WHAT ART DOES FOR ME

Posted on by August 21, 2025

Today it was so hot I felt like someone was sucking my energy right out of my cells. Have you ever felt like that? I think it was pure miracle that I didn’t just wither and slide into a fluid puddle on the floor!

Heart Birdies – © Angela Treat Lyon 2025

But I have a Secret Thing I use to re-energize – I spend time looking at artwork! Either my own, or others’ art. It puts the juice back in my veins, and the muscle back on my bones.

I’ll sometimes go into my files and start sifting through my archives. Some of which I have never shared.

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PEACE BIRDIES

Posted on by August 21, 2025

Are we tired of chaos yet? As if it will ever end! Right? It’s the nature of this contrasty world! That still doesn’t mean I can’t wish for a moment of peace once in a while.

Peace Birdies – © LYON 2025

Actually, I’d like a very lonnnng moment of peace. I find I’m the one responsible for that, however – I can’t depend on politicians (snort! hahahahaha!) and I can’t rely on friends, family, customers or clients to provide me with it, either. Ah well – too bad!

Because, as you know, it’s up to me and thee if we want peace. I have to look for the places I like least about my life, and make choices that either support or undermine my peace. It can be hard – I love cruising on FB, but too many reels and I feel drained. Know what I mean?

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IS IT TRUE ‘WE ARE ALL ENERGY’?

Posted on by August 17, 2025

Well, maybe it is – I think so, anyway!
So – how’s your frequency lately? Are you radiating light yet?

RADIANCE – © LYON 1999

I was homeless in the late 90s. The only thing that kept me out of desperation-depression, and kept me going every day, was being able to make art.

I sat in my car drawing, I set up my paints and painted as I sat on public benches, in friends’ homes, house-sitting – where ever I was, I tried my best to focus on what was most important to me – making art that lifts people, that makes them laugh, or feel sweetness.

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CELEBRATE!

Posted on by August 16, 2025

Because you just don’t know when the End is.

CELEBRATE! – © LYON 2025

It’s really that simple. Life is precious, but we treat it as ho-hum, it’ll be here tomorrow. Well, maybe it will, but maybe you won’t.

I’ve had friends just up and leave the planet – no warning, no illness, just – poof – gone. One got hit by a car as she biked down the street. One fell of a cliff, of all things. One died in childbirth.

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FIX the LEAKS!

Posted on by August 9, 2025

Although my kitchen sink was replaced recently with a beautiful stainless steel one, somehow they forgot to update the funky old sink-swallower. Generally called disposals, but I like my name better.

Fix the Leaks! – © LYON 2025

I don’t use it much. Because instead of oh-so-nicely downing and chewing the content inserted, it rears up and gags and spits and roars and rumbles down inside there, sounding like a freight train trying to run over river rocks. The whole kitchen trembles.

The last time I tried using it, the pipes under the sink decided they didn’t want that stuff in them, sprang leaks all over the place, and soaked the entire cabinet and half the kitchen floor.

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Ever Looked into A Whale’s Eye – from 3 Feet Away?

Posted on by August 6, 2025

It’s whale time of year! So many whale videos lately! Breaching, jumping, having baby whales, humans swimming with them — I never get tired of them.

Breaching the Blue – © LYON 2025

Makes me remember one of the best things I ever did in my life. I sailed from Kauai to California in August, 1984. It was just me and Skipper, an older guy from California, on his beautiful 31-foot double-ender ketch.*

We saw dolphins every evening at 5:00. Never failed. The first time it happened, on our second day out, I was sitting at the very point of the prow of the boat, my legs hanging down, my toes just barely able to dip into the bow wave upon down-bounce.

I was just spacing out, happy as a clam at high tide. Suddenly, I looked up, and there was this funny kind of frothy boiling thing right on the horizon. Alarmed, I jumped up and called, “Skipper! What’s that???”

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SINGING HOME THE FLOWERS

Posted on by August 4, 2025

Pain vs. Beauty is a real thing. Life can be so distracting!

Singing Home the Flowers – © LYON 2025

I have a chronic pain thing that keeps trying to usurp my energy and attention 24/7. Such a bludy PITA. That’s one of the reasons I do so many designs. During the time I’m drawing  – it’s like imbibing a whole bottle of pain-relief – I don’t feel it as much.

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TO-DOs that I DON’T DO, and SOME THAT I DO

Posted on by August 2, 2025

Last night I sat down and organized my latest to-do lists. Long term, short term to-dos, and in betweens that don’t really fit anywhere.

Egg-Birdies – © LYON 2025

Planning, of course, that when I got up today I’d dive right in and tick them off one by one as I got them done.

Have I done any of them yet?

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“I’M FINE,” SHE SAID, SMILING. BUT SHE WASN’T.

Posted on by July 18, 2025

And she knew it. And she kept on smiling that big fake smile, even though she also knew she might be dying.

We are Me – © LYON 2010

Today I happened upon a post written by an old friend who had just gone through a near-fatal bout of pneumonia.

As I understand it, she had “I’m fine’d” for too long, and almost got too sick before getting help, because she wasn’t facing how she really felt.

She said, “I lied. I’ve been lying for years, saying ‘I’m fine’ and smiling and acting like everything is wonderful . . . when it wasn’t. I’m not lying anymore.”

I admire her courage in coming out with such an admission – she has a huge following, and she might have been concerned about losing some of them.

But she won’t. I guarantee it – because she is out-there-honest about everything else, sharing things most would cringe to even think about. Because it helps the people in her crowd see and heal their own glitches. And they know that and appreciate her for it.

Now I’m calling her out. Because I think she is judging herself way too harshly. It’s not surprising, this so-called lying – we live in a world where any lying is Bad Bad Bad. Even if it is helping you survive.

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I DEPEND ON LOVE

Posted on by July 14, 2025

I’m so tired. I work at night, because cool nights are better than 107-degree days. And there is less psychic interruption. But what is really important?

Joy Sunflower Rug – © LYON 2025

But having a backwards sleep cycle wears you out, and I’m worn to the nubs. Esp with all the crap happening in the world that grabs your attention with nasty hooked claws, making you spend more energy thinking about stupid shit instead of joy, love, and peace.

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WAVING to OURSELVES

Posted on by July 8, 2025

I’m sure you’ve seen all the posts everywhere that say love yourself, take care of yourself, and on and on –

We love waving to each other! © LYON 2025

Well, what does loving ourselves, taking care of ourselves, even look like?

Is it fun? Serious? Drudgery? Happy? Silly?

Does it mean gardening? Swimming? Drawing? Waving to friends? Going on adventures? Staying home and being a recluse?

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THE LIFE CYCLE of A WILD CARROT

Posted on by July 5, 2025

When I moved to my new place a couple months ago, I noticed a feathery young plant sprouting from one of the pots on my doorstep.

Watching the life cycles of plants – © LYON 2025

I haven’t had time to take care of it more than watering it every few days, so I’ve been surprised at how it has thrived, despite my inattention – it’s now almost six feet tall!

It has several whitish umbral flowers that makes it look like many other wild plants, but what interests me is how the umbrals change, day to day.

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LET’S HAVE A PICNIC UNDER the TREE of LOVE!

Posted on by July 2, 2025

What are we waiting for? I’ll get the blanket and the food basket, you get the drinks, and I’ll meet you out under the tree!

Come join me! – © LYON 2025

It’s a lovely day, not too hot, not too chilly – just right to sit around and nosh on our favorite sandwiches (and chocolates!), and climb trees and pick flowers and play with the birdies.

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LIGHT and HEALTH ZAPPING HANDS

Posted on by June 28, 2025

Don’t you wish sometimes that your hands could transmit light, healing, and well-being to anything you pointed to or touched?

Light and Healing zapping hands – © LYON 2025

I would see people who are suffering, and I would lay my hands gently on their shoulders as I stand next to them, so all their heavy cares would float away, and they could live an optimized life from then on.

I would go around hugging trees and holding hands with plants, and transmit love and healing to all the plants and bugs and bees and birdies that live on them, and dissolve the chemicals that kill them so they would be safe and happy from then on.

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JAMMIN’!

Posted on by June 26, 2025

I was asked how I do my drawings. I’ll show you a part of the process – some of it I keep proprietary because I don’t want every Dom, Hick and Tarry copying it. This gold-on-black drawing is the end result of a long series of alterations:

In the first images, below, you can see I used a quadrant setup – where there are four iterations of an image pivoting around a central point.

This is the initial sketch for the energy of the piece. Can you find the singer, the flute player, the cat, the howling wolf, and the pianist? They will become more obvious soon!

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CAN EVENING PRIMROSE REALLY HELP with HAIR LOSS?

Posted on by June 21, 2025

One of my friends is experiencing hair loss, so I was doofing around tonight in my herbal remedy book, and came across the following info on Evening Primrose.

Evening Primrose has many uses – © LYON 2025

Which, besides being a really pretty plant, has a gajillion uses – from helping with arthritis to psoriasis, inflammation and menopause! I hope it helps you in one way or another!

The chapter about Evening Primrose in The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies has way more about this helpful plant than my little list here, so you’d be smart to check out the book itself (link is to its amazon page).

Here are some of the things Evening Primrose helps with:

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DANDYLIONS ARE GOOD GUYS!

Posted on by June 17, 2025

I’m including below a few things dandylions do for us. It makes me sad so many people rip them out of the ground, and spray and poison the soil with chemicals.

Don’t pull out your Dandylions!

Maybe you don’t know this – dandies only come up in soil that needs nutrients. Their very presence means the soil where they are growing is sick and needs help!

I’ve seen it here – people in this area walk their dogs on the grass – they pee and poop, and the grass dies. Next thing I see is dandies sprouting up all over the place!

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CELEBRATING SPRING

Posted on by June 11, 2025

I love springtime! Everything is so fresh, so green, so full of blooming life. And the mosquitos and other annoying bugs aren’t out yet, so I can sit on my doorstep and enjoy the blossoms and scents without getting eaten alive.

It’s spring! Birdies & bugs and two-lipped tulips!

I’m careful about which bugs are good for the garden, and which ones to squish. Even some of the squishable ones can be considered good, since they attract other critters that eat them, and the birdies I love to watch.

A gal I see on facebook posts multiple times a day about the harm lawns do. Harm? Lawns? Yep. They are essentially dead spaces, chock full of the chemical and solutions people spray to keep weeds down and grass greener.

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EVOLUTION / DESTINY

Posted on by June 11, 2025

I wasn’t planning anything of any great importance when I set out to draw this one. It took me by surprise! All I wanted to do was see if I could draw something using steps as a foundational theme.

The natural path of Evolution and Destiny

So I drew a simple set of steps, played around with stripes and angles … and all of a sudden, all these silly people came crawling out of my pen!

The top ones appeared first, and I thought, ooohh, look! I wonder what they’re celebrating! The sun was out, and hundreds of birdies flew all around!

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PLAYING in the FOREST

Posted on by June 9, 2025

I had a dream this morning where all these funny looking folks were out playing in the trees. They were climbing and swinging and diving and flying and just being loud and laughy and silly, being naughty and having way too much fun.

Playing in the Forest with my buddies – © LYON 2025

Why can’t we do that, too – and way more often? We take life so seriously! We focus on making a living, instead of Living our Making.

Of course, if we did that, then people would have to know what their soul’s deepest calling was, so they could be aligned with their Making. I think most people don’t know.

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FEATHERY FENNEL

Posted on by June 5, 2025

I have always liked the feathery leaves of fennel. I’ve painted it a few times, and was never really satisfied with the results. But drawing it this way gives me a look I really like.

Feathery Fennel

I think this image would be great to add to a quilt. I wonder if there are people who make quilts that are based on herbs or healing plants.

This drawing is less refined than my other drawings. I like how wobbly the lines are, and how the blue under-drawing shows through.

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IS ART MINE? AM I ART? WHO AM I, ANYWAY?

Posted on by June 2, 2025

I did an experiment back in the mid-80s. I decided to go on walkabout – or, since I’d be living in my truck, I called it truckabout.

Carving again! Oh my blessed heart!

Because for years, I had had this niggling feeling in the back of my mind that art was only a habit I’d gotten into because when I was a kid, my ma set me down in the corner with paper, pencils and crayons to keep me out of the way.

I had been living in Hawaii. When I turned 40, all of a sudden I was aching to know the truth of it. So I made a vow not to make any art unless I felt from my core that making art was really and truly ‘mine.’

I decided to go on walkabout – or, since I’d be living in my truck, I called it truckabout. I gave up my house, packed the bare minimum of what I needed, and shipped my truck to California.

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KITTY LOVE UNDER the MOON

Posted on by June 1, 2025

A long time ago, I had a friend who had two kitties who loved each other.

We love each other!

She found them soaking wet and freezing in a turned-over garbage bin in back of a store she worked at. She took them home and nurtured them back to health.

These cats ate, slept, went for walks with their human, and did everything together. So sweet. You know how cats get the zoomies? You should have seen them – it was hilarious!

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LITTLE LACEY BITES

Posted on by May 30, 2025

They’re still at it, but now the leaves look like they’re tired.

Little lacey leaves

The leaves, drooping now, look like little boats trying to drain themselves of excess water. The holes are still on the edges – no bites on the surfaces of the leaves.

And fat happy cattypillars, sidling along the edges.

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STILL NIBBLING IN from THE SIDES

Posted on by May 28, 2025

I told you about the way the cattypillars are munching pretty little round holes in the sides of the Red Bud tree leaves, starting at the edges and moving in towards the center.

Munching in from the sides – © LYON 2025

I have been amazed that that hasn’t changed. I fully expected them to start wandering all over the leaf surfaces, leaving little round chewy holes all over the entire leaf.

But nope! They continue to wend their way to the middle of the leaves by only eating the edges! And they don’t even come near the veins!

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CATTYPILLAR HOLES

Posted on by May 27, 2025

This remains a mystery!

They’re eating all around the edges! – © LYON 2025

You know how yesterday I said there are cattypillars chewing pretty little round holes in some of my Red Bud tree leaves?

I noticed something intriguing about them this morning: they only eat around the edges – like a little kid eating the crusts off his sandwich before he dives into the juicy rich middle goodies!

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CATTYPILLARS ON MY RED BUD TREE!

Posted on by May 25, 2025

Sun + leaves = glory and delight!

Who is eating my Red Bud tree?

There are two times each day when the sun filters through the leaves of my Red Bud tree, lighting it up like stained glass. I never get tired of seeing it. The way the leaves shimmer in the slight whiff of breeze, and how the lighter parts of the leaves glow softly.

Today I noticed cattypillars chewing pretty little round holes in some of the leaves. What nerve they have, eating my tree!

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I LEFT MY HEART HOME

Posted on by May 24, 2025

It’s hard for me to to believe, but it’s been almost seven years since I left my home in Hawaii. I miss it terribly. Hawaii is my Heart Home.

Orchids and Palms

It’s taken me forever to get over the shock and trauma that happened right before I left — I still haven’t told the story yet, it upsets me so much. I will, I promise.

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WEAVINGS in the GARDEN

Posted on by May 21, 2025

Being in my garden is always a special treat – even though it’s there, every day, every day, sometimes I forget. Weird, no? How could I???

Weavings in the Garden – © LYON 2025

When I wander in the garden, sweet energies weave and whisp throughout the invisible tapestry of energy of flower, bees, bush and bugs – the elusive suffusive scent of joy saturates every atom of color and green – and even me.

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Arnica Heartleaf

Posted on by May 10, 2025

Arnica promotes healing; is antimicrobial and antiseptic.

Arnica Heartleaf in Reds & Blues – repeat pattern. © LYON 2025

I’ve used Arnica for years – both in salve and homeopathic forms. It works great, especially for some forms of artritis (which I like to call arth-wrong-iss) and carpel tunnel.

Except it doesn’t seem to work for a deep pain in my hip that no one can quite figure out why it hurts, as there is no deterioration of the bone itself. Ah well.

Stumbling around, feeling like I’m being stabbed with every move of that leg is the least of life’s problems right now. Such a tumultuous time – I wish I could slather thick layers of Arnica all over the planet and make it Better.

In any case, here’s what my handy-dandy healing plant book says about it, in case you’re curious:

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