Brand New Eufaula Postcard

“Believe that dreams and miracles happen every day.  You also have to acknowledge that you’ve already experienced countless big and tiny miracles in your own life.  Acknowledge how much you have to be grateful for and be grateful that you have so much to offer.”

–Bex Borucki

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Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

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New Eufaula Postcard

I have these on order and should receive them Monday.  I’m going to do more designs, but this is the one I have sent in so far.  They will be available at Our Favorite Place in Eufaula.

Rebekah “Bex” Borucki, founder of BEXLIFE™ and the BLISSED IN™ wellness movement, is a mother-of-four, TV host, fitness and yoga instructor, popular YouTuber, and backyard farmer raising backyard chickens and growing her own organic garden.

Watercolor Turkey Twins Go Exploring

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear — not absence of fear.”
– Mark Twain

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Turkey Twins Go Exploring

Another one from the archives.  It’s amazing how many varieties of birds I can find when I search through my paintings.   I hope you enjoy them, while I work on current art.

I had twin Banny Roosters once.    Darrell and his other brother Darrell.  They were  really little, but put huge fear in grown men.  They were very protective of me and would chase strange men (like the plumber or phone man) all around the yard.  They were hilarious!!

I love doing my blog every weekday.  I started doing this in 2007 and it’s just a part of my daily routine.  I need to start my day with a positive thought.  It stays with me all day.  I really appreciate those of you who take the time to click on your email message and come visit.  You are the best!!!

About Mark Twain

 

Samuel Clemens, the iconic American humorist and writer, is better known by his pen name Mark Twain. He was born in 1835 in Missouri. He worked at several jobs, including steamboat pilot and miner. He wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Prince and the Pauper, and other successful novels. His writing captured a very American vernacular and flavor, and helped create a distinctive American literature. He died in 1910.

Blue Cows in a Glorious Sunset

“The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under it’s roof.”
–Barbara Kingsolver

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Cows in Sunset – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor

Isn’t this one fun?  The photo reference was by SkattyKat at WetCanvas.  The cows were in a fenced area in bright daylight, but not in Bethville!   And as you may have guessed…. they were not blue.  **giggle**
I’m getting ready to start another commission.  It’s a beautiful home in the Kansas City area.  Sneak peeks will be coming soon.

Barbara Kingsolver was born in 1955, and grew up in rural Kentucky. She earned degrees in biology from DePauw University and the University of Arizona, and has worked as a freelance writer and author since 1985. At various times in her adult life she has lived in England, France, and the Canary Islands, and has worked in Europe, Africa, Asia, Mexico, and South America. She spent two decades in Tucson, Arizona, before moving to southwestern Virginia where she currently resides.

Her books, in order of publication, are: The Bean Trees (1988), Homeland (1989), Holding the Line: Women in the Great Arizona Mine Strike (1989), Animal Dreams (1990), Another America (1992), Pigs in Heaven (1993), High Tide in Tucson (1995), The Poisonwood Bible (1998), Prodigal Summer (2000), Small Wonder (2002), Last Stand: America’s Virgin Lands, with photographer Annie Griffiths Belt (2002), Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (2007), The Lacuna (2009), and Flight Behavior (available Nov. 6, 2012). She served as editor for Best American Short Stories 2001. Her books have been translated into more than two dozen languages, and have been adopted into the core literature curriculum in high schools and colleges throughout the nation. She has contributed to more than fifty literary anthologies, and her reviews and articles have appeared in most major U.S. newspapers and magazines. Click here to view complete bibliography.

New York City – 5″ x 7″ Work in Progress

“How can disappointments be opportunities to grow? When we feel thwarted, frustrated or empty it is difficult – but not impossible – to see the positive side of our pain.Most disappointments come from a sense of failure when our expectations of ourselves or others are not met. 

 

If we can work through our initial response or source of frustration that lies within ourselves, we are taking the right steps toward turning our hurts and fears into growth-filled experiences.Do we have unrealistic expectations of ourselves or approval of us? 

 

Have we sold ourselves short by placing our entire self-worth on our jobs, paychecks, or possessions? Have we accepted negative feelings about ourselves, or do we see ourselves as capable human beings?

  TODAY I will probe the sources of my self-esteem. I will seek my happiness within myself, not in other people, places, or things.”

– Liane Cordes (from the book – The Reflecting Pond)

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

New York City – 5″ x 7″ Work in Progress

This is the painting I am working on now.  I thought it would be fun to show you some progress shots.  Fist I do a pencil drawing, then come back in with ink.  I use Staedtler pigment liners.   They are archival quality, fade-resistant  and acid-free.

On this one, I came in with the sky and water first.  I often save the sky for last and I think this way is better.  I wet the area then bring the color in.   Everything after the liner is watercolor.  I have some teensie tiny itty bitty brushes.  It feels like it would be cheating if I used colored markers.

See the building to the right of the tall purple building?  That puppy took me an hour all by itself, just to paint the color in.  I’m getting close to finishing, so I should be able to show you the finished painting before the week is out. 

The reference photo is by MissMouse at WetCanvas.  She provided it to the Reference Image Library for artists’ use.  If you haven’t checked it out, you should.   It’s an amazing source of inspiration.

“The Reflecting Pond” is a collection of meditations that takes one subject at a time and covers it in depth. Whether we have a concern about self-acceptance, fear, friendship, or love, there is a chapter full of understanding thoughts. Used as an extra dose of support on specific issues, this book will help us think through day-to-day living problems. An excellent resource for those in aftercare programs.”

Mission Hills, Kansas Home – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor

“Be miserable or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.”
–Wayne Dyer

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Mission Hills, Kansas Home – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor

I found this home while wandering around Google street view.  It was really fun to do!  I was hoping if I have a few homes in my Kansas City inventory, it might encourage commissions.  Oh and because it’s FUN!! 

This painting is done on a wonderful Kilimanjaro watercolor paper.  I bought a little sample pack and I love the way this paper loves watercolor.

WAYNE W. DYER, PH.D., is an internationally renowned author and speaker in the field of self-development. He’s the author of over 30 books, has created many audio programs and videos, and has appeared on thousands of television and radio shows.

His books Manifest Your Destiny, Wisdom of the Ages, There’s a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem, and the New York Times bestsellers 10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace, The Power of Intention, Inspiration, Change Your Thoughts—Change Your Life, Excuses Begone, and now Wishes Fulfilled have all been featured as National Public Television specials.

Dyer holds a Doctorate in Educational Counseling from Wayne State University and was an associate professor at St. John’s University in New York.

Dr. Wayne Dyer is affectionately called the “father of motivation” by his fans. Despite his childhood spent in orphanages and foster homes, Dr. Dyer has overcome many obstacles to make his dreams come true. Today he spends much of his time showing others how to do the same.

When he’s not traveling the globe delivering his uplifting message, Wayne is writing from his home in Maui.

4 Paws West View – 8″ x 8″ Acrylic on Panel

Change and growth take place when a person has risked himself and dares to become involved with experimenting with his own life.
–Herbert Otto

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

4 Paws West View – 8″ x 8″ Acrylic on Panel

Since I have Idaho on my mind, I thought I would share another painting from my Driggs visit in 2011.  I painted this while I was there at the 4 Paws cabin.  It’s my interpretation of the view to the west of the cabin.   I am so excited that I’m spending time in Driggs this summer, especially since it will probably be 110 degrees here in Oklahoma.  During their heat wave in August of 2011… it was 90. 

I really love that quote by Herbert Otto, but I couldn’t determine what Herbert Otto to credit this quote to.  Yes!  There was more than one Herbert Otto when I googled him.  Who knew?

Small Peek at Bethville

“The courage to be is the courage to accept oneself, in spite of being unacceptable.”
– Paul Tillich

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2011

Small Peek at Bethville – Watercolor

Here is another small peek at one of the proofs for my new Bethville Series.  With the holidays and all the activity, I have not been able to work on the larger acrylic paintings.  I am looking forward to some quieter time to work on them.   The holidays are wearing me out.   I’m sure it’s just the stress I put on myself.   One more party and they are officially over.   Yay!  

About Paul Tillich

Paul Tillich, the German-American theologian and existential philosopher, was best known for his books The Courage to Be and Dynamics of Faith. He was born in 1886 in the German town of Starzeddel, now part of Poland. An ordained Lutheran minister, he taught theology for two decades until he was fired for his opposition to the Nazis. He immigrated to the US, where he taught at various universities. He sought to reconcile the human condition and faith, reason and belief. He died in 1965.

Art Walk and Car Show Poster

“We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal and then leap in the dark to our success.”
– Henry David Thoreau



Art Walk & Car Show Poster – 11″ x 14″ Watercolor

I was selected to do the poster for Eufaula’s Art Walk this year.  I did this over the weekend.  They wanted a car in it, because of the car show, and the town is a simplified version of a section of Main Street.  I had a great time doing it.

I think they are going to insert the name and dates, etc, with a computer.  They haven’t seen this yet, so you have the first look.  It may change after they see it. 

About Henry David Thoreau

Henry David Thoreau, the transcendentalist philosopher and author, is best known for Walden, a spiritual memoir about his two-year sojourn in the woods. He was born in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1817 and lived nearly all his life in that small town. He explored the area as a land surveyor, and became the first American environmentalist. His writing presaged the field of ecology. He died of tuberculosis in 1862.

Fox at Cuban Ranch

Every failure, obstacle, or hardship is an opportunity in disguise.  Success in many cases is failure turned inside out.  The greatest pollution problem we face today is negativity.  Eliminate the negative attitude and believe you can do anything.  Replace “if I can, I hope, maybe” with “I can, I will, I must.”

Mary Kay Ash, founder and CEO of Mary Kay Cosmetics



Fox at Cuban Ranch – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor

I painted this from two references by Wendy (sundiver) at WetCanvas.  One was a fox and the other a Cuban ranch.  I had a great time painting this little guy.  Yesterday’s hats were also done from one of Wendy’s references.

Don’t you just love that quote?  It’s how I live my life today.   I haven’t always had this philosophy.   I used to worry about everything.  When my husband and I started dating, he taught me, through his own actions, that life is a great big adventure, just waiting for me to jump in and participate.  It’s amazing how much that knowledge (and my husband) has enhanced my life. 

Mary Kay Ash, born Mary Kathlyn Wagner in Hot Wells, Harris County, Texas, was the daughter of Edward Alexander and Lula Vember Hastings Wagner. She attended Reagan High School in Houston, and graduated in 1934.

Ash married Ben Rogers at age 17. While her husband served in World War II, she sold books door-to-door. After her husband’s return in 1938, they divorced. Ash went to work for Stanley Home Products. Frustrated when passed over for a promotion in favor of a man that she had trained, Ash retired in 1963 and intended to write a book to assist women in business. The book turned into a business plan for her ideal company, and in September 1963, Mary Kay Ash and her second husband began Mary Kay Cosmetics with a $5,000 investment. Before the company could open its original storefront operation in Dallas, her second husband died, and her son, Richard Rogers, took his place. The store opened in 1963, but grew rapidly, particularly after Ash was interviewed for CBS‘s 60 Minutes in 1979.  more…

Balloon Ride Over Thailand II

“When one’s expectations are reduced to zero, one really appreciates everything one does have.”
– Stephen Hawking



Balloon Ride Over Thailand II
Gouache on 5″ x 7″ Black Photo Mount Greeting Card

First, I have to say that my heart goes out to all the storm victims in Alabama.  There have been so many lives lost and property destroyed.  What a tragic night it has been.

This is another painting done from a photo reference by Dewi at WetCanvas, from her balloon ride over Thailand.  I had a lot of fun doing this.  Click on the photo for a larger look. 

It has stopped raining for a couple days, so this afternoon I’m going flying.  I’m just going to practice my landings, but I’m really looking forward to it.  Tomorrow it will be too windy and then the rain comes back for Saturday and Sunday.

About Stephen Hawking

British scientist Stephen Hawking, best known for his book A Brief History of Time, which did much to popularize physics, is a leading theoretical physicist who used Einstein’s general theory of relativity to prove the big bang theory. He was born in 1942 in Oxford. He was diagnosed with severe amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at 21 and was not expected to live more than three years. Over time he has become more disabled, but he continues to lecture, speaking through a computer-controlled voice box.

Poppy Field

“Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact.”
– William James



Poppy Field – Watercolor

This morning, they were talking about the laughing baby videos on YouTube and they are so funny!  There’s nothing that makes me feel better than a good belly laugh!  Yesterday, I received this video and roared.  I love a good laugh.  Have fun in whatever you do today and if you can’t laugh, at least wiggle your butt.  It has the same affect. 

About William James

American psychologist and philosopher William James, brother to author Henry James, wrote voluminously during his life, exploring a range of issues from a theory of emotion to a philosophy of history. He was born in New York in 1842 and wanted to be an artist, but his father disapproved. He obtained a medical degree but felt unsatisfied and depressed, leading to a crisis that he called his soul sickness. After this turning point, he began his fulfilling second career. He died in 1910.

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



Impressionist Rose Garden – Oil Pastel

Here is my little attempt at Impressionism.   It’s oil pastel on black pastel paper.  I thought it was fun, but it is so not me.    For the first 2 years after I started painting again (after a 30 year break) I was trying everything I saw.  I grew in leaps and bounds during that time … and so did my art supply stash! 

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 in 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 in 1962.

Little Pink House

“We strain to renew our capacity for wonder, to shock ourselves into astonishment once again.”
– Shana Alexander

 

Little Pink House
8″ x 4″ Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

This is painted from a WetCanvas WDE reference photo by Valri Ary.  It’s in Barbados and Valri and I went there together in September of 2008.    It was so wonderful and it’s hard to believe it’s already been two years ago.

I also live in a pink house.  (It was my husband’s idea.  hehehe)  It sits on a hill overlooking Lake Eufaula and has  become a landmark from the water.  “Go the the pink house and turn left to go to the dam or turn right to go to No. 9 Marina.”  Last weekend, someone told us they have been calling it the Mary Kay house.  We’ve been in it for 5 years and that’s the first time we have heard that one! 


Here are some other views of this little painting.

About Shan a Alexander

Shana Alexander, the pioneering American journalist who was the first female staff writer at Life magazine, was best known for her combative “Point-Counterpoint” segments with conservative James Kilpatrick on 60 Minutes, which became fodder for a long-running Saturday Night Live spoof. She was born in 1925 in New York City. Her first assignment as a journalist was to interview the stripper Gypsy Rose Lee. She wrote several nonfiction books, mostly true crime accounts. She died in 2005.

Rural Fire Truck

“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

 

Rural Fire Truck
16″ x 20″ Acrylic on Canvas

I have really been struggling with this painting.  I am not used to painting so large and when I mess up, I mess up BIG!  It’s the sky.  I have repainted it 3 times and I’m not sure about it this time either.  I would love to hear your thoughts on it.  No really… I can take it! 


I set it into a frame to see if it would help.  It’s not actually framed or even signed yet.

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.

Counting Sheep

“Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish.”
– Ovid

 

Counting Sheep
6″ x 6″ x 3/4″ Acrylic on Ampersand Artist Panel

These panels are wonderful!  They are smooth, yet there’s a little bit of canvas like texture.  They are cradled, not wrapped.  Of course I painted the image around the edges. 




There is just something wonderful about sheep, grazing in a meadow.  Now I have to take a nap.

About Ovid

“Publius Ovidius Naso, the Roman poet known as Ovid, best known for the epic Metamorphoses, is considered one of the greatest poets of Latin literature. He was born in 43 B.C. in what is now Italy. He rose quickly in Roman government and was on track to become a senator when he chose to devote himself to poetry instead. His tale of Pyramus and Thisbe is the source for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Emperor Augustus exiled Ovid from Rome for unknown reasons in 8 A.D.; he died in exile in 17 A.D. “

Curious Cat

“When you get the choice to sit it out or dance…
I hope you dance… I hope you dance.”
–Lee Ann Womack

 

Curious Cat
5″ x 7″ Gouache on Black Ampersand Clay Board
 

This painting was so much fun to do!  I started with the black clay board and used wet juicy brush loads of paint.  There are a lot of layers, in order to achieve the opacity over the black.    I wanted to leave a lot of the black and keep it pretty loose.  I had a great time!



Today is the day that I send out my very first monthly newsletter.  Why would I do that, you ask?  Well, I have owned my sign shop for 18 years.  I want some additional challenges in my life.  (Some good challenges are things I can do from a chair in my later years.)   Since nothing happens overnight, I am laying some of the ground work for some ideas I have.  To keep happy, I think we must constantly take a look at our lives and make room for revisions and opportunities.   Thank you for reading my blog and hopefully my newsletter.  I appreciate the friends I have made out there so very much! 


Lee Ann Womack (born August 19, 1966 in Jacksonville, Texas) is a country music artist whom may best be known for her 2000 crossover hit, I Hope You Dance.
Her 1997 self-titled debut album brought her onto the country music scene as a herald of a more traditional country music sound, in a genre that had begun to sound more pop-oriented with the likes of LeAnn Rimes, Faith Hill and Shania Twain topping the charts. The hits from that first album were “Never Again, Again”, “The Fool” and “You’ve Got To Talk To Me.”
Her second album, 1998′s Some Things I Know brought us “A Little Past Little Rock”, “(Now You See Me) Now You Don’t”, and “I’ll Think Of A Reason Later”, while her third and possibly most successful album to date, 2000′s I Hope You Dance featured, along with the award-winning aforementioned title cut (which Sons of the Desert supplied the backing vocals) also featured the hits “Why They Call It Falling” and “Does My Ring Burn Your Ringer” as well as covers of the 1980 Rodney Crowell hit “Ashes By Now”, and the Don Williams’ 1970s classic, “Lord I Hope This Day Is Good.”
Womack’s fourth album, Something Worth Leaving Behind, released in 2002, was seen by many as an attempt by her to cross-over to the very pop-sound that she was the antithesis of five years earlier. The title cut was the only track on the album to reach the Top 40.
Her most recent album, 2005′s There’s More Where That Came From features her current single, “I May Hate Myself In The Morning,” and is popularly viewed by many as a return to the traditional sound that brought her success in her earlier career.
Womack has two daughters; Aubrie (with ex-husband Jason Sellers) and Anna Lise (with current husband Frank Liddell). Both daughters appeared in the video for “I Hope You Dance”.

Eras in Bloom

“Nothing can add more power to your life than concentrating all of your energies on a limited set of targets."
–Nido Qubein

 

Eras in Bloom
5″ x 7″ Watercolor on Strathmore cold press

In the reference photo, this guy was actually a statue in front of McDonalds, somewhere in France.  Isn’t it fun that we can just do whatever we want, when we paint?  I gave an ancient mammoth a free place to roam.  If that statue could talk, he would probably be horrified to be standing in front of a fast food restaurant in a bustling metropolis! 

Nido Qubein


Since 1974, Nido Qubein has given more than 5,000 presentations, received every award in professional speaking and is represented by the best speaker bureaus. He is considered both a motivational speaker and a business speaker with a range of topics covering everything from time management to branding.

Nido Qubein has written more than a dozen books on leadership, sales, communication, and achievement; recorded scores of audio-visual learning systems; and hundreds of client-customized products.

more…

Peugot 202 1948

“Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
–Eleanor Roosevelt

 

Peugot 202  1948
5″ x 7″ Watercolor on Strathmore cold press paper

This painting is a venture into new frontier for me.  On Leslie White’s blog, I became fascinated by a technique she was using, creating a pathway of light by leaving that pathway white and painting into it.  It’s something she learned from Don Andrews, watching his DVDs.    Of course, I rushed right out and bought his book,  Interpreting the Landscape in Watercolor.

When I received the book, I was so excited.  I tried his suggestion and did a 10 minute value study first.  I have never actually done a value study, being a self taught watercolorist.    So here is my attempt to find a pathway of light.



He says that we, as the artist, can create the pathway that we like.  We don’t have to take the reference at face value.  The stuff I outlined is the places I wanted to use to create my path.

There was so much more, like painting wet and softening the edges of the colors and letting them blend into each other.  I played with some of that, too.  I am not patient, so I dove in before I read any further.  I can’t wait to see what else he teaches me, once I actually read the book. 


Eleanor Roosevelt

“Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home – so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm, or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.”

Eleanor Roosevelt

Read more about Mrs. Roosevelt here.

Your Roots are Showing

“When a man is sufficiently motivated, discipline will take care of itself.”
– Sir Alexander Paterson


 
Your Roots are Showing
4″ x 7″ Acrylic on Canvas


This little painting was painted using Golden Fluid Acrylics on a canvas coated first in black gesso.  There are a lot of layers of glazes.  In real life, it has a ton of texture.  It was fun to do after concentrating so hard on the old dory.

About Sir Alexander Paterson

Alexander Paterson was instrumental in humanizing the Borstal juvenile delinquency prisons in England. He was born in 1884 in Cheshire. While working to aid the poor, he moved into a tenement. Across the Bridges, his book about his experiences, was a call to action and set off much-needed reforms. As prison commissioner, he initiated a training program of hard but interesting work, believing that prisons should focus on rehabilitation, not punishment. He died in 1947.

La La Landscape - May 11, 2009

"Don't carry a grudge. While you're carrying a grudge, the other guy's out dancing."

– Buddy Hackett

9" x 12" Acrylic - "La La Landscape" photo reference by Jeanne Grant

I really enjoyed painting this one. I rarely work in Acrylics, but I am planning a Lake Eufaula series, for a Eufaula Area Arts Council show at the Main Street Gallery. It's a members only show and I think a series like this will be a fun one to do.