Helloooo.....

Hellooo! Hellooo! Yes my poor blog is so empty I can hear an echo! The every-day has gotten in the way for too long - my camera is covered with dust and my studio is buried under cobwebs. So off with the dust and out with the spiders - they can scurry off to the parsley forest, it's summer, after all. And I'll scurry off as well - to the studio and then I'll be back to share.

Texture Tuesday - Happy Hearts



I call this goin' nowhere - but staying is worth it with such a view! The photo was cropped; the first texture layer is "happy heart", multiply 55%, erase over the sky. The second layer is "happy heart", multiply 49%, erase over the sky and ground. The third layer is "happy heart", soft light 70%, erase in center.

Happy Tuesday

Happy Valentines day!

I originally made this and told my husband it was for him - he said "too girlie!"
So then I came up with this ...

And then...

I've been doing a lot of digital stuff lately because my studio looks like this...

New, built in shelves! I'm sweeping up sawdust and rearranging stuff. Isn't time for spring cleaning?

It's been a while...

After being torn from my creative life by the "grim world of the day job" I slowly feel some creativity returning. I'm taking an online class called Hello Soul Hello Business which is certainly helping to refocus on what's important - my art! We were asked to envision our business as a person and the lady above is my vision. May I introduce you to Amaranthine Violet? She's sitting next to a lily pond for reflection, with flowers for delight. There's a flowering tree in the background, with roots in the ground and branches that reach high; the Divine Mother guides and protects and a butterfly is the agent transformation. All very symbolic right now, but dreams are the stuff out of which reality is made!

Happy Winter!

Winter has finally arrived in Arizona. Mountain roads...



lead into the mist...

And when the clouds lift...

Mingus Mountain is wearing his winter best.

Woodchute Mountain has an outfit to match with Jerome nestled at the foot of Cleopatra Hill. The horizontal stripes above Jerome are the 300 level...

which has a dusting of snow. Off in the hazy distance...

stand the San Francisco Peaks. Closer to home...

the frost came and all the fall leaves fell at once, overnight. Brownie made himself a cozy nest; I hope you're all snuggled in your cozy nest - with a nice, warm cup of cocoa!

Texture Tuesday - Gratitude

I'm grateful for so many things! But the beauty of nature is way up on the list - to see such majesty is a blessing. This is looking toward Sycamore Canyon from Clarkdale, Arizona. Fall is just starting in the cottonwood trees and mesquite.

I have been absent from my blog for a while - I have a day job that occasionally knocks the stuffing out of me. Hopefully all the stuffing will be gathered up and replaced by mid-December!

Finding Your Wings

Greetings fellow flyers!



This is a group from Kelly Rae Roberts' class "Flying Lessons", if you didn't take the class - please fly along anyway! We are a flock of creative birds, spreading our wings to fulfill our creative destinies and we will create those destinies along with our artwork.

For me the important message in the class was "be yourself", something dificult to find and often hard to do. So many influences in this world tell us what we should be and how to think - the message "think for yourself" got through to me years ago, courtesy of Timothy Leary. He said it so clearly I could hear it, and I listened. But to "be" yourself  requires being - taking action.  But my, how rewarding when you do. So here's to all who are being and doing...

Find those wings and dare to fly!

Here is a list of participants, please visit, and thanks to Kris Lanae Binsfeld of Cherish Designs for putting this together.

Amaranthine Violet: http://magic-gypsy.blogspot.com/

Amy Hillenbrand: http://amyhillenbrand.blogspot.com

Beatriz Peñas B.: http://beatrizbepe.blogspot.com/

Beth Cougler Blom: http://sobliss.wordpress.com/

Carmen Patti: http://carmenpattistudio.com/wordpress/

Carol Bray: http://theredpaintedcottage.blogspot.com

Christina Fajardo: http://christinafajardo.blogspot.com/

Cindy Jones Lantier: http://www.lantier.org

Connie Rawlins : http://www.dabblinginlife.blogspot.com/

Dana Brock: http://www.dzynbydana.blogspot.com

Deborah Velásquez : http://deborahvelasquez.blogspot.com

Elissa Brown: http://thefreckledarmy.blogspot.com

Hillary Courson: http://www.hillarycourson.com

Jacquie Williamson: http://www.jacquiewilliamson.blogspot.com/

Jane Paynting: http://inkspiredwings.wordpress.com

Janet Forrest: http://tatterednworn.wordpress.com/

Jennifer DeVille: http://jenniferdeville.com/blog/

Jill Lambert : http://www.jill-lambert.blogspot.com/

Julie Hamilton: http://spaark.wordpress.com

Kanchan Mahon: http://Kanchan-Mahon.blogspot.com/

Karen Claverie: http://giddyupletsride.blogspot.com

Kari DeSaulnier: http://karidesi.blogspot.com/

Kathleen Conard : http://newfromoldcreations.blogspot.com/

Kathleen McKinnon: http://harmonyschoolhouse.com/expressions-blog.html

Kathy May: http://kathymaydesigns.org

Kelley Miller: http://www.kelleymillerartworks.blogspot.com/

Kelly Corso: http://birdinatreecreations.blogspot.com/

Kelly Hoernig: http://www.kellyhoernig.blogspot.com/

Kim Hyer: http://www.apaperaddict.com/

Kris Lanae Binsfeld: http://cherishdesigns.wordpress.com

Lenore Angela: http://www.lenoreangela.blogspot.com/

Linda Barutha: http://lindabaruthadesigns.blogspot.com

Lisa Michele Products: http://www.lisamicheleproducts.blogspot.com/

Liza Zeni Baker: http://lizazeni.wordpress.com/

Lynn Richards: http://alittlebluesky.blogspot.com

Lori Leissner: http://leissnerart.blogspot.com

Lori Moon: http://lorimoonstudio.blogspot.com

Mary Cottingham: http://www.barnbugstudio.blogspot.com/

Mary Sterk: http://justmarydesigns.wordpress.com

Megan Schmitt: http://www.schmittenwithwords.blogspot.com/

Melanie Douthit: www.douthitgallery.blogspot.com

Michelle Dwyer: http://www.magnetisedbylife.com/

Michelle Reynolds: http://shellsinthebush.blogspot.com/

Rachél Payne (Rae): http://collectingyourself.wordpress.com/

Rain Hannah: http://honeyandollie.com/

Rhiannon Connelly: http://www.starrybluesky.wordpress.com

Ruth-Mary Smith: http://patchworkfamilieshub.blogspot.com

Sherry Richert Belul: http://simplycelebrate.net/cherry-blossom-soup

Shirley Ann: http://leonardarenaissancewoman.blogspot.com/

Stacey Chadwick Brown: http://staceybrownarts.blogspot.com/

Susan M. Walls-Beverly: http://www.susanscharmingtrinkets.blogspot.com

Teresa Cash-Czech: http://www.asmilemaker.com/

Tina Carlborg: http://www.tinachicky.blogspot.com/

Tonya Love: http://passport2creativity.com/

Ursula Smith: http://www.EasyScraps.com/blog

Zulma Cadena: http://edustory.wordpress.com/

Mary Cottingham http://www.barnbugstudio.blogspot.com