My Watercolor Christmas Postcard This Year

“It is the heart always that sees before the head can see.”
– Thomas Carlyle

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

My Christmas Postcard This Year

I painted this little card to send out this year.  I love the idea of Santa having a nice break at his vacation home after delivering all those presents.  And of course, he takes the elves along.  Mrs Claus is probably inside making the margaritas.

Have yourselves a very Merry Christmas!

About Thomas Carlyle

Scottish historian Thomas Carlyle is best known for his biographies of Frederick the Great and the German playwright Schiller. He was born in 1795. The first draft of his acclaimed two-volume work, The French Revolution, was accidentally burned by his friend John Stuart Mill’s maid; he rewrote it from scratch and imbued the rewrite with more passion and immediacy than was common at the time. This made his writing very popular in Victorian England. He died in 1881.

Rusty Old Truck Layered into Posey Park Painting

“I’ve learned that people whill forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
– Dr. Maya Angelou
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Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Rusty Old Truck

I painted this from a reference photo by Skappy at WetCanvas.  I left the background empty on purpose, so I could do this….

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Maya Angelou

Dr. Maya Angelou is a remarkable Renaissance woman who is hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary literature. As a poet, educator, historian, best-selling author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer and director, she continues to travel the world, spreading her legendary wisdom. Within the rhythm of her poetry and elegance of her prose lies Angelou’s unique power to help readers of every orientation span the lines of race. Angelou captivates audiences through the vigor and sheer beauty of her words and lyrics.

A Happy Orange Alien

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

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Happy Alien – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor

I know… Bethville is a very strange place!  I can’t help the stuff that happens there. 

Mary Kay Ash

Mary Kay Ash earned a place in history when she stepped out in a man’s world to blaze a new path for women. Recognized today as America’s greatest woman entrepreneur, Mary Kay created new opportunities for women around the world. Her revolutionary move led to a multibillion-dollar success. In the process, she earned a place in the hearts of millions for her giving spirit, unwavering values and inspiring belief in the power and potential of women.   This site invites you to celebrate her remarkable story. It pays tribute to her life and her legacy, which continues to burn brightly through the countless lives she touched.

Stripedy Moose in Zentangle Inspired Forest

“If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.”
– Lao Tzu

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Moose in Zentangle Inspired Forest

I have to admit… this is one of my favorite paintings, ever.  It just flowed from me while I was in my little A-Frame cabin in Idaho.  I had plans on the day I was working on this, to go up to Grand Targhee resort and have lunch, but I couldn’t pull myself away from this painting.  I stayed at it until it was done.  I really loved the whole process and I think this may have to become a large acrylic painting.  Of course, the problem with that…. a moose painting is unlikely to sell in our local gallery, since it’s all about Oklahoma.  No dang moose herds roaming around Oklahoma. 

About Lao Tzu

The ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu is believed to have lived in the 4th century B.C. Little is known about him, but it is likely that he wrote the Tao te Ching, the foundation of Taoist philosophy, and engaged Confucius in debate, honing both men’s belief systems. His name means either “old master” or the “old child,” and one legend says he was born with white hair after spending 80 years in his mother’s womb.

Zentangle Buffalo

“I do believe it is possible to create, even without ever writing a word or painting a picture, by simply molding one’s inner life. And that too is a deed.”
– Etty Hillesum

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Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Zentangle Buffalo

When in Idaho…. yeah, I was having fun painting the local flavor.  I was content to hang out in my cabin, painting from my Bethville brain.  I’ve been having fun with this particular twist on my usual style.  Each painting takes a really long time, though.   

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.

Flowerdy Bear in Idaho

“Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones.”
– Phillips Brooks

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Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Flowerdy Bear
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I’m thinking maybe this is a bear cub.  Certainly doesn’t look intimidating.  It’s possible it has been shunned by all the other bears because of his flowers… kinda like Rudolph and that red nose.  But that’s too sad to think about, so I’ll go with the vinyl wrap theory.  No matter what… he’s certainly found his way into Bethville! 
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About Phillips Brooks

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Phillips Brooks, the American clergyman now mostly known for writing the words to the Christmas song, “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” was one of the most influential ministers of his time, with his sermons reprinted in major newspapers. He delivered the eulogy at Abraham Lincoln’s funeral. Born in Boston in 1835, he spent most of his life there as overseer of Harvard University, rector of Trinity Church, and bishop of Massachusetts. He died in 1893, and the day of his funeral was declared an official day of mourning.

A Fly By - A Little 4" x 6" Watercolor

“Always behave like a duck — keep calm and unruffled on the surface but paddle like the devil underneath.”
– Jacob Braude

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Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

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A Fly By – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor

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Of course I have to paint during airport layovers.  I filed this image away in my brain on the way to Denver, then started the painting while waiting for my flight to Idaho Falls.  I didn’t paint on the planes this trip because I was at the tail end of a good book.   I was reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.  It was a really good read.  I finished it on the way from Idaho Falls to Denver and bought John Grisham’s new book, The Racketeer – A Novel, at the airport.   It’s really good, too!

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I love books!  I hope to never have to go to an electronic reader, such as Kindle.  I’m pretty tired of electronic devices, by the time I curl up with a book.  There’s just something pure about that kind of joy. 

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About Jacob Braude

American judge and author Jacob Braude was a fount of humorous and inspirational stories and quotations, which he used to regale the courtroom in Cook County, Illinois, where he presided for more that 35 years. His books of sayings, including Speaker’s Encyclopedia of Humor and Braude’s Treasury of Wit and Humor, have been mined by toastmasters and lecturers for decades. He was born in 1896 and died in 1970.

Green Bird Trio in Acrylic

“It’s never too late to be who you might have been.”
– George Eliot

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Acrylic Bird Trio

Another bird archive.  I always liked this one.  It’s funny… going through archives, I sure see a lot of styles.  I think I finally found my true style, but it’s fun to revisit these.  I am wanting to play with my acrylics again. 

About George Eliot

George Eliot was the pen name of Mary Ann Evans, the Victorian author known for her psychologically astute novels set in small English towns. She was born on a farm in England in 1819 and wrote several acclaimed novels, including Middlemarch, The Mill on the Floss, and Silas Marner. She lived with George Henry Lewes for several years, which was considered highly scandalous at the time. She died in 1880.

Here Come the Geese!

“One comes, finally, to believe whatever one repeats to one’s self, whether the statement is true or false.”
–Napoleon Hill

“Our inner dialogue can have awesome power. It often determines the behavior that defines who we are. We do, of course, have some choice as to the direction this inner dialogue will take. It’s as easy to affirm our self-worth with positive messages as it is to tear ourselves down with negative ones. And yet, many of us fall so easily into negative patterns of thought.
As with so many aspects of our life, we become proficient at what we regularly practice. The regular, preferably daily, use of positive affirmations can make such a profound contribution to our well-being and willingness to grow and learn, that it can change the course of our life. All we have to do is develop the discipline to make these positive messages habitual.”
– Karen Casey
 

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Meandering Geese

 

I have always liked this one.  It’s so simple, yet the geese have personalities.

 

My sign shop computer and cutters are all working!!!  Finally!!!    … 

 

The last 2.5 weeks have been testing my ability to remain calm under stress.  I did it, but it was a challenge at times.  Now to play catch up.  Six working days until the 4th of July.  I am always the busiest right before holidays, so let the fun begin!

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More about Napoleon Hill here.

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Karen Casey, Ph.D., a Naples, FL resident since 1991, published Each Day a New Beginning, her first book, in 1982. This daily meditation book for women in recovery has sold more than 3 million copies. The 25-year Anniversary edition of Each Day a New Beginning was released in August, 2006. It was closely followed by The Promise of a New Day, in 1983, another daily meditation book for both men and women in search of serenity. It has sold more than 1.2 million copies. Following on the heels of these two books, Karen has written 22 additional books with more on the way. In fall, 2005 she published CHANGE YOUR MIND AND YOUR LIFE WILL FOLLOW.  In April of 2006 she published ALL WE HAVE IS ALL WE NEED and she published three more books in 2007. SERENITY was released in March. BE WHO YOU WANT TO BE, in April and in December, a companion book to CHANGE YOUR MIND AND YOUR LIFE WILL FOLLOW, called  ITS UP TO YOU: A PRACTICE TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE BY CHANGING YOUR MIND.  In late July, 2010, LET GO NOW: EMBRACING DETACHMENT  was released.  Currently Karen is working on her memoir.  More here.

My Pink House

“Sometimes when we are generous in small, barely detectable ways it can change someone else’s life forever.”
– Margaret Cho

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

My Pink House

This is a little corner of my house.  There is a cliff on the east side and a lake on the west side so it’s hard to photograph.  I took this photo standing on the cliff.  I’ll try to do another one, showing more of the house.

I finally have my computer back.  I do not have my vinyl cutter back.  I have an old plotter and may have to upgrade.  So the sign shop is still in a holding pattern… as it has been for two weeks.  It feels good to at least be able to get orders in the system and do the design work.  I can’t wait until this is all resolved and I’m functioning at 100% again. 

About Margaret Cho

 

Margaret Cho, the outspoken Korean-American comedian and actor, made television history as the first Asian-American with her own TV series, All American Girl. She was born in 1968 in San Francisco and has mined her life for extremely successful one-woman shows, including I’m the One That I Want and Notorious C.H.O., both of which spawned albums, movie versions, and books. When not touring with her comedy, Cho works now in Hollywood as both an actress and a director.

Choo Choo Train 21 – 6″ x 8″ Watercolor

“The highest reward for a person’s toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it.”
– John Ruskin

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Choo Choo Train 21 – 6″ x 8″ Watercolor

This train painting got it’s name from the CCT 21 that really was on the train photo by Lisilk at WetCanvas.  It is a Denver & Rio Grande Western train.  Do you think the train people have a good sense of humor?  Does the CCT really stand for Choo Choo Train?  Well…. probably not, but this is Bethville, after all.

I just got my computer back.  I lost my hard drive on Saturday and I’ve been down ever since.  I sure do miss it when it’s sick.  The sign shop comes to a sudden halt!   I did some cleaning and routine maintenance around the shop and some paperwork, but made no signs.

Aaaaaccckkk!  There’s a wasp in here!  Gotta go!

About John Ruskin

 

John Ruskin was an English art critic who influenced the attitude of a whole generation toward art and architecture. He was born in 1819 in London. His career began with an essay defending his friend, artist J.M.W. Turner, from critics. His book Modern Painters made Turner popular and gave stature to the Pre-Raphaelite movement. He founded the Cambridge Scool of Art in 1858, now known as the Anglia Ruskin University. Leo Tolstoy called him one of those rare men who think with their heart. When Ruskin inherited wealth, he gave most of the money away. He died in 1900.

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.

A Laundry Day Painting

“The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right place, but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.”
– Lady Dorothy Nevill

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Laundry Day – Watercolor on Masa

I did this little 3″ x 7″ Painting last spring.  The photographer was Lisilk at WetCanvas.  I like the dog.   

About Lady Dorothy Nevill

 

Lady Dorothy Nevill, the noted British gardener, was one of the most celebrated society hostesses of her day; her salons attracted leading writers, artists, and statesmen. She was born Dorothy Walpole in 1826 in England. She married a wealthy cousin with a 23-acre estate, where she pursued her interest in plants. She built 13 greenhouses and carried on an extensive correspondence with Charles Darwin. Her memoir, Leaves From the Note-Books of Lady Dorothy Nevill, was published in 1906. She died in 1913.

Cliff Houses after I put away the laundry

“A mistake is simply another way of doing things.”
– Katharine Graham

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Cliff Houses – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor

I started this before I left and finished it in my hotel room in Kansas City.  It was fun to paint.  My reference photo was from WetCanvas and was dark and gray.  I fixed all the broken windows, neatly folded and put away all the laundry that was hanging off the balconies, and repainted the buildings.  Bring on the tourists! 

About Katharine Graham

 

Katharine Graham, the publisher of The Washington Post, is considered one of her era’s most powerful women. She was born in 1917 in New York. After her father bought the newspaper, she joined the staff as a reporter. Her husband inherited the paper from her father, and Graham took it over when he died in 1963. During her tenure, the paper printed the controversial Pentagon Papers and uncovered the Watergate conspiracy. She won a Pulitzer Prize in 1988 for her autobiography, Personal History. She died in 2001.

Itty Bitty Little Farm Truck

“All that is necessary to break the spell of inertia and frustration is this:  act as if it were impossible to fail.  That is the talisman, the formula, the command of right-about-face which turns us from failure towards success.”

–Dorthea Brande

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Little Farm Truck – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor

This little painting is hanging in the hubby’s bar at the house.  That truck in real life is only about an inch long.
I’m leaving for Kansas City in the morning, so unless I figure out how to do this from my phone, I’ll be off line until I return on Tuesday.  I am so excited!   This is one adventure I am really looking forward to.  Have a great day!

Dorthea Brande

American author, lecturer and magazine editor, Dorothea Brande, was the youngest of five children born to Frederick S. and Alice P. Thompson of Chicago, Illinois. Alice Dorothea Alden Thompson was born in Englewood, a Chicago community, on 12 January, 1892. Both of her parents were originally from Maine and had previously lived in Delaware where her three oldest siblings were born. Her father was employed as a manager at local business in the Chicago area. Brande attended the Universities of Michigan and Chicago, earning her Phi Beta Kappa key at the former. She went on to work as a newspaper reporter in Chicago and later as circulation manager for American Mercury magazine during the time of H.L. Mencken and George Jean Nathan. In the 1930s she became an associate editor of Bookman magazine and later its successor (1934), the American Review. In the years to come Brande would also operate a nationwide correspondence school for aspiring writers and tour on the lecture circuit.  More…

Versace Home Painted in Pink Watercolor

“Our real blessings often appear to us in the shape of pains, losses and disappointments, but let us have patience and we soon shall see them in their proper figures.”
– Joseph Addison

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Versace Home in Pink

Again, I am posting an older painting.  Yes, I’m busy, busy, busy.  Yesterday was a day full of new orders at the sign shop.  I’m blessed and amazed at how much business is coming in these days.   I wish I was 35 again, with all that stamina and energy. 

The photo of the white building I painted this from was by my friend, Helen, at WetCanvas.   This home was on the market for $125 million!  I wonder if it sold?

About Joseph Addison

 

English politician and writer Joseph Addison is remembered as a cofounder, along with his friend Richard Steele, of The Spectator, one of the first magazines to cover literature and manners. He was born on May 1, 1672 in Wiltshire. He spent four years traveling in Europe, studying politics and writing poetry, and became a Commissioner of Appeals on his return to England. His shyness made public office difficult. His most famous work is the play Cato, a tragedy about ancient Rome. He died on June 17, 1719.

Little French 4" x 6" Beginning

“Just as appetite comes by eating, so work brings inspiration, if inspiration is not discernible at the beginning.”
– Igor Stravinsky

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Little French Postcard Beginning

I just started this one yesterday morning.  I’ll be working on it this week.  The photo reference is inspiring and I promise it will be colorful.  It’s Alsace, France by Elaine V at WetCanvas.

About Igor Stravinsky

Igor Stravinsky, the modernist Russian composer, had a profound influence on classical music with his musical innovations in such pieces as the ballet The Rite of Spring, which shocked contemporary society with the newness of its sound. He was born on June 17, 1882 near St. Petersburg. After briefly considering law, he apprenticed to composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. He was also a virtuosic pianist. He continued composing and touring into his 80′s. He died on April 6, 1971.

Some Fun Little Technicolor Cows – 5″ x 7″

“There is a sense of exhilaration that comes from facing head-on the hard truths and saying, ‘We will never give up. We will never capitulate. It might take a long time, but we will find a way to prevail.’”
– Jim Collins

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Technicolor Cows – 5″ x 7″ Watercolor and Black Ink

That was fun!  I’m going through building portrait withdrawal, I think.  My mind went a little crazy here, but I had a good time.  All of it is watercolor except the black.  Yeah, I have some tiny brushes and a great light.

Only 10 more days until I head to Kansas City.  All the sudden, I am realizing how much I have left to do.  I have all the paintings done and framed, but still have to wire all the frames.   Most of my postcard mailing has gone out and I have postcard prints boxed.   Hotel is booked and jeep is clean on the inside.  Hmmmm, I guess I’m further along than I thought. 

Now to whip the sign shop into shape.  I’ve been crazy busy and working 66 hours a week.  (not counting painting and framing)  I am very blessed to be so busy, but I’m actually looking forward to a few days off.

About Jim Collins

American business guru Jim Collins has written or cowritten four books, including the instant classic Built to Last, which spent more than six years on the Business Week best-seller list, and Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t, which became a New York Times best seller. He was raised in Boulder, Colorado. After seven years teaching at Stanford University’s business school, he founded a research laboratory to examine companies and why they succeed.

Another Little Peek at the Cow Painting

“Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity.  Don’t fight them.  Just find a different way to stand.”

–Oprah Winfrey

I love that!!!!

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Another Little Peek at my Cows

Rumor has it, a tattoo artist escaped from the big city and since he had never seen a cow before, he only saw a huge moving billboard to advertise his trade.  Wouldn’t he have to shave them first?  And perhaps drug them?

But, it is just a rumor. 

Early yesterday evening, I drove out to Cross Ranch in Stigler to letter a couple cattle trucks.  It was so beautiful out there.  The pastures were that brand new spring green and they has a bizzillion cows, most of them being black.  The contrast of the cattle against the pasture was really wonderful!  There were a lot of babies, too.  It was cool, so they were playing and running around.  I even saw a coyote running full speed across the property.  Artist fodder…. all of it!

Oprah Gail Winfrey (born January 29, 1954) is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist.  Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show “The Oprah Winfrey Show” which was the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011.  She has been ranked the richest African-American of the 20th century, the greatest black philanthropist in American history, and was for a time the world’s only black billionaire.   She is also, according to some assessments, the most influential woman in the world.  More…

Sneak Peek at the Cow Progress

“Had there been no difficulties and no thorns in the way, then man would have been in his primitive state and no progress made in civilization and mental culture.”
– Anandibai Joshee

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Cow Belly Sneak Peek

Here’s a little look at what’s happening to the cows I posted yesterday.  It looks like a tattoo artist wandered into the pasture and found a couple willing victims.  he he he

About Anandibai Joshee

Anandibai Joshee, also referred to as Anandi Gopal Joshi, was the first Hindu woman to receive a medical degree. She was born on March 31, 1865 into the constrictive Brahmin class in India. Born with the name Yamu, she was married at age nine to Gopalrao Joshi, who renamed her and educated her in secret, watching her grow more independent. She secretly flew to the United States to become a doctor and intended to treat Indian women, who were not given medical attention at the time, but died of tuberculosis on February 26, 1887 at age 21.