To The P.O.I.N.T…

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africa, african, animal, animal prints, animals, art, big cat, big cat rescue, black, black and white, brown, cat rescue, College, College Football, detroit, detroit football, detroit lions, dots, Football, football fan, football game, game, game room, game room art, gold, lion, lioness, lions, male, Men, nfl, nfl fan, nittany, nittany lions, penn, penn state, pennsylvania, pointillism, pointillist, pride, proud, proud lion, safari, sharon cummings, sporting, sports, sports art, state, stipple, white, zoo, zoo animals

As promised, I am sharing more of my work from my art school days.  I did not do much painting back then.  My degree slants toward the commercial side, so I used pencils, pens, and markers as my primary mediums.  One of the good things about schooling is that often you are challenged to try techniques that you would not have chosen otherwise.  My “Proud Lion” above is creating using what is called “stippling” and is referred to as pointillism in art terminology.

This was created nearly 25 years ago.  There was no computer help.  The entire piece was done by hand using an ink pen on white cardboard.  Many countless dots over and over again (including what looks like solid black) make up his shapes and shadows.  I had to “draw” him in my mind and couldn’t rely on printing out something I could dot over.  Nope.  It’s all handmade.  In the close up, you can see the irregularities in the dots which is a dead giveaway that no computer was involved.

I am not knocking computer work.  I use it all of the time now!  I am simply remembering the cramped hands and cross eyes of yesteryear. 😉  I also appreciate the fact that nowadays you can make mistakes and quickly fix them.  Back then there were a lot of “do overs”.

Times have changed, but true art remains……timeless.

More to come from my old portfolio soon!

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Oh, My Sweet Carolina

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art prints, asheville, carolina panthers, carolinas, cary, charlotte, charlotte bobcats, checkers, durham, east coast, fayetteville, greensboro, greenville, high point, hurricanes, north carolina, panthers, raleigh, sharon cummings, south, southern, state, states, wall, wilmington, winston salem

 

When I think of North Carolina, the Ryan Adams’ song “Oh, My Sweet Carolina” comes to mind.  He croons “All the sweetest winds they blow across the South.  Oh my sweet Carolina.”  As a Southern girl, I know these words are true.  I have traveled all over the United States, and those sweet winds always call me back.  I have never found a place so lovely as home.

I have spent a lot of time in the great state of North Carolina.  I love the city of Asheville with it’s mountains, quaint shops and great restaurants.  It is a quintessential Southern town with lots of charm that we are known for down here.  I am also a big fan of Winston-Salem with it’s beautiful gardens and art museums.

I am looking forward to going back soon.  As Ryan says, “May you one day carry me home.  Up here in the city feels like things are closing in.  The sunsets just my light bulb burning out……”

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F.L.O.R.I.D.A.

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bradenton, disney, epcot, florida, florida beaches, florida map, map of florida, miami, sarasota, state, state maps, state of florida, states, tallahassee, tampa, the sunshine state, the united states, travel, United States, universal studios, vacation

For those of you following my map quest, I should say that I will not be creating all 50 states unless someone requests that I do so.  Nothing personal to all of my Wyoming fans, but a rectangle really does not make for much excitement. 😉  So I’ve found myself attracted to the funky shaped states such as my own: Florida.

Known as the “Sunshine State” for obvious reasons, Florida is kind of shaped like a gun which I find somewhat fitting.  Because every time I read a news report about some bizarre crime, the scene is always somewhere in Florida.  Truly we have many interesting people here and the real crazies seem to be drawn to it.  If a man is going to eat another man’s face while he sleeps, it will happen in Florida.  If someone will be attacked with a dead squirrel….yup, it will be here.

All of the oddities aside, I love my state.  I have lived here almost my entire life and I have no desire to move anywhere else.  If you want entertainment we have Disney, Epcot, Universal Studios and Busch Gardens.  But the real attraction are our beaches.  They are absolutely stunning!  Sarasota’s powder white sands and turquoise waves equals heaven to me.  I love the lush tropical landscaping and the relaxed atmosphere of the smaller cities.

Some interesting Florida facts:

• Florida covers 58,560 square miles of area. 4,298 square miles are water.
• There are 30,000 lakes and over 1,300 golf courses.
• Florida has over 1,300 miles of coastline with 800 miles of beaches.
• Florida has a warm climate throughout the year with a rainy/stormy season in the summer.
• Florida’s capitol city, Tallahassee, was the only southern capitol east of the Mississippi River to remain in southern hands for the duration of the Civil War.  

• Amelia Island is the only location in the U.S. to have been ruled under eight different national flags.
• The nation’s oldest city St. Augustine, was settled by Spanish explorers in 1565.
• The Florida Everglades are the only place in the world where alligators and crocodile co-exist.
• Santa Rosa County’s Blackwater River State Forest area offers over a million acres of protected wilderness with miles of hiking trails and canoeing routes and has been dubbed the “Canoe Capitol of Florida.”
• More than 3,000 Seminole Indians live on six reservations throughout the state of Florida: Big Cypress, Brighton, Fort Pierce, Hollywood, Immokalee and Tampa.

It Never Rains In California…

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anaheim, bakersfield, bears, bruins, cali, california, california map, cardinal, chargers, chula vista, counties, fontana, freemont, fresno, glendale, hollywood, irvine, los angeles, map, maps, modesto, moreno valley, oakland, oceanside, oxnard, raiders, riverside, sacramento, san bernadino, san diego, san francisco, san francisco 49ers, san jose, santa ana, state, state maps, stockton, trojans, united states maps

Seems it never rains in southern California….Seems I’ve often heard that kind of talk before….It never rains in California…

I grew up with the words of this Albert Hammond song and thought it must be really dry in that state!  Apparently it is right now as there is a drought!  But that is not my experience.  It wasn’t until I was in my 30’s that I got to visit this great place.  And it was anything but dry.  Lush vibrant landscapes and gentle breezes coming off of the ocean are what is in my memory banks.  I stayed in San Diego for a week and it was heavenly. The food was fabulous and the great places to walk and bike ride were perfection.  I’d like to go back and see some other cities.  The last trip was paid for by a foundation that awarded my husband for his first book.  I need to get him winning awards again!

All My Exes Live In Texas…

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amarillo, armadillo, art, art prints, austin, big, canvas, counties, counties of texas, county, dallas, dallas cowboys, dallas texas, decorative maps, Football, houston, houston astros, houston texans, houston texas, interior design, lone star state, longhorn, longhorns, map of texas, mavericks, mocking bird, paintings, prints, red river, rio grande, rockets, sharon cummings, spurs, state, states, symbol, texan, texas, texas by county, texas map, texas rangers, university of texas, wall maps

Actually they live in Florida, but that doesn’t rhyme. 😉  I have been to Texas a few times during the Winter months.  I thought I might find love there, but It was just cold and brown.  While I am working on some maps, I decided that this one should definitely be colorful!  I’ve been seeing a lot of map wall art lately.  People love them because they are traditional and add a touch of sophistication to any room.  Abstract art on the other hand can be a bit scary for a lot of people.  I’ve combined the traditional with the modern to create a map that anyone can hang and enjoy. 🙂

Here are some interesting facts about this big state:

1. Texas is popularly known as The Lone Star State.
2. The Alamo is located in San Antonio. It is where Texas defenders fell to Mexican General Santa Anna and the phrase Remember the Alamo originated. The Alamo is considered the cradle of Texas liberty and the state’s most popular historic site.
3. The lightning whelk is the official state shell.
4. Texas is the only state to have the flags of 6 different nations fly over it. They are: Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Confederate States, and the United States.
5. Although six flags have flown over Texas, there have been eight changes of government: Spanish 1519-1685, French 1685-1690, Spanish 1690-1821, Mexican 1821-1836, Republic of Texas 1836-1845, United States 1845-1861, Confederate States 1861-1865, United States 1865-present
6. The King Ranch in Texas is bigger than the state of Rhode Island.
7. During the period of July 24-26, 1979, the Tropical Storm Claudette brought 45 inches of rain to an area near Alvin, Texas, contributing to more than $600 million in damages. Claudette produced the United States 24 hour rainfall record of 43 inches.
8. More wool comes from the state of Texas than any other state in the United States.
9. Edwards Plateau in west central Texas is the top sheep growing area in the country.
10. Texas is the only state to enter the United States by treaty instead of territorial annexation.
11. The state was an independent nation from 1836 to 1845.
12. Texas boasts the nation’s largest herd of whitetail deer.
13. A coastal live oak located near Fulton is the oldest tree in the state. The tree has an estimated age of more than 1,500 years.
14. Sam Houston, arguably the most famous Texan, was actually born in Virginia. Houston served as governor of Tennessee before coming to Texas.
15. Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.