HAPPY NEW YEAR!

H A P P Y   N E W   Y E A R !

 It has been a very busy year! 

I can't quite believe that December is almost over and January is around the corner!

When I was young, just the year 2001 seem so far away. So futuristic! Now it will be 2014!

My prayer for the new year is this:

That the world is filled with love, goodness, truth, prosperity, and common sense.

Wishing you love and happiness in the new year!

G O D   B L E S S ! 

Tis' the Season!

O Come Let us Adore Him!

Okay, okay, I am listening to Christmas music and I got inspired. Here is hoping the spirit of Christmas comes your way and fills your heart during the holidays!

M E R R Y   C H R I S T M A S !

Yikes! Christmas is Around the Corner!

Joyful Snowman

I have been asked to speak to the Lakewood Art League this Monday and offer a design for raffle. 

My brain went dead. If I offered a letter that would only appeal to those with a connection to that letter.

As I started to work on some ideas I was also slowly panicking at the idea that Christmas is making its approach quickly. So I figured since Christmas around the corner, maybe a snowman would be good for raffle. So I dug up a design a did years back and updated it to give it new life and cut me some slack in the lack of time department. So here he is.

Just 39 days till Christmas!

 

Tea Pot Glory

Tea Pot Glory

I have had artist block. 

I am blaming it on day light savings time. 

I hate the shorter days and the gray skies we have been having lately. My body has not acclimated to the cooler weather. I have just gotten over a miserable cold. Norman, my husband, keeps quoting "Game of Thrones" saying "Winter is Coming". This does not help my mood.

So I needed to do something bright and cheery. Maybe this is dedicated to all the herbal teas I have been drinking for my cold and sinus, but I do love the fall flowers, the oranges, reds, and yellows of the leaves, and the heavenly scents of herbal teas.

Stay well my friends.

The Letter G Makes a Great Goose!

G is for Goose

Must be October that is inspiring this palette. 

I am back to creating more illustrated letters, as in this case the letter G to add to my Alphabet Soup collection. 

George makes a great goose with his grasshopper pal Greg.

The Letter L for Lion as Well as for Leos

L is for Lion 

I have discovered that to many letters are personal. As I have started to sell prints of my illustrated letters, I get a lot of welcome feedback as well as ideas. 

However, in this case, this one is a bit more personal for I am a Leo as well as having my last name start with an L. 

So here is another letter L for the Alphabet Soup Collection.

animals posters

alphabet posters 

Seeing Halloween

Spooky Owl

 When designing greeting cards Halloween was always a favorite. Here is another new design celebrating the fun of Halloween.

halloween posters

 

Keeping it Positive

Promise

I am always amazed what a difference a day can make. 

 Here is hoping for a beautiful September!

floral posters

BOO!

BOO!

August is only half over and yes, I am starting to see HALLOWEEN decor in the stores and showing up in catalogs. It is scarey! Someone was complaining that after this weekend, their pool is closed down for the SUMMER! How could this be?

Growing up school didn't start till after Labor Day in September. Now kids are going in August? It is like we are speeding up the clock. I dread the days getting shorter. I treasure the sunlight. I still want to hang on a bit to those lazy crazy days of summer before I face the falling leaves, short days, and frost on the pumpkins.

But for those who are starting to prepare early, here is something to get you in the mood.

The Letter "Blue" J

The Letter Blue J

During the Lakewood Arts Festival it became apparent that I needed to come up with another J for the next festival that is to be held in Berea, Ohio this September 8th. The little girl holding the jump rope in the shape of a J was not quite neutral enough.

Not an easy task. A blue jay sounds fun until you try to have him resemble a J. But here he is all ready for the fair.

birds posters

Having Fun...Bon Appetit!

Bon Appetit

Here is another example of a second look. You look at something you did and are not quite satisfied. So later you come back to it with a fresh eye and make some changes. 

I am not a vegetarian, but I do have diet restrictions. This leads to somewhat embarrassing situations when in restaurants and being a guest at someone's house, especially because I don't like to put people out. So here is a little humor on the subject.

country decor posters

I've Got a Letter!

I've Got a Letter!

While coming up with another idea, I thought of how long it has been since I got a letter.  Email, Twitter, Facebook, and texting has sort of made letters a thing of the past. Not that they don't happen, but they are rare. They were always the bright spots among the bills and advertisements. Occasionally there is a greeting card for a birthday or holiday with a written message, but their numbers are in the decline as well. So getting a real handwritten note from a friend is a special event. 

So this is dedicated to all those who still like to pick up a pen and write. It is an art that is still appreciated.

Second Look

Home Sweet Home

I had posted an earlier version of this design at the beginning of June.  I had returned home after attending the burial of my mother five hundred miles away in a place where she could be next to my dad. The trip had left me drained and it was good to be home. 

Taking a second look, the design looked a bit unfinished.  Most likely I was tired and in a hurry to post it. But now that I am getting ready for the Lakewood Art Festival this August 3rd, I thought this design needed a bit more work if I wanted to include it. So here is the new version.

This is for all those where home is a special place where one can let their hair down. It can mean the place of family or a loved one. It is for those where home holds memories and if good, our hearts delight upon seeing and being home.

   H O M E   I S   W H E R E   T H E   H E A R T   I S

The Letter D as in Dolphin

A Darling Dolphin for the Letter D

Yes I am still doing more letters. I am getting ready for the Lakewood Art Festival this August 3rd in downtown Lakewood, Ohio.

Thought it would be nice to do a dolphin. I fell in love with dolphins down on the Emerald Isle coast in North Carolina. One jumped out of the water in front of me about ten feet away. I clapped. For a moment it felt like sea world, but it was only me as its adoring audience. It is a memory I will always treasure.

The Letter F for a French Fox

The Letter F

A French Fox holding a flower  finally came to mind for another illustration for the letter F.

B  O   N   J  O   U   R   !

Sunday Thoughts

Count Your Blessings

This was my start on the other letter C idea which evolved into something else. 

This was going nowhere until today. 

I had a hard time getting to church this morning. I made it which is blessing in itself. I often underestimate the power of going to church. It is like taking vitamins for the spirit. We often overlook the many blessings that are poured into our lives. Large and small they come even in some of our darkest times. Some our subtle till you look back and see their magnificence. The blessing we seem to forget the most is God's unending love for us. It is a blessing we should remember at the beginning and end of each day.

So in my thoughts of blessings, my C for cup evolved into a cup that runs over with heavenly blessings to count and remember. And to remember this:

G O D   L O V E S   Y O U !

The Letter C for a Very Cool Compass

The Letter C for a very Cool Compass

Okay, I was perplexed as what to do for another letter C and to stay away from it being cute like the last one. I start with looking at words in the dictionary. This one did not come easy at first. I confess I have another totally different one on my desktop that is not a compass, but a C for Cup. It wasn't working for me. I needed a new direction. HA! So here it is.

The Letter B for Birdcage

The Letter B

I had thought of a birdcage when I did my first letter B, but then I got enamored with bamboo of all things. But I finally got around to creating it. Then all things went silly as you can see. I guess the added cat beasties can have a bird questions its existence.

Hello Summer!

Hello Summer!

I have been sketching while watching my grandson in the screened in solarium. From there we get to see the flowers in my garden and to hear the birds serenade us from the trees. 

This illustration is to celebrate the first day of summer.

country decor posters

The Letter A is for Arbor

The Letter A

I have been thinking of adding vowels for my letter series. With summer around the bend, the trees are lush and green, and flowers are in bloom everywhere. Garden centers are a buzz with not just flowers but garden decor. So being in a summer mood, a garden ARBOR came as an inspiration for the letter A.

H A V E   A   H A P P Y   S U M M E R !

The Letter E for Elephant

E is for Elephant

I decided to do another letter E for my Alphabet Soup Illustrated Letters series. 

The first E that I did for the series was using evergreens, so as I was sketching this evening I thought an elephant would be fun. Besides I so so love elephants!

So now I am thinking of illustrating some multiple variations for the series to give more variety, especially if one wants to spell out a word and needs a double letter. 

Sigh! This will keep me busy to be sure!

Rise and Shine!

Good Morning Rooster

I have never been a morning person. 

Getting up early to start the day like a shot out of a cannon is not me. 

But as Father's Day approaches, and I think of my Dad, I remember that he was a morning person.

Up early with the radio blaring, my Dad would yell "Rise and shine!".

Funny the things you miss.

M I S S   Y O U   D A D !

Home Is Where the Heart Is

There is no place like HOME

I have found in all my travels, that even though I love to go visit and sight see, that there is no place like home.

Life is a Bowl of Cherries

Life Choices

I have been busy of late. It has taken me a while to do this one. Maybe it is an age thing, because the older one gets the more one reflects on their life choices and what fruit it bares.

Rainy Days In April

Another Rainy Day

This is my 3rd version of this umbrella. Maybe because April is so full of rainy days. I first created this umbrella a couple of years ago in April with a yellow bird and no a flower, and revised it for a blustery autumn rainy day with lots of leaves, so here it returns with hopes of May flowers and sunny days to follow.

Seeing Tulips!

Yippee! Spring is Here!

From the bleakness of a long Cleveland winter I am thrilled to finally see my tulips make their appearance. So of course, I had to do an illustration of tulips to celebrate their long awaited arrival.

tulips posters

The Letter R for Rabbit

The Letter R

The last time I did the letter R is was around Valentine's Day and I connected it to looking for Mr. Right with the R as a superhero. Maybe because it is shortly after Easter or that I am born in the year of the Rabbit you see this cute rabbit before you evolving out of the letter R.

S is for Seal

S is for Seal

I am doing a show this summer which will feature my illustrated letters. I just realized my letter S that I created awhile ago is more holiday piece. So here is a new letter S as a cute seal in a sailor hat holding a starfish.

Ranunculus Inspiration

Ranunculus on Blue

After playing with pansies, I felt like I wanted to do more flowers. Ranunculus with it many petals caught my interest. Although stylized here, they make a bold statement. So here is a pop of color to brighten any gray day.

Picture Pansies

Pansy Passion

 I use to think of pansies as being old fashioned but I thought they could look a bit contemporary with a different look. So here our some pansies for spring and warmer weather!

April

April

Okay, okay, I know we are not half way through March, but after the snow flurries today, I am pushing for April and forsythia! I know its yellow flowers of sunshine make a brief appearance, but it is the promise of Spring! 

The Letter G Canvas Print

The Letter G

I have started to reproduce my letter illustrations on canvas rapping them on thick stretchers. Although I have some printed out on archival paper and framed, I like the look of them in a gallery canvas wrap. Of course this means going back and designing the sides, but that makes it all the more fun like visiting an old friend. Each letter in the series will be 8" x 8".

Ah, March!

Good bye February! Hello March!

I am counting the days till spring. This winter has been exceptionally GRAY. I need sunshine! Here is hoping with the oncoming of spring this March that we will be greeted with more blue skies and rays of sunshine to chase the winter doldrums away!

Consider the Lily

With all the whites and grays of winter I think I needed something bright and cheerful.

Here is a lily that I did with a new background.

Check out society6.com for all kinds of goodies where this lily appears.

http://society6.com/PictureBookDiary/Orange-Lily-yO0_Print

You can get a tote bag, or a cover for you lap top or cell phone. Even a throw pillow!

Anything that will take away the dull colors of winter.

Winter Blahs

Feeling kind of nutty as January drags on.

The squirrels outside my window were not defeated by the snow as I am. The were busy looking of lunch and kept my cat Katie entertained.

Only 4 more days of January to go!

February

February

I know it is still January, but I am already thinking of February. 

Because of Valentine's day, I think of February as a romantic month. Romance brings warmth to this winter month and rescues us from the winter blahs. So here's to February, love and romance!

January

January

I am feeling January with all the snow outside. Now that I am retired and not designing in a windowless cubical, I get to drink in the seasons and see the changes from month to month.

January is the beginning.

The days are now getting longer rather than shorter.

It is snow and quiet.

It is a time of hibernation.

It is a time of books and contemplation.

It is a time to dream.

January's gift is the rest needed before wakening.