sometimes you just need to scream and shout...

hello people of the world.

A quick little collage this afternoon.

You may see this one again soon.

I'm working on an e-book - a combination

of art and writing

and this piece was done to accompany

something i wrote a few years ago

about a dying friend.

i can't wait to show it to you all.

but for now, just the art.

Sometimes the darker themes

are the most profound, don't you think?

The most honest.

I read this quote years ago

(can't remember who wrote it!)

Bear your sadness with greater trust

than your joy.

If the world was filled with happy people

living in happy places

with happy jobs

surrounded by happy bubbles

and happy birds chirping

and happy rainbows...

i think i'd want to slit my wrists. ;-)

Life isn't always happy,

so art can't always be happy either.

At least not my art.

That's what i love about art.

If you learn to get out of your own way

and give your art the space it needs

to say what it wants to say,

it can be nothing but truth.

So after the collage, I decided to paint

this little sketch i did a while ago.

Not exactly as the sketch,

but close enough...

a few healing colours...

a bit more detail in the face...

cleaner white lines around the hair...

I'm not quite done with it yet,

so i'll post it again when it's done.

Someone sent me this today

and it cracked me up,

so i wanted to share with you.

This was the note attached to the message:

I get this poem every winter & every winter I love re-reading it.

It's a beautiful poem and so well written.

A poem by Abigail Elizabeth McIntyre

SHIT ITS COLD

The End.

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

If you can't smell the roses,

play in the snow -

and if you can't play in the snow

you can always drink wine. ;-)

...giggle. 

shy, mini painting and power. Yes, power.

Scientists have found the gene for shyness.

They would have found it years ago,

but it was hiding behind a couple of other genes.

Jonathan Katz

I'm linking this to Illustration Friday.

Word of the week: shy

Check out some of the other fabulous illustrations there.

So much talent in this big ol' world...

Another mini acrylic painting on paper,

3" x 3"

From SHY to SKY...

(welcome to Sesame Street!) :-)

Wishing you all nothing but blue skies...

Especially those of you in the eastern U.S.

Sending warm thoughts your way

and hoping you're all reconnected

sooner than later.

xox

When all else fails, get yourself a happy file. Boom.

hello friends.

I think i need to clear the air

for fear that i may have misled some of you

into thinking that my life is perfect.

Newsflash: it's not.

I am like most of you,
where i have good days and bad days,
and most of my bad days lately
stem from seeing others suffer (especially my mom...)

I've felt less inspired to create lately,
so naturally, i have less to share on this blog.

I've lacked energy and focus
and yet
i feel like i am exactly where i need to be,
doing exactly what i need to be doing at this time.

Being there for mom.

I'm still trying to make sense of illness and death
I'm a slow learner... ;-)

But I do know this:
that it is a natural process,
and one we too often try to avoid at all costs.

So i look to the stars every now and then
to remind myself that i don't know everything,
that i don't need to know all the answers,
and the twinkling skies always bring me solace.

So tonight, to lighten the mood,
i dug up my happy file.



I'm not the only person that has a happy file, am I? 

Old photographs from a dear friend

who was a fabulous photographer... (yes, she took these)

Sadly, she passed away almost 2 years ago at the age of 50.

I know, you're probably thinking,

why the hell is this in her happy file?

Because of the memories, baby.

We went on many photo excursions

and we laughed till we peed our pants.

Yeah, i know. Inconvenient truth. ;-)

So whenever i see these,

i don't think of the loss of Liz,

i think of the fun we had while we were together.

Her self portrait... 

And then i found this, and it fucking cracked me up...

A letter written to me by my son when he was about 3 or 4 years old.

He wanted to write, just like his mom. :-)

Crossed rifles and revolvers.

I know, SO far off from who i am today.

I trained in my younger years as a security guard

and worked for a while in the penitentiary here in Canada

and while training, i just happened to discover a hidden talent.

Shooting.

At targets, not people. :-) 

Check it out. Weapons. 97.8%

And today, i can't kill a fly.
Or maybe i don't want to now. :-)

How is this ever NOT funny?!

And the most precious...

a dinosaur drawing from my son

when he was obviously quite young. 

I love the eye... and that small tail.

It cracks me up every time.

So there you have it.

Not much art from me tonight,

but part of my happy file.

I'll bet you're feeling pretty privileged right about now. ;-)

Thanks for giving me some space

in your busy lives.

I am very grateful to all of you.

xox

Van Gogh

I went for a nice walk last night in the cold winter air

and as i looked at the beautiful moon

and the starlit sky,

i thought of this quote by Van Gogh...

I agree with Vincent.

The sight of stars makes me dream too. 

You would think after so many years

of seeing the moon up there in the sky

i would have grown accustomed to it.

But I am still in awe.

As soon as i step out the door for my walk in the evenings,

I look up towards the moon & the stars

and it still reassures me

the same way it did 

when i was 13 years old.

So here's what i painted last night,

after my cold winter walk,

in honour of Vincent Van Gogh,

and his deep appreciation for the skies...

*****

And your smile for the day. 

:-)

I think we can all relate to this one.

mr & mrs frog (yes, mr. frog has braces...)

i confess. This wasn't painted today, but it was at least finished today.

I started this painting last year and it's been sitting (unfinished) on my bookshelf since then.

It took AEDM to get me to finish it - although it may just go right back on the bookshelf. :-)

Funny how different our interests can become in the course of a year. These little critters were created a few years ago, with the intention of eventually making them greeting cards. They did become cards, and were sold locally, along with paintings. Very exciting for me at the time. But then, too much of a good thing is never good. I got tired of them. Quickly. The time i spent painting them was becoming less and less enjoyable for me.

So i stopped.

I think it's important to recognize that most everything has an expiration date. Including little green frogs. When we (as artists) get to the point where we no longer enjoy painting one thing or another, we owe it to ourselves (and the world!) to paint something else. To find whatever else makes our soul sing.

Getting to a point where we need a change doesn't mean that everything prior is worthless. I believe that everything prior is necessary - to become who we are today. It's important to know how to let go when certain things no longer inspire us. So we can be open to new inspiration & feel passionate again! :-)

xoxo

marc johns

This guy cracks me up. There's nothing like an illustrator with a great sense of humor.
Smile folks!