New Year, New Art

I am so excited to share a little bit of what I've already started working on this new year.

Back before kids I worked for the San Diego Zoo for about 14 years!  But sadly that also meant that when I moved away to London I was just about burn out on looking at anything animal related.  As much as I absolutely love animals and all the good work the zoo does I had no desire to draw an animal.  Besides, in my head, my days of art and fashion were about to begin....  Well that never really happened,  I got pregnant with my little girl and decided that it was time to come back to San Diego after a dreamy year in London.

My days of drawing children began.  It's been fun, it's made me some money (not much) and it's made for some very fun annual Christmas cards.  I now have two very beautiful children and my friends and family have had the joy of watching them grow through my art.  This year for Christmas I was drawing my card and had incorporated some deer, birds, and bunnies.  A good friend and supporter of mine commented on how cute my animals were.  It stuck in my head and it got me thinking.  They were cute and I had really really enjoyed drawing them.  It made me want to draw more animals.

2018 Christmas card

So here I was about 14 years after quitting my job at the Zoo in hopes to go do something glamours in London, I find myself so happy drawing super cute animals.  Here is a peek of what I have done so far.

all art © suzanne litzenberg 2019, All rights reserved

Thank you for being respectful

Self Portrait

It's been a long time since I took the time to draw myself.  But it started out as a portrait of who I am through the things I like and then ended up adding my self to the image.

First the tree.
I love trees so much that I spend an entire semester in art school drawing a painting them.  I love being in the shade of a big tree and wondering around in the coolness of a forested area.  I love how trees grow and change through out the year and the life force they are and how important they are to this planet.  I dream of someday hiking through the amazon rainforest.  So the tree was the biggest most significant part of my image.

Then the bike.
Ever since I sat down on my first radio flyer red tricycle I was in love with the freedom of biking. I taught myself how to ride without training wheels in secret on my oldest sisters bike around the garage when my parents were not home.  I would race all over the neighborhood with the big kids riding like the wind.  Even now as an adult the joy of riding is not lost.  My husband got me a mountain bike when we were dating and it lasted until our move to London.  It wasn't until a few years ago my husband surprised me with a new bike that was perfect for my little outings to Starbucks and light shopping.  So I had to draw in my teal Specialized Roll.

The clouds.
I spent many happy hours as a child with my good friend and next door neighbor Jason, staring into the sky watching the clouds drift by and change shapes.  It was then that I first felt comfortable with someone else without having to talk but just enjoy the moment.  I still gaze at the clouds with my husband and kids.  On long trips to Colorado to visit my family we amuse ourselves with the shapes.  But we still take time to lay down on the grass to watch the world drift peacefully by.

The grass.
I hae seasonal allergies but that doesn't stop me from loving a cool soft blanket of grass and wild flowers.  laying there you can see little special things like four leaf clovers, ladybugs, and rollie pollies.  There is nothing more relaxing and mediative laying down and having your skin touch nature in a peaceful way.

Me.
Like I mentioned above, I wasn't intending to put myself in the image, just things that I love.  But there was space and I had the time.  I put myself lower than the things I love as I feel they reflect me more than my appearance so there for a far more important to the image.

Finally the bird.
I love birds.  I love how they fly, sing and move about the world.  I put birds in so many pieces of my art.  I have named my company Remarkable Bird for that reason.  Birds are remarkable.

A piece of reflection.  Take time.  Your time is your own.  Do what you love and be a reflection of that love.

The Bragger

What is a Brag?

How do you define bragging?  

I just received a text from a bragging friend that prompted me to write the blog post.

My kids encounter this all the time with other children at school, in extra circular activities, within family circles and with friends.  They are constantly asking for my advice or complaining to me about a bragging situation they have encountered.  I always ask my kids first how did the friend sound, what was their tone what words did they use?   I want my kids to understand the difference between a bragger and an excited friend with something cool they want to share.

One of my favorite books to help explain to my kids is by Dr Suess "The Big Brag".  It reminds us all that a talent we have, an object we posses that we are proud of, can become so blown out of proportion it becomes lie.  I tell my kids all the time that a brag is close to, if not lying.  When someone has to say something about themselves in a boastful way they are surly lying or coming as close to a lie as they can to self promote who they want others to think they are.  They are also demonstrating their lack of self confidence and need the approval and attention of others to be reassured about themselves.  

Oddly knowing all of this and patiently reminding my children of this when they get annoyed at a friend for bragging, I still find myself equally annoyed and frustrated.  I also find myself distancing myself from the bragger.  I never walk away from a bragging person feeling good about myself or upbeat about the world.  I in fact really don't like how I feel and want to lesson my interaction with that person.

There is tone and language that clearly differentiates between a proud "I can't wait to share this amazing news with a friend, Im just so excited" and "I want all to know that I am superior and deserve their respect and admiration, you may now basque in my glory of awesomeness" 

My daughter, after 3 hard years of hard work and dedication in the theater, auditioned to go to a preforming arts school and got in!  Of course we were proud of her but were not sure how to share this news with our friends and family.  We knew that we would eventually have to start letting people know that she would not be going to middle school with all her elementary friends.  As we started to quietly tell people we found there were two kinds of people.  1. The person who was excited for our daughter and were already eager for more opportunities to see her preform on stage.  2. The person who looked at us with judgment and smugness stating how talented their own child was or how they know of a child who was far more talented and how they should have auditioned. 

There is a handful (or sadly more) people in my life currently that brag.  Constantly building themselves up and at the same time they are working very hard to discredit those who truly deserve the praise and glory.  So often I find that the ones working silently, compassionately, that are kind and do things with a love and joy are over looked for the boastful glory seeking bragger.  When the kind person tries to share some happy news the boastful one is quick to step in and out do their claims. 

In the past week alone I have been confronted too often with boastful people who would have been more respected if they had been proud of their friends then try to outdo them.  

Let's be clear, when you brag you are trying to out do what someone else has said, done, or possess.  You want acknowledgment and approval from those around you that you are superior.  Likewise, when you are excited to share news, talents or possessions,  you are hoping that others will be supportive and happy for you.

As an artist in this day and age, if you don't show your work on social media then no one will find you to hire you.  Gone are the days of running around with a portfolio in hand trying to get others to hire you.  Sharing your art is an art form in it's self.  You can come across as a complete bragging jerk or someone who really wants to share a piece of their soul with the world.  It all comes down to language and tone.  But it leaves me with a sense of not wanting to share at all at times.  Just knowing that the bragging people I know will quickly dismiss my work.  The Braggers always seem to know someone far superior or have a talent themselves that has yet to be discovered, and they like to make sure I know it too.  

I think that bragging has become such a casual way that some people just speak.  They are completely unaware of their audience or how their words are affecting others.  How they are pushing people away.

Arrogance is not becoming and eventually, the lie from their bragging bubbles up to the surface and the bragger can lose a lot.  Friendships, jobs, respect, and trustworthiness are just some of the things that are at stake when bragging takes place.

So the next time someone comes to you with joyful news, or shares an accomplishment, stop making it about you.  This isn't your springboard to outdo a friend.  This is your chance to be a friend.  Get excited for them, let them know you are truly happy for them.  Listen and enjoy the fact that they like you enough to share with you something special in their lives.

Likewise, the next time you have something you are proud of or excited to share with others, be kind with your words.  Don't boast or brag.  Keep it real, keep it upbeat, keep it happy and choose wisely those people you find worthy of sharing in your joy.

One of my favorite quotes to sum up bragging 

 “Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't.” 

― Margaret Thatcher

The Empty Chair

After a summer of fun I started going through photos I had taken.  As always, there are the photos that didn't turn out that you wish would have, great photos you just can't wait to print or share on social media, and then there's the unexpected photo, the one you didn't know you took.  The photo isn't focused on anything.  You pressed the capture button without realizing and wham, you have the random unexpected photo you didn't know you took.  These photos always seem so errie, sort of out of body, out of context to all other photos so planned so framed so happy.  But this one, this empty chair was so much more than that.

Since the moment I lost my brother 15 years ago, I immediately noticed all the empty chairs he no longer occupied.  We ate dinner every night as a family, we went to church every Sunday, we had our seats in the car, and spots in front of the tv.  As we grew up we still came home for family events and holidays, we still met up at church on Sundays, went to movies, out for lunch, coffee, and found ourselves in each others homes for games and pizza.

All those occupied chairs, all those years.

2 months before my 27th birthday and 2 months after my brothers 30th birthday, he died.

And all of a sudden all I could see was the empty chairs he should be sitting at.

The empty chair on the patio for a heartfelt talk, the vacant spot in the pew at church, the movie seat for all the movies we had planned to watch together, the chairs around the holiday tables, and empty stools in coffee houses.  So many empty chairs, it made my heart ache every time I sat down to be faced with a spot my brother once occupied.  I talked myself into thinking that he was still with us in all those empty chairs.  Like a friendly spirit filling a void to cheer me up.

As years pass and time helps us move forward the empty chairs started filling with new friends and old, new loved ones like my two beautiful children.  New traditions start and old ones seems to go on despite the loss of someone so specail.

This summer I spent a week at my parents house in Colorado with my husband and kids.  We got to spend time with my sisters and their families.  In honor of us visiting, my dad had one of his famous Shrimp Boils.  We all sat around and ate Cajun shrimp until we thought we would explode.  I took lots of happy family photos that afternoon.  But this, the empty chair was in the middle of my photos.  So lonely, so vacant, sad.  My brother should have been there that day.  All those feelings from 15 years ago welled up inside me when I saw the photo.  Sometimes those random, out of context photos are what our heart needs most. 

Changed Priorities

It's time I get serious and get back to work.  Not just on my art but on my blog and taking photos.  I need to get back to a more creative me but this time I have a BIG incentive.... no money.  Most of us know what's it's like to have no or little money.  You can't pay your bills on time, there is no such thing as going on holiday, and you don't dare buy anything unless what you own has completely fallen apart.

I haven't been able to make a decent student loan payment in ages, let alone keep up on the expense of my kids.  The last time I went on Holiday was 8 years ago even though I was promised London for my birthday last year (your cant do something when you don't have any money).  I wear the same clothes everyday and actually felt guilty asking Donald if it would be okay to get a new pair of trainers because the ones I've worn for the last year and a half are falling apart.

For ages now I have been hoping that I would magically be given time to work on my art and blog.  That our household income would match what we needed every month to get by.  But the reality is that this is never going to happen unless I change my priorities.  I need to create the time to work (ignore my kids or have them work along side me).  I need to get my art back out in circulation in hopes that it might just sell so that maybe, just maybe we can start to get by without the constant stress.

So today I put art back in my shop.
I added two personal pieces to the collection.
And the plan is that when I get done with this post I will work finishing up some old ideas in a fresh way so I can add them too!

It's been a really tough couple of months, and the bad news doesn't seem to be coming to an end anytime soon nor does any kind of financial relief.

The great news is that I'm an optimist at heart and to a fault....So I think I can make positive changes by getting BACK TO WORK!  Creating art that I love and selling it to the people that love my art.  In this way I can help Donald and I breath a bit easier and support the man that has supported me for so long.

It's too early for Christmas but here are two brand new personal pieces in my shop.

I never wanted to sell art I did for my personal use but it's time I get more art out there and that means all the art I do.  So here are the first two personal pieces I have up for offer on my Etsy site.

I'm changing my priorities and creating art for the betterment of our family.

During this post my 4 year old looked through books on his own upstairs while my 7 year old created unsupervised science experiments in the kitchen. And now they are using their science equipment to have a water fight outside.  Safety goggles, beakers, test tubes, and swim suits for the win.  I hope this means I don't end up failing as a mom for my kids but that in time we will find a balance of fun and understanding

Drawing Mermaids

So often what I create is because the ones I love are my inspiration.  In the case of drawing mermaids, it was my little love Emma that inspired me to draw for her.  So far the mermaids are in super rough stage.  I need to add so much detail and of course some of Emma's favorite aquatic life.  Each mermaid will have at least one friend to play with in each drawing.  Emma loves the water, swimming and the ocean most of all.  She loves stories about Jacques Cousteau and marine life.  I was not at all surprised when she asked if I could take down her butterflies in Paris and redecorate her room in the magic that is the ocean and toss in some mermaids.  So I've started sketching.

 These drawing have been a source of of fun and disappointment for me.  What started out as something I could create that was magical and enjoyable for Emma's room hit a giant wall for me.  This same wall I have been fighting for over a year.  That giant wall in front of me has graffiti in big black ugly letters "why create, no one wants it"  under that in some horrid neon it says "your just a stay at home mom with no life" 

So when I was at Emma's tennis practice the other day and a friend mentioned that they saw on instagram the drawings Emma did of mermaids, I felt like I had just been punched in the stomach.

Do I draw like a 6 year old.  Is my art no better than what a small child could do? 

No, I haven't let this go.  No, I don't want to stop drawing.

But how do you move past how little others think of what you do and see any meaning in continuing.

 Donald, who is always my champion in such situations has been through his own battles with trying to do the right thing with his work, so he had a hard time trying to get me to ignore the comment.  His response was "If you stop drawing because of this one comment then you need to go find a job" 

Going to find a job, even in this economic climate, seems like such an easier path.  I might earn the respect of my girlfriends who all have "professional jobs" and I won't have people crushing my heart with their criticism of what I love.  I won't even have to be responsible for my kids, as I can blame the day care and school for any downfalls they may have.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet.  I want to finish the mermaids but maybe I should leave that up to real artist and just buy some art for Emma's room.  

There's a part of me that wants to prove to all those that just laugh behind my back and even straight at me that I will make these mermaids so wonderful they won't be able to say anything.

Donald has always said that he loves my tough determination........

So we shall see what comes to pass

For now Emma's got a mermaid in a note I wrote to her.

Drawing Chairs

Once again I find myself doing what is quite possibly the wrong thing to be doing. But it's drawing just the same. And surprisingly I do have a plan for my antique looking chairs


Still not sure how I want my chairs to be drawn. That's the hard part (and that's part of what I'm working on) is my new "look" or way of approaching a subject or drawing. How finished do I want a pencil sketch to be or how incomplete? Thick lines or shading or lots and lots of white? I'm guessing as I'm working this all out that it's going to be a few months or so to develop a style I love and that is all my own. Something I should have done years ago in art school but just pushed through my work hoping it would evolve on it's own. I have an idea of what I would like but I'm open to what it will become.

Olympic Logo

We all know what a disgrace the London 2012 logo is. It was such a disappointment from a mecca of great design. So I don't think I need to go into the ends and outs of the bad choice London has made other than I will find it hard to believe anyone will be eager to purchase logo merchandise. I'm sure it will be the lowest sales in Olympic history.

That being said, I did come across a logo that I can't believe wasn't used but has been saved for the Great Britain Team. Wow do I love it in so many ways. Even if they had taken just a concept from this logo, the official logo for the 2012 Olympics would have been a vast improvement.


I also stumbled across other logos that would have been a refreshing change for the logo that was selected.




I was even pleasantly surprised with the Rio logo for 2016. A logo with motion makes so much more sense for a huge sporting event then a jagged stale logo. Even the colors are used much more effectively.
But the Rio logo still reminds me of the Scripps logo here in San Diego.
I love logos and the work and thought process that goes into each one regardless of how bad they might be. They all tell a story in simple lines and color. We either love them or hate them and they either work or don't work.

Get Back To Work

Lately I've had a hard time feeling the energy to draw. Finding the time is hard enough, but when I have the few precious moments I need I find myself doing something uncreative. Trying to get back into the mood of creating can be hard at times. I don't have the problem of ideas, it's the motivation I lack.

Surprisingly I found a tweet that seemed to do the trick. Someone had tweeted : The 12 Crazy But True Secrets to Artistic Financial Success. Must-read......
then when you clicked on the link this is all you got
It cracked me up, but also made me realize I needed that stern no nonsense answer. There is no secret to success as an artist. I just need to get back to work!

So off to make my self feel a bit more artistic no matter what my mood I did some 10 second sketches..... not anything great and not what I really needed to be doing, but it was a start.
I need to get back to work and get some art done, I am bursting with ideas and how I want to tackle a new look that is part fashion illustration, part graphic design, and part children illustration. Not sure how it's going to look or turn out. But in my mind it's going to be great!

O.M.D.

Music is something so special to artists. It feeds our creative soul as we pour over ideas, spin creativity in our heads and pour out our hearts through our hands. Music carries us through the day and cradles us at night. It's there when no one else is and is something we enjoy sharing with others as much as we do our own talents.I finally got to live out a teenage dream, recently when O.M.D. made a return visit to San Diego after not doing any concerts in the U.S. for over 20 years. I use to lay in bed at night playing "The Best of O.M.D." as I fell asleep and wake to the tape still playing over and over again on my stereo. At times I would wake crying in my sleep to "Joan of Arc" or "Maid of Orleans". Each song was so special to me in it's own way. I know all the words to "Secret", "Locomotion", and "Dreaming" that I would write out the lyrics in my notebook at school when I was suppose to be taking lecture notes. I was madly in love with Paul and Andy at the same time and would go into my brothers room and lay on his bed staring at the poster he had of them on his wall for hours. I had a lot to thank my brother for, he introduced the band to me with "Tesla Girls" and I was hooked.


Orchestral Manoeuvers In the Dark is my forever favorite. I'm in love with their sound all over again with their new album "History of Modern" There isn't a song that I don't just love, old or new. It's full of great emotion, fun, and love.
And getting to see them perform live only 12 feet from me was heart stopping! Okay I know it's crazy silly of me to have a band crush but I still do after all these years. They played every hit song they've ever done (except Secret) and even some great tracks off their new album. It was the funnest night of my life and I can't thank Donald enough for taking me. I felt young and yet so mature and energized. It was worth the long wait. Andy is still smoking hot and Paul still has that amazing smile that makes you melt and their voices haven't changed, everything was perfect! I left the concert dripping in sweat from rocking out so hard for 2 hours. I am so grateful that Andy and Paul have continued making unbelievable music that still inspires me and invokes such wonderful emotion.