Vacation!

Beach Scene by Edgar Degas

I will be away for a few days on a beach vacation. See you all in the New Year!

Monday Mantra: Take A Chance

Image courtesy of zenogames.com


Go on, take a chance with your work. Do something risky and see where it leads you. I dare you!

Inspirational Quote

Edgar Degas, Danseuse au repos, 1879

Art is not what you see, it's what you make other people see.

Edgar Degas

Wordless Wednesday

Claude Monet. The Magpie. c.1868-1869. Oil on canvas

In The News; A Colonel Who Also Paints

David Richardson, R No. 14

This was in the New York Times a few days ago. What an interesting life! Lt. Colonel David Richardson paints when he is not on military tour. I love how at the end of the artice he says he doesn't discuss art while with the Marines and he doesn't discuss his Marine life when he is with other artists.

You can find the article here.

Monday Mantra: Just Keep Swimming

Do you remember what Dory says to Nemo in the movie "Finding Nemo"? "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming." And that is what I need to do. I just have to keep on swimming and all will be well. I need to keep going. Sometimes I get to a point where I want to give up and I do give up. But I can't do that anymore. I will make it to the other side where I will be happy with my work.

Iced Vovo Painting

Iced Vovo, Oil on Canvas

Wordless Wednesday

Blue Hat, 2003: Alex Katz

In The News

Mona Lisa, Leonard Da Vinci

Is it true that Leonardo da Vinci painted tiny letters into the eyes of Mona Lisa that may finally reveal the disputed identity of his model?

Go here for the article.

Monday Mantra: Prioritize

Image courtesy of iprioritize.biz
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As I find myself running around all over the place doing what I need to get done -boring but necessary errands, I find myself wondering will I be able to find the time to get into the studio today? I realize that what I love doing best is working on my art and everything related to it. I have to make it a priority to get into the studio and work on any one of my ongoing projects. When I do any type of art, I am much more relaxed and it makes me feel good.

What do you need to prioritize?

Dreaming In Chinese

I recently read a terrific little book called " Dreaming in Chinese: Lessons in Life, Love and Language" by Deborah Fallows. She shares experiences after she and her husband moved to China that taught her just how complex Mandarin can be. It was a fun and witty memoir.

Wordless Wednesday

Pierre Bonnard

Monday Mantra: If Not Now, When?

Image courtesy of blog.beliefnet.com

Oh, the excuses we all make about wanting to do something and then never getting around to it. What is stopping us? Is it fear? Is it laziness? Is it....? The list of reasons can go on and on. There is no time like the present to start that drawing or that painting!

Iced Vovo Biscuits

How to explain what Iced Vo Vo biscuits are like? They have a biscuit crumb and it's topped with a marshmallow topping and raspberry jam and sprinkled with coconut.

Richard Diebenkorn

Richard Diebenkorn, Oil on Canvas, "Woman on Porch" 1958

One of my favourite artists from my art school days is Richard Diebenkorn. I love his colours, his broad painting strokes and the types of subjects that he paints: people and landscapes.

Wordless Wednesday

Susan Rothenberg, Diagonal, 1975