Art Bowl for Kansas City Show

“Passion, though a bad regulator, is a powerful spring.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2013

Art Bowl for Kansas City Show

They are having a soup bowl auction during the KC show, to benefit their soup kitchen.  It was optional for the artists, but of course I wanted to donate one.  For the local artists, they can go do a ceramic bowl and fire it, etc., but not being local, I did my own thing.  It’s all done in Zentangle and since you can’t do a pencil sketch on a bowl, it’s straight ink to bowl… winging it. 

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 on May 25, 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 on April 27, 1882.

Little Fall Scarecrow – 2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor & Sharpie ATC

Education should be the process of helping everyone to discover his uniqueness.
–Leo Buscaglia
 

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Revisiting a Little Fall Scarecrow – 2.5″ x 3.5″  Watercolor & Sharpie ATC

I painted this for a fall challenge in 2010.  It’s an itty bitty ATC.  I just thought it would be fun to post something fallish as we get close to Thanksgiving.  Have a great weekend!

Leo F. Buscaglia (1924 -1998)

Buscaglia was teaching in the Department of Special Education at the University of Southern California in the late 1960s when one of his students committed suicide. She had been one of the sets of “kind eyeballs” he always looked for in the large auditorium, because her responses showed him that at least one student was hearing what he said, so the news that she killed herself had a great impact on him. ["What are we doing stuffing facts into people and forgetting that they are human beings?"] This incident led him to form a non-credit class titled Love 1A. There were no grades. (How could you potentially fail someone in this class? That wouldn’t be very loving!) The class led to lectures and a manuscript loosely based on what was shared in those weekly classes. The book found a publisher – and an author surprised to find that the simple title LOVE had never previously been claimed, allowing him to say “I have the copyright on LOVE!” Buscaglia said he never taught this class, only facilitated it, adding that he learned as much as anyone.  Much more here.

A Little Architectural Color – Watercolor & Sharpie

“The capacity for hope is the most significant fact of life. It provides human beings with a sense of destination and the energy to get started.”
– Norman Cousins

That is so true!  Love it!

Copyright Beth Parker Art

A Little Architectural Color – Watercolor & Sharpie

I didn’t have anything new to post today, so I pulled one from the archives.  I like this one.  I need to do one like this of Eufaula businesses.  I do have a 2′ x 4′ painting to do to replace the one that sold last weekend.  hmmmmm 

About Norman Cousins

American writer and editor Norman Cousins is best known for his book, Anatomy of an Illness, an account of how he used nutrition and positive visualizations, including laughter, to heal from an illness diagnosed as fatal. He was born in New Jersey in 1915. He served many years as editor-in-chief of the Saturday Review, a job he loved. Under his guidance, circulation increased from 20,000 to 650,000. He received the UN Peace Medal for his world activism. He died in 1990.

A Colorful Pile of Cute Little Kittens

“Let us always be open to the miracle of the second chance.”
–Reverend David Stier

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

A Pile of Kittens

I finished painting the McIntosh County Courthouse this morning, but I figured you had to be tired of looking at buildings.  So… for a nice change of pace, here is a pile of kittens. 

Have a great weekend!

There were too many David Stiers on the internet to know which one said this, but I can tell you where it came from.  I found it in my little book:  “Believing In Myself – Daily Meditations for Healing and Building Self-Esteem” by Earnie Larsen & Carol Hegarty.

They Look So Innocent When They Sleep - Quickie 4″ x 6″ Watercolor & Sharpie

“I have always believed that whatever good or bad fortune may come our way we can always give it meaning and transform it into something of value.”
– Hermann Hesse

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

They Look So Innocent When They Sleep
Quickie  4″ x 6″ Watercolor & Sharpie

This is a 15 minute quickie that I did this morning of Lin’s (Old Rock Chick at WetCanvas’) cat, Dave.  I have painted Dave so many times over the last 5 years.  I didn’t have much time this morning, but I couldn’t pass up his innocence. 

Have a safe and fun Labor Day weekend!

About Hermann Hesse

Hermann Hesse, the Pulitzer Prize–winning German writer, became extremely popular in the 1960′s and 1970′s for his deeply spiritual novels spiked with Eastern philosophy. He is best known for the novels Siddhartha, The Glass Bead Game, and Steppenwolf. He was born in 1877 in Germany and immigrated to Switzerland in 1912. Hesse was exposed to Eastern thought from childhood: His grandfather taught Indian studies, and his mother had been born in India. He won the Noble Prize in Literature in 1946. He died in 1962.

Chocolate Lab on a White Couch – HA! – 5″ x 7″ Watercolor & Ink

“The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.”
– Anna Quindlen

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Chocolate Lab on a White Couch – HA! – 5″ x 7″ Watercolor & Ink

Surely you knew that probably wouldn’t happen.  In the photo from Surob at WetCanvas, he was on a brown couch draped with a white sheet.   Not for me, you see.  I really struggled with “to ink or not to ink” since I was painting on that cheap watercolor paper.  I finally settled on a little ink…  for now. 

About Anna Quindlen

Anna Quindlen was only the third woman to become an Op-Ed writer for the New York Times. She was born in 1952 near Philadelphia. As a columnist, she blended the personal with the political, drawing parallels between the two. She left the Times to write fiction. Her novel, One True Thing, became a film starring Meryl Streep. She is the first writer with books on the fiction, nonfiction, and self-help New York Times bestseller lists. She lives with her husband and children in New York.

Flowerdy Truck Paint Job – 5″ x 7″ Watercolor, Ink & Inktense

“Man’s main task in life is to give birth to himself, to become what he potentially is.”
– Erich Fromm

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Flowerdy Truck Paint Job – 5″ x 7″ Watercolor, Ink & Inktense

I had 45 minutes to paint this morning.  Yesterday, I painted the fenders, tires and interior, so today I did the paint job.  Tomorrow, I do the background.  Backgrounds are usually my least favorite part.  Maybe I can use photoshop to layer it in front of a painting I have already completed.  Hmmmm….. check back tomorrow and see. 

About Erich Fromm

Erich Fromm, the humanist German psychoanalyst and author, is best known for his book, The Art of Loving, which describes love as care, responsibility, respect, and knowledge. Born in Germany in 1900, he emigrated to the United States in 1934, fleeing Hitler’s regime. He taught at a number of universities in the U.S. and Mexico and wrote eight books delineating his view of human nature. He believed that modern society makes us feel isolated and long to reach out to others. He died in 1980.

A Vintage Truck Sketch – 5″ x 7″ Work in Progress

“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.”
– Anatole France

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

A Vintage Truck Sketch – 5″ x 7″ Work in Progress

I do some art nearly every morning before I get ready for work.  It’s like I need to do art and it always makes my day better when I start it this way.  Yesterday morning I drew this truck.  This morning, I inked it and started painting it.  Tomorrow, I’ll paint the truck and maybe the background.  It’s red in the photo I drew it from, but I’m thinking it may be a little fancier.  We’ll see. 

About Anatole France

Anatole France was the pen name of Nobel Prize–winning French author Jacques Anatole François Thibault. He was born in 1844 in Paris. His father was a book dealer, and France spent his life among books, including 14 years as assistant librarian to the French Senate. His novels, including the Contemporary History series and The Gods Are Athirst, often use allegory and religious symbolism as vehicles for moral questions. He died in 1924.

Auldirth Joins Ormside – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor and Ink

“The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.”
– Frank Lloyd Wright

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Auldirth Joins Ormside – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor and Ink


Dominic posted photos of farm areas near Auldirth and Ormside on WetCanvas last weekend.  (I’m assuming they are in the United Kingdom, where Dominic is from.)   I combined the two to get this little view.  So fun to do!

About Frank Lloyd Wright

The influential American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, father of the Prairie Style, is most famous for designing the Guggenheim Museum. He was born in Wisconsin in 1867. His buildings have strong geometric lines and often mimic their environment. He believed that form and function should be one, and that the way people live in a space shapes the space itself. His personal life was tumultuous; he married three times and lost his beloved mistress to a fire at his home. He died in 1959.

A Big UK Truck – 5″ x 7″ Watercolor, Inktense and Ink

“When we live in the present, joy arises for no reason. This is the happiness of consciousness that is not dependent on particular conditions. Children know this joy.”
–Jack Kornfield

 I like that! I’m going to be child-like today! 

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

A Big UK Truck – 5″ x 7″ Watercolor,  Inktense and Ink

I love this truck!  It really looked like that in Dominic’s photo on WetCanvas.  I only changed the message on the top.  It had some company name, I think.  I had a great time doing this one.

I am taking the day off today.  (I know!  Weird, huh?)  I have scheduled several appointments in Muskogee, like a long over due eye doctor visit.  If I’m going to drive that far, I’m going to use the whole day doing stuff I have been putting off.  When you work 6 days a week, procrastination just comes natural for all the personal stuff.

I’m even visiting the fabric store today.  (big grin)  I’m going to make my husband a shirt.  He’s not even scared!   He’s such a brave man.  I used to sew all my own school clothes when I was a teenager.  I got store bought jeans and shoes, but I made the rest.  It’s been a while, so I am really excited!  I can’t wait to dig in to that project.  I made some stuff in the 90′s with my old Singer, but I even have a new sewing machine to play with.  Yay!

Jack Kornfield is one of the leading Buddhist teachers in America. A practitioner for over 40 years, he is one of the key teachers to introduce mindfulness and vipassana meditation to the West. His approach emphasizes compassion, lovingkindness and the profound path of mindful presence, all offered in simple, accessible ways in his books, CD’s, classes and retreats.  His website is here.

Town Hall – Carlisle, UK – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor & Ink

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”
– Theodore Seuss Giesel

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Town Hall – Carlisle, UK – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor & Ink

Dominic hosted last weekend’s WDE at WetCanvas and he lives in Carlisle, UK.  I loved painting this building, as soon as I used my magic to remove all the tourists mulling about.  Something about lots of people in paintings that I just can’t do.  I suppose I should practice painting people…. but not today. 

About Theodore Seuss Giesel

Theodor Seuss Geisel, the beloved Dr. Seuss, is renowned to generations of children as the author of Green Eggs and Ham and other deliciously absurd picture books. He was born in 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts. His first book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, was rejected 27 times. He wrote The Cat in the Hat after Houghton Mifflin asked him to write a children’s primer using fewer than 250 easy-reader words. He died in 1991.

Wow… rejected 27 times!  See… if at first you fail, try, try again.  Thank goodness he didn’t give up.  We would not have had all those wonderful books to grow up with.

Bouncing Down a Country Road – 5″ x 7″ Watercolor & Ink

“If we blindly accept someone else’s beliefs or opinions – taking them as our own – then we set ourselves up for disappointment and heartache. If we do not examine another’s viewpoint, in the light of our own experiences and abilities, we place the control of our happiness or sorrow in someone else’s hands.”
–Liane Cordes

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Bouncing Down a Country Road – 5″ x 7″ Watercolor & Ink

Bounce is this week’s word for Illustration Friday.  As this truck bounces his way back home after a trip to the farmer’s market, the rocks on the bumpy road are causing his load of fresh fruit to nearly bounce completely out of the truck.  In afterthought, I should have painted a couple pieces of fruit laying on the side of the road.  Oh well… too late. 

Liane Cordes is the Author of Reflecting Ponds.  I could find no biographical information on Liane, but I found this about her book:

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.

Elsie the Locust from Paint My Photo

“It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Elsie the Locust – 5″ x 7″ Watercolor and Sharpie

I didn’t name this locust.   ESP from Paint My Photo named it.  Believe it or not, these colors really are the colors on that bug.  I swear!  Even the pink.    My friend Leslie White shared this site (Paint My Photo) on her blog recently.  So of course I had to go see.   If you click on the ESP link above, you can see the locust photo.

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.

I just finished a book by Ms. Roosevelt where she talked about the years immediately following the President’s death.  She was a remarkable woman.  I’m sure I’ll be reading more of her books.  –Beth

Geese and Kangaroos? Huh? 5″ x 7″ Watercolor and Sharpie

“Pay attention to how you feel: what you love, dislike, hate, enjoy. Pay attention to what grabs your heart, what interests you. Discover who you are, not who you think you should be.”
–Melody Beattie

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Geese and Kangaroos?  Huh?  5″ x 7″ Watercolor and Sharpie

Of course you have figured out that this was painted from 2 different photos by Mary Y (from Australia) at WetCanvas.  I don’t even know how big a kangaroo would be if he was standing next to (and chatting away with) a goose.  It’s possible he is much larger than this… or smaller.   The only thing my hubby wanted to know is if I am ever going to run out of pink paint.  he he he   Not a chance!

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 here.

“Don’t look down.  Look up!  The steeper the climb,  the more important it is to laugh.  People say the bubble is popping, it’s bad out there, and it’s getting worse. Everyone’s getting the rug ripped out from under them, one man said.  No matter how bad it gets, we can still find happiness. There’s some for each of us. We may need to redefine what happiness is before we can find it but when we do, we discover it’s been there all along.   Another word for happiness is Peace. It’s been looking for us.”

I like that.  She sounds like a smart lady.

Seagulls in Australia

“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.”
–Carl Jung

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Seagulls – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor and Sharpie

I painted this from a photo by Mary Y. at WetCanvas.  I wonder if all seagulls have spotted tail feathers or just Aussie seagulls.  (Mary lives in Australia.)

They said on the news that where I live in Oklahoma is the hottest part of the country today.  We broke a record for the highest overnight low ever.  When I was driving in to work at 5 am, it was 87 F.  Normally I don’t come in that early (or post my blog this late) but I spent 5.5 hours putting graphics all over a Carpet Cleaning van in my non-air conditioned shop.  It’s only 11:30 and I’m whooped.  But, I’m done with the van.  YAY!!!  I’m staying in the air conditioned part of the sign shop the rest of the day.  You can’t make me go out there! 

Carl Gustav Jung (/ˈjʊŋ/ YUUNG; German: [ˈkarl ˈɡʊstaf ˈjʊŋ]; 26 July 1875 – 6 June 1961) was a Swiss psychologist and psychiatrist who founded analytical psychology. Jung proposed and developed the concepts of the extraverted and the introverted personality, archetypes, and the collective unconscious. His work has been influential in psychiatry and in the study of religion, literature, and related fields.
Individuation is the central concept of analytical psychology. Jung considered individuation, the psychological process of integrating the opposites, including the conscious with the unconscious while still maintaining their relative autonomy, to be the central process of human development

Lonely Grasshopper on my Windshield

“Because of our mindfulness, we see our desire, and our aggression, our jealousy an our ignorance. We don’t act on them; we just see them. Without mindfulness, we don’t see them and they proliferate.”
–Pema Chodron

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Lonely Grasshopper – 5″ x 7″ Watercolor, Inktense and Sharpie

Lonely is the word this week for Illustration Friday.  I painted this from a photo I took Saturday morning of a grasshopper on the windshield of my jeep.  Now you know he had to be feeling pretty lonely at that moment. 

This may prove that artists think differently than non artists.  Grabbing your camera may not be your first instinct when you see a bug on your windshield.  *giggle*

Pema Chodron is a leading exponent of teachings on meditation and how they apply to everyday life.
She is widely known for her charming and down-to-earth interpretation of Tibetan Buddhism for Western audiences. Pema is the resident teacher at Gampo Abbey, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, the first Tibetan monastery for Westerners and has authored several books, including:

Always Maintain a Joyful Mind (lojong teachings)
Practicing Peace in Times of War
No Time to Lose
The Pema Chodron Collection (audio)
Getting Unstuck:Breaking Your Habitual
Patterns & Encountering Naked Reality (audio)
The Places that Scare You
When Things Fall Apart
Start Where You Are

Little Red Chevy Painting

“Man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.”
– Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Little Red Chevy – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor & Sharpie

I painted the Chevy from a photo I found in the WetCanvas RIL.  Everything else came from Bethville.

It’s Whole Hawg weekend here in Eufaula, Oklahoma.  It started with a rodeo last night, continuing through the weekend.  Tonight at 6:00 there will be a parade down Main street.  That’s always a fun one.  Saturday, there will be a boat poker run on the lake,  carnival, a car show, an arts and crafts fair, hawg cooking and a sandwich giveaway at 5:00 pm.  I’m sure there is more going on that I forgot to mention.  People will be cooking hawgs all over town for judging at 3:00.  Then they all cut up their meat and make sandwiches to give away.    It’s a fun event and did I mention… I get to design their logo every year? 

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

About Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., one of the greatest American jurists of the twentieth century, was called the Great Dissenter because of the brilliance of his dissenting opinions. He was born in Boston in 1841 and was named for his father, the author and doctor. He was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1902 and became known for his pithy, quotable opinions. He stood strong on free-speech rights and was an advocate of judicial restraint and objectivity. He died in 1935.

A Happy Old Orange Truck in Bethville

“We have to fight them daily, like fleas, those many small worries about the morrow, for they sap our energies.”
– Etty Hillesum

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

A Happy Old Orange Truck – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor & Sharpie

I painted this from a photo by rue d’oak from the WetCanvas Reference Image Library.  It was actually rust and green and it was in a city environment without the hay in the back.  I like this way better, but I’m grateful for the WetCanvas RIL for the inspiration. 

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.

Same Day, Different Car - Rathdowney Heritage Festival

“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

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Same Day, Different Car – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor & Sharpie

This is another vintage car from the Rathdowney Heritage Festival, Queensland, Australia.    The photo was by Christine (Crispur) at WetCanvas.  I think the car was a deep dark burgundy… almost black.  But not in Bethville. 

Again, I apologize for not replying to comments lately.  The sign shop is keeping me too busy, but I LOVE every comment and it makes me so happy to hear from you!

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.

Vintage Car in Queensland, Australia

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

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Vintage Car at the Rathdowney Heritage Festival, Queensland, Australia 

This is a 5″ x 7″ watercolor and sharpie painting I did from a photo by Christine (Crispur) at WetCanvas.  Of course, I got there early, before all the people and stuff arrived.  The only guy I saw there was the orange cone guy and he was doing an awesome job! 

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.