Inspiration Touches My Soul

Today, for the first time in a very, very long time, I was inspired to make a piece of art "just because". Mostly I have been making art for swap commitments and those are always done to the recipients specs as to theme and size, etc. Which is fine - and fun! But the creative spark to "just make art" has not been living inside of me for a while. I have joked that my muse is off vacationing in a tropical paradise without me, but honestly, it has been a little distressing! The feelings are all so much more complex...but I'll just let those rattle around in my brain for a while and not bore you with the details.

This is the piece I created (with digital elements) after finishing a book tonight:

It is called "Forgotten Flight" and was inspired by the book "Off Season" by Anne Rivers Siddons. Oh, and my art piece? It "looks" nothing like the plot of the book at all! But it grew out a concept in the book that 11 year old Lilly believes: That all people used to be able to fly, but we have forgotten how. That is one of the things that really stayed with me through the book. Sort of magical, don't you think?! And perhaps...plausible?! Nothing is impossible, I believe! :)

As a side note, I really, really loved this book! It is set in coastal Maine and there is something so alluring to me about that part of the country. I've never actually been there, but I would really love to see it before I leave this life. Also, while many online reviews say that the ending is confusing and they didn't like that part of it, I thought it made perfect sense. It's just that you have to read into it a little deeper, I think. If you are looking for an easily paced and bittersweet story to read on a warm afternoon, you should give this one a try. It really shows how we all carry the "ghosts" of our past with us through our lives.

Sweet Kitties & A Link To A Giveaway

My sweet Gabby boy came home Saturday afternoon. Yay! He has been slowly coming back into himself, although he is VERY clingy! He has been following the hubby and I room to room and talking to us A LOT. I think he is trying to make sure we never send him away again by making sure we know he adores us! Heh Heh! It feels good to have him home. He is an important part of our lives around here and need him to stay for at least 10 more years! :)

There is a giveaway on DEENA'S BLOG. It is for this sweet print on a wood background:

Even if you are too late for the giveaway, I highly recommend having a look around her blog! Deena is an amazingly strong woman who is fighting breast cancer that spread to her brain. She is a true warrior and has a beautiful spirit!

Now, go have a beautiful week!

UPDATED: He's On The Mend!

UPDATE - FRIDAY NIGHT: Got to go visit with our little guy for an hour today! Which was good, because last night his fever spiked and had the vet - AND US! - worried. This morning though, no fever, but he still wouldn't eat (this is now 2 1/2 days without food). Well, we went to visit with him at 4:00 PM and after his initial freak-out, he calmed down, kept rubbing against us, jabbered up a storm and even played with the toy mouse we snuck in! We tried to get him to eat his regular food, but while he was interested (smelling it and answering emphatically to the question "when do you want to eat?" [Don't judge me for teaching them to talk people!!]), he kept meowing and walking away. We think maybe he associates that food with being sick now. So the nurse gal opened up a can from there and set it before him. He was more interested but still wouldn't eat it. Well...this lovely woman stuck her beautifully manicured fingers in that food and I'll be darned if Gabby didn't eat right from her hand!! Wahooooo!!! SO....if all goes well and he doesn't get sick tonight, he'll get to come home on Saturday afternoon with antibiotics!! I cannot tell you how happy I am that is he coming home!! My heart felt so much better after seeing him be active and almost back to normal. We almost lost Mr. Gabbs this week and that would have been so very sad!!!! He's such a cool cat and I know he has a lot of life left in him - many more mice to play with, manners to teach the new kittens and many more rides on our shoulders around the house! :) A nasty old virus is no match for that stuff! :)
Here's my Gabs as a baby! He loved sleeping either on the keyboard or on his brother Figaro! At almost 6 years old, they still sleep like that sometimes! Silly guys!

A classic "Gabby Pose" - stretched out at the end of the bed!
Not the best picture I know, but this is him answering my "Hey Gabbers!" He's a very vocal little guy! "What?!! Can't you see I'm trying to relax here?!"

Tonight the vet called at 5:30, after I had gotten the "all is ok" from them at 4:50. They said he spiked a fever all of a sudden. 104.1. 105 can be really, really dangerous for cats. So along with the i.v. fluids, they've got him on antibiotics tonight. Sigh.

I wish they could tell me what is wrong with my sweet Gabby! I love this little cat more than I can rightly explain! I believe - and always will - that my dad sent Gabby and his brother Figaro to me after he died! He always said that if reincarnation was real, he wanted to come back as one of his wifes cats (my step-mom, Linda). Well, the day after he died, a petite tabby cat (girl) showed up at his nursery. Of course, they instantly called Linda because they knew what dad had said! She showed up to see this little cat, which had been named Baby in the interim few hours. Well, when Linda walked into the nursery, I'll be darned if that little cat didn't RUN, seriously RUN up to her and beg to be picked up!! When Linda picked her up, Baby started nuzzling her neck! So Baby stayed at the nursery because, come on, who could say that this WASN'T MY DAD, or at least SENT by my dad?! Well, before they could get her fixed, she got pregnant. I knew, right away, that I was going to get one of these babies! When I went down there to see them, Baby, never having seen me before, came up to me and nearly DRAGGED me to see her babies! That's when I fell in love with Figaro, Gabby's brother! I knew I wanted him for sure. When I went to pick him up at 2 months old, Gabby, in all his adorable polydactyl-ly (extra toes!) cuteness just stole my heart right along with Figaro! And he didn't "shut up" the entire 3 hour ride home, heh heh, which is how he came to be cristened Gabriel - or Gabby for short!

I know the above story may sound strange, but I really feel that Figaro and Gabriel were sent to me by my dad! I'm not sure I would have made it past the heavy grieving without them to cuddle. They were - and are - my therapy! And after 6 years (on June 6th), I'm not nearly ready to give them up yet! So Pops, if you are listening, please help our sweet Gabby boy, ok?! I still need him around, to teach these two new kittens how to be cool cats! And everyone else, if you could send some positive energy his way, I would appreciate it! I know to many, Mr. Gabby is "just a cat". But to my hubby and I, he is one of our chidlren! Maybe even the favorite child! But don't tell the others that!! :)

Going to bed early now, so I can be ready to deal with whatever comes tomorrow. The last 2 days have been exhausting.

Lovely Flowers, Singing Birds, Goals & Oh Yea, Art!

Today was a really, really good day. This morning when I got up I went out to the back yard and planted 4 planters and 1 pot with lovely flowers (petunias, lobelia and mauve calla lillies). I also replanted the amarillis bulbs my Aunt Cheryl gave me a couple of years ago! They are sprouting and I'm looking forward to the amazing flowers that come out of them - bright flame orange/red I believe! In the middle of planting I ran out of potting soil, so the hubby ran to Ace Hardware to get more. While he was gone I just lounged in the back yard by watching the blue jays and spraying my feet with water (it was over 100 degrees today!). And I tell you...it was so lovely! Serene and quiet. Warm and soothing. And full of freshly mowed grass smells, oxigen and bird songs. I think it has renewed my desire to step outside my doors now. Actually, it forces me to since I now have flowers to take care of! I've been hiding for a long time indoors, afraid to step out without an escort. But that is one of the things I'd like to change in my life and I've taken the first step! :) It feels good. My next goal is to get a prescription to use the local therapy pool at least once a week. It's only open during the week, so it will mean I will have to take the city bus there and back - alone! It feels daunting, but I know I can do it. Especially since I love to swim and am too cheap to pay for a taxi! Heh Heh!

OK, onward to my art. Lately I cannot seem to work in any other format other than digital. Hopefully some day I'll feel like tearing up paper and splashing paint and glue around again! Until then, it has been fun! I'm really hoping to get Photoshop for Christmas this year (start planning, Santa Baby!!). I know I'll be able to really grow and do so many more things with that! I especially want to cut out images to use in my art!

Still here?? Well then, below are my current pieces for my Mixed Media Madams group. The first two pages are 8x8's and we were told to "art ourselves" in the zetti style. As I'm not a fan of using my face in artwork, I used a photo of my legs when I joined the circus years ago. What?! Don't believe me?! Chuckle! OK, it's not me. BUT, it is representative of me - especially when I trip over dust bunnies and end up like this on the floor! The key and the house on the next page represent us buying our first house almost 2 years ago now! Something we thought might just be impossible. But hopes with actions behind them become real! Remember that!

The two pages below are for Martha and they are, um, ehr, I cannot remember what size they are, sooooory! But her theme was vintage winter/christmas. And she loves PINK CHRISTMAS, so I tried to give that to her. I'm thinking of adding some vintage lace on the bottom and some stickles glittery glitterness once I print them. The sentiment says "Love, peace and joy", the things I love about the holiday season!

Are you STILL here?? Don't you have some art to make?? Go make some! Go sit in your yard and listen to the birds! Splash your feet with the hose like you did when you were 4! Believe me, you will feel nothing but joy and delight! Have a beautiful week and thanks for stopping by! I do appreciate it very, very much!

Zetti Zodiac Digital ATC's

This is the front of the Aquarius Card above. The back is below. They are ATC sized (3.5" x 2.5") and were made for a zetti style zodiac deck. NOTE: If anyone is a pro at Adobe Photo Shop and knows how to cut out images and would like to help me...I would LOVE to have the girl above (the original doesn't have the shell or the roller skates!) as a cutout I could use in my digital art (as a jpeg image with a "clear" background)! I don't have Adobe and I cannot figure out how to do it in MS Digital Image Pro 9. Wah!! I'd be happy to send you a goody bag of art supplies in trade!! :)

This is the front of the Taurus card below and the back below that. I am going to add black stripes to her horns once it is printed. :)

Latest 4x4's

These are actually 4x4's...the left sides are the front and the right sides the back. After printing, I will fold them in half. They were both done digitally.