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~ June 2009
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June 1st ~ Donations
| This past weekend,
I donated my artwork and my time to benefit the animals at the
Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge.
The refuge gets no government money and relies solely on volunteer
donations. The dedication of the small underpaid staff and
an entourage of wonderful volunteers is inspiring. Donations
of time, talents and money is all that fuels the operations of
this much needed facility. A little bit by a lot, goes a long
way and doesn't have cost you a cent. Can't you find a way to
make your own donation to a facility near you today? |
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"If every American donated
five hours a week, it would equal the labor of 20 million full-time
volunteers." ~ Whoopi Goldberg
"The measure of a life,
after all, is not its duration, but its donation." ~ Corrie
Ten Boom
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This little 5" x
7" original oil painting of one of the
refuge's babies was painted during the festival.
P.S. Be sure to check
out my Sketching
Everyday Blog!
It starts up again today!
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June 4th ~ Technology
| With the technology
of a good digital camera and the internet on my side, I have
embarked on another adventure into the marketing of my artwork!
After some prompting from my mentor, Nancy
Louie on Monday, I decided to check out the "print on
demand", fine art reproduction market. I found a wonderful
site called Fine
Art America and a few hours later I had set up an account
and uploaded a couple dozen of my high resolution images. The
technology today is totally amazing! Check out my galleries
where you can pick your print size, paper or canvas, mat,
frame and see it all put together with your selections on line.
Their selection and quality is astounding! My work is now
very versatile, easier to own and more affordable than ever.
I am psyched. I'll be adding lots more images as fast
as I can shoot the paintings and post process the files! Here's
your chance to own that Sandy Sandy piece you've always
wanted! And for the first time, you can have it customized to
your own size and specifications. |
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"Technology, like art, is
a soaring exercise of the human imagination." ~ Daniel Bell
"A computer terminal is
not some clunky old television with a typewriter in front of
it. It is an interface where the mind and body can connect with
the universe and move bits of it about." ~ Douglas Adams
"Technology is a gift of
God. After the gift of life it is perhaps the greatest of God's
gifts. It is the mother of civilizations, of arts and of sciences."
~ Freeman John Dyson
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Prints Of Some
Of My Paintings And Drawings Are Now Available Here! Check Back
Often, I'll Be adding More Shortly!
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June 8th ~ Potential
| We never really
know what our potential in life is, until we are willing to get
our feet wet. I didn't know I was capable of running three web
sites and four blogs, including two dailys at the same time until
I set my goals and started it. I just keep putting one foot in
front of the other. On June first, I initiated my
summer sketching everyday series for the forth year in a
row. Although I'm a bit rusty, the process is energizing and
exciting! I never know where the process will lead me. Last week's
drawings are already online and ready for licensing and prints
on demand at: iStockPhoto,
Dreamstime
and Fine
Art America. |
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"The experience of making
a pencil rendering or watercolor sketch on site, in the rush
of inspiration, seems to sit somewhere in the brain as a form
of potential energy." ~ Dan DuBois
"Keeping your mind open
in the face of uncertainty is the single most powerful secret
of unleashing your creative potential." ~ Michael J. Gelb
"Never say "I can't."
It closes the door to potential development." ~ Irwin Greenberg
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June 15th ~ Commitment
| The hummingbirds
are now here in full force! The first batch of nestlings have
emerged! The fledglings and moms are squeaking and buzzing around
like mosquitoes on a hound dog at dusk in the swamp. I counted
ten on two of my feeders just a moment ago! People often ask
me how I attract so many birds to my feeders. The truth is, it
boils down to a person's level of commitment. I guess it is also
true of most things in life. Keeping friendships and family relationships
strong, requires it. Successfully pursuing careers, education,
sports activities, exercise, dieting and reaching our goals in
almost any activity demands it. I firmly believe that the results
we get in most situations is in direct proportion to our personal
pledge of commitment. |
| "I will become
expert at commitment for the sake of those times when I must
commit out of duty, and not love - on days when I hate the work,
on nights when I wish the studio would burn down. To commit when
I feel inspired, capable and grand is one thing, but I will also
commit on days when I feel dull, blue and insignificant."
~ from "Affirmations For Artists" by Eric Maisel |
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Today's image is titled
"Spirit Of Joy"
16" x 12" ~ Double Matted and Framed
silver level ~ original watercolor ~ $249.00 |
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June 18th ~ Activity
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It's not surprising to anyone
that my main animal totem is the hummingbird. See the photo I
just posted this week on my
web log of some of the fledglings at one of our feeders.
I've filled their favorite 2 cup feeder four times today! Although
I have five other feeders up, they prefer this particular
one which is not guarded by the males. I put up another close
by to relieve some of the pressure. I think it's working.
I've been busy most of the day, responding to an online interview
for an upcoming "Artist Spotlight" on Ralph
Serpe's popular Art
Instruction Blog. He said my "Six Steps to Sensational
Sketches" was a big hit last year. I am honored that he
wants to post my new 2009
sketching demo and do a spotlight article this year!
Along with answering his questions, I put up links on my Watercolor
Squidoo Lens and my Edgar
Whitney Lens for my favorite art related books and DVDs.
I also added photos of my watercolor art materials and supplies
on my web site in my workshop
section.
FYI: I'm looking for participants for a one day watercolor
workshop on Sunday, July 28th. This is the only one I have
planned for this summer and it will only happen if I can fill
the class. Anyone interested, please contact me for
details.
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"If I have accomplished
anything good, then it's mainly because I've been driven by the
need to know whether I can accomplish things I'm not sure I have
the capacity for." ~ Vaclav Havel
"The intelligent man is
one who has successfully fulfilled many accomplishments, and
is yet willing to learn more." ~ Ed Parker
"For an artist, any accomplishment
is merely a minor victory over failure, and no more than a small
step up the steep and tortuous path towards excellence."
~ Ian Semple
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Today's image is of some
hummingbird gesture sketches
I did on Drawing Everyday in July of 2006 |
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June 22nd ~ Philadelphia Orchestra , Berlioz's Requiem
| Yesterday, Mary
Smith invited me to a Philadelphia Orchestra matinee performance
at the Kimmell center on Broad St. in Philadelphia. Berlioz's
Requiem was pretty cool! It's a choral/orchestra piece of
grand scale, conducted by internationally acclaimed maestro,
Charles Dutoit. The emotion and energy of this performance was
spine tingling. I frequently perused the musicians and choir,
but my eyes kept coming back to Charles. The music just flowed
through this virtuoso as his actions melted into the music. One
of the animated tenors in the choir also attracted my attention.
I found that by watching him, I could connect to his energy and
experience the emotion of the music more intensely. Enabling
us to more fully experience feelings and emotions, I think, is
the most valuable gift that the arts has to offer. |
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"A work of art which did
not begin in emotion is not art." ~ Paul Cezanne
"A painting is good not
because it looks like something but rather because it feels like
something." ~ Phil Dike
"The greatest artist is
one who expresses what is felt by everybody." ~ Lama
Govinda
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Kokopelli's Requiem
original watercolor ~ 28" x 36" ~ $779.00 |
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June 29th ~ Evolution
| This sketch got
me thinking about the symbolism of butterfly and that it represents
evolution into something higher. In my book, I write; "Every
new idea and every step toward self-fulfillment reflects the
development of the butterfly. The four steps of transformation,
symbolized by the egg (idea), larvae (research), cocoon (development)
and adult butterfly (new reality) are continuously taking place
in our lives and are necessary for our continued growth." |
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"You have to evolve as an
artist, and this is really a lifelong process." ~ Mary Beth
McKenzie
"I need a lot of change.
I can't stop at one level. I just keep on evolving." ~ Martha
Sturdy
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July 2009 ~
Get inspirational
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Just email
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with "spirit
art subscribe" in your email. ~ Sandysandy |
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