Dreams

I love dreams, the incongruity, objects and situations juxtaposed in bizarre ways. Unexpected improbability, illogical situations.
Last week I dreamed that I was exiting some official looking building in an unfamiliar city and noticed what appeared to be a homeless man lounging in the street and using the curb as a pillow. But he seemed content and had next to him a mother cat, and her kittens were sprawled on and playing about him. He looked exactly like John Cleese (but in a raggedy outfit). I approached him and started to say, 'are you....'. He interrupted me with a smile and said, 'I know, everyone mistakes me for John Cleese'. Then I crouched down next to him and played with the kittens for a while. Next thing I knew I was holding either a newspaper or a bulletin of some sort and the headline was something like 'Jaimie W. rescues her 7th John Cleese look-alike vagabond this week!' In the dream there was no 'rescue' that I could recall.
Then I woke up.
Well who knows where this came from. I never think about John Cleese and I certainly have no desire to see my name in headlines.

I just find it so interesting where the subconscious may take us when we sleep.
I had no hope of adequately illustrating that dream and doing it justice so I'm submitting a collage that somewhat demonstrates my sense of dreams. Things that one would not see in waking life, but may appear perfectly normal while asleep, like an okapi standing next to a Wurlitzer jukebox.

The Okapi and palm tree are from a copper etching print I did some years ago. The jukebox was drawn with water soluble colored pencils.

Reflection

This submission for the Illustration Friday topic Reflection is a collage that consists of a cutout of a water color painting I made, glued atop some scraps of homemade paper and some gold leaf around the edges. (click for larger image)
The wooden fish is reflecting upon his mirror reflection. (I think).

Wisdom

Doubtful beet man with foolish, reckless bats. (click for larger image)

I turned to the words of Bertrand Russell for some thoughts on wisdom.
A lack of wisdom on the part of our leaders and the failure to listen to those who do possess it have divided and damaged this country, possibly beyond repair.
Russell also had this to say, and I believe it perfectly describes the criminals who are currently in charge of the U.S. government.

"Are we to continue entrusting our affairs to men without sympathy, without knowledge, without imagination and having nothing to recommend them except methodical hatred and skill in vituperation?"

Empty

Illustration Friday topic.
Empty gas tanks, late at night, the gas station is closed......
I drew these figures on tracing paper to give them a transparent look and used water soluble colored pencils, tissue paper background with stick-on drug store stars.

Illustration Friday - Aging

Since aging begins at birth and happens in increments, I thought I would show the result of 14 years in the life of my daughter. The collage consists of tissue paper, paint, glitter, gold leaf, So. Korean money, altered rhino photo, (which I took at the San Diego Zoo), and photographs.