Someone Hit My Car in Answer to a Prayer

Posted on June 17, 2014 by AM Roselli

Dear Friends,
The delicate daughter has been raised in the art of promptness. Last week, on the way to her Kmart job, we were stopped dead in our tracks. Motorcycles – three abreast – cruised down our country lane. It was an amazing spectacle. Many woman riders were cruising by solo. Almost fifteen minutes elapsed before the last motorcycle flying a, ‘Wounded Warrior Project,’ banner cruised by. They must’ve raised quite a bit for our veterans.

I too, once owned a motorcycle. It was really cute, an all black Kawasaki 250 (if memory serves). I imagined cruising down the highway as an uber-cool, independent babe astride her slick motor-horse-

I have always been captivated my Marlon Brando and his suave biker image. If Marlon and James Dean’s genetics had ever mixed their offspring would have been into motocross-

Back to the little Kawasaki. I kept it at a good friend’s car shop. He let me practice in the shop parking lot after hours. I could make left turns with no effort. Righthand turns were a problem. I couldn’t turn right without dropping the bike. I felt off-balance and blamed it on my left-handedness. One day I said a little prayer, “Dear God, I don’t know if I should keep the bike. I can’t seem to do the ‘right’ thing. Please send me a sign. I’ll keep practicing until I hear back from you,” AnnMarie.

The very afternoon I uttered this prayer, I was driving my sporty, charcoal-grey metallic, Nissan 240SX to my friend’s shop to practice riding my motorcycle. A man in a Ferrari-owned pickup truck was making an illegal u-turn. I was coming around a blind corner doing 65 in my little sports car. We smashed. My car slid across the opposite lane of traffic. Since God sent the sign, he pushed my car fast enough so it avoided oncoming traffic. Though I was spared, the right side of my car was not. The gentleman in the truck was fine too, with only a small cut on his forehead. Well, I learned from that day to be careful of what I prayed for. I sold the motorcycle and had my car redone.

For these past 2 weeks, I’ve been driving by a sleek black motorcycle with a For Sale sign on it. I have that old feeling. I’d like to give motorcycles another try. Tonight when the giant husband opened his mail, this was in it –

I’ll take it as a sign…

Thank you and goodnight. May you ride side-by-side with Marlon and James toward a gorgeous sunset and wakeup to the glorious sun…

(motorcycle silo with funky front wheel rendered in marker, biker chick done in watercolor and pencil, Marlon/James combo created with colored pencil and marker)

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…

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…

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-

Guess which one I drew first 🙂

Have a wondrous, creative and honorable Memorial Day weekend…

Hopefully My Mom Can Paddle as Well as She Sings!

Posted on May 12, 2014 by AM Roselli

Dear friends,
This past weekend I visited my folks. My mom had purchased tickets (an early birthday present for me) to see my all time favorite Broadway actor – Mandy Patinkin sing with Patti Lupone (another favorite). My sis, delicate daughter and amazingly vivacious 78-year-old mother stopped at a Vegan Cafe before the show –

(sister, delicate daughter, beautiful mom)

The show was fantastic, no surprises there-

The big surprise was my dad’s special gift for his wife. My mother – bless her young heart – plays tennis, serves as an Art Committee Chairman, enjoys swimming…in short she loves life and lives it well. She got the idea into her head this year, she’d like to take up kayaking. Her six children advised against it. My father – usually a conservative thinker – threw caution to the wind and gave his spirited wife a shiny new, red kayak for Mother’s Day-

I love my mother dearly. She is so many things to so many people. Her talents are many. She has a beautiful soprano voice. She sang the Ave Maria at her wedding, as well as mine-

I painted this watercolor portrait in 2009 for my parents’
50th Wedding Anniversary celebration

I hope when the shiny red kayak touches down on the lake for its maiden voyage, my mother can paddle as well as she sings…

Reflections of Spring

Posted on April 26, 2014 by AM Roselli

Hello my friends,
Yesterday I was sitting in front of my (ashamedly) dirty laptop gathering my thoughts, when a springtime reflection inspired me…

Spring is a time for cleaning winter’s white dust from our homes. It is a time for reflection and renewal –
Spring is a time to face new doors of opportunity and be prepared to leap through when they open-

Spring is a time to sow the seeds of dreams and cultivate inspired thoughts –

While traveling down the road of life, we shouldn’t spend too much time reflecting upon past choices –

We may find we don’t have all the answers, but if we pay close attention, life sometimes sends little messages in plain sight –

As we nurture dear optimism, we shouldn’t expend effort reflecting on what the future has in store for us. We should believe when one door closes another sometimes opens –