Wordless Wednesday

♥

Witchy Wordless Wednesday

How About Some Pumpkin Pye?

Poor Princess Cutie Pye has been feeling neglected after observing all the fun and attention that her brother, Opie, has been getting lately. It's a shame, but she's just not as photogenic. What she lacks in beauty on the outside though, she more than doubly makes up for on the inside. She is a true, pure, beautiful soul with an extremely gentle and loving spirit.

I know she'll purr when I show her this post!

X♥O

(and Pye Pye)

This quote is just as applicable to our fur children.

☺

My Little Punkin

X♥O

 

(and Opie)

Happy Pumpkin Season!

We love pumpkin season!

"You did know this gourd-ish squash

has its own season, right? 

Winter, Spring, Summer, Pumpkin....

We anxiously anticipate it every year." 

~ Trader Joe's

I hope you are enjoying the changing seasons

as much as we are!

♥

 

(& Opie)

Frightfully Fun Friday

"Spirits roam the neighborhoods at night,
Let loose upon the Earth till it be light."
~ Nicholas Gordon

"The Headless Horseman Rides Again" ~ 16" x 20" Watercolor

This image was just accepted into my iStock portfolio.

It's available for download here.

Experts say that everyone needs to have a little fun in their life, 

because without it, we become dull, boring and depressed. 

"People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing."

~ Dale Carnegie

"Where there is no imagination there is no horror."

~ Arthur Conan Doyle, Sr.

"Hold on, man. We don't go anywhere with

"scary," "spooky," "haunted," or "frightful" in the title."

~  From Scooby-Doo

Have a Fun Friday and a Great Weekend!

Eat, Drink and be Scary,

☻

Ah, Ha! Checks with Sunflowers on Them . . .

Although, I've had over 3,200 of my images downloaded from iStockphoto, I know where less than a dozen of them were used. I just came across these cool checks online with my sunflowers printed on them. Are you getting ready to order new ones?

Too bad I just ordered new checks last month!

They are not nearly as pretty as these

and they were much more expensive!

Darn, I would have really liked to have these

as my personal checks.

They also offer matching check book covers

and mailing labels.

I even think paying bills with these sunny flowers would make me smile!

You can order your very own sunflower checks here.

My original sunflower painting that these were taken from.

Yahoo, my parents are visiting us from Florida this week!
I will be very busy doing art projects with my mom
and going on day trips with mom, dad and sister, Denise.


Have a great week!
♥

My Art Used For Another Book Cover (and Back)

Last March, I was first contacted by Michelle Waggoner, the  production chief / art director for the New Plains Review, a literary journal that that is published twice a year by the Department of English at the University of Central Oklahoma. They used one of my spirit art images for the cover of their Spring '11 Publication.  On Thursday, I heard from Michelle again. She wrote; "I’d like to thank you for contributing such nice artwork to iStock. Also, we’ve used another one of your pieces as the cover art for our latest issue and would like to send you two copies." 

What a wonderful gesture

and a great way to do business.  

When first viewing the online version of the front cover on Thursday, I thought; now why did they use the image that way? Then today, I remembered Michelle saying something about the back cover. I clicked on the book preview and found the back cover.  Zing, some pretty powerful poetry accompanies my little golden hummingbird there! 

Follow this link to see the Fall '11 New Plains Review,

then click on PREVIEW directly under the front cover

 then at top right  -  --  - click through the pages >,  or write in - -  pg. 12  - -
It's a bit of a trek, but if you like inspiring words, it's well worth the journey.


I really miss my hummingbird honeys, 

especially around Christmas.

What a pleasant surprise visit on this cold and dreary wintery day.

More Bald Eagles!

Yesterday was in the 60's here and a good day to get caught up on some outside work. As I was doing the paddocks, I spotted a bald eagle flying overhead. I followed it's flight for a while. It sailed so effortlessly, in and out of the clouds,  always circling my field of vision. I knew it was there to catch my attention, to guide me and offer reassurance that I'm on the right path. Pretty soon the magnificent animal was joined by another. So it happened to me again, just as it had on several other occasions recently. Eagles are rare here, as they are in the other locations where I have seen their glistening heads and identifiable tails gliding through my skies this fall.

Original Eagle Watercolors 8" x 10"
$95. ea. double matted w/ backing
Email me for selection at:
sandy@sandysandy.com

"The eagle symbolizes the warrior being well prepared to seize and make excellent use of opportunity. They represent a connection to the Great Spirit and in many ancient cultures have been personifications of visionary strength and messengers of divine power. Their aerial displays are dramatic and awe inspiring. These birds can soar higher than any other living creature and with binocular vision can observe life in its entirety. Hawks, falcons and eagles often show up when it is time to connect to creativity, spirituality and tune into your life's calling. It symbolizes dramatic new occurrences. When hawk or eagle chooses to guide you, it may become a life long mentor, often appearing to you when a divine spark is most needed to inspire your courage, stamina and creative fire."

~ Excerpt from my Animal Spirits book.

Here is a shot I took of one of two I saw up in Lancaster County, PA last month.


I probably won't be posting again this week because I am getting ready for my client appreciation Open Studio Party and Art Show! 

Out with the fall and in with The Holidays!! YAY!!! I'll be posting more snowman paintings soon. Check out all my snowmen available for download through iStock here!

And let me be one of the very first to Wish You A Happy Holiday Season!

The Symbolism of Trees II

"The tree is more than first a seed, then a stem, then a living trunk, and then dead timber. 

The tree is a slow, enduring force straining to win the sky."  ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The fall always has a way of getting me really looking at trees. As they put on their autumn show, (or not), their individual characteristics become so much more evident. I went back to The Symbolism of Trees and followed this link to the tree test.  Mine has changed significantly from the first time I took it.

"The oaks and the pines, and their brethren of the wood, have seen so many suns rise and set, so many seasons come and go, and so many generations pass into silence, that we may well wonder what "the story of the trees" would be to us if they had tongues to tell it, or we ears fine enough to understand."  ~ Author Unknown

Check out  The Unfading Tree by Big Green Oak if you are into this kind of thing. It was fun. What kind of tree, or trees are you? 

This iStock image has really changed and "grown" as I have become more comfortable with the Wacom Tablet. Now, I actually ENJOY using it. I remember in the beginning, I was tearing my hair out. As usual, I'm glad I stuck it out.  Many thanks to my good friend and mentor, Nanolou for always cheering me on.

"The greatest oak was once a little nut who held its ground."  ~Author Unknown

Red Neck Fly Spray For Horses

The summer is over.

But the flies and mosquitos are still going strong.

My friend from the mid-West gave me this recipe for homemade horse spray.

She said it came from Tennessee and is known as "Red- Neck Fly Spray".

It's simple to make, inexpensive and IT WORKS!!

I made up a batch and it seems to work as well or better than many of the others

I currently have in my arsenal. And believe me people, living out here in bug country, 

I've got quite a collection.  I think we have pretty much tried them all

from the cheapest to the most expensive brands.

Here's the recipe. I mixed it up in a 1/2 gallon milk jug,

gave it a good shake and then poured it into my sprayers.

If you want to make a gallon at a time, 

just increase the ingredients to 1 cup instead of 1/2.

RED NECK FLY SPRAY

1/2 cup PineSol

1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 cup Rubbing Alcohol

Fill the jug with water ands shake each time before use.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BTW, these new photos of my babies are now available for licensing.

See my iStock portfolio here.

Cover Art For The New Plains Review

A couple of copies of  the Spring '11, "New Plains Review" arrived in my mailbox today. The New Plains Review is a literary journal published each semester by the English Department of The University of Central Oklahoma. My artwork was chosen and downloaded through iStock for the current issue. I am truly honored to have my Spirit Art represent this prestigious collection of poems and short stories. Many many thanks to the New Plains Review Staff for contacting me, sending copies and a hand written thank-you note, giving me credit and allowing me to submit a profile photo and biography. With over two years as a stock contributor and more than 1,200 image downloads, this is only the second stock client who has contacted me and provided me with an in-use sample. Because it is so rare, it really means a lot to me. See here how the image was used. Although there is some color difference in my snap shot here, the colors and quality of the image came through perfectly on the cover. The original watercolor of "Woman With Hawk Spirit" is available for sale. Contact me for more information.