Sunday, March 27, 2011

The Power Of Love


For the past month, I have been listening to Rhonda Byrne's Audio Book, The Power. I recommend it highly for those who are open to changing the way they think and deal with life. Through easy to grasp stories and lessons, it teaches how to harness the greatest force in the universe; love. Tuning into the highest frequency of love and gratitude will change your entire life! All you have to do is be happy 51% of the time and it can and will change your attitude and your life. Just try it for a week or so. Think more about what you love than what you don't love. If something is irritating or frustrating, think of things that make you happy; things you love. This attitude shift not only makes you feel better, your feelings, whether good or bad, like a magnet, will attract like situations, people and events into your life. If you are feeling good, you are giving love, if you feel bad, you are not.

Negative feelings come from a lack of love:
boredom, irritation, disappointment, worry, criticism, anger, hate, envy, guilt, despair, fear

Positive feelings come from love:
love, gratitude, peace, joy, passion, excitement, enthusiasm, hope, satisfaction

Friday, March 18, 2011

Spring Equinox, March 20th, 2011


FYI - This Sunday marks the Spring (or Vernal) Equinox. It officially brings the "First Day Of Spring" here in the northern hemisphere. Day and night will be about equal in length on March 2oth because the sun will be positioned above the equator all over the world.


Spring arose on the garden fair,
Like the
Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast
rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.
~Percy Bysshe Shelley, "The Sensitive Plant"

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Spring is Coming!



Here comes Kokopelli, the hunch backed, flute playing, Native American cultural spirit of Spring! He chases away Winter with song and dance and ushers in Spring and fertility. ☺ YAY!




I'm currently putting together a collection of illustrated design elements for iStock. Isolated on white, these "spot illustrations" will be easily arranged by designers. Colorful and hand painted, my Kokopellis are intended to show off the granulation of pigments with the contrast of rough, hard and soft edges. In transparent watercolor, there is often magic in translucent color transitions. High resolution photos of them can really show that off. Here's a small area of the image above. The possibilities are endless.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

A Winter Visit To Longwood Gardens

The day after we visited Old Philadelphia, we Sandy sisters headed off to Longwood Gardens. It was a cold and very windy day, quite a big difference from the day before! Fortunately we didn't have to do much walking outside.


Inside the greenhouses, it was warm, fragrant and colorful. The feeling of spring immediately lifted our spirits.


"The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size." ~ Gertrude S. Wister


"If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom." ~ Terri Guillemets


"People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us." ~ Iris Murdoch


"Sisters are different flowers from the same garden." ~ Author Unknown