I Spy

Just a figure study I made tonight for a future painting of the Greek figure Diana...

Diana (Artemis) was an ancient Italian goddess of woodland. In Capua and in Aricia, a locality near Rome, there are still shrines dedicated to the old Italian goddess. Diana was the twin sister of the god Apollo. Her father and mother were Jupiter and Latona.

Diana believed her body was very sacred, and so no man was to see her naked. One day a wandering hunter came across Diana bathing. When the hunter Actaeon accidentally came upon Diana while she was bathing, she turned him into a stag, whereupon his own hunting dogs attacked and tore him to pieces.

Goes to show -- next time you think about spying, make sure they are not a god of goddess.

Total: Part II

When your world is in total chaos, remember...it is all a matter of perspective.

I feel the dialogue in Lord of the Rings beautifully illustrates the challenges of life in a dark, dark world and 'though we cannot control what comes to us, we can control how we deal with that which does.

Frodo
"I wish the ring had never come to me . . . I wish none of this had happened."

Gandalf
"So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."

Total

Some say that they were "totally nuts", but the truth was -- they were really acorns, and well...they still hadn't lost their heads like their sunflower critics.

Wired

Definition (slang) of RAT:
A despicable person, especially one who betrays or informs upon associates.

Nobody likes a rat. Rats cannot be trusted, no matter how friendly and believable they may appear to be. Be careful of the company in which you keep and with whom you conduct business; for surely among that group, there exists a rat. Wired and tuned-in, this rat will do everything in his or her power to sell you out.

Making themselves look and feel good by corrupting your image is their game. If only everyone was secure with who they really are...

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"We are a nation of 'rats' and we all are bound by sin and suffering...so why deny anyone their identity."
Martin Scorsese / 'The Departed'

Hide (Part II)

The woods can be a scary place. This would look like a very comfortable hiding / resting place for a weary traveler in need of solace for the evening.

Hide

No other feathered creature in the great state of Pennsylvania is more elusive than the Wild Turkey. Their ability to hide from their many predators relies on their wisdom of the woods.