IF: Twist

Quite sometime ago Portnoy and Biff met at a no-kill animal shelter in the middle of America.

It seems Portnoy was a renegade that escaped a truck headed for the slaughterhouse. Afraid to go back to the farm, Portnoy walked for days until he met a kindly old gentleman who told him all about this shelter. Unable to properly take care of a pig, the old man gave Portnoy a ride to the door and waved a tearful goodbye. The volunteers at the shelter welcomed Portnoy with open arms and hearts. They brought him to his new quarters but on the way there he was struck by Biff, an old-timer stray dog with a twist in his tail just like his!

The shelter worker saw the connection between Portnoy and Biff right away and asked if they'd like to be roommates. Biff's spirits soared by having Portnoy around. They shared stories of life before being rescued and celebrated every day for the strange twist of fate that brought them together.

Two peas in a pod, those two. Old souls embracing a new lease on life.

Just for IF, watercolor, Pitt pens and gouache on Canson pastel paper...and lots of struggling with each blasted medium! Click to enlarge.

Thinking Blogger Award

A little while back I was honored to be nominated for a Thinking Blogger Award by http://getzapped.blogspot.com . I was surprised that my art could move people. I started contributing to Illustration Friday to give myself a creative kick in the pants, but so much more has come from the experience. I'm thrilled to have stumbled upon it and so many creative folks who share my passion. As part of my award, I'm supposed to nominate 5 people who's blogs inspire me to think. This is hard to narrow it down to five, but here they are in no particular order.(I'm sorry I don't know how to link them.)

Neilornstein: His rich paintings make me reach into the deep recesses of my mind. There's always a glimmer of light in a dark scene that draws me near. I'm always moved by his work.

Hardwax: Miri moves me along the same lines. Her work just draws me in and makes me go deep even if it makes me uncomfortable. I always come away feeling priveleged to be part of her art experience.

Quiet Storm: Nobody can draw like this guy. I'm left breathless with each post I come across. He makes graphite sing about having a purpose!

Ascender Rises Above: Not only does she post beautiful and thought-provoking images, but she always chooses a piece of literature or poetry to absolutely nail the entry. I never come away from reading her posts without saying "WHOA!"

Get Zapped: I have to give the award to the awarder! She gives us all a place to get centered in this crazy world. Her daily postings inspire and move me to a greater place than where I began. She's a breath of fresh air in a polluted world and reminds us that we can all be a part of the solution. Thank you Michelle.

I'm sorry to have left out so many more that inspire me. I thank each and every one of you who contribute to this experience for me. You've made me better in so many ways! I'll see you down the road.

IF: Camouflaged Pals

Domino and Greyling get tired of living their lives in black and white, so as often as they can they slip away into the colorful country. They love blending in with the birch trees so as not to scare the butterflies. The falling leaves and the flitting wings makes for such a relaxing, mesmerizing day!

Years ago I painted a Dalmation against a stand of birch trees all in blue tones. I don't have a picture of it anymore, but that's what inspired this digital collage. I wish I had time to paint something for this week, but alas, I must get the huge commission done so I can pay my bills :)

I hope this works well enough!

IF: Rejection

I love making cards! I have a line of these collage cards that I keep adding to. There are so many copyright free image sources out there waiting to be made into something. Anyway, these funny cards fly out of my studio and help me pay the rent so I have a place to do my art. I love it when that happens :)

Jello anyone?

IF: Well Suited Pets

Emma, my dog, is the ultimate Queen of hearts. She was one of seven neglected dogs in someone's backyard. She has many fears and anxieties that stem from her past life, but she's got so much heart that all she wants to do is to love us and smother us with kisses. I tell everyone that "she can't hold her licker!"

Slick, my King of hearts is one of the best cats I've ever had. He never complained about anything, not even when it was time to let him go. He was grateful for everything. If someone stepped on his foot, he'd head-butt them to let them know it was okay because he knows they didn't mean it. Gosh, I miss that boy.

I guess I played my cards right when I rescued them. We suit each other just fine.

Acrylic, Prismacolor, and Sharpie on Bristol. Click to play my hand.

IF: Dreams of Paradise

I've always longed for a home of my own, specifically an old New England farmhouse with a few outbuildings and a large barn. I'd have as many rescued animals as I wanted without a landlord's interference. A big part of this fantasy would be to turn the barn into art studios and a gallery, but...every summer I'd have underpriveleged children taking part in a free art camp. Some kids can't even afford a box of crayons. This is so sad to me. I'd have volunteer art teachers and myself ready to open up a whole new world to these kids. Oh, I can just see their little faces light up! And at the end of summer we'd have a huge art show of all the kid's work with the proceeds to go into the 'Hearts for Art Camp' kitty. (That's after buying pizza and ice cream for all of the young artists!)

So, that's my idea of paradise. A happy home of my own to share with animals and young, budding artists!

watercolor, micron pens and acrylic paint on Canson paper. Click to enlarge.