Painter, Poetess and generous friend

I was recently gifted with an amazing piece of art created by my friend, Suki.

She is also a friend to many of my blogger and real life pals.

Today is a dark, rainy mess, but inside my house this amazing art glows!

Here I've lit a candle to get more of the gold to shine.

You can't imagine how beautiful this is in person!

Some of you have seen it, I know ;)

This is what normally resides here. A wonderful tree etching I found in an antique shoppe. Brian's Rhode Island red rooster. A favorite ceramic urn, a wrought iron art nouveau piece, and a sign that lets me know I am blessed every day.

But I just knew Suki's art had to have this space.

It belongs here.

And I don't need that sign to help me remember just how very blessed I am.

I already know.

Thank you, Suki. I am overwhelmed by your talent and your generous heart.  When I count my blessings, I count you twice.

love,

Lo

Illustration Friday: Swamp

I found the secret place

and hid my soul

within the folds

of water

dappled by leaves

by strange growths

that floated

unattached

as do I.

Found on PoemHunters.com

titled Graeme Hall Swamp: Secret Place

by

Midnight Clarity

Colored pencil, acrylic paint, patterned paper

A Sunday afternoon doodley-do!

March 21

I'm the last of the group to post about the amazing 24 hours four friends spent together, It was less than 24 hours, really! A whirlwind crazy idea to meet up with our dear friend Marianne as she had a layover in NYC for a day.

I took the train, KJ and JB drove in from Western Mass, and Marianne was arriving from Holland. WOW!!

Here they are, my three fashionista girlfriends!

I'll let you guess who's who.

One of my favorite parts of this get together was going to 230 5th. It was a 20th floor rooftop bar which sidled up alongside the Empire State Building and had a view of other impressive tall buildings that glowed in the changing afternoon sun. It was magical!  

I don't know what building this is, but I can tell you the glow is totally from the afternoon sun. I put my camera on the "dusk" setting. Wowee! 

These are water towers for the restaurant! Many buildings have them sticking out of their rooftops. It's quite something to see, especially when they're HOT pink!

We had to go through this beautiful pink lounge to get to the roof Wow!

I did NOT enhance any of these colors! It was amazing as the light changed to twilight.

A sign showing me how lucky I was to be a part of this meeting.

Those are not my cigarette butts.

Is this Paris?? Could be! But it's Bryant Park, a sweet little bit of verdant green where the daffodils were blooming under the still bare trees. It was nearly 80 degrees out!!

There was a beautiful little carousel there with hand-painted details on the booth and along the top. 

I just noticed that one of my dear friends is in the reflection!! Hi KJ!!

As I was walking along Broadway with Marianne she noticed these wonderful large ravens!!! I got so excited! But then we saw them from the front and it turns out they were eagles. I photographed them at an angle that still looked ravenesque to me :)

A clever name for a sandwich cafe in the park.

This was taken in Times Square. I think it's a broadcast station of some sort. I just thought it was neat how it stuck out of the building. It was enormous! 

The circle says "The Knowledge Effect." There was something about it that grabbed me.

So cool!! It must have been so much fun to paint this! 

Another view from230 5th. The lanterns and The Empire State building juxtaposed. So lovely.

One of the things I tried to do when I first got there was to see how many shots I could take of the number 21 to mark March 21st as memorable.

I came up with nothing all day long. But then....

Just as we were saying our goodbyes I looked across the street and there it was. 

I swear the Universe provides.

I really do.

Thanks ladies, for such a memorable jaunt!

You were all so generous in so many ways.

it was a BLAST, even with my crappy shoes and my heavy luggage :)

Same time next year??

Just saying.

I love you all!

Forever 21.

xoxo

Lo♥♥♥♥

Illustration Friday: Shades

I live in a small room on the bay large enough only for myself and my cat. The wallpaper is a lovely pattern, although quite faded. It reminds me of my Grandmother's old china pattern.

The furnishings are sparse. A cot that was meant to hold someone much smaller than myself, an old ladderback chair and one electrical outlet which sits unused.

There's a tiny window that overlooks the bay. I'm so grateful for that window! No matter how small my world is inside, that little window lets in light and hope and a promise of better days. If I were to put shades on my little window to the world I would miss so much.

So very, very much indeed.

acrylic paint, pencil, patterned paper and imagination :)

Go to Illustration Friday to see other entries from around the world!

Illustration Friday: Yield

To cherish what remains of the Earth and to foster its renewal is our only legitimate hope of survival."

~Wendell Berry~

For Illustration Friday: yield

Some of you may recognize this piece from a few years back.

It's encore time while I nurse a cold .

acrylic paint and colored pencil (man tending the rice paddy)

Illustration Friday: Intention

Just think of the trees: they let the birds perch and fly, with no intention to call them when they come and no longing for their return when they fly away. If people's hearts can be like the trees, they will not be off the Way.

~Langya~

for Illustration friday: intention

pen and ink and watercolor

Quote from Zenquotes.com