Category: Improved Photo Art

  • Myrtle and Edna Retired Underwater


    When I was 13-years old, my father was in a coma and basically dying in a VA hospital.
    My mom and I made the drive out there every day but I couldn’t stay in his room for long because then the nurses would come take me out and I was supposed to wait in this horrible waiting room. Since I never did what I was supposed to anyway, it was a no-brainer I wasn’t staying there.

    I went wondering around the hospital grounds (as a parent now this makes me cringe my mother never advised me wandering around at 13 wasn’t a good idea) and I wound up in this separate building just at the edge of the hospital grounds where they had elderly people with no where to go. They weren’t sick enough to be in a hospital but they either didn’t have family or family didn’t want them.

    I remember this one lady named Dorothy stuffed a note in my hand with her daughter’s first name and phone number on it.
    She begged me to call.
    Sure, I was a kid, ask me and I’ll do it.
    She told me to call her daughter to come get her like she promised.
    I did when I got home and got in trouble making a long distance call without permission AND the lady on the other end of the phone chewed me out and said she didn’t have time to take care of her mother and her was FINE.
    She totally hissed that last word at me like she was a snake woman on the other end of the phone.
    And no, her mother wasn’t fine.
    She was skinny and had sores all over her legs. I’d never seen anything like it.
    So, during the 2 weeks my father was in a coma on the downhill slide to having his life support turned off, I went to the home every day and talked to people. Weirdly enough, it was a good diversion for what was going on in my own life and I hope it brought a little diversion to theirs.

    That’s what I was thinking about in this improved photo. Myrtle and Edna decided their rotten kids weren’t going to come visit them anyway – so they retired underwater where it was beautiful.

    Size : 3.25-inches by 4.25-inches
    Ink, watercolor on photo from the late 1960s
    the story of what inspired this piece will be sent with your artwork
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  • Myrtle’s Donor Heart

    I liked the look of this old girl.
    I imagined that she was probably a good person. She looked like a type that knew right from wrong and expected everyone else to know it too and act accordingly. I can’t imagine anyone got out of line around her, but she didn’t come off hard either – just probably unbending.
    Then I was talking about being an organ donor with a friend and we were debating pro’s and cons.
    I thought about Myrtle on my art table in the basement, what if she got a heart from someone so completely good and awesome that the heart shone out of her chest with a light of a 1,000 suns.
    What would Myrtle’s regular day be like, she’d have to have sunglasses on obviously and she’d probably expect everyone else to act like they didn’t notice – she wouldn’t want special treatment.

    Size : 3.25-inches by 4.25-inches
    Ink, watercolor on photo from the late 1960s

    the story of what inspired this piece will be sent with your artwork
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  • Zombie School Boy

    There was something about this kid.
    Maybe it was his sleepy, know-it-all eyes or maybe it was the fact I just really was fired up to paint a zombie today but this kid just screamed ZOMBIFY ME!
    And everyone knows I always do what people ask (my partner just stroked when I typed that)
    And so, I give you “Zombie School Boy”.

    Size : 2.25-inches by 3.25-inches
    Ink, watercolor on antique photo from the 1954

    the story of what inspired this piece will be sent with your artwork

    Piece is shown much larger for detail.
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  • Bad Fashion – Fat Tail Rat Hat

    Check back every day between 9pm -10pm and you’ll see at least one new artwork!
    And now, let’s check out this one of a kind artwork:

    We were talking about silly fashions and weird stuff people will do and wear just be part of the “in” crowd and then there’s the totally crazy rules like no white after this date or if you do and you’re one of the cool people – it’s “Winter White”.
    And then I saw this antique photo. I just knew there had to be a fashionista throw down here!


    Size : 6-inches by 8-inches
    Ink, watercolor on antique photo from the 1900-1920s

    the story of what inspired this piece will be sent with your artwork
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  • Martha’s Actual Rule for Life

    I met Martha not long ago and she’s really an awesome lady.
    I did a painting about Martha’s rule – “Don’t be Mean” because of something she said, and then I realized it started with a negative (“Don’t”) – Martha wouldn’t do that and then she herself told me that her rule would be “Be Kind”.
    I like Martha’s rule and it’s really something we should all subscribe to.

    Size : 6.5-inches by 4.25-inches
    Ink, watercolor on antique photo from the 1900-1920s

    the story of what inspired this piece will be sent with your artwork
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  • You Will Obey Me In a Pig’s Eye…. Improved Photo

    Skinney and I were watching this television show where this woman was living a very submissive marriage role. I mean her husband had it made as far as he was concerned. She wasn’t even allowed to eat with him and the children at the table because women weren’t equal to men and the son’s repeated what their father thought. Just wow.
    I imagined a different marriage where she was told she would obey and she rolled her eyes and kinda went pffffttttttttttt hahahahahaha in his face. 😀


    Size : 6.5-inches by 4.25-inches
    Ink, watercolor on antique photo from the 1900-1920s

    the story of what inspired this piece will be sent with your artwork
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  • He Called Her Names and Said it Was Her Fault He Did It

    I am sad to say I know who this happened to and I’m furious.
    No one should start their day crying their eyes out because of bullying behavior.
    No one is in charge of anyone else’s feelings or actions unless you’re physically possessing their body at the time.
    Any person that makes another responsible for their actions in a relationship, especially for hateful words spoken because the other person “caused” it – is a giant cop out spoken by a true coward and bully  and I have no respect for cowards or bullies.
    People need to evolve.

    Size : 6.25-inches by 4.25-inches
    Ink, watercolor on photo from 1900-1920

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  • Dad of the Year Award Goes To…Not Him

    This was inspired by a rather annoying conversation I had with someone who was complaining he paid child support every month, he bought his kids video games, and clothes periodically throughout their lives and he got them something for Xmas every year,  and his now grown kids didn’t have much to do with him.
    And he doesn’t get it is the sad part.
    He only contacted them 4-5 times a year and when he did often just an email.
    Clearly they wanted a DAD in their lives not some “buy you what you want/need” father.
    Hope he figures it out someday.

    Size : 6-inches by 8.25-inches
    Ink, watercolor on photo from 1900-1920

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  • Windra’s Magic

    Do you know Windra?
    Only the unique and unusual can see her – and if you’re lucky enough to be unique and unusual you can see her magic too!


    Size : 10-inches by 8.25-inches
    Ink, watercolor on photo from 1900-1920

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