Secrets About Writing the Perfect Love Letter

Still waiting for that love letter?  Here's how to get just the one you want!

There is an old song written in 1935 called “I’m Going to Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter”. It starts with these words—I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter And make believe it came from you….
 
I created this pen and ink drawing on an old book page with text that  includes the words "letter", "postmark", "sat at home", "his-might-have-beens"... and it reminded me of Sinatra's song and that gave me an idea for the title of this artwork.  Thought you'd like to hear ol' blue eyes pour out his heart.  







Here are the lyrics:

I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter
And make believe it came from you
I'm gonna write words, oh, so sweet
They're gonna knock me off my feet,
A lotta kisses on the bottom,
I'll be glad I got 'em

I'm gonna smile and say:
"Gee, I hope you're feeling better."
And close "with love" the way you do.
I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter
And make believe it came,
I'm gonna make believe it came from you.

Blue Geisha

My print entitled "Blue Geisha" reminds me of all things Japanese.  Remember the film "Memoirs of a Geisha"?  I hope this video brings back fond memories of the love story.

How You Doin' ?

Whenever Joey on the TV program “Friends” was interested in a woman, he would put on a cocky grin and ask, “How you doin’?”


My painting of this offbeat, strutting male blackbird is on the lookout for a sultry springtime mate and uses Joey’s seductive line continually.  Don't think the girls are going to fall for it!
 
This is a one-of-a-kind painting.  You can buy it on my etsy website  http://moxyfoxdesigns.etsy.com/
 
 

 

Hang On Little Tomato

I sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the mirror on the door and sketched this first portrait of myself -- I was about 30.   Looks pretty serious, but it takes intense looking to get yourself flowing through your eyes, down your arm, into your hand and onto the paper.

Now, so many years later I wanted to give it a title--which is tricky business--and the song "Hang on Little Tomato" happens to be the tune that I find myself humming.  Here is a video of that song -- she begins to sing about halfway into it.  See the lyrics at the bottom.

The sun has left and forgotten me

It's dark, I cannot see

Why does this rain pour down

I'm gonna drown

In a sea

Of deep confusion

Somebody told me, I don't know who

Whenever you are sad and blue

And you're feelin' all alone and left behind

Just take a look inside and you'll find

You gotta hold on, hold on through the night

Hang on, things will be all right

Even when it's dark

And not a bit of spark

Sing-song sunshine from above

Spreading rays of sunny love

Just hang on, hang on to the vine

Stay on, soon you'll be divine

If you start to cry, look up to the sky

Something's coming up ahead

To turn your tears to dew instead

And so I hold on to his advice

When change is hard and not so nice

You listen to your heart the whole night through

Your sunny someday will come one day soon to you

 

 

...

Wow -- Look At These Changing Portraits

Since I usually paint on really large canvases, I thought I'd try a tiny one -- 5 x 7 inches. Here is an optical trick.  If you paint big on a small canvas, it makes the size expand and vise versa.  Paint tiny and the canvas will appear very small.

I found this vidio of changing portraits and thought you'd enjoy seeing them.

 

Isn't that cool?

Skylark an Impressionist Painting with Andre Previn at the Keyboard

Entitled "Skylark" this is an impressionistic style painting done in acrylics on a 5x7 inch canvas panel.  She was inspired by the song of the same name.

I love Renee Olstead's version of this song, which she sang on her 2009 album of the same name.  The lyrics are by Johnny Mercer; music is by Hoagy Carmichael.  This is considered a jazz standard and was published in 1942.

Lyrics:

Skylark, have you anything to say to me?
Can you tell me where my love may be?
Is there a meadow in the mist
Where he’s just waiting to be kissed?
Skylark, have you seen a valley green with spring
Where my heart can go a journeying

Over the shadows and the rain
To a blossom covered lane?

And in your lonely flight have you heard the music?

In the night, wonderful music.

Faint as a will-o-the-wisp, crazy as a loon,

Sad as a gypsy serenading the moon.

Oh, skylark, I don’t know, I don’t know

If you can find these things,

But my heart, my heart is riding on your wings.
So if you see them anywhere

Won’t you lead me there?

Paintbrushes by the Dozen

I have learned that buying quality brushes is the best way to go. Inexpensive brushes will always be a disappointment. Either the bristles will fall out or the brush won’t hold its shape.

Some of these brushes are over 15 years old – no, probably more like 20 to 25. You can see how the texture of the canvases has worn down some of the original shapes.

I keep my brushes on my studio desk. They have two psychological effects. They are a delight to see, but they also incessantly prod me to paint something new. In either case, they are my tools and they must be sturdy.