A lovely thing about Christmas

"A lovely thing about Christmas
is that it's compulsory, like a
thunderstorm, and we all go through
it together."

Garrison Keillor

Mary Ellen Chase

"Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind."

Mary Ellen Chase
(1887-1973)

I will honor Christmas in my heart

"I will honor Christmas in my heart,
and try to keep it all year."

Charles Dickens

9" x 12"
Strathmore Bristol Paper

Pineapple

9" x 12"
Strathmore Bristol Paper

Tangerines

9"x12"
Strathmore Bristol Paper

Cherries and Cantaloupe

Other than pasta and chocolate ... I believe I could happily live on nothing but fruit! Cherries, cantaloupe, pineapple, kiwi, peaches, blueberries, bananas, grapes, oranges, mangoes, papayas, figs, apples, tangerines and watermelon ... no wonder fruit keeps popping up in my sketchbook!

Oops ... spell check just "got me" ... seems I misspelled cantaloupe on my sketch! Ssssssssssh!

If you live in your heart ... magic happens!

"If you live in your heart ... magic happens!"

unknown

e. e. cummings No. 2

"I thank you God
for these most amazing days
for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and the blue dream of sky
and for everything
which is natural
which is infinite
which is yes."

e. e. cummings

Sunlight

"Sunlight streaming into a room ... never gets old."

Michael Graves, architect

Just for fun!

This afternoon I found two tiny flags leftover from July 4th and casually "planted" them in a pot of flowers on the patio table. When our kitty arrived for dinner ... she had brought a guest! The two of them gave me just enough time to grab my camera and aim ... before this happy little moment disappeared!

Sunday afternoon

"What we all need is little more magic in our lives."

A Taste of Cafe Lago

After struggling with an uncooperative camera for the last week, I finally have a few pics to share from the current exhibition in Austin. As you can see, July was a good month for this exhibit ... since July 4th is one of my favorite celebrations to paint ... I guess that makes us a perfect match!

Cherish Your Freedom!

Goodbye Mister Twombly!

Cy Twombly died last week ... he was 83. Born in the United States in 1928 ... he had been living in Italy since 1957 creating his simple, breathtaking paintings and drawings.

In the summer of 2005 I had the pleasure of sitting before one of his enormous paintings ... where I gazed to my hearts content ... it was a lovely afternoon!

If you ever have the opportunity to visit a museum exhibiting some of his work, give yourself a treat ... go see his paintings in person. There is a mesmerizing collection of his room sized paintings in the Cy Twombly Gallery at Houston's Menil Museum. Even if you do not particularly care for Abstract Expression ... his paintings will almost certainly whisper something to your heart ... that will make you smile! As for me, I am absolutely captivated by the total freedom of his scribbles and marks as they dance across an otherwise blank space! He painted exactly what he wanted ... as he wanted ... for 83 years ... he was an artist's artist!

Thank you, Cy Twombly!

2 Eggs, Bacon, Toast and Jam Sketch

"I don't wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to work."

Pearl S. Buck

Squiggly Alphabet Sketch

For some reason ... I cannot seem to explain ... drawing the alphabet with my left hand is very soothing to me! This would not be odd at all except that I am right handed which means there is little control over where these marks will lead ... and it is that odd little feeling that has become very, very comforting!

Happy July 4th!

Yesterday afternoon we drove back into town after several fun filled days in Austin! The mission for our trip ... to hang the exhibit for Cafe Lago ... and, we did! After a flurry of tape measuring and hammer banging ... we all took a deep breath and agreed it was "just right" ... then, we packed up and left fourteen "little smiles" hanging on the wall!

Now we were free ... for the next two days ... to laugh and explore the endless possibilities of "food" in Austin! My favorite new discovery on this trip ... Mandola's Italian Market ... the thin crusted Margherita pizza was delicioso!!

Thank you Cafe Lago!

Doodling with Matisse

Yesterday afternoon, looking for a way to escape the summer heat, I grabbed a book from the shelf for a bit of reading. The book, Henri Matisse by Louis Aragon ... a present for my 20th birthday in 1971! With sketchbook and pen nearby, I had a lovely, cool afternoon reading an old friend and doodling ... with one of my favorite artists!

The Bishop's Garden

In the Bishop's Garden today ... you could smell roses and mint and honeysuckle in the cool morning breeze

In the Bishop's Garden today ... you could sit quietly on an old stone bench shaded by a Jacaranda tree

Outside the Bishop's Garden today ... you could see one singing blackbird perched on the back of a very curious longhorn ... wishing to come in!

Where did May go?

Last month flew by ... somewhere in between celebrating Mother's day ... driving to Austin for my nephew's graduation ... preparing for the Cafe Lago exhibit ... and the very humbling experience of watching Oprah's final show (realizing I was 35 when she started and celebrating my 60th birthday the day she said goodbye) ... the month just disappeared ... vanished!!

While we were in Austin, I started reading this book ... "A Homemade Life" ... it was my little treat to me ... read in 15 minute handfuls ... and it was a treat! A very quick read ... fun stories, fun recipes ... and ... best of all ... her final words went straight to my heart! Thank you, Molly!

"Underneath everything else, all the plans and goals and hopes, that's why we get up in the morning, why we believe, why we try, why we bake chocolate cakes. That's the best we can ever hope to do: to win hearts and minds, to love and be loved."
Molly Wizenberg

Happy Mother's Day!

"There is no way to be a perfect mother, but a million ways to be a good one."

Jill Churchill

Flying Dragons

Not too long ago ... but far, far away (West Texas) ... Lizzie and I headed off on our evening walk. This particular evening we decided to head straight instead of turning left ... that is when we made this magical discovery ... the "flying dragon streetlight" ... it took my breath away ... I love, love, love quirky animal motifs! Bear in mind ... this is West Texas ... our favorite motifs are cowboy boots, cactus, roadrunners, chili peppers, longhorns and such ... so a "flying dragon streetlight" definitely stands out in this crowd! Now this new path has become a regular walk ... at least twice a week we head straight ... instead of left ... just to stare and smile! Serendipity ... I think so!

Sidewalks, Chalk and Spring!

Paint and walk Lizzie ... paint and walk Lizzie ... that is my daily rhythm now as I make my final approach towards Cafe Lago! On our evening walks ... colorful chalk drawings have begun to appear ... scribbled wildly across the park sidewalks! There is a joyful energy in these scribbles ... no editing or erasing ... just the marks of a spirited young artist having fun! My smile is always bigger as we silently stroll across this very charming bit of earth!

Road Trip

Last week we drove to Austin to hear my nephew play a cello solo, (it was amazing), we laughed alot, ate too much, played with family (Lizzie came too) ... and, in the blink of an eye ... it was over and time to turn around and drive home ... tired but happy!

This week I have been recovering! The downside of these happy little trips (if there is one) is being away from my studio for too long! With the Cafe Lago exhibit only two months away I am beginning to feel the pressure ... so, I was wide awake and back in the studio at 4:00 am Monday morning trying to get my creative juices flowing again with this little morning sketch!

Now that Friday is here, I am happy to say ... I feel back on track ... the pressure is still there ... but I am making progress again! My current goal is to finish all CL paintings by the time we climb back in the car next month for a return trip to celebrate my nephew's graduation!

Until then ... there is lots to do in the studio!

Hope you have a happy, fun weekend!

Boston Terrier Studies

Today I have been working on the details for one of my Cafe Lago paintings ... a new breed for me ... the Boston Terrier!

Morning Sketch No. 20

"... I am still devoted to the garden. But though an old man, I am but a young gardner." Thomas Jefferson

Twelve Empty Diet Coke Cans

Twelve empty Diet Coke cans ... snipped and glued together by one pair of clever hands ... connected to one creative heart = one very crafty flying machine!!

No, not my heart and hands ... but I did drink the twelve diet cokes!

Morning Sketch No. 19

"I always thought it was wrong to copy ... no ... you learn by copying." Unknown

I am a magazine addict! This mornings sketch is the result of a collision between my desire to read a fabulously fun new magazine ... Where Woman Cook ... and my desire to ramble through a morning sketch! What to do ... sketch and read! So here it is ... one blissful morning sketch done in my studio ... while happily snooping through a tiny New York City kitchen in my new magazine!

Morning Sketch No. 18

"Being productive can bring great peace; I love to work every day." Sarabeth Levine

A Message to Japan

"I have found that to love and be loved is the most empowering and exhilarating of all human emotions." Jane Goodall

Charlie

"...and above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places ... those who don't believe in magic will never find it." Roald Dahl

Afternoon Sketch

"One word frees us of all the weight, and pain of life ... that word is 'love'. Sophocles


In all honesty ... this is an afternoon sketch! Today was a busy day ... with an agenda all its own ... so I took a deep breath and went along for the ride. It was almost 3:00 when I finally sat down in my studio ... brain tired but needing to create ... so I reached for paper and pen and began to doodle ... just like the morning sketch exercise ... only I forgot to set the timer! That meant I needed to decide when to stop. Found out, I missed the BING of the timer and that last burst of energy that comes moments before it sounds ... but even without the timer and the silent energy it adds to these sketches ... this was a fun sketch to create ... I felt refreshed ... and I do love its quirky personality!

Morning Sketch No. 16

"Nothing is really work unless you'd rather be doing something else." James Barrie

Albert Einstein ... Morning Sketch No. 15

"There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle." Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein fascinates me! Last year, I was thrilled to discover a book at Barnes Noble filled with old photos and stories about his life. It has now become my habit to slowly explore the pages of this little treasure chest of Einstein history with a sketchbook and pen. Today ... I enjoyed this little ritual for my morning sketch!

Morning Sketch No. 14

"It's a reactive thing, like a geiger counter; you click whenever you come close to whatever you were built to do." Stephen King


Happy Weekend Everyone!

Caldecott Medal Book 1938

Look what I discovered at the library ... Animals of the Bible, this is the very first children's book to be awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1938!

For those of you who may not know ... the Caldecott Medal is awarded each year to a freshly published children's book. It was named in honor of Randolph Caldecott (1846-1886) ... a beloved 19th century English illustrator whose work brightened the path for children's literature!

Animals of the Bible was illustrated by Dorothy P. Lathrop (1891-1980), another beloved illustrator in the 1930-40's. Her simple pencil and wash drawings seem tame compared to the brightly colored, graphic illustrations of today ... but as I turned the pages ... I knew that this book has been a special friend to many children! So, after a 40 year love affair with children's books, discovering this delightful little bit of Caldecott history ... (and a new illustrator too) ... has been a thrill for me!

(A few of my favorite children's book illustrators over the past 40 years have been William Steig, Ludwig Bemelman, Tomie de Paola, Alice & Martin Provensen, Eric Carle, Arnold Lobel, Margot Zemach, Laura Cornell, Lucy Cousins and Beatrix Potter. But, hands down, my all time favorite is ... E. H. Sheppard ... whose simple pen and ink illustrations brought Winnie the Pooh and all of his friends to life!)

Morning Sketch No. 13

"I have perceived that to be with those I like is enough, to stop in company with rest at evening is enough, to be surrounded by beautiful, curious, breathing, laughing flesh is enough." Walt Whitman

Morning Sketch No. 12

"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over ... it became a butterfly."

Hans Christian Andersen

Morning Sketch No. 11

"Remember ... you are never fully dressed without a smile."

Little Orphan Annie

Morning Sketch No. 10

"I want to sing like birds sing not worrying who hears or what they think."

Rumi

Thank You ... Gloria Vanderbilt!

This is one of my very favorite books ... it is the first "real" book I ever bought! Forty years have passed now and it's cover is torn and tattered ... but, even today, when I hold it in my hands ... it can still transport me back to a magical time in my life!

In 1970, when this book was published, I was a 19 year old aspiring artist. The year before, 1969, Gloria Vanderbilt and her wildly colorful collages of Elizabethan ladies ... made out of bits of tinfoil, paper doilies, gingham and pen and ink ... were introduced to the world on The Johnny Carson Show! Somewhere out in West Texas ... I was watching ... in utter amazement ... and became a lifelong admirer of Gloria Vanderbilt and her art!

Over the next decade, her artwork evolved into fabrics, paper products, sheets, china, housewares and more books ... a mini empire! She became a "rock star" of the art/design world! Her artistic journey was well publicized over the years in magazines and newspapers ... and her generous spirit shared it all ... the good, the bad and the ugly ... she was a real person living an artistic life. Today, she might be more recognizable as the mother of CNN's Anderson Cooper ... but for over forty years ... her own artistic star has been blazing across the sky!

Now in her 80's ... it appears that star is still going strong! I recently read online, that she visits her studio daily to create the wildly colorful, spirit lifting collages that she is still known for today ... and much, much more! Her artistic life will always amaze and inspire me! After a lifetime of following her star ... I am so very grateful for this opportunity to finally say ... thank you, Gloria Vanderbilt!