illustration Archives - Page 10 of 19

December 5, 2011 In appreciation, art, communication, creativity, design, drawing, illustration, inspiration By Patricia Saxton

A Plethora of P’s / #49: Peppermint

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

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A refreshing herb that grows with wild abandon in almost any garden, peppermint cleanses the palette, soothes digestion, eases headaches and can help keep your memory nearly as sharp as an elephant’s.

Popular for providing a perky punch to the taste buds, it’s also packed with nutrients, making it one of nature’s “wonder herbs”. I like to toss a few fresh leaves in my tea, along with a pinch of parsley and chamomile. Yum!

For all of peppermint’s natural goodness, I have a sneaky suspicion that the nutritional value is lost in its processed, sugary form (alright, more than a suspicion), but I figure there’s still some sweet emotional value watching a young face light up when offered a candy cane. : )

December 3, 2011 In art, books, children's books, creativity, design, illustration, imagination, inspiration By Patricia Saxton

Give Peace (& then some!)

Our offering of gifts to brighten the holiday season; for all who might appreciate art, design and creativity, peace, magical beings, hope and promise. Give, receive, share and enjoy for years to come!

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 ….)

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”.

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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.

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”.

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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.

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!)

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”.

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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

November 10, 2011 In art, children's books, creativity, drawing, illustration, imagination, inspiration By Patricia Saxton

Doing What You Love

“let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” ~ Rumi

I came across these sketches the other night .. a couple of the original pencil drawings for A Book of Fairies; and was reminded how much I enjoyed creating that book.

They also reminded me that loving what you do can translate into something that’s not only real and viable~ but with enough good spirit (backed by solid effort … and maybe a muse or two), it can also touch others in ways you hadn’t imagined.

How do you measure that? It comes unexpected, in the eyes of a delighted child, eager to share a story about the mermaid they saw in their grandfather’s creek, or the child who sends you a hand-drawn thank you with fairy crowns and sparkles, or the teen who wants to be an author or an illustrator too.

And all of that makes all the years of well-loved pencil scribbling all the more meaningful. It makes doing what you love make sense.

November 7, 2011 In appreciation, art, communication, creativity, design, drawing, illustration, inspiration By Patricia Saxton

A Plethora of P’s / #45: Pachyderm

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

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Wrinkles never looked so good. Nor housed beings so big and rich in personality, intelligence, loyalty and tender care as an elephant clan.

Then there are the rhinos and hippos. And wild boars and warthogs. And I have to say I’m pretty enamored with their novelty and longevity in a civilized world. Just knowing they exist makes me happy for some reason.

That I’ve seen them in the wild makes me even happier ~ but let me tell you, I wouldn’t want to cross any of them when they’re in bad mood. They’re thick-skinned and they don’t take any bull. You gotta admire that.

And there’s something to be learned there, huh. Longevity… loyalty… thick skins… worrying less about things that are out of our reach, and more about taking care of what’s within our grasp, right here and now.

Food for thought.

November 4, 2011 In art, books & stuff, branding, creativity, design, illustration, inspiration, photography By Patricia Saxton

“where in the world is peace?”… west of the delaware and south of the mason-dixon line

Book by book, bag by bag, button by button, good people are spreading the message that “peace starts here”. Much appreciation to these new peace ambassadors!