Friday, March 29, 2013

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

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Equality Matters...

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

“They say
that time changes things,
but you actually have to change them
yourself.”
~AndyWarhol

Monday, March 25, 2013

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

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Remembering Sue...

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

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

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

Friday, March 15, 2013

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

Friday, March 8, 2013

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

Monday, March 4, 2013

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