clear soprano and her belief in music as a tool for change, is widely considered the godmother of modern folk-rock. She was born in New York in 1941. She is an ardent activist, working for civil rights, nonviolence, and worker’s rights. She received the ACLU’s Earl Warren Award for her commitment to international human rights and, at the 2007 Grammy’s, was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Her music includes the chart-topping version of “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” and the album Diamonds and Rust. She has one son.

Speckles - Frog Painting

“Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson



Speckles
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor and Gouache ATC

I painted this little dude on Art Spectrum Colourfix paper, which is usually used for pastels.  I use my gouache kinda thick and it feels wonderful on the paper.  It takes more coats to obtain the opaqueness on the dark paper, and I mix watercolor pigment in with the gouache for the colors I want.  It’s fun!

Have a great weekend! 

About Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson helped spark the transcendentalist movement with the essay Nature, which described his belief in the spiritual essence of humanity and the natural world. He was born in Boston in 1803. He was a Unitarian minister until he resigned in 1832 to become a philosopher and writer. He suffered the untimely deaths of many of his loved ones: three brothers, his first wife at age 20, and his eldest son at age five. Emerson died in 1882.

Skippy - Frog Painting

“Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.”
– F. Scott Fitzgerald

What a great Quote!  It’s that type of thinking that has kept me flying. 




Skippy
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor

I can be fairly certain that I made up this froggie’s coloring.  I just really love purple critters.  he he he

I did much better on my instrument training yesterday, so I’m going to do it again today, then fly around by myself for a while.  How fun is that?  It’s going to be 59 degrees and sunny!  If the plane didn’t cost so much per hour, I’d fly all day! 

About F. Scott Fitzgerald

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, who wrote as F. Scott Fitzgerald, is best known for his novel The Great Gatsby. He was born in St. Paul in 1896. Fear of mortality spurred him to write the novel This Side of Paradise while in the Army. It was rejected twice by Scribner’s before they finally published it. His wife Zelda’s schizophrenia was the basis for his novel Tender Is the Night. After they separated, he moved to Los Angeles and wrote screenplays for studio films. He died in 1940.

Ralphie - Frog Painting

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



Ralphie
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor & Gouache ATC

He seems to be saying, “so… you look like you have  never seen a frog pee before? Would you mind?”  he he he

I’m heading to Muskogee in a few minutes to fly.  I am doing the part of my training where they put special glasses on you so that you can’t see out of the plane.  You fly by the instruments only and it is really disorienting.  I still need 1.5 hours of it and they just have you do it 30 minutes at a time.  Not my favorite part of flight training.  I’ve already done 1.5 hours and it’s not getting easier.  Maybe today, it’ll click.  

See you tomorrow!  *wave*

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.

Petunia - Frog Painting

“The only certain means of success is to render more and better service than is expected of you, no matter what your task may be.”
–Og Mandino



Petunia
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor or Strathmore Textured Paper
 
Don’t ask me where I came up with the names for these frogs, but she does look like a Petunia, right? 

Augustine “Og” Mandino II (December 12, 1923 – September 3, 1996) was an American author. He wrote the bestselling book The Greatest Salesman in the World. His books have sold over 50 million copies and have been translated into over twenty-five different languages. He was the president of Success Unlimited magazine until 1976 and is an inductee of the National Speakers

Peek-A-Boo! - Frog Painting

“To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.”
– Bertrand Russell



Peek-A-Boo!
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor

Nope.  I’m not out of frogs yet.  Soon…. I promise. 

I’m working like crazy, trying to get all my ducks in a row for Atlanta.  It’s almost here and I still have so much to do.  I am very excited and can’t wait to be at AmericasMart! I’ll share some new art as it gets closer. 

About Bertrand Russell

British philosopher Bertrand Russell was greatly responsible for the shift toward logical analysis among philosophers; he introduced rigorous scientific methodology to the field and was best known for his books Principia Mathematica and The Principles of Mathematics. He was born in 1872 to an aristocratic English family but raised by a strict paternal grandmother after his parents died young. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950. Albert Einstein collaborated with him on a manifesto calling for nuclear disarmament. He died in 1970.

New Year's Eve - Party Frog Painting

“Man can only become what he is able to consciously imagine.”
– Dane Rudhyar

YES!



Party Frog
2.5″ x 3.5″ ATC

You had to know I’d have a party frog in my collection.  I cut this little watercolor frog out and glued him on to an ATC that I dabbled dimensional acrylic paint onto.

I hope everyone has a safe New Year’s Eve, followed by the most joyful 2011 that you can stand!

I don’t really do New Year’s resolutions.  I have spent the last 100 days working on my goals and putting everything in place for an amazing 2011.  It has been rewarding and eye opening.  I’m especially working on my focus.  I sometimes have so many things going on at once that I focus on nothing.  I plan to rotate tasks, rather than multi-task,  to give each day a better concentrated attention to the things that are important.

How about you?  Resolutions?

About Dane Rudhyar

Dane Rudhyar was a respected modernist composer as well as a pioneering modern psychological astrologer. He was born in Paris in 1895 as Daniel Chennevière and immigrated to the United States in the early 1900′s. His music utilizes dissonant harmony; he claimed to be inspired by the cadence of speech. His work influenced a group of composers known as the ultramodernists. He also wrote a number of astrology books, including the seminal Astrology of Personality. He died in 1985.

Oh Sunny Day - Frog Painting

“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision.  The ability to direct individual accomplishment toward organizational objectives.  It is the fuel that allows common people to obtain uncommon results.”
–Successories Print



Oh Sunny Day
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor ATC

I can’t swear that this frog was pink.  (he he he)  I don’t remember, but I kinda doubt it. 

About Successories

For over 20 years, Successories has been the leader in motivational products fueling the passion of high achievers and top performing teams with our stirring images and uniquely inspiring messages. Tap into the powerful possibilities in you and your staff – shop our complete collection online today. Most motivational items can be customized with your logo or personalized for award presentations or gift giving. Motivational Posters – over 200 exclusive motivational posters, inspirational posters, sports motivational posters…

Mickey - Frog Painting

“Recognize how far you have come today.  Recognize how much you have changed, how much you have grown.  Recognize the good in you today.

It is a day to take positive inventory.  It is a day to recognize your progress.  It is a day to celebrate yourself today.

Today I am taking the time I need to look at my growth and progress.  I celebrate being alive.  I celebrate the good in me.  Today I celebrate me.”

–Ruth Fishel
Daily Affirmations



Mickey
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor ATC

I love this little frog against the black.  My blog friend, Linda Halcomb, says that these frogs remind her of spring and to keep them coming.  You got it, Linda.  I have more! 

About the Author

Ruth Fishel is the co-founder and co-director of Serenity, Inc., a multifaceted alcoholism and drug treatment program for women, founded in 1974, in Natick, Massachusetts; as well as of Spirithaven of Cape Cod, a healing program for women in personal growth and recovery. She writes and presents workshops and retreats throughout the country, guiding people on their spiritual journey with the tools of meditation, affirmations and visualizations.

Malcom - Frog Painting

“I think in terms of the day’s resolutions, not the year’s.”
– Henry Moore



Malcom
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor & Gouache ATC

Yes, it’s another frog.  I have been creating art, but it’s for the licensing end of my world.  I’m going to be in Atlanta in just 2 weeks!  I have 8 collections prepared out of the 12 that I promised myself I would have ready.  That’s why I haven’t been getting around to the blogs or to WetCanvas.

I’m flying, too!  Yesterday, we flew to Tulsa International Airport.  Of course, my CFI wouldn’t let me do the landing.  I think he is more nervous than I am.  He has some trust issues that we need to work on. 

About Henry Moore

British sculptor Henry Moore is known for his voluptuous abstract figures. He was born in 1898 to a poor mining family. After Moore served in World War I, he became the first student of sculpture at Leeds School of Art; a sculpture studio was set up specifically for him. As he studied primitive arts, his own work became more abstract. He established The Henry Moore Foundation in 1977 to promote public appreciation of art. He died in 1986. His work can be seen in public spaces all over the world.

Merry Christmas - Frog Paintinf

“I long to accomplish great and noble tasks,
but it is my chief duty to accomplish
small tasks as if they were great and noble.”
–Helen Keller



Merry Christmas!

I  want to thanks all of you who have been following my little blog.  I feel so good about the growing friendships we are making.

Have a very safe and wonderful holiday!

Beth

I See You! - Frog Painting

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

Do you think a frog can clench his fists? 




I See You!
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor and Ink ATC

I painted this little guy on a flight to Barbados in 2008.  I can remember it like it was yesterday.  I wonder why I never painted in the leaves? 

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.

Snoozing Frog

“Times of general calamity and confusion have ever been productive of the greatest minds. The purest ore is produced from the hottest furnace, and the brightest thunderbolt is elicited from the darkest storm.”
– Charles Caleb Colton



Snoozing Frog
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor ATC

If general “calamity and confusion” produce wonderful things… I should be on fire.  Normally, things kind of slow down a bit for the holidays and that has not been the case this year.  I have had an amazing run!  Many new and exciting adventures have been filling my days.   The next few months promise to be even more hectic, as I finish up my flight training and launch my licensing business.

I think it’s time to give myself permission to be tired.    One does not always have to be “on”, right?  I think sometimes our batteries just need to recharge.    Christmas for me is going to be quality time with my wonderful husband and a little well deserved rest.  What are you going to do on Christmas day?

About Charles Caleb Colton

English minister and author Charles Caleb Colton was best known for his book of essays, Lacon, or Many Things in Few Words. He was born in 1780 in England. He was an avid collector of both wine and paintings and was known as an eccentric for his lifestyle, which was both lavish and ramshackle, and for his church work, which was sometimes brilliant, sometimes slipshod. After leaving the ministry, he lived in Paris for many years. He died in 1832.

Freddy - Frog Painting

“Attempt easy tasks as if they were difficult, and difficult as if they were easy; in the one case that confidence may not fall asleep, in the other that it may not be dismayed.”
– Baltasar Gracián y Morales



Freddy Frog
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor, gouache and spackle ATC

Some of you may remember Freddy.  I used spackle to add the dimension to the ATC.  Of course, stuff that sticks out in real life, looks sunken in on the scan.  Hmmmm….?

About Baltasar Gracián y Morales

Baltasar Gracián y Morales, the Jesuit scholar and moralist author, was the leading Spanish proponent of conceptism (conceptismo), a method of expressing ideas through puns, epigrams, and other verbal devices. He was born in 1601 in Aragon. The Jesuit leadership frowned on his oratorical style, which included reading a letter from Hell to his congregation. His best known books include The Art of Worldly Wisdom and The Hero, which repudiated Machiavelli. He died in 1658.

Freckles - Frog Painting

“I don’t know what your destiny will be,
but one thing I know:  The only ones among
you who will be really happy are those who
have sought out and found how to serve.”

–Arnold Schweitzer



Freckles
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor ATC

Really…. I’m not kidding….  the frog in the photo was this color!  I am amazed by the wonderful little critter that is the frog!  Just when you thought you had seen everything….

I could find no biography on Dr. Schweitzer.  I just found that he was a Humanitarian and a Physician.

Feelin' Rosy - Frog Painting

“Your life becomes the thing you have decided it shall be.”
– Raymond Charles Barker

I really believe that to be true!



Feelin’ Rosy
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor ATC

Another little frog.  Can you imagine how miniature this little frog must be in real life?  Fun! 

About Raymond Charles Barker

Raymond Charles Barker was an influential American minister and author in the mid-twentieth century. He wrote such books as The Power of Decision and Treat Yourself to Life, on ways to change subconscious patterns. He became president of the International New Thought Alliance in 1943, a group practicing the religious philosophy developed in the late 1800′s by Phineas Quimby, with early proponents including Ralph Waldo Emerson. Unity Church and Divine Science are among its later offshoots. He founded the First Church of Religious Science in Manhattan in 1946 and served as its minister until 1979. He died in 1988 at the age of 77.