Friday, April 30, 2010

"My Four Contributions..."

...to the Louis Comfort Tiffany
Stained Glass Window ATC Swap
Domestic landscape triptych with hollyhock detail.

"Landscape with Birches"

"Rest"
One of 5 window panels depicting the four seasons
Battel Chapel...Church of Christ
Norfolk, Connecticut.
Wisteria transom detail...
Tiffany's personal residence...Laurelton Hall
Long Island, New York.
Lastly...the whole ATC swap package...
totally signed...sealed...and delivered...well ahead
of today's April 30th deadline.
Whew! :)
I will post my swap returns as soon as I receive them.
I cannot wait!

“People are like stained-glass windows.
They sparkle and shine when the sun is out,
but when the darkness sets in,
their true beauty is revealed
only
if there is a light from within.”
~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Thursday, April 29, 2010

"I Could Not Stop Myself..."

It all started in my Canson sketchbook
with a simple circle...
then it blossomed into cactus inspired buds...
and blooms.
Then my mind told my hand
to keep adding layers upon layers of color. Finally,
I was forced into
double dipping within my
Microsoft Digital Editor options menu
choosing both
a delightful color flip and a textured mosaic
all rolled into one!
Wheeeee!
I just couldn't help it!!! LOL :)
I love days like this!
(My Muse does too.)
(BTW...Original is approx. 6.5" square...images enlarge with a click.)

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

"95 Degrees..."

...in the "Valley of the Sun" yesterday.
Yep! It's true...
things here in the Sonoran desert are definitely
beginning to sizzle!
Fortunately, the nights are still cooling down
with at least a refreshing 30 degree
drop in temperature.
And...
it really is a dry heat...and that is a blessing.
The "snowbirds" are now flocking
homeward in droves.
Daily, enormous RVs with cars in tow
parade northbound in their seasonal migration.
This is a fairly accurate sign
that
our delightfully beautiful desert spring days
are about to be history.
However...
a significant "Low" pressure system
off the coast of California
promises a drop of 20 degress in temps
by the weekend.
Relief for a bit...but I still know what lies ahead.
I just have to mentally adjust! :)
(NOTE TO SELF: Dry heat...remember it's a dry heat!)

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

"Happy Blooming Tuesday..."


...from a gorgeous little cactus garden
found decorating the scenic grounds of the
(see views from their spectacular golf course here)
nestled sweetly in the hills of
Cave Creek, Arizona.
(Click on images to enlarge...)

Monday, April 26, 2010

"A Kiss..."

...of romantic moonlight
almost always makes a girl blush...
no matter what her age...or her botanical species...:)
Have a super magical day
and
a moon beamed filled night!

“The loveliest faces are to be seen by moonlight,
when one sees half with the eye
and
half with the fancy”
~Persian Proverb

Sunday, April 25, 2010

"A Bit of Mish Mash..."


A two page spread in my red Hand.Book journal...
which was actually
started in a restaurant in Tucson in 2009...
then
worked on while "waiting" this week
(see key...right hand corner)
and
finally completed last night while watching
National Treasure: Book of Secrets
on TV.
Oh, and of course...
digitally flipped just before posting...:)
Images enlarge when clicked upon...:)

Saturday, April 24, 2010

"Six Word Saturday..."

"Stamps...
postal bling...mail art jewelry!

(P.S. I LOVE them...all shapes and sizes...
domestic and foreign.
I cannot seem to get enough of them!)
Might this be another
art related addiction of mine???
LOL :)

View other "Six Word Saturday" thoughts HERE...:)

Friday, April 23, 2010

"A Quick T.T. Flashback..."

...Thankful Thursday...that is...:)
...first, a frilly zentangled "Lacey River"
from Kristy in Texas...
...next, a gentle, but definitely assertive,
"No Boys Allowed"
from Melody in Utah...
and, last, from Lucie in Canada...
a blooming magnolia and some perched corsairs...:)
both drawn in ball point pen, no less!
Ahhh!
Such beautiful art from such beautiful spirits!
Thank you each and every one!
Why not drop by their art pages and say
"Ahhh!" too! :)
Pssst...
click on any image to enlarge...:)

Thursday, April 22, 2010

"Happy Earth Day 2010..."

...from my little corner of the planet...
...to yours...! :) ♥
Be earthwise and thankful this beautiful day!

"Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect."
~Chief Seattle, 1855

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

"Retro Posting..."

...the very first spread in my Red Hand.Book Journal...
drawn April 4, 2008...

and, then, following it up with a current post of...

...the final page and end pouch of the same journal...
dated April 10, 2010.
What a difference in artistic personality!
Now, I must ask...
during these past two years
have I just become a whole lot messier...
or busier...
or just more free spirited...
Maybe, a bit of all of these!!!!???
;)

"My studio has a personality of its own.
It can be a monstrous clutter from one end to the other
or, at times,
the very model of simplicity."
~Harley Brown

Monday, April 19, 2010

"I Have Been Diagnosed..."

...with an acute case of
Echinocereus Triglochidiatus fever...
or
as they say in layman's terms:
an unbridled passion for claret cup cactus blooms!
WARNING:
These blooms are very potent...
vivid and alluring...tempting and seductive....
especially to the eyes and spirit
of the beholder.
It has been noted that
they actually force the uncontrollable breaking out
of cameras and sketchbooks.
Imagine that!
Often, vocal noises like
"Ooooh's " and "Aaaah's" and "Mmmm's"
have been recorded as symptomatic of this fever.
Once there has been exposure to this plant...
there is little, if no, hope for recovery.
Past medical cases indicate that
intense sensory stimulation caused by these blooms
may become embedded
in one's memory bank forever.
Even Sunset Jack has succumbed to their powers.
He refuses to come home until well
after nightfall...
and
would rather sit with his new lady friends...
bejeweled by their blossoms...
and bask in the heat of the desert sun
than
be indoors nestled within in the protective arms of my
Artist Trading Card binder.
Hmmm...I guess I really can't blame the guy..;)
and so...his story continues...:)

Happy Cactus Monday...from Sunset Jack,
his "ladies"...and me! :)
(Click on any image to enlarge...)

Sunday, April 18, 2010

"Washed Silk..."


...a new texture I have been playing around with...
This is actually 2 layers of the
"Batik Effect"
and
then, of course, it was flipped for more fun.
The result in real life has a
very soft and well worn feel to the piece.
Have a great Sunday!

Saturday, April 17, 2010

"Peace..."


...is NOT something you wish for;
It's something you make...
Something you do...
Something you are...
and,
Something you give away.”
~
Robert Fulghum

Friday, April 16, 2010

Lace, Lines, Loops...

...and "lotsa" swirls all drawn lead free
and
lavishly linked together...
not only in a leafy labor of (zen journaling) love
but also in
another last minute Illustration Friday prompt. :)

Illustration Friday : "LINKED"

"We begin to die as soon as we are born,
and the end
is linked to the beginning."
~Bret Harte

Thursday, April 15, 2010

"Tangles...and Geisha...and Alice..."

...Oh MY!!!
...from Caroline in Australia...
...from Janet in Texas...
...from Melody in Utah...
... and from Deborah in Canada.
What a treat to receive artforms so beautiful
and so varied in format.
It really makes one appreciate all the different styles
and artistic talents there are!
Thanks again to each of these fine artists...
...just click on their names
and you will be wisked away to a Wonderland
of imaginative treasures!
Don't forget to click on any image to enlarge...
maybe even have a cup of tea...but then
things might get
"Curiouser and curiouser."
"Have a cup of tea," indeed!
Well I'm sorry, but I just haven't the time!"
~Alice

♥HAPPY ♥BIRTHDAY ♥
♥VANESSA♥!
XO:)

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

"Some Well Chosen Words..."

"Live with intention.
Walk to the edge.
Listen hard.
Practice wellness.
Play with abandon.
Laugh.
Choose with no regret.
Appreciate your friends.
Continue to learn.
Do what you love.
Live as if this is all there is."
~ Mary Anne Radmacher

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

"Where the Wild Things Grow..."

Groggily she awakens from
being sequestered between the stark white pages
in the depths of my Zen Journal.
Seeded from the black ink of a trusty Pitt pen
and
shimmering with wild metallic highlights
she reappears here...
impetuous...flipped in persona and hue...
rebellious...
all passionate, mysterious
and dramatic!
:)

“Every woman is a rebel,
and usually in wild revolt against herself.”
~Oscar Wilde

Monday, April 12, 2010

"The Arizona Adventures..."

...of the infamous Sunset Jack!
He was born of Cactus Monday fame-
birthed in a happy little art studio in Rhode Island
and sent to me weeks ago
as a get well "smile bringer" from Laurel.

First...his formal portrait...

...then out to play in the Agave...
...and to bask in the Bougainvillea...
...later, only to frolic a bit in the Baja Fairy Duster...
...then, from being perched in the Canary Island Palm...
Sunset Jack spots a comfortable(?)
and shady little hideaway
in the sweet green buds of a prolific prickly pear.
What fun he is having in Arizona! :)
You KNOW more adventures are surely to follow!
So...Stay tuned...there's lots to explore!
Have a happy Cactus Monday
wherever you choose to hideaway.
Adios...for now...from
me
and Sunset Jack!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

"Hmmm..."

To imagine is everything,
to know
is nothing at all.
~
Anatole France

Saturday, April 10, 2010

"Six Word Saturday..."

"Painting
with strawberries...
Gladys' legendary recipe...:)"

See other Six Word Saturday's here...:)
As always...
click on image to enlarge...:)

Friday, April 9, 2010

"Taking an Artistic Dip..."


...into the clear blue seas
for a focused and flipped...frilly and frivolous,
far fetched and funky
take on an Illustration Friday prompt.
:)

Illustration Friday: "Dip"

When you shoot an arrow of truth,
dip its point in honey
~
Arab Proverb

Thursday, April 8, 2010

"Six Splendid Selections..."

...to share with you today...:)
...a fabulous "Blockhead" mixed media card
from Cynthia in Kansas...
...an origami Sphinx from Carey in California...
...some painted sunflowers from Debi in Illinois...
...Two oriental maidens on embossed paper
from Cheryl in Utah...
...a magical "Sky Unicorn" from Maricela in Mexico...
...And, lastly, a tea bag fold origami paper design
from Janet in Texas.
It never ceases to amaze me
to see all the varied styles and types of art
people are making.
I am very thankful to have so many beautiful
examples in my collection.
Pop on by and see the more comprehensive work
of these
lovely artists if you find some time.
Enjoy!