"Pretty in Pink..."

...A simple Coneflower...

or

Echinacea purpurea...as they say in fancy circles. :)

"Efforted" on specially this night for

my Uncle Skip... :)

Thinking of you with love!

"The Journey..."

...Is the Reward."

-Chinese Proverb

"Sunrise...Sunset..."

...Cactus Mandalas.

I have become addicted.

I cannot help myself.

Everytime I design one of these...

I feel the digital "NEED"...

These "negative" color flips become an anxious anticipation...

A sensual addiction worse than dark chocolate...

Okay,

Not worse than dark chocolate...but verrry, very close.

Think it's time to put me into

Microsoft Digital Editor color rehab???

Funny, NOT!...

"They tried to make me go to rehab......I said No, No, No..."

Amy Winehouse

Happy Cactus Monday All!

May your sunrises and sunsets today be glorious!

And...

Triple Happy Birthday Wishes Today to...

Lexi...in Illinois, who is 5 today,

and to

Joya and Jillian, in Arizona, both turning 6!

WooHoo! :)

"Letting Loose..."

...A little late night levity.

Limbs...

Lines...

and Leaves.

"Oooh!..Lookie Here...! "

...This beautiful award

was just presented to me Thursday by

Marva, in Colorado, at Purplepaint's Muse blogspot.

And Friday by Kazumiwannabe.

...Double the fun!

Thanks so much Marva...and Kazumiwannabe! A big WooHoo! :)

The rules for accepting this award are:

1. Choose 5 blogs you consider deserving of this award for

creativity,

design,

interesting material and

a contribution to the blogging world.

2. List the name of each person awarded and a link to their blog.

3. Show the award and the name and blog link of the person who presented you with the award.

4. Show the link to the Arte Y Pico blog. http://arteypico.blogspot.com/

5. Show the rules.

Now...I, in turn,

would like to present this award to a few of the people who

"rock" my artistic and imaginative world.

1. Anita Davies, in England, at Art by Anita.

Anita is, plain and simple, my "self appointed" mentor...
Oprah has Maya Angelou...I have Anita...

Plain and simple -If you haven't visited her before...

Do so now...she's an artistic DYNAMO-she does not disappoint.

2. John, in Kansas, at John a Lookin' Around:

John has beautiful journal pages of life all around him.

He is currently working on a fabulous travel journal

which has inspired me to start one of my own...A must see!

3. Pippa, at Pippa's Porch.

Pippa has a thoughtful and creative blog built this premise:

"The best kind of friend is the kind

you can sit on a porch swing with,

never say a word,

then walk away feeling

like it was the best conversation

that you ever had." ~ Anonymous

I love visiting her!

4. Teri, In Wisconsin and Arizona, at Teri's Painted Daisies.

Teri is an amazing blogger...

She fills her pages daily with

a dazzling delightful variety of topics.

She is active in many drawing forums

and brings joy to my heart with her art!

5. Irene, at Nature Drawing and Journaling.

Irene is both artistic and inspirational.

Her absolute love of nature is prominent in her artwork-

and her workshops spectacular.

I make a great armchair traveller...(don't like bugs)

Irene's site is a world of adventure to me! :)

A "Must See!"

It's a bird...It's a Plane..."

NO! ... It's Anita's Maruman..."A Taste of Home"...

...boots dusted off...looking as "spiffy" as ever...winging her way

eastward away from the blazing heat of the Arizona desert

with fiery crimson colored skies painting her way

to

the cool green forests of northern Sweden

and the anxiously anticipated artistry of

Nina Johansson.

My, we had such fun together!...She will be greatly missed! :)

Next to arrive for a desert visit is Jennifer's "Transitions"

sent all the way from Anita in the fens.

I have open arms and a tall cool drink awaiting her! :)

"Brand New Peeks...! "

And...Here they are...Fresh from the scanner...
A few teensy-tiny peeks (to assure the surprise of the reveal)
of my 10 new pages in Anita's Maruman sketchbook
"A Taste Of Home..."

Stay tuned...
our little adventure only gets better and better and better!
I cannot wait to get my next book!
JOY!...Margaret :)

"A Desert Update..."

...From Me To YOU! :)

Season of the Year: Summer Monsoon...

Days: Blindingly blue clear skies-

occasionally punctured with billowing thunderheads or maybe dusted

by a couple of haboobs (no joke...they're real...a cool pic here)

towards late afternoon...

Temperature Ranges: 100+ and horribly Humid to 115+ and Scorching...

PLANTS & ANIMALS:

Prickly Pear Cacti: Some are beginning to fruit...

Saguaro: Tall, flowerless and thirsty...

Argentine Giants: Displaying second round of seasonal blooms...

Night Blooming Cereus: Flowering only in my memory...

Lizards: Hotfooting it across the yard and walls...

Quail: Under cover of the shade during the day

Cooing and scurrying about only during early morning hours

and before sundown...

Rabbits: Annoying

Me: Luxuriating in the coolness of the A/C

but still

wilted...and hot...and "dewy". LOL!

And then...there are the

Sunsets

and...

Nights: Brilliant crimson painted skies
Temperature: Lows mid 80's and still heavily humid
Vegetation: Sleepily awaiting automatic irrigation

before sun up the next day...

Rabbits: Out and About...Still Annoying...
Everything man made: Radiating the heat of the day.
Me: Still luxuriating in the coolness of the AC,
Tuned into late night HGTV,
Still awake, artistically burning the midnight oil...

Have really Cool and Happy Cactus Monday All !

"I'm Just Too Picky..."

...I have NO favorite color...Seriously!

My color "faves" are fickle and fleeting.

My choices

depend on my mood, or my subject, or my medium,

or the time of day, or...whatever!

I truly have NO single favorite color.

But...I will confess...I do L*O*V*E them all! :)

And,

my latest watercolor loves are the Daniel Smith Quinacridones.

They are so hot...and sultry...and juicy...and energetic.

Mmm-mmm-mmm... "Oooh La La!"

EDM #180

"Draw Something in Your Favorite Color"

"It's A Small World..."

...And OH! How Wonderful it is!

Since I first received this award from Anita and Kathleen

I have been presented it twice again by another two lovely artists:

Lisa, of Lisa Reed How I See It, in Texas

and Clare, of Mummushka's Sketch Journals, in Australia!

Ladies, I am truly humbled.

Never, even in my wildest dreams, did I ever think

my teeny little art world

would grow to have such big and beautiful horizons.

What an honor to "know" each of you!

You can view my seven nominees here.

"After 500 Inches of Snow..."

" ...Nature finds a way!"

Found growing wild

near one of the footings for the deck of their log home

in Clark Colorado...

20 some miles north of Steamboat Springs.

...My sister-in law Sue's place.

A sign of hope!

"My, My...MYYYY..."

...Ooooh MY!

I confess...

I have absolutely flipped over the funky fun-ness of a new FLICKR toy!
How can a girl resist??? LOL :)

Happiest of Cactus Mondays to all!

WooHoo!

An Award! WOW!

Today really is a day to party!

This comes from Anita Davies in England at Art by Anita Blogspot

AND

from Kathleen in Oklahoma at My Creative Spot Blog

What a double fun surprise to receive today!

Thank both you so very much!

The rules of acceptance are:

1. Put the logo on your blog.

2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.

3. Nominate 7 other blogs.

4. Add links to those blogs on yours.

5. Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

So, here are seven of the many, many sites that I really enjoy:

Teri-Teri's Painted Daisies

(Wow! Looks like you are getting a second one Teri!)

Serena-Serena Lewis blogspot

Jennifer-Jennifer Lawson

Karen-Karen Blados Art and Design

Stephanie-Deliberately Creative

Angie-Artvisionz

Margaret-MaggieArt

Participation is totally optional...but definitely a lot of fun! :)

"Celebrate Good Times..Come On!"

My 100th...BLOG POSTING!

"Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul.

Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal."

-Ralph Vaull Starr

My deepest appreciation and gratitude goes this day

to all my wonderful art loving visitors and friends

from all over the world...

who "pop in" every "now and again" for a blog visit.

You have excited my artistic spirit and touched my heart.

You have energized my imagination with your comments.

You have become a welcome part of my every-day.

Together may we continue to "reach high"

and "dream deeply"...

For, the best "100" is yet to come! :)

And last, but certainly, not least...

I send, with love, my happiest birthday wishes ever on this day

to my brother Mark...

and to my sister Susan,

Born this date exactly two years apart!

I Love You both! Happy, Happy Birthday!

My oh, my! It really IS a Wonderful Day! :)

So...

Let's Celebrate...Come on...! :)

"A Drawing is Born..."

I have always been intrigued by the complexity and beauty of mandalas. There is something about their intricate designs, their spiritual "vibes", their links to the past that really appeals to me as an artist. Although my free form floral-inspired "mini mandala" drawings posted here lack the geometric precision and size of their professional relatives...the overall feel of each one to me is still very pleasing and soothing .

Believe it or not , when I put my pen to paper I had no plan for this piece...not a clue whatsoever of what I would draw. It all just happened-grew, if you will, one shape after another after another. My pen just freely flowed over my moleskine-IT, my pen, seemed to control the art... not me! I truly felt I witnessed a project be born out of artistic energy. Have you ever had that feeling?

"JOURNEY...On Tour Now..."

...with Nina Johansson...in SWEDEN...

travelling out and about the countryside north of Stockholm...

Ahh...Sooo Sweet!

Read all about the

Awesome Artistic Adventures and Antics of
Anita Davies, Nina Johansson, Jennifer Lawson, and myself

in this summer's

Maruman International Sketchbook Exchange
here.

Posted below are the full views of my 10 pages in

my little Maruman "Journey."

CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE :)

"I'm a Lonely Little Saguaro...

...in a bougainvillea patch...

a bougainvillea patch,

a bougainvillea patch.

I'm a lonely little saguaro

in a bougainvillea patch...

...Oh,

won't you come and play with me?"

Have a Happy Cactus Monday All...

...And don't forget to set aside some time to

PLAY! :)

Happy 91st Birthday Ollie!

and

Happy 1st Birthday Austin!

We Love You Both!