It’s a Watercolor Puppy on Masa

“One of the common ways we block success is by refusing to take action on a project or opportunity until we can see the entire pathway from start to finish. We are afraid to start because the outcome is uncertain. While we plan, think, research, and analyze, the opportunity slips away.

Highly successful people take a different approach. They just lean into it—they open themselves to opportunities and become willing to do what it takes to pursue opportunities further, without any expectations. They say “yes” to opportunities, take the first step, and then find out along the way if they want to keep going.”

–Jack Canfield

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

It’s a Puppy!  Watercolor on Masa 6″ x 8″

Okay… I painted this one a while back, but I thought something heartwarming was called for, in light of all the tragedy surrounding us in Oklahoma.  It’s 90 miles away, but still grips every one of us.

What is more fun than a puppy?  Can you smell her breath from here?

The photo is of Cleo, by OldRockChick at WetCanvas.

Jack Canfield

As the beloved originator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, Jack Canfield fostered the emergence of inspirational anthologies as a genre – and watched it grow to a billion dollar market. As the driving force behind the development and delivery of more than 123 million books sold through the Chicken Soup for the Soul® franchise (and over 500 million copies in print worldwide), Jack Canfield is uniquely qualified to talk about success.

Behind the empire Time Magazine called the “publishing phenomenon of the decade” is America’s leading expert in creating peak performance for entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, managers, sales professionals, corporate employees, and educators. Over the last 30 years, his compelling message, empowering energy and personable coaching style has helped hundreds of thousands of individuals achieve their dreams.  More…

Negative Painting or A Bird in a Tree

“Take some time today to smile at the person you see in the mirror.
If you see lines or wrinkles…
Just smile.
If you see a few gray hairs or all gray hair or no hair at all…
Just smile.
If you see a face with worry or pain…
Just smile.
If you see some of your mother’s or father’s face…
Just smile.
Let your heart soften.
Send love and compassion to the you in the mirror
And
say
I love you!”

– Ruth Fishel from her new book, Wrinkles Don’t Hurt

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2011

Bird on Masa – 5″ x 7.5″ Watercolor

I did this bird by doing negative painting with Daniel Smith metallic watercolors on a sheet of masa I had prepared months ago.  Here are some of the stages…

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2011

I enjoyed this a lot.  With all the craziness surrounding the holidays, it was wonderful to just concentrate on a little painting for 3 hours.

 I hope you’re having wonderful times and you are staying safe. 


Click on the images to enlarge them.

Ruth Fishel, MEd, is a prolific author, national retreat and workshop leader and meditation teacher. Her inspirational and spiritual books have sold over 800,000 copies.
 

I love Ruth’s books and quote from them often.  Go see more about her at http://www.ruthfishel.com/

Ducklings on Masa

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

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2011

Ducklings on Masa – 5″ x 7″ Watercolor

No… these ducklings are not high on tamales.  (In case you were wondering from the title)    They were painted on some masa paper I prepared a few months ago.  I was working on different papers from my stash over the weekend.  I had a great time playing with my paints.

In this stress filled time of year, I can find complete calm within the walls of my studio.  Nothing bad can penetrate that space.  It just can’t get in.  I hope you have a place where you can go to escape from the stress, if even for just a moment, during the hectic holidays.

This was painted from my own photo of a brand new family of ducklings at the marina at Jellystone, here in Eufaula.  They were so sweet!

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.

Laundry Day Watercolor

“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



Laundry Day – 3″ x 7″  Watercolor on Masa

I had so much fun painting this little dude.  It’s another photo of a Belize sight from Li.  The fun thing about masa is the amazing texture you can get.  Personally, I am terrible at trees!  Masa gives me more texture than I would have been able to get, when left up to my own tree laziness.  I just don’t have the patience for trees.  They have all those pesky leaves! 

About Dag Hammarskjöld

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.

Safe Harbor – Watercolor on Masa

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.
It turns what we have into enough, and more.
It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order,
confusion to clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast,
a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace
for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
–Melody Beattie

WOW!  Good stuff!



Safe Harbor – Watercolor on Masa 3″ x 5″

Well, we have left Idaho behind and now we’re in Belize.  Li from WetCanvas had some great images to paint from in her WDE.  Li and her hubby recently spent 10 days exploring Belize.  The location is dear to my heart, because I was married on an island off the coast of Belize…   Ambergris Caye.    While Li enjoyed the ruins, the caves and the jungles, we loved the beaches and the quaint little town of San Pedro. 
The people are amazing, no matter what your vacation plans are. 


I think this one had masa written all over it!

Melody Beattie is the author of Codependent No More, published in 1987 by the Hazelden Foundation. The book was successful and influential within the self-help movement, selling over eight million copies and introducing the word codependent to the general public.^[1]

Following the success of Codependent No More, Beattie authored over a dozen other books, including Beyond Codependency and The Language of Letting Go. Her most recent book is Make Miracles in Forty Days: Turning What You Have into What You Want, published in 2010. Several of her books have been published in other languages.

On melodybeattie.com, she says this…  “They call me a self-help writer, but I’m not an expert or a guru.  I don’t give medical, psychiatric, or legal advice. I research, and then combine personal experience with what the experts say.  Then I turn that into easy stories for people to watch or read. Sometimes I show people how others (and I) work through certain issues and I suggest options, but I don’t tell people what to do.  I tell them they can do it, instead (a practice referred to as empowerment or permissions therapy.)”

That whole page is very interesting.  Worth a quick read. 

“Don’t look down.  Look up!  The steeper the climb,  the more important it is to laugh.”
–Melody Beattie

Idaho Retreat

“Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit.”
– Peter Ustinov



Idaho Retreat – 9″ x 7″ Watercolor on Masa

This was painted from a photograph I fell in love with.  It is the view from the porch of the cabin I have rented for my 3 day painting retreat  in Idaho’s beautiful Teton Valley.  I have permission from the cabin’s owners to post this painting, but I won’t be telling you anything about them or the cabin, until I return.  What good is a retreat, if you’ve told everyone where you’ll be?  I am so excited!  

(Click on the painting for a larger view.)

Yesterday, the entire city of Eufaula lost power from a storm, so I went back home and made my hubby a big country breakfast.  Then, I played for a bit and went back to work when the power came back on around noon.  That was one of those times I was glad to live 13 miles out in the country.  Well…. except for the 52 miles of driving I did. 

About Peter Ustinov

British actor Peter Ustinov is best known for his Oscar-winning roles in Topkapi and Spartacus. He was born in London in 1921 to parents of blended pan-European extraction. He wrote several plays as well as a well-received autobiography, Dear Me. From 1969 until his death in 2004, he took on the role of goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, visiting disadvantaged children all over the world. He said his multicultural background gave him automatic loyalty to the UN.

Rainbow Lizard

“When you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them, but bend them with gentleness and time.”
– St. Francis de Sales



Rainbow Lizard – 7″ x 7 Watercolor on Masa

I’m sure you realize that the lizard wasn’t really this color, right?  I just couldn’t resist giving him a little dye job. 

The reference photo is from Astrid at WetCanvas.

I thought he was really huge, until I noticed those were sidewalk cracks behind him.  he he

About St. Francis de Sales

St. Francis de Sales (1567–1622), known as the Gentle Saint, was bishop of Geneva. His motto was, “He who preaches with love preaches effectively,” and his religious texts, including Introduction to the Devout Life, have resonated with many non-Catholics. Pope Pius IX proclaimed him a patron saint of writers. Some consider him a patron saint of the deaf; he invented a form of sign language to teach a young deaf man how to communicate.

Jenny Lake Watercolor

“Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.”
– Will Rogers



Jenny Lake – 7″ x 10″ Watercolor on Masa

Jenny Lake is in the Grand Teton National Park, in Wyoming.  I took this picture when I was there in 2009.  I also sat on the edge of that lake and did some watercolor plein air paintings.  It was not as clear and bright as usual, because they had some fires north of the park and the smoke was making the sky hazy and the mountain views a little muted.

This painting was fun to do on the masa paper.  I figured I better practice painting mountains, since I’ll be back in the Tetons in a couple weeks and I intend to do a lot of plein air.  It’s going to feel so good to get into the cooler mountain air.  It was 114 degrees here yesterday, not counting the heat index.  Whew!

I tried to find some photos of Jenny Lake on the web and this is probably the best.  Most of the links went to the lodge and you don’t want to see a bunch of photos of a motel, right?

About Will Rogers

American humorist Will Rogers was considered the Mark Twain of his generation. He was born in 1879 in Oklahoma, of Cherokee descent, and left school early to become a cowboy. In South Africa his showy roping skills won him a job in a traveling Wild West show, and he quickly switched over to vaudeville and film acting roles. He wrote six books and 4,000 syndicated columns. An avid flier, he died in a plane crash in 1935.

Palms – A Study in Negative Space on Masa

“Failure seldom stops you. What stops you is the fear of failure.”
– Jack Lemmon



Palms – A Study in Negative Space on Masa – 7″ x 10″ Watercolor

This is loosely based on a photo from Wildhorse Australia on WetCanvas.  It was so fun!  I find that painting on masa encourages me to develop negative space.  Practicing this technique can only make my watercolors better.  I love this stuff (masa)!  Thanks, Leslie!

About Jack Lemmon

Jack Lemmon is best known for the poignant sweetness he brought to comedic roles in movies like Some Like It Hot and The Apartment, but is also remembered for his dramatic roles, including the struggling alcoholic in Days of Wine and Roses. He was born in 1925 into a wealthy Boston family and knew by the age of four that he wanted to become an actor. He won two Academy Awards and was known for his collaborations with director Billy Wilder and costar Walter Matthau. He died in 2001.

Ohio Barn

“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.”
– Carl Jung


 
Ohio Barn - 10″ x 7″ Watercolor on Masa

This was another fun one.  I quit fiddling with it after an hour and a half, to let the simplicity remain.  Masa paper makes me want to fiddle with detail, because it’s so much fun to see it develop. 
The image was from Catherine at WetCanvas.

We got a little rain shower this morning!  It was wonderful.  It may not do much to help our drought, but it was great, just the same.

About Carl Jung

Carl Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist who originated such well-known psychological concepts as the archetype and the collective unconscious, has provided inspiration to people ranging from Joseph Campbell to Bill Wilson, the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. He was born in 1875 in a small town; he studied with Sigmund Freud before parting ways due to the radical difference in their views of human nature. Jung is considered second only to Freud in his influence on modern psychology, particularly in the area of dream analysis. He died in 1961.

Corner of Masa & Watercolor

“Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.”
– Samuel Johnson



Corner of Masa & Watercolor – 7″ x 10″

This was an exercise in pure joy!  I spent 3 hours on this.  I just couldn’t quit fiddling.   I think that is part of the fun of masa.  Each brush stoke brings new discoveries.

The great reference photo was from Catherine at WetCanvas and was actually a corner in France.  I changed the signs because I am, after all, a sign lady. 

About Samuel Johnson

Samuel Johnson, the sharp-witted British essayist, wrote the first English language dictionary; his definitions still form the backbone of current dictionaries. He was born in Staffordshire in 1709. Johnson married a widow 20 years his senior and lived in poverty before achieving success with his essays when he was in his forties. Later in life, he befriended the young James Boswell, whose Life of Johnson became the quintessential English biography. Johnson died in 1784.

Mountains - The Abreviated Version

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

I LOVE that.  It’s so true! 



Mountains – 2″ x 10″ Watercolor on Masa

Okay, I admit it…. this was a 4″ x 10″ painting with reflections in the water.  It was a real DOG!  I wasn’t even going to post it because I didn’t like the foreground.  But, I do like the mountains, so “crop” became my friend!   This painting would make a nice bookmark. 

“The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.”
–William James

William James – Early Life:

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.    MORE…

Patio ala Masa

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

(Kinda like painting on masa.)



Patio ala Masa – 8″ x 10″ Watercolor on Masa Paper
I loved this reference by JustJean at WetCanvas.  I painted it on masa that had a thin coat of  Mod Podge on the surface.  The paintings I posted last week didn’t have any medium on the surface and this was much easier.  The paper is less fragile and you can blot off color, where the uncoated masa is too fragile and the paint is permanent once it hits the paper. I would have used acrylic matte medium, but I didn’t have any.   For some reason, I seem to have plenty of Mod Podge.  

This was pure pleasure to paint.  I especially love how the fence looks.  Check out Leslie White’s fence here.  Leslie’s painting  is what inspired me.

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.

The Watchful Bear

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.
It turns what we have into enough, and more.
It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order,
confusion to clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast,
a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.”
–Melody Beattie

Wow!  I love that one!



The Watchful Bear – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor

I was playing last weekend with the help of a book I have on wildlife reference photos.  I tried to paint an elk for my brother, since he is an active member of the Elks, in Idaho.  He has been such a good brother and son lately, taking great care of my mom, who is in the hospital.  Anyway…. The elk looked like a demented cow/sheep/moose/alpaca.  I had a good laugh and threw it in the trash can.  Moving on, I painted this bear… just for fun!  He looks like he’s watching something really interesting.

Have a good weekend!  If life goes according to plan, I’m going to play with masa!  (No… I am not making homemade tamales.  Been there, done that,  and once is enough!)  Masa is a paper that I can’t wait to try.

Melody Beattie is one of America’s most beloved self-help authors and a household name in addiction and recovery circles.  Her international bestselling book, Codependent No More, introduced the world to the term “codependency” in 1986.  Millions of readers have trusted Melody’s words of wisdom and guidance because she knows firsthand what they’re going through. In her lifetime, she has survived abandonment, kidnapping, sexual abuse, drug and alcohol addiction, divorce, and the death of a child. “Beattie understands being overboard, which helps her throw bestselling lifelines to those still adrift,” said Time Magazine.  More…..

Mother and Baby - Mixed Media Painting

“It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are.”
– e. e. cummings

 My mother gave me a beautiful framed quote of this.  I have always loved that quote!

 

Mother and Child – 6″ x 8″ Mixed Media Painting

This was inspired by so many things.  First of all, the background paper was from my unused paper stash.  It was prepared by wetting the paper, dropping watercolor onto it and the covering it with crinkled up grocery sacks until it dried.  I did that months ago.



Then I found some transparent wrapping tissue paper with glitter on it, in another stash.  I attached it to the watercolor paper, using Mod Podge, and let it dry overnight.

This part was inspired by what I have seen Leslie White do with masa paper.

The next inspiration came from Elizabeth’s (edtree at WetCanvas) photo of her niece and child.  Elizabeth challenged us to do some negative painting, so that’s what I did.  I paid special attention to the interlocking fingers.



I was sure the mother did that before she fell asleep, to keep her baby safe.

I painted this with watercolor and a little white gouache for highlights on the skin.

I had a great time doing this while listening to some old Big Band music. 




Click on any photo to see it larger.

About e. e. cummings

The writer who became known as e. e. cummings was an experimental poet whose idiosyncratic typography complements the music of his poetry; he published more than 900 poems, two novels, and four plays. He was also an accomplished painter. He was born in Massachusetts in 1894 and entered the ambulance corps in World War I but ended up in a detention camp after expressing his pacifist views. He died in 1962. His most famous poem was “In Just-”.