Quote for the Week... or a Lifetime

"Our task must be to free ourselves... by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty."

..... Albert Einstein (now there's a smart man!)

Inspiration... New Work

Well, it's the new year, and I'm hoping this one will bring good things. Last year was a hard one 'round here, and while I am content with my life and surroundings, I'm looking for things to be a wee bit easier, the load a little lighter. In light of that, a couple of my new smaller paintings are cheerful, inspirational, and hopeful.

Words to Live By contains some simple yet important sentiments, actions I hope to live by on a daily basis. Accompanying this 8 x 8 piece in the photo is Scout, my kitty who enjoys her life in the country. You can find details on the painting by following this link.


Blackbird Singing contains two of the things that are important in my life, music and birds. It measures 5 x 7 and can be found by following this link.


Until next time, share love, be an inspiration, and create joy!

A Day of Remembrance, Treasuries of Resolutions

Over the past couple of weeks, I have created treasuries on Etsy to illustrate the New Year's "resolutions" that I included in a blog post at the beginning of this year. And it seems appropriate, here on Martin Luther King, Jr Day, to post them all here.

Let Us Fill the World with Color and Cheer...

features sourlemontree, rawletterartpress, bbusbyarts, opendoorstudio, thegardenshed, ArtMind, jennreese7, studio1980, GlazedOver, LoveArtStudios, ginnyhuber, RoughMagicCreations, WoodenNickelsJewelry, caelum, Sigmosaics, and AdroitJeweler

Let Us Dream Big Dreams...

features Raceytay, FairestLJ, arianemariane, MichelleVerbeeck, SunMune, LittleGreenRoom, vadjutka, GlazedOver, urbanwalls, staroftheeast, shawnaerback, visionquest, LaTouchables, brizel4TheAnimals, silkstory, and littleputbooks

Let Us Sing Joyfully...

features ThePaperTray, gildinglilies, KathrynRiechert, haberheartworktoo, maiaart, bridgemanstudios, thepapermooonstudio, elizalenore, twirliewhirlies, nickandnessieshome, NatureIsArt, tilesmile, magymai711, melbean, ekdGoodies, and studiostebbylee

Let Us Walk Gently on the Earth...

features Uzura, ShySiren, theaterclouds, seasondelights, stonestudios, zJayne, lancasterart, RubyChicOriginals, RobinMariaPedrero, magdalinen, SpaGoddess, maternalNEST, dpholkdesigns, seaoats, FleurDetaillee, and LoveForEarth

Let Us Be Graceful and Grace-filled in our Journeys...

features littlebugjewelry, LGraceOriginals, malam, staroftheeast, veroque, justmare, aliherrmann, Raceytay, 5gardenias, SewnNatural, philosophyofnature, JCSpock, waterrose, karineleger2, jacinta11, and BungalowBathBody

Let Us Imagine Peace, Freedom, and Laughter...

features purushapeople, thecoloursoflife, TrashandTrinkets, MarianneLoMonaco, syringaspring, loveartworks, naokosstoop, DesignedToCharm, ImageNationphoto, itswrittenonthewall, suzannaanna, KilnGoddess, aerochow, mFryerDesigns, SentimentRedesigned, and localcolorist

Let Us Treasure Our Friendships...

features bluethreadsmelody, polarity, marieflyfly, maclancy, steinschmuckdesign, andreatdesigns, allartsy, f2images, SewnNatural, zirkulas, VickiWadeFineArt, OliveandRuby, artish, AugustMoonArt, justmare, and Aimeshad

Let Us Make Time for Reflection...

features moonseats, crumblescookies, bysweetmom, Xenotees, thewheatfield, rubymountaindyeworks, JewelryByTomomi, janeheller, fromArtisanHands, DeBaunFineCeramics, prettypennydesigns, KozelArtReview, donnageissler, creatocrat, margotbianca, and CloverHollow

And Above All, Let Us Love...

features PunkinSeedProductions, latenightdrawings, hideminy, Xenotees, hildes, ekdgoodies, persimmonsgal, mbartstudios, MursBlanc, SmilingGirlStudio, riricreations, TheLovelyLetter, DeadSerious2010, barnowlprimitives, Heartistics, and EmpireCityStudios

Thanks for visiting, and I hope you enjoyed these Etsians' creative works. Until next time, give a hug, share a smile, and love the ones who walk into your path.

Harbinger of Spring

Or Prophet of Snow?

On Friday we noticed large flocks of birds in the yard... cardinals and robins, mostly, feeding on the ground and flying up into the pear tree. I exclaimed, "Oooh... harbingers of spring!!" My husband wryly said, "Nope, predictors of snow." Sure enough, that night snow fell, albeit not much, just enough to make everything pretty with a powdered-sugar coating. Yet some of it remained on the ground throughout the weekend since our temperatures stayed mighty cold.

Yesterday morning I noticed much movement outside the window beside my computer desk, and there, filling the two persimmon trees were more robins, joined by cedar waxwings, feasting on the last remaining persimmons in the top-most branches. (Our dogs have enjoyed the fruits that have fallen to the ground for the past several weeks.) So, again the question... harbinger of spring or prophet of snow? Alas, it's not spring yet. Snow is falling again today; weather predictions have varied, so I'm simply waiting to see what happens throughout the day and tonight. But in the meantime, I know that the birds are out there and that spring can't be too far behind!

Goddess of the Blackbirds

My newest watercolor, which I just listed on Etsy, is a little different than what I usually do. I don't often include people or human forms in my work, but I decided to do exactly that in this work... in fact, it's a statement of connection or bond between humans and the natural world. I think subconsciously it was inspired by the recent news story about the massive deaths of blackbirds (and other birds) in Arkansas and other parts of the country and world. It broke my heart to see those photographs on the news because birds hold such a big place in my life and in my art. We must remember that our acts trigger effects throughout our relationships, both human and non-human, and we must be deliberate in caring for our world and all its inhabitants.

For the New Year

Let us fill the world with color and cheer.

Let us dream big dreams.

Let us sing joyfully.

Let us walk gently on the earth.

Let us be graceful and grace-filled in our journeys.

Let us imagine peace and freedom and laughter.

Let us treasure our friendships.

Let us make time for reflection.

And above all, let us love.