Always Wear your Invisible Crown

Always wear your invisible crown.

Mixed Media

Original available here for $175

48"x24" on canvas

Prints available on request.

(Printed image may be slightly cropped for printing purposes.)

My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

Let me know if you're interested in prints of my paintings.

  I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

Rainbow Owls

I'm embracing my inner child with a series of whimsical paintings.

"Rainbow Owls"

Original available here for $36.

9.75"x7.5" on deconstructed watercolor journal paper

Prints available on request.

(Printed image may be slightly cropped for printing purposes.)

My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

Prints of many of my paintings are available in my Etsy shop. 

Let me know if you're interested in prints of my paintings.

  I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

Rainbow Mouse

I'm embracing my inner child with a series of whimsical paintings.

"Rainbow Mouse"

Original available here for $36.

9.75"x7.5" on deconstructed watercolor journal paper

Prints available on request.

(Printed image may be slightly cropped for printing purposes.)

My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

Prints of many of my paintings are available in my Etsy shop. 

Let me know if you're interested in prints of my paintings.

  I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

Rainbow Bear

I'm embracing my inner child with a series of whimsical paintings.

"Rainbow Bear"

Original available here for $36.

9.75"x7.5" on deconstructed watercolor journal paper

Prints available on request.

(Printed image may be slightly cropped for printing purposes.)

My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

Prints of many of my paintings are available in my Etsy shop. 

Let me know if you're interested in prints of my paintings.

  I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

Being a princess isn't all it's cracked up to be.

The luxury of anonymity. I'm ever so grateful for the ability to fade into the background.

"Being a princess isn't all it's cracked up to be."

- Princess Diana

"Being a princess isn't all it's cracked up to be."

This is an 9.5"x7.5" piece in my art journal. Prints available on request.

(Printed image will be slightly cropped for printing purposes.) 

All works are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by the artist.

My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

Prints of many of my paintings are available in my Etsy shop. 

Let me know if you're interested in prints of my paintings.

  I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

I'd love to hear from you...feel free to leave me a comment.

His Magesty, the Queen

"When you become the image of

your own imagination, it's the most

powerful thing you could ever do."

-RuPaul

"His Majesty, the Queen"

All works are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by the artist.

My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

Prints of many of my paintings are available in my Etsy shop. 

Let me know if you're interested in prints of my paintings.

  I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

I'd love to hear from you...feel free to leave me a comment.

Angel

I've always been fascinated by angels. I remember as a child finding them so intriguing and magical, in spite of, or perhaps because of my upbringing which was void of religious teachings.

"Angel"

The original painting is available in my online gallery.

I haven't set up prints of this painting, but if you're interested,

please let me know and I can make that happen.

Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.
I'd love to hear from you...feel free to leave me a comment.  

Click here to purchase my paintings. 

This painting was inspired by the work of Pauline Agnew.

The Queen

I'm madly in love with tearing up catalogs and magazines and creating art inspired by all that rich color and texture.

"The Queen"

Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.
Please click the links below to share my blog.
I'd love to hear from you...feel free to leave me a comment.  

This painting is part of a year-long online art class (instructor Annie Hamman).

Celestial Queen

I created a collage from my art work! I printed a color copy of the painting I blogged about yesterday.   I also printed a number of paintings I'd done previously, all of them with whimsical stars. I cut everything out and created this Celestial Queen on top of paper I'd done a watercolor background on. Her choker was also part of one of my previous paintings. And last, but certainly not least, I gave her a little color in her eyes. This was so much fun!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

That Chicken Look

I walked out to our chickens' yard holding a bowl of goodies. They eagerly ran up to me clearly expecting cottage cheese or at least some yummy seeds. So when I put the bowl of fresh organic green beans down for them they gave me the same look that my kids used to when I'd give them green beans.


Chickens: "Um, really? This is what we ran over here for?"


But being chickens they went ahead and ate it...unlike my kids.



I was looking at Juliet Crane's work on Pinterest and found myself inspired to take a left-handed stab at painting my chickens.

 Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

 

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Who you sayin' has wee little mousy muscles?!?!

My little guy has been going to the gym with me lately.  He's rather funny.  Sort of.  He zooms around doing his own thing and then checks in with me when I'm doing the weight machines.  Really, it's quite lovely.  I mean how many moms have fifteen-year-old sons who don't mind hanging out with them?  I shouldn't complain...really I shouldn't.  But the little toot, along with stopping to chat, always, always makes sure to point out how light the weight is that his mom is using. 


Me:  "Um, dude, you weigh thirty more pounds than I do."

Me:  "Think about it, I'm thirty-one years older than you."

Me:  "Hey!  Check out these guns!"  <me flexing...and hoping I don't give myself a cramp whilst doing so>


I figure this conversation we keep having is simply one of those things that we just do.  He smirks a bit, but mostly smiles.  I complain a bit, but mostly I feel loved.

Click here to purchase this painting.

Eating my Words

OK, so weirdly enough, I'm writing two blog posts in a row that involve gray hair.  Perhaps it's because I recently had photos taken of myself and my delightfully sweet husband zoomed one up super close and pointed out that I do, in fact, now have a few gray hairs (I say they're just a lighter shade of blond than the rest of my hairs, not that going gray is a big problem for me or anything).  Perhaps I've just been lucky to run into some slightly older-than-I peers of late.

Anyway, as Hazel and I were running up a hill tonight I caught up with a woman.  I didn't see her face as I only saw her from the back, but she had salt and pepper hair.  I had the silly thought to myself, "Hey, I'm still faster than someone."  And then Hazel had to pee, so I stopped.  I heard the pitter patter of feet approaching us...and than that lovely salt and peppered woman ran right by us, full tilt.  Hazel and I started running again, at our regular pace, and that woman totally left us in her dust.

I love surprises.

I love eating my words (or thoughts).

I love running.

I love.

Click here to purchase this painting.

Pain on the Periphery

Driving in my car...the kid turns on the radio...

And it was Journey.  Now I am a child of the 80s, after all, so of course I still manage to hold on to at least fifty percent of the lyrics.  I start singing along.  The kid hates it.  I decide that today, just today, I'll not make a sound.  But I am going to act out the song as best I can.


Little guy:  "You're hurting my peripheral vision, mom."


And throwing caution to the wind, I kept it up for the whole song.  I figure on Monday morning I'll schedule an appointment with his optometrist.

Click here to purchase this painting.

A Life Lit Up

The little guy and I were driving to Trader Joe's (Yay, they finally made it here!!!) the other night.  He loves playing "Guess what Music this is" with me.  For some reason he pulled up a list of songs that had won awards, Oscars and such, and was playing a bit and expecting me to guess it right away.  Well, it turns out I absolutely don't suck at that.  I was rockin' about 75%.

And then a tune came on that I knew from my very core.  A tune I even used to play on the piano.  A tune I had to start singing...loudly...as soon as I pulled into the parking lot.


Me:  "Oooh, I know this one!!!"

Little guy:  "What is it?"

Me:  "So many nights..." I crooned.

Little guy:  "What's the name of the song, mom?"

Me:  "I'd sit by my window..."

Little guy:  "Mom..."

Me:  "Waiting for someone to sing me his song."

Little guy:  "Um..."

Me:  "So many dreams I've kept deep inside me..."

Little guy:  "God..."

Me:  "Alone in the dark, but now you've come along."

Little guy:  "MOM!!"

Me:  "I'm getting to it!  And...here it is, kid...you light up my life..."

click.  silence.

Me:  "Hey, I was just getting rolling."

Little guy:  "You won the game, mom.  It's over now."

Me:  "Oh," as I got out of the car.  "You give me hope..."

Little guy:  "Do you want me to stay with you in the store?"

Me:  "OK.  I'll stop.  Let's play again on the way home!!"


And we did!

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Little Buddy

Our big cat, Pug, officially has a little buddy.  He wasn't looking to have a little buddy.  He doesn't even really want a little buddy.  But having a little buddy is what's been forced upon him.

Now, the poor old and amazing guy has put up with a lot.  We're constantly bringing critters into our home.  What does Pug do?  Well, he universally snubs them.  The dogs?  Disgusting, but over time barely tolerable.  The rats?  Delicious-looking...and really rude of us to bring such yumminess into his house and keep them in cages.  The guinea pigs?  "I bet they taste like chicken."  The hamsters?  Well, sadly, Pug did find out that they, or rather one one of them, tasted like chicken.

And now he's had a kitten, Tommy, thrust into his world.  A world where he clearly reigned as king.  What does he think of Tommy?  "If I ignore you, will you go away?"  But does Tommy ignore him?  Not a chance.  Tommy is the sweetest little stalker that ever was.  If Pug is hanging out on a chair at the table, Tommy is right there on a chair next to him.  If Pug is walking through the house, Tommy is just a few steps behind.  If Pug is eating, Tommy is sure to be within inches.  That last one never goes well.

Yup, Pug officially has a little buddy.


P.S. Pug isn't really sad like this picture would imply.  I think he's just too proud to admit he's thrilled.  But maybe his crown is just a hair crooked these days.

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My Fanny Pack...I love her so!

Because I'm so fond of sassing it up, and because I really want to have my children driven to hang out with me, and because I'm all about being a trend setter...I am personally bringing the fanny pack back.  Yes, it's sassy.  It's the same awesome black and pink one I've had since the late 80s.  Yes, my children jump at the chance to join me when I'm wearing it.  OK, that's a lie.  And yes, I am personally bringing the fanny pack back. 

You know, it's one of those things that purely reeks of utility.  It doesn't even try to be anything else.  It's hands free, it holds stuff, it rocks.

And to complete my evening look (atop my delightful spandex), I've decided to attach a blinky light for when the sun actually sets.

Yup, sassy, useful, safe...it rawks!

Click here to purchase this painting.

What can I say? I'm human, after all.

I'm obsessive about wearing my bicycle helmet when I'm riding around.  Course it took me flipping over my handle bars and hitting my bare, unprotected head in front of a crowd of people about twenty-five years ago to convince me to start wearing one.  And I love my helmet.  It's cool, it's black, it's not one of those oblong-shaped ones you see a lot.  Nope, it's an awesome BMX/skateboard one and I feel like a super cool kid when I'm riding around town.

OK, enough about me.  Well, sort of, anyway.

You know how bike helmets are supposed to keep your head safe from injury, right?  Well, I learned a lesson about just that today that may toss that out the window.  You see, when I arrived at school this morning I took my bike lights off my bike, went to my classroom, took off my helmet, placed my bike lights in my helmet, and proceeded to work with my lovely students all day.  Then, when it was time to go, I picked up said helmet, raised it above my head, turned it over, and BAM, BAM!!!  My front and rear bike lights nailed me right on the top of my head!

So I suppose it might not be the helmet to blame and there's the tiniest chance that it could have been human error. 

Click here to purchase this painting.

Lookin' good...Feelin' wimpy

So the young one has been totally manning up lately.  Not the rising to the occasion and taking care of stuff kind of way...a little, but that's not what I'm talking about.  I mean in the bulky muscles kind of way.  It's something to behold that kind of transformation that comes with absolutely no effort, purely built by teenage boy testosterone.

As he walked around the kitchen tonight in a muscle shirt...


Me:  "You are so good lookin'."


He looks at me, comes over beside me, leans in and...


Little guy:  "You have tiny muscles."


Hmmmm...not sure what the right response is, but I'm pretty darn sure it isn't "Thank you."

Might just be a good time to ask him to tighten his abs and let me sock him in the stomach a few times.  It's win-win.  He feels like a stud...I get to slug him.

Click here to purchase this painting.

The Supposed Future King of the House

Well, sort of...at least he seems to think so.


Me:  "Your brother's beginning to make plans to move out sometime."

Little guy:  "Yay, I get all kinds of things and stuff."

Me:  "What things and stuff?"

Little guy:  Looks at me with that oh-so-familiar "Duh!" look.


Well, I didn't know.  I had absolutely no idea.


Hmmmm...perhaps "things" means "chores" and "stuff" means "the bathroom to himself".

Click here to purchase this painting.

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