"Time Well Spent..."

...Getting to the heART of the matter

while waiting for my doctor's appointment yesterday. :)

"Mail Call..."

Art and Playing around...

This just seems to be such a natural fit!

"Okay, I Gave In..."

...to PrePaid Envelope Art...

(I just could not resist!)

So...

Why not treat yourself sometime

to Arizona Highways...

To her legends, to her beauty...truly, to the west at it's best...

...Rich with memories and stories to last a lifetime!

Have a Happy Cactus Monday! :)

"Yet Another Grid..."

... A bit of

"Inking...outside the box."

;)

"Playing Around...Again?"

...Peacefully

Playing around with my Pitt pens

in my new

pocket Moleskine....

"My Thursday Doodles..."

...A fairly pleasant result drawn the evening

of a

very unpleasant

morning

migraine.

...Ahhhhh...much better now. :)

"Happy Earth Day...! "

"The Earth Laughs in Flowers." -e.e. cummings

Happy 38th Earth Day!

April 22, 2008

"It Must Be Magic...!"

...Originally

painted in watercolor as a workshop piece...

Now,

revitalized as something very different

by just selecting a computer photo software option

and simply clicking the mouse!

`Tis truly Cactus Monday magic!

Have a Happy one! :)

"What's Attractive...?"

"Across the Pond"

the thistle is an ancient Celtic heraldic symbol

denoting one's nobility, character, and birth.

In Scotland

the thistle is considered a national symbol.

In Arizona

Cirsium neomexicanum

was allegedly used by the Navajo and Hopi Indians

for medicinal purposes.

It blooms pink-purple in the Arizona desert

from March to September.

Painted Ladies find it very attractive.

So, now I ask you...

Why do they annoy me so,

and

Why are they persistently attempting

to root themselves all over my

backyard??? :(

What are these things anyway???

War Emblems...Wonder Drugs....Wildflowers...or Weeds?

Beauty

must truly be in the eyes of the beholder...

At least, the Painted Ladies (and the artist in me) think it so! ;)

"Here's The Problem..."

...Be part of the solution!

Earth Day April 22, 2008

Do Something!

Click on the link above!

Act!

Celebrate our Planet!

EDM # 167

"Something that Needs To Be Fixed"

...And also,

my 50th Blog Post!
WooHoo! :)

"You Go, Girl...! "

Echinopsis calochlora

Is native to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, & Paraguay.

Her colorful blossoms can range from

Pink,

to Deep Red,

to Magenta,

to Orange, and

to White.

She is an original South American "party girl"...

dressing up in her festive "bling-blossoms"

for a midnight rendezvous or two

with a few batty friends.

But...

Just like a "Cinderella",

her fragile and delicate beauty quickly

fades from view...

leaving only the haunting memories of her sweet fragrance

in the hearts of admirers

until the next Spring.

Ahhhh..

The beauty of Mother Nature...

She surely has it goin' on! ;)

Happy Cactus Monday!

"Flutter By...

...Sweet Butterflies,

Add

Joy to our days

And

Peace to our nights.

"A Wise Man Once Said..."

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.

Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

-Chinese Proverb

Hmmm...

Ask an artist to imagine a fish

And you get a whole new species! ;)

EDM #166

"Draw a Fish"

"The Way We Were..."

Our House...April 2004
In June we will celebrate the 4th anniversary of our move to Arizona.
This is what it looked like then...
...and no, in real life our house is not purple! :)

EDM #165
"Draw the Front of Your House"

"Luck of the Draw..."

Happy Cactus Monday!

and

EDM #163..."Draw a Deck of Cards"

I "drew" the

Ace of Spades.

Casino card decks are used only for a couple of hours.

The decks are then retired and are either clipped or drilled.

A hole was drilled through my used casino card deck

from

Cliff Castle Casino in Camp Verde, Arizona.

Truly, this is a marked card! :)

Oh yes,

if you plan to hit the casinos...

be careful not to get "stuck" with a bad hand...

or

by a spiney cactus! ;)

"Sonoran Desert Flowers..."

...Drawn in my brand new red Hand Book Artist Journal.

This new art journal is really quite fun...

I have great plans for "her."

;)

"Happy Birthday Anita Davies...! "

Palo Verde blossoms,

Float through the sky

Quails flittering about

So quick and spry.

The cacti is in bloom...

spring air swirls all about,

That the desert is alive

there is absolutely no doubt.

In my heart are these wishes

from me sent to you...

Joy, Peace, and Happiness

in all that you do.

Now as I close

from across blue sea,

I send from the desert

A "Happy Birthday" to thee!

WooHoo! :)

Of Special Note:

I consider Anita Davies a special mentor.

I treasure her as a person and and applaud her as an artist.

She lights the end of my tunnels.

And,

On this day of her birth..I both celebrate her life

and thank her for all she does.

:)

"We Had It All..."

Butterflies, hummingbirds, rabbits, and hawks,

Wildflowers, and sculpture, and brick-covered walks.

A day of delight and a feast for the eyes,

'Twas the beauty of Nature under sun-brightened skies.

Tucked inside "our" Garden were trails here and there

With hideaways perfect to paint "en plein aire".

We drew and we sketched and our brushes did float

Over sketchbook and moleskines-making memories of note.

Time was ours to explore, or to find the right spot-

To journal or fantasize or shoot our last shot.

What a gem of a place for our Phoenix Sketch Crawl.

Art, colleagues, and nature...yes, "We had it all!

Of Special Note:

I dedicate this post to "Jordan"

a former student of mine...now in high school...

who loves to write, paint with watercolors, and raise butterflies.

Remember always... follow your dreams!

"Playing With My Paints..."

"All Children are artists.

The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."

-Pablo Picasso

A Sweet Little Succulent..."

...just a perfect little "something something"

to brighten your day!

Happy April to you!...No Fooling! ;)