Anthony Bourdain - RIP

This was one of the most heartbreaking of days. As soon as I got up, I looked at my phone and saw the beginning words of a headline, "Anthony Bourdain" it started. Oh no. Before I swiped over, I briefly thought, maybe he and Asia Argento got married. But no, the worst news ever, dead at 61. I thought, heart attack. And then the news did get worse. Suicide. It was a same 1-2 punch as the morning I woke to the news of Chris Cornell. Unexpected death. Must be a heart attack...and then shockingly, suicide. I saw him twice in person, first in Milwaukee and then in Chicago. I've watched him for 15 years. I have his Les Halles cookbook, the great "Kitchen Confidential," and, no bs, just pulled "Parts Unknown" off my bookshelf last Saturday and started re-reading it. I can hear the cadence of his voice, imagine the movements of his body in some of my favorite episodes. It feels so personal, as if I truly lost someone I knew, a friend who took me along to places I couldn't go to on my own. It's a thought all fans are feeling, no doubt. I imagine his best friend, Eric Ripert, finding him. And I'm conjuring up all sorts of reasons in my head. His food explorations led him, and us, to the truer journey of connecting with people, cultures, history, socio-economic crisis or in other words, humanity on the most vulnerable level. He was vulnerable, too. I'm so sorry for your pain, Anthony. Thank you for all you gave us and tried to make us understand.

There Once Was A Man from Greece

There once was a man from Greece

who through his instrument would keep the peace.

He played a mean fiddle,

while calming the crowds little by little,

until any animosity would totally cease.

Inktober Day18 ESCAPE

How many times have I felt this way?

Day 9 - Spring

Spring in Bloom, 

Spring Love, 

Spring Showers, 

April Showers, 

Windy Spring, 

Spring Baseball, 

Spring into Life, 

Spring

Jawbreaker

Jawbreaker

Watercolor

5" x 8"

Every Day Is Mother's Day

Here's a bit of sweetness.

  One of my illustrations from a children's book I'm working on...

Every Day Is Mother's Day

Incite 3: The Art of Storytelling - North Light Books

On Friday I received quite a gift!  I have an illustration and blurb in the North Light Books publication called Incite 3:  The Act of Storytelling (Incite:  The Best of Mixed Media)

(edited by Tonia Jenny), and it's available through amazon.com  or www.northlightshop.com.  I found out in December 2014 that I was included and now here it is!

I am honored to say this is the third North Light Books publication I have been blessed to be included in.  Here's a link to those other books if you are interested.

Here's a picture of the cover:

Look!

I'm a little in love with this sweetie pie. (-:

5" x 7"