November 29, 2011 In art, books, creativity, drawing, illustration, imagination, work and play By Patricia Saxton

When Characters Talk to You

Have any of you seen the movie about Beatrix Potter, “Miss Potter”, starring Renee Zellweger? It’s a sweet, undemanding movie that wants to be more than that, but is charmingly well-crafted just the same. And it offers a glimpse into one of the world’s most celebrated author/illustrators. Perhaps THE most celebrated female illustrator. That alone made it a must-see for me.

In any event, I was reminded of the movie this afternoon, as my mind attempted to fight off months of deadlines and too many plates in the air and pressures of all varieties, big and small, memorable and not, and I fell into this kind of playful mode with characters from a book I’ve not yet published. Sitting, alone, I had the sudden inspiration for a couple of my characters to make a cameo appearance with one of my 52 Weeks of Peace bags.

We had a fun time with that, the characters and myself. And I thought, is this strange? Probably. (And worse yet, should I be admitting this?)

So I found myself very relieved to have seen the movie, because in the film, Miss Potter’s characters talk to her. And of course, she talks back. So it’s okay. And even if it’s not, in lieu of a 3-week junket to Tuscany, it offered a refreshing moment of simple fancy in a sometimes overly serious world. (Not to mention it was good for my little friends to get out and make some mischief ….)

© Patricia Saxton

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November 29, 2011 In appreciation, art, communication, creativity, design, drawing, illustration, inspiration By Patricia Saxton

A Plethora of P’s / #48: Pizza

proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.

– ♥ –

Because sometimes you just need to be mindless.

Pizza’s a happy, tasty, satisfying no-brainer made to order, with all kinds of goodness going on. It’s doughy and crusty and cheesy and saucy ~ and if you toss some veggies on, it’s a downright healthy meal! Not to mention it’s a very social food, built for sharing, bringing people together. And it makes us feel Italian. Pizza’s good stuff.

Versatile too. There’s thin and thick and deep-dish, white and red, chewy and crunchy. For artistic palettes, it’s a blank culinary canvas, a playground for all sorts of nifty gastronomical toppings. And how many foods are fun to watch being made?

There are lots of reasons to love pizza. But the truth of it is that we don’t have to think too much ~ we just enjoy it, in all its glorious, unsophisticated, delicious genuineness.

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November 27, 2011 In art, drawing, inspiration By Patricia Saxton

Ideas in the Raw

They come unbidden, so you grab what’s handy and make a fast sketch. Could be a napkin, an old receipt, the back of an announcement sent home from school.

Maybe you’re on the computer, working on a couple of websites or some ad layouts or some logo designs, or paying bills or writing up a proposal… and into your mind streaks the realization that the holidays are upon us and you have to do something for that too.

Quickly, you pick up a pen and scribble out an image or two. No time to develop it just yet, but it’s out now and you go back to those other deadlines.

And that’s how it happens.

Raw ideas can simply spill out when least expected. At their best, the energy captured in sketches gets translated into the polished, refined end-product. At their worst, they’ve given you a place to work from.

So there’s really no downside. Sketch it out. On paper, with a pen or pencil or marker. From your mind to your hand. I highly recommend it!


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November 25, 2011 In art, design, imagination, inspiration By Patricia Saxton

Post-Thanksgiving: Sundae Peace

Peace # 55 ….. is about some give, some take, some working, some sharing. It’s having enjoyed a great meal with great people, using a little muscle to help unload truck-fulls of stuff for your brother and sister-in-law’s move back east, and leaving them with a stash of homemade hot fudge sauce to enjoy after you’ve gone. And at the end of the day, being grateful for those simple things.

© Patricia Saxton

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November 23, 2011 In art By Patricia Saxton

Thanksgiving Peace: Week 13 of “52 Weeks of Peace”

I’m reposting this, as the message holds true. I thank you all for your love and support ~ and wish you many beautiful blessings.

•

During this week of one of the most American of holidays, traditionally filled with family, friends, food and football, we all give thanks for our bounty and our blessings, large or small. And I hope too, that each of you may find Peace draped within the folds of your own personal gratitude – and lovingly baked into your Thanksgiving feast.

All peace designs are shown together under the “52 Weeks of Peace” tab.

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November 22, 2011 In appreciation, art, communication, creativity, design, drawing, illustration, inspiration By Patricia Saxton

A Plethora of P’s / #47: Perfection

proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.

– ♥ –

A grand old oak. Moonlight on a tranquil sea. The timed-just-right one-liner. A child’s first alphabet. These are perfection.

And you (yes ~ you) are perfection. In all your realness, your uniquely you-ness, just the way nature made you, flaws and all. It’s not measured by the length of your legs, the width of your belly, or whether you might not be so good at baseball or science.

Unless you’re a jet engine, perfection is as nature made you. And nothing is more perfect, nothing so magnificently intricate and complex that runs more efficiently nor encompasses more bounty, grace, grandeur and passion than nature.

An exquisite rose reminds us of the world’s beauty; its thorns remind us that there is always a purpose beyond what meets the eye. An ugly plant may not elicit oohs and ahhs, but it might perhaps hold a cure for cancer.

We’re all part of nature’s fabric. We all have beauty, we all have thorns. We all have gifts, and reason to be here. Each and every one of us. Flawed, and marvelously, perfectly ourselves.

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November 20, 2011 In art, books & stuff, branding, creativity, design, illustration, inspiration, photography By Patricia Saxton

“where in the world is peace?”… sunny california

One of our bags found its way to the west coast, winding up at Huntington Beach, California. (I have to say, the “peace with mermaids” made me smile from ear to ear.) All three are terrific shots, and I love seeing the concept spread. More peace ambassador thanks goes out!!

Where to next…?

(ps:  all “where in the world is peace?” images are being compiled on a special “where in the world is peace?” page, here. Totes, mugs and things are available here. Send your own pictures to 52weeksofpeace@gmail.com or join our FaceBook page and post them there. Let’s’see where peace goes!)

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November 17, 2011 In books, communication, words and language By Patricia Saxton

Why Bother to Proofread?

Ah, so I’m not the only one who spots a single typo on a page of 300 small-print words. Of course, to err is human (we’ve all done it), so no scolding here, just some fun and an underscore of why we bother to proofread.

♦

“The Pasta Bible” by Silvio Rizzi and Tan Lee Leng: … A recipe calls for “freshly ground black people,” (I’m thinking that oughta be black “pepper”, no?)

♦

“The Fiction” by H.P. Lovecraft: … “…our vessel was made a legitimate prize, whilst we of her crew were treated with all the fairness and consideration due us as navel prisoners.” (Unintentional belly humor.)

♦

“The Queen’s Governess” by Karen Harper: … “In the weak light of dawn, I tugged on the gown and sleeves I’d discarded like a wonton last night to fall into John’s arms.” (A rather starchy romance…)

♦

“An American Tragedy” by Theodore Dreiser …”…harmoniously abandoning themselves to the rhythm of the music – like two small chips being tossed about on a rough but friendly sea.” (Lays or Doritos?)

♦

“King James Bible”, 1631: …”Thou shalt commit adultery.” (yikes)

♦

And one from my personal archives….. back in the mid 80’s, a hulking print campaign of AT&T’s “Spirit” phone system had inadvertently used a competitor’s name, “Sprint”, in place of “Spirit” throughout the documents. Luckily someone caught it before it went to press…

♦

(Typo spottings from above best-selling books, courtesy HuffPost Books section.)

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November 14, 2011 In appreciation, art, communication, creativity, design, drawing, illustration, inspiration By Patricia Saxton

A Plethora of P’s / #46: Pair of Pears

proactively punctuating life with the plausible, powerful possibilities of positive thought presented through a plethora of “P’s”.

– ♥ –

A pair of pears. Why not just pair, or just pear? Because, as we have been taught, things are often better in pairs. Two eyes, two hands, two feet, for example. Or “two heads are better than one”. Noah filled the ark in pairs. Girls always use the ladies room in pairs.

It must be, then, that two pears are more advantageous than one lonely pear all by itself. Twice the fiber, twice the vitamin C, and twice the calming effects on the nervous system.

Of course, the real truth is that I picked Pear as a positive P because, for some reason, I like to paint them. I actually prefer to paint them than eat them. Their curves and colors are incredibly conducive to a pen or brush ~ they practically beg for portraiture. For this reason alone, pears are good. Add in the medicinal benefits and they’ve got “positive” written all over them.

So a pear of pairs presents a dual positive. And I figure we could all use a double-dose of cheerful thinking now and then. Just remember to try and pair up wisely. And yes, eat your fruit.

"Two Pears" / © Patricia Saxton / Oil on Canvas

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November 12, 2011 In branding, business, communication, design, graphic design, intelligence, marketing, presentation, social media, web design By Patricia Saxton

Orchestrating a Website

You need to bite the bullet and create a website. Or your old site is in dire need of an update. No big deal, right?

Maybe, maybe not. There are easy ways and harder ways, less expensive ways and more expensive ways. But whichever way you choose, you have to understand that there are moving parts involved.

It’s a virtual symphony of information and imagery, with varying degrees of interconnected elements that create the whole song. And as with song, the parts can be arranged well or not so well ~ and the audience can tell the difference.

So before you begin, do your homework. Know what your site is about, and organize your content ~ at the very least a simple outline. Figure out who your audience is, and speak to them ~ try to put yourself in their shoes. Look at what your competitors are presenting … discover what makes you/your business unique. Play to your strong points while being as authentic as you possibly can.

Consider what your main topics will be, your sub-topics, what you want to say and how you want to say it. Whether you want a blog, a website or both. Whether you’ll tie in to social media, use videos, slide shows, shopping carts. Whether you’re enamored by bells and whistles or truly need them to boost your message. Whether a template, a modified template or fully custom is best. Whether you need a very simple web presence, or a full-fledged living website.

When you’re ready to make the plunge and toot your horn, there’s help out there to get you started and/or take you through the whole orchestration.  We’re one of those places. Talk to a few; find the match that suits your needs. And whoever you choose, make sure communication is clear and open in both camps so that the flute solo comes in on cue and the trombones don’t drown out the violins.

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