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rhyme or reason?...is either required?

meandering thoughts from a turtle's perspective...
like a tramp through the woods,. a meadow or along a creek bed. sometimes rhyme, sometimes reason, but more often the next small treasure or tidbit that catches my mind's eye

dis claimer :-)

This blog is a canvas from the palette of my thoughts, feelings, ideas, memories...wiped off, painted over, added to, subtracted from...applied with brush, knife, rag, fingers. The process every bit as important as the final product. Welcome!

I am an artist with diverse experience. I have worked in graphics and print layout, illustration, photography, fabric design and costuming. I am available for private commissions or my work can be purchased via RedBubble, Fine Art America or Etsy.

Unless otherwise noted, all photographs and art are copyright of ©TurtleMullDesigns and may not be used without permission.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

12 Days of Christmas

This year I participated in the G+ #12DaysofChristmasChallenge by +Marjorie McDonald and here is some lovely Christmas I found...



On the first day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me...an angel on top of the tree.

Luke 2:
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the gory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."


On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...two stars a shining (with snowmen. :-)


Matthew 2:
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod. Magi from the
east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."






On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...three Christmas tins.

Matthew 2:
10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 







On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...four bells a ringing.

“And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
the Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!” 
― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow




On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...
five tangerines.

“And when we give each other Christmas gifts in His name, let us remember that He has given us the sun and the moon and the stars, and the earth with its forests and mountains and oceans--and all that lives and move upon them. He has given us all green things and everything that blossoms and bears fruit and all that we quarrel about and all that we have misused--and to save us from our foolishness, from all our sins, He came down to earth and gave us Himself.” 
― Sigrid Undset





On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...a swirl of six candy canes.




On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...seven chocolate kisses.


“This Christmas mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love, and then speak it again.” 
― Howard W. Hunter








On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...eight tales for telling.


“I truly believe that if we keep telling the Christmas story, singing the Christmas songs, and living the Christmas spirit, we can bring joy and happiness and peace to this world.” 
― Norman Vincent Peale


On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...nine lights a shining.
John 1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 




On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...ten sweet peppermints.

“Christmas is like candy; it slowly melts in your mouth sweetening every taste bud, making you wish it could last forever.” 
― Richelle E. GoodrichSmile Anyway














On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...eleven M&Ms in the shape of a Christmas tree.


"It came without ribbons!  It came without tags!  It came without packages, boxes or bags!"... Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!  "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.  Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!"  ~Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!



On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...twelve presents under the tree.

Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts.  
~Janice Maeditere







Wouldn't life be worth the living
Wouldn't dreams be coming true
If we kept the Christmas spirit
All the whole year through?
~Author Unknown

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Archangels...

In my exploration of angels in "Snapshot of an Angel" , I became very interested in the Archangels. The word archangel is derived from the Greek ἀρχάγγελος (arch- +angel, literally chief angel).

I have been doing some small studies and sketches with plans of illustrating the seven Archangels in  larger-than-life pieces.  Here are three studies of some of the attributes of Michael, Gabriel and Raphael in pen and ink, 8" x 10".  I recently put them in a show at the Randolph County Arts Guild, Asheboro, North Carolina.

Michael
pen and ink on bristol
8" x 10"

Gabriel
pen and ink on bristol
8" x 10"

Raphael
pen and ink on bristol
8" x 10"



Monday, November 25, 2013

There is Magic in the Landscape....Water

Kelpies
10" x 12"
pen and ink on bristol
accepted in the 2013 Art Station Juried Holiday Exhibition, Stone Mountain, Georgia
The kelpie is a supernatural water horse from Celtic folklore that is believed to haunt the rivers and lochs of Scotland and Ireland. To dive deeper in the kelpie legend. 


9" x 11"
pen and ink on handmade paper

Friday, November 8, 2013

Friday, October 4, 2013

'F' is for FUN and Friday....G+ ABC Photo Project (A to D)

My entries 'A' through 'D' in +Levi Moore 's ABC Photo Project on Google +.









'A' begins the fun...
a dancing alligator
wind him up to play...



















'B' is for BINGO
B6 or G54?
breathless for the call...
















clash of the marbles
'C' is for Chinese checkers
ready to contend...







down in the driveway
'D' is for dominos and
connecting the dots...

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Farmyard Fancies

Dare to Dream;  8"x10"; pen and ink on paper





(I am excited to announce that Dare to Dream has been accepted into 
the Art Station 2013 Fall Juried Exhibition, Stone Mountain, GA.)

Beautiful Dreamer 8"x10" pen and ink on paper

“Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson


Farmyard Fancies is a little series I started based on my love of farming, art, illustration and a desire to encourage people to follow their dreams. It is also a bit of fun between my 10 year old daughter and I...posing the question, "What are farm animals in their dreams?" This is a Turtle Tale in its very early stages...but dreams have to start somewhere.


"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." —Anais Nin






DreamPuff 8"x10" pen and ink on paper

If you can dream it, you can do it.
—Walt Disney


“No matter how your heart is grieving,
if you keep on believing,
the dreams that you wish will come true.”
― Walt Disney Company

Pigasus 5"x7" pen and ink on paper
Ad astra per alia porci











When pigs can fly...John Steinbeck used the Pigasus as a personal stamp. Later, he included with it the Latin motto, Ad astra per alia porci which means 'to the stars on the wings of a pig'. To Steinbeck it was a symbol of himself as "earthbound but aspiring" A wonderful explanation on the origins of Steinbeck's symbol is given on the Center for Steinbeck Studies in a note by his wife, Elaine Steinbeck.


Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Wednesday words...wild rose

wild roses linger
their sweetness swaying through heat
and late August storms


Thursday, August 29, 2013

leaves on Thursday...one, two, three






Success consists of getting up just one more time than you fall.
—Oliver Goldsmith


There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting. —Buddha

“Love, Mercy, and Grace, sisters all,
attend your wounds of silence and hope.”
― Aberjhani, The River of Winged Dreams

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Wednesday words..rain droplets

A bit of after rain haiku...









weaving neath the leaves
a fragile web to capture
rain droplets of dreams

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Monday, August 12, 2013

Monday magic - perseids 2013

Tiniest detail, the universe echoes the glory of God...

woke to find a star
tumbled from the heavens
in morning glory

Thursday, August 8, 2013

leaves on Thursday...frond awakening





tender light touches
dew soaked curls. gently coaxes
frond awakening...





From 
wonder 
into 
wonder 
existence 
opens. 
—Lao Tzu

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Wednesday words...firefly tales

firefly lantern
lights up a summer's evenin'
delighting a child













a glow in the dark
from the tales of 
     lightnin' bugs
summertime signal

Wednesday words...is a nut a fruit?

sometime you feel like a nut...sometimes you don't

bombarded with questions
24/7
of intangible concepts
like compassion and heaven

I stutter out answers,
thoughts and ideas
postulate theories
to try to make clear

so I enter the fray
of 4 angels playing
and ask my plain question
simply conveying?

8 eyes look up,
away from their task
and I get my response
"why do you ask?"



Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Wednesday words...mint candy






excitement abounds
on violet mint blossoms
outside the backdoor

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Friday, May 10, 2013