Layer, Illustration Friday

"Man - despite his artistic pretensions, his sophistication, and his many accomplishments - owes his existence to a six inch layer of topsoil and the fact that it rains." ~Author Unknown

Much of the country would be grateful for a string of warm sunny days such as those we've enjoyed recently in southern California. Besides providing the obvious distractions, the sameness can get a little too predictable. A recent trip through the desert between cloudbursts, as the spring wildflowers awaken provided just enough visual stimulation to shake the mental cobwebs loose. Beneath layers of sleeping brain cells which sometimes seem to occupy areas of space as vast and arid as the desert, small seeds of ideas wait to be unearthed, even sporadically and unexpected.

Sweater, Illustration Friday

“Sweater, n.: garment worn by child when its mother is feeling chilly.” ~ Ambrose Bierce

This week, my mind wanders to a famous cardigan worn by a man whose mother made sure he was always warm. With all due respect, I imagine that Mr. Rogers wouldn't mind if I put hearts on the sleeves of his sweater for Valentine's Day. Besides, in his characteristically kind and gentle manner, he told all of us kids it was okay to pretend in the Neighborhood of Make Believe!
Happy Valentine's Day to all!

Reverse, Illustration Friday

Sometimes a girl just doesn't know which way to go as the deadline for Illustration Friday approaches. So Neil, an alien, zipped down from outer space to deliver a reverse message.
Thank goodness for palindromes, mirrors and people with eyes in the backs of their heads, maybe?
One step back, and we'll all be moving forward from here!

Surrender, Illustration Friday

I surrender! Here's a quickie for this week's prompt, inspired by Valentine's Day and with a nod to all the tattoos and other forms of body art out there.
I must confess, I've never surrendered a square inch of my own flesh to ink or piercings, having already sacrificed tiny pieces of myself to the roads, sidewalks and other undisclosed locations where my much younger self used to skate around on (or off, as it were) urethane wheels.
Whether it's a sweet valentine, a kid rolling down the road on wheels, or a bold statement in body ink, each offers a form of expression as individual as its origin. Surrender yourself to an expressive week!