Monday, December 31, 2012

New Years Eve - Almost 2013

Now is the accepted time to
make your regular annual
good resolutions.
Next week you can begin
paving hell
with them as usual. 
~Mark Twain

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Cheers to a New Year



Be always at war with you vices,
at peace with your neighbors,
and let each
NEW YEAR
find you a better man. 
~Benjamin Franklin

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Cheers to a New Year


Cheers to a New Year
and another chance
for us to get it right.
~ Oprah Winfrey 

Friday, December 28, 2012

Almost 2013


An Optimist stays up until midnight
to see the New Year in. 
A Pessimist stays up to make sure
the old year leaves. 
~ Bill Vaughan

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Xmas for your pets

In a recent study of
American pet owners,
7 out of 10
buy their animals
Christmas Gifts.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Glory to God in highest heaven, Who unto man His Son hath given; While angels sing with tender mirth, A glad new year to all the earth.

~Martin Luther

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas

"One of the most glorious messes in
the world is
the mess created in the
Living Room on
Christmas Day.
Don't clean it up too quickly." Andy Rooney


 

Monday, December 24, 2012



 

A SOLDIER'S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,

HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.
I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.


I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.


NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.


FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.


THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.


THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.


WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED! UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?


I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.


SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.


THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.


I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.


THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.


THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;


I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."


THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.


I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
! SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.


I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.


THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."


ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Grown-Up Xmas List


No more lives torn apart,
That wars will never start,
And time will heal our hearts,
Every man will have a friend,
That right will always win,
And love will never end.
This is my GROWN-UP
Christmas List.

Saturday, December 22, 2012


You will get a sentimental

Feeling when you hear

Voices singing let's be jolly,

Deck the halls with boughs of holly


Rocking around the Christmas tree,


Have a happy holiday

Everyone dancing merrily

In the new old-fashioned way.

"Rocking Around the Christmas Tree"
Johnny Marks
1958

Friday, December 21, 2012

Rocking Around The Xmas tree

Johnny Marks ~ 1958

Rockin around the Christmas tree
At the Christmas party hop
Mistletoe hung where you can see
Every couple tries to stop
Rocking around the Christmas tree,
Let the Christmas spirit ring
Later we'll have some pumpkin pie
And we'll do some caroling

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Christmas Star

A diamond shines no brighter
than that lovely Christmas star.
It shines in all its brilliance;
it's seen from near or far.
A symbol of the Christ child
as He lay upon the hay,
It tells to all the waiting world
a King was born that day.
O Bethlehem Star keep shining -
give us faith and hope and love.
Keep our thoughts forever turning
to the Savior up above.
Give us strength and hope and courage
to do our best by far
And never falter in our faith
as we watch that Christmas star.

Author Unknown

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

the best xmas gift


The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Here We Come A-Caroling

 
Here We Come A-Caroling
Here we come a-caroling
Among the leaves so green,
Here we come a wand'ring,
So fair to be seen.
Love and joy
come to you,
And to your wassail too And
God bless you
and send you a
Happy New Year,
And God send you a Happy New Year.

Monday, December 17, 2012

We Wish You A Merry Xmas


"What if Christmas," he thought,
"doesn't come from a store.
What if CHRISTMAS 
means a little bit more."
The Grinch

Sunday, December 16, 2012

BELIEVE

 
"Not believe in Santa Claus!
You might as well not believe in fairies."

 
Editor New York Sun 1897

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Friday, December 14, 2012

Christmas Gifts

Christmas Gift Suggestions:
 To Your Enemy, Forgiveness.
To an Opponent, tolerance.
To your Friend, your heart.
To a Customer, service.
 
To All, charity.
To every Child, a good example.
To Yourself, respect.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

 
Let It Snow
Oh the weather outside is frightful,
 
But the fire is so delightful,
 
And since we've no place to go,
 
Let It Snow!

Let It Snow!
 
Let It Snow!

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

The Christmas Angel

And the angel said unto her,
Fear not,
Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb,
and bring forth a son,
and shalt call his name
JESUS.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Monday, December 10, 2012

Fabric Painting Collage





 These paintings are fabric collages. Glued onto gallery wrapped canvas. I've always wanted to try fabric instead of paper. The upside is - you can find fabric with fabulous textures and colors.If I wanted to pursue this further, I would dye the fabric myself, which is another whole process all together. The downside is fabric must be cut with scissors, not torn like paper. And I do miss the happy accidents I can get when tearing paper. However, fabric does produce strings from its raw edge. These string make very nice texture.

 If I had all the time in the world to paint, I would love to pursue this further. I don't, so I'll just continue to use fabric in my paintings and collages along with paper and paint.

 


But for now, Xmas chores are calling
and Studio work must cease.
Presents to be wrapped.
Cookies to be baked.
Cleaning to be done.
 Iconic movies to be watched.
 And old & new resolutions to ponder.

 Plans for the new year must be made.

 As long as 12/21/2012 lets it happen.





Tuesday, December 4, 2012

12/21/12


I used the this artwork again for a second collage painting.
The color copies are
sized differently
and
arranged differently.
I think I need to go back
in and add paint.
Some shadows and highlights,
who knows where this will go.

Hopefully, 12/21/12 won't put an end to my painting!

Thursday, November 29, 2012

collage paintings

I've created two collage paintings with my
jester & pin wheel
drawings. I'm not in love with the paintings, but the process is interesting
and needs to be explored further.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Just filling my sketchbook . . .

Still drawing,
but I've moved
on to another subject.
Or, rather back to
one of my favorite
subjects -

the Jester.



 



I've decided to
add more of my own drawing to
the collage.

Pin Wheels.


2022

   Merry Christmas