Pencil Drawing Sketch Art

May

Step Aerobics & Self Doubt

By Susie · Comments (4)

I have muscles in my ass I didn’t know existed!

That is a 12 foot ladder you see, the place is N.I.C.A.B – Northern Illinois Classic Auto Brokers or aka – Custom Muscle Cars

Saturday May 9th, NICAB is hosting an open house – this is a facilty that I have passed on Rt. 12 many times, but knew little about.

I was hired to do an American Flag for them, I questioned myself over & over about this job. I am not the most “graceful” person on the planet and envisioned myself dropping pints of paint from a top the ladder and watching it crash down onto priceless cars below me.

Not to mention the glass cases that are entwined throughout the facility housing Elvis, Beatles and many pieces of rock memorabilia.

I even contemplated at 1:00 in the morning the day before about canceling, freaking myself out for all sorts of reasons. Self doubt can really play havoc on your mind!

It was about 2 in the afternoon, when it took a little more time to climb those 12 rungs, and I didn’t

have as much get up and go when I realized, this was coming together!

Here is a situation that I was second guessing myself. I am self taught, and usually go on gut. I thought about sketching the entire drawing out on the wall in pencil to begin with, but when I got on the ladder to start. It just came to me. I saw the picture in my head, and knew how to get it done. Done to the point, the owner of NICAB – Tony Begley – asked what I would put on one of the last blank walls in his establishment. Looking at it – I had the idea for 2 large checkered flags.

He wanted me to come back the next day to finish up, since the opening was a week away. Am I glad I told him I’d let him know if the next day would work, or a day next week would be better.

Because, there was no way I could even walk, let alone climb that ladder again. I was well done. I had no idea the effects of going up and down a 12 foot ladder for 8 hours would have on my body.

This gave me new meaning of step aerobics, to the pathetic point that I hobbled around all Saturday realizing that I was well out of shape!

Well, yesterday I reached that finish line, I added some final touches to the big American Flag, outlining the NICAB logo in red to make it stand out and putting a bit of shadow work underneath the red stripes.

I then added the checkered flags to bay 2 and was delighted at the outcome. I think more so because of Tony’s excitement, it will be neat to see the whole place put back together.

Self doubt is destructive and if I would have given into it, I wouldn’t have learned what I can accomplish when I knuckle down, slow down and take my time to feel the vibe. I would have cheated myself out of something that gave me a really awesome drug free high, a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction.

Taking and listening to Tony’s vision and what he saw in his mind’s eye and turning it into a reality with paint and watching it come to life gave me an incredible sense of accomplishment.

Categories : paintings

Comments (4)

Apr

Cutter Brandenburg-Alive & Well

By Susie · Comments (4)

April 25th, 2009 – For those that are worried about Cee/Cutter – He is alive and fielding many phone calls from folks that received an email yesterday that he died in his sleep.

This email was a cruel joke and had many saddened. Cutter’s/Mr. Cee’s words to me – Well I woke up this morning to many emails and messages on my phone. I think Im Ok , I seem to be OK.

It saddens me that there are people out there that would take the time to break peoples hearts, make some cry, or just think that this type of behavior will not go unpunished. If not in this life, in the next.

Categories : Thoughts

Comments (4)

Apr

Finding Love Again

By Susie · Comments (3)

Life partners, lovers, friends, companions – they all have different names through out our lives. No matter which stage of life we find ourselves in, we all seek companionship of one kind or another.

So, the story goes..

You have lost a spouse from a terrible disease or a tragic accident, someone you relied on each and every day for even the smallest of things. Someone who captured your heart and made it go pitter patter. Someone who was the peanut butter to your jelly.

I imagine you wonder if you would ever be happy again.

Some years later, along comes someone, an old friend, someone reliable, kind and someone you are comfortable with. It’s like your batteries have been put on a charger and zap… you smile, not just a simple smile, but one of those curling toes and goose bump smiles.

You feel alive again, you feel needed, wanted and loved in a way you questioned if it was possible ever again.

A beautiful story – finding love again.

So, now I wonder, how can family members on either side be angry, hurt or upset. Kids, Grandkids it’s time to take a back seat.We can not be everything to our parents or grandparents, nor should we look at it as our parents or grandparents replacing someone.

finding_love What is being replaced is emptiness & lonliness, what’s being replaced is a tear of sadness for one of joy. I could never replace either of my parents, ever, ever, ever, they have been married since 1951 – and have taught me alot about life.

But, I wouldn’t want either of them to be so lonely that you could hear it when they spoke, see it in their eyes when a special holiday rolled around. Wouldn’t you want them to bloom like spring flowers and thrive in the sunlight of finding love again?

Peace

Categories : Thoughts, paintings

Comments (3)

Apr

Dan Fogelberg – Virtual CD Tour

By Susie · Comments (4)

I was asked to host a virtual cd tour promoting Dan Fogelberg, well, I am a music lover – but that was a name that hasn’t been in my current music repertoire… I remember his name, but could I tell you a single song title? no…

dan_fogelberg_pencil_sketch I figured this was being sent to me for a reason, I was supposed to listen and find some lesson here or was it just to find another set of good songs to listen to on a warm spring morning.

Dan Fogelberg was interviewed by Fred Migliore and speaks about on a personal level kind of a behind the song… I loved that concept. Dan succumbed to prostate cancer in 2007 and yet another musician went to play next to Jesus, Mary & Joseph….a musician that so many know his name, but perhaps don’t know the history.

We look into the faces of the famous musicians that get us through difficult times with their music, but do we ever realize their tough times? What makes them tick? What’s behind the song?

One of the clips on the cd Dan speaks of the emotional involvement… “not knowing he would touch so many people so deeply...”

Musician’s touch us on a daily basis, I can’t recall the last time I ever listened to one of his songs, I had to do my research and was surprised to find he was from Peoria and was as well a session musician.

I asked Fred Magliore a few questions about his experience with Dan Fogelberg -

Susie – I have gone written about several musicians and have drawn them, I often wonder of their lives.. you had the chance of sitting with Dan and learning about his life.. and him personally..what would be one thing that you learned about him, that surprised you?

Fred – I think his gift of being open to receive, and paying attention to the things around him that many of us are to busy to notice. I don’t mean on the physical plane either but more on the matters of the heart and soul. Thus a lot of the songs he wrote were channeled through him “like Souvenirs” as he put it, “frozen moments in time” that amazed him.

Susie – I also wonder if there are any questions that you wished you had asked him, that you didn’t, if so, and you could sit with him again, what would be one of those questions?

Fred – I hear what your getting at and there have been many times over the course of the hundreds of interviews I’ve done, where there were questions I wish I would have asked. But not with Dan. There was this feeling of closure that both of us had, when we finished the interview and I think it’s very apparent upon listening to the interview.

I wouldn’t say I am star struck, but always thought it would be truly fascinating to sit down with someone famous and learn about them.. learn what touches them, what brings the song into their life, this is the opportunity for Fogelberg fans to have another glimpse, another memory and keep his music and the man alive.

There are about 45 minutes of “lost segments” from the CD which have never been & WILL likely never be released to the public!

As an added bonus - post a comment during this tour and you will be entered in a drawing to win a free copy of this one-of-a-kind CD with the remainder of the interview!!!

The most unique, insightful, special comment will be chosen to win a copy, in addition to the random drawing winners!

The tour started early on in April – check out the other blogs that were involved. You can purchase the CD from as well from – FM Odyssey

Thursday April 2 – Cheryl Malandrinos http://www.thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/ Review

Friday April 3 – Steven Bradley – http://stevenbradley.blogspot.com/ Review of CD, quips from interview, banners, possible interview questions (posting on 10 blogs)

Monday April 6 – Shelley Tucker http://thiseclecticlife.com/ Review of CD

Tuesday April 7 – Joyce Anthony http://joyceanthony.tripod.com Review of CD

Wednesday April 8- Dyan http://blog.voiceoftheangels.com/ Review of CD

Thursday, April 9- Joyce Anthony http://joyceanthony.tripod.com

Friday, April 10- Linda Merlino http://www.gooddaysnodays.blogspot.com CD Review and Shelia Goss- http://sheliagoss.com/blog/ mp3’s clips & review

Wednesday, April 15- Marta Hoelscher http://martasmeanderings.blogspot.com/ & http://inhishug.blogspot.com/ CD Review

Thursday, April 16th – it is me here at soul-to-soul.com & my husband over at Bucks Guitar Modifications.

17th- Robin Epstein is a lover of Dan Fogelberg’s music for a long time & will submit a review http://aroundtheisland.blogspot.com

22nd- Susan Wingate: http://www.susanwingate.com ; will review the CD

29th & 30th- Marvin at: Free Spirit blog at http://inspiritandtruths.blogspot.com/

AND
Hippie Days blog at http://tiedyedtirades.blogspot.com/ will review the CD

Categories : Pencil Sketches

Comments (4)

Apr

Roy Orbison – You Got It

By Susie · Comments (3)

Every time I look into your lovely eyes,
I see a love that money just cant buy.
One look from you, I drift away.
I pray that you are here to stay..

Topping out the charts on April 15th, 1989 was You Got It – posthumously – Roy Orbison, 24 some years after hitting it big with Pretty Woman in 1964.

Roy passed away in December of 1988, I remember hearing the news and could hear his voice resonating and thinking, yet again, we lost another great.

Every time I look into your lovely eyes… followed up by.. you got it.

Do we get it? Or have we forgotten it?

Remember after 9/11 when a compassion emerged from the American People, one that made time stand still, a time when we were all grateful for the people in our lives, when a stranger held the door open for you, when someone helped you pick up your fallen groceries.

We don’t “got it” anymore – and it’s really not that hard to “get” back either, but no one seems to be willing to take the time to get back to basics.

Orbison is remembered for his many songs of “lost love”, let’s hope we can learn from Roy Orbison, the feelings that are buried within us, the compassion that we know others deserve and let’s get back to the basics.