In the mountains of Santa Fe, Panama

"Town Crier"

did you know some chickens get dressed in the morning?...donning a hat? do i dare come out and show the other ladies my new hat?

whoa...at first i thought there was a monkey or a bear cub in a tree, ready to pounce...

nope...these termite hives can be seen just about anywhere in panama...AMAZING!

a closer view

we found frog eggs in abundance near the earth's floor!

i had never ever seen bananas growing on a tree, so beautiful!!

it's still growing!

leaf cutter ants...the only time i ever saw these, on the history channel...

AMAZING CRITTERS! be sure to enlarge, this was a line of them in the middle of the road! they looked like they were carrying umbrellas for that hot panamanian sun!

see the little girl on the far left in the green shirt?

mike, my brother in law, delivered her in the seat of his pickup truck,
six years ago...he was the only one in the village at the time with transportation to a hospital...obviously they never got that far...she's beautiful, eh?!!!

LIFE IS GOOD!

xoxo

Vacation with my 3 sisters and one collage painting...and wish i could have brought that coastal weather HOME!

these are little teeny sail boats, belonging to a camp for wee children to learn basic sailing...when we rented our little electric boat (bigger than the kid's boats) we didn't know we'd have to avoid them all over the harbour...and can you imagine being a counselor with your megaphone shouting orders and trying to keep the chaos to a minimum, as they loved falling out of their boats...talk about an amusing adventure!!!!
cookie, my sister, was our captain on our electric boat for the day...we were in newport and here she is with a mouthful of "cheeze its"...lets hear it for "cheeze" its on the water, yeah!!!! strolling along the sidewalks in seal beach...i love these things that grow out of the palm trees...i'd love to take just one home to hang from the ceiling...they are sooo pretty, eh?! ...and here on the beach i was amusing myself...seriously, i laughed till i cried...i was messing around with my scarf and instead of putting it back on "all cool lookin'"...i tied it on like an older lady...yeah, older than i am YET....so for your enjoyment as well as mine a second go round...if ya' didn't already know...i am easily amused!!!

graffiti in a beach town...i know alot of you dig this as i do!!! here's our littlest sister with her new "jackie o" shades...oh candy, you are soooo funnny!!! xo thought i should show at least one painting...this is an oldie but goodie, which i had changed after having sanding down some of the extra ephemeral pieces underneath...or else she would have had a bearded cloth net thing hanging off her chin and neck...go figure...never thought i'd resort to sanding my mixed media...but i bet there are others out there that already have!!!

GRATEFUL BEYOND THE WORDS

this picture should have been at the bottom of my post...so what's new with the computer idiot, eh??!! well...i have some great news...i've been really busy getting ready for it...and it still hasn't sunk in...

16 of my paintings are in a gallery now, sitting on the floor, ready to be transferred to a wall, eep!

the gallery is in "old town" auburn, california...a touristy art town, right next to a really cool wine tasting store. the gallery is called the "lighthouse" and is on the monthly art walk, ooooh!

the town and the gallery have year 'round events so there is a lot of foot traffic. "old town" has earned a wonderful reputation for it's arts from san francisco to tahoe, soooo...

this is a break of a lifetime for me, i say! and i have so many people that support me on the home front...but then there's you...i hope you know who you are...oh, i just know you do...i can't make a list and leave anyone out...but have to thank and acknowledge http://www.mizkatie.com/ for encouraging me in all ways, and then bug bug buggin' me (thank God) to put my art work on face book and bam...denise howell (friend, neighbor and real estate go getter) hooked me up with the gallery...denise is on my fb friends if you need land or a home!

i thank you humbly from the bottom of my heart, all you blogging friends for encouragement and affirmations...that send each of us on to do better and better...i am so grateful to my online teachers, my mentor and supporter http://mistymawn.typepad.com/ (as if SHE needs a plug) and my off line teachers, including you miss http://stephanielee.typepad.com/ (and as if she needs a plug either) for believing in me, practically instantly, and giving me a pep talk before showing my wares for the first time in my life!!!

there are more and i know you know who you are...this sounds like a darn academy award ceremony or something...it's just that i am truly grateful from the bottom of my heart for such supportive women in my life...and i hope that i am doing the same for you!!! xoxo

...so here's what my sister, carolyn made me for my birthday and to represent my circumstances.

i love them sooo much, they are sitting on a white shelf in my studio, but the really cool thing is...i can move them anywhere anytime...i love you so much carolyn, but you already knew that :) xo.

I'LL BE OUT OF TOWN, BUT RICHARD'S HERE (that's for the robbers).

I'LL BE BACK ON WEDNESDAY OF THE FOLLOWING WEEK! i am going to see these sisters again...their picture and mine are at the top since i don't know how to fix this mistake...ah mistakes, they are good sometimes....

GRATEFUL birthday present

we are pretty sure there were no houses involved and this is the best birthday gift i've EVER had...too close for comfort...and it's out!

Island of Cebu / New painting

these are all shots on the island of cebu...Pedro took us in his fishing boat...about an hour from santa catalina, panama...a wondrous RIDE and wondrous day on the island!

exposed palm tree roots, when the tide was out

(all the photos can be enlarged)

it was such fun examining all things caught in the roots

if BOATS could talk, eh?...

these two children, were one of my fondest delights on our trip.

this little girl was using the back of the boat for a sand box for a long time...then along came her brother...they played forever, then...the little boy dragged a huge log to the back of the boat, placing it strategically like an outboard motor, gave orders to his little sister, who then jumped into the front of the boat...brother revved up the engine and she pretended to hold on tight...he softly spouted new orders and she threw an anchor over the left side of the boat...then her brother gave added orders...she pulled in anchor, flung (with gusto) it over the right side of the boat into the pretend brink...she turned around, said something, they smiled then laughed at one another...as i sat in the distance with a smile in my heart!

fishing boats that are used daily...along with a couple of beach buzzards!

"holding on to the sweetest things in life"




















SOLD!

Evening in Panama City, Panama / New collage painting

okay...these two pics should be on the vvvvvery bottom of the posting...

time for bed!!!!

i can't pass up the graffiti
all the photos can be enlarged

fabric and paint

22" x 27"

i used paper and paint underneath it all

then painted lightly with titanium white over the top of that

and then applied modeling paste randomly, stamped in some of it

she has a hunk of painted fabric on her sleeves and neck

and another hunk on her dress

there is a hunk of cardboard and various other items on board

"we go on the best trails...me and my dad"

acrylic paints, inks, fabric, chalk inks

Santa Catalina, Panama

one walk through the town of catalina...a fishing village and surf camp place to visit. we stayed in mikes library...like i said before...just above the bakery...yum!

art across the country

best food and drinks!!

the end of the road into catalina. this is where the entire village of children board and body surf and swim...especially if there's a storm and bigger waves!!

part of our trek...through a surf camp to get to the beach for BODY SURFING!!!...have i mentioned that this is my favorite thing to do in the whole wide world...and i'm used to our cold pacific ocean so this is heaven on earth for us!!!!

the tide is out...and it goes wayyyyyy out...so it seems like miles before you reach the waters edge...and what a wondrous walk it is!!!

there he goes to catch a whopper!

post card/not

"mama made us new skirts, and we just can't stop dancing"

`2" X 24" canvas...inks, paints, fabric, stamped letters, handmade fabric paper, cloth, tad of iridescent gold to highlight and trim and lot's of fun thrown in!