"Geraniums..."

...(Mom had seven pots filled with them)...

and two tangelos on the counter...

was the theme of what I quick sketched, lead free, yesterday

while waiting for dinner to be ready

at mom and dad's.

We just popped in for a visit and an easy computer file fix for dad

and ended up staying for two meals!

Serendipity at it's finest...I love when that happens.

"Serendipity. Look for something, find something else,

and realize that what you've found

is more suited to your needs

than what you thought you were looking for."
~Lawrence Block

"IF: Flawed..."

Hmmm...

Flawed...?...Full to the brim...?

or

a funky fun flower study?

Actually, it's all three!

This was drawn and painted in the summer of 2006...

when I was loosely beginning an attempt to introduce myself

to the "wonder of watercolor". :)

It is a spread in one of those inexpensive, thick, beginner

all purpose sketchbooks

with

lots of simply average paper.

I never intended it for a post...I didn't even have a blog then.

But,

When thinking about the Illustration Friday theme for today:

"Flawed"

and paging through past work at the same time...

this spread spoke to me loudly and clearly:

...Could it just be

that the things we once considered flawed in our lives

are really jewels

that have yet to be seen with "new" eyes???

Maybe you too will

discover a "flawed jewel" in your life today! :)

Illustration Friday: "Flawed"

January 30, 2009

“You see, when weaving a blanket,

an Indian woman leaves a flaw in the weaving of that blanket

to let the soul out.”
~Martha Graham

"I like the fact that in ancient Chinese art

the great painters always included a deliberate flaw in their work:

human creation is never perfect."

~Unknown

"Yes, Mother. I can see you are flawed. You have not hidden it.

That is your greatest gift to me."
~Alice Walker

"Held Hostage..."

...all day Wednesday

by a wickedly piercing migraine.

Not even my little lavender filled neck roll,

a long nap, and good drugs

would make it go

away.

"I'm very brave generally, he went on in a low voice:

only today I happen to have a headache."
~Lewis Carroll

"Papyrus-N-Paper..."

...stylized a bit and dressed up in mellow yellow...

and presented here as drawing

#3 in my series of

Ancient Egyptian inspired

Zen-art.

Did you know...

"Papyrus is a thick paper-like material produced

from the pith of the papyrus plant, Cyperus papyrus, a wetland sedge

that was once abundant in the Nile Delta of Egypt.

Papyrus usually grow 2–3 meters (5–9 ft) tall.

Papyrus is first known to have been used in ancient Egypt

(at least as far back as the First dynasty),

but it was also used throughout the Mediterranean region."

(Source: Wikipedia)

So...

From Ancient Egypt in 3000BC...papyrus

From China in the year 105...cotton rags

From Japan in the year 610...mulberry fibers...

made into a Japanese paper called Washi.

Then...

Chinese discoveries spread through India...

to the Middle East where in 751 linen was used...

then

a paper mill built at Samarkand in 757.

The ideas spread again to Italy...where hemp and linen rags

were used.

In 1276 the first Italian paper mill

was built at Fabriano and until the 14 century

Italy became a paper supplier in Europe.

In 1282 the first watermark was introduced in Bologna.

...And that's only half the story!!!

WHEW!

Hmmm...All this info tends to makes one appreciate

one's temperamental little Moly just a

wee bit more, eh?!

LOL :)

"Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart."
~William Wordsworth

"Gung Hay Fat Choy...!"

or...Gong Xi Fa Cai...!

(click on above for pronunciation and Chinese characters...it's pretty cool!)

...In celebration of the

the Chinese Lunar New Year which began yesterday.
"2009...The Year of the Ox"

A New Year's Market... Image Source: Wikipedia
" Have a Wonderful new Year
Filled With Blessings..."

The calligraphy was copied from a Chinese New Year card

I was given.

The stamps in the lower right hand corner are from

a Chinese chop my sister gifted me

from her trip to China.

For more really interesting information about this holiday

click here...good stuff, I promise!

May Prosperity Be With You! :)

"If you are planning for a year, sow rice;

if you are planning for a decade, plant trees;

if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people."
~Chinese Proverb

"Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember;

involve me and I'll understand."
~Chinese Proverb

A Quick Fix...

...For the winter blaaaahs...

The British Cactus and Succulent Society!

Click here for a quick, creative, "eye candy" cure...

(just select a favorite...stare a screen and say "Ahhh!")

For more "Extreme Cases"...

its best to get comfy, pull out sketchbook, and begin drawing!

View dosage can be increased if patient is really blue...

or

if found inhabiting the extremely cold northern regions of blogdom.

Rx by : Dr. Margaret :)

Refillable 365 times yearly!

"Lotus, Water, Growth..."

... #2 in a series
of Ancient Egyptian inspired
Zen-art!

"To keep the body in good health is a duty,

... and keep our mind strong and clear.

Water surrounds the lotus flower,

but does not wet its petals."
~Buddha

"The Big Sale..."

...at Bath & Body Works...

50-75% off my favorites due to new designs in packaging!

What a deal!

I purchased my goodies the day I fell and am just now

unpacking them today...one week later.

FYI...
This sketch was drawn lead free...on the shopping bag from the store,

and from start to finish...ink to scanner...

it took me just over 45 minutes

to complete. :)

Also...

As an aside to this post...I want to send

my deepest and sincerest thanks out to each and every one...

...for your cheerful and concerned get well comments

left here and on Flickr.

My hand is feeling so much better...especially with the new splint.

What a wonderful, supportive on line community we have.

You all continue to rock my world each day!

"Put the lime in the coconut, drink them both together,

Put the lime in the coconut, then you feel better,

Put the lime in the coconut, drink them both up,

Put the lime in the coconut,

and call me in the moooooorning..."

~Harry Nilsson, lyrics

"This song is driving me nuts!

I can't get it out of my head...been singing it all mooorning...

...Cuz...you put the lime in the coconut and..."

~Me

"Three Fingers Free..."

...in my "brand spanking new" splint!

Surgery at this point is not anywhere on the radar! Whew!

And...get this...

only 3 weeks until it can come off...

but only... if I'm a "good girl" and follow Doctor's orders. :)

Hmmm...

This I can do...this I can definitely DO!

WOO...HOO!

"Time is generally the best doctor."
~Ovid

"Painting With Lacquer..."

...my toes

while awaiting my afternoon medical appointment

with an orthopedic hand specialist.

I hope the cast they make will be smaller

than this ulnar splint I have been lugging around lately!

For a bit of fun...

click here where you will get to "try on"

various colors of nail polish from OPI...It's really cool!

You get to choose your skin tone...category of colors...then specific hues.

I love going there to play!

BTW...Which was your favorite??

"A Picture is Worth..."

...A Thousand Words...
And what a glorious day is was for pictures!

These were my favorite photos of this historic day.

I couldn't drag myself from the television...kleenex at my side.

(PHOTO SOURCES: Associated Press, Reuters)

"Let it be said by our children's children

that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end,

that we did not turn back nor did we falter;

and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us,

we carried forth that great gift of freedom

and

delivered it safely to future generations."

~President Barack Obama

Source: Inaugural Address...January 20, 2009

"Feeling Whimsical..."

...My pen, my Moly, and me...!

#1 in a series

of Ancient Egyptian inspired

Zen-art!

"It has to be fun. Whimsy and wonder are important.

Keeping things light makes it easier for people to look at them."
~Heather Kent

"Believe In Now...!"

...is the slogan of this year's Super Bowl.

Well,

on Sunday... the "underdog"

Arizona Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Eagles

32-25

to win the NFC Championship

and

are headed to Tampa, Florida for Super Bowl XLIII

to be played February 1, 2009!

Unbelievable!!!

Who would have ever thought !? WooHoo!

Happy Cactus Monday All!

Say, Hey...

Why not do something artistically unbelievable today!

"Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail."
~Charles F. Kettering

American engineer, inventor of the electric starter, 1876-1958

"Fractured Art..."

Yep! That's my hand indeed...

In a split second...on a gorgeous Arizona day...I was on the ground...

right there on the asphalt

in the Super Target parking lot on Lake Pleasant Road.

Dang! I had no idea one could trip on sunshine!

Geesch!

My left hand caught the trauma of the event

and swelled up immediately.

After cleaning out the abrasion and getting ice to reduce the swelling

we headed straight for the ER.

The rest is journaled above...the sketches done while waiting

and the info added later at home.

From start to finish this escapade took 4 hours plus...

not my idea of a fun sketch crawl!

And...as I write this post...yes...it hurts...

local pharmacies were closed by the time I was released...

so I hope Tylenol arthritis does the trick

until we can get the "good stuff".

"We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey."
~Kenji Miyazawa

"Sticks and stones may break my bones,

but words will make me go in a corner and cry by myself for hours."
~ Eric Idle

"IF: PALE..."

Illustration Friday January, 16, 2009:

"Pale"

"It is not these well-fed long-haired men that I fear,

but the pale and the hungry-looking."

~Julius Caesar

"The tones of gray, pale turquoise and pink will prevail."

~Christian Dior

"The moon's an arrant thief,

And her pale fire she snatches from the sun."
~William Shakespeare

"Andrew Wyeth..."

July 12, 1917-January 16, 2009

Click here for a beautiful tribute and slide show of his work.

"I can't work completely out of my imagination.

I must put my foot in a bit of truth; and then I can fly free."

~Andrew Wyeth

"It's a moment that I'm after,

a fleeting moment, but not a frozen moment."

~Andrew Wyeth

"I don't really have studios.

I wander around...around people's attics, out in fields, in cellars,

anyplace I find that invites me."

~Andrew Wyeth

"I'm a secretive bastard.

I would never let anybody watch me painting...

it would be like somebody watching you have sex -

painting is that personal to me."

~Andrew Wyeth

"21 Of 23..."

...Windows in our house

are being replaced due to "blown" seals...it gets really hot here...

and the process began yesterday.

The bad part...

is that one large window cracked while being taken out

so the shutter company has to come back

and

remove all interior shutters on the bigger windows.

The good part...

is that all windows are covered under warranty...Whew!...

and...since my sketchbook was right there handy

I was able to capture part of the day!

BTW...don't you think

our service person had a remarkable similarity to

Kid Rock??? Hat and all...Seriously! :)

One never knows just who will pop on our everyday lives!

“Art is the window to man's soul.

Without it,

he would never be able to see beyond his immediate world;

or could the world see the man within.”
~Claudia Lady Bird Johnson

"Sun Kissed..."

...was simply the perfect way

to describe the weather here in Arizona yesterday.

I drew this poolside in my Moly

after my deep water aerobics class at noon...

and like a moth drawn to a flame...I felt totally compelled

to linger a bit, extend my stay...

and immerse my entire spirit in the glorious sunlight.

Ahhhh!

I just didn't want this feeling to end.

I hope this post brings a bit of warmth to those of you struggling with

the brutal cold this winter.

I know that I

will refer to it often this summer...

when our temperatures reach 115 degrees +

and sigh longingly in reflection

of what this gently sun kissed, perfect day felt like.

Ahhhh...:)

"Breathe. Let go.

And remind yourself that this very moment

is the only one

you know you have for sure."
~Oprah Winfrey

Opportunities...

...by the "van loads"...
and even...

the "worker loads"...
a total of five at one point buzzing around
outside and inside
each attentive to their own craft.
And...each
a golden opportunity
to sketch without even leaving the house this morning.
And...
can you believe
everyone arrived right on time???!
What a down home-jolly good contractors' party we had!

"If you want creative workers, give them enough time to play."
~John Cleese

"A Temple Singer..."

Yesterday, in the mail,

I received and invitation to a Member's Preview

at the Oriental Institute in Chicago

of a special exhibit entitled

MERESAMUN.

Meresamun was a musician-priestess

who worked in the temple of Amun at Karnak 2,800 years ago.

Her mummy and coffin

have been a highlight of the Oriental Institue collection since 1920.

Now,

through the combination of

Egyptology and history her life at home and in the temple

will be unveiled

while

the newest generation of CT scans reveal information about her

health and appearance.

This sounds so cool doesn't it?

Yes, indeedy...

It's times like this I miss my ol' Chicago "stomping grounds"

this I cannot deny.

So

it got me thinking...

maybe a special ancient Egyptian art celebration

"Waterblossoms style"

might just be what the is needed...

Hmmm...

Best stay tuned...:)

"Denial ain't just a river in Egypt."
~Mark Twain

"A Kaleidoscopic..."

...Perspective!

"Creativity

is a lot like looking at the world through a kaleidoscope.

You look at a set of elements,

the same ones everyone else sees,

but

then reassemble those floating bits and pieces

into an enticing new possibility."

~Rosabeth Moss Kanter

Have delightfully kaleidoscopic Cactus Monday All!

"Flying Solo 2..."

...for the

21st International SketchCrawl

January 10, 2009

Since

I had a previous commitment

on the other side of the valley today

I was not able to meet up with the Phoenix group.

So, I "flew solo" again and

just sketched

what happened during my every day life today.

Click on the image to enlarge if you would like to read my notes :)

Today

was exceptionally clear here in the Valley of the Sun...

67 degrees, sunny...paradise-like...

we even saw the Four Peaks Mountains

from our home here in Surprise!

That would be close to 80 some miles away!!!

I love when that happens!

Now...

I can't wait any longer...

I am off to check out all the sketches

made on this one day in January

all over the world!

Click here to see SketchCrawl results for yourself!

“Life is the art of drawing...[sketching...:)]...without an eraser.”
~John W. Gardner

"IF: CONTAINED..."

...within these pages of my sketchbooks

my

ideas,

sketches,

doodles,

challenges,

thoughts,

everyday ordinary things

are

CONTAINED.

Illustration Friday Challenge: "Contained"

January 9, 2009

"A true photograph need not be explained,

nor

can it be contained in words."
~Ansel Adams

"Focal Points..."

Warm...Earthy...Energetic...Cool...Mystical...Serene

"You can't depend on your judgment when your imagination is out of focus."
~Mark Twain

"Come on Over..."

and "PLAY!"

...the optional theme for Creative Every Day: January...

Perfect!

After all...art should be fun...shouldn't it? LOL:)

I am so totally on board with this! :)

Won't you join me?

"You can discover more about a person

in an hour of play

than in a year of conversation."
~Plato