Hummingbirds, Cardinals and Owls, Oh My!

This year's Christmas Tree in my studio has a Bird Theme. I've got more hummingbird ornaments than any other type. What a surprise! Ha, ha! See photos of my favorite hummer ornaments and vote for your favorite on my Squidoo Lens, "Five Steps To Happy Hummers"!

This Testimonial Really Fuels My Fire!

Sometimes people say the nicest things. This note really made my holiday week extra special. Thank you so much Pat!


"I wanted to drop you a note for a special thank you for the great work you did for Stacy!! She was feeling a little apprehensive about turning 40 this year. Creating a special painting for her has been the highlight of the year for both of us. I can't thank you enough for your thoughtfulness and efforts with this one of a kind gift. Your talent is truly wonderful and we are thrilled to have your art work in our home. Thanks again!!" ~ Patrick M. Kennedy ~ 12/22/08

Holiday Tradition, Alive and Well

When all the girls moved out of the Sandy household, it became a yearly tradition to get together at Christmastime and have a holiday cookie party. Each sister and Mom would make a couple of different kinds of cookie dough and we'd all get together and bake them, eat and share them.


That way we all ended up with lots of kinds of great cookies that lasted us well into the winter. Now that the family is spread out all over the East Coast, Denise and I are the one's in this area to carry on the tradition. In Florida, Mom and Gaile still have cookie parties and Ellyn in SC will soon continue it with her daughter, Meadow. What kind of holiday traditions do you keep alive?

Are You A Present Peeker?

Tami Close, aka, The "Fun" Coach, is one of my many new friends on facebook. She's also the head of a group that I belong to called, "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun". Tami's currently taking a poll... peek or no-peek? Did you peek at your presents before Christmas? She adds; "I'll be the first, my name is Tami, and I'm a peeker!"

I responded;" My name is Sandy and I am a reformed peeker! One year as young teens, my sister and I found and carefully unwrapped every present our parents got us that year. My mom knew, but she never let on. It sure was a let down for us on Christmas Day when there wasn't a single surprise under the tree. I learned a big lesson that year. I've been a non-peeker ever since!"

I'd love to know if you guys out there are a peekers or a non-peekers too!

Here today is a scan of a Christmas card I created and sent out in 1978!

Holiday Nostalgia

Nothing brings out the nostalgia in me like the holidays. It's a time when we remember childhood thrills and celebrations with family and friends.


Incidents like mom's "Hallmark Christmas" that went terribly wrong did not seem humorous at the time however. In retrospect, some of our holiday bloopers have turned out to be the most treasured family memories. So when things don't go as planned, stay positive and remember, chances are, someday it'll make for great stories and maybe even holiday nostalgia later on.

"The message of Christmas is that the visible material world is bound to the invisible spiritual world." ~ Author Unknown

"Christmas; that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance; a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved." ~ Augusta E. Rundel

The Optimist’s Creed by C. D. Larson

The Optimist’s Creed, written almost 100 years ago by Christian D. Larson, is still as powerful and relevant today as it was back in 1912 when it was created. I hope you find inspiration and comfort in these thoughts now at Christmastime and throughout the New Year.


Promise Yourself
Also known as The Optimist's Creed

Try reciting these statements with the words, "I promise" before each line.

To be so strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person I meet.
To make all my friends feel that there is something special in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make my optimism come true.
To think only of the best, and expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am about my own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature I meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of myself that I have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear
and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

~ Christian D. Larson

The Secret Life of Snowmen :-)

Yikes, only twelve days 'til Christmas!

A Basket Full Of Fall

I just went through my photos on my digital camera and came across this image that was taken on Sunday. Autumn house decorations out, Winter and Christmas decorations in! This laundry basket helped with the transition. I like these fall colors, textures and composition . Beauty is all around us if we pay attention.

Giving Thanks

Selling most of my work myself, I've been making personalized handmade thank you cards for everyone who purchases an original painting from me for years. The pay off is well worth the effort. I archive each painting with an ID code and a photo which is kept in on file. I use an ink jet print out of the piece and glue it to quality paper and write the title of the piece and a personalized message for each painting purchased. It's also a great way of keeping a record with pictures and addresses of my collectors. My buyers always comment on how much they appreciate the notes and look forward to receiving them in the mail. Often these notes find their way onto people's desks at work or get carried around and shown to friends and family.


Later they end up attached to the back of the piece. I am fortunate that people get excited about my work and it's a way for them to show it off without carrying the actual artwork around. In this day and age, I need all the collectors and help I can get. Thank you cards and personalized attention help to turn my customers into collectors and friends.I am very appreciative of my collectors and live by the saying that the quickest way to stop the flow of abundance is to neglect showing gratitude for that which you have already received.

I often get responses like this one from my web site testimonials page. "I just wanted to let you know that I took the watercolor out of the packaging last night. In short, it is a beautiful piece of work, and I am truly happy with it. I also want to thank you for the nice card that you included with the watercolor - very classy. Thanks again Sandy, and I hope to buy again from you in the near future." ~ Jason C. Nelson, Dallas TX ~ 8/14/03

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." ~ William Arthur Ward

See Robert Genn's opinion on artists writing Thank You Notes and other artist's responses here.

Power Animals

I just joined a group on Facebook called: GRATITUDE For Angels, Guides, Goddesses & Power Animals. On the group home page was a post by Lynn Guy from Australia that really got my attention. Lynn talks about going cross country on a motorcycle and being forewarned of danger by a cloud animal, namely a Thunderbird. That got me frantically searching for this photo I had taken years ago of the same creature.


Animal totems don't necessarily have to be actual living creatures, but can come in many forms to those who are willing to keep an open mind and pay attention. See more about animal totems and my book about the same here.

6 Year Old Guitar Master

Lucciano Pizzichini plays blues, Santana and Rock & Roll. See him here at only six years old! Although he's now playing electric and singing, his acoustic guitar playing (with no singing) is my favorite. His ability, rhythum and style far exceed that of any person I've ever seen of his age. Makes me want to pick up my old forgotten guitar again.


You know, I think it is a true trait of a master when they make you feel such a strong connection to what they do. I'm not implying that I'm a master, but one of the nicest compliments I get as an artist is when someone likes my work so much that they want to own it. I remember, years ago as a rider it was when someone would say; "You make me want to ride that horse." Well, Lucciano Pizzichini definitely makes me want to connect to that universal language of music and feel what he's feeling, even if it is just a little bit. Too bad I don't speak Spanish. See more of my Lucciano Pizzichini favorites on my YouTube channel.

smARTist Telesummit 2009

Artists — Get Recognized, Exhibited, and PAID what you deserve!
Check out the smARTist Telesummit — The best art career conference online or off!

I participated in the smARTist Telesummit last year and learned so much from Ariane Goodwin's great line up of art and marketing experts! My personal growth has been incredible as a result of this amazing event. Truly a bargain, it equipped me with the tools and confidence I needed to build a better online presence. The very best group of tele-seminars I have ever taken, these engaged my creative spirit and energized my career. I'm so excited about the upcoming lineup of speakers and have already signed on for 2009! I highly recommend it to creative people and artists at all levels. ~ Sandy

"When you put your work in the world, shining, we all have another chance to see the deeper truth about who we are, and our collective, creative spirit." ~ Ariane Goodwin

Does Thanksgiving Dinner Make You Sleepy?

Is it the Tryptophan in the turkey that makes you tired?
This question came up at our Thanksgiving Dinner table yesterday and maybe it did at yours too.


According to this online article By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D., Tryptophan & Carbohydrate Chemistry, it's not necessarily the tryptophan in the turkey that makes you sleepy after the Thanksgiving feast. Other factors such as over eating, alcohol intake and a high ratio of fats and carbohydrates are probably the major contributors. This overload requires the digestive system to work harder which increases the blood flow to to stomach, thus decreasing flow to the brain. Turkey actually contains only a small amount more of the chemical Tryptophan, than a lot of other foods. For example, Dr. Helmenstine states that turkey contains 0.333 g of tryptophan per 100 grams of edible portion, while chicken contains 0.292 g of tryptophan per 100 grams of edible portion. So, I guess that answers your question, Chuck!


Many Thanks to Sally and Chuck for a wonderful day yesterday at the New Jersey shore!

Easy To Make Turkey

This is a photo of a little turkey decoration made by my now 16 year old Nephew, Cody Yates, when he was about six. I always make it a point to show it to him when he visits. It sure has held up well, considering it has been on display in my kitchen for all these years. Makes you wonder what they put in them things! Anyway, you may want to save some corn next Halloween and try it with your kids!

Finally...A Puppy!

My dad sent me this picture of Lynus right after we brought him home from the breeder. I was having a 9th birthday party, but I could have cared less. My life-long dream had come true! A PUPPY AT LAST! Can't you tell I'm all a-glow with that new motherhood look?!

Feed The Birds

Winter has come to the North East. It's a blustery 28 degrees outside. We had to hook up the horses' water trough heater this morning and give the birds fresh water because the birdbath was frozen solid. I' just finished another snowperson this morning while listening to my holiday tunes. I call this one "Feed the Birds". It's a whimsical painting with an important message! Please don't forget about our wild friends now that the weather's turned colder. They need us now more than ever.

Football Fun

We had snow flurries this morning. It didn't stick, but it was pretty while it lasted. I counted ten turkeys outside my studio window in the yard. The snow seems to bring them around. I put on Christmas CDs and really had fun painting my holiday feel-good art. Here's one of the ones I finished today. Yeah, go team!

Snowboarding Snowman

I decided it was time to paint something whimsical today. Happy paintings really do lift my spirits! So with snow flakes floating in the air, I started a new series of snowmen to keep me entertained. I've got some new and exciting sports related themes a cookin'!


This original watercolor "On The Slopes" was done earlier in the year and is available along with others from my snowman series, from the Rijks Gallery in Crested Butte, Colorado.

Quotations On Snowboarding by Dave Barry:

"Skiers view snowboarders as a menace; snowboarders view skiers as Elmer Fudd."

"I now realize that the small hills you see on ski slopes are formed around the bodies of forty-seven-year-olds who tried to learn snowboarding."

"Snowboarding is an activity that is very popular with people who do not feel that regular skiing is lethal enough."

The Obama Family's First Dog

The promise of a new puppy can be all consuming for kids and families. I know, as a child I begged my parents for years to get a dog. Walking neighbors' dogs every chance I got, with the help of my two sisters, we finally wore them down. We got our first dog, a dachshund that we named Lynus, on my 9th birthday. His registered name was Fritz's Revenge, after the Red Barron. Snoopy was very popular at the time and we had wanted a beagle, but there were no puppies to be had in the newspaper the weekend we took the plunge. Finally, the day had come and there was no stopping us! We got a puppy from the first and only breeder we visited. Here's a picture I took of my sisters, Denise and Gaile with Lynus. I've got my dad looking for a picture of me holding him as a tiny puppy which I'll post here when I get it.


The soon to be First Family seems to be going about this in a more methodical, less haphazard fashion. Barrack Obama said they have two criteria to address. One is that Malia is allergic, so the new pet has to be hypoallergenic. The other is that the family prefers adopting from a rescue shelter rather than a breeder. As an animal lover and organization supporter, I think this is so nice because it raises public awareness and will set a good example for others.



My sister, Denise also has major animal allergies and has found allergy relief with a hypoallergenic breed. Pictured here are photos she took of her young Welsh Terrier, Augie.

See Denise's photography here.

See a list of hypoallergenic pooches here. "Daddy gets the Oval Office and Malia and Sasha get a puppy"

I Just Joined Facebook

I just joined Facebook about a week ago and connected with an old Moore College of Art classmate, Nancy Louie. She came to my house on Saturday and we reunited over lunch. We haven't seen each other in 30 years. Some things never change and some things DO GET BETTER with age! We really had a blast and plan on staying in touch, possibly even doing a collaborative art project in the near future!