"Stickin' it to my Moleskine..."

I just love doing this...but, if asked "Why???"...

I haven't a clue! :)

“The more you reason the less you create.”
~Raymond Chandler

"Spring Fling #6..."

...Take a breath...and exhale a long glorious "Ahhhh!"

"Spring won't let me stay in this house any longer!

I must get out

and breathe the air deeply again."

~Gustav Mahler

"Petaled Patterns..."

...drawn especially

for my sister-in-law Sue and my niece Kelly

who visited today here yesterday

and "tickled my heart"

with their enjoyment of my little Maruman sketchbook

as we sat in the warm sun

with Doug, Dan, Cole and Scott

experiencing a glorious Arizona spring day.

Love you!

"When angels visit us,

we do not hear the rustle of wings,

nor feel the feathery touch of the breast of a dove;

but we know their presence

by the love they create in our hearts."

~Author Unknown

"Doing What You Love..."

...is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life."

~Dr. Wayne Dyer

"In our life there is a single color,

as on an artist's palette,

which provides the meaning of life and art.

It is the color of

LOVE."

~Marc Chagall

Happy Valentine's Day All...

may each memory of your day be colored with love!

Black Heart Series #7

"Heart Views..."

"We forge the chains we wear in life."
~Charles Dickens

May your life's chains be golden and your heart

"views" filled with growth.

Black Heart Series #6

"Your vision will become clear

only when you can look into your own heart.

Who looks outside, dreams;

who looks inside,

awakens."

~Carl Jung

"Thinking about...

...some of the little everyday things
which
tug with all their might at tender heartstrings.

heart·strings (härt′striŋz′)
deepest feelings or affections
Etymology: tendons or nerves formerly believed

to brace the heart.

SOURCE: Webster's New World College Dictionary

Black Heart Series #5

"The best gifts are tied with heartstrings."

~Author Unknown

"Poetry is plucking at the heartstrings,

and

making music with them."
~ Dennis Gabor

"Dream Catcher..."

"When the deep purple falls over sleepy garden walls

And the stars begin to twinkle in the night...

In the mist of a memory

you wander on back to me...

Breathing my name with a sigh.

In the still of the night

once again I hold you tight.

Though you're gone,

your love lives on when moonlight beams.

And as long as my heart will beat,

sweet lover we'll always meet

Here in my

deep purple dreams."

~Lyrics by Mitchell Parish, music by Peter De Rose.

(Written in 1934 as a piano composition - lyrics added in 1939)

Black Heart Series #4

"Within your heart, keep one still, secret spot where dreams may go."

~Louise Driscoll

"Just Wondering..."

Does one's checkered past

continually burn deeply within the heart

transforming hope into ashes

or

does it add needed fuel and energy to one's spirit

and

brightly color the palette of love and life?

Hmmm....

Black Heart Series #3

"A joyful heart is the inevitable result of a heart

burning with love."

~Mother Teresa

"Rescue Me...!"

I'm stuck...and slowing fraying apart at the seams!

LOL :)

(#2 in the Black Heart Series)

Wishing all a stress free, unfrayed Cactus Monday!

"I am like a book,

with pages that have stuck together for want of use:

my mind needs unpacking

and the truths stored within must be turned over

from time to time,

to be ready when occasion demands."
~Seneca

(Roman philosopher, mid-1st century AD)

"A Flippin' Feather..."

...drawn in my Moly...flipped here just for fun!

"The day is done,

and the darkness, falls from the wings of Night,

As a feather is wafted downward,

from an eagle in his

flight."
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"A Cellular View..."

...no microscope needed...LOL:)

"Nature will bear the closest inspection.

She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf,

and take an insect view of its plain."
~Henry David Thoreau

"Postmarked: UK..."

Early last week

a special little envelope arrived in my mailbox

postmarked from far, far away

in England.

Inside was a beautiful note card from Ely Cathedral

with a lovely handwritten note from

Anita Davies.

Oooooh! MY!!!! What a treat it was to receive!!!

I am sure you can imagine! :)

(BTW...in case you didn't know...

Anita has drawn a series of sketches from Ely.

What a charming and historic area!

You can check out her Ely sketch series here...

They are simply an artistic feast!)

So,

to celebrate receiving such fun overseas mail ...

I decided to post a montage of images of Ely Cathedral

drawn in my Moly.

The tower is known as the "Octagon"...

The colorful patterns in the lower left corner of the spread

are part of the flooring near the

shrine of Etheldreda..."Saint and Queen".

The patterns on the right side of the spread are

drawn from a medieval glass window.

(There is such rich and interesting

history here...

a visit to the website is highly recommended...gorgeous photos!)

Lastly, the simple candle

and it's "flame of friendship" was the central photograph

and main theme of the note card itself.

Anita...

you are the best ever!

Like this candle...

YOU have shined your artistic light on so many of us

and kindled our imaginations.

It was a serendipitous delight that our paths crossed.

What an honor and a pleasure

it is to have you as my

friend.

"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle,

and the life of the candle will not be shortened.

Happiness never decreases

by being shared."
~Buddha

"Papyrus-N-Paper..."

...stylized a bit and dressed up in mellow yellow...

and presented here as drawing

#3 in my series of

Ancient Egyptian inspired

Zen-art.

Did you know...

"Papyrus is a thick paper-like material produced

from the pith of the papyrus plant, Cyperus papyrus, a wetland sedge

that was once abundant in the Nile Delta of Egypt.

Papyrus usually grow 2–3 meters (5–9 ft) tall.

Papyrus is first known to have been used in ancient Egypt

(at least as far back as the First dynasty),

but it was also used throughout the Mediterranean region."

(Source: Wikipedia)

So...

From Ancient Egypt in 3000BC...papyrus

From China in the year 105...cotton rags

From Japan in the year 610...mulberry fibers...

made into a Japanese paper called Washi.

Then...

Chinese discoveries spread through India...

to the Middle East where in 751 linen was used...

then

a paper mill built at Samarkand in 757.

The ideas spread again to Italy...where hemp and linen rags

were used.

In 1276 the first Italian paper mill

was built at Fabriano and until the 14 century

Italy became a paper supplier in Europe.

In 1282 the first watermark was introduced in Bologna.

...And that's only half the story!!!

WHEW!

Hmmm...All this info tends to makes one appreciate

one's temperamental little Moly just a

wee bit more, eh?!

LOL :)

"Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart."
~William Wordsworth

"Lotus, Water, Growth..."

... #2 in a series
of Ancient Egyptian inspired
Zen-art!

"To keep the body in good health is a duty,

... and keep our mind strong and clear.

Water surrounds the lotus flower,

but does not wet its petals."
~Buddha

"Feeling Whimsical..."

...My pen, my Moly, and me...!

#1 in a series

of Ancient Egyptian inspired

Zen-art!

"It has to be fun. Whimsy and wonder are important.

Keeping things light makes it easier for people to look at them."
~Heather Kent

"Sun Kissed..."

...was simply the perfect way

to describe the weather here in Arizona yesterday.

I drew this poolside in my Moly

after my deep water aerobics class at noon...

and like a moth drawn to a flame...I felt totally compelled

to linger a bit, extend my stay...

and immerse my entire spirit in the glorious sunlight.

Ahhhh!

I just didn't want this feeling to end.

I hope this post brings a bit of warmth to those of you struggling with

the brutal cold this winter.

I know that I

will refer to it often this summer...

when our temperatures reach 115 degrees +

and sigh longingly in reflection

of what this gently sun kissed, perfect day felt like.

Ahhhh...:)

"Breathe. Let go.

And remind yourself that this very moment

is the only one

you know you have for sure."
~Oprah Winfrey

"Frost, Ferns..."

...and a bit of Floral Fantasy...

the digitally "Flipped Version" first...
the original pen and ink...in my Moly sketchbook...last.
Do you have a preference?
I do! :)
Curious as to which one is my fave???
Here's a hint:

"So long, Earth. Catch you on the flip side."
~Jack Swigert...Apollo 13

"The Third Time..."

...could possibly be the charm.

My inked palm triad

behaved very well on the coated sketchbook pages of MOLYland :)

Finally!

Calm, cool, and collected...

no attitude or saturation problems...just the way I like it!
So..ooo...

...Be it DAY
...or NIGHT...
I'm convinced that

only "pen-n-ink" in my sketchbook Moly works out right.

Maybe...a bit of colored pencil sometime in the future,

But for now...

I'm sticking to just good old plain black ink!

"I dip my pen in the blackest ink,

because I'm not afraid of falling into my inkpot."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Sudz-N-Spines..."

in my Sketchbook Moly...Seriously!

I asked for suggestions and you gave them.

Teri and Carol both suggested

to add a drop of soap to my wash/paint in an attempt

to break the surface tension of the coated paper.

Well..It worked, sort of...but I think I may have used a wee bit too much

soap as my pigments began to bubble! Seriously!...LOL :)

Happy Cactus Monday All!

May your day "bubble over" with art-filled surprises! :)

"Look within.

Within is the fountain of good,

and it will ever bubble up, if thou wilt ever dig."
~Marcus Aurelius

Roman emperor, AD 121-180

"No bubble is so iridescent

or floats longer

than that blown by the successful teacher."
~William Osler quotes (Canadian Physician, 1849-1919

WooHoo! Thanks Teri and Carol...

and all my artsy friends who answered my call :)!