Illustrations for J. H. Sweet's WISHING WELL

Here are four of the early renderings but the large areas of black bleed through the pages and would be costly in ink to print.

My inspiration for Foo came from my joyous but fiercely protective mixed rat terror, part Pomeranian, part toy poodle, 100% Seattle cosmopolitan. As I did more and more drawings Foo looked more like my dog and me. I became fascinated by my treasured memento from my grandfather Emil Widler. In particular two Foo dogs on tiny, carved stone chops. He used his chops in the late 19th century and first half of the 20th. One was a stamp of his Chinese name and the other the name of his FiNe Arts store on Bubbling Well in old Shanghai. Grandfather Emil a foreign native of the Orient, an old China hand whose scholarly enthusiasm for books gave my mother encouragement to make dolls to photograph as children's book illustrations. My mother then in return encouraged me and taught me by allowing me, as young as five years old, to finish her sculpted clay faces giving them the touch of life expression.

Now I am a grandmother and I began the illustrations the same way as I learned, by sculpting Foo in oil clay. making movement flow like clay does. My own style was polished by a trip to China and Tibet in 2003.

I shed tears of happiness to have a meaningful partnership with a cousin who I have not known until her brother found me through seeing my art work on the Internet. Like the Foo dog we have origins in Istanbul and have been shipped from port to port in the Orient. We trekked in the Himalayan Mountains, been in service of Queens and Emperors. Like Foo we have lost partners and have gone on to be protective and healing to the world where ever we are. Now working on Foo and Friends book we fulfill grandfather's greatest wish that we could go across the world to meet cousins like J. H. Sweet and bring the family together. Like grandfather believed books truly transport you through space and time bringing the dead, the living and the yet to be born together in a loving way.

I am deeply honored to illustrate Joanne Sweet's Foo And Friend's Series. http://www.jhsweet.com/

Now going up - "Skating Yes I Can" book

"Magic Man help me skate if you can" will be my new blog complete in two week. I am publishing this older work of mine and a friend Lee Ann Lehni's verse. http://skateyesican.blogspot.com/

Just noticed how close the message of the magic man book is to my Obama wood block paintings. In both the magic comes from within us inspired by a leading facilitator. The purpose of the skating book was to encourage the self-esteem of my children through the physical sport of roller skating. My kids were competitive roller skaters. They learned new skills by visualizing in their minds what they wished to accomplish. The purpose of the new Obama blocks is for my grandchildren to visualize that the teaming up of citizens can give them an effective voice in government.

Now one of my paintings is hanging in the Corvallis, Oregon Obama Democrate Party Headquarters, "Challenges us to know we can because Obama "won't back down from any challenge." This is the block picturing the high school aged Obama holding the ball of fair play. The quote is from his brother-in-law, the OSU Basketball Coach C. Robinson from his speech at the Democratic Convention.

Our current election has just too much fearful mud throwing. The reason that the Republicans are able to make fear an effective strategy in the presidential campaign is the low self-esteem of citizens. If the citizens of the United States of America believe in their ability to be heard, the fabricated fear factor in campaigns would just roll off and citizens would be able to make a clear choice.

The process of the original book was very different. I first made the illustrations on large silk banners and then found a writer who wrote the verse. LeeAnn Lehni gives me permission to self publish our work. LeeAnn is very gracious because we are very different. I am liberal and she is conservative.

Imagine conservatism and liberalism could exist without this very destructive polarization. It is like a third illness of fear destroying us. It is nothing new as in 1870 Mark Twain quotes his grandmother in RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR. " You have never done one single thing in all your life to be ashamed of - not one. Look at the newspapers - look at them and comprehend what sort of characters Messrs. Smith and Blank are, and then see if you are willing to lower yourself to their level and enter a public canvas with them." An expression for what his opponents did to Twain is - ad hominem. 1) appealing to a person's feelings or prejudices rather than his intellect. 2. marked by an attack on an opponent's character rather than by an answer to his contentions.

Excited to Illustrate J. H. Sweet's Foo and Friends early reader chapter book

The illustrator in me is encouraged by an invitation by published author, HJ Sweet. I have signed a professional contract and by the end of October or before I'll complete the first in a series of books about Foo and Friends. These books, for now, will be free books on the Internet. Joanne's writing has extraordinary characters and great action making illustrating her work both challenging and rewarding. I am now brain storming by making clay models of the faces of ceramic fantasy dogs, march monster, and an Evil Eye, a gnome, a gargoyle, a flamingo, a plastic owl and many more.

The evolving Obama Presidency Paintings

Yesterday I volunteered at the Corvallis, Oregon Democratic headquarters. My task was to enter data into computers with the aim of tracking the phone calling so all voters get one call. And the undecided get further information. While volunteering I was happy to see the number of young voters and senior citizens volunteering.
I looked over the graphics at the headquarters and judged them as strong. The portraits of Obama in red white and blues were symbolic of the message that skin color matters less than patriotism. I thought the other banners with slogan words were doing the job of creating an energetic atmosphere. The addition of any more art would lessen the general effect. The idea of using them as a fund raiser is not a good one because of al the logistic problems and the prospects of getting a very good return.

Playfull Basketball is Practice Teamwork

Obama practiced teamwork in high school basketball. The same basic obstacles encountered in the game parallel adult entanglements.
As I wait for the results of the Manifest Hope Gallery competition, the pressure is off and I feel free in my painting.

It is also time to prepare for a hands on demonstration of my travel accordion books at the Albany Air and Art Festival next Sunday.

Final update on visualizing Obama

These were paintings I did for the Move On Obama Art Contest. I only entered the first one because I missed the deadline on the second.

Flash Back to Early Paintings

Church Lake, Washington State, 1985, acrylic on canvas

Still Life Class Assignment painted at Portland State College 1962 or 1963, oil on Burlap from Miller's Bag Company, Portland Oregon. or Belgium Linen The Fiber is still holding up after about 46 years.

Still Life outside of class assignments painted at Portland State College 1963 or 1964

Breitenbush at confluence of Humbug Creek, Acrylic on canvas

When I get to be older " I'll Twirl my Umbrella Upsidedown to Catch Oregon's Liquid Sunshine"

This July grandchildren will be visiting and I will be posting on the 19th and maybe some creative things we do together.

Study for visualizing Obama as a changer of world politics

Frequent readers of my blog have seen my first dream of Obama's team winning the Presidency overcoming the "Plaguers" - Greed, Inertia, Dream Squelcher, Big Lie, Prejudice, Fear, Panic and Ego. Obama's experience in team effort to overcome these plagues makes him the most talented to change the United States' imperialistic world policy. My dreams formed as I painted. At first there was the world below the hoop halo. And the heads of state stood below the haloed world as though they were just passive receivers of a miracle. All the people were equal. No more imperial superpowers. At their feet were the "Plaguers" just piled up limply. Then I started making the world leaders engaged in the game of basketball. Not real basketball but the essence of basketball team work.
This is a progress report. Can you tell that the world is going through the net of a unifying force - possibly the world wide web? I can paint the blue marble more beautifully. The heads of state pictured here may need an attitude adjustment through painting different body language. It is just hard for me to visulize the transformation of heads of state when the United States stops rescuing as an excuse for domination.
I understand many still believe we are waging war in Iraq to keep terrorists from attacking us at home. I wonder if I am in an ivory tower painting too far beyond common comprehension.
The next study will be a dream of Obama inspiring the direction of the homeland. Finally I'll be making a blog with these political dream paintings along with earlier political paintings soon.

New images appear in my dream of Obama becoming President

Friday I will post more dreams of the where with all talent of Obama facing our nation at home and in the world. I am painting on wood cradled boxes 12" Squre by 1 1/2". These are not for sale but I am planning to sell a portfolio of reproductions on demand.

Finley National Wildlife Refuge from Bird Viewing Blind

"Finley Marsh Atmosphere" is acrylic color droped into wet acrylic medium on cradled wood box 12" x 9" x 1 1/2" for sale, $ 150.

Cabell Marsh, Finley National Wildlife Refuge

"Junary 8, 2008 Cabell Marsh" is acrylic on a cradled wood board 12" x 9" x 1 1/2" for sale $100 Last Sunday was very special because it was a rare sunny day. the news media here in Oregon have said that this year the unseasonal snows and cold weather makes it more like January than June. I painted from memory and a small drawing done while walking along the marsh with "Rain" and her husband "Ranch Boss".

Finding new beginnings in older paintings

To "Cebolia Wildfowers" I added a thin layer of paint around the flowers sympifying and thus making the areas relate to one another. The way I draped the flowers over the landscape reminds me of the Iris Patch Dragon that I just painted. This painting is acrylic on canvas 16" x 20" for sale $300.



"The Iris Patch Dragon" is watercolor and acrylic in Acrylic medium on cradled wood board 6" x 8" x 1 1/2" for sale $100. The iris hve been beaten down by the rains since I first started this painting. The way they line up on the ground in curved lines suggested the legs and claws.

The weather is very rainy and cold. So in my studio I am adding myself to old painting such as this one.

"Riding the Dragon of Windy Bend", is acrylic on museum wrapped canvas 24" x 36" x 1 1/2" is for sale for $300

Plunkett Creek Loop, Beazell Memorial Forest

"Plunkett Creek Larkspur" is watercolor and acrylic paint in acrylic medium washes on cradled wood board, 10" x 8" sold. Saturday my husband and I with "Rain" and her husband, "the Ranch Boss", enjoyed walking at Fort Hoskins taking photographs. I have some sketches in my mole skin sketch book ready to develop further and will soon be posted. On Sunday we were treated to a extraordinary surprise. We met again at Beazell Memorial Park in King's valley, Oregon. We walked through the little valley with a brook lined in larkspur. Every flower and towering oak truly made me feel small like I was walking into a fairyland of my childhood.

Redwood Sapling

"Redwood Sapling" is acrylic on cradled wood board 12" square by 1 1/2" deep. Not for sale until the completion of my series on our urban forest is complete.

Memory of Our Cut Down Fir Tree

"Memory of our Cut Down Fir Tree with Nest" first painted with two blue jays in flight is acrylic and iridescent color on cradled wood board, 12" square by 1 1/2" deep and will be for sale when I complete this series on urban forests. There is much work to be done on our neighbor's overgrown Christmas tree lots. more and more houses are being built close by. The city ordinance says in vacant areas the grass must be cut and in order to get to the grass the trees need to be thinned. Our neighborhood looks like it is between being a park and a tree farm.

Reducing Fire Danger in Overgrown Christmas Tree Lot

My husband on tractor is pushing the burn pile together burning excessive branches.This picture was taken exactly a year after posting my environmental painting of birds and fish benefiting from a root ball in a pond. When I did this final painting of the series about loosing the fir trees I had no idea that I could continue the story this year. Pictured above is one of last years paintings, " The Dream, A Submerged Root Ball is a Fish Nursery." acrylic on cradled Masonite, 12" square by 1 1/2" deep, will be for sale when series is complete. This is an important series in my life work. More paintings will follow soon.

I am overwelmed that my dream came true. My husband is lining up trees to be transported soon to ponds which fill old rock quarries where gravel was dug for the I 5 Freeway that traverses Oregon between California and Washington. The stumps and root balls will provide habitats for fisheries thaks to volunteer workers like my husband.
Oregon Department of Fish and Wild Life loading fallen trees.

Thinned Overgrown Christmas Trees

"Thinned Overgrown Christmas Trees" is acrylic on a cradled wood box 6" x 8" x 1 1/2", ready to hang, no frame necessary, for sale $100 plus postage. For fire protection my husband is thinning a neighbor's Christmas trees grown to 45 feet tall. These trees are not of much commercial value so they are being donated to the Department of Fish and Wild Life. The tree with root ball will be placed in the old gravel pits left behind when they were dug out for the construction of I5 Freeway. These gravel pits have filled with water and will become better fish habitats with the addition of these spindly trees and roots.
This project came about after I painted a series on the trees cut down on the lot we sold. I imagined that their roots were placed in a lake and fish fry were swimming and taking shelter in the tangled roots. So this means I will continue the series started just over a year ago. http://umbrellapaintingjournal.blogspot.com/2007/05/fish-habitat.html#links

I make dragons to express spirit and essence of the unseeable

To see these and more dragons click on the linkhttp://widlerwenzeldragons.blogspot.com/

Early Spiritual Dragon Painting

" Primeval Sea", 1965, is an acrylic painting on canvas, 19.5" x 49.5" "Rain's collection. Rain is correct in labeling the painting a spiritual abstract. "Rain," who was the first to notice hidden dragons in my paintings, saw the dragon in this early painting.

Labels, however, make me uncomfortable and when people ask what kind of painter I am, I squirm in discomfort and I stammer a few confusing words wishing I would just disappear at that moment.

I have always considered this painting spiritual. I remember having coffee with Rain the morning before painting it as we often did. That morning we thought about how the universe began and if there was a God. Spiritual means to me that which we know exists beyond what can be measured scientifically.

I am in the process of identifying which works are spiritual. I think most of my work is spiritual because of the way I go about making them like they are a journey each one of them.