For Bennett

Sketchcrawl 2009

I participated in the Sketchcrawl this year. I drove over to Austin, Texas and caught up with other artists at The Great Outdoors plant nursery. Here is my contribution to quick sketching on location. I used a Micron pen and then followed it with Faber Castell watercolor pencils. Enjoy.

Giddings, Texas

I love small town America. When I drive through these towns, my mind cannot keep up with all the cool things I am seeing. I have to stop and keep making blocks to take more pictures of unique ephemera. I am not talking about places to shop, I am talking about the kitchy, local architecture, cupolas, peeling paint, abandoned buildings with just the right amount of weeds covering it. Or things that you will find only in the South. My poor kids had a helluva time growing up with me. They have experienced what it is like to live with an artist. I am now tormenting the next generation, my grandkids. I have to get them trained right, to see beauty in so much that has been discarded and taken for granted. They are getting it.

Giddings, Texas caught my eye this weekend. Here are some cool shots to share with you.

Lee County Courthouse clock tower.


Nicely illustrated postcard mural.


Magnolia Petrol complete with petroleum Peagasus. I have some good close-ups of the horse to integrate into an art quilt. I need to go back and plein air paint this station.


Where petroleum comes from. I grew up playing around these loud groaning, creaking horse heads. I thought every kid in America had these in their backyard. Alas, my family did not own the rights to the liquid underneath (dammit!).


A good ole' tent rival waiting for you sinners out there. Can you see the trailer behind the tent? Someone dropped it in a hurry. I had a full shot of the listing trailer beside the tent and it was scary. Only thing missing were the Pentecostals and snakes.

Apron Strings

I have always been a big fan of aprons. Multi-purpose, functional and creative outerwear. As a child growing up in the 70’s, I had 2 terry cloth aprons with silk screened images. One apron had Snoopy dancing with a dog bowl and the other was the classic gold and brown mushroom (so I could match my mother's stoneware mushroom canister set…).

I love to cook for my family. My grandkids have figured out that I am the only grandmother that whips up the meals for them. One early morning while the bacon was frying and the waffles were waffling, the guinea pig was slipped into my apron pocket by my 6 year old granddaughter as she announced “you now have a pig in your pocket!”

Aprons are catch-all’s. I have gathered eggs, wiped faces, kept cooking splats off my day clothes, carried chicks or anything that needed toting. I have one apron used for plein air painting. Generations of women before me have pioneered this piece of fabric. And trust me, I know a woman had to invent it. I have started making old fashioned aprons with left over fabric and notions. Here are a few to share with you. Minus the pocket pig…

Merry Christmas Y'all

I had to share our Texas style Christmas tree from Uvalde, Texas (about 40 minutes from Mexico). This tree can truly persevere the Texas heat. Yes, that is prickly pear cactus growing out of green painted coffee cans. Who says we don't recycle?


During this rushed and financially tight holiday season, try to enjoy the things you may take for granted. Spend the time to fix your hair, complete with silk flower poinsettas.


Break out the Legos and build what ever cool thing your heart desires.


Enjoy a family meal cooked all from scratch by your grandmother.


Eat so much that you feel like you could not possibly hold another ounce, and retire to the couch.


Be sure to give everyone a hug and say "I Love You".


You may even have to put up with a little BS. Just remember, they love you enough to pick on you. Have a safe holiday season from my family to yours.

Howdy from Texas, Jenna!

After 2 hours of Houston evening traffic, I pull into the driveway, stagger out of my car, pull myself up the front porch steps, and to my pleasant surprise, find a small kraft box from Amazon.com leaning against my front door.

Made from Scratch by Jenna Woginrich. Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. Merry Christmas to me, and I could not be more pleased. It is a pretty book, complete with a gold foil honey bee on the front. I am a book nerd. I become giddy with excitement when I find first editions printed in the 1800's with the engraved plate tissue still intact, protecting the illustration. OR, when I stumble across a 1928 "The Arkansaw Bear Complete" in rough condition. It came home with me, and I treasure it.
Jenna's book is special. It is a memoir based on her young adult years (I think she is 26) in her woman's self discovery, and responsible, sustainable living. Just when I was becoming totally disheartened from seeing what our wars are doing to our young people and their families, God throws me a life-line. Lighten up Kerrie, read this. There is some good out there. As a novelty, I photograph her book sitting on the back bumper of my old farm truck showing the Texas farm truck plates. Kind of like photographing the gnome as he travels the world. I shared this photo with her and it made her smile. I am happy.

Horse Therapy

This was something I hope I never forget. It was unexpected and beautiful. I saw Sebastian kiss Rudy.

Sebastian may be one of the most beautiful children I have ever seen, although I am partial to dark curls, and he has a lot of them curling out from under his rider's helmet. I think he is between 3–4 years old and my favorite child at the horse therapy program I volunteer at. He wears little cowboy boots and every now and then I can hear a "yee-haw" as I lead his pony. We had a one-day Special Olympics type program on Saturday and I was blessed to have my Rudy and Sebastian team.

Rudy is about 13.5 hands tall and has the softest horse hair I have ever ran my hands across. It could rival the rich softness of an Alpaca. I kneed his hair like a cat and he tolerates me. He also has the tiniest hooves on a horse his size. Like a pony, some nights he tries to drag me in the arena, other nights he is a perfect gentleman. I've been told he nips and to watch out. The closest thing I have felt is a warm tongue sneaking a tiny lick on my arm. It is discrete and quick.

We have some stable snobs and they enjoy making fun of this great guy. He is too slow. His eyes are closed. He is lazy. They shut up instantly when Rudy was chosen as Horse-of-the-Year. This was as close as I would ever come to an award pageant, holding his lead as he stood patiently in the line-up. When his name was announced as the chosen winner, I jumped once with joy and gave him a big hug. I had the urge to do a beauty queen gasp and cry but I acquiesced, and Rudy's neck was draped with a beautiful wreath of flowers. I imagined him as Secretariat winning the Triple Crown.

And for Sebastian, that is what Rudy means to him. Empowerment, freedom, release, pleasure, love. And God chose me to witness that moment between special child and special horse, tiny hands reaching out and grasping that velvet nose, and planting a kiss right on the end of it. It was then I cried.