Olga Owl

Remember:  “Impossible” means “I’m possible”.
— SARK

Olga Owl – 2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor ATC

“My name is Olga Owl.  Whew… spring is finally here.  What I like best about spring is that I can finally get my beak and nails done.  I get sooooo tired of brown!  While I was at the salon, I got my eye feathers done in pink.  Do you like them?  I can’t decide.”

This little ATC went to Ai in Bangkok, Thailand.

You may not be able to see it, but there is a little jewel glued to Olga’s beak.  How fun is that?  Yesterday afternoon, I went to McAlester and practiced my crosswind landings.  What an experience!  The runway runs nearly north and south.  The wind was coming from the west.  It’s an adventure getting that plane on the ground, pointing straight down the center line of the runway.  I’ve been hesitant to practice these by myself, but bit the bullet yesterday and I’m glad I did.

Have a great weekend!  🙂

SARK creates colorful inspiration and healing arts through creative channels that make hearts sing! Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy (SARK) has written and created 15 best-selling books, and created hundreds of products.
SARK is the founder and CEO of Planet SARK.  Her company creates products and services to support empowered living.  She was featured in the popular film “Women of Wisdom and Power” – and THAT she IS!  SARK is a change catalyst who provides whimsical and HIGHLY creative resources for healing arts and inspiration to transform your life and be the BEST you can be.

Balloon Ride Over Thailand II

“When one’s expectations are reduced to zero, one really appreciates everything one does have.”
– Stephen Hawking

Balloon Ride Over Thailand II

Gouache on 5″ x 7″ Black Photo Mount Greeting Card

First, I have to say that my heart goes out to all the storm victims in Alabama.  There have been so many lives lost and property destroyed.  What a tragic night it has been.

This is another painting done from a photo reference by Dewi at WetCanvas, from her balloon ride over Thailand.  I had a lot of fun doing this.  Click on the photo for a larger look.  🙂

It has stopped raining for a couple days, so this afternoon I’m going flying.  I’m just going to practice my landings, but I’m really looking forward to it.  Tomorrow it will be too windy and then the rain comes back for Saturday and Sunday.

About Stephen Hawking

British scientist Stephen Hawking, best known for his book A Brief History of Time, which did much to popularize physics, is a leading theoretical physicist who used Einstein’s general theory of relativity to prove the big bang theory. He was born in 1942 in Oxford. He was diagnosed with severe amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at 21 and was not expected to live more than three years. Over time he has become more disabled, but he continues to lecture, speaking through a computer-controlled voice box.

Thailand Balloon Ride I

“It’s not what you are, but what you don’t become that hurts.”
– Oscar Levant

Thailand Balloon Ride I

Gouache on 5″ x 7″  Black Photo Mount Card

To follow along with the quote… this little black photo mount card wasn’t satisfied to be just that.  It wanted to be the surface for a painting.  🙂  The photo reference came from Dewi at WetCanvas.  She took it from a hot air balloon.  The photo was rather dark, so it inspired me to play with my gouache.  I had a great time.  Tomorrow, I’ll show you the other view from her balloon.

About Oscar Levant

Oscar Levant was a brilliant musician whose work was often overshadowed by his witty, neurotic persona. He was born in 1906 in Pittsburgh and moved with his mother to New York in 1922 to study music, gaining renown as a concert pianist before his twentieth birthday. He composed the scores for more than 20 movies in the years 1929 to 1948. He appeared in movies such as An American in Paris and hosted a TV talk show for two years; the show was taken off the air due to his risqué comments. He died in 1972.

Wine on the Beach

“The experiences of life can become our teachers; the accidental predicaments of our lives are, in this sense, spiritual opportunities.”
–Tara Bennett-Goleman

Wine on the Beach – 7″ x 9″ Watercolor

This came from a larger and more complicated image from lisilk at WetCanvas.  I opted to do a loose and simple version, using only a large brush and not too much detail.  I had a really good time!  🙂

Tara Bennett-Goleman, M.A., is a teacher, author, and psychotherapist. She also focuses on multi-cultural and inter-disciplinary fusions, integrating awareness training with the arts, social action, and psychology.

Tara’s book Emotional Alchemy: How the Mind Can Heal the Heart (Harmony Books, 2001) was a New York Times best-seller and has been translated into over 20 languages. The book integrated insights from mindful awareness training with those from her post-graduate studies with Jeffrey Young in Schema Therapy, a branch of cognitive therapy. Aaron Beck, founder of cognitive therapy has called Tara “a pioneer in the field of cognitive therapy and mindfulness,” one of the fastest growing fields in psychotherapy.   More….

Pink Cat in the Hat

“It has been my philosophy of life that difficulties vanish when faced boldly.”
– Isaac Asimov

Pink Cat in the Hat – 4″ x 5″ Watercolor

This is another version of Sharrm’s cat, Keetah.  I painted her using a distorted graph here.  I have painted Keetah a few times over the last 4 years on WetCanvas.   Here’s another one that may be Keetah.   What a great cat.

It was a very wet weekend in Oklahoma.  I believe we got 5″ of rain in Eufaula.  We certainly needed the rain and it came all at once.  More expected over the next couple days.  I did a lot of studying, but also managed 3 new paintings to share this week.  YAY!!

About Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov, the American author known as one of the top writers of science fiction’s golden age, penned nearly 500 fiction and nonfiction books, including the Foundation trilogy and I, Robot. Born in 1920 in Russia, he moved to the US with his parents at age three. As a teen, he would read pulp magazines in his parents’ candy store and became inspired to write his own stories. His fiction frames interesting ideas in a bare-bones narrative. He died in 1992.

Happy Eater Bunny

Intuition is a spiritual faculty and does not explain, but simply points the way.
–Florence Scovel Shinn

Happy Eater Bunny – 4.5″ x 8.5″ Watercolor & Sharpie

I used Leslie White’s distorted graph method again, to create this little Easter card.   You can see how to do it here.   Of course, me being a poor observer, I not only distorted the horizontal lines, but the vertical lines as well.  What happens then, is a bunny that looks totally goofy.  I never noticed, until just now, that Leslie leaves the vertical lines straight.  he he he   Now I have to try another one.  😀

Have a very Happy Easter, if you celebrate it.

Florence Scovel Shinn (September 24, 1871, Camden, New Jersey – October 17, 1940) was an American artist and book illustrator who became a New Thought spiritual teacher and metaphysical writer in her middle years.^[1][2] In New Thought circles, she is best known for her first book, The Game of Life and How to Play It (1925).

Shinn expressed her philosophy as:

The invisible forces are ever working for man who is always ‘pulling the strings’ himself, though he does not know it. Owing to the vibratory power of words, whatever man voices, he begins to attract.

The Game of Life, Florence Scovel Shinn

Marabou Stork

“True silence is the rest of the mind; it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment.”
– William Penn

Marabou Stork – 2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor ATC

“I’m Mary Lou, the Marabou Stork.  The thing I like best about spring is all the pretty leaves.  I kinda blend in when I go like this.”

This ATC went to Mary in Davidson, MI.

We finally have a pretty good chance of getting some rain today.  The lake is looking pretty low.  The Corps of Engineers is reporting it as only 3.23 ft below normal, but it seems much lower.    In just over a month, we’ll have our first big tourist holiday of the year.  We could sure use some rain to help make the lake safer for everyone who comes to Eufaula to play.    Besides, if I can’t fly, I at least would love some rain.  🙂

I saw this video on Good Morning America, of a baby laughing hysterically at a dog popping bubbles.  It’ll make you smile, big time. 

About William Penn

William Penn is remembered as the founder of Pennsylvania; the democratic government he set up became the model for the United States Constitution. He was born in 1644 in England. After he was arrested several times for preaching Quaker ideals, he decided to found a settlement in America. He drew up the “Great Treaty” with the Delaware Indians to ensure they were paid fairly for their land and toured Europe marketing the new colony. He died in 1718.

Poppy Easter Egg

“Just as appetite comes by eating, so work brings inspiration, if inspiration is not discernible at the beginning.”
– Igor Stravinsky

Poppy Easter Egg – 4″ x 5″ Watercolor

This is the last one I got to paint over the weekend.  It was fun to start with a photo of a plain white egg and a photo of some poppies, and turn them into a poppy egg.   The reference photos came from Sharrm at WetCanvas.

When I was a kid, we got new Easter shoes and a new Easter outfit every year.  My Mom was terrific about giving me and my brother and sister some wonderful holiday memories.    We would dye our eggs on Saturday, then Easter morning, she had the eggs hidden and the special Easter basket for us.    Thanks, Mom!   One year, My brother swore he saw the Easter bunny!  Do you have any special Easter memories?

About Igor Stravinsky

Igor Stravinsky, the modernist Russian composer, had a profound influence on classical music with his musical innovations in such pieces as the ballet The Rite of Spring, which shocked contemporary society with the newness of its sound. He was born in 1882 near St. Petersburg. After briefly considering law, he apprenticed to composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. He was also a virtuosic pianist. He continued composing and touring into his 80’s. He died in 1971.

Where Did She Put the Chicken Feed?

“My father used to say to me, ‘Whenever you get into a jam, whenever you get into a crisis or an emergency…become the calmest person in the room and you’ll be able to figure your way out of it.'”
– Rudolph Giuliani

Where Did She Put the Chicken Feed? – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor & Sharpie

Don’t they seem to be looking for something?  I painted this from one of Sharrm’s references at WetCanvas.  The chickens were all different colors, but I liked the white for this.    It felt so good just to paint for the pure fun of it.  I don’t care how busy I am, I think I need to paint a little every week.  Even if it’s just something small and simple.  It’s kinda like needing to eat or breathe.  🙂

About Rudolph Giuliani

Rudolph Giuliani, the controversial former mayor of New York City, took the national spotlight after the events of September 11th, when he stood strong, pulling the city together, which garnered him the Person of the Year accolade from Time magazine. He was born in Brooklyn in 1944. As mayor, he presided over a massive urban redevelopment and implemented the “broken windows” policy, which cracks down on small crimes to deter larger ones. After his term as mayor ended, Giuliani founded an investment and consulting company. He remains heavily involved in American politics and ran for president in 2008.

Colorful Cat in the Hat

“There is a sense of exhilaration that comes from facing head-on the hard truths and saying, ‘We will never give up. We will never capitulate. It might take a long time, but we will find a way to prevail.'”
– Jim Collins

Colorful Cat in the Hat – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor

I had a wonderful reference photo from Sharrm at WetCanvas of her cat Keeta, wearing this hat.  I decided to try something that Leslie White demonstrated on her blog.  I drew a 2×3 graph on the photo  then made a distorted 2×3 graph on my paper.  See how Leslie did it here.  I had a great time!  I wanna do that again!

I did 2 other little paintings over the weekend, so stay tuned.  🙂

Boy, that’s a good quote by Jim Collins.  I was all set to do my long cross country solo Saturday, when on the way up there, my instructor called and said the winds were too high.  I continued to Muskogee to fly some maneuvers with my him, but the plane had some mechanical problems, so I came on home.  While I was there, I had him go over my flight plan anyway, so I feel pretty good about doing that part right.  Life is good and there’s plenty of time.  I’ll have another go at it.

About Jim Collins

American business guru Jim Collins has written or cowritten four books, including the instant classic Built to Last, which spent more than six years on the Business Week best-seller list, and Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t, which became a New York Times best seller. He was raised in Boulder, Colorado. After seven years teaching at Stanford University’s business school, he founded a research laboratory to examine companies and why they succeed.