Thursday, June 30, 2011

"Inspired by Hokusai..."

...are my entries for the Illustrated ATCs 2011 summer
"Choose A Theme" (C.A.T) Swap
Group #3...Landscapes.
First, " Fuji...Winter Serenity"...
next, "Fuji ...Through the Pines"...
next, "Fuji...Mountain Pass Springtime"...
then, "Fuji Reflected: Lake Kawaguchi"...
and finally, "Fuji and Sakura Blossoms".
Above is a group photo of the girls right before they were
set free and mailed out from
Sycamore, Illinois
to
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
yesterday morning.
Indeed,
time spent researching the striking art of
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849)
including his famous wood cut block prints
of Mt Fuji...
along with his not quite so famous 100 Illustrated
Views of Fuji
allowed my Muse and I to a travel into a wonderland
of
old world Japanese beauty and serenity.
Painting these tiny cards
linked me to his Muse...and to the soulfulness of Japan.
'Twas quite a wonderful experience...
for sure!

“When you are inspired by some great purpose,
some extraordinary project,
all your thoughts break their bonds:
Your mind transcends limitations,
your consciousness expands in every direction,
and you find yourself in a new, great, and wonderful world.
Dormant forces,
faculties and talents become alive,
and your discover yourself to be a greater person by far
than you ever dreamed yourself to be.”
~Patanjali

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

" I Got Hooked up...!"

...yesterday...many times...and in many ways!!!
Starting...
with a new Verizon "MiFi" Internet connection...
following...with a double visit
to Sweet Dreams for homemade chicken and biscuits...
(BTW...Where were you today, JGL???? LOL)
then...following that we topped off our meals
with the purchase of
a boatload of cookies and the
registering for a frequent buyer card...Geesch!
Then came the arrival of my
art supplies from Arizona
abundant enough to make any Muse dance with delight...
and finally...
a summer explosion of art ideas galore
from my newly invigorated
Muse
is flooding my mind!
We are ready to rock and roll folks!
Yippeeeeeee!
Ooops... I almost forgot to mention...2 THINGS...
We stopped by Kohl's...with our special 30% off coupon
and
found it was Kohl's dollar days too...WooHoo!
And lastly, seriously,
we can now get
Magnum ice cream bars
here "across the pond" in the good ole USA!
OMG...
These are "bestest" yummiest hook ups of all times!
Wheeeee!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

"Stuck...!!!"



...in Sycamore, Illinois with sporadic internet connections!
Boy, am I ever one spoiled blogger or what???
Fingers and toes crossed that
things will be smoothed out soooon...
Until then,
I hope you will "Stand by"...:)
There REALLY is a lot more to come!
Happy Blooming Tuesday from the lush green midwest!
BTW, yesterday...
Phoenix 116...Sycamore 76...degrees, that is...
Just sayin...! :)

Sunday, June 26, 2011

"Some Summer Zen...Ahhh!..."

Introducing...
my new "Sundays of Summer" zen feature...
right here...on my blog...every Summer Sunday...:)
Ahhh! :)
This is Sunrise Buddha.
At his back is the dawn of a new desert day
filled with the seasonal sizzling,
and the stressful, scorching summerness
of the desert southwest.
To instill much needed inner balance he turns away
from this bright threshold...
as he
allows his spirit to fly free and soar...
to dance high above the clouds so to eventually
emerge bliss filled,
serenely calm,
and refreshingly cooled.
His eyes peer ahead as he imagines great
possibilities.
Hmmm...he smiles...
"I wonder what surprises this day will bring?"
Stay tuned...:)

“All that we are
is the result of what we have thought.
The mind is everything.
What we think...
we become.”
~Buddha

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

"To Our One and Only..."

Happiest of birthdays to you...
"Johnny", "Dad", "Grandpa", "Papa", "Great Grandpa"
"JW" and "Big Brown Bear"!
We wish
you a wonderful year of clear skies...smooth flying...
and soft landings.
Sent with oodles of love...from
your loving co-pilot
Mom,
and your ever grateful ground crew:
Susan, David, Joya & Jillian...
Jack, Sharon, Vanessa, Lauren, Steve & Myles...
Mark, Katie, Christopher, Courtney & Corey...
and...Peg and Scott! :)
Thanks for showing us how to navigate life
with a happy heart
and a twinkle in our eye.
Soar high above the clouds as you celebrate
the first day of your 90th
flight around the sun!
You are now cleared for "take off"...:)

"It is not the cry,
but the flight of the wild duck
that leads the flock to fly and follow.”
~Chinese Proverb

"The very existence of aviation is proof that man,
given the will,
has the capacity to accomplish deeds
that seem impossible."
~Eddie Rickenbacker

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

"Happy Summer..."

...from the red-hot Arizona desert southwest.
Temperatures today are predicted to reach 108.
And, for tomorrow, you might ask?
How does 113 sound???
Pretty dang bloomin' hot I'd say!!! :{
Grrrrr!
I best settle myself down now...and wish you
a most refreshing and happy
Blooming Tuesday...
where ever it is you may all home.

"Holding on to anger
is like grasping a hot coal with the intent
of throwing it at someone else;
you are the one who gets
burned.”
~
Buddha

Sunday, June 19, 2011

"Happy Father's Day, Dad..."










...with love from Peg, Mark, Susan, and Jack...:)
We love you tremendously...

"Other things may change us,
but we start...and end...with family.”
~Anthony Brandt

...PSST!
It's not only Father's Day...it's also my 900th post!
Simply magical! ♥

Saturday, June 18, 2011

"Under the Shade of an Elm..."

...sitting among the iris, just sketching the day away...
is where my Muse wants to be.
The desert is heating up somewhat fiercely...
105-107 degree range lately...
shrinking her energy and artistic endeavors
to minimal levels.
Thoughts
of the midwest keep flooding her mind...
and making her anxious.
She constantly questions me begging for change.
"Soon", I kindly tell her..."soon"!

"You cannot do a kindness too soon,
for you never know
how soon it will be too late.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Monday, June 13, 2011

"Form Vs. Function..."


...my newest tree of life-illustrated in my Zen Journal...
drawn "ink straight in" and digitally flipped.
The inspiration for her
came from a wonky week of days spent dealing with
kidney stones, migraines, CT scans
and
and medical appointments.
I think
things are on the mend...I have a follow up
appointment today...
guess I will have to wait and see (hear)
what the good doc has to say.
Definitely not in blogging mode...funny how
quickly I can get thrown off my
game.

"The art of medicine
consists in amusing the patient
while nature cures
the disease."
~Voltaire

Friday, June 10, 2011

"Seven Years Ago...Today..."

...we officially closed on our house here in Arizona
and began adapting our
midwest state of minds into desert dwelling
"aficionados."
I reposted this drawing today to celebrate.
7 years!!!!!
Life is certainly good!

“The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.”
~James Taylor

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Old Cactus Garden Balboa Park



This is a fabulous video I just found on Jane LaFazio's facebook page...:) Here's to all our fellow sketchers out there...enjoying the artistic "good life" and sharing their art! Woo Hoo!