And there was Music in the winter woodland nights

and Bear played his fiddle and Fox ice danced

and the Crows watched and sang.

My Submission for Illustration Friday and the word

"Music"

"Shall We Dance"

Well I don't know if it's a Tango or not,

but doing anything like that on Ice skates is a treat to watch.

I have been having fun creating small format art works with a skating theme

for several weeks.

This one is for Illustration Friday and the word "Tango"

It's already sold.

"The Daring Feats of Murray and Marvin"

The little show offs got off to a shaky start but now

they found their groove...

My submission to Illustration Friday and the word "shaky"

This little silly watercolor is currently listed on Ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=360167529671

"Guppy Cat"

Watching the mysteries of the universe float by...

"We are one big family of people, trying to muddle our way through

the unfolding puzzle of life"

Sara Paddington

My submission for Illustration Friday and the word "unfold"

This little painting is a current auction on Ebay..look if you'd like!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=110400391108

"Dinner Date"

I wonder if flies taste as good to a frog

as chocolate does to me?...that's when I know about having a craving!

My submission to Illustration Friday

and the word "Craving".

"Eight is ENOUGH!!!"

I have been drawing and painting a lot this past week...lapsing into looniness again!

When I draw things like this I think I must be cracked!

This one was fun and pretty silly.

It's listed on Ebay....go visit me there.

http://tinyurl.com/qlnec4

My sumission for Illustration Friday and the word "Cracked"

Yup, ....I am..:)

"Hang 20"

"The best lesson we can teach our children is to have fun. It's infectious, it's contagious"

Vince Poscente

Ok...so sometimes I lapse into a little looniness...hope it's contagoius!

My submission for Illustration Friday and the word "Contagious"

"Moon Over Still Water"

Watercolor

5 x 7 inches

Living in the Northwest I see these gorgeous birds along the River edges, ponds.

Stately and still , with their curving necks they are always quite a sight.

When I paint them I try to merge them with the color and light of the time of day or season.

The vibrant color of this one looks beautiful in it's 8 x 10 frame and is for sale.

I can imagine if there was a Daylily parade

celebrating Summer in a fairy garden...this lovely one would march along.

"Daylily Parade"

My submission for Illustration Friday and the word

"PARADE"

After I saw the amazing documentary "March of The Penguins" several years ago, I

thought that rearing young in such a harsh, cold environment like the Antarctic was an impossibility.

This seemingly impossible birth and nuturing of each pair's single chick couldn't

be possible without the single-minded dedication of the parents.

My submission for Illustration Friday and the word

"Impossibility"

The Crow or Raven is a powerful symbol in Native American Mythology and Culture.

This is my submission for Illustration Friday and the word

"Talisman"

“Beauty: the adjustment of all parts proportionately so that one cannot add or subtract or change without impairing the harmony of the whole” - Leon Batista Alberti

My Submission to Illustration Friday and the word "Subtract".

A Homage to the Legendary Tales of Treasure at Sea

and the enchanting creatures of the deep ...mermaids.

My submission for Illustration Friday

and the word "Legendary"

"She Waits in the Moonlight"

Original Watercolor ACEO 2.5 x 3.5 inches

SOLD

"At Forest's Edge"

Original Watercolor and Iridescent Gouache

6.5 x 6.5 inches

Currently framed and available for purchase.

Always returning to the Crow and Raven themes..they are such magnificent birds and so intelligent.

"Lemons, Lace, and Light"

Watercolor on Paper 30 x 40

Sometimes even that which is very intricate can be simple in it's purity

from a distance.

My submission for Illustration Friday and the word "Intricate"

"You Will Be My Wings"

I imagine if you were flying with a bird...the air would feel "Breezy"

My submission for Illustration Friday and the word "Breezy"

9 x 12 Watercolor

"Eye to Eye"

"Watching Me, Watching You"

INSTINCT
an inborn pattern of activity or tendency to action common to a given biological species, a natural or innate impulse.
My submission for Illustration Friday and the word "Instinct".

"Magnolia Music"

Watercolor on Paper

30 x 40

So it is usually in February when a small Magnolia Tree in my backyard blooms. This year it seems not quite there yet at that stage,... can see the buds becoming plump.

So simple to see each one open..each beautiful in it's own particular shape, color.

When this painting was finished and I was about to title it, I set it against a wall to get some distance, take it in.

Looked like the notes on a scale, some beautiful melody.

"Celebrate"

A simple little pen and ink and watercolor in celebration of new life.

My submission for Illustration Friday and the word "celebrate"

There is a certain time in the morning

when the light drifts through the window,

spilling little shafts of illumination.

In it's bright beauty

I am thankful for this time

and a new day.

My submission for Illustration Friday and the word

"Time"

Watercolor 30 x 40

"Dark Night and Rising Moon"

8 x 10

"Silent Night"

8 x 8 inches

I worked on some Heron paintings last week. These two are framed and on exhibit at the

Excelsior Inn in Eugene. Both are for sale, separately, framed.

"Flawed"

her beautiful portrait photo was flawed by the dangling mouse!

My submission for Illustration Friday...and the word "flawed"

"Northwest Icon"

This painting, about 12 x 14 went into the Excelsior Inn and Restuarant the other day, after a

collector had stayed at the Inn and purchased three paintings.

The rich iridescent Gold in the background reminded me of an icon, hence the title.

These are stately, silent birds.

Hummingbird's Home

I really wanted to capture the warm morning light and this tiniest of little

nests that hummingbirds inhabit. I once saw a picture of a baby, way overgrown, bigger than the

little nest really, just clinging to it so he could still sit there. The nests are miniscule.

We get them here in the summer on our beautiful Mimosa trees..and hummingbirds love the pink

flowers on the trees.

This little painting is for sale...it's already framed.

"Upward Bound"

climbing

My submission to "Illustration Friday" for the word "Climbing"

I recently stumbled upon a group that submits illustrations every Friday which relate to a certain topic. This week's topic is the word "Pale"...and this is my first submission.. she walks by the pale light of the moon, "Walk, by Moonlight".

My first couple of weeks of painting again have felt so good..remembering the feel of the paper and vividness of color. I am working on a small series of paintings with birds in them...all Originals are being exhibited and are for sale at the Excelsior Inn in Eugene.

We are laughing a lot lately with our two characters Collie, Nick....and HIS Kitty, Mista Kitty.

These guys are always chasing each other around with big smiles on their faces. They are totally in love...and are very very funny....Collie love...

How to start again?...I just returned to this blog to realize I haven't been here since mid-july...and yes, there is a reason. To try to put it into the short version, July 25th I had a total knee replacement..this would have been enough, but aggravated a back/shoulder/arm problem by using a crutch on only one side of my body..I was miserable with pain and tingling down the arm (ugh) and trying to keep up with yucky knee excercises. One month or so into this I pass a Gallstone and need immediate surgery to take the gall bladder out..OK...I made it through THAT one!..I am just recovering (only ten days) and the disc in my back ruptures and I am back in the hospital for disc surgery. All this 5 weeks ago, Dec. 24 given the OK to start removing the cervical collar I had to wear for 6 weeks and I can drive again!

I hope I never have to write another post like this one!....Started painting and working again about two weeks ago....I am returning to LIFE!