One More For 2010

This is a 9"x12" pen and ink drawing of a hummingbird which I set aside but decided to finish before the end of the year. I extended the drawing beyond the 8"x10" mat window area. When I framed it, an idea came to mind. I decided to extend the drawing to the mat.

Double-click to enlarge.

So here it is. This is 253!

Goodbye Tessa Edwards

Goodbye my dearest beloved friend, Oak Nymph, muse. Tessa Edwards passed away on Monday, December 27th, 2010. She was surrounded by her loving and beautiful family. I am at a loss for words, other than to say I am deeply saddened for her family. Tessa was my friend. Her brilliant art colored the blogs, her beautiful tender words and kind countenance elevated my blog and made it more humane. Many times it was she who lifted my spirits and she never failed to send a greeting even in her sick bed. What a beautiful woman she was. Truly special and extraordinary. Thank you darling, Tessa! I shall terribly miss you.

Below is an old post I dedicated to Tessa. It was first published on October 19, 2009 as part of the Oak Nymph Series in The Secret Society of Oaks.

Queen Nymph Tessa Edwards


7/10/2010
6:56am Tessa

"No more tears, CesArino - I've had - and am having - the most wonderful life anyone could have ever wished for. I know we all have to pop off our perch sometime. Just some sooner than others. It's all okay...just some storms that come and go, y'know?

Now you go and gaze up at the sky we share and you'll see me waving wildly and blowin' kisses in the wind...go!

Tsup, tsup and tsup."

October 19, 2009
I have a confession to make to all of you my dear friends, sisterfriends, soul sisters, twin –Gemini-sisterfriends, favorites… I did not think that doing this series was going to tax my heart and FPOT! I thought I was just going to have fun and draw a composite of how I see each and everyone of you in a certain light-hearted way, knowing that you are all complicated, multi-faceted, gifted and versatile; I could not possibly do all of you justice with these line drawings.

I set to draw your affable aspects. As I sat down and started to think and draw my impressions, I was overcome with unexplainable emotions. Mere lines and squiggles set me quivering, sometimes my movements are quick and light with an accompanying smile, other times I find myself pondering, ruminating, thoughtfully considering even the most trivial and lighthearted characteristics such as one’s propensity for using onomatopoeia and other verbal mannerisms and your serious and thoughtful sides. I am overwhelmed! I think I know the cause of this syndrome – I love each and everyone of you!

So today I am once again overcome with sensation reaching the broad spectrum of emotions. I drew Tessa Edwards .

How does one interpret someone who is a composite of Isak Dinesen and Rudyard Kipling and a modern Merchant Ivory film heroine, a tall, beautiful woman with an eye for capturing scenic landscapes such as the African plains where she sets tea after she and her sister just fixed a flat on their Range Rover? I think of her as the star of her own screenplay and I feel humbled. I don’t know anyone gallivanting in the wild and untamed landscapes with elegance! I am so tickled. Her heart for the people of Africa is as big as the continent. She is one of the quiet change agents working directly with people, no fanfare, and no photo opportunities just direct help.

Tessa who writes with eloquent prose is waiting for the publication of her book. If you read her previous posts you will find delicious and mouth watering photographs of meals she prepared. She is an itinerant adventurer with a gift for story telling and an accompanying gift for capturing the sights.

It’s an irony that she is taking a sabbatical but please visit her blog and say hello to her. She is a dearest sisterfriend and right now she is preparing for her impending move to a new home (her previous home looked like a House Beautiful spread). She mentions the challenges of facing her treatment regimen for myeloma, so please say a little prayer for her. She needs our sisterfriendship more than ever but I guarantee you that knowing her is a truly an enriching experience. Did I tell you she is a gifted painter with a rich and bold palette?


December 30, 2010
Tessa Edwards passed away on Monday, December 27th, 2010.

Tessa once corrected me when I called her English."I am African" she said. Still she planted an English oak , Quercus robur, and called it "Queen Ces". Tessa, you will forever be my African English Oak .

Tessa Edwards was my inspiration in my attempt to paint the African plains, her Oak Nymph portrait; the formidable strength of Bagyo-bagyo and one of the two sisterfriends whose kindness I portrayed in the heartache of Duta. Goodbye, my dearest beloved sisterfriend. Thank you for inspiring, and encouraging me.

2010, I Shall Remember...

Ah 2010! What a year. I hope someday, I shall remember this year and I will have a faint smile on my face and a calm heart. I will hear laughter and shrieks of joy in the background. This has been a year of Great Expectations, Happiness, Love, Laughter, Sadness, Loss, Love, Pain, Sorrow, Healing, Hope, Faith, Struggles, Pleasant Surprises, Missteps, Lessons learned, Change, Loyalty, Love, Support, Trust, Forgiveness, Truths, Friendships, Lies, Disappointments, Love, Gems, Labor, Gifts, Second Chances, Blessings, Love, Life!

To all of you who came and offered friendship, kindness, encouragement and inspiration., thank you very much.

The year began with a blue moon...

I completed 252 drawings and paintings. Here are 178 of them:

So long, my dearest Renee...

Squiggle a prayer...