Another digidoodle that turned out to be a pretty nice picture, I think.

Several months ago, I discovered the joy of pipecleaner doodling...or "PipeDoodles" as I call them. I have some pretty elaborate and wierd things I've created, including a red Volkswagen Beetle, an aquarium scene, and many strange characters. I find a lot of the smaller ones scattered about the house as they make great kitty toys. Some are made entirely out of pipecleaners while others include beads, buttons and other stuff I find under the bed and between couch cushions. I took my collection to work one day and basked in all the oohs and ahhhs, and you're wierds, which in retrospect, was probably not a great idea since I am currently unemployed.

More digital illustrations for air freshener and soap.

I struggled in ballet class for many years with an inflexible body, which I am paying for now. I have pursued my ballet career as a principle dancer in dreams, and as a painter awake (doesn't require so much flexibility). Ballet classes have given me a great feel for human anatomy, musculature and movement; and the attitude of grace.

These are some practice drawings done about a year ago.

A few examples of digital illustrations I did for body wash fragrances...

Pencil practice. The girl in the chair is my youngest daughter. It was 4am, and I guess neither one of us could sleep. Come to think of it, maybe she was sleeping. For that matter...maybe I was too.
The odd thing about this sketch is, it looks as though I was looking down on her when I was on the couch around the corner, at the same level she was.

The flower sketch is made up. I wasn't looking at anything...but I have done so many flower illustrations for soap, body wash fragrances and air fresheners when I worked as a package designer, all the reference images are in my head.

Another pastel painting done from a photo I took of our three daughters at Virginia Beach. The photo is from the mid 90’s. I did the painting just a couple of months ago (therapy for a job loss after eight years). I was slightly obsessed with capturing the translucence and movement of the surf, and the brilliance and warmth of sunshine on our three bathing beauties. This particular work has been tweaked numerous times, and may never be completed to my satisfaction. I keep fussing with the front facing figure (my second born daughter), which I suppose is appropriate since she has the (most) fluctuant personality of all three.

Pastel sketches done from the balcony of our room at a Virginia Beach hotel this past April. As the weather and ocean became more expressive, so did I. There are many white caps and treacherous rip currents in mid-life that fuel the creative spirit.

bloggist in training...I did this pastel picture of a very special kitty named "Bubby", found in the middle of the road in the middle of the night in the middle of a piddle of moonlight, by my daughter. Bubby was the lone survivor among 3 siblings who were lying nearby. My daughter stopped and got out of her car; and tiny Bubby, her face covered with fleas, came running up to her pleading with a scratchy kitten-voice weakened by exposure. As my daughter cuddled up her miraculous midnight rescue, she reported seeing a shooting star, and without pause, tucked Bubby into her heart for the ride home. Secretly, overnight, my daughter and my beloved sister-in-law who was staying with us at the time, carefully combed every single flea from her delicate kittenfur calicoat, and gently removed the dirt and fear from this precious living soul. Because Bubby was such an affectionately sweet kitten, and is such a lovingly loyal and beautiful cat now, one must surmise that she had been socialized by a loving human, before being abandoned by another unloving one. This picture is a tribute to Erika and Mary Lou, and what really matters in this crazy life.