new illustration

Bad dog

Tigger is still a puppy and the chewing goes on and on and on....
He got up on a chair and fished several things out of an antique bowl on the table, one was a velvet covered dog, a childs toy, over 100 years old. "Was" is the operative word here.

The other thing was a tiny book. Was. So here is a tiny portrait on the remaining cover of said book, a portrait of Tigger at his most innocent. Little bugger.

He really does have worry wrinkles on his forehead. And when he is really curious his ears nearly touch above his forehead. Good thing he is cute.

Finished

So here is the finished collage painting. So different from what I usually do. It was fun and I loved finding the antique music with the line, "faithful 'til death".

Working freely and intuitively like this is a great way to overcome the white-paper panic I so often feel when working with colored pencil. You can't make mistakes with colored pencil there is really no way to fix the screw-ups. Paint is so much more forgiving.

HI Janet

Hey, thanks for your comment Janet. I appreciate it.

As for Burgess, he is adorable and as I write he is upside down in my cup of clear paint water trying to have a bath. He is jammed in there, very funny.

I had planned to release him but he is so tame now I don't know what to do. He still wants to be hand-fed, his favorite is sliced deli turkey! He'll probably just stick around :)

How my day goes

Burgess mucking in my paint water, Background started for a collage painting.

Birds roughed in on background.

Mr. Tinky on my desk having a cat food can of milk.

Working on the birds, Gonzo and Miri.

Burgess is "helping". He is a royal pest.

New babies in the back yard. Minime has four more.

SOOOOOO TINY!!!

Now back to work on the collage painting, it is for a friend who lost her bird. The little birds loved each other so much even though they were a mis-matched pair. Love was blind for them.

Yoda kitty

Makes you want to poke at it doesn't it.

Lately I have been obsessed with lavendar. Asolutely obsessed. With natural linen, and silk too.

Obsessed.

Starling Burgess

Starling Burgess is named after the illustrator Tasha Tudor's father.

He is a good little bird and learning to come when he is called, he does answer to his name already.

Here he is on Jacob's shoulder.

Today he flew over to check out the blog I was reading, www.geninne.com.

Her bird art is charming and I really like what she does. Burgess seemed to like it too.

Very funny.

New work

This is a piece I'm working on. It is all colored pencil.

A beautiful little girl and her gigantic bunny, seriously this was a monster bunny.

I loved it's big feet.

Adorable.

The way she was holding him was so sweet too.

Now if I can just concentrate and get it done, sooooo ADD.

Burgess helps quilt

Fresh lavendar bundles, love it, have not decided what do with it all but I will think of something, maybe stuffed into embroidered linen sachets?

Check this out, Burgess is helping me with my quilting.

Thanks

Thanks so much to those who have commented on my blog and emailed me. It means allot, at least I know someone is reading and I'm not just spitting into the wind.

Cherry season!!!!!!!!!!!!Yeah!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot eat these things fast enough. They are my favorite, especially the gigantic ones from Washington State but the ones from nearby Brigham City aren't too shabby either.

This is a photo of Tasmanian's butt, and the "altered" blinds, you see, if things are in your way and are inconvenient for you The Cat, then by all means tear them apart until it suits you better. Now he can go in and out of the window even when the blinds are down. You should see him ooze through the hole he created.

Hemi caught this little fellow, its a field vole, very cute with it's almost Teddy bear face, he seemed physically unharmed but I am sure the psychological damage is substantial. Imagine the story he told his friends and family when we took him back to the alfalfa field.

And this is Baby Herself, sitting on my sons shoulder and eating her garlic cheese toast. Actually it was part of our supper but she tends to insist on having what we have. The dogs have learned to watch for what she drops and often catches her left-overs before it even hits the ground.

I have a great deal of art I need to focus on, the yard needs to be done the house needs work, I need to finish trim work, Tim needs to take the boys camping for a few days so I can lay the floor in our bedroom, hen house needs to be re-painted, plants planted, porch stained, oh my goodness the list is endless. There is just not enough of me to go around.

If everyone would just clear out until I could get stuff done.

As I write this I am perched on the edge of my chair because Tigger is right behind me and taking up most of the space, Yoda is on the other chair, Rogue is at my feet, the chihuahuas are in their antique bowl staring at me, Baby is on her tree stand. In the eight square feet directly around me there are eight bodies. Good grief.

Pity I don't drink and I'm out of cherries and chocolate. damn.

July 4th again.

My boys are growing up.
This is the first year in a very long time we have not had the cops here for fireworks, illegal ones and too late at night. The boys would wait until dad was asleep to set off the really good ones.

Sigh.

July 4

I love my country.

The ability to achieve is unlimited in this country as is the ability to degrade oneself. It is our right to choose.

Hard work, initiative, education, ingenuity and a little luck and you can achieve anything.

No one determines for you your status or job, no one but you decides if you are educated or not, women walk through the halls of Washington with as much respect as male counterparts, their voices are not silenced behind custom and misogynist culture.

I am thrilled a black family is the First Family. Though I intensely disagree with nearly every word out of the presidents mouth, I am so proud to have a black man in office.

I have the right to disagree with him, it is my constitutional right to do so. This is the only country in the world without censorship of some sort. I hope it stays that way.

Since World War 2 every time there has been a crisis in the world those suffering have asked, "where are the Americans?" and we have come, with an unmatched generosity we have given to those all around the world over and over again and God willing we will continue to do so.

I believe the Constitution was ordained of God. I believe this country is Gods country. Because it is Gods it will not fail unless we as a people turn our backs and give away our rights.

The other day a young man came by selling educational programs door to door. As I got him ice water and a snack we engaged in a conversation, he came by a few days later for more water and again we talked, this time I asked why he was so far from home. He is from Latvia, he said he was here on an exchange program and he said "I will do ANYTHING for an education." he was adamant and determined.

Though still in his teens he knew an education was a key to opportunity anywhere in the world. He did say, "one thing you must remember about Latvia, we won our freedom, and from a much bigger country, Russia." This conversation with this young man has really stayed with me.

Freedom. Education. Opportunity.

When this country was founded much of what we take for granted were unusual and quite frankly bizarre concepts. Speaking aloud ones opinions could have gotten you a jail sentence, King George was not terribly accustomed to criticism, now it is common place to shout the president is an idiot. We are only censored by our selves and whether we want to take the flack from those with opposing views.

A kid from Latvia, a teenager came here for an education. In my state, Utah, it is common to have a university degree, the assumption is that you will go to college, it's a given. Not so common in the rest of the world is it, we take it for granted and the rest of the world hungers for it.

I love my country. I love, love, love my country.

And I am totally hot for George Washington. Just sayin.

Vegas Knitting

Finished the scarf made from yarn purchased in Vegas.
Oh yes there is life off the Vegas strip, but, it seems those controlling entities ON the strip would prefer you never leave. Its so much easier to take your money when you don't wander too far away.

This is a simple scarf in a knit, purl pattern, made of a cotton/silk Noro yarn.

This is a soft yarn, some of Noro is not particularly soft but the color and blends are fantastic. I was really happy to find this yarn, it is not available around here. I had heard Noro was a little coarse but this one is great, a super soft cotton. So now it is finished and Mr. Tinky has posed for you in it, I will wash it, lay it flat to dry and send it of to my sister. Hope she knows how much I appreciate the trip to Vegas!

Is Mr. Tinky totally adorable or what.