Welcome, Bienvenidos!

Sweet Golden Retriever Niki has found her forever home - Yeay! It's so hard to see the wonderful dogs that deserve a great home and are in shelters because for some reason the owners do not/cannot keep them. Seniors going into a home cannot take their pets, the apartment pet deposit is too much for some, no room in the family, too old etc..
Spaying and neutering is a big answer, but so is thinking way ahead before people decide to get a pet because of all of the responsibilities that go with it.

O.k. I'm done - for now...

"Sand Skin"

Woody. 8" x 10" acrylic on canvas.
The Shar Pei is an ancient Chinese breed and the name means Sand Skin which refers the the bristle like coat.
Loyal and protective, the Shar Pei is for personalities that are leaders as they have dominant personalities.
Like Chows, they have a blue black tongue and make wonderful companions when they are socialized early.
Love the background color the client chose!

Take Control of Your Health Care

Speaking out on taking control of your health care by asking for all of the raw data and information in your charts. Watch this and recognize if you are/ have been or know of someone who has been at the mercy of our health care system then this 3 minute video will inform and help with websites and places to get support from other patients.


In January of 2011 my mom was diagnosed with an aggressive uterine cancer and underwent surgery and aggressive post cancer treatment involving chemo and radiation. The treatments were awful - very debilitating. Mom already had advanced Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and had misdiagnosed medications a few years ago which damaged her liver and kidney. Her body/immune system was already so weak. The side affects - weakness, neurosis of the feet and hands - will remain indefinitely.

The lengthy, extreme post treatments did not guarantee total cure.
If mom had refused some or all of the treatment they said "it could come back". If she did all of the treatments they could not guarantee total cure - "it could come back." Health Care here is a business first. Doing all of the treatment means more insurance dollars. I did not hear of any suggestions or action for alternative treatments/medications.

As of today my mom can shuffle walk, has precarious balance, two wigs, a cane, and can only take Tylenol for her RA. She is 72.

I wish my parents had seen this video. Would it have changed their patient behavior? Maybe. They are old fashioned and believe the doctor is Always right, even though it has been pointed out that the family doctor they have had for decades has made some seriously poor decisions/calls. Change is not easy. Gets harder as we age, especially when health is compromised and fatigue is a constant companion. No energy left to protest or research.

But for those of us who are born fighters/Warriors/Rebels, we do not go quietly into the night. We have energy reserves of stubborn defiance. We are always asking Why and listen to our intuition and then ask MORE QUESTIONS. Behavior which governments and institutions such as our health care system find vastly annoying. They try to ignore us, give excuses, then tell us to Go Away. I am so glad there are individuals out there - Rebels - who will speak out and question traditional medicine and demand better answers and care. Patients taking control of their own lives/health.

Sweet Lucy is a border collie. Done for a border collie rescue in acrylic on canvas panel.
Because Border Collies and most of the herding group of dogs are highly intelligent, high energy dogs they need owners who understand and work with their special needs.
These working dogs need J-O-B-S. Due to their high intelligence, they will become bored with the mundane and are not the couch potato types!
Before getting this breed people need to really look into what their energy level is. I Highly recommend a book called The Perfect Match by Walkowicz. Great help in choosing the right companion.

Spinach, Strawberry & Goat Cheese Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette |


Spinach, Strawberry & Goat Cheese Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette |

Here is a link to a wonderful, fresh salad. I chose slivered almonds instead of whole ones to toast. It was Soooo good!
Yes, I love to try new recipes and pairings with wine/beer.
Enjoy!

Clyde


Clyde is such a cutie I could not resist! 5" x 7" acrylic on canvas panel. Unframed.
Want your companion's portrait done? Commissions welcome.

Smoochie Poodle

Smoochie is such a sweetie and lives up to his name. Like many poodles he is full of bouncy energy and always happy to see people.

My love of animals and especially dogs has been with me since I can remember. Dogs have always been a part of my life and my current companion australian shepherd Risa is the love of my life. In fact I am focusing on aussies as subjects for many pieces. My commission work, like Smoochie is an extension of my passion for dogs.

This acrylic is 8 x 10" and part of my series of dog portraits.

Golden Retriever puppy learns to bowl

Ronan came into Colleen’s life while she was recovering from hip surgery. She had recently lost her older dog, Haley, the previous year, and with this available time at home, she decided to bring a new Golden into the family. In her spare time, she was able to train Ronan how to perfect his tricks and she even acquired new employment at a local dog training facility due to her extensive work with Ronan. “I sent the video of Ronan to the gentleman who will now be my new employer, so in essence, Ronan got me the job!” said Colleen.


Mosaic adventure with Laurel Skye

Be inspired by the music in this video and the art of Laurel Skye - amazing mosaic artist. I want to see that house in person!!

10 self promotion tips that aren’t sleazy

With all of the talent out there it takes imagination and a bit of thinking, planning to promote wisely. This post by Passive Panda makes some good points that are worth reading - even if it's stuff we have already read before.
We all want our creative voices to be heard in a way that draws instead of repels!
So read on and let me know what you think!

Jewels of Nature


A couple of little gems for an upcoming show on hummingbirds at Tohono Chul Park. They are fine art contemporary wildlife paintings - my favorite!
At 2 3/4" x 6 3/4" for the green and 4" x6" for the violet, they will need custom matts.
With all of the fires raging in Arizona I just know the wildlife as well as people are struggling. My heart goes out to them! Sending vibes of love, hope and courage their way!

Carabobo Fire


This is in memory of Carabobo, the sweetest kitty. She had dignity, poise and grace - a classy cat.
A sunset background with bits of green to suggest the green of her amazing eyes.
On another note - Arizona is on fire. The smoke from fires in the area have caused so much damage. My heart aches for the people and animals caught in it. Today I just heard Mrs. Green's cabin in Greer AZ was burned to the ground.
I stopped by to introduce myself again to Mrs. Green, the radio celebrity environmentalist. The buzz of activity I encountered when I arrived at Renee's Organic Oven was totally unexpected. Apparently it was a soft grand reopening of the restaurant that specializes in an organic and gluten free menu. Everyone was rushing around and I wondered for the 'inth' time how i lived in an alternate universe - unaware of the goings on. Though my work has hung in the cozy eatery, I tend to happen upon events - an unintended party crasher - again. Where is that inside loop, the 'in crowd' so I can join too?
There was an open house sampling inside the new and improved interior, another sampling outside via Yelp, and a radio show all at the same time. Kudos to Renee for pulling off the hyper busy events.
Mrs. Green graciously included me in her radio show and I got a few minutes to explain what I do and say my name and website. She's a gem and very simpatico, sincere.

Lastly, for all of those out there who have asthma, doesn't the smoke from the fires makes breathing feel like your lungs are two sizes too small?