Tulips~

Earth laughs in flowers. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Hamatreya"

Gateway View to your soul...step inside, your soul awaits...

Inside each one of us is a beautiful flower garden.
This is the garden of the soul. With each lesson
we learn, the garden grows. As we learn together,
our individual gardens form a tranquil paradise.
- SC Step inside, your soul awaits...

Fioli Gardens have many magical carefully planned views leading to the next garden area.
Fioli is an example of a formal garden which we don't see often. It is a neat and ordered garden laid out in carefully planned geometric and symmetric lines with beautifully planned every blooming beds behind perfectly manicured shrubs and hedges. It's a real treat to peek into the next area to see what is coming into view next.

Importance of Window Cleaning~

Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won't come in. (Alan Alda)



The importance of window cleaning is often overlooked. It's good practice to clean your windows and scrub your ideas so that fresh light can shine on you and help you grow. It's time for me to do some window cleaning again. I love when windows are clean and the fresh light shines in, as a matter of fact I love to clean all my reflective surfaces often and I instantly can feel the lightness it brings and fresh energy.

The vision of this photo was through Robins great eye! Thanks Robin

Giant Red Poppies

Ok, these Poppies were amazing! Giant balls of crape paper like ruffled chiffon magic unfurling in the golden sunlight, to expose midnight black cross centers and thousands of blueish black anthers. Like many things in nature very difficult to capture its true essence and beauty. I believe these are same type of oriental poppies that Georgia O'Keeffe captured so eloquently.

I'm hoping Rachel was able to capture the color more precisely. The color is far more vibrant and rich. Just a sign of my inexperience in photography. So much to learn...


We saw so many beautiful things in the gardens yesterday. Robin and I had a conversation about how some things must be viewed by the eyes and not the camera lens and how that makes the world magic. We gazed up at vinatage oak like trees that had been crafted and grafted for generations and stood in awe in their beauty, but I would not dare to even attempt to capture it's beauty. It"s really cool because it shows how a photo is just a photo and it is never reality. The photo is often just the shell and cannot attempt to capture the true essense of an object. Perhaps a photo is just a kernal of some of the essential parts of an object or being. The most essential most vital part of something can never be captured in a photo.

Enjoy these large orange red cups of pure beauty. If you love gardens you should really visit Fioli if you haven't already. www.filoli.org

Fast Charcoal sketch~

Mission Carmel

Five minute charcoal sketch inspired by a magazine my brother in law brought me this weekend, thanks Marko for getting me past my block and out of my head.

I just have to remember that it's about the work. Work and the rest will come. The working is the most important part.
Just show up and do it and soon the block will be gone or gap closed or closer to your expectations of self and work.

Thanks Mark & D

polka dot girl~

Morning sketch book. A mix media illustration portrait of polka dot girl in the rain. The source of inspiration are photos and outfits that my darling daughter has worn throughout her life. While they are in no way intended to be realistic portraits of her and I am just playing with portrait illustration that is made up, the inspiration comes from her and photos taken of her and the crazy sense of fashion she has. She had always had an eye for color, detail and fashion from a very, very early age, it's very cool. Her desire to make outfits is just one thing I had to surrender to having a very independent little girl who has had her own mind almost since birth. I love how children express themselves in their dress, it just makes me smile. I always bought these cute outfits and never knew how they'd manifest as an outfit on her, early on I would fight it and then just realized it was her and really important to her . My dream is to illustrate a few children's books...hmmm? Dream..., but it doesn't hurt to dream!
Lori Singer

Ranuncula Girl~

Playing in my notebook. mixed media sketch
Ranuncula Girl

My Changing View to my world~

Tulip~

Ranaca laca laca

Ranunculus is such a funny word/name and very hard to pronounce and remember. When I first fell for them many, many years ago, me and my dearest friend could never remember the name and we would play with the word, saying you know those Ranaca laca coulouses, well still to this day that memory floods my mind when I see these beautiful spring rhizomes.

Ranunculus come in such fun vibrant colors and make the most beautiful bouquets and cut arrangements. They are just one more reason to love spring.

Lori Singer

Sea of Blue Hydrangea

My Room with a view~ Lori Singer

My room with a view is not unlike my life. There are stones turned wonky, stones that are broken, some straight and in place, but as a whole the picture is pleasing to me. My life is, just a life nothing great in comparison so some,but holds a beautiful light that keeps my heart in the right place when life's "weeds" try to invade. The golden light not unlike the golden Daffs let me know that the path I lead is the right one for me.

We each have our own path and there should be no shame, blame or ridicule because we each can choose our unique own path. We know we are on the right path when our life to is filled with golden light even in the dark places, we feel a beam of warm light that keeps us open to the better days. For now I pull the weeds that try to invade the deepest part of my existence and send me down a wrong path.

Life is but a ton of choices and we can choose to be who we are and we cannot change how our view is misinterpreted, but we can choose to make choices, somedays we fail, others we grow and move further down our own personal path.

Where will my path lead? ~ Lori Singer

Where will my path lead me? I've been doing a lot of wondering about path and where it might lead. Reading, thinking, collecting of thoughts. hmmmm?

Summoning Hestia~ Watercolor

Summoning Hestia~ Watercolor card Goddesses

Hestia was the virgin goddess of the hearth (both private and municipal) and the home. As the goddess of the family hearth she also presided over the cooking of bread and the preparation of the family meal. Hestia was also the goddess of the sacrificial flame and received a share of every sacrifice to the gods. The cooking of the communal feast of sacrificial meat was naturally a part of her domain.

Getting ready to watch our modern day Hestia do her thing and cook with the freshest ingredients and pour her love into a pot for over 200 this weekend and calling all her muses and goddess friends to help and celebrate. All in the name of public education!

Drawing~ Lori Singer

Note book Drawing
Lori Singer

Food Art~ Deutsch Apfel-Pfannkuchen

Note book Artichoke study~ Watercolor

Note book artichoke study
Watercolor
Lori Singer

Food Art~ Chicken

I love to cook and for some crazy reason love photographing the process. Cooking and food is a big part of my upbringing and culture. Food in our family and it's preparation was a way of communication. Food preparation is an art form that can fulfill many senses.

My art for Monday is in the creative process of cooking~ Lemon, Garlic, Fresh herb Chicken and Roasted Potatoes in lemon, thyme, rosemary and garlic. Everyone should learn how to make a good roast chicken. It's a simple easy satisfying meal.

Art~

I leave you with the question, What is Art? This week was so busy and one day when my daughter came home she saw my make shift paper pallets on the table and said you made art today mom. Feeling frustrated and blocked for the last weeks, I had to stop and ask myself once again..."What is Art?" So, I leave you with color and it is art.

Thank you ladies for inviting me, it has been a wonderful experience. I have not felt as productive as I would have thought, but I am very happy that I am at least showing up and thinking about art daily on some level. I now see clearly, that Virgina Wolf was right on, but I need a studio of my own, or at least and art area. It's hard to take yourself serious without have a real space, so this is my biggest lesson I am taking away from this and also the just showing up and playing or working.

I would love to continue with you ladies if you are up for it? I think it would be amazing to see were we would end up in a year!

Thanks again and I look forward to meeting and playing with you all
Lori Singer

Window from my front Door~ Lori Singer

When I step out my front door this is my eye level window into my world. The fragrance is light and delicate and yesterday in the breeze very pronounced. Enjoy my window which greets me at my front door.

Lori Singer