Happy Frogs

I have been very sad and very angry about the outcome of the election. But when all is said and done it was the usual problem of 46% not voting leaving the arena wide open for Trump to seize victory. Let us instead try and move forward however difficult it is.

I was very sad to hear about Leonard Cohen dying. What a wonderful poet and singer he was. He said he was depressed for much of his life but his songs are curiously uplifting, especially in these very dark times.

Nevertheless I managed to paint some poison dart frogs, this time as a surface pattern design. I call them happy frogs although who knows if frogs have feelings or not?

Poison dart frogs are amazingly beautiful creatures which lend themselves to an abstract design. Unfortunately their rain forest habitat is under threat.

Happy Frogs, watercolor and acrylic inks

Have a great weekend and let's hope for happier times!

Linking up to Paint Party Friday and Brilliant Blog Posts.

Buy prints of Happy Frogs here

Kitty Siesta

It seems like the run up to the election has been going on for years. I can't tell you how sick I am of it! Get on with it already.

Someone near here 'vandalized' a Trump poster with some Bush/Quayle stickers. Made me laugh! Does anyone remember Dan Quayle, he was a charming simpleton who always put his foot in his mouth?

Here are a few Quaylisms:

"I have made good judgements in the Past. I have made good judgements in the Future."

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure."

"Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and child."

"What a waste it is to lose one's mind. Or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is."

I do remember him fondly....

We have had a hectic Halloween week and although I did not get into costume my daughter and her friend went as Day of the Dead twins with very impressive makeup.

In an ideal world I would love to sleep through the election...maybe that's why I painted a rather blissed out kitty this week...... I swear if there is reincarnation I need to come back as a fat, spoilt ginger cat. That is my spirit animal! Kitty Siesta buy cards, mugs, prints here.

Kitty Siesta, Watercolor

A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/d/dan_quayle.html

A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/d/dan_quayle.h

Linking up to Paint Party Friday and Brilliant Blog Posts.

Rainbow Farting Unicorn

I painted this Rainbow Farting Unicorn in inks as part of the 52 Week Illustration Challenge for the theme of RAINBOW. I hope you like him! He is quite the little acrobat!

I have not had time to really think about Halloween this year or even buy a costume. Last year I glued my Cleopatra wig to my head with a glue gun (it was an accident) so maybe I am suffering from Halloween costume PTSD.

I'm going to take it easy this year. Although Tiny Hamster and his friends are having a Halloween party so I will probably join in the fun:





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Coffee Island

Let me take you to Coffee Island

My daughter and I were messing around trying to make paintings out of coffee. It looks so effortless on those YouTube videos....to just dribble some coffee on paper and let it make a pretty shape but in reality it is a bit of  a nightmare... it tends to flow off with a mind of its own. After several tries I managed to do this one. The grasses/palm trees were blown with a straw so that the coffee spread out in tiny fronds. I added some blue ink as well. I call it Coffee Island.


Let me take you to Coffee Island
Where the rivers are lattes
and the sand is make of sugar
Where the waterfalls drip Pumpkin Spice Latte
And warm coffee cake grows like flowers.

Did you ever try painting with coffee? What kinds of results did you get?

You can buy prints, canvases, rugs etc of COFFEE ISLAND here.


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Guinea Pig at Buckingham Palace

Hello Peeps!!

We've got fine misty rain and gray skies and I've got a bit of a cold so I'm lying around watching Midsomer Murders and drinking lots of hot chocolate. I'm still working on my children's book about a traveling Guinea Pig and also trying to do Inktober. You are meant to do one inky drawing a day all October. I have done a few including this guinea pig guarding Buckingham Palace.

Anyone trying their hand at Inktober?

Here's another WIP, where the little guinea pig ends up Nanuvut, Canada.

Linking up to Paint Party Friday and Brilliant Blog Posts.

Giraffe Kiss

Giraffe Kiss, Acrylic inks

I have had a pretty uneventful week. Someone told me they had lost 25lb by not eating sugar and that it 'wasn't very difficult.' I am always looking for lazy ways to lose weight.....not that I ever really stick to any of these things but hey ho.

I did okay with no sugar on Monday.

I ate three chocolate biscuits and some leftover bread pudding on Tuesday.

Wednesday and Thursday were ok as I just had some sugar on some Weetabix which doesn't count :)

Friday I don't think I officially ate any sugar, just, you know the stuff they put into ketchup, pasta sauce etc.

Well, it's been a week of swings and roundabouts. Maybe just eating less sugar is good enough!!

Have you ever tried not eating sugar and was it hard?

Here's my latest acrylic inks painting: GIRAFFE KISS.


You can buy PRINTS, CUSHIONS, PHONE COVERS etc. of this design HERE.

Have a great weekend!

Linking up to Paint Party Friday and Brilliant Blog Posts.

Guinea Pig Logic

I have to be honest....I cannot stop watching these two guinea pigs talking about pumpkin spice. They just tickle me!

I am very much looking forward to pumpkin spice latte weather and walking around wearing a fleece vest rather than walking about covered in sweat. I may or may not be experiencing those first hot flashes on the rocky road to menopause but it is also 95 degrees. They have had to close the schools because the kids were overheating. But I am still waiting and longing for Fall....

I am busy writing a children's book about guinea pigs...I can't really talk about it .......it is about an adventurous guinea pig that travels the world.....watch this space

I am afraid in the creative process I have more or less become a guinea pig and I am starting to observe the world as if I were covered in fur and walked on four legs and was covered in whiskers. Here is a piece I did called Guinea Pig Logic:

Okay I'm just going off to nibble on some carrots and hay....
Have a great weekend!

Linking up to Paint Party Friday and Brilliant Blog Posts.