Essere Italiano

12 x 12, oil on canvas

This is another study from the workshop featuring the gorgeous turquoise shade of blue that Dreama often speaks about. And no, she isn't really my cousin. And if you must know, George Clooney isn't either. But I am Italian! Actually I'm sort of Italian. Kinda. Somewhat, that is. Well uh...more or less...

"be a singer

be a lover

pick the flower now before the chance is past

Be Italian, Be Italian!

live today as if it may become your last"

Fergie ("Nine")

cousin daisy

12 x 12, oil on canvas

I recently had the honor of painting for a few days with my Kentucky cousin Dreama Tolle Perry (she would tell you that "our people" hail from Italy). In addition to painting, we share a love of writing, reading Deepak and Dwayne, keeping up with our kissing cousins George and Johnny... and did I mention all things Eeeeetaly? I would recommend her workshops but because her calendar is already filling up for next year, I'll just say please save a space for me...

"We've had cloning in the south for years!

It's called cousins"

Robin Williams

perpetual mornings

10 x 12, oil on canvas

"To those whom elastic and vigorous thoughts

keep pace with the sun,

the day is a perpetual morning"

Henry David Thoreau

Henry D. had me at hello. I fell madly in love with him during my 17th summer, and his timeless words still "blow my mind off" (as my favorite little muse would say).

How could I keep from falling for a guy who savored all that is magical and ethereal about summer mornings, nature, and life?

"Perpetual Mornings" that last all day? Oh, YES PLEASE! Sign me up. I'll take mine with a cup of tea, a fresh bouquet and an inspirational read. Cheers to the extra hours of daylight that have f-i-n-a-l-l-y arrived in time for new discoveries, new paths, new insights. And cheers to all the Henry D.'s who inspire us to keep pace with the sun.

the color purple

9 x 12, oil on canvas

"The Infinite has written it's name on the heavens

in shining stars,

and on Earth in tender flowers."

Jean Paul Richter

the sum of all colors

8 x 10 , oil on canvas

"A mentor is someone

who allows you

to see the hope inside yourself...

As you become more clear about who you really are,

you'll be better able to decide what is best for you -

the first time around"

Oprah Winfrey

plays well with others

6 x 12, oil on canvas

Since reading Lucinda Rooney's book Bouquets With Personalities, I will never again see my garden flowers in quite the same way. She cleverly notes how flowers exhibit a variety of personalities both in the garden and floral arrangements, and asks us to consider that some flowers are bold and exhibit "type-A" personalities that demand center stage (birds of paradise come to mind). Meanwhile others, she explains, serve as "peacemakers" and "team players" because they support the stars with their shape, color, texture, and variety that enhances the overall harmony of the design. And still, there are a few unpredictable "troublemakers" that are difficult to control, but when used properly, offer a unique richness all their own.

And my beloved peonies? She notes that they, along with garden roses and ranunculus, embody a romantic "gentle strength" whether used alone or in a bouquet. Love that!

"When working with the distinct personalities of flowers,

try to relate even to the difficult ones with grace and candor.

Never try to force a relationship...

Flowers, like people, are wonderful to work with

once you know how to relate to and handle their individuality and purpose".

Lucinda Rooney

a place in the sun

6 x 8, oil on canvas

"In every moment of our existence,

we are in that field of all possibilities where we have access to an infinity of choices.

If you and I are having a single thought of violence or hatred against anyone in the world in this moment,

we are contributing to the wounding of the world."

Deepak Chopra

dandelion princess

8 x 8, oil on canvas

a sunny sailor,

strong, spirited swimmer

and sculptor of sand.

a spellbound artist

in a splashy sea of pink,

and stylishly sequined shoes.

a sincere and soulful singer

in a swirling skirt.

self-confidant and strategic,

sensitive and supportive;

a spectacular speller,

snappy sleuth

and serious scientist.

a shamelessly silly

supervisor of scout,

a sister in september.

a snugly sugarplum

and softhearted smiling star.

six going on seven.

fcp

Pomp and...

Mother's Day Roses

8 x 10, oil on canvas

Happy Mothers Day to all my mother/sister/daughter/friends who make the world a better place each and every day.

And best wishes to all the hard working graduates who are moving onto brand new chapters of their lives!

And a sprinkling of humor to keep it all in perspective....

"Giving birth is little more than a set of muscular contractions granting passage of a child. Then the mother is born"...Erma Bombeck.

"Children seldom misquote you. They more often repeat word for word everything you shouldn't have said." Mae Maloo

"My mother had a great deal of trouble with me. But I think she enjoyed it." Mark Twain

~~~~~~~~~

"Commencement speeches were invented largely in the belief that outgoing college students should never be released into the world until they have been properly sedated."

Garry Trudeau

"Your families are extremely proud of you!

You can't imagine the sense of relief they are experiencing ~

This would be a most opportune time to ask for money."

Gary Bolding

"A professor is someone who talks in someone else's sleep"

W. H. Auden

Roses for Rosie!

8 x 8, oil on canvas

Saturday's Kentucky Derby will feature 23 year old jockey sensation Anna "Rosie" Napravnik; only the 6th woman ever to make it to there. She says her mom, who is an avid, accomplished horsewoman in her own right, taught her everything she knows. Look for Rosie at the starting gate (in the middle of the pack in her pink and orange silks) aboard Pants on Fire.

And let's hear it for the girls!

"Every decision you make impacts your career....the sky's the limit"...Anna Napravnik

May Day! May Day!

8" x 8", oil on canvas

April showers brought

mold,

mildew,

thunder,

lightening,

hail,

tornadoes

and flooding.

And yet...

the flowers outside my window

have courageously popped their heads up

in search of the Sun...

inviting,

coaxing,

cajoling,

begging us

to follow their brave example.

All In All

12 x 16, oil on canvas

The grey skies of winter have lifted -amen!

The trees and flowers are putting on a show -achoo!

The studio windows have opened -again!

And the jockeys are ready to go -at last!

portrait artist

I was most fortunate to have my portrait rendered this weekend by an artist simply known as A. Although this artist has never taken a drawing class, never studied color theory, and is not the least bit concerned with the "rules" that govern shapes, values, composition, line, form, and function; I can assure you that, at age five, she understands all there is to know about the creative process. Eliminating judgement and worry that her work may not be "good enough"; she intuitively understands the importance of rendering the essence of her subject.

My artist began by pointing out what she sees in me (my love of painting, the fact that my favorite red lipstick is more pink than red, how my eyes sometimes look blue/sometimes green depending on what I am wearing, and last but not least, how we both agree that the most important criteria for choosing a great skirt is whether or not it "twirls" when you walk). If you look closely at her depiction of the painting on the easel, you will see that she has drawn the two of us holding hands, and simply written "you/me" - an economy of words that say everything. The best artist for the job may not be the one with the most technical skill or years of study under her belt. She will not be focused on the shape of your lips, but on the warmth of your smile. She is the one who always "gets you" - and the one who sees and paints your spirit.

"Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe,

a moment that will never be again.

And what do we teach our children?

We teach them that two and two make four and that Paris is the capital of France.

When will we also teach them what they are? We should say to each of them:

Do you know what you are?

You are a marvel.

You are unique.

In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you.

Your legs, your arms, your clever fingers, the way you move.

You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven.

You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel.

And when you grow up, can you then harm another, who is like you, a marvel?

You must work, we must all work, to make the world worthy of its children"

Pablo Picasso

a trip down memory lane

"Walnut Grove" for JCP

6" x 12" oil on canvas

My sister, brother and I played among these walnut trees as children and relished the boundless magic endemic to our grandparents' home and farmland.

Just over the hill was a fragrant apple orchard - the thought of which always reminds me of this wise old Welsh Proverb:

"A seed hidden in the heart of an apple is an orchard invisible"

...and this most enchanting observation by Rabindranath Tagore- who surely knew a thing or two about magic, wonder, and the infinite charm of nature:

"The touch of an infinite mystery passes over the trivial and the familiar,

making it break out into ineffable music...

The trees,

the stars,

and the blue hills

ache with a meaning

which can never be uttered in words"

the daily round

12 x 16, watercolor

"We should return home from adventures,

and perils and discoveries every day

with new experience and character."

Henry David Thoreau

Enchantment by the Sea

12 x 16, oil on canvas

"There is a garden in every childhood,

an enchanted place where colors are brighter,

the air softer,

and the morning more fragrant than ever again"

Elizabeth Lawrence

all hearts day

Dear Mr./Ms. Sun,

I don't want to appear selfish and ask you to "Be Mine" on this day, but please, oh please, could you just "Be Here" for awhile? I have really, really, really missed you (three reallys).

love,

your devoted fan

"Love is not selective,

just as the light of the sun is not selective..."

Eckhart Tolle

valentine to the world

"If anything matters,

then everything matters,

Because you are important,

everything you do is important.

Every time you forgive,

the universe changes.

Every time you reach out

and touch a heart or a life,

the world changes.

With every kindness or service,

seen or unseen,

my purposes are accomplished,

and nothing will ever

be the same again." ~

William P. Young

the present moment

6 x 8, oil on canvas

"Events in our lives happen in a sequence in time,

in their significance to ourselves they find their own order,

the continuous thread of revelation"

Eudora Welty

The King of Blues

B.B. King's Blues Club, Nashville, Tennessee

8 x 16 oil on canvas

Baby, it's cold outside...more snow on the way? But the music is hot in here..."global warming" at its best. Cheers!

here's a little history - "Blues Boy" King began recording in the 1940s and is still going strong today. In the 50s he narrowly escaped a fire when performing; only to race back in and retrieve his $30 acoustic guitar. The fire started when a scuffle broke out over a woman named Lucille, so B.B. named his guitar after her (and subsequent guitars) to remind himself to never fight over a woman.

Because Bowling Green, Ky is halfway between Nashville and Louisville, and a similar distance between Chicago and New Orleans; it became a popular gathering spot for musicians like B.B., James Brown and Ray Charles in the 40s and 50s. Always willing to share his love of music, he has since played with musicians from every walk of life; even opened for The Stones in the 60s. I've written about the 10,000 hours of meaningful practice necessary to become a master..well, you can do the math for B.B. but I can tell you in his case, it all adds up to a new level of mastery called The King. In addition to his many honors and awards, he has received honorary doctorates from six universities - uh, yeah, you read that right.

Let's face it, when you have music in your soul, the thrill is never gonna be gone. Thanks, B.B.!

"Jazz is the big brother of the blues. If a guy's playing blues like we play, he's in high school. When he starts playing jazz it's like going on to college, to a school of higher learning.

The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you."

B.B. King