"It's the LITTLE things"

if you go in for a close up, the word "little" is teeny tiny eensy... LIVING each moment as it comes...

this was on a wall in front of a store. i thought, "how creative"...a pallet with succulents planted in it...CLEVER

This was at sun up one morning this week. I was outside on our deck and didn't alter this one bit. I just couldn't believe the reflections!

Happy Gardening and Sunday to YOU ALL!

...so...my sister came over for a couple of hours wanting to learn some techniques. of course we had tons of fun! after she left, i kept staring and really liking this look...so...

if you enlarge twice and peek up in the right hand corner...there she was, not only the start of her face, but a staff next to her arm as well...hmmm

...and then she emerged! love when this happens!today, she is wearing her polka dot cotton attire with a dyed blue chiffon accent to highlight her garden. there are silk remnants added to some of her leaves as well! *)



well, now i know, this part below about not being able to leave comments...blogger is on the blitz, i couldn't leave you one either, jane. i'm sure it'll straighten out in just a matter of time.

Our Blogs, Our Shared Journey's

Sacramento Delta...flying into home, sacramento, ca.
oh my goodness, my fuzzy mind. after reading each of your messages and re-reading my last post. my mom lingers on, she hasn't passed yet. i will reveal that when it does happen. in the meantime, i shall not keep bringing it up. our blogs are our journals where we tend to reveal much, sometimes.


i am one of those REAL people that does let it all hang out a good deal of the time. i've grown quite comfortable here. emelie, her message was spot on, should you read it. it's a rollercoaster ride and i'm not the only one on it. i am so grateful for your love, GRATEFUL beyond words.

more POSITIVITY coming your way!

xo

NATURE, NANA, MAMA and GOOD FRIENDS!

...and...finally...i painted yesterday. i painted and painted and painted my way into positivity! "tears will continue to bubble up and catch me off guard", my friend janet reminds me...that's okay, it's healing we know! katie, you know your mom's presence has been on my mind lately, so strong the sense, the UNsense. there is love, there is healing. jane, same thing, i think mom will meet your two moms and NANA, seeing the thread that sews us together...the importance of it, the Beauty of it! XO

i've been knitting and crocheting, it's been theraputic of late. i finished two throws and one pillow to match (sort of ish, you know me :)), "no matchy matchy"!

ahh...Nana! the time has flown in so many ways, yet stood still at times with no forward or back. and then the memory of my mama's mama...when i thought nana was leaving forever, i found out she'd be back to whisper in my ear and forever teaches me still...

our girl, showed up at the artwalk thursday nite. she stunned and surprised me, supporting me and holding me up that entire evening. it wasn't in me at the time to celebrate. God's gifts are bountiful!

"sundown" yesterday

the moon, in the distance, high up on a hill with a tree in front of it, such wonder, such beauty!i wish YOU ALL, a peaceful and wondrous weekend!

XOXO

SHE LIVED IN THE GARDEN...

she's just about finished..

flower petals dropped on her clothing

this is how it all started...

with stencils and paint lids and spray paint, oh my...

i have so much to share about art but my heart is too heavy at this time.

i shall be leaving next tuesday, hoping to touch and kiss my mother's cheek, one last time. if not i have let her go and have blown kisses on her wings to fly away, leaving pain and craziness behind.

i wish you all, artful loving days ahead, my mama would wish this for you too.

XOXO

SUMMER WONDERS TO SHARE

i wanted to share a before and after. when we make mistakes it's good to share, and then when we actually fix them, even better, eh?

so...here's what happened...

when i first painted and collaged this piece, i had my own handwriting off to the side, but...

it kinda disappered as it was not waterproof.

sooooo, i printed out text, worked industriously to get the right colors to just kind of fade into the background, yet be legible.

wellll, when i finished that part, they were too big, but had to be in order to cover up the handwriting.

soooo, i put modeling paste through my favorite stencil, it dried and then i camoflauged it into the background with lots of work in paint etc. and then....SHE WORKED! "Before"

"After"AND SHE READS:

"listening long enough to the stories of your ancestors,

to hear them draw in breath

and sing in your soul"

there is some of my handmade "fabric paper" on her dress, a dried flower in her hair and a bit of dyed cheese cloth, up in the corner to tie her all together :))

this old woman doll was such a crack up...and then someone, had the creativity to perch her on a bicycle...annnd my nephew asked, "is that one of those cigarette thingys, women used back in the day?" my sister answered, "yep, it's called a cigarette holder". GOOD ONE CAROLYN!

graffiti in Truckee...inside a cafe...every single inch of wall, tables, benches and floor are covered, so fun to see! annnd, their food is the best in the west!

one of those mistakes (or not) in photography...

my pants in the sky in Truckee California :0)

a sparkling piece of summer heaven

in ANTHROPOLOGIE, looking out the window to the street...so beautiful and inspirational!
A WONDERFUL WISH OF LOVE AND INSPIRATION TO YOU ALL!

XOXO

OUR GIFTS, OUR TREASURED OUTLOOKS, and OUR FRIENDS...

7 or 8
months later...the true colors are in between these two shots, i think

16" X 24" gallery wrapped

it is so astounding to me how...some of our pieces come so easily and some NOT...but in the end i am so relieved and grateful for all i have learned.

my next post is going to be in the same vein (length of time) but am going to show how it just wasn't there, and then "oh no I've wrecked it" and then...no i haven't...and AGAIN, the learning, the wonder of learning, the outstanding learning learning learning...

A VERY WONDERFUL THURSDAY TO ALL YOU CREATIVE CREATORS that stop by over here.

i am trying desperately to stay connected and yet not always visiting you, yet...such hard stuff going on...YEAH...

ART IS HEALING.

XOXO

GIFTS FOR YOU

thank YOU, YAEL, DIANE, HEALING WOMAN, JANE, BUFFY AND CHRIS...i wish, honestly from the bottom of my heart that i could have taken each and every one of you with us.

this is as close as we can get to that, i am GRATEFUL to each of YOU

happy birthday, it was! xoxoxo

PRETTIEST LICHEN TREE, I'VE EVER SEEN :)

THESE WERE ALL on THE YUBA RIVER, HERE IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

Life's bitter sweet MOMENTS...

this sold today in south dakota, in the stagecoach gallery. thank you MARY!

and a good little story with it: a young mother with a miraculous preemie baby, said, "i have to have this" and bought it up.

i love the stories, i adore the stories, the stories are important and life lifting!

i am so in love with these fishing nets, they are every where and all over the place in this town we stay in...santa catalina, panama. it's difficult to capture them on camera, they are so light colored, made out of plastic. catalina is a fishing village first and then all the rest came later...including us.

theron (future son-in-law) and i cooked breakfast together every morning. it was such fun with someone so young, eager and hill air eee us! he was a little scared of how fresh or "what else should we know about these eggs"...seriously

FUNNY AND CUTE STORY:

so, the fam was out on the town (village) in catalina one night. erin (daughter) asked us where the banos was...we pointed, it was very very dark, the door was open, she went in and closed that door. in walked this young panamanian gent, into the men's banos (he's cute too) and he got all flustered and stood there apologizing then left :)

later that night, the younger part of our family went back over to the restaurant to enbibe and dance...we older folk could hear a bit of the laughter and music! (FED OUR SOULS, as we ourselves laid in bed and laughed)

she met up with this guy and he said he was so sorry, he would be over in the morning to give her free surfing lessons, if she was interested...

well she is still going to marry Theron, but she did learn to surf before we left panama!

i'm lettin' it all hang out today...this is my mom and my sister cookie on this last mother's day.

my mama is so sick right now and i simply ask for prayers and good thoughts for our family, esp. for her and dad. they are both 83, in so much pain and i'll spare ya' all the rest of the details. Love and Good Paintings to my Fellow ARTEESTS!

...a little bit of this and a little bit of THAT...

This is yet another page i painted in that book that saved my boredom with layovers in airports in june...:))

...still working on this one...

a summer sunrise here at home...

This appears to me, that this was one HAPPY horse in santa catalina, panama...

Back in the Game of LIfe

(Photo is from the side, trying to avoid the glare...too tired to wait for another, better shot.)

This painting is on plaster of paris, over the top of burlap...i am taking stephanie lee and judy wise's plaster studio class and am in love with plaster...it is also cracked intentionally :)):

Definitely go in for a closer view"HER SALE"

It's rarely about the money.

Sometimes it's just to buy more paint.

It's ALL really about ...

putting ourselves and...

giving ourselves..

The REALITY of ..

Putting ourselves,

Connected in the world with,

Other Selves---

Down on paper, cardboard, fabric or wood.

To tell the world,

To feel the world,

To share our souls,

To tickle our fancies,

To show,

To feel...

Making our passions tangible in some way...

Wanda Marie

July 4, 2011

Life Matters call Me...i'll be back when i'm able...

i wish you all, good flying days in july :))

thank you for the welcoming words, (home from panama) YAEL, JANE and EMELIE! XOXO

This is a peek of a corner of a painting i am working on right now...changing her drastically and loving it...it was one of those THROWN UNDER THE BED SO I WOULD NOT HAVE TO LOOK AT IT ONE MORE MINUTE deals. she's 16" X 20" X 2", so i won't have to frame her. i am still getting ready for the auburn, august artwalk...i'll divulge her soon I HOPE!

i was desperate at times, to draw and paint, so i pulled out a book i was going to give mike, for his library. we all had a good laugh, everytime someone looked through this book, as it has drawings, paintings and collages inserted. this is nothing new for many i'm sure, and for me it was fun! the pages gave immediate life to some sketches and the collage and paint were accepted readily!

i had to throw this one in for mi amiga miz katie, her tostito jar always seems to have some color of blue paint in it...mine had rum, pineapple and some coconut pieces thrown in, katie...i'll fix one for ANY of you, my friends, ANY day you show up on my doorstep!

A girl and her dad as the sun set beyond Penguino's...yep...the peguin restaurant!

the photo is not altered...sooo pretty...we all looked purple for awhile when we were eating at the restaurant :))

Penguino's Restaurant...while the tide was out...it goes up to that wall and has been completely underwater some years and they just keep rebuilding...

this is also at the very end of the village, Santa Catalina where the road ends at the ocean...GOTTA LOVE THAT!

Erin and Theron (daughter and future son in law)

at Peguino's