When life gives you lemons, draw them, 11 x 14 inches dry pastels, graphite on paper

"When life gives you lemons, draw them." (Nikki)

"Color! What a deep and mysterious language." (Paul Gauguin)

amphibians

American Green Tree Frog

Thursday, June 20th, 2024


 

American Green Tree Frog, 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper
American Green Tree Frog, 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper, framed size 27H x 33W”. Details of work in progress:

  American Green Tree Frog, work in progress, phase 01   American Green Tree Frog, work in progress, phase 02   American Green Tree Frog, work in progress, phase 03

Green Tree Frog

Thursday, June 9th, 2022


 

Green Tree Frog, 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper
American Green Tree Frog on Crocosmia leaves, 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper

Showing in Fusion Art’s 7th Annual “Animal Kingdom” International Online Juried Art Exhibition, September 2022. Asian Elephant is also in the exhibition and received the “Artistic Excellence” award.

Try Frog Asana

Monday, September 21st, 2009


 

Frogasana (Yoga Frog Pose), ink drawing on foolscap, tidied with digital pen

Frog Asanamy suggestion for a new Yoga posture: the Frog Pose! Ink drawing on foolscap, tidied with digital pen

The Art of Caring

Wednesday, June 11th, 2008


 

Boys will be boys!

Haydon is squinting from the bright sun, not the toad on his head; it was entirely his idea to do that.  The Art of Caring - the two boys who saved a rat from drowning in our neighborhood pool.  The Art of Caring - a rat that was saved from drowning by two boys in our neighborhood pool.

Who would save a drowning rat? These two little boys, Haydon and Noel would.
When I arrived at the neighborhood pool this morning they had just scooped a helpless rat out of the water with a little pail. It was still alive but barely, and the oldest boy who was six years old, explained to me about the circle of life – he used this term, not me. He explained that if rats died then snakes could not live, and so that’s why he saved it. I was impressed, but their other new pool playmate, a toad also discovered in the water… not so much!

Yard work: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008


 
Toad-in-a-hole and flowering Sun Star.

Toad in the hole of a doughnut-shaped clay container. Toad in the hole of a doughnut-shaped clay container.

The Good: all the little unexpected surprises, like this toad that I never would have seen if it had not popped out of the hole at the exact moment I happened to be looking there. The clay container with a hole in the center is designed to coil and contain garden hose, but being used as a plant pot. Good: The beautiful orange flowering plant is called a Sun Star.
The Bad: having no choice about mowing the lawn on a 98*F day, and keeping edges formally trimmed because the neighbors have it that way. Also Bad: Fire ants that bite before you know you’re standing on a nest with bare feet…but Good: Fire ants keep the tough Texas soil aerated. The Ugly: me with ant-bite blisters, mowing and edging the lawn on a 98*F day.

Garden Toad

Saturday, August 18th, 2007


 
Garden Toad

I was gardening today, and saw the brown-grey soil shape itself into a toad…it was like one of those “magic eye” pictures. This little toad has excellent camouflage!

I’ve done a lot of traveling this year, and now company arrives tomorrow. Too much hopping around means no painting! Photos will be the convenient art of choice, probably for the summer.