2011 Art

Amy and Holden (pencil)

Mandy the Basenji

The Basenji is a breed of hunting dog that was bred from stock originating in central Africa.
The Basenji produces an unusual yodel-like sound commonly called a "barroo", due to its unusually shaped larynx which also causes them to be known as "the Barkless Dog!" Mandy belongs to my cousin! (watercolor)

Fall Leaves (watercolor)

King Tut

Painted on papyrus that had just come back from Egypt

Being young is hard

It's hard being young and told what to do all of the time. What to believe - How to act even when

you know the advice is good and true. "I didn't cry when Granny died. She made me so depressed.

And, then I found I missed her more than I'd ever have guessed!" as Carly Simon sang in her song

"The Carter Family!"

Bo the Puppy

He is thinking, "What can I chew up next?" (watercolor)

Hummer
for my sister

Chief Little Shell

 (1829-1900) - The last Chief of the Pembina/Turtle Mountain Ojibway. (pencil) Drawn for
a member of this tribe

Cicada Cicada

Cicada Cicada Flying in the air

Cicada Cicada Landing in my hair

Cicada Cicada Climbing up a tree

Cicada Cicada Landing on my knee

Cicada Cicada Crawling around my toes

Cicada Cicada Landing on my nose

Cicada Cicada Got to keep my mouth shut

Cicada Cicada Or, you’ll be down my throat

\When you gonna leave us? I don’t know!

You’ll be back in 13 years and put on another show!

"The 2011 Annual Birdy Meeting!"
This year’s discussion was about Predators. It was generally agreed that there was safety in numbers unless the Predator had an extremely large mouth and could scoop everyone into his mouth at once. Everything was going well in the discussion until one smart aleck had to say, "Hey! Aren't we all Predators?" The meeting broke up after that....

Directions can be difficult!
I finally just sat down right in the middle of the road as I didn’t know which direction to go! Should I go back the way I came? Commence further on down the very same path? Or, just run screaming and yelling helter-skelter off onto a totally new path? I think I’ll just sit here in the shade until I can figure this thing out! I’m thinking that the “road less traveled” might be a better choice for me as I can’t find the two roads that are diverging in a yellow woods…. In fact, I haven't even seen a yellow wood anywhere!!!

Trying Another Direction

I decided to try a totally new avenue of thought as to which way to go. It's all open territory as far ahead as I can see. I just hope that I made the right choice! There were so many other ways to go that seemed far easier.....

Landing on my head

Hello! I don’t know if you remember me. I’m the guy that was sitting and trying to figure out which direction to go. I tried flying through the sky, but as you can see that just wasn’t the correct path! That last attempt to find the path through life for me just didn’t work out. At least I didn’t fall on Marble Mountain or land in Prickly Forest! Still, I guess it could have been worse and after all, “A frown is only a smile turned upside down!”

Unsure if I learned anything

Hello! Do you remember me? I’m the guy that set out to find some meaning and direction in my life. At some point during my last experience, I found that I had taken the wrong path. I fell from the sky as a result of that one and landed on my head. I have managed to get myself upright, but something just doesn’t seem quite normal! Maybe I hit my head a little too hard. I think that I am seeing double!

Finally Learning a Lesson

Hello! I hope you remember me and my attempt to understand the true meanings of life. I feel that I have learned from this journey, and I want to impart some of the lessons that I have learned to you! So, ponder on this knowledge that I have learned! I believe that it is truly important! This is the lesson I learned: “See no evil! Hear no evil! And! Speak no evil!” I did finally achieve an important lesson from all of this and I want you to also gain from my experiences. I had to learn the hard way, and I hope you won’t have to learn this important knowledge through such a strenuous effort as did I! Good luck to all of you!

Commenting on my lost Moonstone agate marble

I had my best marble stolen from me back in the 50's! It was a Moonstone agate. I didn't use it very much, as if it hit another marble a small crescent moon shape would appear on the marble. So, Skipper, if you are out there..... I want my marble back!!!

The happy resting bird

Birds love to relax, bathe in a shallow pool of water, or take a well-needed dust bath. But when they relax, that is when they are the most vulnerable! However, just think how happy they are up until that one point of time when they can be so rudely awakened by a cat, etc. If only they could live on a world where nothing could harm them!

Dinner Selections

I was trying to make some decisions regarding dinner. I wanted to eat close to home, but the wife wanted to go across town to the “All You Can Eat” buffet. I decided to not comment on how that the last time we went to that establishment they “sighed” as they saw us come in through the door. But, because we went where she wanted to go, the local population did get a reprieve however temporary it was. So, there was some good done that night!

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly in watercolor (from a photo I took on my street)

Einstein learns about time

This shows a time before Einstein realized what he could do or should do. An epiphany hit him when he finally realized that time could turn back on itself if it went far enough. And, that made him realize that others might see him like this all over again for a second time or even more times than that if the space/time continuum continued on forever. So, he decided to change his image after that. Though I’m sure this image is still out there somewhere lurking around in space!

Father and Son having fun

Not everyone understands the joy of being a father and having fun with your son! But I do!!!

Early Feeding System

This is how feedings worked in my neighborhood. This system was observed by Air Force Specialist personnel who then adopted the technique for “In-Flight Refueling” for their aircraft by using a boom from the back of a KC-135. I've heard that it was a lot harder for them than for the fellows on my street. I guess the wind speed had a lot to do with their problem!!

Hairdryer Head
It isn’t easy being different. Especially when someone makes fun of you or the way you look. Such as being called “Hairdryer Head!” when you walk by. Or, “Hey fellow! I need to style my hair! Come on over here!” Or, “Hey Mr. Hairdryer what’s up?” I just wanted to let you know that I can’t be your friend if you act like this to people that are different. As Tom Hanks said in the movie, “Money Pit” - “I’ll……I’ll…..I’ll not be your friend!”

Half a Brain

Strange love sometimes has resistance to PLC and some other words that I don’t understand. I was once told that “It is better to have half of a brain rather than no brain at all!” It took me awhile to understand that, but now I do realize that it is true.  But! What about a skull that is vacant? I think that’s what my problem was in the first place. I just didn’t understand that the guy was talking about me!

Hello in there hello

People often ask me why I look so unhappy and I tell them that "I'm really not unhappy it's just that my body weight is too much for my spindly little legs, and it hurts to walk!" Still, I'm glad they ask how I'm doing. It's like that John Prine song, "Hello in there!" where he says to always say hello to old people!

Tee lost his cap but doesn't seem to be upset by the loss...

The Hole in the Ground
It was just a hole in the ground, but it sure fascinated a lot of folks! Perhaps it reminded us of a hole
in our lives or hearts that existed. One fellow had the idea that if the hole was plugged up with a large ball that all of our problems would go away. One large guy from the Ball People tribe agreed to be the guinea pig for this experiment. But, not all of the Ball People were very happy with this idea as many had realized that they were usually the ones chosen for sacrifices. They also knew that the balls put in holes before had never returned to the clan. And they had never forgotten when Mr. Superball had come to town for an exhibition and agreed to be used in a game of catch. One hit and he was never seen again as he sailed out far over the hill. I'll let you know how it turns out.....

The Pupa
We thought that we’d found a giant pupa, and we all sat for quite a long time around it to see if it would hatch out into something beautiful. Then some antennae twitched, an eye opened, and we heard it say with a loud voice, “Hello there! How are you?” It turned out to be some creature that was unknown to us, and one we hadn’t seen before. After a good, lengthy conversation with him, we got to know him quite well. We learned that he was famous in many other parts of the world and had many friends. I’m glad, now, that he counts us as his friends! There are too many famous people in this world that think that they are above the rest of us or as they call us “the little guys.”

Trespassing
We all thought that we were having a great vacation until some guy stood in our way and said, “You are trespassing!” And, then he told us to “Go back in the direction from whence we came!” That kind of ruined the trip for us. The beauty seemed to fade at that point. Maybe he had something to hide up ahead. We’ll never know as we turned around and got to enjoy what we’d seen before for the 2nd time! So, be thankful that there's always  something good that will come to you when someone treats you badly! When one door closes - another always opens!!

The Paraprosdokian Effect

I couldn't tell what was going on here! No one was talking. I thought about asking Smiley Guy what was happening, but that smile on his face made me think that he might just have "too many screws loose!" Wasn't it Alistair Cooke that once said, "He was at his best when the going was good!" Or, is this all too tenebrificous??

The Most Excellent Head Rack

The one-eared blue bunny thought that it was all about him and his one ear, but it was really that he was just a tribute to a very successful cartoonist named Matt. Mr. Owl had to be there for Addison and couldn’t be anywhere else. Despite having the most beautiful head rack in the country, I still wasn’t going anywhere. And, I never got invited to parties. If only I could move around, then I’d have a much better chance at success! Why oh why did I plant myself in such a place? I guess I thought that the “River would flow right to my door!” If only I’d selected a much better location to set up my store, then maybe I could have been invited to all of the local parties…. I need to make a sign and set it up that says, “Anyone that wants to be in the place where no one comes! Set up here!”

Skippy Christmas Card 2011

What was I thinking?

I’m not sure what I was thinking. I was in “Military Mode” and realizing that we definitely needed some discipline in our ranks. But then, chaos struck and we weren’t sure which way to go. The flow of the world just about swept over us and washed us away until we finally regrouped and ran off the perpetrators that had caused the setback! A few more days and we wouldn’t have been able to overcome or correct that situation! I’m just so glad we had gone over and over in our training what was necessary in case such a problem ever occured as it finally did occur! "Be Prepared!" is the Boy Scout motto! As you can see - everything is back to normal!!!

Learning to Hunt - a beginner's lesson

"Ok son! The first bug is the hardest, but then it does get easier after that! And!!! Eventually you will be up to catching full-grown chickens in no time at all! All it takes is initiative and experience. So! Just go for it!"

Ms. Birdie’s Pre-school

I just love taking care of my little ones! I’m an old retired teacher doing the best that I can with my pension. I missed my students so much that I felt I needed to get back into teaching, and at my age this is about all I can do! I really loved all of my students in the past very much! In my new job, it’s a good thing that my charges have such short legs, or else I wouldn’t be able to keep up with them very easily!

When mutations go horribly wrong!

It's because we lived too close to the nuclear power plant. Besides, three-eyed
fish taste funny!

 Really Mad at Something!
 I'm really mad at something. I'm not really sure what it is unless it's everything that has been happening to me and building up for some time. Or, maybe in my old age I'm just getting cranky. But, till I know what it is I'm going to point my finger and let you think that I really know what I'm mad about even if I don't know!

 The Sad Head
he is buried in the leaves as he just can't go on

Sinking in Debt....

The slow fade away, the sinking into the oblivion of mire. I feel all walled in! The only escape is to melt into this chaos, and then be hidden amongst all the rest that are with me.... Oh well, it will be ok!

The Joke

I was asked to paint something funny. I couldn’t think of anything humorous to paint, but I did remember a joke. It goes, “Two nuns walked into a bar." The first nun says, ‘Ow!’ the second nun says, ‘Ow! Why didn’t you tell me the bar was there?’” (And, if you must know – I’m the little guy that looks like a sock puppet telling the joke to the big yellow guy.) But, no one ever gets that joke. Maybe it’s just the English sense of humor or something….

The Old Yeller Guy
You may think that I'm a coward because of my color, but I smile in the face of horrible
circumstances and adversity! However, though I am actually afraid; I still will smile and
put my best foot forward despite being yellow in color. Now who can tell me that they
didn't cry when "Old Yeller" died? That doesn't make you or I a "cry baby" or a "coward"

for feeling those emotions! It just means that we understand the importance or caring!

A lot on my mind!

Lately I’ve had a lot on my mind. It is probably due to the stress of things going on around me, and how much my life has changed recently. I try to cope with the the new difficulties as much as I can. I knew it was coming. I just didn’t know how soon it would get here! And, now that it's here; it seems kind of heavy!

The New Hat!

I was in need of a new Chapeau for my head. So, I went to a local Millinery shop. The owner told me that I hadn't looked very good in the type of hat I usually bought and suggested one that he said, "Was the latest rage!" He said that he only had one left as the rest had sold quickly! So, I hurriedly purchased the hat. But, that 1st look of shock on the face of my friends told me that something wasn't right. Then, when their expressions quickly changed from ugly grimaces to all out laughter - I knew that I'd made a terrible mistake!

No Longer Afraid!

There will come a time when what scares you will be scared of you ! That is an exceptionally
rewarding time! So, just stick around as it will happen!!!!

No More Left of My Kind -

Finally, I am the last of my kind! The rest have been wiped out. There isn’t a chance to continue on with my species. Eventually I may have to try some of that Soylent Green birdseed that some of the other types of animals eat to keep on existing. It just never seemed to be very nutritional to me. And, I wondered about its ingredients. The ingredient labeling was somewhat vague. Still, what else can I do? I feel very lonely without any others of my kind. But, I guess it would do me some good to make friends with the other inhabitants of my world as there isn’t anything else I can do without any of my kind left alive….

Back in the 60's we all thought that we looked pretty good as hippies. But, in reality -
we didn't look as good as we thought! Though our persepective did show us a different

view on life!

PLC

I went to the local PLC meeting about Science and Social Studies. This is what I learned about Science and Social Studies - Please Let’s Care, Please Like Candy, Pets Love Caresses, People Leave Cuticles, Pests Like Cuddling, Porpoises Literally Commute, Platonic Love Cancels, Purchases Lose Cash, People love Chocolate, and Poisons Leave Clues! Well, at least I learned something!

The Amazing Dancing Worm!

This is how worms think they can dance after watching Elaine Benes (but not

the Elaine Benes from Lawrence Co., Tn) dance on the Jerry Seinfeld Show. Or, is this how worms feel just after the hook goes in? I was always told that worms can't feel anything such as a very sharp hook piercing their innards. But, I wonder if that is just another one of those tales such as "You can't swim for an hour after eating!"

 The Great Orator

We all came to hear him speak, but we really weren’t sure of what he was saying. Perhaps, his message just wasn’t clear enough, or that his choice of words just didn’t hold our attention. Maybe he used a dialect of  which we just weren’t familiar… Well, whatever it was – we just didn’t understand him!

Worrying about my eggs

I have to be very careful about where I lay my eggs! A lot of them have been taken and used for games of marbles. And when that happens, they just don’t hatch out! I guess that’s because of all the “knocking about!” and it hurts their development. My hatching percentage and survival rate is very low. So, that’s why I have to be very careful about where I lay my eggs!