Bridal Smile/ Country Rock Version

My latest video, in collaboration with guitarist and music producer Davide Bissoli

Bridal Smile

Today On A Horse

Here is my latest post on Youtube, a recital of my illustrated poem, "Today On A Horse"

Today On A Horse

Once Upon A Guitar

Ayn Rand's Kind O' Man

Warmer Than My Heart (Video!)

Here is my latest music video, with music from The Mighty Takapu

Warmer Than My Heart on Youtube

A Menagerie Mystery Tour!

I love the Beatles and I love animals. So of course I love it when the Beatles included animals in their songs. Here is my tribute to that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e_98QqrKsY&feature=em-upload_owner

Wild, Wonderful, Whale Water Show!

Here is the latest in my series, "Lory's Dreams", and this dream was, well, pretty spectacular!

Bridal Smile - a sung poem

Oodles of Doodles!

Stampeding Capybaras!

Only in the world of Sherlock Ferret will you find a scene such as this!
This is from Hugh Ashton's and my third book in the series, which will be released in the latter half of 2014.

There Are Ferretings About!

Known as both 'The World's Cutest Detective' and 'An Insulting Detective' (the latter by Watson Mouse), Sherlock Ferret has sleuthed his way into young readers' hearts as he helps various furry and fuzzy animals with problems that only he can solve.

Two books are already published and purchasable, while a third is currently in the works.
Written by brilliant mystery writer Hugh Ashton, and illustrated by yours truly, the world of Sherlock Ferret is captivating and amusing, and introduces children to not only the art of sleuthing, but to various other topics such as art history and the environment.

A perfect gift for grownup fans of Sherlock Holmes to share with the children in their lives!

Sherlock Ferret and the Missing Necklace

Sherlock Ferret and the Multiplying Masterpieces

Song: Recovery

Me singing a while back. The song is my own, titled 'Recovery'

It's one of those things that really comes from the heart, and a heart that has been broken a time or two....

Also on youtube

Recovery, live

Lyrics

There are times when your soul’s had to pay so many tolls

that it falls under the weight and is smothered

it’s as good to you as gone, so you have to carry on

while you wait for it to slowly recover

You know your life has changed when you go from day to day

and you just don’t want to show up for tomorrow

You look into the mirror, and the image that appears

is a face so unlike yours you’d swear it’s borrowed

I didn’t know where I was going; I just knew that where I was

was no place that I wanted to stay

carrying my past around ‘cause I didn’t know how to put it down

and that’s how I wound up where I am today

Just like a river flows sometimes high and sometimes low

but without the rain would dry up like a stone

but there’s different kinds of rain just like there’s different kinds of pain

and there’s kinds you wish would just leave you alone

I ain’t had no grand adventures but I’ve had some ups and downs

and I’ve made and lost some friends along the way

I’m not looking for attention; you can leave or stick around

but I’ve got some things I’m wanting to say

I’m not glad and I’m not sad that I’ve had the life I’ve had

at least it’s taught me some things about living

of all the things that I possess, the one that serves me best

is I’ve gotten pretty good at forgiving

There are times when your soul’s had to pay so many tolls

that it falls under the weight and is smothered

it’s as good to you as gone so you have to carry on

while you wait for it to slowly recover

'Letting Go' is available as a book!

People who have visited this blog before may remember a link I shared to a story called 'Letting Go'.

I am thrilled to announce that my story has now been published!
It's a short fable, in the vein of Shel Silverstein's 'The Giving Tree', and my dream is that it too may eventually become known, shared, and passed from one generation to the next like that classic, which was such a revelation to me when I first encountered it as a child.

Plcase click on the link below, which will direct you to 'Letting Go' on amazon.com

Letting Go on amazon

I Like You More Each Day

Please click on the link below to find out about something very dear to my heart. Meg is a little girl whom you may just wish to get to know better.

I Like You More Each Day

Thought Balloons

Grab your thought balloons, one and all;

toss them up into the sky!

Which ones float and which ones fall?

You won't know unless you try!

Subliminal Tree

Dog. Cat, Ferret

Go Ask Alice....

When You Can't Think of Anything Else to Draw, Draw a Tree

At the Beach

Elephant Dance

A Marriage Blessing

A dear friend commissioned this painting as a 25th anniversary present for her husband.

Happiness Is A Warm Gnu

The Composer Delusion

Two notes on a sheet of Beethoven's sheet music for his 'Pastoral Symphony' were talking.

One said, 'When I think about the majesty of this piece of music we belong to, I can't help but see the presence of some sort of MIND behind it. I mean, look how all of us notes seem to be in exactly the right place, and how the notes direct the different instruments to work in synch to create harmonies and rapturous melodies. It is as if this piece of paper we are living on was DESIGNED for music!"

The other note said, "Yes, it does appear that way. What you are referring to is something that I call 'The Composer Delusion'. It is true that this sheet does APPEAR to be designed to make particular sounds, and particularly lovely ones at that. But there is simply no evidence for such a 'composer' actually existing.

And besides, if you are to assume that a 'composer' actually exists who was able to arrange all these notes just so, in order to produce the sounds these sheets make when played, you would have to solve the problem of how that composer came to be. And think! Any 'composer' capable of creating the sounds on these sheets would have to be even MORE complex than the sheets themselves! You solve no problem whatsoever, therefore, by positing a composer."

The other note thought for a long time, finally arriving at the conclusion that his companion was not an especially deep thinker, and went on considering the wonder of the beautiful piece of music he existed in. He thought about this mysterious 'composer' and experienced a moment of deep and satisfying gratitude.

I Like You More Each Day!

My book about Meg and her ferret is out! !!!!!!
!!!!

I am so happy; this was a true labor of love and I hope that it will be seen and read and enjoyed by millions of people.

Please check it out. There are a couple of wonderful reviews on amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Like-You-More-Each-Day-ebook/dp/B00IFUNL1C

And the publisher is Ink N Beans Press
http://www.inknbeans.com/

Go to their page and be serenaded by Louis Armstrong.

Go Meg!

Honey Girl

Tree

Artist and Model

Sinister Calliope

Elephant Temple