Once Inspired

Box of love, '08

2008-11-07T13:20:00.001-08:00

This is my digitally-created card for this year's Box of Love. I used paper and elements from Lliella Designs. , but of course added my own touches as well.

You can find out more about Boxes of Love, and see one of my earlier cards here.

Clique Beetles

2008-09-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

As soon as Dudley rolled into town with his ball of dung, he suspected he might have a hard time fitting in.

For Illustration Friday.

Click Beetles, get it? A clique of click beetles. Ah well, hopefully my fellow bug bloggers will enjoy it.

Current events, illustrated

2008-09-17T19:58:00.000-07:00

What's this? Art?? That I made???

Yes, I actually made something, and I'm submitting it to Illustration Friday for the first time in a dog's age.

The topic this week is island, and my tiny island is really just the backdrop for the double whammy of disasters, both natural and financial that have dominated the news. Fortunately, the little island that is my own life is far less turbulent, but I am a terrible worrier sometimes, and sometimes it takes strong feelings, even negative ones, to jump-start my creativity.

Big Red Sun

2008-08-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

I found a link to this wonderful, artsy-planty-designy place on Gennine's blog, where she was inspired to make her own exquisite succulent arrangement.

Click on the picture to get to their website, then click "explore" to see all their stuff. In particular, I liked the "vessels" section. It's got a rather long slideshow, but they're very beautiful arrangements, well worth it if you have the time. Very inspirational indeed.

Fierce

2008-07-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

Illustration Friday's theme this week has been "fierce". I still check Illustration Friday every week, even though I haven't participated in a long time. But I remembered this old college sketchbook drawing which I had even titled, "one of the Fiercer Animals," which was originally a line from Winnie the Pooh. I went through both a "lioness" phase and a "mythical creatures" phase while in college, and this creature seems to be a little of both.

In the spirit of the original intent of this blog, which was to have a place for my old artwork, I am posting this, but for some reason, I still don't feel ready to link it to the IF webpage. I guess it's just been too long.

Baby Jacob is an angel now

2008-06-04T22:48:00.001-07:00

Here's something I haven't told anyone. Ever since I started blogging more than 4 years ago, I have been drawn to the personal blogs of families with special babies. Some are micro-preemies. Some have serious illness or birth defects. Maybe it's the nurturing mama in me. Or the potential future grandma. I get very "attached" to them. I find their stories much more compelling than any "reality" TV show, and I follow their progress as they struggle and grow and develop.

But sometimes they die.

Little Jacob was born on January 14th, with Trisomy 18. Through his parents, he told the world about his life, his family, his struggles. Lots of people fell in love with him from afar and prayed every day for him, but his illness took a toll on his tiny body and he passed away last weekend.

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "baby", so this picture is in memory of Jacob.

If it's only happening in my head, is it still art?

2008-06-04T08:49:00.000-07:00

I get plenty of creative ideas, but nothing ever seems to take shape lately. Too busy spinning my wheels to actually get it in gear, you might say. But stuff is in there, in my brain, in my heart. Just beyond my fingertips.

Last night, while standing in my yard, I was inspired to create this. I am fascinated with the idea of digital scrapbooking and would like to get into it more.

I also have this recurring resolution to draw something, anything, every day, or at least several times a week. Just sketch out whatever is on my mind, and post it, even if it's not finished, or even very "good." But I haven't managed to do that yet. It's all up here in my head, though, if that counts for anything.

Pink Roses

2008-03-05T19:37:00.000-08:00

Sushi wasn't the only impulse buy I got at Trader Joe's yesterday. This beautiful miniature rose in a little tin pot was only $4.00.

The leaves are deep dark green and so perfect they almost look fake.

And a bonus. It smells good! Most miniature roses don't have a fragrance.

Spring stuff

2008-03-05T13:45:00.000-08:00

I may have mixed feelings about Easter (and Christianity in general), but I sure do enjoy all the spring-themed merchandise that is proliferating in the stores these days. They're bright and colorful, and full of cute animals, even bugs.

These items were stealthily photographed* at Cost Plus World Market yesterday. They are made from thick, brightly colored felt.

baskets

flowers and butterflies. See how thick the felt is?

And look...they have some of those little bug-shaped wood pieces on them. Cue the It's a Small World music.

*Cost Plus doesn't like people to take pictures of stuff inside their stores. I asked them permission once, and they said no. This was before I got my current camera, which is very small and can be used very discretely, and also before everybody and their brother had a cellphone with a camera in it. So as far as I know, all sorts of people are taking pictures of all the cool stuff they have there. But I still feel like I've "gotten away with something" when I do it.

The multi-bug wood piece things

2008-02-23T15:01:00.000-08:00

For Illustration Friday

I still lament the loss of the little bug-shaped wood pieces I used to have. They looked more or less like the unfinished piece in the upper left. I could paint them into multiple kinds of bugs, be they beetles, spiders, flies, bees, or whatever. I once put several of them onto a cute little painted box and gave it away to someone I haven't seen since. I wonder if she still has it, and I'm sorry I never took a picture of it.

To make matters worse, I can't find those little unfinished wood pieces in that shape anymore. I've looked in the local arts 'n' crafts stores and online. I even contacted the company whose name was on the original package, and they told me the pieces had been discontinued. So in a fit of bittersweet nostalgia, I recreated them digitally, tried to make them look 3-D, and "painted" them to look like bugs. I'd still rather have the real wood thingies, though.

If anybody knows where I can get some, please let me know.

UPDATE: Whaddayaknow! Blog-pal Julie found some here. Thanks, Julie!

Felted Wool Art

2008-02-20T14:37:00.000-08:00

Even though I dabbled in embroidery when I was younger, my current encounters with fabrics and thread are mostly limited to repairing holes in socks. (Even the hemming of pants is left to the professionals!) However, I do love fabric art of different kinds, and I recently learned of the existence of felted wool creations.

While browsing through Flickr for something, my eyes came upon this beautiful felted wool painting. The very talented Eden of Handwork Naturals graciously agreed to let me post the picture above. But don't stop with this one. You must see her whole set of Paintings in Wool on Flickr.

Root Beer Floats, anyone?

2008-02-19T19:50:00.000-08:00

Today, in a committee meeting at the arboretum, someone brought up the idea of selling root beer floats in the children's garden during our upcoming Green Scene plant show and sale. She wanted an old fashioned sign on a wooden board. It put such a vivid picture in my mind, I came home and made one in Photoshop.

It also gave me one hell of a craving.

Baby and his blanket

2008-02-01T20:45:00.001-08:00

It's been a long time since I posted something for Illustration Friday. Today, I find that I actually have something that fits the theme.

I embroidered this when I was pregnant with my first child. (That would date it to 1986.) This was a period in my life when I did very little in the way of art, so I remember being very proud of it.

It was actually a cloth diaper, and I had intended to use it as a burp rag, or maybe let the kid carry it if he wanted to, like Linus or something. Turned out, Michael wasn't a blankie type of kid. Brice was, though, but not for this one. He bonded with a little yellow blanket that he had.

I don't think I saved any of their little clothes, and very few books and toys. But I held onto this little blankie baby. Maybe someday, I'll have a grandchild to give it to.

Cosmic Pizza

2008-01-20T10:46:00.000-08:00

Another kaleidescopic image, this time using a picture of beach gravel from

my trip to the Sonoma Coast last summer.

Playin' with food, part II

2008-01-19T22:10:00.000-08:00

I took one of my veggie pictures and put it in KrazyDad's Kaleidescope Maker.

Cool, huh?

You should try making one.

A bounty of veggie, painty goodness

2008-01-19T07:52:00.001-08:00

The other day, I did a fun art project with Mrs. W's class. Printmaking with veggies and fruits. I am going to be doing this at the arboretum soon, so this was a good test-run.

The assortment of cut produce in a colorful pile was so attractive.

Once the kids got going, it was messy and I was too busy supervising them to take pictures. And afterwards, I had to leave in a bit of a hurry, but I did snap just a few shots of some of the prints. They may not look that great, but the kids really enjoyed making them.

When the printing was done, the paint-covered veggies were a work of art unto themselves.

They used my artwork

2008-01-16T14:29:00.000-08:00

And made it very, very PINK.

But at least they used it. Click here to see 3 of the original drawings up-close and colored in.

The tree with the flowers

2008-01-06T13:32:00.000-08:00

This is the tree in my parents' front yard that inspired my current header image. I also posted about it here. It's an evergreen pear, Pyrus kawakami, originally planted in 1967 when we first moved in. It had character, but it was rather oddly shaped and probably not very healthy. My mom didn't like it any more, and she had it removed just recently.

This photo is of one of the tree's spindly branches. I've always found them very attractive. (The flowers don't smell good though, and it doesn't make fruit, just in case you were wondering.)

The leaves turn very colorful. I painted these back in 1976. Even though my parents' tree is gone, there are still plenty of these trees all over the place, and I still love to collect the leaves.

Working on the blog template

2008-01-05T17:37:00.001-08:00

In addition to taking down the holiday header picture, I am finally doing a little housecleaning in the sidebar area of this blog. You may see some things come and go, or maybe change colors, until I decide I'm satisfied.

Window shopping at Carruth Studios

2008-01-04T21:42:00.001-08:00

It started the other day, when I saw a picture online of a guy with his Christmas gift: a sculpture of a slice of bread with a face. Intrigued, I followed the link to the Carruth Studio, and was rewarded with an online catalog of wonderful, whimsical creations.

These are just a few of the many pieces that caught my eye.

Beach day

2007-12-26T16:40:00.000-08:00

Pictures taken 12-23-07. A little digital beachcombing.

Just like the beautiful rocks of the desert, these ocean rocks and shells are at their most magical only when I first see them in the sand. The magic diminishes somehow when they are removed from their environment. So I brought home only a handful of treasures. All these pictured above were left on the beach.

3 drawings

2007-12-22T21:19:00.000-08:00

These were sketches for an arboretum flyer that I don't think they're going to use, but I liked them, so I colored them in just for fun.

Vermicomposting

Carniverous plants

Prehistoric plants

Ornament show & tell for 12-22-07

2007-12-22T16:24:00.000-08:00

First, I'm posting a little better photo of this ornament. The outer part of the star is clear acrylic. The center is opaque. I have it strategically positioned in front of a light so the dove is illuminated.

This felt kitty-angel was crafted by Jerry's uncle Noah. He was a gifted artist. You can see more of his creations here and here.

This is the nativity set that I painted in 1979.

I call this shepherd "Burt", because it reminds me of Burt Reynolds, at least how he looked 29 years ago.

One more Santa.

And this year's poinsettia.

I love the green and red leaves, the rich red, and the splotches of white.

I think this will conclude my Christmas show & tell. Have a good one everybody.

Ornament show & tell for 12-17-07

2007-12-17T19:51:00.001-08:00

For Michael, 1996

For Brice, 1996

Also for Brice, 1997

Another old fashioned Santa, undated (probably from late '90's)

OK, I didn't make this one, but I like it, especially with a light glowing behind it.

Ornament show & tell for 12-14-07

2007-12-14T20:26:00.001-08:00

From 1982

From 1996

From 2001

I painted this dancing Mr. & Mrs. Claus for my in-laws back in the early 80's. They kept it out year-round. We took it back after they were both gone. I think it symbolizes the love of his parents. They're dancing somewhere, in a dream.

Andy Goldsworthy

2007-12-10T21:09:00.000-08:00

I just discovered the art of Andy Goldsworthy.

Look.

If that makes you want to see more, you can go to this Digital Catalog and view his works by year, by form, by materials or by location. The catalog only goes up through 1986 though. If I find more recent stuff, I'll add it later.

Ornament show & tell for 12-10-07

2007-12-10T19:26:00.001-08:00

Sleeping mice

One in a matchbox.

One in an old lantern.

Ornament show & tell for 12-9-07

2007-12-09T18:52:00.001-08:00

I painted this one for our dog Maggie while she was still alive. After she died, I gave it angel wings.

Ornament show & tell for 12-8-07

2007-12-08T20:54:00.001-08:00

I painted some for the boys, so when they leave home they will have some ornaments for their own Christmas trees. These were from 1997.

For Brice

For Michael

Ornament show & tell for 12-7-07

2007-12-07T16:35:00.000-08:00

I think I started painting ornaments when Jerry and I first got married, in 1979. Back then, I found a whole series of bisque ornaments featuring cute little mice. I called this romantic pair, "Married Mice", and I painted wedding rings on them.

See the ring?

Ornament show & tell for 12-6-07

2007-12-06T18:51:00.000-08:00

I remember painting this one while on jury duty, while hanging out in the juror waiting area.

This one is bisque porcelain and 2-sided.

This year's Christmas tree

2007-12-05T20:26:00.000-08:00

This year we have a full size tree for a change. I had to rearrange furniture to make space for it, but I didn't want another tabletop "Charlie Brown" tree, like we've been doing for several years. (Even though I'm not Christian, my husband grew up with a tree and likes to have holiday decorations to feel the holiday spirit.)

It was good to see all the old ornaments again. I painted a lot of them myself. They are plaster and bisque. I will post pictures of them between now and Christmas.

This one is from 1996. I like "old fashioned" Santas.

Like stained glass

2007-11-30T21:39:00.000-08:00

While working with the photos for this Bug Safari post, I was taken by the vein patterns on the wings of the mantis. It reminded me of stained glass, and I couldn't resist putting the same shot through photoshop to make it look even more so.

I heart purple cactus

2007-11-11T10:08:00.000-08:00

...and heart-shaped, too!

signage

I saw these cacti at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden.

Succulent flowers

2007-09-15T07:56:00.001-07:00

I don't know the name of this plant. I bought it a couple of years ago, delighted by the plump, fuzzy leaves that look like animal paws. They have recently bloomed for the first time. Look how pretty!

And fuzzy, too!

Homeless cuttings

2007-09-15T07:48:00.000-07:00

Months ago, I cut off some of my succulents that were overflowing their pots. They seemed too pretty to throw away, but I didn't have the space, new pots, or even the proper soil to put them in. So I tossed them into a little wooden box, and there they have stayed, month upon month, looking as lovely as ever, even putting out roots that had nowhere to go. Now they are a beautiful, perfectly composed picture in their own frame.

Bring it on

2007-09-14T21:49:00.001-07:00

I am so ready for fall.

Garden visitors

2007-08-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

For Illustration Friday

Earlier this summer, I created a Bug Safari coloring book for the arboretum.
This is one of the pages. I colored it digitally.

The text for this page reads:

In Your Own Backyard

Lots of bugs like flowers,
so plant some in your yard
and see what comes to visit!

Predators may be waiting
patiently for some unlucky bug
to come too close!

Look for leaves that have been nibbled.
If you see some frass (bug poop),
there may be a plant-eater nearby.

Tiny stapeliad flower

2007-08-23T15:47:00.000-07:00

I got this plant at the arboretum this past spring. This week, it flowered for the first time.

It has the classic stapeliad star-shape. And it's really small.

Here it is next to my other stapelia, which was nice enough to give me a flower to compare the size. I made a slideshow of that plant last year.

The voluptuous caudex

2007-08-23T15:29:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures of my adenium obesum plants. I have had them for several years, and seen them grow from tiny cuttings to these flowering, fat-bottomed mini-trees.

A poem

2007-07-21T19:20:00.001-07:00

New artwork (at last!) and and old poem for Illustration Friday.

When I was a kid, there was a cabin in Lake Arrowhead we would rent for a week or two in the summer. It was old and rustic. My room was up in the attic (with the spiders!) But it was still fun, and I remember this poem was framed on the wall up there, with a picture of a cute kid who was daydreaming under a tree or something like that. I wish I could remember exactly how it looked. The picture and the poem together were just perfect for the lazy days of summer.

Not a substitute for content, but.....

2007-06-17T14:53:00.000-07:00

Spring is over, our trip to Death Valley has come and gone. So time to change the banner. This is something I threw together sometime last year. It will have to do for now. I have been rather unproductive in the art department lately. Personal issues have stifled my creativity and my mental energy. So I'm lucky at least I have this pre-made banner to stick up. Hopefully I will have the time and the desire to do some fun stuff this summer. And I'm going on a road trip tomorrow with Brice.

Wish me luck.

Garden Scene with Chevette

2007-05-26T13:56:00.000-07:00

Automotive-themed artwork for Illustration Friday.

This is a sketchbook doodle from way back in '76! The memory is a bit foggy, but I think this was around the time I had (finally) gotten my driver's license, and was looking for a first car. I remember test driving a yellow Chevette and liking it very much. Somehow I turned it into this little homage to Eureka's Garden. There was definitely a connection between the idea of this car and Fred, whose family had Chevys. My dad, who was advising me and assisting me in all aspects of tire-kicking and financing, was far less impressed with it, and eventually got me a Ford.

Anyway, after dredging this old doodle out of obscurity, I stuck it in my Art Machine and colored it in, as you see below.

The Buddha's hand

2007-05-13T22:23:00.000-07:00

New artwork for Illustration Friday

We have a Buddha's hand tree at the arboretum. That's one weird looking citrus fruit.

Vegetable Art

2007-04-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

Who hasn't seen these whimisical produce-inspired creations? I got these in an email the other day. I have seen others like these, but not these particular ones. So here they are. Isn't this better than opening up an email that you have to click on 4 FW's before you get to the actual message, and then open up each image individually? Yes, of course it is!

Kudos to the creative soul who did these. (There was no credit given in my email message.)

Victoria's Art

2007-03-17T15:36:00.000-07:00

I went to a local “craft boutique” today. Cute, fun, handmade stuff, with the emphasis on spring, (whereas the fall shows have tons of Christmas things) For the most part, it was all stuff I’d seen before, but there was one booth with something different that I really liked: art made from leaves, flowers, bark, etc. Very similar idea to the leaf art Mrs. W.’s class made, only more intricate.

There were many different scenes. I only took pictures of a few. The photos came out a little glary because they were in an outdoor booth, mounted under glass, and you really need to see these in person to appreciate them, but you can click on them to enlarge them, and see the details a little better.

The flyer at her booth says, (in part)

The pictures that you are looking at are not paintings or photographs. These compositions are made of real dried leaves, flowers, plants and tree bark. The drying process is based on special technology that preserves natural colors and shapes of material used in art works. The artist uses watercolors on the ground, cornhusk or colored paper and every piece is hand placed with glue. Much is done with tweezers and magnifying glass. All pictures are three-dimensional and every picture is unique, as no two pictures are the same. It is not possible to make prints or copies that closely reproduce the look of the originals. All pictures are made by Larisa Thaney and her daughter Victoria Goncearenco in their studio located in Los Angeles. Every single work is full of harmony, warmth and deep vision of life…

Victoria’s Art received awards at Ojai, CA “Art in the Park” honorable mention in 2004 and 2006, First place at studio City, CA “Art in the Park” 2005, Second place at Lake Arrowhead, CA “Art and Wine Festival” 2005 and honorable mention award in Sherman Oaks “Art in the Park” 2005.

Dropping out of class?

2007-03-14T16:12:00.000-07:00

I’ve decided that this botanical illustration class is not for me.

I thought it was going to be an art class. I was wrong. The finished product may be a work of art, but the process involved to produce it does not involve the creativity and the joy I have always associated with making art. In its place, there is precision, structure, and strict discipline, to which, I find, I am ill suited.

For the first 30 minutes of our 3 hour class today, we had to sit and watch as the instructor discussed basic leaf structure, and how the leaves are arranged on the stem. I found that part to be reasonable and appropriate. (Finally in this third class meeting we were getting to the botanical stuff!) But then she spent the next hour discussing how to accurately capture the proportions (using calipers) and perspectives, and she demonstrated how to create a rubbing, turn it into a tracing, and make a precise “map” of the veins of the leaf. During all this time, we students were watching and listening, not drawing. It was all I could do to just sit still and not scream. At one point, I literally couldn’t take it anymore, and I actually started laughing. When she asked me what was so funny, I told her that the “intensity” of it all was freaking me out a little. I didn’t want to tell her that I was giggling to let off steam so I wouldn’t scream and run out of the room.

And when we finally commenced to our rubbing and tracing, it was in silence. No music. No talking. Way too quiet. Two weeks ago, I had interrupted the silence in our first meeting to express a desire to have a radio going or something. She said some people might find that too distracting, it might break our concentration. I found the silence distracting.

In all fairness to the instructor, botanical illustration is obviously something she is passionate about, and I well understand the desire to share one’s passions with others. Her lessons have been well planned, and she has given us a lot of information. I have gotten enough information to determine that I do not wish to continue. I also have a strange sensation. Is it my brain hurting, resisting the exacting nature of these illustration lessons, or is it the desire to counteract it with something intuitive, creative and fun? Maybe it’s both.

Last week's lesson. Light and shadows as per diagram.

Last week's "homework": Trace something

A bit of this week's lesson, at least as far as I got with it. See, I can do it, I just don't like it.

Hide

2007-03-04T21:14:00.000-08:00

New digital art for Illustration Friday

Art class today!

2007-02-28T18:07:00.000-08:00

The good news is that I had my first lesson in botanical illustration today. This was the class that I missed last fall, and now they're having it again.

The bad news is, I didn't get to draw anything botanical yet. And I probably won't get to until the third class meeting. The instructor is taking things very slow, so today we "got to know our pencils."

These are my pencils saying "How do you do?"

I suppose this is good practice for me, getting back to basics before I attempt any real drawing. It took me the better part of 2 hours to fill in all those squares, and when I finished and checked around me, my classmates, (3 other arboretum ladies) were still hard at work. How did I manage to blast through my lesson so fast? Did I miss something? Was I too sloppy? I didn't worry about neatness too much. But when I look at the meticulous and delicate renderings of seasoned botanical artists, they are like photographs, not a pencil-stroke out of place. I don't know if I have it in me to be that fussy anymore. We'll have to see what happens next week. We'll be drawing and shading geometric shapes.

Death Valley art

2007-02-24T10:31:00.000-08:00

As the time gets closer to our Death Valley trip, I look forward to it, and worry at the same time whether or not we can actually take the truck. There are only "extended-cab" seats in the back, very uncomfortable, and even if Brice and I trade off sitting back there, it's still going to be crappy. And if we take the Honda, there goes any chance of getting off the pavement. That would bum Jerry out terribly. We haven't decided yet what we are going to do, but I still want to go, no matter what.

In the meantime, I am visiting a lot of Death Valley stuff online. Here is a page from a pair of artists who painted their way through Death Valley.

Link to free mandalas

2007-02-19T20:00:00.000-08:00

This website has free mandalas you can download. Then, you can print them out and color them, or save them in your computer and color them digitally.

Free Mandalas

Beautiful art glass

2007-02-16T12:41:00.000-08:00

I was watching Huell Howser on TV while I ate my lunch. He was visiting a place called Orient & Flume, to see how the artisans make beautiful glass pieces. I found their website.

Introduction to ArtRage

2007-02-14T17:34:00.000-08:00

I found ArtRage over a year ago, and have really enjoyed it. Another talented AR user has made an introductory video that shows how it works with a simple painting.

If you want to try ArtRage, (there is a free version, but the full version is just 20 bucks), click here.

James Hubbell

2007-02-13T11:37:00.000-08:00

Last night I checked my online TV listing to see if there was anything good on. I saw a listing on PBS for a show called Eye of the Beholder, The Artistry of James Hubbell. Never having heard of him, I did a quick Google search, and as soon as I saw pictures of his work, I leaped from the computer to the TV. He has a wonderful, organic style that brings the forms and colors of nature into the home, and lets structures be part of nature. (Well, that sounds corny the way I'm describing it, but his projects are incredibly beautiful and alive. (aack- more corn, sorry!))

I think his program is making the rounds on PBS stations this week. Hopefully I didn't catch it at the tail end of its run. Watch it if you can.

He also has an extensive website with some pictures of his work. I put a few below.

Sproutin' legs!

2007-02-06T20:10:00.000-08:00

For Illustration Friday.

Quite possibly the most exciting time to be a tadpole.

Grandpa Harry on Flickr

2007-02-04T20:27:00.000-08:00

I set up a bare-bones Flickr account a long time ago, and never really did anything with it. I had been thinking about upgrading it for a long time. Well, I finally did, and the first thing I've done is load a bunch of Grandpa Harry stuff. Click here to see.

Mandalas!

2007-02-03T21:48:00.000-08:00

I have no idea why I suddenly decided I wanted to make these designs. I found a website that has mandala software, and another online mandala generator. It's in Hungarian, but it has only a few controls and I figured it out. Here is a leafy mandala I made.

Online mandala generator.
Below is a little diagram of the screen with my translations added.

1. Erase
2. Clear
3. Grid thingy hide/show
4. Choose how many segments for your mandala
5. Vary line thickness.

The color picker is pretty basic and simple. It takes just a few minutes playing with it to get the idea. One thing I was not able to figure out was how to save my finished mandala, so I just made a screen shot and edited it in Photoshop.

I'm going to make some more. If anyone reading this makes a mandala, please let me see it! And have fun!

*Update: Fellow blogger and nature lover Kat has posted a mandala that she created to honor the memory of the whooping cranes that died in the Florida storm a few days ago.

Fuchsia Flowers

2007-01-26T20:44:00.000-08:00

Red for Illustration Friday.

This was a linoleum print.

I have another special red post to share. Please click here.

The Red Jug

2007-01-26T20:33:00.000-08:00

I couldn't resist posting this as an Illustration Friday supplemental, even though it isn't my artwork and it's way old (1920's or earlier). It is part of the portfolio from my Grandpa Harry, and is one of the few items for which we found a sketch and a "finished product."

At The Bedside

2007-01-25T10:49:00.000-08:00

This is a photo of the original drawing, dated 1911. Grandpa Harry would have been a teenager when he drew this.

The same drawing brightened in Photoshop. This charming drawing clearly depicts a moment in time from somebody's life. Unfortunately, it asks more questions than it answers, not the least of which are Who were these people?

The lost art of Harry Bernstein

2007-01-25T09:10:00.000-08:00

The drawing above was made by my Grandpa Harry, perhaps 90 years ago. I never knew my grandpa. I was just an infant when he died in 1957. This picture hung in Granny's house until her Alzheimer's disease put her into a care facility. In the subsequent breakdown and liquidation of her household, my parents got custody of the drawing. There was also a thick portfolio of other drawings by Grandpa which had surfaced briefly. I swear I remember seeing it once. Then it disappeared again into obscurity for about 20 years, as family members eventually lost track of who had possession of it.

Grandpa Harry's portfolio was finally found again at the end of last year. It was fun to see all his old works. Many of the figure drawings are dated from 1917, and bear a resemblance to the kinds of life-drawing sketches I did in college. My favorites were his botanical drawings and a few very old sketches of what appear to be scenes from his childhood. (The latter are dated 1911. ) The drawings are, almost without exception, exceedingly fragile, having been made on newsprint and other modest papers, and stored for many decades in conditions that probably did not enhance their preservation.

My mom urged me to take home whatever I wanted, but I have no place to put them, so I took pictures of everything that caught my interest. I have been trying to restore them in Photoshop. I will post what I can over time.

41 years later...

2007-01-14T20:46:00.000-08:00

This birthday card that we made for my Granny has just been rediscovered in my uncle's garage, along with a wonderful treasure trove of artwork and sketches from my Grandpa Harry, who died almost 50 years ago.

Coincidentally, Granny's 110th birthday was today. (She died about 20 years ago.)

I tried to brighten it in Photoshop.

I actually remember making this card with my dad, although he doesn't! I was nine at the time. I think I did the flowers and Dad did the rest. I thought it was very clever and funny. One thing I didn't remember was this little disclaimer on the back of the card:

Phoenix

2006-12-31T23:35:00.000-08:00

For Illustration Friday

I started this in ArtRage, and finished it in Photoshop. Unfortunately, for some reason it looks darker on my blog page then it did in Photoshop. I tried to make it a little lighter in the second image. Don't know which one I prefer, so I'll just keep both up for now.

Happy New Year!

Mary in a bottle

2006-12-23T10:09:00.000-08:00

Amid the clutter in Eleanor's house, a small artifact became special to me over the years. It was a little religious decoration that Jerry had made in about the 3rd grade. A tiny figure of the Virgin Mary stood in a little blue bleach-bottle shrine, decorated with stones, bark and plastic ferns and flowers. For over forty years, it remained on the kitchen windowsill, silently keeping watch over the family. Time passed, other things on the windowsill would come and go, but Jerry's little shrine always remained.

During Eleanor's final weeks, she started to give informal verbal permission for various family members to take this item or that. I told her the one thing I really wanted was that shrine, and she said I was welcome to it.

After she passed away, we took pictures of everything in the house before we started packing everything up. I wanted to remember how it was.

At last she was mine. She had become covered with a sticky film of dust from neglect, and her plastic plants were brittle and rotten. I didn't even know where I would keep her. Of course, my first thought was my own kitchen windowsill, but it's too narrow. So I ended up putting her on my wall unit, and next to her we put Eleanor's rosary beads that she had been holding during her last days. I carefully washed Mary and all the little stones, and I found new plastic ferns that looked like the old ones, only new.

I am not Catholic, of course. Not Christian. Not even Jewish, really, except by birth. But I am touched nonetheless by the peace that this woman radiates. I am grateful to have had the chance to witness how important she was to Eleanor and her church ladies who came and prayed the rosary with her. I am touched somehow by Mary's grace, and comforted to know that she continues to watch over her family.

Peace be with you.

I made cookies

2006-12-19T16:57:00.000-08:00

After helping at a gingerbread-man-decorating session at the arboretum earlier this month, I was inspired to create some cookies of my own for our Nature Guides pot-luck luncheon today.
I based my designs on the 4 biomes of our CEEP program. (Childrens' Environmental Education Program)

This program is for 3rd graders in the Fullerton School District. They visit 4 different biomes at the arboretum to learn about plant adaptations: The desert, the tropical rainforest, the pond, and the coniferous forest.

Naked cookies

Clockwise from the top: pinecones, tropical leaf (drip-tip!), opuntia cactus, water lily

My favorite was the leaves!

Nostalgia...

2006-12-17T21:45:00.000-08:00

...for the beautiful colors of fall, at their peak now.
Soon they will be gone.

They are also the colors of the 70's.
Harvest gold, avocado green,
Orange and yellow.

I think if I could,
I'd go back to the 70's.
I was younger then, with
So much energy.
And those now long dead
Were still very much alive.

I treasure the memories.
As I treasure the beauty of the leaves.

Drama Club

2006-12-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

For Illustration Friday's current theme: mask

When Michael was in high school, I designed this logo for his Drama Club's t shirts. It was originally black on white, but they reversed it, and printed it on black shirts. I thought it looked pretty cool. I have been after him for the last couple days to find me the actual shirt (which he still wears!) but he couldn't. (so disorganized!) But at least I still had the original image on the computer.

Michael took theater classes all four years and just loved it. As a parent watching him perform, I couldn't have been more proud if I were the mother of an Oscar-winning actor. Sadly, he hasn't done any theater in college.

Here he was, on the right, as Nathan Detroit in Guys & Dolls.

In the blue shirt, with cast members from Noises Off.

Create a snowflake! (UPDATED!)

2006-12-05T17:33:00.000-08:00

Click on the picture to go to their website. It's fun, and it benefits the Salvation Army.

Update: While viewing random snowflakes, I chanced upon one with a link to another related snowflake-creating site. It has tips and tricks for making really awesome snowflakes, most of which I am incapable of understanding/replicating. But do look at the incredible work done by others!

Purple-y blue

2006-11-29T13:36:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite colors of succulents.

Invention (?)

2006-11-26T10:47:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if this would actually be considered an invention. It's more of an idea. I got this idea a long time ago, and it comes back to me every time I eat ice cream right out of the carton. In fact, I always planned that if Illustration Friday had a topic for invention, this is what I would do:

My invention (or idea) is to have lines on the inside of the carton, so you (theoretically) know when to stop. I wonder if that would help?

I also did a drawing this way, from the point of view down inside the carton. Jerry said it didn't "read" as well, but I'm posting it anyway.

Shiny baubles!

2006-11-25T11:12:00.000-08:00

Last year, I was bummed because a certain store would not allow me to take pictures of their beautiful glass ornaments. This year, I broke the rules, in stealth mode, with my new little camera.

I don't want to put them on my tree. I just want to look at them. They are so beautiful.

Orange for fall

2006-11-24T17:54:00.000-08:00

Already, the world of commerce has changed colors, from the rich browns and oranges of fall to the red and green of Christmas. I just want to savor fall a little longer

Fallen seed pod

2006-11-24T17:48:00.000-08:00

Colorful succulents

2006-11-24T17:45:00.000-08:00

If anybody cares....

2006-11-17T22:25:00.000-08:00

Memes are interesting. They let people reveal random facts about themselves. Sometimes I see where people get "tagged" with a meme. That has never happened to me, but this meme seems to be up for grabs, so I'm taking it.
(I grabbed it from Snail's Tales.)

Explain what ended your last relationship. He was too slow to make a commitment. (It had been 5 years!) I was tired of waiting. I found Jerry.

When was the last time you shaved? Last week.

What were you doing this morning at 8AM? Stretching exercises in the living room, while watching TV.

What were you doing 15 minutes ago? Reading other peoples’ memes.

Are you any good at math? Um, no. I have a mental block about math. I have others do math for me.

Your prom night, what do you remember about it? Sitting at home. I never went to the prom.

Do you have any famous ancestors? I wish.

How many different beverages have you had today? 2: I had a smoothie for breakfast. And only water for the rest of the day.

Do you re-use towels after you shower? Yes… (what a question!)

Some things you are excited about? An upcoming cactus and succulent show at the arboretum. Using my new camera.

Do you sleep with the door to your room open or closed? Until recently, I used to sleep with it open. Lately I’ve been leaving it closed to keep my dog in there with me. Otherwise he is in the livingroom at 2AM, barking to go outside. With the door closed, he stays quieter at night, and doesn't ask to go out.

Who did you lose your CONCERT virginity to? Does a Rogers & Hammerstein concert at the Hollywood Bowl count? I was 12, maybe. My first (and only) rock concert was Golden Earring. They might have just been the opening act for someone else, but I don't remember. I was a teenager. It was…interesting.

Last thing received in the mail? a prescription

Do you like what the ocean does to your hair? Well, it’s been a while. Let’s see: Salty water, sand, beach “gunk”. I don’t think so.

Have you ever received one of those big tins of 3 different popcorns? But of course! The caramel corn went first, then the cheese. The plain stuff was last.

Have you ever been to a planetarium? I think so, when I was a kid, but it was a long time ago. I want to go to the Griffith Park Observatory It has just re-opened after being closed for remodeling for 5 years.

What's the most painful dental procedure you've had? My many crowns and root canals were each performed under adequate anesthesia, thank goodness. I did have braces for 7 years as a kid, and the monthly visits to adjust and tighten everything were a pain, in more ways than one.

What is out your back door? Some displaced garage-junk, our barbecue, a few plants.

Any plans for Friday night? This is Friday night, and I’m doing it now.

Do you ever leave messages on people's answering machine? Yes. Isn’t that what they’re for?

Do you draw your name in the sand when you go to the beach? No. And this is even more pointless than the hair question.

Have you had to take a loan out for school? No. (Thanks, Dad.)

Do you know the words to the song on your MySpace profile? I’m not hip enough for Myspace. That’s why I’m on Blogger.

What is your favorite flavor of JELL-O? Red.

Describe your keychain(s). It had a little metal tag with a sun on it that said Death Valley. Then the tag fell off. Last year, Mrs. W. gave me a cute little ladybug keychain. Then the ladybug fell off. So right now I just have a plain ring with a bunch of keys on it.

Where do you keep your change? My pockets, my purse, my car. We also have jars of coins that used to belong to Jerry’s dad.

When was the last time you spoke in front of a large group of people? What do you consider large? I give tours at the arboretum all the time, but usually not to more than 20 people at a time. I did speak briefly at a city council meeting last year. There were maybe 80 people there.

What kind of winter coat do you own? This is Southern California. I don’t have a winter coat. I usually don’t need more than a jacket. If it’s really cold (daytime highs in the 60’s!), I layer up a little.

What was the weather like on your graduation day? Not that I really remember that far back, but again, I refer you to Southern California. In June? Probably overcast.

Box of Love

2006-11-17T15:45:00.000-08:00

Recently, my neighbor asked me if I would like to participate in the Boxes of Love holiday food drive sponsored by her church for local families in need. I told her I would, so she gave me the box, and a list of food items that I was to put into it. The list was very specific, and required what I considered to be very simple basic items: Canned fruit, soup, beans, rice, etc. I was instructed not to change or add anything.

There was also a small strip of paper which I could sign and "decorate if desired". Here was my chance to give someone a little something personal. I decided to share with them a few of the things that bring me joy, in the hope it might brighten their day.

Finding a little joy has sort of been my motto for the last few years. I am thankful to be able to enjoy these simple pleasures on a regular basis. And, for me at least, the things I treasure the most are even better when shared with others.

Whoever you are, I hope you are able to find joy in the simple things. I hope they will lift your spirit as they do mine.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Botanical Art class...Looks like fun...

2006-11-03T16:31:00.000-08:00

Every Friday, the arboretum sends a bulk email to all the members, to let them know about events taking place this weekend. Today's message included a blurb about a class in botanical art. I'm sure this was in our fall brochure and I just didn't notice it. Tomorrow is the first of 5 Saturday classes in the series, and the last day to sign up. I wish I had found out about it sooner. I almost want to do it! The creator of this class has also put together a nice website: ArtPlantae: Home Page

Edit: OK, just as I was contemplating actually going to that class tomorrow, I realized I would not be able to make it to some of the other class dates, due to previous obligations. But I may just stick my head in the door and see what it's all about...

Unfinished business

2006-11-02T19:55:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted anything new in a long time, but I have been drawing and playing around in ArtRage and Photoshop. Nothing I'm really wild about; I just don't seem to have the patience to finish what I start. Anyway, here are a few recent things that I did.

This is one of those Japanese carp windsocks. (Illustration Friday's theme this week is wind.)

This was something I made for "Red Ribbon Week".

Here are a couple of altered photos:

Here's a couple of friendly seed pods.

Summer's End

Some Black and Orange things

I was smitten back then....

2006-10-16T20:46:00.000-07:00

This is a photoshop-facelift of another oldie. The original was drawn with colored markers back in the 70's, when giddy ripples of young love streamed from my soul.

Discovering Shag

2006-10-12T19:19:00.000-07:00

This morning, I took Spike, our beloved bearded dragon, to the vet for a check-up. (At 10 1/2 years old, she has been in declining health recently. ) My trusty reptile vet has a new office, and he has decorated it with lots of retro-tiki-style artwork. As I waited while Dr. Greek worked on Spike in the surgery area, I looked at the fun and interesting art on the walls. Most of them were prints by Shag.

So when I came home, I looked up Shag, and found out he is from right here in So. Cal. And apparently his stuff is pretty popular. Here is his website. You can click on different gallery shows to see lots of his work. I liked ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS , which are his stylized tributes to works by other famous artists.

He also has a myspace (well, actually it's not run by him, but it's about him, made by his friends, according to the page. This Shag has quite a following!

One of my favorite pictures in Dr. Greek's office was The Melancholy Wolfman.

Oh, and about Spike: She has a tumor in her mouth and another one at the base of her tail. At this point, Dr. Greek doesn't think she's in any pain. At her advanced age, it's not advisable to do surgery on her. He gave me some medicine for her, and says we can just keep caring for her as we have been, and take it one day at a time.

A change of seasons, a season of change

2006-09-20T21:17:00.000-07:00

Old artwork (new for you) for Illustration Friday

With the approach of fall, the leaves are beginning to change colors. (Yes, even here in So Cal...on certain trees at least.)

It was not until I became an arboretum docent that I learned why leaves change. It is because the chlorophyll, the stuff that makes leaves green, has gone, making it possible to see all the other colors which were there all along, just hidden under all the green! For a more complete, (but still simple) explanation of why leaves change color, click here .
I painted this leaf back in the 70's, but it still looks like it just fell off the tree.

Fall is my favorite time of year, if anybody cares to know.

Pretty succulent

2006-09-08T22:15:00.000-07:00

Once again I am posting some nice botanical shots. Not exactly art, but I did take the pictures and I like them. So there.

This is a recent planting at the arboretum. It's called (Echeveria ) Silver Onion.

I just love the coral pink flowers against the dusty blue-gray leaves. And how the graceful arch of the flower stalk echoes the circular shape of the plant.

Coleus

2006-09-08T22:03:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of my front porch plants.

Artificial palm tree

2006-09-08T21:48:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to take a picture of this tree since they put it up behind our neighborhood supermarket earlier this summer. It disguises a signal tower (or whatever you call it) for cellphones.

There are several real palm trees in the parking lot. Here's one for comparison It's a Mexican fan palm. Not sure what the fake one is supposed to be, but it's clearly a feather palm of some kind. The least they could have done is make them with the same kind of leaves.

Stapelia flower

2006-09-04T21:45:00.000-07:00

I like stapelia flowers because they have such a weird look to them. My stapelia plant started as a single arm that I pinched from my parents' plant. It has grown very slowly for me, and after 3 or 4 years, I finally have a flower! I took pictures of it every day as the bud grew and slowly opened. So I decided it would be a good subject to try this slide show feature.

Wacky things running through my head...

2006-08-26T16:44:00.000-07:00

This week's Illustration Friday theme is Run. And I have come up with a couple of silly, cartoony ideas.

From the classic telephone prank, "Is your refrigerator running...?"

Inspired by the near constant soundtrack of baseball games on TV at our house: A blimp's eye view of a home run.

Where the #@*&% is the artwork??

2006-08-22T21:56:00.000-07:00

I haven't been very productive lately, art-wise. Maybe I'm just having a dry spell. "Artist's block", (you know, like writer's block, only with art.) I'm having trouble with my thumb and wrist, and it hurts to hold a pencil or stylus for very long. Excuses, excuses. I'll get back into it eventually.

In the meantime, here's something old. Not too old. But cute. I painted this little toad a few years ago. It was unfinished plastercraft. It was on a stick, meant to be inserted in a potted plant. I took out the stick, and he sits on a bookshelf.

More pretty food

2006-08-22T21:43:00.000-07:00

I love figs!

Colorful jumbles

2006-08-21T21:56:00.000-07:00

My eye and is drawn to things in colorful jumbles. Below are a couple of recent inspirations.

This was my breakfast yesterday. It looked so pretty, I had to take a picture of it before I ate it!

Jerry cleaned out his side of the closet and decided among other things, that he didn't want these crochet-covered hangers any more. I'm saving them, though. My Granny made them. She made tons of them when she was in the early stages of Alzheimer's, and it was one of the last purposeful things she remembered how to do.

Granny, early 1970's

You can see some other colorful jumbles from previous posts here and here.

Capture

2006-08-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

For Illustration Friday

I'm getting this in just under the wire, but at least I'm doing something this week.

I used to try catching critters this way all the time when I was a kid. It never worked, though.

Crepe Myrtle Mania

2006-08-04T21:37:00.000-07:00

I haven't really felt much like drawing lately, but I figured I would post some of nature's beauty that I have been enjoying lately. I don't know if our recent hot weather had anything to do with it, but the crepe myrtle trees have just exploded in bloom, and now we are having the colorful fallout everywhere.

These first shots are from the arboretum.

Here's some of the "fallout" I was talking about.

I have a white one in my back yard. When the wind blows, the blossoms fall like snow. It's so pretty. I tried to take a picture of them falling, but as luck would have it, the whole time I sat out there waiting, there was no breeze.

In the front yard: these are our "street trees". On a hot evening just before sunset, our tree was literally aglow.

I tried to capture the sunset illuminating the flowers. It gave a magic moment to an otherwise boring suburban street.

Yes, it's blurry. I still like it.

The gutters filled with fallen flowers.

...and so did my car windshield.

Opposites

2006-07-21T07:52:00.000-07:00

Old artwork for Illustration Friday

Originally titled Bird Logic, from about 1976.

A digitally-altered version of this print has been gracing my banner for several months now. But the real deal is this collagraph, my first and only. It’s old, of course, but one of my favorites, and lot of time and thought went into making it.

The image portrayed the opposite aspects of my own personality. On the one hand, I felt shy and wanted to remain sheltered in my own familiar surroundings. This was the blue bird, curled up, and with the paper details recessed in the printing process. But I had another side that was more adventurous and outgoing and wanted to fly beyond the confines of my everyday life. This was the orange bird, with the paper details popping out, and the bird literally flying out of its protective circle. The orange and blue colors are even opposites, of sorts, but I have muted them somewhat, so they can coexist side by side.

I saved all the original components of this print, because they are little works of art in and of themselves. (and because, you never know, I may someday get a chance to try to make some more prints!) You can see how I had to build them in layers, and the plates were the opposite of how they would print out, with the shy bird raised up and the bold one recessed.

As for the prints themselves, I made only a very few artists proofs. Getting the ink colors right, and actually printing everything without getting any stray ink blobs was really hard, but the whole process was very satisfying.

Note: Once again, my technical ineptitude has gotten the better of me, and I somehow managed not to upload the thumbnail with my link to IF. Thank you for finding it anyway!!

Sacrificed for science

2006-07-19T08:34:00.000-07:00

For Illustration Friday

As much as I love finding, collecting and observing bugs, I don't have any desire to collect the dead specimens. Some people collect them as if they were stamps or matchbook covers.

Just another example of innocent creatures being sacrificed in the name of science. In some cases, I suppose it's justifiable. But I would rather just see the live insects, or at least a great photo.

Skyline: Photoshop variations

2006-07-11T17:48:00.000-07:00

I took a photo last year from a hilltop park near my neighborhood and created the image below. (even signed and dated it!)

Now this week's Illlustration Friday theme is skyline. I fiddled around with some other ideas, but nothing that pleased me as much as this picture. Except maybe for the variations below.
Because they originated from a photograph, I am not going to submit them to Illustration Friday, but I will post them here just the same.

The original photo

Another square for my project

2006-07-01T10:41:00.000-07:00

This is the 3rd piece. I have one more that I'm still working on: a frog. I have re-worked it 3 times, and I'm still not happy with it. If I can only finish that part, then I can start assembling the whole thing and doing the trim.

Work on this project has been slow and sporadic. I hope I get motivated to finish it soon. This is supposed to be a summertime decoration.

Progress on my project

2006-06-22T18:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been working on my project. I spent a lot of time thinking about it. Deciding exactly how I wanted it to look, and then trying to figure out how to actually do it. And I have been doing some actual work on it. So here's what I have so far:

I feel a project coming on!

2006-06-09T13:10:00.000-07:00

I'm not 100% sure what all this is going to turn into, but if it comes out good, I'll post a picture of it.

Old Artwork: The red parrots

2006-06-07T06:38:00.000-07:00

I like it when one of my old artworks surfaces after many years. My dad sent me this. He thinks it belonged to his aunt and uncle, now long passed. I don't really remember painting it, but Dad says my signature is there. It's probably from the early '70's. I'm not really sure where the painting is now, but I would like to see it again and take a better picture someday.

This is a photo of a photo of the painting. It's out of focus and angled slightly.

This is the same image, straightened up and brightened up a little bit, and digitally re-framed.

Altered photos

2006-06-06T21:30:00.000-07:00

I haven't really felt like drawing much lately, but I have been playing a bit with Photoshop. Here are a few of my latest favorites. They are all from pictures I took.

Chandelier in the East Room at the Nixon Library

The first rose of spring

The trail to the creek where I found baby toads

Some flowers at the edge of the park

Cake time!

2006-05-27T15:39:00.000-07:00

New artwork for Illustration Friday.
Sorry about the double link. This is my first time using the new IF format, and I guess I goofed the first time.

I hadn't felt too inspired by the last couple of IF topics. Actually, when the topic was Angels and Devils the other week, I did a picture of Angelfood and Devilsfood cake slices, but I wasn't happy with it. When I saw cake as this week's topic, I tinkered a little bit with the Angelsfood and Devilsfood picture, but I still didn't like it. Then I decided just to do something silly and fun, and yes, with bugs! So here it is. Sometimes it's better not to overthink stuff, I guess.