William Land Park

This a drawing of another park in Sacramento called William Land Park done in a combination of black vine charcoal and white charcoal.

'The Stinkin' Rose'

This was another charcoal assignment we had to draw for art class. We were supposed to bring fruit to draw but I was so intrigued by the shape, color and texture of onions and garlic that I had to draw them instead. When I was done it mad me think of the name of a restaurant in San Francisco called the Stinkin' Rose. I've never had the pleasure of going there but everyone who has says the food is great.

This is a charcoal landscape that I did earlier this year of a beautiful place in Sacramento called William B. Pond Park. The light was very unusual that day, it was shaded by the larger trees and the opening between them made the light shine down on this small tree below and made it seem to glow. If not for that little bit of light every day, perhaps this tree would not have survived.

Traditional

This was my first charcoal still life drawing. I took my first real art class this year and learned to used materials I've never used before. I had an excellent, sensitive, creative art professor named Patricia who taught us how to use and not be afraid of using new mediums and techniques.

"H" Street Pedestrian Tunnel

This is a stippled drawing of a pedestrian tunnel in Sacramento California. It is made up of "thousands" of dots to create the light and shadow areas of the drawing. I love the contrast between the light and shadows here.

Moon Watcher

This painting was inspired by a beautiful costume that I saw at a Native American Pow Wow at American River College in Sacramento. I have a fascination for the moon and a lot of my paintings include the moon.

The Simplicity of Geraniums

This painting is of red geraniums in a white washed wood planter just as the geraniums were going to seed at the end of summer. I loved the 'rusty' colors of the leaves and the orangey colors of the flowers.

Agave

This is a Prisma color pencil drawing of an Agave flower garden. It was drawn from a photograph I took in San Juan Batista several years ago.

Sutter Fort, Sacramento Ca., May 2010

I loved painting this building. Sutter Fort in down town Sacramento is a great study of light and shadows. The contrast is so strong in direct sunlight. It is a great subject for a black and white drawing.

The Happy Birthday Shake Your Booty Song

Today I got a chance to see what a joy it is to be a three-year-old.

My granddaughter Maya Rose got a great case of the sillies and made up a song and dance called the Happy Birthday, Shake Your Booty Song. She is absolutely into her performance. She wants to be the next I-Carly.

And me, her grandmother, I think she's one of the most beautiful, funny, joyful things that God ever created.

Family Treasures

Families are precious treasures. If you have one (for better or worse) hold on to it like there's no tomorrow because there isn't. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. We never know when we are celebrating our last Christmas, birthday, anniversary or New Year with someone. John Lennon said "Life happens while we're making plans for other things." Divorce, separation, death, relocation, loss of friendships change lives.

What we become use to or comfortable with can be gone in an instant and we don't realize the value of what we had until we reliaze what we've lost.

Sometimes holding on to your dreams is like holding on to a handful of balloons in a hurricane. Sometimes we have to watch them slip away, but we try to keep and protect the ones we still have.

The new year is beginning, and the goal (not just a resolution) is to passionately pursue every remaining dream and to work at making them happen. Advancing forward even an inch is progress.

Give some active thought every day to what the goals are and what it takes to get there. Even if the goal can't be acted on at that moment thinking it through is progress. Don't let thinking be the only action you take though. Sometime thinking can make us complacent, and cause us to procrastinate.

Actively see and visualize the dreams as if you are already there.