Wednesday, March 30, 2011

This Glistening Spirit Fish..."

...will be swimming his way tomorrow through
the US postal jet stream
to his new home in Finland and into the art studio of
Elina,
an iATC trading friend.
Within the bright sparkle of his eye
he carries with him the power and strength
of the Finnish sky god Ukko.
Ukko,
like his other mythological sky-god brothers,
Zeus and Thor,
wields control through the use of powerful thunderbolts.
So,
the next time you look up in the sky
and catch a flash of bright light in the corner of your eye,
it just might be the spirit fish of Ukko
swimming about...
keeping order in great sea of the cosmos.

“Do not tell fish stories
where the people know you;
but particularly,
don't tell them where they know the fish.”
~Mark Twain

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

"A Floral Portal..."


...to discovering a Happy Blooming Tuesday...:)
This was
drawn in my Artful Musings Journal/Sketchbook
lead free...ink straight in
while Sophia
was being swept away through a portal to "somewhere"
on the weekly television show
The Event on NBC.
Interesting where one's inspiration comes from,
isn't it?

Mistakes are the portals of discovery.
~
James Joyce
Irish novelist, 1882-1941

Monday, March 28, 2011

"A Desert Mandala..."

“Passion is energy.
Feel the power that comes from focusing
on what excites you.”
~Oprah Winfrey

Sunday, March 27, 2011

"Working Out Last Week..."


...with pen firmly gripped in hand...
journal balancing on lap...water bottle within reach...
inked patterns running from brain to paper...
it was a marathon!
I exercised artfully each day and
time passed quickly into
a plethora of artistic aerobic minutes...
my pen strokes pulsating to
the non-stop dribbling beat of "March Madness"
droning from the telly... and then
later in the night
raising my heart rate to well above target level
under the merciless mind control
of the
Manchurian Candidate.

Whew!
I feel so invigorated!
My Muse says I even look thinner!
I flipped over that! LOL :)
"It is exercise alone that supports the spirits,

and keeps the mind in vigor."

~Marcus Tullius Cicero

Saturday, March 26, 2011

"SWS...Through a Child's Eyes..."

"World Map"
...flipped, by my Muse, for some nocturnal viewing...
Lexi giggled and loved it!

"Arizona Girl"

"The Biggest Moon"

Lexi's muse definitely danced in delight.

See other Six Word Saturdays here...:)

Friday, March 25, 2011

"Attempts At Containment..."

....each and every day...
...and each and every night...24/7.
Recovery efforts
and attempts to control the unimaginable
are becoming
increasingly exhausting and seemingly endless.
With unearthly power,
Mother Nature
released herself from her Tectonic containment...
spewing about
natural, human, and nuclear
devastation and destruction...everywhere:
lives taken...hearts broken...families shredded...
a nation in crisis...spirits in distress.
A new normal
will now haunt the future of Japan's people
for years to come.
The grief of her people is unable to be contained.
Yet,
like a slim crack of bright sunlight piercing through
dark and ominous clouds
Hope has appeared unchained, unfettered.
She rises and stands boldly
stretching her comforting wings over the hearts and souls
of an entire nation of people....
Her strength and will bolstered daily
through
the millions of prayers and
generous acts of goodwill being offered worldwide.
Be a part of it.
Pray for Japan...March 2011.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

"My Muse..."

...has been busy, lately, dancing like no one is watching
and
cultivating artistic thoughts of Spring
in her mind...:)
Illustration Friday: "Cultivate"

"Our happiness
depends on the habit of mind we cultivate.
So practice happy thinking every day.
Cultivate the merry heart,
develop the happiness habit,
and
life will become a continual feast."
~Norman Vincent Peale

Sunday, March 20, 2011

"The Super Moon..."

...from a magic filled Arizona desert perspective.

"When I admire the wonder of a sunset
or the beauty of the moon,
my soul expands in worship of
the Creator."
~Mahatma Gandhi

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

"Breakfast For The Cure..."

Dan and Susan Martin,
owners of Martin's Restaurant
in the Sun Village Center, Surprise Arizona,
organized and hosted their 3rd annual
Breakfast for the Cure
yesterday morning March 14th, 2011.
Each year their suppliers donate food and produce
and their loyal staff donate their time
and work only for tips.
All monies spent by patrons is
donated to the 3 day Susan G. Komen
Walk for the Cure.
Dan and Susan, as well as Susan's sister Peggy
(a breast cancer survivor)
have successfully completed the walk
these last few years and
they will walk again this August in Chicago.
Scott and I attended the breakfast again this year
and had a delightful
and yummy repast out on the patio
overlooking the pool.
The place was packed to the brim
with family, friends, and happy smiles.
(If you like you can see a previous year's drawing here.)
What a great way to spend a morning!
Click on image to enlarge...sketched plein air
then painted at home...:)

“If you have much, give of
your wealth;
If you have little, give of your heart.”
~Arab Proverb

Monday, March 14, 2011

"Down a Dusty Trail..."












May your Cactus Monday be filled with the
smiles of friendship...
the delight of travelling slowly ...
and
the thrill of stepping a bit off the beaten path...:)
“The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail.
Travel too fast
and you miss all you are traveling for.”
~Author Unknown
“You cannot be wimpy
out there on the dream-seeking trail.
Dare to break through barriers,
to find your own path.”
~ Les Brown

Friday, March 11, 2011

"Arizona Girlfriends Weekend..."















Our version of the "Eat Pray Love" tour...Arizona style
was months in coming to fruition...
and then "Poof!", in the quickest 5 days in history,
it was over!
Such wonderful memories!
Here are the pics from two weeks ago...
a great meal
and a prickly pear margarita
at Tonto Bar and Grill in Cave Creek Arizona
got the weekend rolling in great style!
Miss you Jan!
"Funny thing about joy, is that you only really
find it when you are too busy
having fun to look for it!"
;)
~Author unknown

Thursday, March 10, 2011

"I Have Been Mooned..."

...by three fabulous artists in the February
"Light of the Moon" swap
L-R: From Jennifer in Maine,
from Amy in Illinois, and from Cathy in Vermont.
Click on image to enlarge...:)
(You can look at my entries for the swap here.)

"May you have warm words on a cold evening,
a full moon on a dark night
and
a smooth road all the way to your door.”
~Irish Blessing

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

"A Bit of Springtime Soul Food..."

...is blooming in Arizona...ATC card wise that is...:)
Here are my returns from the January
flower swap at Illustrated ATCs.
L-R:...From Cathy in Vermont, Tabitha in Arizona,
and from Jennifer in Maine.
Click on above image to enlarge...:)
(You can see the cards I sent in here.)
Have a Happy Blooming Tuesday wherever
you may be! :)

"Bread feeds the body,
indeed,
but flowers feed also the soul."
~The Koran

Sunday, March 6, 2011

"A Trio of Pretty Painted Trees..."

...are now perfectly planted in my ATC collection.
Above are my returns
from the January tree swap at Illustrated ATCs.
L-R: from Tabitha in Arizona,
from Kathy in Las Vegas, and from Cathy in Vermont.
Click on image to enlarge...:)
(You can see the trees I made for this swap here.)

"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.
The next best time is now."
~Chinese Proverb

Saturday, March 5, 2011

"Bananagrams, Cookies, and Dice..."

"Wheee!...Thanks, Jan!...Girlfriend, you rock!!!"
(Miss you lots...what a great getaway weekend we had!
Pictures soon to follow!)
(Click on image to enlarge...)
See other Six Word Saturday posts here...:)