One life to live

I was going to write today's post about how things are starting to pick up in a business sense. I've been painting right along and below are two of my latest paintings. An oil and a watercolor. Then I read on line today that Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys had died of cancer today at the age of 47.......47!

Beau in Oil

8x10 inches

Kitty Dreams

5x7 inch watercolor and colored pencil

This news has effected me in a way that I think MCA (Yauch's stage name) would be okay with. YOU ONLY HAVE ONE LIFE - WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH IT? Apparently Yauch had been battling with cancer for the last few years and it finally won and took this man's life. A man who, mind you, got to the public eye with songs like "Fight For Your Right" and "No Sleep Til Brooklyn" and other white boy rap songs about partying and girls.

But as the boy became a man, he directed his efforts not only towards his creativity, which grew so much into a funky hip band, but toward Buddhism and for the independence of Tibet. He also helped form Oscilloscope pictures, a successful independent film production house.

There's only so much time that each of us has on this planet. Please use it wisely. Do something creative. Help someone out today. Donate to a charity. If you really believe in something, make your voice heard. Don't watch junk TV. Don't eat at McDonalds. Tell the person you love that you love them. Paint a painting. Write a poem. Support the arts. Don't laugh at someone when he tells you he likes ballet. Adopt a cat. Volunteer.

And download Check Your Head. I think its one of their best albums.

I saw the Beastie Boys back in 1986. I was 15 years old and it was one of my very first concerts. I had so much fun and loved how obnoxious they were. The turn tables that the DJ was on was made to look like a giant Jolt cola. And I vaguely remember a huge penis on stage. Too much.

Christmas time is HERE!

I know, I can't believe it either. The holiday is in a full swing and I even watched the Grinch last night. I'm going to be at the Jamaica Plain Holiday Fair http://www.firstchurchjp.org/2011/11/craft-fair-dec-3rd-2011/ again this year and I hope its a good one. This is the fair that always puts me in a holiday mood because they invite a 3 piece jazz band to come play the fair, while shoppers come in out of the cold from meeting Santa. However, we have been having record warm temperatures these past few days.

"Painted Turtle"

8x10 inches

watercolor and colored pencil

And I'm very excited to meet up with the Creative Ladies this weekend. This is the second year that we will be making holiday greeting cards. I've been so excited about this, as my last years cards were such a hit. I've been cutting magazines up like a maniac! I can't wait to post them!! You can check out last year's cards here: http://thepedigreeartist.blogspot.com/2010/12/its-that-time-of-year-again.html

"D in Plaid"

5x7 inches

watercolor and colored pencil

Christmas Christmas Christmas.

Can I tell you how much I really dislike Christmas carols at CVS and on the radio 24/7 and that Walmart has ads rolling at every moment....
Just remember when at the end of the Grinch when he says:

"Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store.

Maybe Christmas means just a little bit more"

Make it a special one :)

The power of the doodle

So, you may not know this already, but I work in an office M-F doing administrative tasks as well as accounts receivable. I am on the phone most of the afternoon calling people to find out why they didn't pay our bills and what can we do to get them paid. Sometimes I'm on a call for a while listening over and over why so and so didn't pay their bills. Little do they know, I'm doodling.



Doodling is not and will never be a bad thing. It keeps the mind fresh and active. I read an article once and it said that you had a better memory of what was being said during a lecture or meeting if you had been doodling all the while. Something about shutting everything out except the person's voice. Here's some interesting articles about how doodling can help a business http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/feb2008/ca20080220_798280.htm

and what exactly what your doodling might say about you http://drawsketch.about.com/cs/tipsandideas/p/doodle_people.htm



Here at work, it's all about geotechnical engineering. In no way do I work with any artists, but in filing a lot of paper work, I'm seeing more and more doodles in the margins of calc paper and printed out emails. To me, that's the way it should be!!

I find that my doodles are more dictated by the pen or pencil I'm using. A felt tip pen will mean more straight black and while lines where as a pencil will make me work in a lot of shading. And I draw more cats and birds than anything else. Especially quails. It's as if every bird isn't complete with out that doo-dad that they have on their head.

This image is a collection of doodles that I've done. I keep all the ones I have (they do crack me up - as in, "what were you thinking that day?") I encourage you to keep doodling!