Animal Wednesday : Dare To Be Different!

I love it when people dare to be different. I think we should all embrace our true selves, and the heck with other people's judgements! No matter our flaws, I think we all possess a gift to be shared with others.

Happy Animal Wednesday my fine-feathered friends!

collage and rubber stamps made into notecards

Cactus Monday : Succulent Ladies

Played with a photo again for a quick entry. Gotta go meet the movers at the studio! I hope I nabbed you with the title :)

Happy Cactus Monday Cactuteers!

Stalk Me!

Blogger has a new widget where you can follow people. I added mine to the sidebar, so if you want to become my stalker...c'mon!

(Only virtual stalkers, please!)

Illustration Friday : Packed

Do you think this little guy has packed enough peanuts in his cheeks to last the winter? I think he's going for a record!

Funny word to get this week because my studio is all packed up. I ran over there tonight to unpack a few art supplies to do one last Illustration Friday at Studio Lolo. It felt pretty good. The walls are bare, the curtains are down. The streetlights shine in the space that used to be the main gallery. Boxes with "fragile" written on them are stacked in the alcove waiting for the movers to show up on Monday. I bought a nice bottle of wine to savor the moment of my last creation there but it was interrupted by the woman who's going to take over the space. She saw the light on and came in to wish me well. I, in turn wished her all the best in that magical place.

I'm ready for this next chapter in my life, honestly. As magical as Studio Lolo was for me and some loyal followers, it became bigger than I ever wanted it to be. I found myself creating art to pay the rent and that's not at all what I ever intended to happen. I'm not a purist by any means, but I want to do art when I want to do art. Not because I have to.

So I packed it in tonight after finishing this little guy. I took one last look around and I sighed a quiet 'thank you' before closing the door.

I'm going to continue to work towards a move east in the Spring, and I'll create my 'IF' entries at the dining room table just as I had in the beginning.

It's been a great ride.

(acrylic and colored pencil on patterned paper)

Art Loving Award

Atomic Velvet Sigh has bestowed another award on me for which I'm very grateful. This time I wish to pass it on to all who have visited me in the past, and all those who visit me in the future. Your comments and encouragement means so much to me. Joining the community at Illustration Friday has been just the therapy I've needed these past two years!

Here's to all of you who take time out of your day to stop by and leave me a message. You keep me going!

Please pass this award on to anyone you choose. It's a beauty! (Thanks, AVS!)

Animal Wednesday...

...can be found here this week. HAW!!

Award Drum Roll Please....

I've been gifted by the amazing and generous Soulbrush once again. She has a heart the size of the entire blogsphere! We've become very close friends through this blog and now through snail mail. It's amazing to me how friendships blossom through this medium!

There are rules for passing this award along, but for those of you who know me, you know I'm a bit of a rebel and I do what suits me best as long as no harm comes to others. So I'll post the rules for those of you who need structure, and then I'll fly by the seat of my pants as I pass this along!

Here are the rules:

1. Put the logo on your blog.
2.Link to the person who gave you the award.
3.Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4.Put links to those on your blog.
5. Leave a message on those blogs.

Here's my list of ladies I feel a personal connection to whether it's a shared love of something, or because we've met in person after blogging, or because we've "virtually" been there for each other through hard times...or all of the above!

No cornyness intended, I feel blessed to know you all.

Connie...Em...Debra Kay...Designing Fairy...Erin...Get Zapped...Auntie Mim...

Marianne...Princess Pepper Cloud...

Sketched Out...Suana...Teri...and right back at ya Soulbrush!

Cactus Monday: Succulent Visitor

I've been neglecting my succulent baskets of late, but nature has a way of taking care of itself. The foggy days of Pacific Grove are enough to nurture these plants.

Once again, having no time to draw or paint while I pack up the studio, I took this photo and digitally added the 'visitor' for contrast. Pretty, huh?

Happy Cactus Monday one and all!

Illustration Friday: Clique

I've got a couple of cliques up my sleeve! The doggy one is a repost but I thought it was perfect for the word. And this bevy of beauties waiting to play Bingo sure hits the mark too. Which clique would you rather join? I think I'd be the mutt with the beer, crashing that snobby party!

Happy Weekend everyone! And oh, moving update. We're waiting until the spring :) Thanks for your warm, well-wishes!

Animal Wednesday : Prosperity

This is a painting that was commissioned by a friend when she was trying to sell her house just before the real estate market took a dive. She's a firm believer in Feng Shui, and I'm here to tell you it seems to work magic for her.

I finished this painting about fifteen minutes before the open house was to start. We hung it where her Feng Shui master told her too, and I'll be darned if she didn't get a full price offer on the house that day!

Cranes stand for prosperity in Chinese beliefs, and in Feng Shui they have to be divisible by nine. (I had to quickly add 2 more cranes!)

Happy Animal Wednesday, my friends! Here's to prosperity for us all!

IF : Island Escape

Okay, I could use an escape right about now. How about you? The planets are going crazy out there causing all sorts of opposition and tension. Good times! With plans of moving to Rhode Island and other things on my plate, I'm about burned out to the max and need a lot of R&R and self-care. We're still in limbo as to what we're going to do. I may just batten down the hatches for winter and ride this personal storm out. This island is looking like just the place I need to be right now.

For all of you affected by hurricane Ike, my thoughts are with you and your loved ones for a safe outcome.

Please remember to help those who need it most, and remember our four-legged victims as well.

~peace and love~

digital collage done for Illustration Friday's prompt : island

Animal Wednesday : Gratitude

I created this couple a while ago, probably to market as notecards or some such thing. One thing I tried to keep in mind while creating them was their gratitude for their simple pleasures in life. For one another. For their meal, albeit pears. Simply put, just grateful for another day. When did we get away from that?

Thank goodness the Universe gives us wake up calls to bring us back to reality.

Lordy, I for one get so lost!

Happy Animal Wednesday, dear friends.

CAT-tus Monday!

See this week's entry here :)
Happy Cactus Monday!

IF : Natural Clutter

I really thought long and hard about this word. It would have been so easy to show a photo of any room in my house, or the inside of my car or my work space at the soon to be abandoned studio. I thought about illustrating the chaos and clutter in my mind, especially lately while my husband and I try to figure the logistics of moving back home to Rhode Island.

Then my thoughts trailed off to my favorite season in New England, which if all goes according to plan we'll be back there just in time for peak foliage. I can almost smell those clear, crisp Indian Summer days from here.

Isn't it funny how some people become completely unhinged the moment the leaves start falling to the ground. What I see as Autumn's blanket, others see as clutter. I've even had a client apologize for the mess in her yard from her fallen Camelia blossoms. I stood there, dumbfounded.

I guess leafblowers have been salvation to some folks. To me, they disturb my peace and natural clutter.

Fifteen minute painting, acrylic and colored pencil on postcard stock for Illustration Friday's prompt: clutter. This is my last "IF" to be done at studio lolo. Dining room table, hold on!!

Animal Wednesday : Apple Pickin' Time

I love it when Autumn approaches. Pumpkins are beginning to show on the vine, and hoards of people ( and cats) flock to the orchards to pick crisp apples.

Happy Animal Wednesday!