The Kentucky Derby, where man pushes beast to “jump” hooves through hoops, is upon us. I’m not a fan for so many reasons, but Friday is the Oaks, which is a race only for fillies and spectators are encouraged to wear pink to save the ta-tas. This one’s for the girls both horse and rider because fast girls do it in pink, wearing heels, donning hats, shrouded in flowers.

And go Oaks Lily—At 50 to 1 with silks of pink, you’re my girl! Stay safe!

“Eenie, Meenie, & Miney caught a kitty” is a class assignment where we had to create a digital painting in photoshop. I used the Wacom Cintiq 12WX. I tried it a year ago and just didn’t feel the love. This time, yikes. Loved it! For me, this assignment was like eating chocolate cake, simply yummy.

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And a huge thanks goes out to Jen for making my day!  You rock! And all, check out her amazing talent on her most fun, humorous blog From Jen’s Pen.

This one-eye-open-crazed zebra was the most fun to paint of the three. The other two “ferociouses” were gentle and calm, this one, not so much. I think I like his teeth best…glowing yellow on this scan, but big, and ready to chomp off an enormous chunk from any lurking kitty cats.

Sorry for the empty blog these days. Really busy and not creating what I love. But stay tuned, stuff’s a brewin’ and hopefully I can get something on paper soon.

IF’s topic this week: “Hibernate” …. hmmm, not sure what I’ll do.

Color version of “Boundaries” with the addition of a tortoise and a hare… I’m not thrilled with this version, sometimes, oftentimes, a sketch works so much better than a finished piece.

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I may try to  do more with this one, so check back in a day or so… And thanks, Rubin! I hope you don’t mind!  Check out his blog, too.

Part three of three. Click on image to enlarge.

And it’s here I send out thanks, many thanks to all those who weigh in on all my posts especially the last one: Illustration Friday—Mysterious I. Not to sound all gushy, but you guys rock! Thank you!

Part two of three. Click on image to enlarge.

Think about it. A horse with circumscribed stripes… At what point did “Mama Nature” orchestrate such a manifestation? Which came first: a horse of white with dark stripes or the other way around? A Gestalt secret solved only by unraveling then puzzling together the pieces. “Mama Nature” is giggling and only she, along with the zebra, knows what it all means.

Part one of three… Click on image to enlarge.

When I see those crazy pigs flying, I know they’re angels in “disguise“… Adorable pink piglets swimming in a sea of blue, sporting striped bathing trunks, soaring on soft-feathered wings, and looking through eye-protective goggles simply watching over all creatures great and small.

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Hilary, you rock! A gazillion thanks for all your support and advice!
Hugs!

Watercolor sketch for a fundraising campaign to help this ol’ girl once again balance on sticks and stones.

Bewildered, Zurura—who had lost her herd had been adopted by this elephant family—felt the soft touch of many trunks and heard her adopted Mama explain. “No, never ‘imperfect.’ Simply add space (and an apostrophe) and change it to ‘I’m perfect’ and forget the rest.”

I dedicate this post to all those with an “obsession” to rescue, love, and let go.
Thank you!

For all you deadline-daunted and sleep deprived, may The Sleep Fairy wake up and fly right tonight.

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Thank you all for your continued visits and wonderful support. It means so much knowing folks are stopping by and looking. You keep me drawing.

Sally so loved her Maggie dog and so wanted to share her joy of water and bubbles with her best pal. Maggie, however, hated water and bubbles, but she so loved Sally and would do anything to please her including endure a shower. But, oh, how Maggie silently pleaded for a reprieve from this one “gesture” of love.

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Ellie Mae’s a dog who enjoys the hunt and her “remedy” to summer’s scorchers is fishing the quarry. Those fish hover, taunting her like the Sirens who sang to Odysseus. But unlike the Greek adventurer, there is no wax in our hound’s ears and she indeed succumbs to seductive fish calls, mesmerized for hours. I can only imagine the conversation dog and fish have when I’m not watching.

Another attempt at “midsummer night” because such evenings are upon us and too soon they will be gone… but for now, like moths to a flame, we surrender to the light.

“How, like a moth, the simple maid
Still plays about the flame!”

~John Gay

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Happy Summer!

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With a wet May, the message went out to Mosquito Scourges everywhere: Go, Reproduce and Torture. Their goal: “launch” an attack on all—Buzz, Bite and Berate—make people insane. They are succeeding. I’ve tried “launching” my own attacks, but after 30 million years of evolution they’re winning. Though I wouldn’t call them meek, they shall inherit the earth.

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…As a pride of lions silently paddled on soft-padded paws across the savanna, their tails “swept” across the dusty road in contented boredom.

Like father, like son… One day this lil’ cub will follow his father in guarding the stacks. But for the moment, he’ll remain in the “shadows” of great books and king of the beasts simply practicing the pose.

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When you’re on “safari” you never know when you might be confronted with a big ol’ “Crash of Rhinos.”

Original: 12″ x 12″ linocut.

My first thought for “lesson” was to show mama bird pushing her babes out the nest, but then I figured Mama’s got a whole clutch of wee ones and forcing out all her loved chicks unsupervised was just too heart wrenching. So, here’s Mama conducting a group flying “lesson” while clutching three terrified, thrilled and traumatized tweeters.

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Second drawing illustrating collective nouns for animal groups for the “A to Z April Challenge” from the blog “Tossing It Out.” It’s challenging stacking a bunch of turtles, especially the upside down guys.

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Two bear meet two fish and all I can imagine is that they will break out in a joyous “duet“… make that a joyous double “duet.” I can pretend.

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Just ideas on paper related to a fashionista kitty, a hip gal of tin, a crazy bird that scares, and a country bumpkin’s quest for precious slippers…

Then again in the words of Forest Gump, “Mama always said you could tell an awful lot about a person by the kind of shoes they wear.”

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A study of otters for “Tangle” — I wasn’t thrilled with the movement in the first sketch, so I tried something else. I’m happier with these guys, now I just need to incorporate oxen, owls, and octopi… challenging is good.

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