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…

Sometimes it feels like your life is in a rut and there is no way out.  You have lots of seeds planted, but nothing is happening.  There is plenty of creative sunshine and marketing water, but the seedlings stay the same size.  You keep doing what you’ve always done and you get the same results you’ve always gotten.

Just when you start to feel a little stale like there is nowhere else to expand, something happens to let you know that there is always room to grow.  Whether it is in a relationship, your health or career, you can always find new avenues to take you to destinations that will increase your satisfaction in life.

I am super busy this Spring with many projects in my fire, but they are all tasks that I have been doing for years.  Nothing new.  So I was delighted when an art consulting firm…

I love the thought of an empty highway that stretches through the open landscape. It speaks to me of our amazingly scenic countryside, the beauty of nature, the great outdoors and an escape from the ordinary where a route to freedom lies on the horizon. Next time you need a change of pace, take to the road and make sure you buckle up for an adventure to infinity and beyond – for the road, it is certain, is where you venture into your deepest self.

Fulfillment of a dream is one of the most delightful experiences, especially when that dream is a journey of a lifetime with the ones you love. For many years my husband Kent and I have wanted to take his son Johan on a cross-country trip but for one reason or another the timing was never right.

In 2010, Johan decided to move from his home…

Spring is in full swing here in Florida and I have been one busy bee!  I have been painting lots of commission work and my print sales are at an all time high.  I just spent a few days with my daughter in Sarasota for her Spring break which was fun and relaxing.  But today it is back to work for me. We’ve been cleaning and doing some upgrades in our home.  I do not comprehend the concept of “light” cleaning. It’s always “deep” cleaning because once I see funk or dirt, I MUST clean it!  I cannot turn a blind eye.

How does this tie into “zen”?  The urban dictionary says:

I am continuing to work on my map series and England is my next offering. Why not the United Kingdom?  Seems Scotland is working towards independence so who knows what that map will look like in the near future.  So I just chose England as a stand alone.  It’s a beautiful shape for an artist to work with and I am pleased with the finished image.

Some fun facts about England:

1. Big Ben does not refer to the clock, but actually the bell.
2. London has been called Londonium, Ludenwic, and Ludenburg in the past.
3. French was the official language for about 300 years
4. The shortest war against England was with Zanzibar in 1896. Zanzibar surrendered after 38 minutes.
5. There is nowhere in Britain that is more than 74.5 miles from the sea.
6. The first telephone directory published in England contained 25 names.
7. While…