My Birdsong

Happy Birthday in Heaven

Tomorrow, January 12,  is Brianna's birthday. She would have been 18. And she would have been so thrilled to be a legal adult. She really wanted to explore the world and all the wonder it offered. She was an adventurer at heart.

I am so happy she was born into our lives in 1990. She was a perfect daughter for me - artistic, funny, a great sense of humor and a little everywhere (sounds familiar). She was also a pack rat, just like me, and loved to try new things if it had anything to do with art. She was all girl - squealing, giggling and gushing, over friends, home and especially ideas in CRAFT magazine, online at Fred Flare and on her stencil chat group.


I hope to gather her two close friends, and John and Trevor, and with my close friend from Memphis here, we will make some little birds out of cut up soda cans. This was one of the ideas Brianna had pasted into her creative idea journal.  And maybe I'll make some cake or brownies to celebrate the fact that she came into our lives, however short hers was. Happy Birthday my sweetheart. I love you forever.... Mom

Mermaids and Angels on PFATT Marketplace

I've always loved mermaids and have wanted to make a theater featuring one of these beautiful creatures for some time. I was able to incorporate my watercolor painting - she is black and white clip art hand painted by me on watercolor paper.  (click on both pictures for a larger view) Also, I borrowed an idea from a very talented friend with the Angel theater below. I've wired it with a small set of tiny lights so the beautiful angel is surrounded by small white lights, like stars in the heavens. You will find both for sale at PFATT Marketplace. And while your there, take a peek at some of the other artists fabulous works.

Time for Some Music

	My Latest Winter Watercolor I really enjoyed painting this 5x7 piece. My inspiration came from a magazine ad. I love the idea of a horse-drawn sleigh. It seems like a time long ago when life was simple. I guess that's where my mind has been - looking back at the simply wonderful times we had with our whole family around us. This piece is for sale now on eBay, and if you'd like to take a peek at the auction, here it is Winter Sleigh Ride. We did do some day trips over the Christmas break - to the hippie town of Bolinas on the coast north of the city (that's San Francisco here). Rumor has it they took down the signs directing people to the town, because they didn't want visitors. I'll have to upload the photos, as soon as I get them from my camera. I've also been working in my studio and trying to do a little organizing. But the art seems to take me away from the tidying up. So I will just go with the creative tide - ebbing and flowing. This quote has inspired me too and I think I will create a piece around it. It is from the book, "Healing After Loss - Daily Meditations for Working through Grief," by Martha Whitmore Hickman. "It is dark now. The snow is deep blue and the ocean nearly black. It is time for some music." - May Sarton Yes, that is what I need now after a very hard couple of weeks - to make some music. I hope you have been able to slow down now to make some of your own.....Iva