Whew! What a DAY!!!

It all began with an early breakfast...

strawberries,

cottage cheese, cranberry juice...

followed by a 40 mile drive east across the valley

to the car dealership...

for an oil and filter change,

chassis lube,

multi point inspection,

and drain plug replacement.

Exciting...right??? Well, it took 2 hours!

This was all accompanied by way too much Starbucks,

multiple mini muffins,

and

a quite bit of sketching.

This was to precede a trip 10 miles to the north valley

to visit with mom and dad...

sharing stories of Rob's 4 day Inca trail adventure trek

to the ruins of Machu Picchu, Peru...

hugs and kisses, too

before beginning the 45 mile drive back home

west across the valley.

Hungry again...

we stopped at Coco's for eggs Florentine,

fruit, another muffin,

and more coffee...

all topped of with a small ice cream cone at the

Grand Cafe.

Once home...at 4:30 mountain time...

we became inundated

with the early returns of election results from the east coast.

Now...mind you...we still had 2.5 hours of open polls

here in Arizona.

Sooooo...

we decided to escape the early election madness

and go to the pool only

to find out that the rec center was a local polling place...

and of course, it was still open!

(Note: we voted early

when we were back in Illinois

so the fact that this was a polling place

was news to me!)

At least

the sunset was magnificent...outlining the palm trees..

as sentinels in the desert sky.

That did a lot to soothe the savage beast.

   Sooo...after water walking and some star gazing

chill time in the hot tub

we headed home.

I painted...this journal page actually...

while listening to more early projections...now 5% of precints in...!!!

Jeesch...the west coast is still voting!

Aggravation rebuilding...!!!

Soooo...

I grabbed the remote and flipped to QVC for a diversion

from the election chaos...

and ended up

buying a Rowenta iron on 2 easy payments.

Go figure!

I then checked emails,

had a bowl of cereal...felt bloated...

and continued to watch returns.

Slowly, and surely, the election map began filling in.

My heart began to race...as things began to get

fairly final.

What???!!!

Barack Obama was re-elected to serve

another term as president.

Unbelievable!

What a day...What a night!

I think I am still hyped up on caffeine...

as I just looked at the length of this post...and it's a bit much!

So there you have it folks...

a day in my life...

"All signed, sealed, and delivered"...she's yours!

I am over the moon happy!

Congrats, Mr President!

Indeed it was a very, very...good...day...:)

Plus,

I think I may just have to move to Colorado...

Inhale...exhale...Ahhhh!

"Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone...

you may cherish the sweetest reflection

that your vote is never lost.”

~John Quincy Adams 

"Be counted on..."

...TO VOTE...

...no matter which political viewpoint you prefer.

"To make democracy work,

we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers.

One who does not vote

has

no right to complain."

~Louis L'Amour

My Art in Jan's Book...

 Penciling in some basic ideas...

I make my preliminary drawings on copy paper

just to see

how I can best visually blend my art

with the art of the person who came before me.

The theme of Jan's book is "Doors"...and...it is spectacular to see.

The books we are using for this exchange

are the Japanese fold Maruman sketchbooks.

These books take both ink and watercolor beautifully...

I really love them!

 My next layer in with ink...

then after running a couple of color tests...again on copy paper...

 ...I am ready to layer in my watercolor...

ever darkening my shadows and enriching my color.

Then, adding my night sky...complete with bits of starlight...

it's ready for a signature

and the next book exchange...What fun!!!!!!

(Click on any image to enlarge...)

Here are our books from our most recent exchange...October 17.

We have only two more exchange rounds

until our books return home to their owners in January.

My book

is the floral themed book 5th from the top...:)

"The doors we open and close each day 

decide the lives we live."

~Flora Whittemore

Part Two...A Couple of Days Late...:)

 First, I taught a zentangle inspired art class...

with my loyal "art partner in crime" Carolle...as my assistant.

The class even came complete with some "goodies"

for class members to take home...:)

 We

looked at endless examples and patterns and designs

and then

 inked, and tangled, and laughed.

Some members displayed their finished art...

and

I was even able to catch most of the class members before it was

to say farewell.

After gathering up supplies

and returning the studio to pristine condition (lol)

I

headed out for a special birthday salad luncheon...

...and wine party with my sketchbook art friends...

in celebration of my big day...

and Paulette's too!

 We had delicious food...

and it was all accompanied by champagne...

iced drinks,

and many, many, many bottles of wine.

A gigantic thanks to Barb...who thought up the whole idea

and

who hosted all of us in her beautiful home...:)

The company was delightful...as were the views from the patio

overlooking the golf course...

...making it the picture perfect place to enjoy dessert:
including

 Barbara's famous
 Kahlua vodka chocolate bundt birthday cake,

(Thanks, Charlie for making it...)

and

Char's chocolate raspberry brownies

"ala Giada"... 

and...yes, there was even more wine...

accompanied

by some really hilarious stories...

and

the enjoyable

seasonal beauty of a lovely, late October

Arizona day.

Ah!

Yes, indeedy...I feel blessed.

It is so rewarding in life to find friends who truly

understand both me and my Muse.

Thanks everyone for the wonderful memories.

“The most potent muse of all is our own inner child.”

~Stephen Nachmanovitch

My Birthday...Part One...:)

A little girl...who loved to color and draw...

eventually, after many, many years,

realized a lifelong dream

and moved out west

to Arizona.
Well...
that little girl celebrated a very significant birthday last week.
She started the day at Nick's Cafe...
a local diner hangout here in the West Valley.

Then she had a fun day shopping for

sacred hearts from San Miguel Allende, Mexico.

After that,
 a spur of the moment road trip

to Black Canyon City...just north of Phoenix

and the Rock Springs Cafe

for a slice of delicious homemade birthday pie...

(ala mode, of course)

sweetened the day even more.

The weather was spectacular...the beginning of tourist season

here in Arizona...

and the inevitable approach of cold, gray days

 up north.

There was even time for a bit of horseback riding...

before heading back down to the valley...

escorted by a gorgeous sunset.

The actual end of the day came accompanied by

a leisurely swim in the pool
and
a starlit soak in the hot tub.

(Sorry folks...no photos of that!)

Ahhh!

I love the simple, everyday pleasures and comforts of home

out here in the great west!...:)

More of my birthday adventures continue tomorrow...
(the artistic side...:)

"A birthday
is just the first day
of another 365-day journey around the sun.
 Enjoy the trip."
~Author Unknown

There and Back...

...finishing up

my Illinois travels by illustrating the flight home October 6th.

Actually...

the first drawing

was a "left over" from another trip

but I thought it fit well with the theme of this post

so I added it in.

The last two illos and the photo are all current

and they finally complete my

Illinois sketchbook entries from this summer.
Click on any image to enlarge...:)

On to brand new ventures...

desert style...:)

Ahhh!

“Voyage, travel, and change of place

impart vigor.”

~Seneca

(Roman Philosopher, mid 1st century AD)

Guess What I Am Doing Today...

Did you guess flying??? 

Yep!

I am heading back to Arizona and the warmth of the desert.

It was 44 degrees...breezy and overcast

with a 37 degrees windchill in Sycamore yesterday...

and

when I talked to my dad in Arizona

he reported dry, sunny, desert temps of 104!!!

I guess one could say

we will have experienced quite a few highs and lows

by the time we land.

These sketches above were done on previous trips

back "home" to the desert...

and 

I plan to continue the tradition on my trip today

as well.

Look for my efforts in a blogpost sometime next week.

Click on any image to enlarge...:)

"The air up there in the clouds

is very pure and fine, bracing and delicious.

And why shouldn't it be?

—it is the same the angels breathe."

~Mark Twain

Char's Flower Themed Maruman...

 Char's pages 1and 2...

 followed by Carolle's pages 3 and 4...

 followed by Cindy's pages 5 and 6...

 followed by Barb W's pages 7 and 8...

 followed by Judy's pages 9 and 10...

and then, finally, followed by my pages 11 and 12.

Our books will continue to circulate

amongst our little group until

they return to their owners hopefully sometime

mid January.

At that time we are tentatively planning

a group "show and tell"

accompanied by good friends, our Muses, and some

delicious wine sipping

bathed in the soothing Arizona winter sun.

Ahh!

The life of an artist...what joy it can bring...:)

"My artmaking
 is simply a personal celebration
of the joy of being alive."
~Dean Taylor Drewye

One More Month Done...

...in an attempt to shore up

all by summer Illinois sketches and zen drawings

by

the time we leave for Arizona this Saturday.

By the looks of it...

I think I just might succeed!!!

:)

Warm Apple Cider Donuts...

...accompanied by

sweet, richly bronze...chilled to perfection...fresh cider...

orchards

decorated with multicolored apples

and

flame colored knobby pumpkins...
honking geese
flying in ancestral formations...

crisp fall air scented with the smokey richness

of crackling fire pits...

a simple sun warmed day...sapphire blue skies...

blazing maples
still bountiful with leaves...

cornstalks...
dried and golden...softly rustling in the fields...
Ahhh!

The tastes, the sounds,

the aromas...

 the colors and sights and the soul filling delights

 of a northern Illinois fall

are once again imprinted deep in my heart.

Forever.

Gosh, I simply LOVE this time of year!

"How beautifully leaves grow old.
How full of light and color are their last days."
~John Burroughs

A Simple Medical Procedure...

...this time it was Scott's "turn"...

and I took advantage of yet another 

sketching opportunity.

And...

I can definitely assure you that

this was NOT

"drawn en route from Arizona to Illinois...over Iowa"

as that label

in the bottom right corner states...

(that refers to a sketch on the following page.)

:)

Some More Random Illinois Art...

of events documented in my Illlinois Sketchbook...

eating out....

the closing ceremonies of the 2012 Olympics...

...even celebrating with Inboden's award winning Bratwurst.

Squeezing in a recent fashion illo on an old orchard page...

 

...and finishing up with a bit of zen calendar art...

...inspired by whatever catches my fancy at the moment.

My goal is to completely update

my blog

with all my past and present Illinois sketches and drawings

before we head back to the great southwest

this Saturday.

Always good to have a goal...better still to reach it!

"Obstacles

are those frightful things you see

when you take your eyes off your goal."

~Henry Ford