Reflections

6 PM on the Canal

Oil on Canvas

20" x 16"

Available for sale at the Fletcher Show!

Exciting announcement everyone! In a couple of months I am going to be hosting my first show of paintings at the Fletcher Place Art and Books Gallery.  Together with Beka Nimtz I will be sharing paintings on the theme of "Reflections."  

So mark your calendars to join us on April 6th for the First Friday opening!

Enter your Best Gift Idea!

Do you have any stellar gift ideas for the holidays?  Share your creative gift giving ideas with us as comments below.

On Monday morning (11/28) I will use random.org to select two lucky winners!  The first will earn a copy of my book, Art Stories, Folktales to Inspire Creativity.  The second will will earn a set of five note cards featuring my Broad Ripple Canal painting below.

To get the ball rolling here is a gift idea for you:

Create a Unique Coloring Book for Kids:  Google "free coloring pages."  You will be amazed at the choices you can print off.  Add doctored photos of the child for a personalized present.

I look forward to reading your ideas (I need them!)

How to be Happy

My daughter at the dinner table of my new home           

   

A few years ago I was stuck in the sad rut.  I wallowed in the mucky mud of self-pity.  I probably had postpartum depression.  While it is healthy to face the bad stuff and talk about it, if you want to be happy you've got to come to a point where you get over it.

One trick to moving forward is to voice what is good in your life.  By focusing on what you love you will find ways to create more of what you want.

My family and I have a ritual of saying what we are thankful for at the dinner table before we eat.  It is very therapeutic. 

Here are the top five things I am thankful for this year:

1. My Mom

2. My Daughter

3. My New Home

4. Chips and Salsa

5. The audience.  Without you my friends I would just be one hand clapping.   ha- ha

So what are you thankful for? 

Do any of you have tricks to get over what Zig Ziglar calls stinkin' thinkin'?

How to Collage your Vision of the Future

Believe it or not, the photo above is my business plan for 2012!

Inspired by the excellent book, the Right Brain Business Plan by author Jennifer Lee I created a vision board of my plans for the future. 

By cutting out pictures and layering post-it notes I made a concrete collage of my hopes and dreams and !WOW! this really helped me to clearly see where I want to go.  In the past I have jotted ideas down on little scraps of paper, but now these aspirations are all in one place.  It is now a plan that I can interact with every day.

But a collage like this doesn't have to be a business plan- it could be your LIFE plan.  Where do you want to go?  Can you make a picture of it? 

You have to know where the track is to get back on it. 

                                                                            -Benjamin Zander, conductor and writer

White River Reflections

White River Reflections
Oil on Canvas stretched over frame
9" x 12"


This painting depicts the banks of the White River next to the Indianapolis Art Center. 
To see this view you must look west from the Monon trail bridge. 

Do I need to tell you that it was early morning? 
I had drunk my coffee and was ready to welcome the sun.

King Midas

Click below to hear my latest podcast featuring the ancient story of King Midas.

Also available on iTunes.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

One Definition of Art

Yesterday I was walking to meet my daughter, Emmaline at the bus stop.  Rain was blowing in my face and I was squinting against the shining sun.

I suddenly remembered something my step-dad, Thomas told me years ago.  Under these conditions there is ALWAYS a rainbow.  You just have to turn away from the sun. 

I turned around and there was a fully arched rainbow! 
And... one end of it started at my house!!!

I stood for a moment smiling at this happy site, when a man in a car drove past.  I pointed urgently behind him and mouthed, "Rainbow!"  I am not sure if he understood or thought I was crazy, but I realized that it was the artist in me that wanted so desperately to share that beautiful miraculous moment. 

And that is what art is all about.  Sharing.

White River from Broad Ripple Park

White River from Broad Ripple Park

Oil on Canvas stretched over frame

9" x 12"

Brrrrr!  It is blustery cold outside today. 

The clouds are moving fast and I had to hold my canvas down with my thumb to keep it from flying away. 

But... for a brief hour the sun showed his face and I was able to create this painting.

 

Keep a tight hold on your umbrella people!



 

The Strawberry

Click below to hear my latest podcast featuring the Buddhist Koan story, The Strawberry.

Also available on iTunes.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Broad Ripple meets Hudson River

Canal Greenway Bridge

Oil on Canvas stretched over frame

12" x 9"

Original $275.

I have been doing a study of the Canal near my home in Indianapolis. 

I paint it in different lights and am facinated by the variety of reflections in the water
(as well as the many little bridges that cross it.)

 

Maybe it is the yellow ochre paint, but this one turned out very Hudson River School-ish?

New Storytelling Photos- Thank you Lisa!

Last week I shared stories at a local elementary school. 

One of the parents, Lisa Bonconsky is a professional photographer. 

She sent me *beautiful* photos from the storytelling. Thank you Lisa!

To find out more about Lisa's work visit:

http://www.lisaboncoskyphotography.com/

Who is that behind my back?

Children love stories!