Do as the Romans do.  I always thought that meant something scintillating, but all it really means is: It is polite, and possibly also advantageous, to abide by the customs of a society when one is a visitor.  Oh well.

Today’s map study is the beautiful country of Italy!  When I think of this place, my first thoughts are always about food.  Italian plays a part in my heritage so I can tell you that there is nothing like a homemade pasta sauce with fresh herbs and spices.  There is an art to perfect marinara. It cooks slowly all day long.  The smells that fill the house are insanely taunting.  Turns out that I have Celiac disease and all of that pasta I grew up with was tormenting my insides.  5 years ago I switched to Gluten Free fare and get to still enjoy those delicious tastes!

Some fun facts about…

We often think of “peace” as a calm environment and gentle thoughts, but I believe it can also be a strong vibrant energy.  I feel the most peaceful at the beach with the churning waves, rushing currents, seagulls calling and children playing.  I am completely calm and relaxed there, but the scene is so very vivid and kinetic.

I have a friend that finds total peace by taking long drives at night.  His stressful thoughts evaporate into the distant lights and the darkness comforts him. The gentle hum of his engine and the passing cars are relaxing.

Where do you find your Peace?

Introducing my latest piece from my Transforming Energy series.  “Vivid Peace”, like all of the work in this set, has been transformed from a previous painting into an entirely new piece of art. Enjoy!

This isn’t the piece I had planned on listing today.  When a new father living in Seattle contacted me yesterday to tell me how much he loved my maps and that he wanted a special piece for his new baby girl but could not find anything, I couldn’t resist creating this one.

In his email he explained that he grew up in New England and that he wanted to share his heritage with his daughter.  He wanted things in their home to remind him of his childhood and to teach her about it as well.   Once I finished the work and sent him a preview, his response was:

“OMG Yes!”

And that is what makes my job so rewarding.  I can make people that happy just by doing things that come naturally to me. 🙂

All the ladies in France,

Don’t believe in underpants.

So they walk around town,

With their hineys hanging down.

As a kid we used to sing this little song that ended with all of us giggling at the thought.  I have no idea where this ditty came from, but I had the impression for many years that French ladies never wore panties!  Funny.

It is interesting what you “think” you know about a country that you have never visited or studied. I grew up on a horse ranch in Myakka City, Florida and we were not cultured or exposed to much outside of our little town.  It wasn’t until I moved away at 18 that I started to learn more about the real World.

As a youngster the French brought us french toast, ballet, french fries, armoires, croissants, brassieres and pie a la mode.  But they did not bring us…