Illustration Friday: Glow

May we all coexist in peace

and bask in the glow of friendship.

Wishing all of my friends a most brightest and best holiday season, no matter how or what you celebrate.

Love always,

Lo♥

for Illustration Friday: Glow

Watercolor and ink on bristol board.

Animal Wednesday: A Winter retreat for Bliss

Bliss has a new winter cabin to retreat to.

(That's catnip scattered inside.)

She ♥'s it!

 She loves her little hiding places where no one, and I mean NO one, can see her!

Do you see her? I didn't think so!

 

 And Emma, ever vigilant in the studio window pretends not to care that Bliss got a new cabin, but she does.

She's pouting as I type this!

Happy Animal wednesday!

xoxo

Lo♥

StickTight and Sophie

These are my bosses sweet, sweet dogs, StickTight and Sophie.

Our Christmas party is this coming Sunday and this is her gift. The painting, by yours truly, and the staff is paying for the framing. I can't wait for her to open it!

I screwed up the frame but that's another story! It will all be okay.

I'm hoping after the holidays I will be more present, both here on the blogs and in my life. This has been a tough year having to go back into the real working world full time again, especially at my age when I should be thinking about slowing down. My gratitude is for having been hired at my age!

Thanks to my loyal followers who bear with me even though I'm not visiting as much. I appreciate and miss you!

I have four days off coming up and two more commissions and family coming and and and....!!!!

I will get through it all with gratitude, my constant driving force. 

See you all soon, I hope. I'm really trying!

xoxo

Lo♥

Illustration Friday: Stretch

Arms reaching, I stretch towards the sky

giving thanks for all that I have in my life.

acrylic on canvas from my archives.

Happy Monday!!

xo

Lo

Illustration Friday: Whiskers

Cyrano never liked that he has two different coloured eyes, nor does he like the fact that his white whiskers don't stand out against his snow white fur.

That's when he started donning the fake nose.

Typical Leo, always seeking attention!

No apologies to Leo's out there because I'm a Leo too!! 

In my Moleskine, colored pencil and acrylic paint 4 years ago :)

For Illustration Friday: Whiskers

2013 Calendars

As many of you know, each year I have desk calendars printed with a different image of my art for each month.

I have so much fun matching the image to the month!

This calendar has reproductions of my illustrations, paintings and collages.

Mim, guess who represents October? :)

Here's the link to my shop in case you're interested.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/115325880/2013-desk-calendar-with-art

I'm only charging $5 above what they cost me, plus shipping. 

Sorry for the sales pitch! Tis the season :)

Illustration Friday: Tree

Not far from downtown there's a rusted, old abandoned space-metal building sitting in a state of decay from neglect. There are several block shapes spray-painted in random colors as though graffiti artists used the side of the building to test their new cans before tagging the local businesses and schools.

In spite of the blacktop surrounding this building, a small tree pushed its way through the asphalt-covered ground several years ago. The part of the building behind the tree makes such a beautiful backdrop, like a giant patchwork quilt sewn together stitch by stitch, always there to embrace this tree.

It's Redbird's favorite place, especially in the afternoon when the sun glows on the warm colors of the quilted metal. It's as though Redbird gives the tree a reason to stay alive with the promise of her daily return.

What some may perceive as decay and neglect, Redbird finds a sacred space that welcomes her with warmth, grace and beauty.

reposted for Illustration Friday's prompt: Tree

 Acrylic and colored pencils on scrapbook paper.

Happy Halloween from Super Emma

I'll be Super-Duper Emma, the menacing Squirrel Catcher for all of Barrington, Rhode Island!!

Well, maybe just my yard, although I was told I can't harass Short-T, mom's favorite :)

Happy Halloween my friends, and please be safe out there!

Here's to all of us who made it through Sandy's wrath.

Blessings to those who were not as fortunate.

xo

Lo ♥ 

Sunday Drive

I headed out for a long, aimless drive yesterday. It's one of my favorite things to do to decompress from the work week.

I headed for the other side of Mount Hope Bridge.

This guy's license plate is "swtryd."

Sweet ride! 

This was Volpe's Pond at 1:00 pm.

This is it at 5:00 pm!

I love afternoon light.

I stopped at Colt State Park in Bristol.

I love it there! You're surrounded by ocean and nestled by woods.

It was breezy by the bay, but still warm.

Red sails!

I love when the ivy changes with the season. What a great, old building.

I paused for a few more afternoon shots....

And made my way back to Barrington.

It was a picture perfect day!

xo

Lo

Illustration Friday : Sky

"Even the Horses Did a Raindance"

From my old old old archives for Illustration Friday.

acrylic paint, colored pencil on bristol board

Happy weekend!

xo

Lo♥

Finding Joy

Sometimes JOY can seem elusive, but it's never really very far away.

We just have to open our eyes.

 

I took Emma to the park down the road as I do three times a day.

I grabbed my camera hoping for glowing glimpses of new color in our ever-changing trees.

It was raining with the sun shining. I know what that meant!

And so I began my search for what would surely be waiting...

I love the vibrant color against the evergreens and the other leaves that are slow to turn.

The glow of the afternoon sun never disappoints.

I have no idea what kind of tree this is, but WOW! 

It was on fire!

And look at this beauty, half turned, half hanging onto the greens of summer.

So I turned the car around and headed home, smiling at the black cloud that followed me and rained on me during this time with Emma...

And I'll be forever grateful for this gift that was waiting for me as I turned the car towards home.

Joy was there the whole time.

xo

Lo♥

Cactus Monday: Autumn Glow

Pulling one from my archives because it fits for the season. Feel the glow !

xo

Lo♥

Illustration Friday: Water

This is a tiny painting I did called "Ebb and Flow."

I don't do many abstracts. I try, really I do, but the detail freak in me comes out!

I'm learning to go with the flow lately.

I lost a dear, dear friend the other day. She lost a short but valiant battle to cancer. I got to say "I love you and so long" on the phone as the nurses were putting in her morphine drip. It was very tough.

I have a torn meniscus in my knee. Big deal, but the other knee is painful as well. I see the orthopedic guy on Halloween. Scary!

I know surgery is in my future and I can't afford to be absent even one day from work. This too shall pass.

I'm ready to get back to blogging on a regular basis again. My computer issues have finally been resolved, hopefully for good.

I've missed being here!

Oh my, life is always changing.

Ups, downs, curve-balls, wind-falls.

We muddle through.

Thanks for the visit. I hope to see you again  soon :)

love,

Lo

hello, remember me?

Oh my, internet issues galore, missing friends, working, housework...and yes, a bit of art.

I hope to get issues resolved soon because I sure do miss you all!!

xoxo

Love,

Lo♥

Cactus Monday revisited

It's been a long while since I've participated in Cactus Monday, so I went to my archives and pulled these ATC's out from a few years back.

Makes me want to find the time to participate again!

Happy Cactus Monday to my old friends!

Illustration Friday: Identical

Not quite identical, but close.

And so darn cute!

acrylic on canvas, sold

Illustration Friday: Tall

short chefs,

TALL hats.

for Illustration Friday: Tall

paper bag, ink, colored pencil :)

Animal Wednesday on Thursday

Last week I took care of one of our Veterinarian's kitties while she was away.  These feet belong to Toggle.

Here he is in all his cuteness. He has MAJOR anxiety issues and is on meds.

He's the main reason they get a cat sitter. Of course, I gave him extra love!

 This is Dexter. He has a stripe nearly at the end of his tail. it goes all the way around! How cool is that? Any old cat can have a white tip, but a random stripe??

NO, this is NOT a Bushbaby!!!  This is Sophia. Can you believe those eyes???

And they're always that wide open and startled looking even though she's laid back. Hilarious!

Truly, three unusual looking cats!

Happy AW on Thursday!