Aquatic Starbursts...

...found while imagining shapes in the deep blue sea...

...and then magically transforming them with moonbeams.

This piece

started as a small watercolor demo in my mandala class

to show the special effects made by 

drawing with masking fluid...adding deep rich saturated color...

and then heavily sprinkling it all with sea salt.

(Click on images to enlarge.)

I loved the end result...

so much so, that it just begged me to be flipped

in Microsoft Digital Editor

for an additional dash of panache.

 I totally enjoy artistic surprises, don't you?

“The moments of happiness we enjoy

take us by surprise.

It is not that we seize them, but that they seize us.”

~Ashley Montagu

"Aztec Circle of Life Mask..."

...made for the second card in a custom 2:2 ATC trade

with Elina in Finland.

This mask depicts the Aztec view

of the three phases of life...

Youth and learning is in the center...

next,
Old age and wisdom is split to either side...

and the final outer split shell is

Death

and the life beyond.

"Man is least himself

when he talks in his own person.

Give him a mask,

and he will tell you the truth."
~Oscar Wilde

"Happy Earth Day 2010..."

...from my little corner of the planet...
...to yours...! :) ♥

Be earthwise and thankful this beautiful day!

"Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect."
~Chief Seattle, 1855

"Some Blooming Color..."

...to wash away the grays and the blues

of a long snowy winter.

One day

last week in the U.S.

there was measurable snowfall reported

in 49 of the 50 states!!!

Enough is enough!

This post is for all of you who need a blast of

color to get your artistic mojo

in creative gear

again.

Think in COLOR!

I hope this blooming Tuesday surprises

you with a bright festive palette

where you might least

expect it!

“The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.”
~Marcus Aurelius

"A Fantasy Island..."

...sun filled tropical bloom...with a batik effect

and

some black and white zetti style whimsy.

Happy Blooming Tuesday! :)

"When the Deep Purple Falls..."

...over sleepy garden walls
And the stars begin to twinkle in the sky—
In the mist of a memory you wander back to me
Breathing my name with a sigh..."

~Mitchell Parish 1938

Happy Cactus Monday All!

"The Henna Connection..."

I just can't stop making these...:)

Introducing to you today..."Jaipur"...

..."Morocco"...

...and lastly, "Mumbai".
Each has now flown off to a new home far, faraway. :)
The mystique of the art of henna has
certainly captured my Muse...
and me, too!

"A Late Night Bloom..."

"Night time

is really the best time to work.

All the ideas are there to be yours

because everyone else is

asleep."

~Catherine O'Hara