A few little cuties

Recently I was commissioned by a darling friend to do three tiny paintings!

Her sisters children all have middle names that are birds. She wanted paintings of each of the birds.

Here is what I created for her!

They are 2.5 x 2.5 inches each!!!

It's been a while

This past year has been very busy and I just realized I've been a terrible blogger.

Hopefully I can redeem myself by posting a whole bunch of art that I have finished over the past few months!!!

Baby Elephant

A Little Batty

Giraffe Truth

Blue Jay with Attitude

Owl Insight

Chickadee with Berries

Baby Fluffy Owl

Peaceful Crane

KOI - Love Harmony

Joyful Finch

Raven - Mystery

Narwhal Love

Hummingbird - Determination

Octopus - Be flexable

Raven Oracle

Baby Sea Turtle - Find Your Way

Snow Leopard - Balanced

Turkey - Generosity

Sea Turtle - Adaptable

An Elephant in the Room

I just love animal related idioms.

Mostly because I love animals, but secondly they just say what needs to be said and the point is made in just a small phrase.

Some of my favorites include...

A Bird in the Hand is Worth Two in the Bush.
         Which means... Be satisfied with what you have rather than mourning things you don't have.
or

The Cat's Got your Tongue.
         Which means... You are too shy to speak up so the only logical reason is the cat took your tongue. Seriously?

As Blind as A Bat. This one is just silly to me!
         It is suppose to mean... You don't see very well.
I guess because bats live in dark caves and only come out at night they were thought to be blind. Seriously, could you catch a mosquito in the dusk?

I'm as blind as a human, would be a better idiom.


A Bull in a China Shop.
          Which Means... You're so big and clumsy that you destroy everything around you.
I love the visual of a Bull trying to carefully navigate a fully packed china shop.
It makes me giggle every time. Haha!

And Geeze we LOVE our Cats...

Cat Nap .. Duh no one sleeps better than a Cat.
A Scaredy- Cat.. Means you get scared as easily as a Cat. They ARE very jumpy, especially around dogs. When they are scared they sure are funny to watch with their tail all puffed up!!
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof... If your a jumpy nervous type I guess you could resemble a cat racing across a hot surface.
A Fat Cat, means you have a lot of money. (Mine is Fat, but not very rich, I bet Grumpy Cat is a "Fat Cat")
Let the Cat out of the Bag.... I think of Mom when I hear this one, she must have said this more than once, probably because I could never keep her secrets as a kid.
It's Raining Cats and Dogs... Well who hasn't said this one on a down pour. I say this all the time now that I live in Oregon.
Not enough Room to Swing a Cat (Someone must have actually done this for it to be a thing... Terrible!)
Look What the Cat Drug In (Another one that makes me laugh, cats can bring in the darnedest things.)

But Dogs are just as popular...
Dog Tired means you are more tired than normal, I guess Dogs get more tired than people because of their exhausting lives.
It's Gone to the Dogs... Means you've hit hard times or let your self go, which is really unfair to Dogs they don't have terrible lives. In fact most that I know are down right spoiled.
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie ... Serious this is just good advice. You could get bit if you wake up a sleeping Dog or a Sleeping Dad.
Like a Dog with two tails... HAHA ... If you're uber happy and excited you are like a dog with two tails. Let face it most dogs are that happy.

There are so many more and my husband has a few that are just inappropriate to mention. Use your imagination and think of a Horse and a Goat. Nuf said.

But my all time favorite saying is "There is a dead elephant in the room!"
It's actually just "An Elephant in the Room" but, at some point I added the "Dead" I'm not sure if I read it somewhere like that or I just added it during a rough patch in my life and the dead elephant just seemed so much more relevant.

You know Stinky, Festering, Large and in the Way.

I find myself using this one a lot. Probably because when you come from a dysfunctional family there is always a dead something in the room.

I am hyper aware of situations when people are just ignoring the obvious and pretending it's not there.
So even the little infractions of this become a "Dead Elephant" for me.

I should probably re-name the little ones something else, like "Dead Pigeon in the Room" (No offense to the lovely pigeon.) But, you know, still stinky and festering, just not as in the way.

Perhaps for the little things we pretend are not there, like the person in the family who never changes the toilet paper roll when it's out.
Or someone who leaves stinky shoes in the middle of the room.

Then I can just reserve the "Dead Elephant" for the big stuff, like alcoholism, drug abuse, gambling or stealing issues.

So go fourth and Dog Ear your favorite animal idiom, and let the troubles run off you like Water Off A Ducks Back, don't be a Wolf in Sheep's Clothing and be sure to Grab the Tiger by the Tail.
But Most of all ...

Remember this ...

The Early Bird Catches the Worm.

Some New Art

I noticed that I had not posted in a while but I actually may have a very good excuse this time... I've been a busy artist!!
It's part of the dream to be so busy and successful as an artist that I don't need a day job because the day job is being an artist... I feel closer, this past month, to that dream than ever before!!

Back in February I entered a painting in the CAPS art auction which is a judged art auction to raise money for aids awareness. I was worried about submitting because it is a judged entry and only a select few are accepted. I really hate rejection, especially of my art. But good news I got accepted.
Here is the piece I donated...

Flying Raven

I'm a little sad because I really love this painting and will miss seeing it in my house, but I am also happy to donate it to a good cause. I just hope it is bought by a loving person who will treasure it.

Any way the auction is this weekend so I am super excited because I get to go and dress up and be fancy and elegant.

Another project that has been keeping me really really really busy is the "little art / BIG CAUSE" show at a cute little bar in Portland called Scandals. They have a ton of artists doing  8x8 panels and they hang them all up and people come in buy what they want for $40.00 and then take them home that night. Super cool!!
This Thursday is the opening night and they sell most paintings the first few nights. I am excited because I painted 6 new panels for this one. I only had 28 days to get them done. I worked like a beast to get them finished.

Pure Heart - Deer

Below are the new paintings for the Scandals show.





Play, Laugh, Love - Dolphin

 

 

It was so much fun doing these and I have been so revitalized for doing my art.

Untapped Strength - Bear

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other thing I have been busy with is the totems that I do.

 

I've had a bunch of new clients and interest.

 

I love doing the totems the most because I get to know so many great people.

 

I'll share one of those on my next post.

 

Shine Bright - Peacock

 

 

 

The last thing that has kept me so busy this month is getting ready for the First Thursday street show. I put myself out there on the street (with tons of other artists). Including my dear friends, Pat, Chuck and Derrick to hold my hand and help me feel brave while exposing my heart and soul to the public. I did it last year until I got sick and the first one in April, was rained out :(

 

We're suppose to have great 80 degree weather and lots of people out there so I am excited to be there and hopefully have some real fun meeting new people who like my art!!! For all my friends who live in Portland I hope you'll come out and see me!!!

Big Bold Beautiful - Alligator

Deepest Desires - Snake

 

New Year's Resolution ... The New REVISED Me in Progress!

I love the New Year! I especially love making new resolutions.

I always feel like my life is a series of experiments on "getting it right", so when I have a particularly tough year, the "NEW" Year signals in my mind that it's OK to start over and give it another try.

I'll sit down and evaluate the past year and edit out the bad elements, just get rid of those things that didn't work.

Like this past year...

1. Suffering with uterine pain is OUT! My uterus is gone so the fresh new healthy me is ready to go.
2. A less than satisfying career. There's got to be something out there at stimulates all my talents!!!
3. A Negative attitude bye bye ... only positive influences, people and self talk in my life.
4. Destructive sabotaging people ... asta la vista, baby! (You know who you are.)
5. Procrastination (Oh, this is the thorn in my side) It's so GONE, first thing tomorrow!


Wow only five things... I thought there was more! (Thats the new positive me talking)

I see that my life is going pretty good and perhaps I am "Getting it Right" more than I thought.

Here is what's right and I plan on keeping and developing further this year...

1. My Marriage ... Love makes my world go round! Having the best support system around sure makes life great!!

2. My Daughter ... She makes me proud every day and knowing that my love and support is helping her become the amazing person I know she is, makes me feel like I'm doing everything right!

3. Running ... It's challenging and tough at times, but everyday I run I feel happy and inspired and knowing I ran a bit better and further than yesterday makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something important. (That may just be the dopamine talking, but I'll take it!!).

4. My Art ... I've been "practicing" this one my entire life. It stays on my list every year. What my art has taught me is, never give up on a dream, there is always room for growth and development, and even if no one else likes what you do, if it makes you happy keep doing it!!!

Here are a couple of new pieces I'm happy to share with you...

All Together Different

Play Often

5. Writing ... It's a big insecurity and I feel extremely vulnerable to ridicule and criticism, but I love writing. I've got hundreds (No exaggeration) of journals that I have been writing since my teen age years, I have three blogs that only a very tiny select few even know about (just my most trusted friends and family) and I never seem to follow through with the consistency of writing, but It really makes me feel happy when I write. So write I shall, (maybe I'll even share it with the general public. .. hmm that might be a 2015  improvement goal)

6. Positive Influences ... There seems to be a lot of negative people and events and influences being bombarded towards me daily and when I don't pay attention, I sure do let those things in and effect my thoughts and actions. But this year I am going to intentionally deny, block and prohibit the negative into my life. I'm blocking those negative nellys' on face book. I'm turning off the news (expect NPR). I'm walking away from those who choose to argue, fight, bicker or speak ill of others. I choose to see the good in life and people.

Reach for the Stars

Resolutions are not bad things that we may or may not achieve, they are side notes and edits to a life in progress and I welcome a new year that allows me to correct mistakes and start over ...

so I raise my glass and toast to a brand new and exciting year ahead!!!

(Insert whistles and horns and throw the confetti now.)

Farewell my uterus!

Well here it is a few days before I expell the traitor in my abdomen ... My uterus!

Yes that's right a hysterectomy!

I fought hard for the past 8 years to keep the bloody thing! (Pun intended)

It turns out that my fibroid tumors, which supposedly don't cause most women any trouble at all, have been wrecking havoc in my uterus for years. Probably even the cause for all the horrendous PMS bouts I've suffered with all these years!

I do want to honor my uterus for the one good thing that did come from it...

My daughter Lyndi-Rae. Even then though my uterus didn't want to cooperate when it came time to expell that giant baby! She was two weeks past due and 9lb 4oz and we had to force my uterus to cooperate with drugs and a team of doctors and nurses forcing the issue for two days!

But it did make a really healthy wonderful baby girl for me so kudos to you, uterus!

But now the time has come to say farewell, sinanara ... 

Don't let the door hit you on your way out!!

In the beginning

Here is the beginning of a sketch I'm doing for my new painting!!

Just thought I'd share!!

Scorpio

Here is a little picture I did for a friend of mine!

A Guide for Spiritual Living







I just have to brag a little here. My Uncle George McLaird has written a fantastic new book!! It's called, "A Guide for Spiritual Living: Hundreds of Suggestions for Finding, Refinding, Refining, Redefining and Reinventing Your Own Personal Spiritual Path". I have read the book and will probably read it several more times, as there are so many great suggestions for creating your own amazing path through life. I might also mention that this book is featuring an up and comping new artist, who has contributed some fun and whimsical visual interest, which only enhances the already fantastic book... Yup, thats me!!!

 

Take a look at that cover... Pretty cool don't you think?

If you want to check it out, go to www.barnesandnoble.com and type in either "Rev. George McLaird" or "A Guide for Spiritual Living" in the search section.
It's there and it's so worth buying!!!
You can also get it for the nook!
It it available for the kindle too at www.amazon.com

Also check out Georges web site he has a great little video about the book, he's even starring in the video.
www.mclaird.com

Enjoy and thanks for your support!!!

Over One Year Ago

I can't believe it's been over a year since Mom died.

It's been over a year since I've posted anything.

It seems like just yesterday, yet at the same time it seems like eons ago.
How does that happen?

Christmas Cardinal

Today I discovered, when I checked my blog, that I got Married on the exact 1 year anniversary from my mothers death, July 15,2012.
I had a jaw dropping moment, let me tell you!

When we were picking a date earlier this year, We were focused on getting a great deal on flights and hotels and wedding venues, the 15th of July seemed to be the date that worked, and it was so far from my mind that it was my mothers date of passing.

"Leap First"

Somehow I think she orchestrated that, she's been in my dreams the past three nights, always with dad and they are side by side, sometimes giving me advice and telling me some random piece of data that makes sense in a dream, but no sense when you wake up.

Last night they were at a banquet table just smiling and nodding in approval. I think it means they were at the wedding, in spirit.

SO,  How does a year go by so fast?
Thinking about whats been going on, I can only recall a few significant details, most days are working to earn a living, cleaning so I don't feel like a slob and spending time with my family and friends.

Mixed in are my personal projects, like art, so I can retire from "work" and create paintings and drawings for a living.
Running, so that I can live long enough to full fill my bucket list.
Mix in my desire to learn about nutrition and healing. (Someday I'll make a career out of that!)
Tending to my tiny little garden so that I feel like I'm contributing to life.
And reading lots of books. I still read "real" books, the kind you put in your hand and turn the paper pages! I enjoy hearing the paper crinkle each time you flip a page; which for me is WAY more satisfying than an electronic version of that.

For the upcoming year, I plan to paint a lot more, sell a lot more paintings :)
Run a 1/2 Marathon, I just started training for that.
Loose 10 more pounds, mainly so running gets easier.
Read more, laugh more, play more and go on more sunny vacations!!!



Until my next post (Hopefully not another whole year hahah)...


Bride & Groom

Here are some pictures of the Art I've been doing... and a snapshot from our wedding photos!


First Raven



Raven Flying



Love Dove

Giraffe's See Far



"Last Bugger" from the Unpublished
Book... "Letting the Bed Bugs Bite"
Written by Charles Lindner

White Butterfly



Horse Farm

"Voodo Bug" from the Unpublished Book

"Seek Passion"



"Wise Heart"

Goodbye MOM

At 5:20 am July 15th 2011 ... Mom died.

I knew this day was coming soon, so emotionally I'm as ready as one can be. I've come to terms with her quality of life being so deteriorated that it was a blessing she finally passed, but still I have to wonder what kind of life she had and it's impact on those still here.

I don't believe that I really knew Mom. I know some facts about her life that she openly relayed to us on occasion. She had Polio when she was a kid and spent a lot of time in the hospital. I know the effects of the Polio rippled through her entire life. Her feet were misshaped, so walking was often laborious. She had somewhat brittle bones because of the effects of the Polio and had broken her ankle and femur in her life.

She lost her own dad when she was a young girl and that she always felt the one person who loved her the most left her life too soon! She told me that she always felt like she was on her own after her dad died. I suspect this had a greater impact than the Polio.

She had a degree as a minister, which she never practiced. When I found a copy of the certificate at age 12, I was blown away and at that moment realized that there was a whole side of my mom that I never knew. When I asked her about the certificate she shrugged and dismissed it as insignificant and a part of her past. Over the years when I attempted to know a deeper side of Mom, she often dismissed and shrugged clearly not wanting to talk about her childhood and the years before I came along.

She loved to tell a story of how she came to FEAR snakes, probably because she blamed her brother. The story goes that George (Her brother) would catch the snakes and torment her with them and he would collect the skins and hang them on the clothes line and chase her with the live snakes and run her around until she ran into the hanging snake skins. She would laugh out loud after telling the story at how crazy the whole thing was. She hated snakes so much that one time we were driving and a snake was slithering across the road and she swerved to miss it, claiming that her irrational fear made her think they could somehow slither into the car even at 60 mph. Of course we laughed out loud over that one too! She hated snakes so much that she would not go see Indiana Jones with Dad the year it came out because she had heard about the snake scene. I find her tortuous relationship with snakes very interesting when I look at the symbolic meanings associated with snakes. Here is an animal with no legs, but moves with ease through grass, tree's water and sand! Snakes shed their skin and are considered masters of shedding the past to transform into something new and re-born. My mom lived a life with "no legs" or at least really bad ones, and could barely get around. She lived in fear of her future because of her hard past. Did she fear snakes because they represented something she could not be? FREE to Move and FREE from her past!

My Mom had a very strange superstition, that I believe developed from her hardships with her Polio and the loss of her Dad, she was convinced that if she expressed hope and joy for something that she desired, that she would be denied that item. She didn't want to talk about good things that happened for fear they would be taken away. I actually have fought my whole life against this ingrained belief, because I suspect what ever you believe in your mind and heart are what you create for your life. By example she did create a lot of good things that were then taken away, because of her fear that they would be. This was the biggest revelation for me and how I choose to live without fear as a controlling element of my life. Through Mom's pain and disappointment in her own life I was able to see the other side, Thank You Mom for that lesson well received.

There were two things that I know Mom had the most remorse over... Not being able to ride Horses and Not being able to Dance. In life she was able to full fill her love of horses thanks to Dad's financial support and my love of horses. Together Mom and I had a wonderful life raising and training horses. She lived vicariously through my experiences when riding and I hope that was enough for her. Dancing is something that I still love to do! I will often break out my I-Pod and dance around the house while I clean and organize. I truly believe now that she is in spirit form and no longer hindered by imperfect legs; Now dancing is all she will be doing! This thought brings me great comfort and joy!

Mom was a great cook, thanks to butter, cheese, crisco oil and sugar! Of course her poor heart couldn't take that kind of diet and she suffered emotionally for her weight, but no one was ever disappointed after a meal mom made!! There are many Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners that people still talk about the amazing food and desserts! I have a wonderful recipe book of mom's best meals that Carl surely enjoys often. Of course her Lemon Meringue Pie is legendary!! I'm sure I won over my Father-in-Law with that recipe!!

Mom had a green thumb like no other. Some of my favorite memories with mom were in the garden. How she knew so much about when to plant, how to water and what nutrients the soil needed always amazed me. I have not inherited that ability. Every summer we could count on The best tomatoes in the WORLD from my mom's garden. She made artichokes grown in soil and climate they were not suppose to grow in, in fact her plants would produce so much extra fruit that we took bags and bags of Artichokes to school and I'm sure the generous gesture helped our grades!

Pomegranates by the tons, corn, peas, carrots, radishes, cucumbers, zucchini, lettuce, lemons, apples, oranges... I still feel a little deprived when I buy a store version of the wonderful fresh produce we had as kids.

Now looking back on these small pieces of my Mom's life I see the giant impact she had in my life and I'm so sure the tiny little pieces of memories I have are merely a shadow of the true impact she had on the so many others whose life she has touched.

God Bless Gloria Jane (McLaird) Lindner... I am grateful for having known her and called her MOM!!

With Love...

Anjanette (Lindner) Petty