This painting is inspired by a visit to the swimming pool this morning. I never tire of painting water. It’s one of my favorite things. Also, check out this new review of Magic Lessons for Margo ..read more

Today I started working on a new magnolia painting. These beautiful fragrant white blossoms are blooming everywhere. There’s a short spell in spring when these overlap with the sweet nostalgic scent of the jasmine, before the jasmine fades. I went to look at birds today in the part of Rice Village that is shaded by lush canopies of live oaks. I saw a lot of black herons and egrets. The egrets made strange noises, almost human-like. Some sort of babbling, some sort of chant. It occurred to me that seeking out the majestic trees and the chanting birds on a Sunday morning was my way of going to ..read more

I’m so impressed with my little girl and how much she walked yesterday on her tiny paws. I hope she had fun on the Island. Back home, I painted this little watercolor of her. I did something I usually shy away from: I painted without sketching in pencil first. I used to not be able to do that at all, but it seems accessible to me nowadays. It feels good to be home. We stayed in the cutest place on the Island, the brand new Hotel Lucine. Their decor is lovely – the pool especially, with pelicans flying above. There’s good food to be had too, and very good espresso. And the location on the Seaw ..read more

Holly and I walked 20,000 steps today. We hung out with two of our favorite people. We breathed in salt air, got a little sunburned, and one of us swam in the pool while pelicans were flying above. It was, all in all, an excellent day ..read more

Last night I finished this pelican and I love how he turned out. Appropriately, today brought a trip to the Island, and many pelicans flying above. We also had muffalettas, a nice swim in a heated pool, a cozy comfy bathrobe, and a very pleasant dinner in a new restaurant we loved. Details to be revealed later. But here’s a peek at that robe ..read more

Ok, so I cut mine up because it’s how I like it, but these soft cotton T-shirts are so cute! The T-shirts are available in 4 colors as seen below, both in men’s and women’s cuts. You can order them here. I am totally in love with mine and might get it in different colors too ..read more

Today the naughtiest little book I ever wrote, The Adventures of Miss Vulpe, turns seven. Yet it still feels as fresh to me as the day I published it. In honor of the book birthday, I spent some time reading the current (almost final) draft of Book 3 in the series, and I must say I’m really enjoying it. At some point the little dog and I went outside to see the eclipse. It was cloudy and we didn’t have special glasses anyway, but when there was a little sunshine we saw those crescent shadows on the ground. It didn’t really get dark, and birds didn’t do anything special like I had hoped, but t ..read more

It was a beautiful day on Galveston Island. My favorite redhead is here visiting from Virginia and we got to hang out all day. She even came along on the walking tour I gave this morning, and we both got to meet a very cool new person who is very interested in Galveston Island and its history. We revisited some favorite places too, hung out with some other old friends, and found a nest with a grackle egg in it. We had a whole bunch of other adventures too. The day was both packed with fun and chill, the way Island days and especially Sundays tend to be. Bluebonnets are sturdy and stubborn. Th ..read more

Sometimes I see owls in the neighborhood and I really wanted to see one tonight. They are little screech owls. They have a very distinctive way of flying. I’ve kind of trained myself to see them. Anyway, tonight I took Holly on a very long walk, and I did, indeed, see a screech owl in flight. It made me happy ..read more

Today I worked on two abstract paintings. I also had a really long visit with my neighbor, and overall took my time doing things slowly and resting up after yesterday. Eclipse season is upon us, and things are changing in all kinds of ways. It’s important to stay calm, level headed, and focused on what’s important. In just a few days, this naughty little book will turn 7!Sneaking around Miss Vulpe style ..read more