"Art" is a clever rhyming children's book written and illustrated by the Mutts Comic Strip creator Patrick McDonnell. It's about a budding young artist who uses his creativity to express himself. I love this children's book because it's endearing and tells the story about learning, creating and the love between a mother and a child. It's also interesting to me to witness the  great talent that McDonnell has and is willing to share with his young and old readers.  According to McDonnell's website, "In 2005, McDonnell embarked on a children’s book career. His first children’s book The Gift of Nothing quickly became a New York Times Best Seller. Art (2006), his second release, told the story of a boy named Art who makes art. His next release, Just Like Heaven (2006), heralding the joys of simple blessings, was hailed in a starred review by Kirkus as “a meditation on the true nature of miracles.” In 2007 McDonnell again returned to the New York Times Best Seller list with Hug Time, featuring a kitten named Jules who goes around the world hugging endangered species. Since then, he has produced two additional childrens books (South and Wag!) along with the 2012 Caldecott Honor winner Me…Jane, a biography about the young Jane Goodall, and The Monsters’ Monster." *🎨1

Reading, learning and creating have always been so vital to me and my family. In fact, my son, Denis, would read so often that as a Christmas gift one year we gave him his very own reading lamp which he used every night. His son and my grandson, William, loves to read just like his dad.  As you can see from the photo below he even falls asleep reading with a book as a pillow. 

My granddaughters, Maddie and Annabel, love to create and learn.  Maddie is a concert cellist and loves to paint and draw. Annabel draws, paints and loves to dance. My Step-Grandson, Karl, loves to create by styling hair. ​

Creating and learning are so important to our development...no matter how old or young we are. I find it very rewarding when I create something whether it's creating my own art work, crocheting, learning a new recipe, working with Dagger or learning how to play the Ukulele (Yes, I'm trying to teach myself how to play the Ukulele by utilizing the YouTube tutorials...believe it or not!! I purchased an inexpensive Ukulele on Amazon...recommended to me by my dear friend Ann). All of these things make me feel successful. I've also found that the older I get the more I don't know. It can be kind of exciting when I think of how much I can still to learn and explore. 

During the difficult times of the pandemic, when we are pretty much at home... doing something creative or reading and learning something new takes us away from the stress of living in our isolated "bubble." It gives us purpose and keeps us positive. It also adds meaning to our lives. 

Throughout the month of February, maybe we can take sometime to learn something new or create our very own masterpiece. Whatever you do, do it knowing that however good or bad your creation is...you'll be spending your time wisely knowing that as you create, you're enhancing your life. What an exciting journey that can be!!

 
​Bibliography
​*🎨1  https://mutts.com/about-patrick/#

Life in the studio has changed greatly over the past months while in quarantine. The first and most notable occurrence is that sadly our beloved Tommy TuTu is no longer a part of our creative pack. Then something new has suddenly happened. Dagger is now fearful of going down the steps that lead to our studio. I don't know why this has suddenly happened. For close to four years now he has bounced down the two short steps that lead to our studio like a champ. Then recently, one day, he just put the brakes on and wouldn't come down the steps. It is so disheartening to me. I tried food and treat lures to get him to come down the two measly steps. Then one day, literally at my wits end, my dear friend, Ann, recommended I take him through the outside door that leads to the studio. There are no steps going that way. I tried her idea and it worked. I'm happy about that, but by the same token, I wish I knew what was going on in his mind that after so many hundreds of times going down the steps he suddenly has a fear of them.  Questions like: "Did I move something around in the studio?" or "Did I add something new?" But, nothing like that ever affected him before.  In fact, I've moved so many things over the years in the studio nothing... not one thing... that I've changed has ever bothered him before. I can't for the life of me figure it out. Walking in through the outside door makes him comfortable. So, here we are, another new normal. We now walk into the studio through the outside door.  Go figure!!!
Upon entering, his tail wags and you can clearly tell that he is relieved that he is safely in his space.  Then as we take our places, a sense of joy enters this creative space. I'm happy that that has not changed at all.  Miss YaYa and Dagger's tail's wag while I begin to feel a happiness take over my being,  Our studio has become for us our safe haven. A place where creativity happens and life takes a hopeful turn. So, what has changed about Dagger has little or no effect on our time in the studio. It's still the same wonderful creative world. A world where anything goes and everything happens. 

The memories of how we would lose ourselves in the happiness permeates the studio space and we are once again transformed into creative creatures...learning and be inspired by each other.  

Studio's for the most part can be that creative place where we learn and become inspired by our own talent. Speaking from my own experience and easel🙂, I have had the greatest pleasure of working on many paintings and literally losing myself in time. I become transcendent into a world of creative prowess that humbles me and allows me to be...well, ME.

Kandinsky, the father of abstract art, likened his time in the studio as a transcendental time where colors were other worldly and his paintings became compositions, impressions and improvisations. Much like musical compositions. According to Wikipedia.com, Kandinsky felt that "music was the ultimate teacher."  As the Der Blaue Reiter Almanac essays and theorising with composer Arnold Schoenberg indicate, Kandinsky also expressed the communion between artist and viewer as being available to both the senses and the mind (synesthesia). Hearing tones and chords as he painted, Kandinsky theorised that (for example), yellow is the colour of middle C on a brassy trumpet; black is the colour of closure, and the end of things; and that combinations of colours produce vibrational frequencies, akin to chords played on a piano. In 1871 the young Kandinsky learned to play the piano and cello.
Kandinsky also developed a theory of geometric figures and their relationships—claiming, for example, that the circle is the most peaceful shape and represents the human soul. These theories are explained in Point and Line to Plane
Published in Munich in 1911, Kandinsky's text, Über das Geistige in der Kunst, defines three types of painting; impressions, improvisations and compositions. While impressions are based on an external reality that serves as a starting point, improvisations and compositions depict images emergent from the unconscious, though composition is developed from a more formal point of view. Kandinsky compares the spiritual life of humanity to a pyramid—the artist has a mission to lead others to the pinnacle with his work. The point of the pyramid is those few, great artists. It is a spiritual pyramid, advancing and ascending slowly even if it sometimes appears immobile. During decadent periods, the soul sinks to the bottom of the pyramid; humanity searches only for external success, ignoring spiritual forces.
Colours on the painter's palette evoke a double effect: a purely physical effect on the eye which is charmed by the beauty of colours, similar to the joyful impression when we eat a delicacy. This effect can be much deeper, however, causing a vibration of the soul or an "inner resonance"—a spiritual effect in which the colour touches the soul itself."

I can't say that I'm completely likened to Wassily Kandinsky, but after learning about him, I can say that there are many times I've felt a similar way while working in our studio space. The space to me has become a spiritual kind of comfortable safe haven. It's where I feel that time has no prevalence and the tools become symbols of hope and joy. To me, that's a beautiful feeling. I think that if I was able to read Dagger's mind, he would tell me that he feels the same way too. Albeit, those pesky steps. 

Do you have a space in your home that you feel is your safe haven? A space where there's a spiritual and transcendental meditative happening every time you enter in? If you don't, you may want to create one. It can be a small space or it can be a very large space. Whatever and where ever it is, it's your space. Tell me about yours...

Whether your space is large or small...it's yours. Yours to express yourself in any way you like. So, as we always say...CREATE. LEARN and INSPIRE. And I might add, forget the your steps of fear...just let your creative juices flow and your space will become your safe haven too.😘

Bibliography:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wassily_Kandinsky

We adopted Tommy on October 28th, 2007.  His name was originally "Jake." We liked the name Jake, however, our neighbors dog was named Jake...so, we thought that it would get a bit confusing over the years with dogs that lived next to each other had the same name. Plus we really thought he looked like a Tommy....The "TuTu' was added as the years passed and we really got to know our Tommy TuTu.
Tommy was our first and as it has turned out...our ONLY Pure Breed Dog to date. Tommy was from an very elite group of Pedigree dogs called the Kentucky Derby line of Beagles.  He was registered Under the American Pet Registry and named "A Million Dollar Baby" and The Copper Penny Breed. He was a 15 inch tri-color beagle. Whenever I'd read his lineage I was  impressed.  So regal and so very special.

I met Tommy TuTu for the very first time at the Park Animal Hospital. He was being boarded there because his owners had medical issues and were unable to care for a puppy of 6 months old.  We had just lost our beloved beagle Melvin and the doctors at the hospital knew that we were interested in a third beagle.  Maggie and Jimmy were left of our three beagles. So, the great doctors at the Park Animal Hospital, Dr.s Jane & Jim and the Vet Tech, Cathy, who knew how special our beagles were to us, contacted us and wanted to know if we were interested in adopting Tommy. We would then become a three family beagle brigade again! How wonderful!, I thought. Cathy suggested that I bring the other two beagles to meet this new little puppy...Just to see if they'd get along.  I will never forget that day...The weather was incredible! It was pouring rain! But, I didn't let that deter me from meeting Tommy.  I took Maggie & Jimmy with me over to the hospital in the torrential rain to meet Tommy.  We waited in the examination room to meet our potential new friend.  When the door opened a scared, super sensitive little puppy ran right between my legs and stayed there throughout our visit. Of course, Maggie and Jimmy nosied around...sniffing Tommy everywhere. It seemed that they would be ok with each other AND... I knew right then and there that this little boy was mine. It's funny as the years passed Tommy became more and more attached to me. He followed me around the house and found a place to curl up and lay his head when I was working in an area.  I had "Tommy" beds everywhere.  I knew that there was some sort of separation anxiety...I just didn't know that it was me that felt the separation anxiety the most. I always thought it was him.  I am missing him more since he ventured over the Rainbow Bridge with each day that passes. 

I think what I miss most was that Tommy was a true character. When we got the "Papers" from his original owners, in the packet was a note telling us what Tommy liked, what his daily routine was like etc. 

They wrote that Tommy loved socks, oven mitts and dish towels.  "That's common", I thought. What I didn't realize at the time was that he loved socks so much that he ATE the socks. Socks, very often, got Tommy in the most trouble. Most of the time he did end up at the Park Animal Hospital to get x-rayed to try to locate the sock. One such time was when Denis and I had gone to a concert in NYC.  We always had our Doggie Sitter, Gabby, watch the dogs for us while we were out.  Unfortunately, Gabby was unable to do it that night, but she referred her friend Bobbie" to come over to sit with the dogs.  Bobbie was a wonderful young man. While we were at the concert my cell phone rang...a very distressed and panicked Bobbie was on the other line. "Mrs. Dagger, he cried, "Tommy just ate one of my socks!"  I replied, "Are you sure of this, Bobbie?" He answered with even more panic in his voice..."He ate it right before my eyes. I tried to get it away from him, but he swallowed it before I could even get to him." I told him to give Tommy a slice of bread with butter smeared on it...sometimes this helps to get them to throw up the sock. He did just as I suggested.  Tommy ate the bread and walked away like the "king of the sock dog." We rushed home only to see a very anxious and stressed out dog sitter who was clearly apologetic. I felt so bad for Bobbie. But, this was Tommy...in true fashion. The next day I took Tommy to the Park Animal  Hospital to get X-rayed. After a few days in the hospital, the doctors told us that there was no sign of the sock. I always thought that Tommy had another pocket in his body made just for socks 😁 The doctors suggested us taking Tommy home since he was eating and looking good. That afternoon, I went and picked Tommy up.  On the way home from the hospital Tommy threw the sock up in the car. Yup, Tommy was a real character. By the way...we never saw Bobbie again.

I could go on and on about Tommy TuTuism's. In his later years he became a media sensation.  In fact, more people from all over the world expressed they deepest condolences when they heard he had passed. People loved him. He was so photogenic. But, most importantly he was loving, gentle, smart as a whip and a real character.  To us he was just Tommy TuTu...We had many nicknames for Tommy..."Bob Barker Marker.  Little pain in the drain and Tommy TooDaLooToo."  He certainly gave us 13 1/2 years of sheer delight and kept us on our toes with his antics.  We will miss him dearly. But, toward the end of his life, we knew that Tommy was not feeling his eager, spunky self anymore. It was heartbreaking to let him go. 

It's a funny thing...Life...I met Tommy up at the Park Animal Hospital through Cathy and it was Cathy that held Tommy in his last minutes here on earth. I will always treasure her love and compassion and all of the Doctors and staff at the Park Animal Hospital for Tommy in my heart forever.

Well, thank you for reading about Tommy TuTu.
​He will be forever in our hearts and souls.