Thanksgiving.

I try to be thankful 365 days a year, but in holiday spirit, I thought I'd list some things I am thankful for. 

1. Mother

2. My Dogs.

3. My sisters.

4. The good people in my life.

5. Good Health.

6. The ability to see color.

7. Music.

8. Being Surrounded by Positive People.

9. Sarcasm.

10. Incubus.

11. 311.

12. Pepper.

13. Every smile I've ever cracked.

14. This moment.

15. Things that smell good. 

16. Food.

17. Being blessed with abundance as compared to the rest of the word.

18. Oldies.

19. The fact that ancient art was actually preserved. How else would we know about the people of the past? We could only guess without it. 

20. Profound Individuals with whom I have been lucky enough to cross paths. 

21. Good conversation.

22. My ability to see. 

23. Garlic.

24. Greens & Grill.

25. My Job. 

26. Inspiration.

27. Strength.

28. Deja vou. 

29. Dreams. 

30. My grandparents (both alive and deceased).

31. April. 

32. The Sun. 

33. The Ocean.

34. Airplanes. 

35. My iphone. 

36. My car.

37. Inner Happiness.

38. Nature.

39. People who think. 

40. Quirks.

41. My heart.

42. Life's Pleasures.

43. My father.

44. You.

45. Creative people.

46. Thoughtfulness. 

47. Pandora.

48. YouTube. (;

49. Opportunity. 

50. Passion.

51. Baths.

52. The ability to touch people.

53. Earl of Sandwich.

54. Tim Burton.

55. The generosity of my LMT sister, Lisa. 

56. The good health of the people I love.

57. All 10 of my nieces and nephews.

58. Facebook, for allowing me to keep in contact with people I may otherwise not have.

59. Picasso.

60. Salvador Dali.

61. Andy Goldsworthy. 

62. The ability to resist listing every artist that ever lived. (;

63. "Cell Optico Utopia"

64. Sam Flax and every other art supply store.

65. Dr. Addelston. And every teacher/professor who made an impact on my (or anyone else's) life.

66. People who talk in code. 

67. Fruit. And Blenders.

68. Endorphines, Dopamine, and Serotonin. 

69. Green Tea.

70. The Fact that I am lucky enough not to suffer daily.

71. Humor.

72. Every. Single. Moment.

73. Variety.

74. Freedom.

75. My Brain.

76. Patience.

77. Positive thinking.
78. Flip Flops.
79. Supportive People.
80. Intuition.
81. The breeze.
82. My possessions.
83. Accessibility of knowledge.
84. Inner peace.
85. The ability to laugh at myself.
86. All of the places I've been.
87. All the places I will go.
88. Extended Family.
89. Hummus.
90. Avocado.
91. Bonnie, Molly, and Corey.
92. Toothbrushes.
93. The bubble I float around in. Lol.
94. How good it feels to be ALIVE.
95. Live music.
96. My past.
97. the ability to love more than just myself.
98. Life.
100. Art.

If you took the time to read this whole list, I am especially thankful for you.

It's not what you look at, it's what you see.

Unity.

Unity

Acrylic Paint on canvas 18x24''

The sexual union between two people is like nothing else on the planet.
It is as if everything else is wiped away and all that exists are the persons involved
 and the tremendous amounts of passion they create.
 Every sound, every sensation is heightened.
 The feeling is otherworldly to say the least.
Couple that passion with persons who have a union that is already beyond the physical
and what forms is nothing short of phenomenal.

This piece is not only sexual in nature.
It is about unity.
Spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical oneness.

The colors in the background are intense and make no attempt to take on any sort of shape. This non-existance of a background is significant, because, in this moment, nothing else matters. Nothing else exists. Only intensity, passion, lust, love, and each other, all of which are represented by the bold colors of the background. They are connected, which is also symbolic of unity and the extraordinary connection that is happening in that moment.

The woman is primarily red, while the man is mostly blue.
Red is warm and passionate, as is the woman.
Blue is cool and placid, representing this man's personality.
Together, however, a strange thing happens.
Her passion blows him away, and his placidity cools her slightly.
The couple is becoming spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically united.
This unity is evident when you notice that the two seem to literally be rubbing off on one another.

This piece is for anyone who appreciates every aspect of the sexual experience. 

Substratum

Substratum

Watercolor, wood board of sorts (another piece of that book case).

People are so much more than they seem.

Scratch the surface to reveal the true colors. 

Befuddled

"untitled" 

Mixed Media, water color and acrylic paint on 24x30 canvas.

This is personally one of my favorites.

 I prefer not to pick it apart, here.

 I'd rather let anyone interested make their own assumption about it. 

<3

Just some random thoughts.

Randomness...

I like to take a different approach.

On a positive note,

I must encroach

upon your sea of negativity. 

Stilling the rough water,

into peaceful serenity.

I wake up and I am happy. I look around, and I see every aspect of what is good. I would be ashamed to complain when I know just how lucky I really am. It is not because I come from a wealthy home, because I don't. It's not because my life lacks problems, because it doesn't. It is not because of some amazing thing that has just happened. It is because I choose to focus on what is good. It is because I don't allow others to dictate my mood or well being. It is because I am aware of issues that go far beyond my personal microcosm. It is because I derive joy from making others feel good. It is because I hold nothing on my conscience. It is because every single day, I make the choice to make it a good day, and when I fall short, I try again tomorrow. I am happy because I approach the world in an almost child-like manner, exploring everything as if it were the first time I'd seen it. We are here, on this earth, temporarily, and while we are here, we can choose to imprison ourselves with a negative thought process  which could lead to something I'd assume is quite similar to an internal hell... OR we can learn to take certain things with a grain on salt, and move forward. We must not harp on every little issue we think we have. We needn't gripe over the little inconveniences. To every negative, there is a positive and vice versa. It is not what you look at, it is what you see. 

Everywhere I look, art is present. Because "art" is so far beyond a painting, a song, a photograph... art is the creation of something and is fueled by the inner workings, feelings, and inspiration of it's creator, therefore art starts with inspiration. Art will always have a special place in my soul. 

-Me.   

Happy

Happy

Happiness is a day to day, 

moment to moment 

choice, 

not a future goal. 

If you are chasing dreams, and thinking

"Once I get here, I will be happy"

I regret to inform you that

you have sorely missed the point. 

We all fall short sometimes,

but if misery is a constant in your life,

step back and look at what you can do to change that

it all starts with changing your attitude.

Be grateful for what you do have, 

because i guarantee you

someone has it worse.

This is an oil on canvas, I believe 24''x30''. 

Cell Optico Utopia

Cell Optico Utopia

Creativity is a strange phenomenon, often brought on by some inspirational source.

Inspiration comes from so many different places.

It is a curious thing when that inspiration is transpired into something visual.

It is almost as if the feeling is captured, visually.

There is a quote that says, "Music is what feelings sound like"...

I think art, abstract and surreal especially, is what feelings "look" like.

This piece took somewhere around 15 hours, a backache, and a headache to complete, but it was worth every second. It is an abstract, acrylic painting on a wood board. Actually, I must pride myself for my resourcefulness, the block is derived from a bookcase that broke when I moved to my current abode.(=

C.O.U. was made as a thank you gift of sorts, for a person who unknowingly inspired me at times when I felt drab and uninspired. Sometimes it really is the little things in life that make all the difference. I appreciate the people who make a difference. Many thanks. (=

Life is good.

Attitude is everything.

"Stay Positive and Love your Life"