Epitonium Scalare, Linne and Paper Cut

Epitonium scalare, Linne also known as Precious Wentletrap, permanent pigment ink on ATC-sized Bristol board with whole blood cells from paper cut!


Ah!
Life!
Serendipity!
Remote and unattached.
We are all so different and not alike.
Alas!
Art!
Melds,
Entangles,
Ensnares,
Us.
All of a sudden we find each other.
Synchronicity!
How could I have not had you in my life before?
We realize we are the same.
We have similar sources of
Joy,
Laughter,
Pain,
Suffering,
Sorrow.
If not for our art
We would have not found each other.
You would have not known
The things about me that make me plain and so ordinary.
I would have not known
The things about you that make you so very special.
Petrichor!
We live!

Tsup! Tsup!!!

Satellite Sisters

Aaaaaahhhhh! I wanted to draw real satellites like Dione, Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Rhea, Titan, Iapetus... do you know who they are or what they are? They are the moons of Saturn. Little known fact: Did you know that I once had a blog just focusing on the planet Saturn? Hahahaha! yes. I did.

I thought to myself, my sisters and I are satellites of our Mother. So I googled "sisters satellites." You know what? A group of sisters had the idea of creating something they shared together. There is a book called "Satellite Sisters' Uncommon Senses." The Satellites have identified the uncommon senses as: A Sense of Connection; A Sense of Self; A Sense of Humor; A Sense of Adventure; and A Sense of Direction. The book was written by the five Dolan sisters who also have three brothers.

My own version of Satellite Sisters. I re-did a couple of portraits.



L to R: The Eldest, The Third, The Fourth

L to R: The Fifth, The Seventh, The Youngest

Among my sisters, we had two parents; have two brothers, six children; a dozen dogs; one rabbit; presently, we live in two countries, two states, four provinces. The Viking is the only surviving husband. Three of us remained single. We all have professional careers and work outside the home. My sisters are literally planting roots in as many provinces and islands as they can. I also noticed that the three with the tear int heir eyes are the ones who got married. Hmnn...

I would like to add to the above list the following based on my experience:

A Sense of Belonging

A Sense of Pride

A Sense of Security

A Sense of Refuge

A Sense of Unity.

Happy Birthday Professor!

Ballpoint drawing on Moleskine pocket notebook (2006).

Many years ago, I wanted to play the ukelele. That afternoon, my older brother had it. I told him I wanted it. He said he was not finished. I insisted. He told me once again that he was playing it. I picked up a rock and smashed the ukelele. He should have socked me. He should have pinned me to the ground and let his spit slowly fall on my face. He should have boxed my ears. He should have kicked me. He should have wrestled me to the ground, all of which I have done to him. But instead, he was shocked and just said "Aaaw Ces." Then he went inside and told Mother. Ouch!

When we were kids, my brother was the gentlest boy I have ever known. He never said a swear word. He always smiled. He spoke kindly. He was always peaceful and never engaged in violent confrontations. In fact he hardly engaged in confrontations. He walked away. He was too smart for all the thugs and the bullies. He was very introspective, never petty.

One summer day we were all doing our chores. Our sister, Rebecca, was managing the chore assignments. I think mine was to help wash the floors. My brother was supposed to help, but instead, he wanted to read. So he went to the pig pen where he stayed all day and read his book. We finally found him in the afternoon, still reading.

He is the most intelligent man I know. In high school they awarded him an academic scholarship for four years. He was the best in Mathematics. He studied electrical engineering and topped the boards. He is now a professor of Mathematics. He is still gentle. He is kind. He is peaceful.

Growing up, I was closest to my brother. He, our youngest sister and I were playmates. I was always photographed with him. While I tried to get away with mischief, he always wanted to do the right thing and would rather spend his time reading or learning. I don't remember him ever being spanked! I wanted to be a boy like him. I wanted to wear his clothes but I was not allowed. So I wore his dirty clothes, only then Mother let me wear shorts. In fact do you see the Navy ROTC hat he has on his head? That belonged to our elder brother. I inherited it from them. You can see it on the header illustration (that's me wearing the Navy ROTC shirt and the cap).

By the way, my brother has a blog. Just in case you are interested his latest post is titled Calculus: Derivative of Products of two Functions, and also he talks about Python errors but I don't think he is referring to the reptile.

Today is my brother's birthday. Happy Birthday, my dearest beloved Toto'! I love you!


P.S. Inday Frey said your birthday is tomorrow. I think I am right.

Grow...

Sprouting Acorn. Permanent pigment ink on 9"x12" Bristol board. Double click to enlarge.

Okay, I won't be here for a while, so I need something to replace the storm photos. I have not painted for a very long time. I have these recurring ideas in my head and then they depart because I get distracted and dismayed by the thought of setting up and cleaning up.

A dearest friend has been urging me to paint and tonight while I was talking about doing laundry, I have all of a sudden I decided to paint, starting tonight. I know it's midnight, but I need to get this started. Besides, it's the weekend. I thought I was on call on Friday but I read the wrong schedule, so that was time given back to me. So I already slept for five hours. I will be painting!

YES!, I can't believe it! All these art supplies and I have not painted since... I can't remember. YES! YES! YES! I am painting!!!

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Pluvial

I love a good storm...

as long as I have electricity.


More skies...


Click to see the ants...



Even more skies...

Crud!

5-minute laughter as we play with Photo Booth...


Hmn... what does this button do?
Ugggh!
Whooaa!
That's scary.
Crud!
My hair is a mess!

Oh! How can I hide my zit?
Just like this!

Oooooh! Did you hear that? It beeps!

You are so techie.

You just push the button!

Push my button!

Not those buttons!



This ought to be illegal...

We're having too much fun...
Were, going to cry later.

Crud!

Black Nuts On Brown Paper

Used some of my paper collection. This one on sepia drawing paper. ATC-sized at 2.5"x3.5". It has texture and I drew these acorns ever so slowly. I am pleased with the outcome. I framed them on a 16"x20"ATC collage mat last night. Haven't decided what to do with them yet.

Nothing much going on here except I am pretty exhausted from work and being on-call. The latter is always an anxiety-filled day. I think my brain shut down and I am still recuperating from multitasking too much the other day. I was on a conference call when a couple of analysts instant-messaged me about two separate issues as I was talking to a nurse on my cell phone as I worked on a service request. Finally I just decided to leave the conference call and told everyone to wait while I finished one thing at a time.

Then in the evening I continued getting paged, my family ate leftovers and by 8:54 PM I got paged when...

Who cares?

I am going through my Inbox. So I won't post a new drawing until I have cleaned it up. There are 153...

I am tired. I panic-draw as a reaction. In two days I drew four portraits, a sprouting acorn series, decorated a mailing envelope with tree drawing... Oh! I have been blogging for five years. Just now started using Google Reader so I am reading everyone and I will surprise you with a binge-comment visit. HAHAHAHA!

I am on call on Friday. Gotta get ready for work...

Lakhsmita Indira!!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you very much!
You make me so very happy!
I love you, Beautiful Brilliant Artist Witch!

Ooooh Baby!

My daughter Em, holding Manon Doyle's heart painting and wearing my favorite polka dotted silk scarf. Permanent pigment ink and colored pencil on 9"x12" Bristol board. I am ending this series for now, with a smile! As with the other series, I may pick it up sometime again soon.

Like her brother, Em loves to draw. She based the above drawings from photographs of the artist's works, but she drew it in free-style without measuring or plotting. It is very interesting to watch her draw. She starts from the left to the right of the paper or by drawing the tiny details first. She somehow manages to fit everything in the page and to scale! These are colored pencil drawings.

Em loves to clown around with her friends. The original picture above from which I based my drawing and pictures of last weekend's sleep-over party. Yes, I am in the background, working on on-call problems.

****

Does it ever happen to you when you think of someone, you feel yourself quiver with joy because you just love that person? That's how I feel oftentimes when I think of my children.

My lovely daughter. Honor student, lead roles in annual school plays two years in a row, National Junior Honor Society, academic marathons, science fairs, speech and debate tournaments, recipient of the Presidential Award on Academic Excellence in Grade school and Middle school, commended performances, perfect standardized scores, witty, wholesome, polite, loving, kind, considerate, funny, laughs a lot, loyal, loves Chuck Taylor shoes, all-around-nice person.

I have two teenagers. They care for each other and they comfort each other. My son will be a senior in high school while my daughter will be a freshman. Together they are taking advanced courses for the summer.

Her older brother is protective. They are loyal to one another.

My daughter told me that one day she was at the ground floor walking with a classmate. She looked up and saw her brother with his friends leaning on the rails of the second floor balcony. She motioned towards him with her lips. She said that her brother thought she was giving him an air kiss. Without hesitation, he gave her an air kiss. The thought of that scene warms my heart. How cute is that!

With so many things I may have not done correctly, their father and I got at least one very important thing right, our children love each other. That we are certain.

I am ending this series for a while, with a smile, and of all days, on Father's Day. Happy Father's Day to The Viking. He has been away on a convention. Even Daisy misses him. Happy Father's Day to all the good fathers.