Giving Notice

To all Telephone Solicitors:

If you are “unavailable”, then so am I.  :)

Quote o' the Day

"Mathematics is the alphabet
with which God has written the universe."

-- Unknown

Mr. FluffyPants

So, today was Bath Day for the little dog.

Don’t get me wrong, while I still love the Furball de-tangling spray, it’s no substitute for a real bath. And the vet has even prescribed a special shampoo for me to use for his itchy skin.

Unfortunately, the suds have to stay on the dog for about 10 minutes to be effective.

Have you ever had to get a soapy, wet dog to stand still and wait 10 minutes? Me, either.

But he was a sweetheart and just stood there. He didn’t even shiver once. J

Afterwards, I wrapped him in his new dog-drying towel -- it's one giant miracle cloth. And then we swapped to a regular fluffy towel. But that was not enough…

I had forgotten that this little dog likes to air-dry himself. (!)

He runs in circles and circles, faster and faster and faster, until he’s just about dry.

Oh, and ALWAYS counter-clockwise! Never ever ever clockwise! Hahaha!  Why in the world would that be??

This is such a FuNnY dog!
He never ceases to delight me with his cute little idiosyncrasies.

What a sweetie-pie!

XOXO,
Lucky Dog
♥

Sunday Scripture

Proverbs 9 verse 10

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Unfinished Business

Last night I had a friend ask me,
“How do you know when a painting is finished?”

I told him that is the $64,000 question.
It is the artist’s age-old dilemma.

My savvy husband, who has listened to hours and hours and years and years of me yakking about art stuff, answered,
“The piece will tell you, right?”

And I said, “Yes, that’s right.” In fact, many artists keep their finished pieces sitting out in their studios for a while, to see if they are indeed finished or not.

Looking at them over a period of time gives you additional perspective and lets you live with them longer. That way they can “talk” to you and let you know if they need anything more done to them. Glancing at them as you walk by them every day gives you a fresh opportunity to see if anything jumps out at you.

I have accidentally found out that taking a photo of my piece gives me a perspective that I cannot get by just looking at it. I don't know why this works, but I can just see things in the photo that I can’t see in real life. It’s weird, but it works for me.

I also told him that some people would say that they’re sort of never finished.

In fact, Leonardo da Vinci wrote,
“Art is never finished, only abandoned.”

Ross Ketcheson said, “It takes two people to paint a painting. One to paint the painting and one to hit him over the head when it’s done.”

And artist Sioux Jordan says, “My paintings tell me when they are finished -- it’s a two way conversation.”

More quotes:

“Paintings don’t really end, they just arrive at interesting places to stop.”

“I know I am finished when I have nothing else to say.”

“I know I am finished when I am ready to sign it.”

Picasso said that knowing when to stop is just as important as knowing how to paint.

Now that’s a tricky situation because sometimes, if you keep fiddling with it, you can ruin the whole painting. I imagine some artists, just because of their personality, could be more prone to overworking a piece than others.

Robert Genn wrote, “80% finished is better than 2% overworked”, implying that it is better to quit while you’re ahead. Resist that temptation to “just do a little bit more” to it.

But my short answer to him was,
“When nothing about it bothers me anymore.”

I imagine writers have the same problem. When is their manuscript finished? Kinda like my little blog entries. I could re-read and re-edit for ages, but sometimes I have to let it go and just publish it anyway. Like this one.   :)

XOXO,
Lucky Dog
♥

Quote o' the Day

"Paint as you like and die happy."

-- Henry Miller

Moonrise with Verse

So I posted my latest Moonrise Experiment yesterday:
A Moonrise + a Bible verse for my star-gazing husband.  ♥

Mr. Man prefers the color going the other way, backwards, resembling “rays”. So I did that this time for him. (Me, I like the color going down, but to each his own.)

And I knew from the onset, or would that be “outset”...?? Anyway, I knew that I wanted to add a particular Bible verse done in calligraphy to this piece. But what kind of calligraphy? Broad-edged? Pressure/release? I knew I wanted it very readable…

I decided on Versals, but using a colored pencil, instead of gouache and a nib.

Part of the reason I chose to use a colored pencil was that the paper I was using is not the best surface for calligraphy. I don’t get very crisp letters on it, but I have a whole tablet of this otherwise great black charcoal paper to use.

(Actually, I really really really prefer black Ingres Antique, but I just hate to use up my stash. Gosh, sometimes I can be so scarcity-minded, it’s ridiculous. I should just order a big batch of more paper and get over it. Sheesh! On the other hand, there is this huge tablet of black paper just sitting there, beggin’ to be used…)

ANYway…! I did the horizon line first, so I would have the curve for how and where the letters would go. I used a torn paper mask and PanPastels for that. Then I did the lettering, and then I painted the moon. Last, I sprayed on the glitter hairspray.

My letters were pretty shaky, actually. Part of that is still having a weak arm. I am still going to the chiropractor and doing physical therapy for my tennis elbow, and that includes ice and lifting weights. And the arm is still just kinda weak. I figure that’s my excuse, and I’m sticking with it!! Ha-ha!

Sooooo, I’m lettering along, and it’s going reasonably well enough (all things considered), until I reached the word “glory”, and I had that “O” coming up. Aarrgghh!! Beautiful circles for “O”s are difficult enough, but nigh unto impossible when I’m shaky. What to do, what to do?

But then somehow I thought to draw it on first, and give myself a pretty shape and outline to go by. So I did. I used my erasable General’s white charcoal pencil, and lightly drew in an O. If the first try wasn’t round enough, I could always erase it (wipe it off with a tissue) and try again at this point.

And it worked!! Not perfect, but sooooo much better than I woulda done without it! Whew and yay!!!!!!

Gosh, I hope this works from now on. That would be life-changing! I letter a lot of Scripture, and there’s *always* an O in Lord or God or whathaveyou.

So now, what if O’s don’t send me into conniption fits every time I have to make one! Hahaha Wouldn’t that be nice?!?

Okay, then!
To whatever works!

XOXO,
Lucky Dog
♥

Psalm 19 verse 1

Sunday Scripture

Psalm 103 verse 11

As high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is His love for those who revere Him.

Mindy’s Fiancé

Mr. Man and I were at the local coffeehouse the other day, getting more beans of our favorite flavor, Snickerdelicious. (yummy)

When we left, there was a young man out on the patio, talking on his cell phone, of course. (Isn’t the whole world talking on their cell phones at all times now?? Oy.)

What was so precious, though, was what we overheard as we walked to our car.

He was telling a friend of his, “You know how you asked me how I knew I should marry Mindy? … Dude, you just know.”

The connection must’ve hiccupped, because he repeated it.

“Dude, you just know.”

Isn’t that too sweet?? And so true.

XOXO,
Lucky Dog
♥

Collage Card #38

This is one of my many collaged cards. Really. I have dozens and dozens. They’re sort of like potato chips with me, as in, you can’t stop with just one. (!)

I started making collaged cards I think when I felt like throwing my calligraphy pen across the room one day. Ha-ha! Actually, it was so long ago, I can’t exactly really remember why, except that I love Texture and I had all these beautiful papers that I wanted to make stuff with.

Little collages, just the right size for a greeting card, seemed like a low-risk experiment, and then once I got started, it just seemed to mushroom.

Now, they are a fun bite-sized piece of art that I enjoy making whenever. I can give them away, and feel like I am giving away some of my art without inflicting a frame purchase upon my recipient.  :)

Besides, there are so many gorgeous papers and color combinations, who could ever get tired of playing and creating more?

I have never taken a class in the art of Collage,
but I sure do enjoy making them!

XOXO,
Lucky Dog
♥

Quote o' the Day

"Every thought we think is creating our future."

-- Louise L. Hay

Perfection

Our hibiscus bush has bloomed!

These are my absolute favorite flowers in the garden. They are the most brilliant shade of fuchsia, and enormous. As in, dinner-plate sized. Nearly a foot across.

They are truly beyond spectacular! I just love ‘em!

They are called Mallow Hibiscus. When we moved, I went to the local nursery about this time of year to get one for the new house. I had to buy a plant that was already blooming, to make sure that I got the right color. No reds or insipid pinks for me. Only a deep magenta fuchsia color will do!

The blooms only last for one day, whether you put them in water or not. So you just have to enjoy them while they last, but they are soooo worth it.

XOXO,
Lucky Dog
♥

Sunday Scripture

James 4 verse 8

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you

NUMB3RS

So, I’m still reading through the Old Testament…  :)

I finished Leviticus, and all I can say is, thank heavens we don’t have to do all those sacrifices and offerings anymore!!

All those details and details and details! What a mess!

I gave up trying to keep it all straight. I’d need a chart the size of a football field, and then I realized… that’s sort of the point!

It was so cumbersome, and we are free from all that!
What a blessing!!

ANYway, now I’m reading in Numbers, as in numbering the people. As in taking a census. Actually, two. One census of those who came out of Egypt, and another one 40 years later after all those people had died. #2 Census is all new people. A whole new generation.

And in today’s reading, God told Moses that he was supposed to go up to this certain mountain and was going to die there, and my first thought was, "Do I have to leave right now?”  :)

But Moses was only concerned for his people, and asked God for a new leader for them. Then God picked Joshua.

Okay, I get that Joshua and Caleb were the only two faithful men from back when they checked out the Promised Land…

But today I wondered why Joshua was picked to be the leader and not Caleb.

My mother would have said that Joshua was extroverted and Caleb was introverted. Hahaha!

I’m not sure the Bible ever says what Caleb thought about all that… He was probably too nice of a guy to even wonder.

XOXO,
Lucky Dog
♥

Morning Glory Bloom

The color is called "Heavenly Blue". And it is, isn't it?  ♥

Quote o' the Day

"These 3 things most inhibit my happiness:

1. judging others
2. negative thoughts
3. envy."

-- Unknown

Sunday Scripture

Titus 3 verses 4 and 5

But when the kindness of God our Savior
and His love for mankind appeared,

He saved us, not on the basis of deeds

which we have done in righteousness,

but according to His mercy

Happy 4th!

CrAzY Cat

What can I say about this little girl...?
She's not the world's friendliest cat. She's a fantastic bug hunter.
And she loves to play in the bathtub.

Quote from Chuck

One of the TV shows we watch is “Chuck”.

There was the best quote in one of the episodes lately.
Chuck’s sister and husband were in Africa, giving medical aid to the natives, and the sister was extremely upset about something or another, I forget what.

ANYway, she said to her husband, “I feel silly.
You know, there are people here with real problems.”

And her husband replied, “You get to feel how you feel.”

Isn’t that the best?!

“You get to feel how you feel.”

I love it!!  :)

XOXO,
Lucky Dog
♥