Rainbow Forest - September 4, 2009

"A bad habit never disappears miraculously; it's an undo-it-yourself project."
– Abigail Van Buren

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Rainbow Forest

6" x 6" x 1.5" Acrylic

This one was painted from my brain, with no references. I start with the very front plant, then keep painting plants, one at a time, behind the previous ones, until I finally finish with the black paint. I really enjoy seeing it come to life when the black paint is added. Negative painting is fun!
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About Abigail Van Buren

Pauline Phillips, better known as Abigail Van Buren, wrote the syndicated "Dear Abby" column for 46 years. She was born in 1918 in Iowa. She had never written professionally when she contacted the San Francisco Chronicle's editor and said she could do better than their current advice maven. Her version was an instant success. Her twin sister, Esther Lederer, became an advice columnist under the name Ann Landers. Phillips retired in 2002; her daughter, Jeanne Phillips, took over her column.

Wilma Woodpecker - September 3, 2009

"Let a joy keep you. Reach out your hands and take it when it runs by.."

– Carl Sandburg

.Wilma Woodpecker

4" x 6" Watercolor & Ink

The reason Wilma is so happy is because it was raining sunflower seeds that day! As soon as I was done painting her portrait, she flew wildly into the storm and ate sunflower seeds with complete abandon! Ah yes, being an artist with a flair for fun, is grabbing joy with both hands!!

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Flamingo Joy

4" x 6" Watercolor & Ink

See, isn't it fun?!

About Carl Sandburg

American poet, songwriter, and journalist Carl Sandburg played an essential role in the Chicago renaissance of the early twentieth century. He won two Pulitzer Prizes, one for poetry and one as a historian. He was born in Illinois in 1878. When he was 19, he hopped a westbound train and lived as a hobo. His poetry is filled with slang and the language of ordinary Americans. His publications include Chicago Poems, Cornhuskers, and the children's series, Rootabaga Stories. He died in 1967.

Tulip Farm - September 2, 2009

"Don't be afraid of change, and never pass up an opportunity to try something new."
~Dr. Robert Lopatin

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Tulip Farm
8" x 10" Watercolor

I tried a few new things on this painting. I combined two different photo references, while keeping them separate in a way. This was the second time I had tried this technique, using a geometric shape as a part of the painting. I also used regular gauze, that we all have around the house, to get the relief in the foreground. I cut some gauze and stretched it out and laid it on the paper. I then used some Daniel Smith durochrome watercolor, pretty thick, on the gauze. I let it dry and removed the gauze. I painted the fence posts last.

Here is another one, where I used the gauze and geometric shape.

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My 2008 Christmas Card
5" x 7" Watercolor

I was trying to make the rectangle blend, and not blend, with the background. It's fun to get totally absorbed in something new!

Today's quote came from Sally Evans, Embracing Creativity.

Be inspired to create a life you love!

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Blue Heron - September 1, 2009

"Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best."
– Henry Van Dyke

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Blue Heron

4" x 6" Watercolor

I am fascinated by birds. Of course, I don't paint them in the way that a wildlife artist would paint them. What is the fun in that? Okay, I'm sure wildlife artists have fun, but there is no pressure to be accurate or realistic in my fun little paintings. Life is a hoot!

About Henry Van Dyke

Henry Van Dyke, the American clergyman and author, is best known for the Christmas story, "The Other Wise Man." He was born in Pennsylvania in 1852. He was pastor of the Brick Presbyterian Church in New York, taught literature at Princeton, and was U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands. His love of nature influenced his spirituality, and he fought to preserve Yellowstone Park. He wrote poetry and essays as well as fiction. Helen Keller called him an architect of happiness. He died in 1933.

Barbados Beach Shack - August 31, 2009

"No great deed, private or public, has ever been undertaken in a bliss of certainty."
– Leon Wieseltier

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Barbados Beach Shack

6" x 6" Watercolor

I took this picture when I was there in September of 2008.

Last December, I painted this same beach shack with acrylic on a 4" x 4" gallery wrap canvas. I didn't look at the first painting at all, when I painted this watercolor. To look at the two of them, side by side, is fun. They are so different! I'm not really sure which one I like the best. I do like them both.

About Leon Wieseltier

Leon Wieseltier, the sharp-tongued literary editor of The New Republic, has used his role to deliver brilliant, scathing put-downs of intellectual fads and pretense. He was born in Brooklyn in 1952. He studied Jewish history and philosophy at Columbia, Oxford, and Harvard's Society of Fellows. He won the National Jewish Book Award for the memoir Kaddish, about his year of mourning after his father's death.

Sweet Mountain Meadow - August 28, 2009

"You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it."
– Robin Williams
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Sweet Mountain Meadow
6" x 6"x 1.5" Acrylic on
Gallery Wrap Canvas

Monarch Migration - August 27, 2009

Believe more deeply. Hold your face up to the light, even though for the moment you do not see.
--Bill Wilson

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This is a Whiskey Transfer, done on an open 5" x 7" greeting card, then painted with watercolor.






The Monarchs are going to be migrating through Oklahoma in another month. (Our latitude is 35.287) We love when it happens, although the numbers have been fewer the last few years. On the peak days, we try to spend as much time on the lake as we can. It's so beautiful when you're floating around out there, surrounded by Monarchs! You can find your latitude on the internet, if you don't know it. They may be visiting you any day!

MonarchWatch.org

Hydrangea Macro - August 26, 2009

"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself."

– Andy Warhol

Hydrangea Macro

6" x 6" Acrylic

About Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol, the American pop artist, is probably best known for his silk screens of Campbell Soup and Marilyn Monroe. He was born as Andrew Warhola in Pittsburgh in 1928. His style borrowed from comic books and advertising; he wanted to remove the separation between commercial and fine art. His studio, the Factory, became a hub for the New York art scene. He was also a prolific filmmaker. He was shot three times in the chest in 1968 and narrowly escaped death. He died in 1987.

M is for Meatballs - August 25, 2009

"Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."
– Steve Jobs

M is for Meatballs

2.5" x 3.5" Watercolor & Ink

Alphabet Exchange

About Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs, the American computer pioneer who cofounded Apple, is known for his intensity, his brashness, and his focus on elegant design. He was born in 1955 in Los Altos. At age 21, he and Steve Wozniac built the first Apple computer in his garage. Its successor, the Macintosh, introduced the mouse. After Jobs was ousted from Apple, he bought Pixar Animation, creator of Toy Story and Finding Nemo. On his return to Apple, he introduced the iMac and iPod, restoring the company's luster. He now lives in California with his wife and three children.

Spring Garden - August 24, 2009

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

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Spring Garden

8" x 5.5" Watercolor & Gouache

Award of Excellence from

The Whistle Stop Gallery

Granite City, IL

Out of Nature Show 2009

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.