Six Word Saturday

It's January.

My buns are frozen!

For more SSW, please click here ;)

Animal Wednesday: The Catbird Seat

I was going through my images to find something fresh for Animal Wednesday and I found this collage that makes me smile! I also thought I'd give you the meaning and the origin behind this phrase. Meanwhile, my bets are on that BIG pigeon!

Meaning
In a superior or advantageous position.

Origin
This is an American phrase - which is unsurprising as the grey catbird which is the probable source of the phrase is a North American species (there's also an Australian catbird). It's one of a group of birds called the mimic thrushes. They include mockingbirds and, as you might expect, they are adept mimics. The catbird is named for its ability to mimic the sound of a cat's miaow.

Catbirds seek out the highest perches in trees to sing and display. The allusion to that is most likely to be the derivation of the term. It may also be the source of an earlier term with much the same meaning - 'sitting pretty'.
The phrase appears to have originated in the American south, although the date and circumstances are uncertain. There's certainly an association with the sport of baseball, and most of the early citations of the phrase mention the game. That includes the first mention of it in print, in James Thurber's 55 Short Stories from New Yorker, November 1942:
"She must be a Dodger fan. Red Barber announces the Dodger games over the radio and he uses those expressions... 'sitting in the catbird seat' means sitting pretty, like a batter with three balls and no strikes on him."

Happy Animal Wednesday!!

Illustration Friday: Renewal

Hmmm, another struggle for the right image again this week. I'm not sure this thrills me but I'm sticking with it anyway. I do feel the Lotus is a sign of renewal. Maybe that's why so many spas use it as their logo and on their brochures.

I'm deeply feeling the need for renewal. I haven't been taking very good care of myself since this move. I can't seem to get out of my own way and I hardly ever feel well anymore.

Well, time to change the old attitude and bad habits that keep me stuck. I know that if I keep doing the same things I'll get the same results. From this day forward I'll work on renewing my body, mind and spirit and become more of who I want to be.

I can't wait for the transformation but at the same time I know I must practice patience because that's where I keep falling down. I want results yesterday.

I'll keep you posted on how I'm doing. This is the year. It really is!

acrylic on 6"x6" canvas

Six Word Saturday

Snow softly falls

white wolf

howls

for more six words...click here!

Skywatch Friday: Day one of 2010

As I peered out my kitchen window this morning this is what I saw.

Light grey skies peering through snow-covered trees.

The only indication this isn't a black and white photo is the blown glass piece on my windowsill.

Let's go see other Skywatch Friday pics to see what the fist day of the year looked like around the world!

The happiest of New Years to all of my dear friends in blogland!

Animal Wednesday: Virtual Pets

(And shameless self-promotion!)

I've been trying to teach myself a few things with my Print Shop Pro card program so yesterday I made these valentine notecards for my Etsy Shop.

I took colored copyright free photos and made them black and white, dropped in a few scrolls and hearts and flowers, and then I colored the kitty's eyes with a blue colored pencil.

So...here's a Sharpei Bouquet and a Smitten Kitten. Happy Animal Wednesday!

Illustration Friday: Pioneer

Blazing new trails in a snowstorm.

Atta boy!!

watercolor and micron on 140 lb Italia Acquerello

Party on down with Lolo and Emma!

Okay, maybe I've already hit the eggnog a little too hard, but what's Emma's excuse??

Happy Holidays from two party animals!

Sit back and enjoy the entertainment ;)

Click the right hand corner to make it full screen.

Illustration Friday: Undone

I struggled with this one. All I could come up with were undone buttons on a sexy dress.

I wanted to leave the illustration with an unfinished look.

paper bag, graphite, acrylic paint, colored pencils and white ink

Happy Winter Solstice!!

Six Word Saturday

Wine and Donuts...

Oops,

'scuse me!

(Sometimes we make bad choices at holiday parties!)

For other 'six words' go here.

Skywatch Friday: Carmel Drama

Wow, this amazing shot was taken yesterday by my friend Mary Helen while she was driving past Carmel River Beach. She knows how much I'm missing the area so she sends me sky shots when she can. This is a beauty! Thanks for letting me post it today Mary Helen ;)

For more beautiful sky shots from our planet, please go to Skywatch Friday!

More Journal Pages for :Lynn & Mim

I had two journals in front of me this week so I tackled both of them yesterday.

This is Lynn's page. As you all know she sews, quilts, paints, does fabric assemblage and many other things. I can't keep up with her! My first thought was to paint her under a "Dream Quilt" and to have her wonderful cat Henry V napping with her. The poem came later.

I used watercolors (mistake!) to paint on loose canvas. The paint kept beading up but I worked it in with a lot of patience! It needed some pizazz so I added glitter here and there. It didn't scan well but it sure shines in person.

For the back page I used my greeting card program and chose a quilt background. Then I chose a shape to place the poem in. Just a quick little diddy I wrote in a few minutes.

I'm no Emily Dickinson! Anyway, there you go. A tribute to Lynn and her sewing talents!

Now for Mim's pages...

Mim asked us to make her journal about women. Strong women, magical women, etc.

I went through my archives and found my Wallflowers and Bagladies that some of you may remember. The Wallflowers were named so because of the patterned paper I painted them on which resembled wallpaper. The Bagladies were all drawn and painted on brown paper bags.

I love that there are nine of them and nine of us sharing this journal. Kismet!

It took me a while to scan them and print them the right sizes for the collage but it was fun putting them all together.

The poem on the back is what I came up with after looking at all of 'my girls' together.

Wallflowers and Bagladies,

Strong.

Independent.

Thinkers, dreamers, doers.

Conquering fears,

persuing dreams,

rising to the top

like the sweetest cream.

So there you have it! I hope you ladies like your pages ;)

Illustration Friday: Hatch

My heart fluttered to the point of bursting.

That's when I remembered to open the escape hatch to let my feelings fly free.

For Illustration Friday's prompt: hatch

Digital collage printed and scanned, colored pencil enhancement

Six Word Saturday

Studio lights glow,

during first snow.

View of studio lolo and our first snowfall since moving back home.

For other 'six words' click here!

Skywatch Friday: Egrets, water and sky

I took this shot in November when the temperatures were teasing us into thinking Winter wouldn't arrive. Today it's below freezing! I think I'll look at this photo and climb back in time.

Happy Skywatch Friday my friends. Please stop by to see other skies at the Skywatch site!

Animal Wednesday: Double Take

This is another photo taken in Provincetown in October when KJ, Debra Kay and I got together.

I did a double take when I saw this bird until I realized it was wood! I just love the white on white motif and the calmness the photo has.

Seems appropriate to use all this white today seeing as we're being snowed in!

Happy Animal Wednesday to my two-footed, four-footed and feathered friends.

Cactus Monday: Desert Menorah

It seemed appropriate for me to try and paint a cactus menorah because the holiday season is upon us.

Wishing all of you a season of light, peace and an abundance of joy!

Happy Cactus Monday!!

(This atc is going out to Lynn ;) )

Six Word Saturday

Typical cat!

The center of attention.

Please click here to read more 'six words!'

Illustration Friday: Crunchy

Fallen pine needles on the forest floor, crispy and crunchy under your feet.

The fresh, falling snow might muffle the sounds of the next passers-by.

I've always been a sucker for these Charlie Brown trees. They warm my heart.

One sepia pen, one white pencil, one brown paper envelope and five minutes.

For Illustration Friday's prompt: crunchy

Skywatch Friday: Twilight Time

Late afternoon light is my favorite time of day.

The bewitching hour. Magic time.

For more sky shots around the world, go to Skywatch Friday!

My Artysoulsisters Journal Pages

There are nine of us artysoulsisters from around the world collaborating on nine journals. We each begin one and then we all add a page or pages to one another's book. Some of us have themes, some are freestyle.

I was going themeless at first, but as my pages evolved I realized I'd like my book to be about journies, physical ones or spiritual ones.

After all, we're all on one great big one!

I started out with our cross-country move. The snail represents the slow way home, driving vs. flying. My belongings and loved ones are on the snail's back, Emma and Bliss trying to find balance in the chaos, and of course my raven guide is along for the journey!

It wasn't too far into the trip that I realized this was more than a physical move.

I drove every single mile myself, nearly 3,800 because we detoured for a visit to my sister in Colorado. There was a nasty spider bite I had to contend with and two very scary near-misses on the highways. There were guides with us for sure!

The snail gets us to our destination leaving her glittery trail along the way. No slime in my journal! We open the doors that are clearly marked 'home' and find an envelope inside.

There are keys in the envelope welcoming us home. Little did I know that this journey would be this hard. I have come back to old friends and loving family but I deeply miss California and the life I had there.

I'm hoping when I emerge in the Spring I'll feel renewed with hope and happily settled into my new life and fill my studio with new art.

Luckily, nothing keeps me down!

Please check out the other fantastic journals at Artysoulsisters blog and follow our progress!

Illustration Friday: Entangled

No matter how complex and dark some days may seem, there's always a glimmer of light and a chance for new growth.

This little painting was used for "IF" two years ago here. An encore seemed appropriate for the current word.

(Some of you have been my friends for a while!)

May I have the envelope please?

yes Ellen, you may!

My husband drew the names out of the hat this morning. Thirty-one entries!

Thanks to all of you for your wonderful comments. There will be more giveaways in the future!

Six Word Saturday

Above and below,

koi,

sky,

trees.

For more 'six words' click here ;)

Skywatch Friday: A Bit of Whimsy

There's whimsy in the skies on Commercial Street in Provincetown.

Always look up my friends, there's so much to see!

For more Skywatch Friday entries, click here ;)

Animal Wednesday: Beach Bliss

Well, she's not in California anymore but at least we found a little beach where Emma could run like the wind!

Happy Animal Wednesday, and to all of you who celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow, I hope you have a bountiful day full of blessings!

Illustration Friday: Music...to me

If you're a fan of these magnificent birds then you're a fan for life.

The caw-ing of ravens is music to my ears because I understand them.

They're magical, mystical and misunderstood.

Here's my kick-off to the holiday season replacing 'four calling birds' with my beloved corvids, 4 cawing birds!

This was painted on a brown paper envelope and I'm giving it away.

Just leave a comment and your name will go in a hat for a drawing next Friday.

And no, you don't have to like the birds, just the art ;)

Six Word Saturday

Setting sun

through Nature's

lace curtains.

a moment from my day. For more Six Words, click here <

Skywatch Friday: Open Possibilities

Taken on a perfect Autumn day in Provincetown, Mass.

It proves that possibilities are endless if we remember to look up ;)

Happy Skywatch Friday!

Please click here for more shots of skies from around the world.

Thankful Thursday: Picking up the pieces

I have received so many loving gifts in the past few weeks. They've come in the form of atc's, cards, letters, art supplies and phone calls all from my wonderful blogging friends who know I've been down and who have all tried to buoy me up.

I don't have time to scan all of these wonderful things and post them individually because I'm still in the middle of the latest giant mess. (Cleaning up raw sewage in my kitchen and bathroom from a freak plumbing incident while we were sleeping!)

What I will do is this. I will refuse to keep my tail between my legs and whimper any longer. I'll dig deep into my reserves and find my sense of humor and the lesson in all this madness. I will not let the actions of one psychotic landlady to break my spirit. I will remember that by nature I'm a kind and loving person but shit happens to good people too.

Today I'm saying enough is enough. I'm digging through my boxes and taking out my art supplies and dammit I'm going to make some art!

So please forgive my lack of posts and comments on your blogs. Know that I treasure every good thought and gift you've sent my way. Little by little I'll get on track and show up like I used to. Hang in there with me.

When I count my blessings, (and there are many) my faithful blog friends are among them. You know who you are ;)

Okay then. Back to life as I knew it!

xoxoxo

Illustration Friday: Unbalanced

This really doesn't look anything like the idea that was in my head!

Oh well, let's just say I killed some time playing with paint and colored pencils.

Perhaps I'm the one that's a bit unbalanced!

done on patterned paper with acrylic paint and prismacolor pencils

for Illustration Friday

Six Word Saturday

Under the

moonlight

other

worlds

unfold.

(acrylic on canvas paper)

For more "Six Words" click here!

Skywatch Friday: Mirrored trees

Taken at Walker's farm, Barrington on a clear Autumn day.

I love it when the sky reflects in puddles!

Please go to Skywatch Friday to see other shots around the globe :)

Animal Wednesday: Caroline's Journal Page

Many of you know that there are nine of us ladies from around the world making art journals in a group started by Soulbrush. We call ourselves the Artysoulsisters! We pass the journals along so each one of us does a page in each book, some with themes and some without but all are fun and challenging.

Caroline's theme is about colors and textures but somehow a raven snuck into mine. Go figure! He looks very content, don't you think? Well, there's a good reason for that.

This is what Raven found in his search across the globe.

What can it be?

And so it is.

May we all continue on our journies with passion and purpose.

Please click here to see the other journal entries. They're so much fun!

Happy Animal Wednesday everyone!

Cactus Monday: View from Fanizzi's

There's a restaurant (Fanizzi's) in Ptown where we had a super brunch with a spectacular view of the beach. Ouside they had wonderful pots of Mums and ornamental cabbages. I used my creative license to add cactus and put the arrangement on the table! Happy Cactus Monday!!

Quick sketch while having coffee in my new studio. Wooo-hooo!

Six Word Saturday

November wind

leaves confetti

on

water

For more Six Word Saturdays, go here.

Skywatch Friday: Rainbow Comet

My dear left-behind friend Mary Helen took these pictures yesterday at Lover's Point in Pacific Grove. She only had her phone camera with her but she knew if she drove the 1/2 mile home to get her camera she would have missed this sight.

Cars were pulling off the road left and right. Who could blame them?

Wow, it's as if the rainbow is diving into Monterey Bay.

Happy Skywatch Friday my friends. Thank you Mary Helen!

For more sky shots around the globe, go here.

Animal Wednesday: Fitting In

Bliss is trying to make the best of the move even though she can't find the basket that fits her girlish figure. She's looking at me as if to say "Hey, that's it for changes for a while okay?"

That's fine by me, trust me!

Happy Animal Wednesday, and may all your changes lead to better things ;)

Cactus Monday: Heavy Metal Whimsy

I had to photograph this wonderful metal sculpture for my Cactus Monday pals!

This man and his 84 year old dad make the most unusual and awesome things out of scrap metal. What a trip!!

Happy Cactus Monday!

(Oh, I don't remember his name. I even tried Googling him.)