IF : Soar

As I look back on 2007, I realize there's baggage I need to leave behind. It's filled mostly with broken promises to myself. As I went about my hurried life I was forgetting to take care of my main goal, to replenish my spirit. Some of you remember that from last year. I got caught up in my wonderful new studio until opening after opening consumed me. I became part of the downtown artwalks, which are wonderful, but

I was forgetting the real reason I needed to be there. I needed it to be my sacred space where I made art, period. No agenda other than to fulfill my need to paint from my heart. In all of this racing to be part of something, I lost a part of myself. It wasn't all bad, believe me! I sold a lot of paintings and made a ton of new friends who love art. But still, in the end I feel empty.

So, what I've decided I need to do as I soar into the new year is leave a lot of bad habits and distractions behind. I'll keep the stuff that was working for me and leave the other stuff. And yes, Illustration Friday is a keeper, so you can bet you'll see me here each week. I'm looking forward to it!

New Year's blessings to all of my friends who have supported me each week. May we all soar into 2008 with good health, an abundance of friends, and gratitude for even the smallest things.

acrylic on canvas done for Illustration Friday, "soar."

Feel The Magic!

To all of my friends who come to visit, I wish you all the magic this season brings!

Here's to a New Year that holds the promise of peace, health and abundance for one and all. I look forward to spending more time with you and sharing more art in 2008!

Until then, Merry Christmas...and remember, the magic is in the small things :)

IF : The Horizon

This is the time of year when many people complain about what they don't have. They make huges lists of material 'must haves" for Santa to bring or for their parents to buy because they think life will be better with them.

For others, this is a time of year when we remember the less fortunate. Those without food, shelter or warmth. Those who are battling life-threatening illnesses. Those who don't have any family members left and feel totally alone. Big TVs, Ipods, computers, diamonds or fancy cars wouldn't fill their needs or their hearts.

What all of us need to keep in mind in any of these situations is that people care. I still believe that good outweighs bad. So let's remember the less fortunate in this season of giving. Let's show them that hope is always on the horizon.

Wishing you all who celebrate, A Very Merry Christmas. Sharing with you week after week is one of my greatest gifts of all!

( And for those of you who know my secret signature, the 3 cypress trees are always in my heart. They represent the 3 cats we drove from Rhode Island to California with 14 years ago. I miss them dearly and feel blessed to have had them in my life for so many years. Merry Christmas, boys.)

Done for the Illustration Friday prompt, "Horizon." acrylic, Prismacolor pencils on bristol. ( click to see hope on the horizon!)

In the spirit of giving

I was visiting The Heartful Bogger and I really like her idea of a holiday giveaway. Here's what I'd like to do. The first 5 people who comment on this post will get their choice of an ATC or an assortment of 3 notecards. The ATC can either be a subject of your choice, or you can let me surprise you! Of course it would be an original work of art, not a copy. The cards, however, would be laser copies.

This is just a little way of paying it forward to my friends who stop by. I wish I could give all of you a gift, but I think that would surely take a lot of time (and resources!)

Please give me a month to respond with the goods if you choose ATC's. The cards can be shipped right away.

Good luck! I'm happy you're here :)

True Blue Blogging Award

I've been awarded the True Blue Blogging Award by

Ascender Rises Above.

This award is given to people who stick by you in blogland and make it fun to blog, creating a community of communication and friendship.

I have made many friends on this blogging adventure, but there are ones that visit me consistently with encouraging words and support.

"Ascender" is one of those people, however, I can't vote for the one who voted for me, so here's my list in no particular order.

Get Zapped, for her heartfelt, kind comments and her daily inspirations on her blog. Ronni Hall from Designing Fairy, another inspiring lady who shares a deep connection to animals. Kim Coles from I'm With Sully,so talented and sweet, I enjoy seeing her Moleskine creations and her jewelry. She's been such a lift for my spirits on tough days. And she has the cutest little dog, Sully! Princess Pepper Cloud, who made the trip to my studio to meet me and she even brought me a beautiful handmade dish! We got choked up telling different animal stories. It was so nice to put a face on my blogger buddy. If you haven't checked out her wonderful Ant-ics on her blog, you must! And finally, Forever Young, one of my newer friends here. She always has something nice to say on my posts, and I love the way she tells it like it is on her blog. She's the real deal!

I'd keep going down the list of my faves, but I can only choose 5. Perhaps one or all of them will be your new blogging friend if they aren't already.

I thank every one of you for taking the time to stop by. It's great having you here!

Season's Blessings,

Lolo

IF : Riding Bare-Backwards

Zappo the cat left home at a very young age to join the circus. Till this day, Zappo always rides his flying pig backwards because his mother long ago said, " Always remember where you came from."

Okay, so Zappo took it literally.

You can see my Moleskine entry here :)

IF : Little Things

So many images come to mind for this topic~some are whimsical, while others are just quiet observations.

I get most of my inspiration from nature. I love trees. I draw them, paint them, photograph them~can't get enough of them. If the old, stately trees could talk, imagine the history they'd share. The younger trees are just starting out, reaching towards the sky with so much hope and promise. Not much different from us in many ways.

I love the way the same tree looks so different in morning light as compared to dusk. It's these seemingly little things that are huge to me.

It's the little things that make up the big picture.

Be sure to check out my entry for this topic in my Moleskine!

IF : Excess of Yellow Birds

This is an illustration I did for the cover of a new picture book I've been working on aptly named, "The Yellow Bird Tree." It's the story of a little village boy who had been quite ill for a while. So ill, in fact, he never left his room. The elder doctor of the village said the only hope left was to say a prayer each time you see a yellow bird, and ask the yellow bird to deliver the prayer to the little boy. This is the sight he sees one day when he finally gets out of bed and opens his balcony doors! The tree was bursting with little yellow birds, and more were still coming for miles.

This is a story about hope and the power of prayer.

Now if I'd just finish the darn thing and get it to an eager publisher :)

Stop by and see what I did for this word in my Moleskine.

IF : Lolo At The Zoo

This week's prompt for Illustration Friday is "The Zoo." I can't hear that word without remembering The Franklin Park Zoo in Boston, near where I grew up. I was only six years old in this photo, 1959. This is Mabel, the matriarch of the gorilla colony at Franklin Park. She and I were good friends right from the start. We used to talk about what we'd do when we'd get out into that big world waiting for us . (I could talk to animals all of my life.) She worried about her little one, Hank, but she knew that there would be a better world waiting for him without barriers and barricades. He'd have better opportunities than she had. He wouldn't have to live in the confines of the city. It just didn't seem right to sit in the short, mown grass and watch cars go by. Not right at all. Yeah, Hank would do just fine as long as he could find his way out.

As soon as my parents and I got to the zoo I could smell the popcorn and roasted peanuts mixed with the smell of the monkeys and elephants. It was heaven to me! My six year old hands would grasp the cold bars of the monkeys' cages while they looked at me, anticipating a treat of some kind. I'd name them all and make plans for each and every one of us to meet again. I'd run to the aviary filled with the most magnificently colored birds that filled the air with their shrieking, shrilling calls.

Franklin Park Zoo was a much needed escape from my hard life at home. It's amazing to me that my parents even took me there. It just tells me that in spite of the hard times, they tried. They really did the best they could. But it was Mabel who taught me to be strong.

I used to pick flowers for Mabel whenever I got the chance to go to the zoo to see her. As you can see, I would stand beside her and we'd talk for hours, sharing secrets and planning life's strategies. She was the heart and soul of Franklin Park.

We moved around a lot when I was growing up and I never got to say goodbye to Mabel. She knew I had to follow my parents as a youngster, but she also knew I'd grow up to be okay. She often comes to me in my dreams and I wake up laughing, not being able to tell anyone I felt gorilla breath on me last night and how wonderful it was!

You know, Mabel and I weren't suited for the city yet somehow we found each other and gave each other strength and hope. Man oh man, that's what life is all about.

Thank you, Mabel.

Love always, Lolo

I'm it.....again!!

Okay, so now I've been tagged by Laurel Neustadter, OttoBlotto and ForeverYoung to list 7 random and hopefully interesting things about me. Try not to hit the snooze button!

1) As a kid, I used to be on probabtion for truancy. (Long story!) Anyway, back in the day they used to send a truant officer to your house if you missed a lot of school. The magical thing that came out if this was my probation officer, Janice. She was my first mentor and 44 years later, we're still great friends!

2) I don't know how to accept comliments. For instance, if someone says "Hey, that's a beautiful blouse!", I'll go on about how it doesn't fit very well and it's really old and then probably admit I bought it at Goodwill!

3) I can't watch underwater scenes on TV or at the movies. I literally lose my breath. Maybe it has something to do with an ex-boyfriend trying to drown me. Nice guy. I hung in for ten years.

4) I have a greeting card addiction. I'm an old-fashioned letter writer and I have at least a hundred blank cards to choose from at all times, yet I still keep adding more. Whenever I see an off-beat card shop, I'm there!

5) I'm a published children's book author but I didn't get to illustrate them...Ashley Wolff did. The books were published in 1991 and are still best sellers~yay!! Last March they came out in bi-lingual board books and sales have sky-rocketed. Sixteen years later those nice checks are coming to my door :) For those of you who can't find them, here's the latest editions of "I Love My Daddy Because..." and "I Love My Mommy Because..."

6) There are so many places I'd love to see but I hate traveling! I'd love to drive the back country roads of Ireland and stop for a pint at the pubs~or go to Scotland to see where my Grandfather and Great Grandfather were born. But I'll never go. Besides, I can't stand to leave my animals!

7) I love to read but I never find the time. I bring books to bed with me but fall asleep after one page. I don't think I've completed a book in at least 2 years! How sad is that.

So there you have it. Seven things you could have gone along nicely without knowing about me. I'm just not that interesting!

Oh...and seeing as I've tagged so many of you before, I'm letting you all off the hook :)

IF : Superstition

" Carrying an acorn will bring luck and ensure a long life."

I love it when a painting I just finished happens to fit the "IF" theme! I painted this Thursday for my friend's birthday. She loves acorns, oak leaves and Ravens. Yesterday I had no computer access due to some glitch at the towers, or whatever. It was hell for me because I wait all week for Illustration Friday! I still could have gone to the studio to draw or paint something, but no, I frittered away the day in withdrawal. Today though, I hope to do something superstitious in my Moleskine! So check back on my moleskine site if you'd like.

Have a super weekend!

IF : Scale

Phyllis discovered she had a natural talent for playing the scales through her nostrils.

For some reason I found myself humming "Puff the Magic Dragon" while drawing this. Honest. It was torture!

acrylic, Prismacolor pencils, Pitt pen, collage notes and rubber stamp wings on a scrap of cardboard.

Done for Illustration Friday

click for a bigger dragon experience!

IF : A Magical Hat Indeed

Let me tell you about my hat.

I keep my secrets under it.

I store my worries and fears there where I can't see them,

and if I can't see them, how can they bother me?

This is my magic hat.

My no more troubles hat,

my reachin' up to heaven hat.

And when I wear it I stand tall

and proud and happy because I know

it's going to be alright.

acrylic, colored pencils on watercolor paper

Done for Illustration Friday's prompt...hats.

IF : Trick or Treat

Hello all! I don't have time to do a painting today so I played around with my greeting card program and made this image. I've also posted a small pumpkin painting I did last year for a friend. I think this fit's the theme because pumpkin pie is one of my favorite treats.

Happy All Hallow's Eve to those of you who enjoy it, and to those of you who have fond memories of that part of your childhood.

(click to enlarge the horror!!)

bwwwwwwaaaaa-haaaa-haaaaa-haaaa!!

My Virtual Store

Well, after seeing how many of my favorite folks have opened an Etsy shop, I decided to give it a try. I'm offering my notecards and small paintings, and many of the things I've done for Illustration Friday. So far it's a lot of fun, but I'm spending a lot of money there too! I'm not trying to solicit business, but if you want to stop by, please do. It's a fun place to support artists and craftspeople. And hey, the holidays are coming!

You can find my link at the right side of my blog under my list of "inspiring friends."

IF : Grow

I've been in a funny mood these days. Just a bit 'out of sorts' but I can't quite put my finger on the whys of it all. I'm wondering if it's because winter is setting in and my body is going into hibernation mode. I've had some stressful pet care cases which always do a number on me, but I think it's more than that. I think I need a break. Some sort of a 'pulling in' to take care of my own cries. When I saw the topic for this week I loved it, but ironically I came up blank. I sat at my studio all day today and this is finally what I came up with. I admire the mushroom that grows in the dank, darkest of places. In fact, it thrives in those conditions. I spent a large amount of time looking for inspirational quotes about mushrooms and didn't come up with anything, but I did come up with this quote on growth. And it's about nature, which is my church.

"Day by day I grow more knowing in the ways of the trees and the moss and the snow on the ground, and all things are my friends."

Knut Hamsun

So here I go into hibernation, willingly. But I won't miss an Illo Friday entry, no sir.

acrylic on canvas 6"x6"

My Best of "IF" Show

Well, as you may have read in my latest post, I had my Illo Friday opening but no pictures were taken because of a camera malfunction. Such a bummer! It was such a wonderful night. It was so great seeing people actually taking time to read the story with each illustration. Some of the comments in my book were so touching! Several pieces sold, bittersweet as that is. Here's what the place looked like after I hung the show. Hopefully when you enlarge the photos you'll recognize the work.

Thanks for stopping by! I couldn't have done it without you and your encouragement!

IF : Life's Extremes

What a fitting word for my 1 year Illo Friday anniversary! It's also been a year since I moved into my studio. I went from trying to find time to create art to having my own space not only to create art, but to display it at monthly art walks and open studio events. That's a huge extreme from painting at my kitchen table!

The other extreme has been becoming a blogger and joining the Illustration Friday community. Not being much of a computer person other than doing a little research and sending emails, I think I've settled in quite nicely with the weekly challenges. It's just what I needed to jump-start my brain and my drawing hand again. As a matter of fact, Fridays have become my favorite day.

And finally, the other extreme is how I went from doubting my abilities to gaining a little self-esteem encouraging me to keep at it. It's all because of the support I get from you. Thanks for helping me grow and stretch and to keep on doing what I do even when I draw or paint something crappy . It's all about the process and doing what we love.

Last night was the opening of my "Wallflowers" and "Best of Illustration Friday" show at studio lolo. It was a smash hit despite my anxiety. ( Sorry, due to a camera malfunction there are no pictures.) I just added pictures of the gallery above, just before the opening :)

Happy Anniversary to me!

Watercolor on Canson Tinted paper, rubber stamped wings, micron pens.

Click to enlarge the pencil lines I didn't erase

This was done for Illustration Fridays "Extremes"

IF : Open Mindfulness

I believe there is magic in every moment. We just have to be open and awakened to it.

Acrylic on patterned scrapbook paper, prismacolor pencils, dragonfly sticker as embellishment.

Done for the Illustration Friday Challenge, "Open."

IF : Chasing away the blues

I could have posted several images today seeing as I always use blues in my work. This is a painting I did called "In the Moment." I remember I had the blues one day and went to my favorite place down the street, Asilomar Beach. My heart was as heavy as the fog on the bay. I saw this lone gull just sitting and looking into the ocean as if all of his troubles were being washed away. He wasn't trying to be anywhere else. He was here, just as I was. He reminded me to be in the moment because that's all we have. So for a while I let the waves carry my blues away and my heart felt lighter.

The ocean is my sanctuary, my chase-away-the-blues place.

Thanks for coming along with me. Here's a photo of Asilomar, so you can see why I love it so.

acrylic on canvas 48" x 24" click to enlarge