Poem for the Day - Sleep-In Day, by Yours Truly

Yes.  I write poetry.  I love poetry.  Actually, I've written a nice
 book's-worth of poetry in my lifetime, to the tune of one or two
 a year.  Most of them are serious, springing from deep emotion. 
 This one isn't particularly serious, but in the midst of trying to
 sleep, I'm sure you'll understand that it CAN be!  Enjoy.

This poem took me an hour to write.  Wide awake on my one 
sleep-in day, I composed it in about 15 minutes in bed before I
knew I had to get up and put pen to paper. If I didn’t get up,
I knew I would either stay awake continually thinking about it or
lose the poem.I wrote it in the back of my Art Teachers’ Book of 
Lists in about 45 minutes with only minor corrections.   

Never did get back to sleep.  I call it -

"Sleep-In Day"

Gotta pee gotta pee - Hot, hot, hot!

…must…sleep…

One side of me is flat.

Have I moved all night?

Ow ow ow ow.

Sleep.

These bites on my hip…         so… itchy…

Why do I go outside?

MUST… SLEEP

pee… hot… itchy itchy itchy

… it’s raining… thirsty… dry lips…

Do I have bites on my elbow too?

          …quit pulling weeds…

          … thanks, Adam and Eve…

Sleep. Sleep… SLEEP!

No.  PEE!

OKAY!

Up.  Stumble.  Pee.. A/C… drink… bites…

Back to bed.  Aahhhhh.

Purring kitty, fluffy pillows, rain… comfy.

(how much rain?)

Soft kitty, fluffy kitty, heavy kitty…

          VERY heavy kitty!

Purrrrrr………

HEAVY!  Ow ow ow ow!

Move!

(How much rain is there?)  Must… look…

NO!  SLEEP!

Rain, rain, rain… sleep… NO!

Okay.  OKAY!  Up!

Wow!  Steady!  Hard!  Rushing!  Inches!  A foot?                          

Glad I finished that castle yesterday.                                              

Do you think the paint dried before the deluge?

Dripping castle stones, paint puddling in the rain.

Do… not… think…

Rain.  Sweet pattering.

Dry comfort… thank you, Lord… darkness… eyes closed… sleep.

Nope.

Eyes POP open… Wide Awake!

Hello world!  Time to go outside!

It’s four a.m.

Cindy Johnson, October, 2015

"Bird on Fire" Sold

I know he's a hoot and there's really just no excuse for him, but I laughed the entire time I painted this fellow.  Everyone that looks at him laughs, and the lady that just purchased him will be laughing a lot, too.

Maybe it has something to do with his attitude, or maybe it's the comics I put into his feathered headdress.  Whatever it is, I like him, and he went to a good home.

I think I'm going to have to start a laughter series.

Reconstructing Alice and Solo Art Show

It's coming!  Our daughter, Melody's show!  Get your tickets now!
Reconstructing Alice is coming to the Frenetic Theater downtown.  Along with this incredible dance show will be music by the awesome band, Carthy, pictured below in all their seriousness.  Lining the walls will be  a solo art show by - myself!  It's all going to wrap up to be a delightful and mindblowing evening which will touch all your senses.

Come the first weekend.  You'll be glad you did, because you're going to want to come BACK to see it AGAIN!  Trust me on that one.  When she first created this show, many people came again and again to see it!

Paintings Sold!

Two more paintings of little birds I'm doing for Christmas sold!  Just got a commission for another little sweetie tonight.  Love doing these adorable little creatures!

'Bloom' Art Sale - Tomorrow Night!

Tomorrow night I'll be selling at the Bloom ladies' event at our church, Crossroads Baptist, in The Woodlands. Here are the details:

http://www.crossroadstw.org/crbctw/home

And here are a few of the MANY paintings I"ll have for sale.  We'll be selling paintings on canvases, wood and on heavy watercolor paper.  Can't WAIT!

Bird on Fire!

You've heard of 'Girl on Fire?' ... well, I've got 'Bird on Fire.'  :)

In a previous post, you saw my Pileated Woodpecker.  Well, when I was commissioned to paint one, I scrolled through lots of photos looking for just what I wanted.  On my way to my 'serious' bird, I just had to paint this as well - for myself and my own entertainment!

This is (pretty much) what a pileated woodpecker looks like!  Well, with a few exceptions.  Most pileated woodpeckers don't have comics in their bright feathered caps!  Anyway, I'm loving this guy.  Everyone has to laugh now and then, and he makes me LAUGH!

For sale - 9 x 12 heavy deckled-edged paper, $90.00.  BIRD... ON ... FIRE!!!!!

Pileated Woodpecker, SOLD!

I finished my pileated woodpecker.  Already sold, he is destined to be somebody's Christmas gift.  I'm pretty much loving him.  Textures, colors, background, tree - all of it.

Only twice in my life have I been blessed in seeing these beauties.  They are larger than life, at about 18"!  You KNOW when you see them!  And if you ever see a three foot long hole in a tree with a veritable pyramid of shavings down below, that's definitely this woodpecker!

Here he is.  I did him in pen, watercolor and acrylic on heavy deckled-edge watercolor paper.  Currently I'm taking Christmas orders for $90.00 each.  You pick your bird.

 I downloaded two photos - the bottom one shows the deckled edge.

What a handsome fellow he is!

Bird Number Two - SOLD!

Here's bird number two:

The lady wanted one similar to the first Redstart, so here we have it!  Awwww, shucks.  So cute.

Okay, now I DEFINITELY have to go upstairs to paint that Pileated Woodpecker!

American Redstart, Sold!

Someone asked me recently about bird paintings.  He said his wife loved a bird painting I sold six months ago, and how much was it?  It was a little too steep for them so I told him I'd do some small watercolor birds and charge less.  Here is the first one, a little American Redstart, which I sold them.

Cute little feller, ain't he?

I love the colors!  After I painted it, I posted it on Facebook and got a surprising response.  Everyone liked it, so I decided that maybe I'd stumbled upon a little niche.

Next posting was 'Birds for Sale,' and reminded people that Christmas is coming, and they needed bird paintings.

I could post that here, too!  So....

Birds for Sale!  Christmas is coming!  Pen and watercolor birds, you choose your bird.  I am painting these on heavy, deckled-edge watercolor paper which is 9x12.  Let me know!

As for me, I'm going upstairs.  I'm going upstairs to paint, armed with six or eight photos of pileated woodpeckers.  Next little bird, sold already!

Birds for Sale! (At least Bird PAINTINGS!)

Small Birds for Sale!  Well, I, like Leonardo da Vinci, would probably purchase them just to let them go and give them their freedom, BUT... I can paint them!

I painted this cutie little American Redstart this week.  Just before Christmas is a good time to do small paintings for gifts. Sooo....

You look like you need a nice, original painting.  Birds for sale!

Stats:
9 x 12" heavy, deckled edge watercolor paper
Name your bird
Name your colors
$90.00.

I've got several orders already and am fitting them in between big commissions, so if you're serious about Christmas, don't wait too long!