Student Exhibit

 

Above is publicity created by the Evanston Art Center, Evanston, Illinois, that announces the art exhibit of my Zentangle students.  Whew!  How cool is this!  For two years I have been fortunate to teach virtual art classes for the Evanston Art Center and use the Zentangle art method as an avenue for drawing and creativity.  And now we celebrate....and that feels GREAT.  Above all, we celebrate the passion in us that moves us toward the pursuits we love, and that truly is something beautiful.

Come join the celebration!

Daffodils

 

"I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze."

                                                                                                              

                                                                                                                           --William Wordsworth

Celebrating # 1700

 

Today I pause to honor my time and talent as an artist, writer and photographer as well as the 1700 blogposts that I have published since March 2012.  The above image is of a recent tangle I completed.  It is creative, fun, beautiful, bright and full of energy -- and all of those adjectives are how I feel as I engage in creative endeavors and share them with the world.  

And, of course, I am grateful to all my faithful followers and appreciate the kind messages throughout the years. 

Interested in learning more about the Zentangle Art Method?  Below are a few options:

1 -- This Sunday morning, March 26, join me in a 1-hour virtual class in which I provide step-by-step instructions for drawing something beautiful.  Use the following link to get a virtual ticket.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/you-can-draw-it-zentangle-art-method-tickets-594052265317

2 -- Take part in a 10-week virtual course that I teach for the Evanston Art Center.  Below takes you to the two options for the next session that begins Thursday, March 30.

https://www.evanstonartcenter.org/school/search/instructor_s_/29692

It's Spring!

"The beautiful spring came, 

and when nature resumes her loveliness, 

the human soul is apt to revive also."

                                                                                   --Harriet Ann Jacobs

In the Northern Hemisphere today is the first day of spring.   Ahhhh....  For me, regardless of the current weather outside my door, the fact that warmer temperatures, new life emerging on the land and more hours of daylight are on the horizon instantly energize me.  In addition, there are many outdoor activities that I love, and that also fills me with excitement as if I am a little one waiting to open gifts on Christmas morning.

These images I captured during a recent visit to Garvan Woodland Gardens located near Hot Springs, Arkansas, in the Ouachita National Forest.

"A flower has no time to waste;

her soul stems from self-love."

                                                                                       --Angela Weiland Crosby

Treehouse

Kids of all ages love to explore this unique and delightfully fun treehouse.  Recently I spent time in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and each day it was a thrill to "play" in this magical place known officially as Garvan Woodland Gardens, a 210-acre property gifted to the University of Arkansas that is nestled alongside Lake Hamilton in the Ouachita National Forest.

Each step I took in this enormous playground I considered to be something beautiful.

"Nature is not a place to visit, it is home."

                                                           --Gary Snyder

Fractalized

 

"Passion is energy. 

Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you."

                                                      --Oprah Winfrey

Postcard Perfect

Ahhhh....I am starting this narrative with a long exhale that honors all the beautiful things in these pictures....Truly, it is worth celebrating the many elements that speak to my passions, including art, architecture, moderate temperatures with a blue sky and puffy clouds, sculptures, skyscrapers, reflecting pools, trees, and reflections as well as the free time in which to notice all these beautiful things and photograph them in one image.  Yep, I will just say I won the lottery.

These photos were taken on the northwest side of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City.  And, by the way, the enormous outdoor sculpture garden contains many incredible installations, including a labyrinth and numerous walking paths.  As the weather warms, check it out.

 "There is no passion to be found playing small--in settling 

for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living."

                                                                                                   -Nelson Mandela

More Fun

 

In a recent post I mentioned how important it is to frequently do things that we love, that are fun and make us laugh and forget about the time on the clock.  With that in mind, look what I have been up to.  And, yes, I love sea turtles and most things associated with water, rivers, the ocean, swimming and so on.  And, it is also true that I am an avid birdwatcher.  Plus, colors, patterns, lines, textures AND jigsaw puzzles have always been some of my favorite things.  

Ahhhhh.....how beautiful.  

May you soon give yourself the gift of time to do something that makes you feel like a kiddo who smiles from ear to ear.

P.S. -- I finally located the missing piece (see photo below)...whew!

In the Woods

"I took a walk in the woods 

and came out taller than the trees."

                                                                                                              --Henry David Thoreau