I have always liked the saying “To give is to receive”. I think it’s because this has come true in my life so many times. I gave it a light and whimsical font to keep in the mood with the subject matter. The sketches were done very quickly with pen and ink on a sketch pad. They are in no order of importance on the tree. I think I laid them out digitally according to size. They represent things I have always held dear to my daily life, wherever I lived, worked or played. There are plants, herbs, animals, dishes, quilts, furniture, an old fashioned windowsill, balloons, flowers in vases, a bumblebee, a big bow, a little cow, afternoon tea and of course a can of soup. Here is the link to purchase this art on a ton of products. thanks for looking.
This is a small scene in the downtown Centro Plaza in Ajijic, Mexico. It’s a relaxed and sometimes very busy place. Weekends find artisans selling their wares, musicians playing their instruments in festive songs. Generally it’s a busy but festive place. You can get and ice cream and sit on a bench and people watch or meet friends for lunch at nearby restaurants. Food carts await and taxis sit at their stations ready to bring you anywhere you want to go.
The atmosphere is always friendly and there’s always the sound of laughter of happy children running in and out of the gazebo. It’s a wonderful place to share with friends. Flower are always blooming Ajijic Plaza umbrellas against a clear blue sky.
It was in the old wreck of a house on Railroad Hill when I first fell in love. He was just right for me. He was 9 and I was 8. I have no idea where he came from. One day he just appeared in the hallway. It was the 2nd floor. The hallways in that old tennament were always dark and big had winding stairs and were scary.
I entered the dark hallway and heard a magical voice. It came from out of nowhere. I followed the voice to see the boy. He was singing arias songs in Italian. He sang his heart out and it echoed and carried in the hall. He sang one aria after another. He was kind of chubby and he had a big tuft of black hair. When he sang, it sent chills down my spine.
I fell in love and that was it. No other way to say it. He looked at me and nodded and continued to sing. His arms were outstretched as he hit the high notes. It was as though he was appearing live in a big music hall. I’d say, even being so young, in my great wisdom, I knew he was headed for stardom.
He didn’t speak much English but I understood enough Italian that his family just moved here. He spent his days checking out different the buildings to see how the accoustics were, and which one was his favorite. He told me he liked the hallways in these old brick buildings.
My imagination ran away and took the keys with it. I saw newspaper headlines in my young head…Young French girl finds famous Italian singer and they tour the world together. We would tour all the great opera houses in Italy. I imagined they would be decorated with gold statues, velvet curtains, and curly fancy furniture. We would enjoy our days on the gondolas of Venice, and lunch at lovely cafes.
Our lives would be full of travel and fame. I would wear long dresses and little tierras. His costumes would be fancy trousers and colorful embroidered shirts. He would wear big ties and shiny high boots. It had to be true. Why else could this meeting in a dark hallway make sense. part 2 😍😭 I am sorry to report that none of these dreams came true. In the end there were only a few hallway meetings. Sigh. One day he was just gone. I cried inside for a long time.
I am by nature a positive person so even though it was sad at the time, I vowed to make the best of it. There is another world outside of the dark, cold, brick buildings and abandoned factories with busted windows. Real love and a full life can appear out of nowhere. Miracles can happen. There are places and people that pop up from out of nowhere. They meet when and where they least expect it. Someone has a wand to make things happen. It’s as though the globe spins constantly and it meets itself around the corner where it started and then starts all over again. Each time something new and amazing happens. I will never forget the Boy Opera Star whose name I never knew.
This is a scratchboard drawing I did from life back in the day. I used to sit and watch the world go by. The boardwalk was the place to be. It was very entertaining. If I can ever get my act together, I’ll put these sketches into a little book.
Men are dads. Don’t mess with a protective dad. Men fight back, men protect.
Let me know if you like this image. This idea was kind of difficult to create for weird reasons I don’t quite get. I think it’s because I didn’t feel right today. But, I kept going and It turned out to be a good one. I asked for a blue frame around the subject. Instead I got a “blue blend” which I think works much better. By the time the generator creates my request, my brain is left behind. That’s ok. Move on. Always move on. I love the soft but masculine style of the imagry and the color palette. For some odd reason, I couldn’t upload my watermark correctly. Some days are hard and that’s all there is to it.
I want to show how young people have opinions on world situations, and it should not be left only to old powerful men. World leaders and all people need to pay attention to what is happening: both polityically as well as to our precious planet. I am working on two more posters and will post them here as I draw them. These posters are extensions of my technique of using Yupo copic markers and AI together. I would love to hear if you like this idea or not.
Here is a little sketch I did of a young girl, being completely at ease in nature. She is surrounded by the things she loves…mainly birds and honey bees.
This composition got its composition from my prompt. It got its color by adding one of my Yupo hand drawn background papers as seen below. The background color paper was the basic palette and I included the blue bird with an additional prompt. What I really like was the way the colors blended so softly and the blue becomes a focal point. She looks like she loves her little friend.
Adding a surprise element like this colorful copic marker art on Yupo paper can add a dramatic effect. The drawing was quick and effective. The mysterious colors blended beautifully with the sketch. I like to combine things that you are not sure will work together. That’s one magic trick in AI.
This is a small scene in the downtown Centro Plaza in Ajijic, Mexico. It’s a relaxed and sometimes very busy place. Weekends find artisans selling their wares, musicians playing their instruments in festive songs. Generally it’s a busy but festive place. You can get and ice cream and sit on a bench and people watch or meet friends for lunch at nearby restaurants. Food carts await and taxis sit at their stations ready to bring you anywhere you want to go.
Painting Mexico 
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