Lizard of Ahhhs...

Handsome little critter, huh? (Or pretty little critter -- I don't know if this is a male or a female).

This desert spiny lizard showed up in a corner of our patio yesterday. So of course, I just had to take some pictures of him/her.

Need I say s/he will be showing up in a painting in the near future?

Jealous

Yes, I admit -- I do get jealous at times. Hopefully not in a negative, destructive way, but it does happen.

This morning on ABC-TV's Good Morning America, they showed an interview with J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series of books (and which have been made into highly successful movies).

As I understand, she had relatively little writing experience. Yet, after a divorce and no significant employment skills to offer, she turned to writing -- and almost overnight she achieved the kind of notoriety and financial means most of us only dream of.

And then there was the (deceased) Michael Crighton. He received an MD degree and did some postdoctoral work, but as far as I know, he never suffered through a medical residency or practiced medicine.

Now, I do possess some writing skills, although I've never attempted anything as involved as a novel. But I do harbor a dream of doing that. So it is that I'm jealous of both Rowling and Crighton.

I haven't read any of the Harry Potter books, but I really should. I know other writers who have, and they claim the writing is very good.

I've only read one of Crighton's books (Jurassic Park: The Lost World). The storyline was fine, but honestly, I believe I'm a better writer than he was. What I seem to lack -- a gift he had -- is knowing how to take a principle of science and turn it into a story. After all, I have a MS degree in microbiology: I could have written The Andromeda Strain. I understand DNA cloning: I could have written Jurassic Park. But I didn't. Stories like those just didn't occur to me at all.

So I have an additional goal in life, over and above making and selling art: to develop my imagination and story-telling abilities so I can be the next Michael Crighton -- or even the next J.K. Rowling.

But until then -- I'll wallow in jealousy!

Monument Valley

I actually finished this piece several weeks ago, but I only got around to photographing it recently. This is one of many wonderful views in Monument Valley in Navajo Tribal Park, Arizona. This particular scene is visible right from the dirt road that winds through the place.

I not only like the view, I also liked the small desert lupine (the blue flower) that was really there at the time. It's a little hard to see, but it's near the bottom of the image, right of center.

It's hard to go wrong when painting (or photographing) Monument Valley. Everywhere you look, it's beautiful and magical. No wonder so many western movies were filmed there.

More "eBay Paintings"

By the title, you might gather I make paintings with the intention of listing them on eBay. If you assumed such, you are right!

I've posted another desert painting on eBay tonight, along with a few others I placed there last night. Tonight's piece is entitled "Desert Poppies" which, at least on my monitor, look more brownish than orange-yellow as they appear on the painting. (That's a hazard of trying to sell anything online where color rendition is important).

If you'd like to check it out on eBay, the direct link is here. Remember -- you have only a week! But it's a great way to get some affordable original art.

Summer

This is a painting I finished recently entitled Summer. As you might guess, I thought there might actually be a few people who prefer landscapes that are NOT desert scenes!

Since it is summer (the torrid temperatures here in the Mojave desert prove it), I thought it might be fun to paint a scene that looks like a place I would like to go right now to relax, kick off the shoes, cool off and listen to the sounds of nature. And, of course, there are NO mosquitoes, ants, spiders or other obnoxious critters here at all.

I muted the greens quite a bit for this painting. Art comes first, of course, but I have to be a little practical and remember that green isn't the most saleable color right now. If that ever changes, I'd love to do landscapes with rich, vibrant greens. But for now, I'll keep those colors subtle.

And for one week only, this piece is available on eBay!

It's summer. Take it easy!

We're Off to See the Lizard

We're Off to See the Lizard is a portrait of a side-blotched lizard, a very common species here in the Southwest. What I like about them is they have all of the colors of the Southwest: rusty red, earth tones and turquoise blue. This group of color is my favorite combination and explains, in part, what it is I love about the desert so much!

These lizards are small: about 6"/15cm from tip-of-nose to end-of-tail, and are quite prolific. For that reason, they commonly end up in the bellies of roadrunners which, depending on whether you favor the predators or the prey, leaves you feeling either indifferent or sad.

I included some Anasazi pottery shards that a Native American friend collected for me in Arizona. (She tells me these shards are scattered all over the desert floor in certain parts of AZ). The lizard, of course, is entirely unaware of these relics of man's presence, and seeks only to continue its business of searching for food or, possibly, a mate.

He's Out of My Life

The Michael Jackson memorial service was earlier today. I wasn't able to watch all of it; in fact, I saw only bits and pieces.

I was surprised at how low key the event turned out to be. I almost expected more of a concert with dancing in the aisles, lots of flash photography and other concert activities. Instead, people seemed to display a reverent attitude; that -- indeed -- the fans' hero was gone and wasn't coming back; and the focus was on the man's artistic accomplishments, not on the occasions when Michael had personal and legal battles that seemed to knock him off of his King of Pop throne.

I've always felt Michael Jackson was a phenomenal performer, although -- merely a personal preference -- during his earliest years with the Jackson Five, his voice was a little too shrill for me, kind of like fingernails against a chalkboard. But his voice softened as he grew older, and his singing and dancing evolved into an art form that was truly his own. He was amazing to watch and listen to, and I'm sorry we'll never get to see what he might have accomplished had he lived to launch his comeback tour in the UK.

But -- Michael documented LOTS of CDs and videos, so we're not likely to forget his artistry. And whatever his life was like, tortured or not, I hope he's in a better place today, leading the choirs of heaven in both song and dance.

I'm one of millions who will miss ya, MJ!

(The photo is from this morning's memorial service showing Queen Latifah at the podium. Credit: Mark J. Terrill/AP/MCTMARK J. TERRILL/AP/MC).