Moonlight Mates

"A friend may be waiting

behind a stranger's face."

-Maya Angelou

"Moonlight Mates"

8"x8"

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.

Be an Owl

Being human is exhausting. So be an owl.

Saw that quote today...made me smile. I used to draw a version of this fella all the time years ago. So nice to see him again!

"Be an Owl"

Acrylic and Charcoal

12"x12"

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.

Wise One

"Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening

when you'd have preferred to talk."

-Doug Larson

"Wise One"

Please come visit me and my art during the East Austin Studio Tour!

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.

Undercover

I've been surrounded by the common cold lately. The kids have had it and Dave has had it. So far, I've managed to avoid the cooties. My secret? Wash my hands about a thousand times a day and sleep completely under the covers.

Little guy: "Better not dutch over yourself, mom."

My kid...always looking out for me.

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!

Three Times the Love

So here was the little guy's plan for tonight.


5:30 - Workout at the gym with mom.

6:30 - Go shopping a the thrift store.

7:00 - Go back to the gym for a second workout.

8:00 - Go to Target.

8:30 - Go back to the gym for, yes, a third workout.


Now while the kid gets major points for both working out with his mom (me) and for wanting to go thrifting, I'm choosing to be a total spoil sport and here is the plan that I say I'm willing to do.


6:30 - Go shopping at the thrift store.

7:30 - Workout at the gym with mom.


Little guy: "OK, I think a light workout is good tonight."


An hour workout is a "light" workout. Being 48 is so different than being 16.

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!

Owl Love

The funniest thing happened the other day.


A friend stopped by after I'd told him the URL for my online gallery: "Who's there?"

Me: "I'm here."

Friend: "No, who's there?"

Me: "Um..." Seriously, I was thinking I was stuck in an Abbot and Costello routine.

Friend: "I want to buy your painting called "Hoooooo's There?"

Me: "Oh, great!"


And this is when my friend face palmed himself...in his imagination. He's too nice a guy to do it in front of me, ya know.

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!

My Heart Swells

It was like old times today.

When my kids were little we'd all load up in my car, or on our bicycles, and head up to the neighborhood elementary school. I worked there as a teacher and they learned there as students. It was an awesome one-stop-shopping experience. And then my big guy moved on to middle and high school, and then my little guy did the same, and then I was left at the elementary school all alone (not counting all of the students and staff that remained, of course).

But today my big guy was subbing for the woman I work with and my little guy was there volunteering for track and field...there we all were under one big roof again!

My day was made!

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!

Hoooooo Knew?

Well, maybe you knew, but I didn't.

I've had my "studio" (my living room) open to the public two weekends in a row for WEST, and happily a lot of my art has been selling. You know what the most popular subject matter has been? Owls, that's what! I'm super happy because not only are they incredibly awesome animals, but they're one of my favorite things to paint.

So with my current shortage of these nocturnal wonders, of course I had to paint another!

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!

Love and Wisdom

My big guy turned twenty yesterday. It was a rather lovely pairing having my first born's birthday occur on Mother's Day. I'm usually not one to go in for celebrating that holiday, but celebrating the birth of my kid...well, that's the best way to celebrate being a mother.

And I celebrate all that he has been, all that he is, and all that he will be. Love you, kiddo!


This was a special request from my open studio tour over the weekend. Hoooooo knew that owls were so popular?

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!

Say "Hello" to my Little Friend

So a funny thing happened during WEST. One of my owl paintings was bought on Saturday...and the next morning this little fella hatched.

HUGE thanks to everyone that stopped by this weekend!!! Dave and I loved every second of it. If you missed it this weekend, please come see us next weekend. Click here for studio tour info.

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!

Things Happen at Night

Sometimes I think I miss out on stuff by sleeping at night.

I woke up this morning to find that every single plate and every single cup and mug that we own had been used. And while there were tons of forks left in the drawer, there was only one spoon. So I'm going with the assumption that a soft serve substance, spoon and plate-worthy something that induced great thirst was on the midnight menu.

This delicious mystery must be solved...stay tuned.

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!

I Love my School

I was walking in the school where I work this morning when a child ran to me from behind and caught me in a hug. I turned around to see the most fabulous, bright, and sunshiny face looking up at me.


Me: "What do you have there?"

Kiddo: "A bunny."

Me: "What's its name?"

Kiddo: "I named it for you."


And another big hug.


BEST way to start the day!


Every year the school where I work has an amazing fundraiser. I always contribute a painting for the auction. Here is this year's. I love painting owls. Next to chickens they're my favorite animal to paint.

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!

My Best Friend is a Big Yellow Ball

Last night our big dog, Hazel, jumped on our bed. This is her usual routine when she sees us starting to brush our teeth and don our PJs. Only this time it was different. This time she had her yellow tennis ball with her and she curled right up with it. Perhaps she's wanting to continue fetching well into her dreams. Perhaps she misses her best bud Scout.

It's nice to know that friends can come in many different forms...even spherical.

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!

Up All Night

A couple of weeks ago a canvas was dropped off at my house. I'd been asked to create a piece of art to be part of a fundraiser for the George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center. So here's what I came up with. I worked on it over about a week or so. I created the background first, and what always happens to me happened this time, too. I always, always manage to fall in love with the background. I can't even imagine painting over a single bit of it. So the background had to sit propped up on one of our chairs for about five days so I could enjoy it and fall just a bit out of love with it, enough so that I'd be willing to cover at least half of it up. But the wonderful thing is, as soon as I do cover up parts I end up loving the painting even more.

Oh, and the white polka dot stars wrap around the canvas on the edges!

This little guy and five stars and moon watching over him make me so, so happy. Hope it makes them a lot of money!

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!

Up All Night

I'm am so not a night owl.

But the Austin allergies have forced their hand and brought out my inner night owl. Well, at least my inner sneezing-all-night owl.

I get ready for bed...I'm fine.

I fall asleep...I'm fine.

1:00 a.m. rolls around...AAAAA-CHOOOOO!

1:30...AAAAA-CHOOOOO! AAAAA-CHOOOOO! AAAAA-CHOOOOO! AAAAA-CHOOOOO! AAAAA-CHOOOOO! AAAAA-CHOOOOO! AAAAA-CHOOOOO! AAAAA-CHOOOOO!

2:00...AAAAA-CHOOOOO! AAAAA-CHOOOOO! AAAAA-CHOOOOO!

2:01...Dave says, "Blow your nose."

2:02...PBBBBBB! (That's the sound of my nose being blown.)

2:03...Me, "Whew, thanks."

2:30...AAAAA-CHOOOOO! AAAAA-CHOOOOO! AAAAA-CHOOOOO! AAAAA-CHOOOOO! AAAAA-CHOOOOO!

3:00...AAAAA-CHOOOOO! AAAAA-CHOOOOO! AAAAA-CHOOOOO!

4:00...AAAAA-CHOOOOO! AAAAA-CHOOOOO! AAAAA-CHOOOOO! AAAAA-CHOOOOO!

5:30..."beep, beep, beep, beep" goes my alarm.


And this sneezing-all-night owl wishes for the luxury of all day sleep that nocturnal animals are given. PBBBBBB!

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!

Older and Wiser

My Bunco group had its annual Holiday party last night. When we started about fourteen years ago, we were all young moms desperately eager to get together once a month and get our crazy on. We've all grown a lot since then and I think the changes are rather lovely.

The details will remain known only to us, Bunco rules are like Vegas rules in that way, but I will say that we're older, wiser, and ever so much more awesome. We sport our gray hair and our reading glasses like the sexy mamas we are. And we are proof positive that bigger, wider, and, yes, saggier is absolutely better.

I'm madly in love with my Bunco Babes!!

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!

Wisdom Love

After looking high and low for my gloves, on my winter shelf, in my winter chest, in my winter drawer...it was super cold this morning...it occurred to me that I had wisely thought at the end of last winter that I'd put my gloves in the glove compartment of my car so that it would be obvious to me where they were when I'd next need them.  Eureka!  Albeit a-significant-time's-worth-of-searching later.

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!

New Favorite Activity

It's official.  I have a new favorite activity.


1st - Go through a haunted house enough times to memorize everything and no longer be scared of anything.

2nd - Follow people through the haunted house that look like they're likely to be screamers. 

3rd - Maybe, just maybe, scare them at just the right time.


Good times!

Boo!

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!

Batty for Austin, Texas

They say that distance makes the heart grow fonder.  And maybe that's what's been happening to me.  Although for me it's more like the anticipation of distance.  I've been thinking a lot about my upcoming trip to California (the little guy and I leave first thing tomorrow morning).  So I couldn't help but create something that celebrates this city I love and one of my favorite things about it. 

I absolutely never, ever tire of watching the bats emerge from under the Congress Avenue Bridge (I think they now actually call it the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge...a totally rockin' name to be sure.).  But what I love even more is being on that bridge just before the sun rises and I can still see the last of the twinkling stars above.  The bats return home in a flurry that to me, is even more beautiful than when they emerged the evening before.  They're tired.  They're tummies are full.  Sleep is the next thing on their batty agenda. 

I love them...and I'm definitely Batty for Austin, Texas.


I've had this design, minus a few of the stars, set up as a T-shirt on Zazzle.  The back of the shirt says, "Batty for Austin, Texas".  Click here to go to the Zazzle link.  Scroll down to see images of the front and the back of the shirt.  Available in sizes infant to adult, guys and gals.

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!

 

 

Fruit Loops

Yes, in a moment of weakness I bought them for my little guy.  Here's the deal.  If you come with me on a shopping trip, I'm gonna let you buy something totally void of nutrition.


Me:  "You like that?  Aren't those for little kids?"

Little guy:  "Pretty much all the good cereal is made for little kids."

Me:  "What about the cereal that dad and I eat."

Little guy:  "That's bird food."

Me:  "So, what's in Fruit Loops?"

Little guy:  "Wheat and sugar...and deliciousness."


Well, I can't beat that last ingredient.


And the Fruit Loops were tossed into the cart.  Shopping trip partner is officially paid in full.

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!