Sometimes...

...whether it be day...or night...
one just needs

"To breathe deeply...and move in curves."

~Katie's Grandma

Illustration Friday: Wings

Wings...

they are beautiful...they are empowering.

They are fearless.

Whenever my heart uses hers
she becomes light.

She flies freely in the night...up amongst the stars...

gliding ever so peacefully, in curves.

She tip toes playfully
throughout the gossamer dream fields of the universe.
 Her imagination is tickled by stardust
and she giggles
with hope.

She recharges her very essence

by

just.breathing.deeply.
and
taking it all in.

When she returns home

she carries with her a newly invigorated spirit.

A spirit that is grounded...and positive... 

full of light

and full of peace.

She thrives and is full of love...
until

...totally unexpectedly...

her wings become useless...

clipped, crippled, broken, and bashed.

She becomes 

chained and tethered...unable to soar.

Buried in nightmares

of reality

her spirit depletes and allows no

revitalizing breaths in.

There is no light...there is no peace.

In the darkness she chokes and begins to smother.

Struggling,

she moves in jagged lines...

with harsh edges...leaving scars in her wake.

Her memories of flight and freedom...

the days of simplicity, innocence, and playfulness...

vanish

into an inky blackness.

Life's experiences, indeed, wax and wane between extremes.

Life is cyclical
and her lessons are oftentimes difficult.
Because of that

we must grasp daily as much revitalizing energy

as we can...
from whomever we can...

whenever we can.

To spiritually survive...
we must remember we have wings.

We must continue to use them to become light
and to fly and to soar...

no matter what the

emotional weather conditions

of the heart, the mind, and the body may be.

“Be as a bird
perched on a fragile branch
that

she feels bending beneath her,

still
she sings away all the same,

knowing she has wings.”

~Victor Hugo

Barbara's Bistro Book...

First,

the rough draft is completed on copy paper...

and

is then followed by drawing the illustration

using graphite

in the actual Maruman Japanese fold sketchbook.

This step is always sooo messy for me...

lots of erasing

along with fingers and hand clean up to follow.

 Next comes laying in the ink...my favorite part.

Here is where I get to add details

and begin to carve out the finished product.

Ahhh!

So...now, at long last...

here is the reveal of the final book in our exchange.
Ta...Daaaa...

presenting to all of blogland...Barbara's book...

my entry is at the very end.

Click on any image to enlarge for better viewing...:)

 Barbara's pages 1 and 2...officially

opening the bistro for business and a world of artistic encounters.

 Her pages are followed

 by Paulette's bountiful Italian inspired pages 3 and 4...

I absolutely LOVE that quote...:)

 ...and then we go "South of the Border"

for Jan's zesty "Killer Guacamole" illustration

and recipe on pages 5 and 6.

 Next comes a familiar laid back reference to the king

of Key West...Jimmy Buffett...

on Char's pages 7 and 8...

 ...followed by Carolle's fresh and healthy market inspired

bistro take

on pages 9 and 10.

 Cindy's pages 11 and 12 follow with a country inspiration,
some fresh seasonal ingredients,
multiple cookbooks, and bright flowers...

...only to be topped of with

a traditional banana split (ZIA style) for dessert

on pages 13 and 14

"yummiliciously" drawn by Barb W.

Thanksgiving occurred during the time Judy designed pages

15 and 16...and as you can see

she included a favorite family recipe

for turkey dressing.

I received Barbara's book in December...

so I thought it best

to personally research typical desserts one might find

during this time of year.

It was a hard job..."but somebody had to do it"...

...Right???  :)

I included my version of a beautiful "Blitz Torte"

which

Barbara remembers her mother making.

The chocolate "Black Russian" bundt cake on the pedestal stand

was inspired by the lovely dessert

Barbara made for my birthday gathering this year.

The cookies and other treats

were a nod

to the delectable home made goodies found

in the wonderful traditional

Polish and German and Italian bakeries

of the city of Chicago...

where Barbara and I both lived

in our youth.

Lastly,

here is the "whole enchilada."

I hope you can appreciate the fact that

from start to finish

it was

a work of culinary and artistic love...

and also a wonderful trip for many of us down

memory lane.

“A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand..

and my artistic Muse

hovering over my shoulder.”

~Author Unknown

ESWL...

 ...means

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy...

 more commonly referred to as

kidney stone busting.

And...

it seems to have worked.

The drawings above were made "ink straight in"...

no lead...

while I was all hooked up in the outpatient surgery wing

awaiting my surgery.

It was just watercolored today...

13 days later.

Oh yeah,

 my right hand was drawn with my left hand

Go Figure!!!

Click on image to enlarge...lots of notes here.

:)

“The observer,

when he seems to himself to be observing a stone,

 is really,

 if physics is to be believed,

observing the effects of the stone upon himself.”

~Bertrand Russell

An Eye Portal...

...the ultimate accessory for use 

in the search of artistic insight and enlightenment.

Also, it

doubles as another example

to inspire the students in my watercolor mandala

workshop here in Arizona

coming up March 1st.

Watercolor was applied first...patterns and shapes

drawn last...ink straight in...

no lead...:)

(Click on image to enlarge.)

"Inspiration is a message-in-a-bottle

from the distant shore,

a window into the other world,

a tap of the muse's finger,

the grace of the gods.

It comes when you least expect it..."

~Phil Cousineau

Off and Running...

...and waiting...and waiting...and waiting...

Aargh!

(Click on any image to enlarge for better viewing...)

Well...I am having another kidney stone blasted by ESWL

(extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy)

this coming Friday.

The preliminary tests I alluded to above are actually

general pre-op procedures

just to get all my little "ducks in a row."

Tic...Toc...Tic...Toc...

thank goodness I love to sketch!

I loved that the lady in the wheel chair

provided me with a perfect 10 minute drawing study...

little did I know that seconds after finishing her

she would leave.

Perfect timing...

Serendipitous? I think so! :)

(All drawn lead free...ink straight in...colored at home.)

"If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right,

you'll probably never do much

of anything.”

~Win Borden

My Special "Word" for 2013...

...is

BE!

I want to BE...

healthy...

active...

in the moment...

calm...(seriously)

imaginative...

curious...

inspiring...

and

wise.

This is quite similar to my word of direction

from 2009...

you can check it out here

if you like.

I guess when we feel a need for our hearts

to be directed

along a certain pathway

again and again...

repetition is a healthy and positive thing

and

time doesn't matter

at all.

So...

what word has captured your heartstrings for 2013?

"Do the one thing you think you cannot do.

Fail at it.  Try again.  Do better the second time.

The only people who never tumble

are those

who never mount the high wire.

This is your moment.

Own it."

~Oprah Winfrey

Looking Back...

...in an attempt to clear the air...

to purge...

to tie up loose ends...to close the books...

to try to bind everything together.
Whew!

What we have here is
 one big "sketchbook dump"...
a plethora

of thoughts and illos and attempts to maintain my sanity.
You know...

I have been "here"...but, not really.

I feel badly about that.

This is only my 71st post of the year..

barely one quarter of what I have posted in years past.

The reason?
I haven't a clue...
other than the fact that this year
has certainly thrown a few curve balls my way.

Fortunately,

I have been able to turn to my Muse

for a wee bit of artistic therapy and spirit building.

Some of the pieces here will definitely

allude to that.

The above entry was blogged about here

and was drawn ink straight in...lead free...over a series of days.

Seeking a bit of bi-monthly resbit with my art tangling friends here.

My notes are hopefully self explanatory...just click on any image

to enlarge

for better viewing. :)

Sue's passing was bittersweet and difficult for all of us...

she was my sister-in-law.

She suffered for so long...was so young...and was loved by so many.

The trip back to Illinois left our hearts heavy.

I am blessed to have still have my parents with me...

we have had several close calls this year.

I am also blessed to be able

to let my soul breathe and grow through my art.

Waiting and being hopeful and calm have been a challenge.

Patience and the art of developing keen observation skills

have been my frequent companions.

I wonder what challenges will face me in 2013?

I surely hope I will be able to handle them

with a certain amount of

grace and hope and creativity.

Thank you,

each and every one of you,

for checking in on me...

and

even leaving a note

every once and a while.

I love that.:)

I plan to really BE HERE this next year...

I really do!

“The object of a new year

is not that we should have a new year.

It is that we should have

 a new soul.”

~G.K.Chesterton

Happy 90th Birthday...

...dearest Harriet, Heddy, "Sam", Mom, Nana...

We Love You...lots!

JW...

Peg and Scott...

Jack, Sharon, Vanessa, Steve, Myles, and Lauren...

Mark, Katie, Chris, Courtney, and Corey...

Susan, Dave, Joya, and Jillian.

xoxoxo

Pssst...Special birthday hugs also today for my dear friend Jan...:)

"Because time itself is like a spiral,

something special happens on your birthday each year:

The same energy

that God invested in you at birth

is present once again."

~Menachem Mendel Schneerson

Joy, Peace, and Love...

...to you and the ones who mean the world to you.

Merry Christmas!

Simplistic Relaxing Fun...

 in the mandala format of "Four Roses"...

and an "Opera Pink Floral" zendala.

I made these to use as examples

for a

"Whimsical Watercolor Mandala" Workshop

which I will be

teaching March 1, 2013...here in Arizona...

at my local art club.

These are NOT made coloring book style.

These are painted with watercolor first...then inked.

The final result is driven by the paint shapes

not the inked lines.

Pencil is used (in a compass) only to draw the original circle...

seriously...not a joke!

These were both

extremely relaxing and great fun to design.

Why not try one yourself?

My Muse giggles

just thinking about the possibility of making some more...:)

“The time to relax is when you don't have time for it.”

~Sydney J. Harris

Some "Seeded Zen"...

 ...another new piece from my Waterblossoms "Mandala Collection".

And

here she is...flipped into bedtime mode...

radiating a bit of nocturnal

serenity

for those who incessantly burn the midnight oil.

"Clear conscience never fears midnight knocking."

~Chinese Proverb

It's A Family Tradition...

...the Monday after Thanksgiving...

when we all gather

 to decorate

Nana and Papa's Christmas tree...

the twins

decorate my sketchbook...

...and, eventually, I decorate my blog.

Cheers!

“The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree

is the presence of a happy family

all wrapped up in

each other.”

~Burton Hills

Beading it...

...another work in progress...:) 

These are my 2 pages

in Paulette's Maruman Japanese fold sketchbook.

Paulette's theme is "Womens Accessories"

and as you can see above

by the time I received the book many options

had already been chosen.

This is when my latest copy of the Chico's

catalogue gave my Muse

some wonderfully beaded inspiration

and
I was off to begin the rough draft.

Once I had my idea...work in the actual book began.

The chain strap was the first thing

to be inked in...

followed by seemingly thousands upon thousands

of beads.

 

 Color play then followed...a rough draft first...

then some

serious painting in the book itself.

I added a crystal bangle for a little extra bling

and to also provide a nice lead in

for Barbara

the next, and final, artist in the exchange.

(Please click on any image to enlarge for better viewing.)

Above is the final scan of my two pages...

complete with an art club badge and a few art accessories.

Our own books will return home to us

at our final art exchange/wine party in January.

Hmmm...

What more might a girl want???

"Try to be inspired by something every day.

Try to inspire at least one person

every day."

 ~Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

'Twas a Great Day...

...here in Arizona.

We spent today with Scott's son Rob...

who recently returned

stateside after experiencing incredible adventures

travelling through South America

in October.

Among one of his most memorable experiences was

completing the 4 day trek

over the Incan trail to to the ancient site of

Machu Picchu, Peru.

He said he truely became one with the mountain...

actually, in more ways than one!.

Scott and I sat spellbound 

listening to Rob's tales of physical anguish

on the trail

and hearing how conquering these challenges

 turned into moments of inner triumph

and

satisfaction he will never forget.

He brought us both to happy tears more than once...

that's for sure. 

What a special time...what a special son!

What a treat

to be with someone who is living their dream.

The weather was impeccable....the Coronas were cold...

and

the memories made...were simply priceless.

“Life is uncharted territory.

It reveals its story one moment at a time.”

~Leo F. Buscaglia

A Bit of Thankfulness...

I thank all of you...each and every one of you... 

for coloring my world with love

and

decorating my heart with treasured memories.
 

"On Thanksgiving Day we acknowledge our dependence."
~William Jennings Bryant

                                                            

Stumbled Upon...

...this while out and about on the internet today. 

A Facebook artist friend of mine in India stumbled upon it too...:)

Thanks for the link, Aarti...:)
Click on image to enlarge a bit.

(You can check out the original link HERE...for a larger

more reader friendly size...)

Sometimes,

a simple, unexpected stumble can be most rewarding...

Ahhh...:)

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