sandy sandy
May 31st, 2007 ~ Drawing Everyday
/ Raccoon
Dear Friends ~
I decided to start up my Drawing Everyday
Blog again as of tomorrow, June first.
Challenging, beneficial and fun, my drawing blog has turned into
a summer tradition.
I plan to continue to post a drawing everyday through August
31, 2007 while also
keeping up my twice-weekly Spirit Art letters. We now have about
125 members in
the Spirit Art Group. Roughly 50 of you newcomers are not on
the Drawing Everyday
email list. If you wish to receive my daily sketches, please
email me with "subscribe"
somewhere in your email. I look forward to hearing from you!
===<<>>===
Here are some quotations on Drawing:
Drawing is a frame of mind, a loving
embrace, if you will. (Susan Avishai)
Draw, as much and as often as you
can. When drawing lies fallow, the skill diminishes.
(Gene Black)
Do not fail, as you go on, to draw
something every day, for no matter how little it is, it
will be well worth while, and it will do you a world of good.
(Cennino Cennini)
====<<>>====
Today's sketch is a technique I perfected
last summer towards the end of the Drawing
Everyday letters. I love this method of first drawing in pencil
and then painting in the
values with watercolor. It feels very natural to me.
I've just revamped my Drawing
Everyday website.
Check out last summer's archives!
Mother Raccoon
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sandy sandy
May 28th, 2007 ~ Memorial Day
/ Eagles
Dear Friends ~
Memorial Day is a day of remembrance and
reflection. It is a time to give thanks for
the men and women who have sacrificed their lives for the ideals
of their people and
country. Today our lives are truly blessed. This is largely due
to the heroism of so
many who have come before us.
===<<>>===
Here are some quotations for Memorial
Day:
"A hero is someone who has given
his or her life to something bigger than
oneself." ~ Joseph Campbell
"For death is no more than a
turning of us over from time to eternity." ~ William
Penn
"Knights of the spirit; warriors
in the cause. Of justice absolute 'twixt man and man."
~ Richard Watson Gilder
Bald Eagles ~ "Symbols of Freedom"
~ 15" x 11" original watercolor, $349.00
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sandy sandy
May 24th, 2007 ~ Summer / Common
Tern
Dear Friends ~
Friday begins Memorial Day weekend. It's
the official start of Summer here in the
USA. Spring sped by me faster than usual this year. Healing my
broken arm, I was
not able to take full advantage of all of Spring's glorious days.
I'm looking forward
to getting back into horse back riding and other outdoor activities.
Here on the East
Coast, many folks are starting to make their yearly pilgrimages
to the shore. Wherever
you are and whatever your plans, I hope your weekend and your
whole season is filled
with abundance, health and happiness!
===<<>>===
Here are some quotations on Summer:
"A perfect summer day is when
the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing,
the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken."
~James Dent
"Summer is the time when one
sheds one's tensions with one's clothes, and the right
kind of day is jeweled balm for the battered spirit. A
few of those days and you can
become drunk with the belief that all's right with the world."
~Ada Louise Huxtable
"Ah summer, what power you have
to make us suffer and like it." ~Russel Baker
Common Tern ~ "Summer Sights"
~ 11" x 15" original watercolor, $349.00
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sandy sandy
May 21st, 2007 ~ Hummingbirds 101
Dear Friends ~
Over the past week I have had several
members write to me concerning the attracting of
hummingbirds and the maintenance of hummingbird feeders. These
small birds get their
nourishment from tiny insects, however they get their energy
from natural nectar or from
a sugar water mixture. Use regular cane sugar . *One part sugar
to 4 - 5 parts hot tap water.
Make the tap water as hot as you can and stir the sugar with
a spoon to dissolve. I use a two
cup measuring cup with one third cup sugar and fill to the two
cup line with water. Most
recipes call for 1 part sugar to 4 parts water, but with the
1 to 5, you'll get more action at
the feeders. I increase it to 1 to 4 during migration seasons.
Make sure you clean out the
feeders about every 4-5 days in cooler weather and every day
or two in hot weather.
====<<>>====
Here today is the text from
my Animal Spirits book on hummingbirds.:
Hummingbird enjoys spreading love
and joy among flowers, animals, and people.
Because hummers may migrate as much as 3,000 miles twice a year,
they are a
symbol of intense focus and dedication. They are successful at
achieving that
which seems unattainable and can provide much inspiration to
those facing
difficult situations. The magic of the hummingbird lies in being
able to open
hearts. People who have the energy of the hummingbird display
similar characteristics.
They are constantly searching for balance and harmony. Helping
others to enjoy life
more fully, they often bring out the best in everybody. If hummingbird
has come to you,
remember that those who bring joy to others cannot keep it from
themselves.
====<<>>====
I posted today's photo last summer.
It was taken at the height of hummingbird season
from my studio window. See
hummingbirds.net. It's one of my favorite sites and
tells you everything you ever wanted to know about hummers and
more!
* See sugar-water
recipe and feeder info here.
Hummingbirds at my feeder
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sandy sandy
May 17th, 2007 ~ Conservation
/ Sea Turtles
DDear Friends,
Every spring sea turtles come up onto
beaches in order to bury their eggs in the sand. The
incubation period for the nest is roughly 50 - 60 days, after
which time hatchlings emerge
from the nest and make their way to the sea. The survival rate
for hatchlings is very low and
it is estimated that only 1 in 1000 babies that enter the sea
live to adulthood. The natural
obstacles faced by young and adult sea turtles are staggering,
but it is the increasing threats
caused by us humans that are driving them to extinction. All
sea turtles found in U.S. waters
today are federally listed as endangered species, except for
the loggerhead which is listed as
threatened. Please educate yourself and do what you can to help
insure the survival of these
wonderful creatures. Thank you for caring!
===<<>>===
Here are some quotations on Conservation:
"Hurt not the earth, neither
the sea, nor the trees." ~ Revelation 7:3
"Until he extends the circle
of his compassion to all living things,
man will not himself find peace." ~ Albert Schweitzer
"A true conservationist is a
man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers,
but borrowed from his children." ~ John James Audubon.
Sea Turtle ~ "Swim, Sister Swim"
~ *Sold
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sandy sandy
Spirit Art Archives ~ May 14th,
2007 ~ Stress / Wolves
Dear Friends ~
I know many of my friends have a considerable
amount of stress in their life.
I've learned the hard way, that many of the things I fuss about
are really not all that
important. I now try to identify situations that may be adding
negativity to my life and
ask myself if my way of thinking or acting about that thing can
be changed. If not, I
simply take steps to avoid it or eliminate it from my life. We
must think thoughts and
do things that make us feel good in order to stay healthy; physically
and spiritually. I've
discovered that most things that stress me out, ultimately are
incarcerations of my own making.
===<<>>===
Here are some quotations on Stress:
"For fast-acting relief, try
slowing down." ~ Lily Tomlin
"Stress is an ignorant state.
It believes everything is an emergency." ~ Natalie
Goldberg
"To be "on edge," you
are literally out of your spiritual center." ~ Carrie
Latet
"Tension is who you think you
should be. Relaxation is who you are." ~ Chinese
Proverb
Wolves ~ "Natural Cooperation"
~ 15" x 11" original watercolor, $349.00
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sandy May
12th, 2007 ~ Mother's Day Recipe
DearDear Friends ~
Mother's Day Recipe ~
Easy Cobbler
1 cup self-rising flour
(You can find self-rising next to the regular flour at the store.)
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 stick butter, melted
1 can Comstock fruit filling
Combine milk, flour, sugar, butter
and stir.
Pour into a lightly greased 7 " x 12" or 8"x 8"
glass pan and pour fruit in middle.
Bake 45 minutes at 350.
"When I pour the filling in the
middle, I go the length of the pan.
The batter sort of rises up and covers most of the filling as
it bakes.
We like it served warm or cold. And it's great with cream or
ice cream.
I have used apple, blueberry, cherry, strawberry, and peach filling,
even some homemade filling. I love them all -- except the cherry."
~ from Spirit Art member and friend,
Donna Ordille
====<<>>====
Thanks Donna! In honor of mom's day,
I thought I'd pass this one on.
Sounds so easy, even you dads out there might give it a try!
What a surprise it would be -- to present mom with a homemade
cake!!
We had this delicious buttery cake
at Donna's house a couple of weeks ago.
I'll be trying it out on dinner guests tonight. ~ Yum!
Happy Mother's Day! ~ Sandy
====<<>>====
Oppossum Family
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sandy sandy
May 10th, 2007 ~ Motherhood /
Moose
Dear Friends ~
As most of you know, I often work in sets.
In fact, it almost always works out that way for one
reason or another. Moose spirits have been sporadically roaming
around my studio the past week
or two. Largely due to its association with water, Moose symbolizes
feminine energies and the
maternal forces of the universe. I guess it is no wonder that
its presence has come to me during
this glorious season of motherhood and rebirth!
===<<>>===
Here are some quotations on Motherhood:
"A suburban mother's role is
to deliver children obstetrically once, and by car forever after."
~ Peter De Vries
"There is only one pretty child
in the world, and every mother has it." ~ Chinese
Proverb
"God could not be everywhere
and therefore he made mothers." ~ Jewish Proverb
"A man loves his sweetheart the
most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest."
~ Irish Proverb
"A man's work is from sun to
sun, but a mother's work is never done." ~ Author
Unknown
====<<>>====
Moose ~ "Feminine Energies",
a companion piece to "Natural Strategies" *Sold
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sandy sandy
May 7th, 2007 ~ Barbaro / Immortality
Dear Friends ~
The first time I saw Barbaro was on Kentucky
Derby Day, 2006. I knew the moment I laid
eyes on him, that he was something very special. After betting
on him to win, I was thinking
that this magnificent horse could be our next triple crown winner.
As most everyone knows,
disaster struck at the Preakness on May 20, 2006. Eight highly
publicized months later at
University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center, Barbaro lost
his roller coaster fight to severe
laminitis. He was humanely euthanized on 1/29/07. On Sunday,
Newsday columnist, Wallace
Matthews wrote; "Like Elvis, James Dean and Anna Nicole
Smith, Barbaro in premature death
is much bigger than he ever could have been in life." As
D. Wayne Lukas observed, "Barbaro
might have won the Preakness and the Belmont and people would
have been excited, but that
wouldn't have lasted or touched us the way Barbaro's life did."
I now try to find some good in
every situation, even though it's hard sometimes. Barbaro took
a hit for the team. Said to be this
year's favorite at the Derby, Barbaro souvenirs were plentiful.
There's even a club called FOBs,
"Friends of Barbaro". His story touched millions, awakening
a deeper compassion and respect for
horses and all life. The incident has given the racing industry
and New Bolton Center both a
much needed shot in the arm. Hopefully it will lead to eventual
racing reform, better
safeguarding the health and welfare of these amazing athletes.
===<<>>===
Here are some quotes on Immortality:
My music will go on forever. Maybe
it's a fool say that, but when me know facts me can
say facts. My music will go on forever. (Bob Marley)
Painting is possessed of divine power,
for not only does it make the absent present,
but also makes the dead almost alive. (Leon Battista Alberti)
Long after our monuments of brick
and stone, vitriol, plastic and concrete have vanished,
our words, our art, our legends and our myths will remain as
a legacy. (Harry J. Boyle)
====<<>>====
This painting of Barbaro is shown
here with my Kentucky Derby Gala Winnings. Luck was with
me on Saturday as I won the Door Prize and the 2nd Place Derby
Winner basket of cheer. This
painting is a 16" x 20" original watercolor available
through me.
Barbaro
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sandy sandy
May 3rd, 2007~ Strategy / Moose
Dear Friends ~
I painted a couple of small moose paintings
last week. I gave one to my friend, Diane Spera as a thank you
gift for coming out and grooming my horses every weekend while
I have been laid up. She loves the moose
and has several others in her Sandy Sandy art collection. These
members of the deer family can secretly slip
away from danger or easily camouflage themselves in spite of
their size. The antlers, legs and hooves of this
animal are formidable weapons and the predators of healthy adults
are few. Its close association with water
suggests a connection to and awareness of the subconscious mind.
Thus, moose reflects going with the
flow through the correct use of intuition and a focus on assets
and strategies.
Wishing You Valuable Assets and Strategies,
Sandy
===<<>>===
Here are some quotations on Strategy:
Strategy is a style of thinking, a
conscious and deliberate process, an intensive implementation
system,
the science of insuring future success. (Pete Johnson)
In strategy it is important to see
distant things as if they were close and to take a distanced
view
of close things. (Miyamoto Musashi)
Many of our failures in life and art
come about because of the lack of strategy. This is the facility
which is needed to produce better than average results. (P. Papadopoulous)
Moose ~ "Natural Strategies"
~ *Sold
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