Beth Parker Art

Smiling is Infectious and a Bookmark

2012-05-25T09:04:00.000-05:00

“Smiling is infectious; you can catch it like the flu. Someone smiled at me today, and I started smiling too.”
Author Unknown

Good one! It has already happened to me today. I smiled at someone and they smiled back! Love it!

Bookmark 3 – Watercolor, Inktense and Sharpie

This is the darkest of the bookmarks. To lighten it up some, I added the little white dots and x-s with white gouache. I think it helped. Did I tell you that these 5 little bookmarks are going to be someone’s Christmas gifts? Talk about planning ahead. I was asked to do 5 of them and the person I did them for is going to give them to her girlfriends in a book (like I gave to her). Nice!

I looked up “Author Unknown” on the internet and I found a site called cybernation.com, dedicated to the betterment of humanity. They have a bunch of quotes by Author Unknown.

Have a safe and fun Memorial Day weekend. I’d like to give a huge thanks to the brave men and women serving in our armed forces, as well! THANKS!

Bookmark 2 - Another Doodle-a-thon!

2012-05-24T08:18:00.002-05:00

“Happiness always looks small while you hold it in your hands, but let it go, and you learn at once how big and precious it is.”
– Aleksei Peshkov

Bookmark 2 – Watercolor, Inktense and Sharpie

So much fun! I used a green sharpie to do the mesh in the background. I put shadows behind everything to give it some depth, but it doesn’t show up well in the scan. Only 2 more work days until a 3 day weekend! Yay! I haven’t taken many days off this month. I’m not sure I’m going to know how to act.

About Aleksei Peshkov
Russian social realist author Aleksei Peshkov, known as Maxim Gorky, was so esteemed that his birthplace, Nizhny Novgorod, was renamed Gorky in his honor. He was born in 1868. His parents died when he was young, and he left his home at age 12. He was arrested in the late 1880′s as a revolutionary. His writing, including his best-known novel, The Mother, portrayed a decadent society and immense poverty. He became disillusioned after the Russian Revolution, feeling Lenin’s Communism was little better. He died in 1936.

Paddle Boat Painting

2012-05-23T07:49:00.001-05:00

“Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.”
– Alexander Graham Bell

Paddle Boat 6″ x 8″ Watercolor and Prismacolor Pen

I painted this from a photo by mbeckett at WetCanvas. I used a .01 Prismacolor Fine Liner to do the lines. It was way too small to use a sharpie.

I worked on this the last couple mornings before work. Coffee and art. Ahhhhhhh! Nothing better to start my day!

About Alexander Graham Bell
Scottish-Canadian inventor Alexander Graham Bell is credited with inventing the telephone; he also invented the metal detector, which he created hurriedly in an attempt to find the bullet that killed President James Garfield. He was born in 1847 in Edinburgh. He began as an elocutionist but began learning about acoustics to find a way to help his deaf mother. Other inventions include the telegraph and the phonograph. He also developed techniques to teach speech to the deaf. He died in 1922.

Finish Line is In Sight! – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor and Sharpie

2012-05-22T10:06:00.000-05:00

“A day of worry is more exhausting than a week of work.”
– John Lubbock

Finish Line is In Sight! – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor and Sharpie

Once the girls had the finish line in sight, there was no stopping them! Flying is clearly against the rules, so they were hoofing it around the track as fast as they could. The instant replay tapes are still being viewed, to see who actually won by a beak. I did this for http://www.illustrationfriday.com/ where the word is “sight”.

The photo I painted this from was by Mike Beckett at WetCanvas.

My WordPress blog is still not operating correctly. The visual editor seems to be missing. I can’t add tags or categories. What a pain.

About John Lubbock

John Lubbock, the multifaceted British banker, statesman, and scientist, was responsible for the institution of England’s monthly Bank Holidays, sometimes referred to as St. Lubbock Days. He was born in 1834 in England. Growing up, he learned science from his father’s friend Charles Darwin. He coined the terms Paleolithic and Neolithic to denote the different Stone Ages, and he wrote the well-regarded books Prehistoric Times and Ants, Bees, and Wasps. He died in 1913.

Swirly Worms in Sight - 6" x 6" Watercolor

2012-05-21T08:07:00.002-05:00

"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible."
– St. Francis of Assisi

: Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Swirly Worms in Sight - 6" x 6" Watercolor

I painted this from a photo by mbeckett at WetCanvas. The word for Illustration Friday is "sight" and with this big ol' fish eye, it seemed to fit the bill. He looks startled because he has never seen all the worms swirling like that before. What a sight! :)

I have another "sight" painting for tomorrow.

Wordpress editing is all messed up this morning, so I can't imbed the link or make any other edits, like adding tags. It won't even let me publish today's post. hmmmmm.

I worked both Saturday and Sunday, so the only time I had to paint was early in the morning, before getting ready. That means we'll be looking at more bookmarks later in the week. :)

Have a great day!

About St. Francis of Assisi

St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and ecology in Catholicism, was born Giovanni Francesco di Bernardone into a wealthy Italian merchant family in 1181. As a youth, he was known for carousing. After a series of illnesses, one of which occurred while a prisoner of war, he had a spiritual awakening. God came to him in a vision and told him to build up his crumbling church. Taking the dream literally, he began rebuilding a local chapel. He took a vow of poverty and began traveling, preaching, and working to help the sick and the poor. A group formed around him, becoming the Franciscan order. He died in 1226.

Bookmark 1 - Doo-wap Doodling

2012-05-18T09:16:00.001-05:00

“If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you’ll never enjoy the sunshine.”
– Morris West

Bookmark 1 – Watercolor, Inktense & Sharpie

I finished the bookmarks this morning. They were really fun to do. I like the little “stitching” that makes them pop a little more. I’m going to post them one at a time, because work is so busy that I may not get many little paintings done to post through next week. Memorial Day weekend is the official start to summer on Lake Eufaula. Everybody is sprucing up their businesses and their boats before all the tourists get here. I’m the sprucer. he he

The 6th Annual Lake Eufaula Sailboat Bucket Run is this coming weekend. (They are wisely skipping the Memorial Day weekend craziness.)

Tucker-Downing Agency of Wilburton had the following on their blog about the Bucket Run:

“The Bucket Run is a unique sail boat race for inland waters. It’s a point to point race and not your run of the mill “round the buoys” race. The course is 14 miles in each direction and it is not without some very real challenges. The race begins along the beaches and outside the entrance to Eufaula Cove Marine. It heads mostly east and enters “The Narrows”. A part of the lake where Oklahoma’s gentle giant, and one of the largest man made lakes in the world, narrows down to only about a quarter mile wide as the surrounding hills push the entire flow of the rivers feedling the lake into a narrow pass between the hills.

It’s here that the Bucket Run has been won or lost every year since the beginning. Despite the challenges of The Narrows most competitors will still have a huge smile on their face as they cross the finish line each day.”This race is a committment!” was the only comment heard from a certain entrant the first year he was in the Bucket Run. That sailor didn’t let that stop him and he’s been seen around the Bucket Run more than once. In fact, once most sailors complete the entire two days they are hooked and always return. From catamarans to club racers, from brand new to 100 year old designs, the Lake Eufaula Sail Boat Bucket Run is a sailboat race for every kind of sailboat. But, when the final boat crosses the finish line on Sunday the only thing you can be absolutely certain of is that you’ve made some new friends, re-established old friendships and will have lots of stories to tell until next year.”

Come on down to the lake and enjoy the graceful beauty of all those sailboats. It is truly an amazing sight! For more information downingc@swbell.net or (918) 855-1316

About Morris West

Morris West, the popular Australian writer best known for religious thrillers including The Shoes of the Fisherman and The Devil’s Advocate, spent 12 years in a Christian Brothers monastery but left before taking his final vows. He was born in Melbourne in 1916. He wrote his first book while serving in the South Pacific during World War II. After the war, he held such varied jobs as a radio soap-opera writer and Vatican correspondent for London’s Daily Mail. He died in 1999.

Pleasure Cruisin’ in Thailand – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor and Sharpie

2012-05-17T08:37:00.002-05:00

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will.”
– Vincent Lombardi

Pleasure Cruisin’ in Thailand – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor and Sharpie

I painted this from another photo by Dewi at WetCanvas. Doesn’t that look like fun? Since the Illustration Friday word was “Kernel”, I actually thought about painting both of these boats yellow and naming the big boat “Cob” and the little boat “Kernel”, but ended up not doing it. Just the fact that I thought about it makes me twisted enough. he he

About Vincent Lombardi

American football coach Vincent Lombardi is famed for turning the Green Bay Packers from a losing team to two-time Super Bowl champions. He was born in 1913 in Brooklyn. He initially wanted to be a priest, but changed his mind after he became the star fullback on his high school team. When he began coaching the Packers, he set up intensive training camps and demanded absolute dedication but promised them the championship. The NFL named him “Man of the Decade” in the 1960′s. He died in 1970.

Someone is Having Fish for Dinner

2012-05-16T07:55:00.003-05:00

“We must dare to think “unthinkable” thoughts. We must learn to explore all the options and possibilities that confront us in a complex and rapidly changing world.”
– James William Fulbright

Someone is Having Fish for Dinner – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor and Sharpie

I painted this from a photo posted on WetCanvas by my friend, Dewi. She took this at a market in Thailand, where she lives. Of course, you know they weren’t really this colorful.

Isn’t it fun to be able to paint images from all over the world? I have a very beautiful painting in my office that Dewi painted for me. In fact, because of my involvement with WetCanvas, I have paintings from so many cool places. India, Australia, South Africa, Alaska, Canada, The Netherlands, England… and so many more wonderful places. Dewi sent her painting to me because she just wanted me to have it, but many of the art came from the 16 different exchanges I participated in. Treasures, every one!

I love today’s quote, by the way! Dare to think unthinkable thoughts! (or paint in unthinkable colors)

About James William Fulbright

James William Fulbright, the US senator who represented Arkansas from 1945 to 1975, is memorialized in the Fulbright Prize, the international exchange program he created. He was born in 1905 in Missouri. As a congressman, he sponsored a resolution to form the peace-keeping organization that became the United Nations. As senator, he chaired the Foreign Relations Committee for 15 years. His book The Arrogance of Power critiques the government’s involvement in the Vietnam War. He died in 1995.

My Goofy Little Bookmarks

2012-05-15T07:54:00.000-05:00

“Within us all there are wells of thought and dynamos of energy which are not suspected until emergencies arise.”
– Thomas J. Watson

My Goofy Little Bookmarks – Progress Photo

I don’t know if it’s obvious or not, but these bookmarks are all on one sheet of paper now, and I’ll cut them apart when they are done. They are fun to look at all together, I think. I woke up a little before 5 this morning and worked on them for an hour, before I got ready for work. It’s really hard to stop, as I see the progression. Fun!

About Thomas J. Watson

American businessman Thomas J. Watson built IBM into a Fortune 500 company. He was born in rural New York in 1874. He sold sewing machines, musical instruments, and cash registers before becoming president of the Computing-Tabulating-Recording company, which merged with IBM in 1924. His paternalistic business style was a model for later Japanese management, and his motto, “THINK,” became his company’s slogan. Under his leadership, IBM funded the first computers. He died in 1956.

Kernel-dactyl-saurus – Watercolor and Prismacolor Fine Art Pen

2012-05-14T07:54:00.000-05:00

“If we wait for the moment when everything is ready, we shall never begin.”
– Ivan Turgenev

Kernel-dactyl-saurus – Watercolor and Prismacolor Fine Art Pen

It wouldn’t surprise me if you have never seen a kernel-dactyl-saurus. They are extinct, after all. I’m afraid this species was one of the first to disappear, since they were extremely gentle in nature. Not to mention… they look like food!

Kernel is the word this week for Illustration Friday. It just made sense that I include the kernel-dactyl-saurus, so that you could see what a kindly looking beast they were. I had an amazing time doing this painting!

About Ivan Turgenev

Russian novelist Ivan Turgenev, celebrated for his dark, realistic novels about Russian life, is best known for the novel Fathers and Sons, about the conflicting ideologies between generations. He was born in 1818 to a wealthy Russian family. He and his brother were raised by an abusive mother who was rumored to have smothered one of her serfs. He rose to fame with A Sportsman’s Sketches, which may have influenced the Tsar to free the serfs. He died in France in 1883.

Five Bookmarks in Progress and Happy Mother's Day!

2012-05-11T07:46:00.000-05:00

“The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right place, but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.”
– Lady Dorothy Nevill

Boy, isn’t that the truth!

Five Bookmarks in Progress – Watercolor and Love

I’m working on 5 more bookmarks. They are so relaxing and fun. This morning, I took my coffee into the studio and painted a little before I got ready for work. With Memorial Day coming up, the sign shop is insanely busy, so any opportunity do anything calming is a welcome break.

About Lady Dorothy Nevill

Lady Dorothy Nevill, the noted British gardener, was one of the most celebrated society hostesses of her day; her salons attracted leading writers, artists, and statesmen. She was born Dorothy Walpole in 1826 in England. She married a wealthy cousin with a 23-acre estate, where she pursued her interest in plants. She built 13 greenhouses and carried on an extensive correspondence with Charles Darwin. Her memoir, Leaves From the Note-Books of Lady Dorothy Nevill, was published in 1906. She died in 1913.

Have a wonderful Friday and a great weekend. Happy Mother’s Day, too! I’m not a mom, but I know it has to be the hardest job in the world…. and the most rewarding.

I Love Puppy Breath

2012-05-10T08:30:00.002-05:00

“Every day, think as you wake up:
Today I am fortunate to have woken up.
I am alive. I have a precious human life.
I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all
my energies to develop myself to expand
my heart out to others for the
benefit of all beings.”
–His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

I Love Puppy Breath – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor and Sharpie

Don’t you just love puppy breath? Annie’s puppy was just 4 months old in the photo I painted this from, but I made her look much older. I do the same thing with children. Why is innocence so hard to capture?

I have friends who have a new Saint Bernard puppy. When George brought Lady to see me at 6 weeks old, she was the sweetest, cuddliest little thing. She is now a 90 pound, 5 month old ball of fire. George and Carla are in their 70′s! I hope she learns gentleness.

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is both the head of state and the spiritual leader of Tibet. He was born on 6 July 1935, to a farming family, in a small hamlet located in Taktser, Amdo, northeastern Tibet. At the age of two the child, who was named Lhamo Dhondup at that time was recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso. The Dalai Lamas are believed to be manifestations of Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion and patron saint of Tibet. Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who have postponed their own nirvana and chosen to take rebirth in order to serve humanity.
More here.

The Mystery Project – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor and Sharpie

2012-05-09T07:43:00.000-05:00

“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life; define yourself.”
– Harvey Fierstein

The Mystery Project – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor and Sharpie

I painted this little postcard for a project with Art House Coop, in Brooklyn, NY and Prismacolor. The idea of the project is to make a stranger’s day. I received a little kit in the mail from Art House Coop, with a new Prismacolor artist pen and a theme. The theme for my card was “If tomorrow came yesterday”. I painted this little card and left it in a public place for a stranger to find. Isn’t that a cool project? 2000 artists are participating. I love it. Debi Engle says this is a rak, A random act of kindness. I like that! So far, I have not heard from anyone, saying it has been found, so it may still be out there. I can’t show you the picture of where I left it, because one of you clever people may figure it out… then it’s not so random.

About Harvey Fierstein

Harvey Fierstein, the raspy-voiced American actor, playwright, and gay activist, is best known for his semiautobiographical play, Torch Song Trilogy, which garnered Tony Awards for writing and acting. He was born in Brooklyn in 1954. His onstage debut as a female impersonator at age 16 led to a role in a 1971 Andy Warhol play. He adapted the French show La Cage aux Folles into a Broadway musical and, later, the movie The Birdcage. He has appeared in such varied movies as Independence Day and Mrs. Doubtfire.

Sweet Kitty Face – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor

2012-05-08T07:55:00.000-05:00

“Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even.”
– Muhammad Ali

Sweet Kitty Face – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor

I painted this from a photo by Annie (lotsofmoggies) at WetCanvas. No sharpies were used in the painting of this cat. **gasp** Moggies are cats, in case you were wondering. Annie lives in Chelsea, and she is (and I quote) “Mum and slave to- 17 budgies, 13 corn snakes, 10 guinea pigs, 7 cats, 4 dogs, 4 chickens, 2 parrolets, 2 cockatiels, 2 rabbit,2 children, 1 partner.” Can you imagine? I also had to look up budgies and it seems they are small Austrailian parakeets.

About Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali, the American boxing legend known for his saucy rhyming boasts as much as his quick fists, was a three-time heavyweight champion. He was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. in Louisville in 1942. His bike was stolen when he was 12, and a cop suggested he take up boxing. Though he became known as the greatest fighter of the twentieth century, with 56 wins and only five defeats, the sport took its toll in pugilism-induced Parkinson’s disease. Since retiring from boxing, Ali has dedicated himself to civic and humanitarian issues. He was called on to negotiate the release of hostages in Iraq in 1991, and in 2005 he was awarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Hitched for Illustration Friday

2012-05-07T08:52:00.000-05:00

“Allow me to assure you that suspicion and jealousy never did help any man in any situation.”
–Abe Lincoln

Hitched for Illustration Friday – 4″ x 6″ Watercolor and Sharpie

The word of the week for Illustration Friday is “Hitched”. I didn’t use any photo references for this one. I just went with the happy little picture I had in my head. I had a great time with this one. The whole time I worked on it, I was in “the zone”. Ya know what I mean?

This is what it looked like before I added the sharpie.

Abe Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln is one of America’s greatest heroes because of his unique appeal. His is a remarkable story of the rise from humble beginnings to achieve the highest office in the land; then, a sudden and tragic death at a time when his country needed him most to complete the great task remaining before the nation. His distinctively human and humane personality and historical role as savior of the Union and emancipator of the slaves creates a legacy that endures. His eloquence of democracy, and his insistence that the Union was worth saving embody the ideals of self-government that all nations strive to achieve.

More on Abe Lincoln here.

Boxcar in Bethville

2012-05-04T09:12:00.003-05:00

“The power of imagination makes us infinite.”
– John Muir

Boxcar in Bethville – 5″ x 8″ Watercolor and Sharpie

I painted this from a photo that Lin (oldrockchick) posted on WetCanvas. It didn’t have flowers on it, so my buddies at WetCanvas said it didn’t belong in Bethville without some kind of pretty paint job. he he So, of course I added flowers. I was very intimidated by all the mechanical stuff underneath it, so I added mobile home skirting. Fun!

About John Muir

American naturalist John Muir is remembered as a passionate champion of the natural wonder of Yosemite; he was instrumental in turning the land into a national park. Born in Scotland in 1838, he immigrated with his family to Wisconsin in 1849. He dropped out of college to walk 1,000 miles from Indiana to Florida. After falling in love with Yosemite, he took a job herding sheep nearby. He developed the theory that the valley was created by glaciers, which is now accepted as fact. He died in 1914.

Do-Wa-Ditty Doodle Bookmarks

2012-05-03T08:33:00.004-05:00

“Sometimes I think, the things we see
Are shadows of the things to be;
That what we plan, we build.”
–Phoebe Cary

Do-Wa-Ditty Doodle Bookmarks – Watercolor & Sharpie

Saturday night, we attended a neighborhood dinner and my hubby had a couple (or three) margaritas. I drank coffee. Sunday morning I woke up with a headache. (He didn’t, by the way.) So… I was wanting something mindless to work on while waiting for the Aleve to kick in. I had such a great time doing these! I worked on them for hours!

Phoebe Cary (September 4, 1824 – July 31, 1871) was an American poet, and the younger sister of poet Alice Cary (1820–1871). The sisters co-published poems in 1849, and then each went on to publish volumes of her own. After their deaths in 1871, joint anthologies of the sisters’ unpublished poems were also compiled.
More here on Wikipedia.

Super Hawk

2012-05-02T08:29:00.000-05:00

“No One is on Our Path Accidentally. How often do you really look, with focused intention, at the people you see in the halls at work or in line at the grocery or on the street as you wonder by? Most of us do see other people, but quite unconsciously. We need not be ashamed of how easily we dismiss the presence of others; it’s usually not deliberate. We are simply self-absorbed. The good news is that we can cultivate the belief that each person is offering us an opportunity to connect on a spiritual level. Joining with each person in this way, by making intentional eye contact, has an immediate healing effect on us and on them, too.

When we seek to see the Spirit in others in this way, strangers as well as friends, we are taking the first and very necessary step to becoming aware of that Spirit. In many cultures, looking into other people’s eyes is the highest honor we can pay them. Becoming committed to doing this, increases our peace of mind while showing others that they matter to us, too. Honoring others in this way may not feel natural at first, but if they have crossed our path, this is what we have been called to do.”

– Karen Casey

I really like that!

Super Hawk – 5″ x 6″ Watercolor & Sharpie

I don’t know if I would be looking into this fellow’s eyes, trying to see his spirit. he he I painted him from a photo by Lin (oldrockchick) at WetCanvas. Of course you know that he wasn’t really wearing his super hero uniform in the photo.

Karen Casey

Karen Casey, Ph.D., a Naples, FL resident since 1991, published Each Day a New Beginning, her first book, in 1982. This daily meditation book for women in recovery has sold more than 3 million copies. The 25-year Anniversary edition of Each Day a New Beginning was released in August, 2006. It was closely followed by The Promise of a New Day, in 1983, another daily meditation book for both men and women in search of serenity. It has sold more than 1.2 million copies. Following on the heels of these two books,

Karen has written 23 additional books. Let Go Now: Embracing Detachment was published last October. Peace A Day At a Time, was published in February of 2011. Her memoir, My Story to Yours, which will be published as an ebook and available on amazon, along with Hazelden, and will be available as a book too in October of 2011. Additional books are on the way. Watch for Getting Unstuck, a workbook that is a companion to Change Your Mind and Your Life will Follow, in the spring of 2012. The books will continue. Keep checking this website.

Float Your Boats

2012-05-01T08:05:00.001-05:00

“When we focus on only the external indications of aging, we forget the internal treasures that we accumulate with each year of our lives.”
–Jean Smith

Float Your Boats – 6″ x 6″ Watercolor and Sharpie

I painted this from a photo by Lin (oldrockchick) on WetCanvas. I think the photo was taken in Wales. Since I don’t like painting outboard motors, I pretended that the marine repair shop there was having a special on motor tune-ups, so everyone had rushed their motors up there to get in on the great sale.

I also didn’t want to paint all the ropes going to nowhere (they were all tied to a cliff on the left), so I pretended it was a calm day and nobody’s boats were floating away. Isn’t artistic license wonderful?

This painting was mailed off to Rochester, New York yesterday. It has been donated as part of a fund raising effort, and this is the third year for me to participate. They receive 6″ x 6″ paintings (a couple thousand) from all over the world and I am their only Oklahoma participant, they tell me. How cool is that? They are not signed on the front, because some of the artists are famous people and you don’t know who the artists are until after they have sold. Each painting is sold for $20, no matter who painted it. Great little fund raiser, eh?

There are too many Jean Smiths to really know which one said this. I got today’s quote from my lovely little book, “Wrinkles Don’t Hurt – Daily Meditations on the Joy of Aging Mindfully”, by Ruth Fishel. I love this book and Ruth Fishel is an amazing author. She also wrote “A Time for Joy“.

A Home in Carlton Landing - The Beth Version

2012-04-30T08:28:00.001-05:00

“We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.”
– Marian Wright Edelman

A Home in Carlton Landing – 5″ x 8″ Watercolor and Sharpie

This house is across the street from The Meeting House at Carlton Landing. When my hubby saw this painting, he said “They really need to get a new lumber yard. They are not getting very straight boards.” Isn’t he funny. It is a perfectly straight and beautiful home. It has just been “Beth-ized”. The homes that are popping up in Carlton Landing are so wonderful. When you look inside them, you find all kinds of fun little surprises. They are truly unique.

About Marian Wright Edelman

American activist Marian Wright Edelman, who founded the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) as a voice for poor, minority, and handicapped children, was the first African-American woman to practice law in Mississippi. She was born in 1939 in South Carolina. Her father, a Baptist preacher, died when she was 14; his last words to her were, “Don’t let anything get in the way of your education.” She graduated from Yale Law School in 1963. Her many awards include the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Vested Bird ATC

2012-04-27T08:57:00.000-05:00

“Yesterday is ashes. Tomorrow is green wood. Only today does the fire burn brightly.”
–Eskimo saying

Another Vested Bird – 2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor ATC

Here’s a little bird ATC I painted for an exchange. Have a great weekend!

The Meeting House at Carlton Landing

2012-04-26T08:32:00.000-05:00

“We can let the circumstances of our life harden us so that we become increasingly resentful and afraid, or we can let them soften us and make us kinder and more open to what scares us. We always have this choice.”
– Pema Chodron

The Meeting House at Carlton Landing – 5.5″ x 8.5″ Watercolor and Sharpie

I painted this from a photo I took some time ago. Now there is little window boxes on the windows and a hand painted sign (by me) hanging on the corner of the building. Carlton Landing is a wonderful new community on Lake Eufaula that is like the old days, where you knew your neighbors and got together in the common areas to celebrate events or just hang out. The meeting house will be one of many areas that people can come together. It’s a magical place and I’m happy to be a part of the team, as their sign lady.

Our Favorite Place is opening on May 3rd! I am so excited! My artwork is there, among so many other wonderful pieces of art. It’s truly a unique gallery and showcase for all things made in Oklahoma. Go take a peek at their website.

Pema Chodron is a leading exponent of teachings on meditation and how they apply to everyday life. She is widely known for her charming and down-to-earth interpretation of Tibetan Buddhism for Western audiences.

Pema is the resident teacher at Gampo Abbey, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, the first Tibetan monastery for Westerners and has authored several books, including:

Always Maintain a Joyful Mind (lojong teachings)
Practicing Peace in Times of War
No Time to Lose
The Pema Chodron Collection (audio)
Getting Unstuck:Breaking Your Habitual
Patterns & Encountering Naked Reality (audio)
The Places that Scare You
When Things Fall Apart
Start Where You Are
More info here.

Kitty wants that treat…. pleeeeeeease!

2012-04-25T08:34:00.001-05:00

“How pleasant is the day when we give up trying to be young – or slender!”
–William James

Kitty wants that treat…. right now! I can smell it! – 3″ x 4″ Watercolor & Sharpie

Susan (Surob) at WetCanvas posted a photo of her cat, Trixie for us to paint last weekend. I love painting cat eyes. I think this expression could also say… “Who me? Those are not my claws in the dog’s nose! I have an alibi! I was right here napping…. feel the warmth on my back from the sun?”.

William James, January 11, 1842 – August 26, 1910

William James was born into an affluent family. His father was deeply interested in philosophy and theology and strove to provide his children with a rich education.

The James children traveled to Europe frequently, attended the best possible schools, and were immersed in culture and art, which apparently paid off – William James went on to become one of the most important figures in psychology, while brother Henry James became one of the most acclaimed American novelists.
Early in school, James expressed an interest in becoming a painter. While Henry James Sr. was known as an unusually permissive and liberal father, he wanted William to study science or philosophy. Only after William persisted in his interest did Henry permit his son to formally study painting.
More here.

A bird can’t fly with clothes on, silly!

2012-04-24T08:02:00.001-05:00

“Mindfulness is the aware, balanced acceptance of the present experience. It isn’t more complicated than that. It is the opening to or receiving the present moment, just as it is, without either clinging to it or rejecting it.”
–Sylvia Boorstein

A bird can’t fly with clothes on, silly! – 3″ x 4″ Watercolor and Sharpie

Having clothes and shoes on has certainly impeded this bird’s ability to fly. He had to climb up on a ladder to see what other birds see from these heights.

The weekly word on Illustration Friday is Heights, and I’m posting this little fellow over there today, too. The (naked bird) photo I painted it from was posted by Susan (Surob) at WetCanvas and it is her sister’s Blue Fronted Amazon, Blue.

Sylvia Boorstein

The anthropologist Margaret Mead said that some people have a “teaching gene” and, if that’s true, I think my father, Harry Schor, had that gene and that I inherited it from him. He loved explaining and demonstrating, and so do I. He taught me to swim, to roller skate, to ride a bike, to solve anagrams and to construct crossword puzzles. He taught me about puns and limericks. He was a mathematics teacher by profession and he taught me algebra and geometry at home, years before I learned them at school. My mother was unique amongst the mothers on our street. She had a job. She drove a car. She had passionately progressive political views and the loudest laugh of anyone I knew. I think I’m just like her.

More about Sylvia Boorstein can be found on her website here.

It’s so Hot at these Heights! – 3″ x 4″ Inktense and Sharpie

2012-04-23T08:27:00.002-05:00

There are many ways of breaking a heart. Stories were full of hearts broken by love, but what really broke a heart was taking away its dream – whatever that dream might be.
–Pearl S. Buck

It’s so Hot at these Heights! – 3″ x 4″ Inktense and Sharpie

The word of the week at Illustration Friday is Heights. Susan (Surob) at WetCanvas posted a photo of a squirrel, all sprawled out trying to cool off on a hot day. I thought it was perfect for this week’s theme. Check back tomorrow for another one.

Are you wondering what Inktense is? Inktense pencils are like watercolor pencils, except the color is very intense and after it is dry, it’s permanent, like ink. Here is a photo with part of the sky still in the pencil form.

Today is the 20th anniversary of Signs by Beth, LLC! I can’t believe I’ve had my sign shop for 20 years. I should be celebrating somehow. Can’t celebrate with the hubby because he has been wanting me to retire for the last 10 years. My business is the thing that keeps me away from him. I can see what he means, but it’s still something to be proud of. WoooHooo! There! Celebrated.

Heights - Illustration Friday

I had to post the photo again, because when Facebook picks this up, sometimes it posts the last photo and I didn’t want the half done sky to show up on Facebook.

Pearl Comfort Sydenstricker was born on June 26, 1892, in Hillsboro, West Virginia. Her parents, Absalom and Caroline Sydenstricker, were Southern Presbyterian missionaries, stationed in China. Pearl was the fourth of seven children (and one of only three who would survive to adulthood). She was born when her parents were near the end of a furlough in the United States; when she was three months old, she was taken back to China, where she spent most of the first forty years of her life.

In 1910, Pearl enrolled in Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, in Lynchburg, Virginia, from which she graduated in 1914. Although she had intended to remain in the US, she returned to China shortly after graduation when she received word that her mother was gravely ill. In 1915, she met a young Cornell graduate, an agricultural economist named John Lossing Buck. They married in 1917, and immediately moved to Nanhsuchou (Nanxuzhou) in rural Anhwei (Anhui) province. In this impoverished community, Pearl Buck gathered the material that she would later use in The Good Earth and other stories of China.
More on Pearl S. Buck can be found here.