Are You The Black Sheep Of The Family? ~ #9 of 30

"I enjoy being the Black Sheep of the family.

Black Sheep are the prettiest and don't show

as much dirt as the white ones."

Baa Baa Black Sheep

Baa, baa, black sheep Have you any wool?

Yes sir, yes sir, Three bags full;

One for the master, Two for the dame,

And none for the poor boy

Who cries down the lane.

Legend has it that Baa Baa Black Sheep was originally written in the Middle Ages as a protest against unjust taxation on wool. As seen in the original version of the poem, one third of the profit went to the king (the master), two thirds went to the church (the dame) and nothing went to the poor boy (the poor shepherd) who cries down the lane. The black sheep's wool was less valuable as it was almost impossible to dye, thus giving meaning to the phrase, "the black sheep of the family".

Baa Baa Black Sheep

~~~~~~Signed and certified by the artist

See purchase information here.
#9 of 30 -

Myths, Fables, Folk Tales and Legends

As always, thanks for your friendship,

emails and comments!

X ♥  O

Why Are Flamingos Pink? ~ # 8 of 30

Flamingos are pink because they eat shrimp! Yes, it's another true Urban Legend.  The flocks that eat brine shrimp from salty lakes in both the world's hemispheres get their coloring from the beta carotene which the shrimp contain. Without this food source, they loose their pink, so zoo keepers supplement their diets with the chemical.

Pretty in Pink Flamingos

7.5" x 5.5" original hand painted watercolor on Yupo paper

Acid-free Mat w/ Backing in sleeve - 8" x 10"

Signed and certified by the artist.
Purchase painting here.

#8 of 30 -

Myths, Fables, Folk Tales and Legends

X ♥  O

A Beloved Local Legend ~ #7 of 30 ~ SOLD

“Does progress mean that we

dissolve our ancient myths?

If we forget our legends, 

I fear that we shall close

an important door

to the imagination.” 

~ James Christensen

Jersey Devil ~ Beloved Local Dragon

7.5" x 5.5" original hand painted watercolor on Yupo paper

Acid-free Mat w/ Backing in sleeve - 8" x 10"

Signed and certified by the artist.

• SOLD

#7 of 30 -

Myths, Fables, Folk Tales and Legends

Thanks for stopping by and have a starry starry night!

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

Jersey Devil Flying on a Starry Night - #4 of 30 ~ SOLD

"When legends die,

there are no more dreams.

When there are no more dreams,

there is no greatness." 

Is the Jersey Devil real? Is it an alien, a mutation or a figment of the imagination?Without a doubt, the Jersey Devil is the most popular folklore legend in New Jersey. The earliest accounts of the creature go back to stories told by Native Americans prior to the White man's settlement here. The Lenape Indians called the Pine Barrens "Popuessing", meaning "place of the dragon".

Jersey Devil on a Starry Starry Night

7.5" x 5.5" original hand painted watercolor on Yupo paper

Acid-free Mat w/ Backing in sleeve - 8" x 10"

Signed and certified by the artist.

• SOLD

#4 of 30 -

Myths, Fables, Folk Tales and Legends

Thanks for stopping by and have a starry starry night!

Magical Unicorn - #3 of 30 ~SOLD

"The Unicorn is a
 beautiful white horse,

with a magical horn that heals."

The unicorn is a legendary animal that has been described since antiquity as a wild, woodland, horselike animal with a long horn and cloven hooves. It is a symbol of purity and grace and could only be captured by a virgin. Its horn was said to have the power to render poisoned water potable and to heal sickness.

Magical Unicorn

7.5" x 5.5" original hand painted watercolor on Yupo paper

Acid-free Mat w/ Backing in sleeve - 8" x 10"

Signed and certified by the artist.

• SOLD

#3 of 30 -

Myths, Fables, Folk Tales and Legends

Thanks for stopping by!

Sing A Song of Sixpence - A True 1700's Coded Pirate Message - #2 of 30

Sing a song of sixpence

A pocket full of rye.

Four and twenty blackbirds

Baked in a pie.

This is a "True Lost Legend", according to Snopes.com. The nursery rhyme, Sing a Song of Sixpence, actually originated in the 1700's as a coded message. It was used by the infamous privateer turned pirate, Blackbeard, and his confederates to recruit crew members for his marauding sailing vessels. Blackbeard's "blackbirds" were offered a day's wage of sixpence and a pocket (about a liter) of rye whiskey in addition to a share of the spoils. It was a good deal since most pirate vessels did not pay a salary and only offered a share of the swag, if and when they were successful. 

Sing a Song of Sixpence • 12 x 16" Watercolor of Yupo - Available

Sing a Song of Sixpence • 12 x 16" Watercolor of Yupo - Available

#2 of 30 -

Myths, Fables, Folk Tales and Legends

Thanks for your friendship!

ARRR!

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