.~Happy New Year.~

I picked this sketch to launch the New Year as I sketched it at the beginning of my visits to my mom when she was so ailing.  My most favorite memories are my mom wearing scarves. This sketch came from my heart and is in memory of my mom~  Wishing You True Love In Heaven~ oxoxoxoxoxo Traci

.~Merry Christmas Eve 2011.~

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.  ~Norman Vincent Peale

.~Sew Van Gogh,~

Van Gogh Gallery

.~Christmas Lane.~

Oh I so love this image and found it here: http://contentinacottage.blogspot.com/

.~ Hello Christmas 2011!.~

I discovered this wonderful image on The Sunday Sisters Blog

.~Vintage Christmas Colors.~

I found this wonderful Vintage Christmas Design here: http://freewareme.com/

I think it is fantastic!

.~Be Still.~

"Within you there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself."

                                                                ~ Hermann Hesse

.~About Face.~

Yesterday while on my daily walk, I came across a house that had 3 different chairs scattered about in many different directions. Curious as to why they were scattered about, I pretended to sit in each chair and see what the view was.  The first chair faced a withering tree.  The second chair faced the neighbors yard which hosted an array of rusted metal objects.  The third chair faced the front door of the house.
The whole scene made me a bit sad, as I felt whomever lived, here might be facing the same kind of issues in their own life.

It made me very conscientiousness  of my own life and where my chairs are facing.

.~Little Flowers.~

.~Cat Tales.~

.~Falling For Each Other.~

.~Autumn Leaves.~

“Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower”

                                                                                    ~Albert Camus



.~Painting in Progress.~

I have a new painting under construction.  Right now I am auditioning quotes to go with it.

What do you think of this one?

.~Live Life to the Limit~

“Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows.” Pope Paul V1

.~Cowboy Wisdom #1.~

.~Lareen Fender.~

Lareen Zoe Toub Fender

July 25th, 1932 - August 25th, 2011

I love you mom.

.~Summer Reflections.~

.~Back and Forth.~

.~Peas in a Pod by Susan Erickson~

I found this card at Open Sesame in California.  The artist's name is Susan Erickson. I just love her style.  To see more of her artwork visit the Lafayette Gallery's website.

.~Dreaming.~

 I am only a child playing on the beach, while vast oceans of truth lie undiscovered before me "

                                                                                                                                          ~Isaac Newton.

Introducing a New Series. ~Life is Fleeting.~

One life - a little gleam of time between two eternities.

                                                                                              ~Thomas Carlyle

.~ So Me.~

.~ Yours Fawnly.~

.~Eternal Gaze.~

There is something about horses that quiets me.  I could watch them all day and never grow weary.

.~ Daisy Jane. ~





  Daisy Jane has the prettiest mane.  Women pay big money to have hair this color.

.~ Shop Wisteria.~

                                                   Floral Arranging: Orange and Olive
                                                    Photograph From Wisteria's Blog


I found this photograph on the Wisteria blog. These two colors - orange and olive - seem to follow me whereever I go this summer. If you have a moment visit Wisteria's blog.  It is filled with inpsiration!



.~ Tub of Fabric Needs A Home.~

Working on Debi Hubbs Vino Art Quilt design led me to look for background fabric which led me to dump out my stash on the floor which led me to create this tub of fabric that is filled with all kinds of gorgeous fabrics, but I think they need a new home. Anybody interested in buying this entire tub of fabric? If not, I am going to sort it and sell it on eBay. If you want it in its entirety, I will sell it at a good price as all $$$ goes to help finish off paying Cowgirl's vet bill.

.~ Live and Let Live.~

Sugar Mountain

Painting by Traci Suzanne Marvel

~ Quietly forgiving and moving on is a gift to God ~ and yourself.

                                                                                      ~ Unknown

.~Domo Arigato.~

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food, for love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

                                  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

.~ Live Simply.~

.~ Side Roads.~

                                       

Stop a moment, cease your work, and look around you.

                                                                                                        ~Thomas Carlyle

.~ Bonding.~

"I hold this to be the highest task for a bond between two people, that each protects the solitude of the other." Rilke

.~Remember This.~

Fun is good.

                                                                                              ~Dr. Seuss

.~.Let God Be God.~

So you see life has been pretty tough for awhile.  People I love have been very sick.  I mean life threatening sick.  For a long while now, I have been  worrying about everyone.  All this worrying has made me very anxious, sad and depressed.  Today I reached out to God and asked for help.  Basically He told me to "Snap out if it!"  Well not in those exact words.  Really what He said was don't worry, "just let Me be Me".  "Which is the equivalent to "let God be God."

So I went out and got this balloon.
 I wrote on it the names of the people I love who are sick. 

 I am going to let it go.

  Let Go

Let God be God. 

 He will take care of my family. 

I know this because

 I Believe He Will.

.~Wilbur and Nicholas.~

.~Prince.~

I sketched this out the other day and have decided to turn it into a painting.

  I can't wait to see how it turns out. 

.~Wilde Side.~

“I knew that I had come face to face with some one whose mere personality was so fascinating that, if I allowed it to do so, it would absorb my whole nature, my whole soul, my very art itself.”

                                                                                                                      ~Oscar Wilde

.~Be Like Water.~

I took this photograph of these two Koi fish at the Cincinnati Zoo this spring. When I cam across this quote by Bruce Lee, it seemed to fit the photo perfectly~.

An Etsy Treasury Featuring Monk!

.~ Name the Giraffe Contest.~

?

Artist Debi Hubbs

Quilt Pattern by Bigfork Bay Cotton Co.

Artist  extraordinaire Debi Hubbs initially painted this lovely African Giraffe.  Here is a picture of a print that she sells on eBay Anyway...Bigfork Bay Cotton Company licensed this design to add to Debi's ever growing  collections of art quilt patterns.

The giraffe didn't have an official name, so Debi and Bigfork Bay Cotton Co. thought it would be a great idea to have YOU name the giraffe.  Isn't that so fun?

To submit a name simply email traci@bigforkbaycottonco.com You can submit as many names as you like, as many times as you like.  In case of duplicate names the first one who entered the name will be selected. 

And the winner gets?  The winner gets an autographed pattern by Debi Hubbs and a matching fabric kit.  We need a name soon, so the contest ends June 5th, 2011.

Pattern won't be ready until end of June, but you can call the toll-free number 866-245-5718 and pre-order.  I think the fabric kits will go fast on this so it would be smart to get on the list!

Good Luck to you all and I can't wait to see what name Debi picks!

.~My Mom.~

Dear Friends,

I am in California right now. 
My mom seems to be losing her battle with cancer.
Life is hard right now.

I have so much to write, to share...
Maybe when I get home to Montana, the words will flow better.

I don't think life has ever hurt so much.

I will write more later and I have so much to share.

Please say a prayer oxoxo

Traci

.~Garden Party.~

.~Moonlight In Your Eyes.~

.~Air Mail.~

Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind. ~Seneca

.~Early Riser.~

.~Roameo.~

Roameo

By Traci Suzanne Marvel

10" X 10" X 1"

For Sale on ebay

Acrylic on Stretched Gallery Wrapped Canvas

Sides are painted - Ready to Hang

No Frame Required

Signed on Front by Artist

Signed Titled on back by Artist
SOLD
Going to Live in Washington

About the Painting:
"Grief is like the ocean; it comes on waves ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is learn to swim." (Vicki Harrison)

This painting was first inspired when I read about Katherine Dunn's donkey Giacomo passing. - http://www.apiferafarm.blogspot.com/- I was overcome with grief for her. I could feel her broken heart. I got out my paints and created this little painting to honor Giacomo and all the other senior donkey's that Katherine helps.

And also...My dog Cowgirl recently past away on December 2nd, 2010. She fought a brave battle with bone cancer. So this painting is also a tribute to her. As I go through the grief process of losing my precious dog, I feel as if I am roaming the earth aimlessy while sending my heart beats up to heaven in search of my best friend.

A portion of the sale of this painting will go to Katherine's Giacomohttp://apiferafarm.blogspot.com/search/label/Giacomo%27s%20Fund fund and a portion will go to help paying for Cowgirl's last vet bill.

A little side note: This painting won a 2nd place ribbon in the summer of 2010 at the Eureka, MT County Fair :)
This painting is so much prettier in person. This photograph does not do it justice."

.~ Where the Red Roan Grows.~

Where the Red Roan Grows

5" X 5"

Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

By Traci Suzanne Marvel
Horse For Sale: eBay
SOLD
Going to live in Big Sandy, MT

When I was a little girl my dad bought my brother and I each a horse.  My horse was named Fancy That.  My dad named my brother's horse Red Hill Beans because he had spots on his rump that reminded him of a crop of beans growing on a hill.  I always loved the story behind the name.  One night I dreamt of Red Hill Beans grazing on top of a spring green grass hill under a Montana sky. In the morning, I felt compelled to paint my dream.   I hope he goes to a good home.

.~Scoot Toot Boogie.~

.~Sundance Gallery.~

I took this photograph of the Art Shack & Sundance Gallery right before I left Sundance last September.  I was so excited to be a featured artist in the waiting area of the Foundry Grill for three months.  I would never have dreamed that one day I would have made it into the Sundance Gallery.  Truly one of my most favorite galleries on earth. If you are interested in any of my photographs already framed and ready to go, contact Suzanne Ruhlman at 1.801.223.4535

.~Renew.~

Look To This Day

Poem by Kalidasa

Look to this day:

For it is life, the very life of life.

In its brief course

Lie all the verities and realities of your existence.

The bliss of growth,

The glory of action,

The splendour of achievement

Are but experiences of time.

For yesterday is but a dream

And tomorrow is only a vision;

And today well-lived, makes

Yesterday a dream of happiness

And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well therefore to this day;

Such is the salutation to the ever-new dawn!

.~Music Box.~

I "Highly Prize" being able to listen to music.  It is one of life's greatest joys!

.~Snake Creek Grill.~

Snake Creek Grill

Heber City, UT

Thanks to a wonderful woman by the name of Cynthia Stott, you can now find six of my framed photographs for sale at the Snake Creek Grill in Heber City, Utah which is located just 18 miles outside the famed Park City, where the Sundance Film Festival is held.  The menu looks delicious!  I hope to eat there one day myself!

.~Dressed in Spirit.~

I treasure having access to anything Mark Twain.
When I find a quote that I have never heard before
that most certainly is a "prized possession."

"Be careless in your dress if you will,
but keep a tidy soul." Mark Twain