This weekend went by like a blur. Friday night I was invited by Beth (the woman I take care of pictured above) to the Community Connections art opening at the Cultural Center in Yarmouth. (C.C's is the day habilitation center for the mentally challenged, where I used to work.) I saw a few old friends and looked at their beautiful artwork, so it was a nice evening.

Saturday I went to the Home Show in Barnstable (I won tickets from the local radio station!) It's always nice to see some flowers in the dull of winter- and yes, it's still winter here it seems.  Then Sunday there was a brunch/silent auction at the Cape Cod Art Association. Not as big a turn out as I would have thought. They did it a little different this year so maybe next year they'll go back to the original format.

Anyway, it was a fun weekend.



Glowing Angel

Find this angel painting at: http://stores.ebay.com/Cape-Cod-Artist I'm reading the sequel to "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne, it's called: "The Power ".
It's so good and I highly recommend it to everyone. She really stresses the importance of love as an actual power to create. Without it, you cannot create the life you want.

So here's my Twitter-found quote of the day:

"Without exception, every person who has a great life used love to achieve it" #RhondaByrne #

I go on Twitter to find my inspiration of the day. It's more than just people talking about what they did 5 minutes ago. I follow all these people who just tweet inspirational quotes from other people. They're great to read!

What do Donkeys do when we aren't looking?

The other day the girls and I took a drive down to Bray Farm in Dennis. It's a little farm located right by the marsh, with a few animals like goats, chickens and these things (?). It is also open to the public. While we stopped to look at the "Woolly Mammoths" (sorry, I have no idea what these guys are called..) we saw the funniest, most joyful sight! Way in the back you might be able to make out 2 donkeys. (click on the photo to enlarge it).

These two donkeys were gleefully running around, chasing after each other, and playing like little children! I have never seen such a thing in my life. I've always thought of donkeys as being frumpy like Eee-Or from Winney the Pooh. But these guys were having such fun- playing and jumping all over each other like puppies! Just watching them made me happy.

There's just something about sunlight streaming through the trees...I guess, to me, it feels like the heavens are shining down on the Earth. Of course, I always try to get inside these beams of light so that it's shining down on me!

These two paintings are tiny ACEO's(2.5"x3.5") and are on Ebay right now: http://stores.ebay.com/Cape-Cod-Artist

Since I was having such fun painting them, I decided to do a larger version (below) which is on a 9"x12" canvas panel (and can be found on Ebay right now too).

Ok, I uploaded a photo of me by accident and now I can't seem to get rid of it. Oh well. I'll just leave it then!

Uh Oh, I think I'm getting spring fever! It was about 56 degrees out today. I should have been inside working, but I wasn't. After I went to a seminar this morning, I blew it all off for a walk on the beach in the beautiful sunshine.
I hope this weather reached your part of the world too- wherever that may be, and that you got to soak up a little warmth too. Now tonight, look up in the sky and you'll see an almost full moon. I know, because I saw it rising as I was leaving the beach and I snapped this photo at a nearby pond. (yes, you can see the moon up top if you squint, or click on the photo to enlarge it).

Time Change

http://stores.ebay.com/Cape-Cod-Artist
Now that the days are longer I can go for a walk after dinner instead of rushing to cram it in earlier. Oh did I mention that I am walking again? Yes, it's been above 40 degrees lately, so I thought it was time to get out in the fresh (and chilly) air. Ahhh it's wonderful. I even saw crocuses blooming! I think it's finally almost spring here on the Cape. http://stores.ebay.com/Cape-Cod-Artist

While Brielle was home on spring break last week, she mentioned that she might like to move to NC in a couple of years when she's out of school, and I'm thinking that it sounds like a good idea for me too. We were looking at houses down around Wilmington and they are about half the price of houses here! It sure would be nice to own my own house. Then I could paint murals on the walls, make a garden, and do all the stuff I'd like to do but can't since I rent.
I also know that it was 70 degrees there the other day when it was about 40 here. Hmmmm Why am I still here? I actually lived in NC for 2 years a long time ago and I loved it there. I think the only thing that keeps me here is family. If only we could get them ALL to move down south!

Sending all my prayers across the Earth to Japan and all those in need.

I have a couple of really nice and exciting things to share today.

A few weeks ago, I sent one of my "Healing Angel" paintings to one of my favorite Blog Talk Radio show hosts. I was going to send her one at some point- just as a thank you for her great show, but then when I heard her mother died I felt compelled to do it immediately! I carefully went through all my angels and picked out the one I was most drawn to, then sent it off. Well, I just got a letter from her saying that she appreciated the angel so much, and there were some interesting synchronisities. First of all, her parents ran a bed and breakfast called the "Two Angels Inn"(!) It was there, that her mom was in her element and "actually glowed" because she loved it so much. Secondly the color on the painting was her mom's favorite color blue. She even called it "Holly Blue" after herself. So when my Blog Talk Radio host opened the envelope and saw the angel, she knew that it was her mom (working through me) saying "Hi," and "all is well" from the other side.

How cool is that!!!!

And.........Here's part of an email I received today:

"....PS> I’ve purchased from you before and was just love the Angels. I sent one to a friend who had Stage 4 cancer. Shortly afterward she was told that the cancer was gone. Coincidence??"

All I can say is.....awesome.

Twilight Marsh Painting 8x10

8"x10" http://stores.ebay.com/Cape-Cod-Artist
Twilight on the marsh. Such a peaceful time of day. The air is still, the sky is tinted with purple and the clouds are lit from below with a warm peachy glow. The birds are singing their last song of the day then it's off to a safe place in the tangles of bittersweet vines for the night. The energy on the earth shifts from high gear into low, and you can just feel the calm fall over the world like a warm cozy blanket.
Breath in....breath out.

9"x12" Sailboat 'n Sparkles

http://stores.ebay.com/Cape-Cod-Artist
Here's another new (larger) painting that I just finished. It glows a bit more in person. The camera just cannot catch the subtle nuances of color infused in the regular colors and it's so disappointing because that's what makes the painting special. :(
Oh well. What can ya do?

It's a rainy, but mild day here on the Cape- 52 degrees so far and it's only 7:20am. (Nice!) Yesterday Brielle helped me rake leaves (!) because it was warm like this too. We managed to free my flower bed so the crocuses and daffodils could come up. I saw one or two peaking a tiny green leaf out of the cold winter's dirt, so it was well worth all that raking.
Today is Tai Chi and Zumba, so I don't know if I'll physically be able to add a walk to that, but it sure would be nice!
Have a great day!

Marconi Station in Welfleet

About a week ago I went down to the Marconi Site in Welfleet to see the newly unearthed remains of two of the towers. If you don't know anything about Marconi: on January 18, 1903, Guglielmo Marconi staged a world's first by successfully transmitting wireless messages between the president of the United States and the king of England in a language of dots and dashes -kind of like the Morse code. So he was basically the father of wireless telegraphy and the radio.

So just a few weeks ago a storm hit the Cape and unearthed the remains of 2 of the 4 towers used in Marconi's operation. This is a shot looking North from Marconi site and the two towers are down below me as I snapped off this photo. As you can see, the earth is moving and shifting rapidly around here. That sign does say "Danger, Sliding Cliffs, Keep Back". It's just all sand- no rock or anything solid.

So here they are...The one on the right is nearly in tact! I'm not sure how it stayed so in tact when it basically slid off the cliff. (I'm assuming anyway) It was up where I am standing (about 40 feet above the water) when it was in operation.
Anyway, it was something that had to be seen because the next storm may just cover them back up!

On another note: I just wanted to show you some cupcakes that Brielle made yesterday, that look like little pies. She has been having such fun cooking! Well, baking anyway. She loves making the cute cupcakes.

Sheep in the Sunshine Painting

I just finished this painting. It's 9"x12" on canvas panel. I'm very pleased with how it came out. I think what I like the most about it is the feeling of contentment it portrays.
The mumma sheep is happy to be in the warm sunshine on a spring day with her babies close by, and the babies are safe, loved, and protected- as if there wasn't a care in the world.

I guess in a way I feel like that mumma sheep, so happy and content when her babies are close by. Speaking of which, Brielle is home for spring break!

It felt good to be laying in bed late last night hearing Brielle and Sienna talking quietly to each other in the next room. Once they move out for good, I may never hear that sweet sound again. I'm savoring every moment.

Hmmm What can I paint next? Well first, I need to clean off my desk! What a mess. I'll paint like a maniac for several days then it's almost like I have to stop and catch my breath. During that time, I clean- ok, just my desk- not usually the rest of the house. When my desk is clear, my water is clean and my paints are fresh it's time to start on something new. As long as I don't wait for too long the creativity will keep flowing, but if I wait....and clean the house or do something stupid like that (!), I may lose the flow then I find it hard to get started again. See? There IS a good reason why I shouldn't clean! lol

"Outermost House" Map

The map that I made for the Henry Beston Society is all finished. It shows the location of Henry Beston's "Outermost House"- where it was then, and where it would be now. In actuality it got washed away in the big storm of '78- it floated almost across the marsh I guess. The pounding surf and strong current ripped a new 'hole' in the sandy spit of land, dragging along with it the Outermost House.



If you are familiar with the Cape it's pretty interesting to see how the sands have shifted so much. The spit of land coming up from the bottom right in Orleans is Nauset Beach. The 4wd-ers from Eastham now have a bit of a dilema. They have to go all the way around through Orleans to get to the Eastham part of the beach.
This map is now on sale through the Henry Beston Society. For more information go to their web site: http://www.henrybeston.org/