An Artist's Portrait of Gene Tierney

Is it overly brazen of me to publish my pencil portrait of actress Gene Tierney drawn in 1982? That's thirty years ago! Oh, well. Here I go celebrating the beginning of 2012 with an antique image from 1982...because I always thought Ms. Tierney was one of the prettiest actresses around!




Gene Tierney's Wiki page states that she was "acclaimed as one of the great beauties of her day" or some such flattery. Check out the scoop on the star of the film Laura which still makes it into the Top Ten of many a movie buff's list!

Well, this may be my first post of 2012 on Two Hours, but with all that's going on in Politics, you know I'm often to be found at my primary Political Astrology blog Stars Over Washington, or alternately at Jude's Threshold, right? ;p

'Tis the Season? Hallelujah Chorus flash mob! video

So you're having lunch at the mall, minding your own business, when suddenly...



And you know the Good News about it all? Christ Will reign forever!

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Warm thanks to Alex D'Atria for sending along a link to this inspiring video. Happy Holidays, Everyone--and more flash mobs, please!

A Sunlight-Dappled Kitty Cat! (+ Politics)

Zounds! It's hard to believe it's been four (busy) months since my last 2 Hours post so here is a sunlight-dappled Zasha lookin' mighty fine and a little snoozy!



Photo snapped by my fiberista yarn-loving daughter Maya Henderson.

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So where have I been blogging in the last four months?

Mainly at my Political Astrology website Stars Over Washington where you don't have to speak Astrologese to read what the stars have to say about Politics and politicians! Today's update: the natal horoscope (shown) of the GOP's anti-tax-hike political strategist Grover Norquist which will be 'hit' by the December 10, 2011 Lunar Eclipse in chatty, news-reporting Gemini--near US natal Mars.

As you know, all eclipses are considered 'wild cards' of the Universe and have the option to uncover secrets and scandals so stay tuned for that!

All Political Astrology is Mundane Astrology but not all Mundane Astrology is Political Astrology.

Eric Cantor, debt talks, and astro-blogging

The continuing 'debt talks' and debt default negotiations currently going on at the White House between Starve the Beast Republicans and President Obama have consumed what little blogging time I've had this week so I have not been hanging about here at 2Hrs lately. Mea culpa!

Of course, if America defaults on her debts on August 2, 2011 and the US credit rating is downgraded, no blogging may occur depending on results of the alleged dire consequences for our nation's economy and for the daily lives of our citizens. All the turmoil makes the economic situation a huge topic for bloggers, journalists, and pundits of all stripes which makes it easy as pie to find pro'n'con articles, blog posts, and op-eds by tossing a browser in any direction on the Web.

Then yesterday it occurred to me that a peek at the natal chart of Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor might provide an interesting cache of insights into the debt talks and what are said to be huffy 'walk outs' from the White House meetings, another of which occurred or will occur today, July 15, 2011. (A meeting, hopefully not a walk-out.)

Many of my own opinions about the economic crisis now roiling the US capital (and markets) are already formed at my advanced age yet I do like to snag further information on such topics from folks like Thom Hartmann, a progressive broadcaster of good repute, and my favorite go-to guy.

In a similar news vein, Democracy Now! fills the bill for gaining a clearer view of events than what corporate mainstream media provides us, and you may wish to check out Amy Goodman's excellent reporting there if you haven't.

Videos of current and past broadcasts are available on both sites.

So if either of you wish to 'get to know' Rep. Eric Cantor a little better (or think perhaps you should for apparently he'll be with us a while) through an astrological lens, try my latest post with his natal horoscope shown over @ Stars Over Washington where Cantor's 'special-task/crisis/crossroads' YOD pattern is detailed along with his my-way-or-the-highway Mars/Uranus conjunction in Virgo, sign of The Critic.

Oh, and Mr. Cantor's natal Pluto in Virgo sets off two of Mr. Obama's natal midpoints involving feisty Mars. Follow the link in my SO'W post to my other Political Astrology blog Jude's Threshold and read the midpoint pictures formed plus, this is where I've written about Mr. Cantor's Sun in Gemini--Moon in Sagittarius personality blend: and yes, Eric Cantor is a quite 'live-wire'!

A Bach Cantata in the Woods? (video)

The following video is so amazing I had to share! It's good for tree huggers and music lovers alike (though it's actually a Touch Wood cell phone ad.)

Now if mankind can be this ingenious, perhaps there's hope yet for resolving our environmental and social ills!

A Neoclassical Revival Home in Georgia by Shelli Pabis

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Today I have the great honor of presenting to you a photo journal feature created by real-world friend, Shelli Pabis, whose photographs Twin City Home circa 1904 will refresh all eyes and inspire cozy dreams.

Shelli shows us intimate portraits of a well-beloved home with Neoclassical Revival style and its surrounding land and pastures through her artist's lens. And really, who wouldn't want a photographic record of their own homes suitable to be passed down for posterity?!

So please accept your invitation for a lazy tour of a serene turn-of-the-century home of great beauty and stroll its historic lawn down to the pond where the dragon flies of summer do play.

Flip flops optional, tall glasses of sweetened iced tea much appreciated!

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Two Questions: Emanuel County's Twin City, GA was created by combining which two adjacent towns?

And what happenin' town lies exactly between Atlanta and my hometown of Athens, Georgia?

How dull! Now why can't I write like that?

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Last year I caught up with the rest of the world and became vaguely aware of The Dullest Blog in the World. Today I thought to visit the blog and am blown away by its direct, unvarnished writing style and delivery of totally mundane information. The parody is clear and yet I must ask:

Now why can't I write like that?

Or perhaps I do but am completely unaware of just how uninteresting my ten blogs' content and writing style are...wouldn't surprise me.

Well, crum. Whenever I tire of verbage, I tend to turn to my drawing activities so here's a doodle done in pen for the hapless person reading this boring post and wishing their click had resulted in more varied content...this one's for You!



And Also Art by Jude Cowell with the Ant People I've drawn since high school days, for some unknown reason. Can you tell I was my school's newspaper cartoonist way back when? Thought not.

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Jude Cowell Art Shop: open for browsing 24/7.

What Makes Creative People Tick?

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With so many events to blog about in the Middle East and Wisconsin in February, the month flew by and I'm feeling quite sheepish to return to Two Hours today and post something after skipping February entirely! But who will if I won't, right? ;p

Helpfully, I ran across an interesting article explaining creative people which you may wish to read at Huffington Post (ignore the annoying new pop-up ads, thanks to Huff Po's AOL merger, I assume.)

The article lays out the basics exhibited by creative types as: "energy/rest, extroversion/introversion, and openness/sensitivity" and since some people have accused me of being creative (and I certainly act that way sometimes!), the descriptions and traits ring true from my experience of a lifelong habit of drawing (and perpetrating other creative projects as well.)

And since I was very shy as a youngster and for ages have worked with the public in my real world job, it occurred to me years ago that I'm an introvert who had to learn how to be an extrovert. Still working on that!

Now between you and me, sitting down at my drafting table with a blank sheet of paper and a bunch of sharpened pencils has always been one of my very favorite things to do in life and it seems easy as pie to suddenly block out everything else and get into some sort of zone of creativity, a direct connection to the Unconscious from which archetypal images flow.

Plus, sometimes my psychic sponge of a (creative) Pisces Moon must ignore certain things in the real world for a while just to manage the streak of sanity I'm rockin' here. (An abundance of Politics and Political Astrology writing can make you crazy, I'm here to advise you. But that's my verbal side; creating art is my visual side which helps with whatever mental balance I may have.)

Actually, I was in a zone of some sort on a recent day when I drew Lilith in Fringe Bikini. You see here a small cameo, but just click through to view a full portrait of glamorous Lilith in Art Print form - mandala, fringe, and all (if you're mature and sophisticated enough, that is.)

And for best results, honor your creative side daily, y'all!



Cameo: 'Lilith in Fringe Bikini', a pencil drawing on black paper by Jude Cowell 2011.