Some Moonlit Zen...

...drawn during the day...

while thinking about the night to come...:)

"I often think that the night is more alive

and more richly colored

than the day."

~Vincent Van Gogh

Equality Matters...

...because...Love.is.universal...period.

“They say

that time changes things,

but you actually have to change them

yourself.”

~AndyWarhol

Aquatic Starbursts...

...found while imagining shapes in the deep blue sea...

...and then magically transforming them with moonbeams.

This piece

started as a small watercolor demo in my mandala class

to show the special effects made by 

drawing with masking fluid...adding deep rich saturated color...

and then heavily sprinkling it all with sea salt.

(Click on images to enlarge.)

I loved the end result...

so much so, that it just begged me to be flipped

in Microsoft Digital Editor

for an additional dash of panache.

 I totally enjoy artistic surprises, don't you?

“The moments of happiness we enjoy

take us by surprise.

It is not that we seize them, but that they seize us.”

~Ashley Montagu

Remembering Sue...

 Susan V. Krahenbuhl

November 26, 1960-March 23, 2012

We hold you gently in our hearts

and
think of you with a smile
each time
 we remember the sparkle in your eyes...
the love in your heart...
and
the never ending strength in your spirit.
We see
you in the twinkling stars of the desert night sky...
we hear you
in the soft rustle of the Colorado aspens...
we feel you
in the soothing warmth of the western sun.
You are always with us.
We will
always love you.

"To live in hearts we leave behind
Is not to die."
~Thomas Campbell,
Hallowed Ground

A Bit of Greenery...

...serenely on the lookout for springtime.
The Arizona desert is just about ready to burst
with its floral colors...
the desert floor
is already a velvety carpet of green!
Ahhh!

 "Springtime is the land awakening.

The March winds are the morning yawn."

~Quoted by Lewis Grizzard

in Kathy Sue Loudermilk, I Love You

Making a "Flower Play"...

 Tilting...

 Turning...

 Tumbling...

Twisting...

and feeling totally

light hearted and mischievous...

listening to the tantalizing tunes of Sade

and

wishing each of you a terrifically cool and jazzy kind of day.

“It is better to play than do nothing.”

~Confucius

Classified Mandalas...

Actually, the class I taught at the art club last Friday was entitled

"Whimsical Watercolor Zendalas"

and to my delight

each and every one of the participants came "raring to go"!

Oh, my goodness! What fun we had!

Barb L. is pictured above,

dressed in a fabulous zen patterned top,

pen in hand with her mandala

just about to bloom into intricately inked patterns.

Love you, Barb! :)

(Click on any image to enlarge...)

 Next, please meet Evelyn and Deannie...

sitting here side by side

each sharing their individual treasured "works in progress"

 during class last Friday...

And then...individually...on this past Zen Wednesday

presenting their completed art pieces

in Studio One.

Above, is pictured Evelyn...

her piece was simply magnificent in both

composition and intensity...

so rich and gorgeous!

(BTW...Lise, you are missed...and I know you will

love seeing this in person later this spring...)

 Evelyn is then

followed by Deannie with her completed piece to share

in the studio, also, on Wednesday.

This was Deannie's first attempt at zentangling...

WOWZERS!

What a lovely mandala...with beautiful movement.

I think Evelyn prepared her well!

 Above is Bobbie, just about to add a pop of watercolor

to her beautifully inked design.

Bobbie has been in several of my classes...

and each time she brings her

big, happy, instantly contagious smile!

I love her enthusiasm.

Hope you bring your finished piece to share next Wednesday...

We missed you last week...:)

 Larayne and Sid

both had completed their mandalas to share

from the first half of the class.

Perfect "partners in crime" and full of artistic spirit

I think they have taken just about every class

that has been offered.

They both eagerly tangled their hearts out.

It is so much fun for me to see art friends really connect

with this form of artwork.

Diane

had no idea that this was to be an advanced design class...

and was a bit nervous about the whole thing.

She soon felt most comfortable and

in selecting her theme...

she was drawn immediately to native American

patterns and symbols.

She filled her mandala with many healing plants,

patterns,

and sacred animal totems...

...and she happily shared her completed

powerfully themed mandala

on Wednesday.

Mandalas often become highly personal to the individuals

who design them.

Inside their complex designs often lie hidden

patterns and sections

especially meaningful to the artist who made them.

I know I often do that with the ones I make.

I know Diane did that with hers, also.

:)

 Jeanne

 is known for her delicate touch and refined pattern work.

"Exquisite" should be her middle name.

I think

she would make an amazing children's book illustrator...

"in her free time" hee, hee! :)

She has already taken several of Laure Ferlita's

imaginary on line watercolor trips

and

has become a regular at Zen Wednesdays as well.

 I just can't wait

to see her completed mandala!

Here is Michelle...studiously inking her mandala

which was initially

designed to be filled with flower blossoms and seed pods...

and the lovely delicate beauty of spring...

la, la, laaa.....

until... 

 she stepped back a bit and looked at her creation and

realized it had turned into a couple of fierce looking spiders!

Michelle hates spiders...

she absolutely HATES them!

Was this Michelle's "evil twin" at work???

Although it was not the intended result...

by any means...

it kept the group giggling and laughing the rest of the class.

Fearlessly,

 Michelle continued to work on her piece...

adding some bees and beehive patterns

to soften its intensity a bit.

I have not yet seen the completed version.

Anticipation? You bet!

Barb W.

always graces her art, regardless of the medium,

with a highly refined and elegant look.

Her beautiful oil painted orchids just recently won the

club's coveted "People's Choice" award

and

was put on special display.

She and Jeanne have a similar style...

truly,

they are sister of the heART!

Barb's mandala design was no exception

it is dressed with gorgeous pattern and lines...

and

once blinged out with watercolor and finishing touches

it will definitely 

be a show stopper when completed.

Barb's joyfulness is evident is all she does...

and is always the first to suggest an artistic get-together

complete with wine and great hospitality.

Thanks for treating us all

to an impromptu ice cream cone celebration

of your birthday

this past Zen Wednesday...

all the laughs and giggles that day were priceless.

 

 Here

 is Louanne's completed mandala

as she proudly showed it to us Wednesday.

It has a powerful and bold yet delicate and feminine vibe to it.

The four trees sprouting from its center

speak to the circle of life

and the seasons which mark our earthly time.

I have enjoyed getting to know Louanne.

Even though Louanne lives

in the way far northern reaches of Canada most of the year

we have been able to keep in artistic touch.

We first met

in a class I presented last year...

and since then our Muse's seem to have become

 kindred spirits.

I absolutely love that...a lot!

Above Jeanne, Michelle, Barb W., and Louanne

smile happily for the click of my camera.

Our art club is blessed with

two inspirational, upbeat, and well equipped studios

in which to hold classes,

display our artwork gallery style for the public,

and to meet daily if we choose to "work" on projects

with our artists friends and Muses.

We are embraced by beautiful art

wherever we look:

inside from our fellow art club members...

and, outside

by the endless gallery of beauty created by

mother Nature herself.

I am thankful for all of this every single day.

Sometimes, I even have to pinch myself

because

it seems so heavenly unreal.

So...finally...

here we are all together...I am behind the camera...

and

Carolle,

my dear art friend and #1 class assistant,

is pictured smiling

in the back row...second from the left. 

My class was filled to the brim with joyful Muses, 

limitless imaginations,

and lovers of discovery and experimentation.

My spirit gets renewed

with each and every class I teach,

each and every smile I see...

and each and every..."Oh WOW! This is so cool.."

I hear.

Thank you, ladies!

It simply cannot get more "zen" than that!

"There are many paths to enlightenment.
Be sure to take one
with a heart."
~Lao Tzu

Be Feathered...

 ...Be Dazzled...Be Tangled...Be Flipped...

 

Bewitched ...Be Bothered...and Bewildered!

I felt all these things as I sorted through my art supplies

and my precious art treasures

this past weekend

in a spring cleaning effort to

Be Organized...Be Focused...and Be Spiffy.

As of this writing,

I successfully have the most organized

piles of things

anyone could ever dream of.

Now, I just need a separate wing of the house

in which to store them!  

:)

“Three Rules of Work:

Out of clutter find simplicity;

From discord find harmony;

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”

~Albert Einstein