The Flesh Failures

Posted on June 16, 2014 by AM Roselli

Dear Friends,
Whenever I sub I think back to my years as a young student. There was always a class clown and perhaps another child or two who were regular troublemakers. The rare days when a substitute entered the classroom, we might not work as hard, but we didn’t act out. We listened without requiring numerous ultimatums to do what we knew was right (at least in school). Today, something is different.

I’ve been thinking about Hair, and the generation this musical represented. The Sixties was a time of ‘fighting’ for the concept of freedom and what that freedom meant individually. In this generation there were hippies, beatniks, flower children, nudists, love ins…right or wrong this generation was authentic.

Today’s children see and hear adult fare and emulate what they don’t understand. They latch onto wearing Bob Marley shirts without knowing what the man and his music represented, etc.. Often times when I sub, I remind students that education is the first thing taken away when others want control of their precious freedom. So, they might want to pay attention once in a while…

HAIR
(lyrics: The Flesh Failures/Let the Sunshine In)
We starve-look
At one another
Short of breath
Walking proudly in our winter coats
Wearing smells from laboratories
Facing a dying nation
Of moving paper fantasy
Listening for the new told lies
With supreme visions of lonely tunes

Somewhere
Inside something there is a rush of
Greatness
Who knows what stands in front of
Our lives
I fashion my future on films in space
Silence
Tells me secretly
Everything
Everything

Let the sunshine
Let the sunshine in…

Thank you and goodnight. May you dream dreams of bright futures…

(I rendered the Eagle in Prisma pencil on school-grade construction paper)

They Call Me, The Tiger Man

Posted on June 13, 2014 by AM Roselli

Dear Friends,
A few years back the big son and I were on a jogging/walking kick. We’d leash up Rocky and drive to a place where a perfect 2 mile loop waited. One morning on our walk, the big son and I noticed an older gentleman sitting on a lawn chair in front of his house. He commented on what a handsome pup Rocky was, then he told us he had baby cats. The way he said it was odd. He added, “if you wait just a minute, I just picked up some pictures.” He walked to his nearby car and grabbed an envelope. He took a batch of photos out and showed us his baby cats. This was his newest baby-

He also had another baby-

And here is a gorgeous picture of his two baby cats romping about-

He also had other pets-

The baby cat was exceptionally brave for battling his vicious attack dog-

In this next one, he asked his baby cat to smile for the camera-

And here is an acrylic of mine in homage to these magnificent creatures. If memory serves, I used images from the WWF as reference. The Tiger Man was a kind and fascinating fellow. He gave his duplicate images to me after I told him I love creating tiger images.

And lastly, this is a Prisma pencil tiger. I gave the Tiger Man, a copy of my baby cat –

I hope these magnificent creatures make it. Poachers have done a number on tiger populations throughout the planet. Slaughtered, because some want what they cannot have. Let’s hope these spectacular baby cats survive.

I wish I remembered the Tiger Man’s real name. My memory often lets me down. Perhaps the big son and I will see him again this summer when we start up our jogging program.

Thank you and goodnight. May a gorgeous tiger sleep by your side and protect your dreams.

All Things Great and Small

Posted on June 12, 2014 by AM Roselli

Dear Friends,
Though I spent my younger years attending Catholic School, I don’t consider myself religious. I’d call myself spiritual at best. This particular post includes text from Cecil Alexander’s, Hymns for Little Children. James Herriot used the first stanza from Ms. Alexander’s hymn, “All Things…” to title his fabulous series. Mr. Herriot’s three books are based on his 1930’s veterinarian practice in Yorkshire, England. These humorous, yet poignant books, are worth the time – if you have it to give.

All things bright and beautiful,

All things great and small,

All things wise and wonderful,

The Lord God made them all.

Thank you and goodnight. May your dreams abound with earth’s wondrous creatures.

(The flowers are done with watercolors. I rendered the monster illustrations in Prisma pencil and I once had an iguana named Ista who I called friend. The croc is named Barney. Barney suffered tremendous depression when he learned a purple dinosaur swiped his name. Barney cried so many crocodile tears he rusted. )

Puff is Still a Magic Dragon

Posted on June 11, 2014 by AM Roselli

Dear Friends,
Elementary school parents will understand when I say, Field Day is not fun for anyone taller than four feet. I subbed for Field Day and it was rough and rainy. I was at Minion Frisbee Station #2 and was preparing to reprimand misbehaving kiddies. Music was blaring from a stereo. It was a mix of tunes from hippish hoppish to nostalgic. Puff the Magic Dragon began playing. The profound words and sweet tune hit me right between the foggy glasses. My eyes began misting. Uncle Robert, my mother’s only sibling used to sing about Puff the most magical of dragons. For my brothers, sisters and me, Uncle Robert’s voice was like beautiful caramel.

Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea-
And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Hanalei
Little Jackie Paper loved that rascal Puff-

Together they would travel on a boat with billowed sail
Jackie kept a lookout perched on Puff’s gigantic tail-

Noble kings and princes would bow whene’er they came
Pirate ships would lower their flags when Puff roared out his name-

green monster

A dragon lives forever but not so little boys-
We lost my beautiful and talented Uncle Robert to Aids over 40 years ago.

One gray night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more
And Puff that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar-

Without his life-long friend, Puff could not be brave
So Puff that mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave…

After Puff the Magic Dragon, nearly reduced me to tears in front of giddy students, my man Freddie saved me with, “we will, we will rock you, yeah…”
Uncle Robert and Freddie Mercury are probably besties now

Thank you and goodnight. May your dreams be filled with the sweet breath of friendly dragons…
(all of the above illustrations are mixed media – I rendered them in Prisma pencil and acrylic)

Big Mike

Posted on June 9, 2014 by AM Roselli

Dear Friends,
As many of you know, I refer to my 6’7″ spouse as the giant husband. Now, one doesn’t go about meeting giant husbands without first palling-around with other large people. There was one such grand person who I affectionately called Big Mike. Big Mike was a six-foot-four, life-loving, grapefruit-muscled, enormous hearted Irishman. In short, Big Mike was the infectious laughter at the party. He was the one always wearing a perpetual smile. He was Big Mike.

June 5, 1993 was the night I met the giant husband for the very first time. I was hanging out with friends at a small town pub. I was with my dear lifelong friend Joe, and of course, Big Mike. Big Mike was – for lack of a better description – ‘busting up the joint!’ He was letting fly, joke after joke in his big booming voice. The giant husband’s roommate at the time happened to be laughing along with the rest of us. The roommate phoned the giant husband. He informed him of Big Mike’s antics and suggested he come to the pub.

Not too long after the roommate’s phone call, this giant of a man – bigger than Big Mike – was filling-up the small pub’s doorway. His dark hair touched the door frame above and his broad shoulders met either side. As the giant husband stood there, Big Mike, larger-than-life, announced to the room while pointing at the giant husband, “and there’s the biggest man I know!” And the rest they say, is history…

Big Mike left this world too soon. I find when there is a clear sky and the sun is out, I can almost hear Big Mike’s booming laughter. I painted this portrait of Big Mike for his mother.

Thank you and goodnight. May your dreams be filled with the booming-gentle laughter of sweet spirits…

Little, Only Minutes Ago

Posted on June 3, 2014 by AM Roselli

Dear Friends,
My lovely mother-in-law is visiting from New Mexico. Today I took her to Barnes & Noble – one of my most favorite places. As Karole went off to browse Wally Lamb books, I perused the children’s section. Perhaps it was the time of year. Perhaps it was imagining the big son entering high school in September. Maybe it was the delicate daughter’s recently acquired driving permit and employment. Whatever it was, my eyes transfixed on two small, green chairs. These made me blue-

The delicate daughter, big son and I used to frequent Barnes & Noble. Every year when they were much smaller, they participated in the B&N summer reading program. Gosh, was it so long ago she swam with Emily Windsnap–

And he travelled to far off places and distant lands in a Magic Treehouse–

Have ten years slipped by since I painted these faces-

Weren’t they little, only minutes ago?

Thank you and goodnight. If you have children, hold them tightly…

Maya

Posted on May 31, 2014 by AM Roselli

Dear Friends,

Author and Poet
Leader and Sage
Activist and Storyteller
Wife and Mother

Merrily, Life Goes ‘Round

Posted on May 30, 2014 by AM Roselli

Dear Friends,
Designing and painting a wall mural is a formidable process. The execution is simply an expanded version of what one would do on canvas. This is not the arduous part. The difficulty comes with the passage of time. What happens when a room gets redecorated or repurposed? The mural is often a victim of circumstance. Many wall paintings are eventually covered over with contemporary hues. The delicate daughter’s carousel had its day in the sun too. I created it years ago when she loved playing with dollhouses and reading picture books. This mural was painted over with Georgian Gold when it became the guest room.

I began this Merry-Go-Round with research and the painting of this wooden sign-

Next, came the animals-

The Paint horse below was created in homage to the animated movie, Spirit. Her name is Rain. She is Spirit’s horse girlfriend-

Then of course, there’s the proud Mustang stallion, Spirit-

See how the equine pair frolic about the Wild West-

And what’s a carousel without a doting cherub –

Cupid/mural detail

One must have an animal menagerie to bounce upon too-

There can’t be a carousel kingdom without a prince of the forest and a king of the jungle –

So merrily life goes ’round and carousels spin. We ride and laugh aloud. Sometimes we even get sick. The Merry-Go-Round stops and waits for the next group of riders.

Goodnight and may your night be filled with dancing animals and happy music…

Forgotten, if Not Remembered

Posted on May 25, 2014 by AM Roselli

Pointless, if unappreciated
Vanished, if not honored
Forgotten, if not remembered

lone

‘Standard’ Pencil on Marker Layout

Trapped

Posted on May 24, 2014 by AM Roselli

Dear Friends,
Once again, I was trapped in a dark room for seven hours. Keeping large classes focused on laborious computerized tests can make one quite mad. There were brief moments where student test takers dwindled. In these brief respites – white noise humming in my ears – my frazzled fingers sketched with a chewed pencil. There’s something lovable about printer paper.
I had time to doodle out two sketches, the woman above and the dude below-