Forest Greetings -Paint Party Friday

This little sketch is another I completed on my trip away from home.  When I draw deer--I always think of my sweet Mumsie.

She loves the forest and the deer.  She's the one who taught us how to forage in the forest for good things to eat.  She taught us what NOT to eat, too.  She is such an amazing lady.  I sketched this piece for Mumsie's birthday.  She will be 80  years old on the 18th!  I know it's a little early, but....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUMSIE!
And Happy Mother's Day, my precious Mom!

I am SO blessed by my dear Mom.  She has always been my biggest fan.  And I am one of her biggest fans!  We have a mutual admiration society!  :D 

Thank you for dropping by--your comments always make my day!  Blessings and joy to you dear ones--You are an encouragement and a delight to my heart.  Happy Mother's Day and Happy Paint Party Friday!

And We Talked about Heaven

When Mom was five years old--before she could read or write, she spent a lot of time playing in the forest.  One day she came running in to tell Grandma that she'd written her first poem. Grandma loved it so much, she wrote it down.  Perhaps even then, she recognized the first seeds of the writer her little daughter would become.

Years ago, I was inspired to draw this sweet lineart to compliment Mom's little girl poem.

Jesus and I were walking along together
We came to a tree and sat down together

And talked about heaven.
~Eva J. Gibson

There is no doubt God has a special place in His heart for Children.  I love the idea of a small child's adoration for the Shepherd...even before she could read.  He was her Friend.

Mother Nature -Summer of Color

This is a drawing of my Mother.  We laughed because in the picture she is WAY too short and looks a bit out of proportion.  So we figure since she's Mother Nature, she's actually rising up out of the earth--that way we can imagine she is as tall as my darling Mums.  Mom is tall, graceful and queenly--she would actually make a wonderful Ma Nature.

Above is the palette of colors to be used.  What a lovely challenge!  I hope a little blue and brown are allowed--Mother Nature must have the additional colors.

There is a fun story behind this drawing.  Mums and I were at Costco shopping for dish soap.  She could not find the one she'd always used and was a bit disappointed.  A delightful Hispanic man, very short in stature asked if he could help her.  When she explained what she was looking for, he said he was very sorry but they didn't have that kind of soap in stock anymore.

Said my Mother sweetly, "But that's the kind I always use."

Said the little man, "I know."

Replied Mumsie, "Do you know who I am?"

With wide eyes, the poor man practically bowed.  "Yes.  Yes, I do," he whispered.

Then Mums stretching to her full height and leaning a bit forward, said, "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature."

"I know," he said, hastily backing and bowing nearly to his knees. Then suddenly without another word he turned and scurried away through storeroom door as fast as he could go.

Mom and I stood open mouthed.  Astonished, Mumsie said, "I was just joking.  Do you think he really thought I was Mother Nature?" 

To this day we laugh over the incident and I tease her about being Mother Nature in disguise.

But as you can see above--Mom does indeed have a deep connection to nature, the woods and her garden. (wink, wink)  This is actually an untouched photo I took of Mumsie--the angle of the sun was perfect for that bit of glory light you see.

It is so delightful to be a part of drawing to a specific palette of colors.  To learn about the fun to be had each week visit Summer of Color.

Have a lovely summer day all you wonderful people!

A Stitch and a Prayer

Writing is art and having had the lovely privilege of helping Mumsie edit her manuscript, I am full of joy to introduce you to her newest published novel, A Stitch and a Prayer.

Dad would have been so proud.  Just before he flew away to heaven, he learned Mum's manuscript had been accepted.  I can see his happy grin--those expressive sparking eyes--he was so pleased for Mumsie.  I know he would be SO proud, seeing it published now--to hold a copy of the book in his well-worn hands.  I am sure he is smiling.

The cover of Mom's book was chosen because it closely resembles an old black and white photograph of our family's original cabin, tucked into the old growth trees.  In the forests and canyons of my childhood one can still find one or two old growth survivors.

Mom has been writing since the late 1970's.  She's written both fiction and non-fiction and I adore her writing style.  The way she writes fills my eyes, heart and my soul.  She is an amazing woman and I am  fortunate to be her daughter.

You can find A Stitch and a Prayer for sale at Abingdon Press!  Mom also has a wonderful blog at Everybody Loves a Story.  I am proud of my darling Mumsie--I hope you all drop by for a visit.

Have a lovely day!

Girl of the Waterfall -Guest Heart Thursday

Here is another doodle from a few nights ago.  I couldn't sleep, so found myself sketching--not quite knowing what would show up on the page.  This lovely young woman looks a lot like our darling Mumsie when she was young.  Mom still retains that whimsical personality.  Sometimes it is like we are sisters instead of Mom and daughter.  I enjoy being with her so much.

Of course, there are hearts hidden through this drawing.  Have a lovely day everyone!

For more heart art, photography and altogether fabulous heart stuff from around the world, visit Clytie at Random Hearts for Guest Heart Thursday.

Heart Breaking News

Heart breaking news.  Our dear Mumsie will be staying at the VA Hospital in Portland with Dad, until Daddy flies away to heaven.  I am so grateful to the Veteran's Hospital for their great kindness to Dad and to Mom as they share their last days together.  Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for our precious family during this time. 

Diary - Illustration Friday

Mumsie was a writer--even as a child, I remember she wrote and sold stories long before her books were published. One of the blessings of my life is that Mum kept a journal of her quiet times with God.  She not only wrote out her prayers, but would often write about what was happening in the lives of her children and family.  Because of Mum's Journalings I have read how God answered her specific prayers for me.  You can read her wonderful insights at Everybody Loves a Story.  I know she'd love to hear from you.

I learned to journal from watching my darling Mother's example.   I was recently going through one of my old diaries and came across something really funny--so I thought I'd share it with you. Here goes:

"You really NEED to take a bath, son," I said inspecting the dirt my four-year old had thrown into his hair.  

"But Mom," he explained patiently.  "Superman doesn't NEED a bath!"

 For more wonderful works of art on this week's subject "Diary," visit Illustration Friday!

Bandit the Wolf

Two years ago, when  snow actually fell here, I was delighted to capture some of the wonderful creatures hidden in that white sparkling world--including this wolf peeking from the branches of the fir tree which graces the corner of our front yard.

I dedicated this cloud painting to Bandit. Bandit was a wolf-mix dog, who chose my mother as his very own. But he had to find a new home. I know my darling Mumsie still grieves over not having her friend close by. When they leave our lives, we never forget them. 

When Mom saw the wolf cloud painting, she recognized her beloved friend Bandit, looking toward heaven.

Above you see Bandit as I first captured him howling up to the snowclouds.

Finding Beauty

This is a pen and ink I found in my drawer of old drawings. It is called Finding Beauty. I remember the incident which sparked this picture.

We were living in a very old house with single wall construction--there was no insulation. The idea was to fix the old place, building equity as we went--sweat equity. That first winter all five of us lived in the tiny living room and adjacent bedroom--about 450 square feet. A wool blanket separated those rooms from the rest of the house, where in winter one could set a cup of water on the window sill to find it frozen by morning. The house also leaked like a sieve. We had no way to fix the leaks, and our things were being damaged. I felt desperate and could find no beauty in where we were living.

Mumsie came over one weekend and I was pouring out my heart to her. She listened. And then we went in to look at the leaking roof. She smiled with a mischievous twinkle. "Look here," she said pointing at the brown stains on the ceiling. "You can see a face right there."

"And there's a hippopotamus," I replied.

"And a rosebud," she returned. We looked into one another's eyes and I began to laugh. Deep uncontrollable belly laughter. We laughed until our stomach muscles were sore. Suddenly I had found unexpected beauty and could see the humor in my situation.

Things were still hard after that, but I saw everything in a new light.

DADDY UPDATE: Both Dad and Mom slept through the night. Dad did not have any flashbacks or nightmares, and seems quite plucky this morning. Please continue to pray for Dad and Mom. There are also emotional hurts which must heal along with their bodies.

Giraffe Laugh

I created this wise guy of a giraffe, as a Christmas gift for our sweet Mumsie. Mom is just the greatest--she has always loved and collected giraffes. She says because of her height she knows how they feel, and harbors great sympathy and love for them.

Mums is indeed a tall, large-boned woman, but she is willowy and graceful in her movements. To watch her working in the garden with her customary grace is a joy. To see her green eyes sparkling with good humor, and to hear her contagious raucous laughter is to join in with her. I loved seeing how much she enjoyed this Giraffe Laugh.

Oh, NO!

This is a color pencil drawing I did for my darling Mumsie. Her idea for a children's book is wonderful. The story comes from her own childhood and is charming. I surely do hope and pray a publisher will pick it up one of these days! In the meantime, I continue to work on the pictures and layouts.