I’ve modified the color for the line drawing of last week’s prompt, “Idle.”

I’m happy that it only took me a couple of days! With my schedule, I need to modify, to enjoy the worthwhile things in life!

Please let me know which you like better, the line drawing (posted below this post) or mixed media color (this post)!

Happy Week!

My daughter looked at what I did for this week’s prompt and gave me that teenager’s rolling of eyes and said, “Hollow tree, I mean Mom, really!”

Good thing, I’m not hanging onto her every word!

Being creatively blocked right now, has left me wanting only to work with little or no color, back down to the basics. So now, I’m concentrating on simplicity.

I work at a place with over (150) variety of trees and when I have a chance to notice, I notice the beauty in the hollow of the trees. I see all the beauty of the lines and curvature, but it is in the hollowness that tells the depth of a tree’s life. It is what makes you come closer to examine it, to ask the how and the why of it. Hollowness in and of itself tells a story. We just have to be willing to listen.

Be still, quiet and breathe deeply and fill your hollow space with peace and serenity. Peace to you all.

When I think of the word “drift” I automatically think of walking aimlessly, trying to find a place to call home. I guess that’s what a “drifter” is. But it’s not a word I hear often, but when I do, it has a sinister connotation to it.

But, I choose not to claim the word drifter as negative, in my romantic mind, a drifter is someone destine to walk finding solace in the walk and having no place that calls them home. Home is where they are at the time they are drifting through.

Let your feet, heart and mind drift, it’s call peace.

Subtraction is an odd word to illustrate, especially while living in a culture where “more” is considered better and I see daily how that’s  taken over the top! Maybe taking away is an answer, not a punishment.

My thoughts on Illustration Friday’s word, “subtract” led me to the image of a Geisha, where I subtracted the background, to make you more conscious of the individual. The simplicity of beauty is evident, but a paradox, in the way I’m using it, since Geishas, wear many  added layers of clothing.

So in this image, you can think about the addition of many garments or the subtraction of environment. There’s a lot to ponder in a paradox…or not!

Whether you subtract from life or add to life, it is the living that must be done.   Happy Week…Peace.

I cannot wait for Spring, because Winter does not always bring pleasant thoughts!

This was originally going to be a drawing of a Mama Polar Bear and her Baby Cub, just a little animal instinct, and lo and behold, I fell asleep with the local news on after watching a nature documentary so…

(figure study for Bear Series (there will be no guns in the series!)

I awakened, with a question, so if you leave comments, I will read them to listen for some answers.  Here goes…

Human instinct is supposedly more colorful in its width and depth than any other being. Many humans are taught to believe that this instinct is a combination of curiosity, the need to interact, analysis, our insistence on freedom, creativity, interest, synthesis, innovation and sexual curiosity.   This is what makes us seemingly more intelligent.

Humans have also been taught that animal instinct is only limited to self preservation, movement, interaction and procreation.

With all of these amazing gifts, human are endowed with …would someone, please tell me why…there is the urge among humans to prey upon trusting, smaller, vulnerable, passive,  unsuspecting, innocent, beautiful, fortunate, unfortunate, four-legged, two-legged, furry, bald, fascinating, boring, sweet, physically challenged, hearing-impaired, old, young, blind, healthy, ugly, peaceful, happy, unhappy, cherished, loved, unloved……?

Peaceful dreams!

This week for Illustration Friday, I did not have time to come up with a new illustration, so I had to borrow an image I’ve already created. What can I say? Life is hectic!

There are so many ways that people are similar, but unfortunately we have created a history of focusing on negative differences. Maybe…hopefully, in the USA, we are now focusing on the similarities and celebrating all our differences.

Oh I am so wishing for this New Year in the United States of America!   Peace.

When my family and I visited Albuquerque, Sante Fe & Taos, it was an incredible trip!

Out of all the beautiful people, places and things I saw, painted, sketched, and photographed, it was the vacant or abandoned things that stand out in my mind.

During our various outings on the road during this trip, I saw this vacant log cabin in the middle of the desert. My family was appalled that I wanted to stop, get out of the car and go inside of it!

After reassuring them “that crazy Mommy” would be very careful and only wanted to see the outside up close and take a few photos. My “craziness”….uh…curiosity got the best of me and I had to go inside.

It was a beautiful vacant room. Beautiful, intricate patterns and textures, the house itself was a one room house with windows and no door, as if beckoning all on that road to stop by, come in and “look” at the stillness and vacancy.

That place, that cabin, that vacant room stays in my mind inventing its own stories of why, how and who as with all vacant places, people and things.

Vacancy has business in humanity…fill the space…the thing and the people…Peace to you all.

There is nothing like natural “sugary” and nature does it best! I love papaya, mangos, melons, kiwi, oranges and the sweet smell of flowers. There are some flowers that smell so sweet, it’s makes you think of sugar!

There is nothing like biting into a ripe piece of fruit and the “sugary” juice runs down your face and you try to catch it with your hands, to no avail! Now that’s a “sugary” life.

I am now on the hunt for a sweet juicy mango…hmmm…

This week, let’s try to enjoy the natural “sugary” taste of nature’s best offerings and that includes the sweet kisses of those you love, too! Peace!

A couple of things ran through my mind when I saw this week’s prompt, “Clique“.

The first thing was the handouts I used to get in 1st grade, with the title, “Which Doesn’t Belong?”
It was always so obvious back then!

The second thing I thought about was high school and all the different “cliques” that alienated all of us from each other; because of some lame excuse that no one remembers after they left of high school or if you did remember, it’s not important any longer!

But, finally, for inspiration, I decided to go with the old nest in my backyard and improvise. “Cliques” abound, even in nature…so with that I’ll let the image speak for itself. From experience, I’ve always been the blue egg! What about you?

We all belong to the human “clique”, everything else are in the details. Vive la difference! Celebrate yourself…go ahead…you deserve it! Peace.

As soon as I read the prompt for the week, I burst into laughter! This is such a common word in my household. My daughter (Kayla) and I both have very big hair.

When she was little (of course, she’s grown now, she’s 13!) I use to tell Kayla that her hair was “poofy’ because the fairies adored her so much they would tap their magic wand, and “poof” their love made her hair jump for joy!

Even now on extremely humid days, her hair just poofs; and she looks like a sun flower. Kayla and her girlfriends have coined the phrase “poof hair“.

She begged me not to draw her poofy hair and put it on the Internet, but of course, I ignored her, but I did do a younger version of her (she was 4 in this pose), and her poof hair. This is after bath time one morning when the fairies had “poofed” her during the night!

Introducing: “POOF hair”, one of the greatest loves of my life!

Here’s to finding those moments in the past, that just breaks you out in laughter and smiles.
Happy weekend from “Poof” Head Indigene!