hello.
i am here. tramping through the streets now that our storms have passed.
it’s camelia season. there are fallen blossoms everywhere, heavy with water from the rain. littering the sidewalks with pink petals.
i love gathering my nature bits and coming home to arrange then paint them onto the pages of my sketchbooks.
i worked on this page a bit each evening, finishing it today.
now i’ll jot down a few thoughts and turn the page.
i am going to miss my winter late morning walks so much. school starts tomorrow. i’ll stop in a pretty neighborhood on my way home and get in the rest of my daily steps. must remember to put tennis shoes in car tonight!
winter walking in southern california is a pleasure. the air is cool.
oh! i just had a birthday. i’ve done 53 revolutions around our star! i’ve watched the moon rise 636 times, the sun set 19,345 times. how marvelous.
my friend mary stanley made me this delightful birthday card. it was the cherry on the icing of my birthday cupcake. she and syd are off to oaxaca this week and i am so sad i won’t be sitting in the seat next to them on the plane. drat. have fun without me girls! xo
doesn’t this photo (above) look like a painting? it’s a zoomed in iphone pic from a walk the other day. i think it would very much like to be painted onto a creamy white piece of watercolor paper.
i’ll have a chance to do that this coming weekend in palm springs!
my sister made a fun poster for our upcoming art retreat…isn’t it cool?
she, pam, and i are heading into the desert to play over the long weekend. can’t wait!
please drop everything and go see this documentary (if you haven’t already) about bill cunningham the iconic nyc fashion street photog. i don’t care a bit about street fashion. but i think bill cunningham is a fine human being and such an interesting character. i found it riveting, poignant, and celebratory. i predict you will love it.
if you have an amazon prime membership you can watch it for free! GO SEE
see you soon friends!
Loved the documentary. My face is permanently creased from smiling at that wonderful man’s face all through the movie. Thank you for the recommend.
On here today catching up with stuff. Your leaves are incredible! Esp. the large green one. I also very much enjoyed meeting Mr. Cunningham. I hope your birthday was as special as you are!
Belated Happy Birthday, Mary Ann! Whatever classroom you end up in… those children are so lucky to be getting you as their teacher!!! Best, Susan
Happy Birthday!
Thanks for the doc recommendation, I just found it on Netflix. Sounds perfect for a quiet Tuesday afternoon.
As always thanks for sharing your beautiful paintings. I am completely inspired by your work. I just re-watched all of the Sketchbookery videos as I think my class time is coming to an end shortly. So out come my books, pens and paints as I follow along.
A very happy belated birthday! Art retreat in Palm Springs…what an awesome way to celebrate a 53rd birthday!
The Cunningham head up. Is so appreciated.
Happy Belated Birthday to you…hear me singing the Stevie Wonder HB song….envision me dancing around you and singing it!!!!
HA! Yeah, and all that…..
Happy trails to you, both back into the classroom and into the desert.Smart cookie…I love how you are living your precious life.
All the best of the new year, new school and new Escape, to you.
Xo
Sass
Happy Belated Birthday friend! Hope it was a wonderful celebration and extended celebration in Palm Springs…….have fun and I will be waiting to see some photos of all your creative togetherness……..
Happy Birthday! And i hope you’ve had a good first day at school.
What’s that awesome building?
P.S. Happy belated birthday!
Belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Mary Ann! If you were here I would play the Beatles Birthday song at full volume and dance around like a fool. I always woke my kids up to that on their birthdays. They didn’t think it was funny at the time…haha! I LOVE that leaf on the Asian paper! Phweeee! Love all of the photos too. Camellias are SO pretty and fluffy! Have a blast with Pam and sis!
So many wonderful images in this post!
Have a good week and a wonderful weekend!
joyeux anniversaire ! happy birthday !
wish you a great new revolution and a creative retreat art. Kids will love you !
Happy Birthday!! Your watercolor sketches are getting so good! You have become a master of shadows. Have fun with your sister and Pam!
Carol led us to believe your b-day was Friday… as I told her… Mary Ann and Elvis share a birthday?!? How cool is that!!! May you have many, many more!
yes! the king & i were born on the same day. gotta love that! THANK YOU 🙂
Happy Birthday to you and may the world have 53 more revolutions for you. So young you are… don’t go do those revolutions at the speed of light take time to savour the scenery as it seems you usually do.
All the best
Annie v.
Hope your Christmas were special and happy new year to you….great post and also hope your birthday was wonderful …
I, too, loved the Bill Cunningham doc. I don’t give a wit about street fashion (or any fashion, for that matter) but I do love his sense of style and his eye for detail and his wonderful accent as he describes what he sees. And now I follow his short little video on the NY Times website every Sunday, too, just to get a bit more Bill.
Here’s to a great week at your new school. Those children will love you and they are so lucky to have you coming into their lives.
For me, tomorrow is my first time in Guatemala! I can’t wait. Docking at 10 am…..
oh my! have fun…if you’re on a boat you probably won’t make it to lago de atitlan, but if you do…it’s enchanting. maybe you’ll get to antigua…? keep me posted dahling!
Oh Bill. That is a great documentary. Saw it free courtesy from the library.
A very Happy Birthday to you! And lucky you to be heading out to my favorite desert getaway for another art retreat! Have loads of fun and laughter.
That was a divine page you just posted!
First, a very special Happy Birthday Mary Ann!
Have a great day tomorrow at school, they are lucky to have you.
Second, Carol’s poster is terrific. I always look forward to your PS trips,
but seems they come closer together each year?
PS: that green leaf is spectacular! ;o)
ha ha ha!!! pam & i go sans sister…usually in the summer. but the OFFICIAL annual PS art retreat is with carol in january. hell anytime is a goodtime for an art retreat
🙂
Happy birthday, Mary Ann! Good luck back at teaching tomorrow, too.
Oh and I forgot-happy belated 53 revolutions around the sun.
Hope your class is wonderful and your transition back to working stiff smooth!
I loved that Bill Cunningham film — imagine him riding a bike around the streets of NYC at his age…so cool. And I want to invite myself to go to palm Springs with you. OK? See you there!
A very Happy Birthday to you, Miss Moss. I predict that you will enjoy your classroom sojourn, and your after-school walks. Very smart of you to have a long weekend get-away at the end of your first week, too!
Thanks for the tip on the Bill Cunningham doc, it is also streaming on Netflix!
A very happy birthday to you sister Capricorn.