Amusement (Day 17)

"Let us move together playfully

 Children once and now again 
Renewed to love the Mother 
Earth, her moon and sun." 
~ Tony Anony

~~Kokopelli's Nightime Magic~~

Alcohol Inks and Watercolor on Yupo paper

See painting specifications and price here.

Everyone has heard the phrase; "All work and no play, makes Jane a dull girl." However, what if all you do is work, and it is actually your play? Would you still be considered dull? Is it important to diversify our amusement, in order to become a well-rounded individual? Do you think playfulness is a necessary ingredient in the creation of art? What do you do for amusement?

By amusing myself with all these games, 

all this nonsense, all these picture puzzles, 

I became famous.... 

I am only a public entertainer 

who has understood his time." 

~ Pablo Picasso

X ♥  O

Nighttime and Daytime Kokopelli Save the Day! ~ # 5 & 6 of 30

"There is one big thing,

d e s i r e .

And before it,

when it is big,

all is little."

~ Willa Cather

I had a very bad painting day yesterday. I started drawing out five different ideas, did two paintings and was not happy with either one! By 9:00pm I finally gave up and called it a day. So today, I started out one painting behind in the "30 Paintings in 30 Days" challenge. Yikes! I was under the gun to do two keepers today. If not, tomorrow I would need to do three just to catch up! Up early, I adjusted my attitude and worked diligently. I was really ambitious and completed three larger drawings for pieces that have been requested by collectors; "More Jersey Devils with a starry night theme, please". Although I made a lot of headway, by 4:00pm I realized there was no way in hell I was going to finish two of these larger, more ambitious projects today. Then, at my time of despair, Kokopelli came to my rescue! What a guy!

# 5 of 30 -

Myths, Fables, Folk Tales and Legends

Kokopelli's Nighttime Magic 4.5" x 6" original watercolor on Yupo paper Acid-free Mat w/ Backing in sleeve - 5" x 7" Signed and certified by the artist

Kokopelli's Nighttime Magic

4.5" x 6" original watercolor on Yupo paper

Acid-free Mat w/ Backing in sleeve - 5" x 7"

Signed and certified by the artist

# 6 of 30 -

Myths, Fables, Folk Tales and Legends

Kokopelli's Daytime Magic 6" x 4.5" original watercolor on Yupo paper Acid-free Mat w/ Backing in sleeve - 7" x 5" Signed and certified by the artist

Kokopelli's Daytime Magic

6" x 4.5" original watercolor on Yupo paper

Acid-free Mat w/ Backing in sleeve - 7" x 5"

Signed and certified by the artist

Thanks again for your friendship,

emails and comments!

X ♥  O

30 Paintings in 30 Days - Here We Go Again! ~ Kokopelli Magic ~ SOLD

“Myth must be kept alive.

The people who can keep it alive

are the artists of one kind or another.”

~Joseph Campbell

Kokopelli's Magic

Kokopelli is a hunch backed, flute playing, Native North American cultural spirit dating back to about 600-800 AD. He chases away winter with song and dance and ushers in spring and fertility.

For the second time this year, I've taken on Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge! Last January, my theme was watercolor paintings on Yupo paper based on quotes about trees. I am happy to have completed all thirty pieces plus a few extras in the first challenge and hope to be able to do the same again this month. I got lots of support from all my friends in January, so of course I'm hoping you'll all be here cheering me on once again.

Your emails, calls, comments here and on facebook really help keep my fire stoked. I am really excited about my theme this month! I've got so many ideas, my head is spinning. I started three ideas today and settled on an old favorite, 'cause I was running out of painting time after all my research and drawing.

Spotlight ... Drumroll .... And ... This month's theme is ...

Myths, Fables, Folk Tales and Legends

You know, just about everybody loves a good story and I'm no exception. Fables, myths, folk tales and legends have a lot in common and I've painted my fair share of them over the years. These short, traditional stories, from cultures all around the world were originally passed on by word of mouth. Aesop and others used humanized animal characters to convey stories with a moral and many of these have roots in ancient civilizations which date back thousands of years. Most involve supernatural beings and events and are widely regarded as being true or at least having some elements of truth. Some myths involve fictitious humans, but a considerable amount of legends feature characters from real life which evolved over time from true historical events, usually with colorful and unauthenticated details. Unnatural monsters that appear to have no real agenda other than ravaging the countryside have also been around for countless centuries. 

There is such a variety of stories and there are so many great ones! I hope to depict some of your favorites and introduce you to a few that I discover (via the magic box) on my challenging and exciting journey this month. If you'd like to send me some requests, they'll also be considered!

Thanks so much for your friendship,

emails and comments!

X ♥  O

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.