Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

On a family trip to Dublin several years ago, my wife found a beautiful necklace in a little shop on Grafton Street, and instantly fell in love with it. It was sterling silver and fashioned into the shape of a Celtic knot.

Celtic knots are frequently depicted in the Celtic style of Insular art, and can be quite intricate and beautiful. The Book of Kells (which I've mentioned in previous newsletters and plan to discuss further in future issues) is—according to this source—'considered by many to be the ultimate source of Celtic Knot imagery.'

Drawing Celtic knots is actually a little tricky. The next time I try it, I may employee this nifty little app which makes drawing symetrical patterns like knots and mandalas a piece of cake. Seriously, if you're into doodling at all - this is a must see!

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"Is fearr bothán biamhar ná caisleán gortach."
[A cabin with plenty of food is better than a hungry castle.]
― Irish Proverb

In case you were wondering:

The strange-looking words above are Irish Gaelic, which is making somewhat of a comeback these days.

Holi, the Hindu "Festival of Colors," was celebrated last Monday, March 13th. I thought it might be a good excuse to break out a new type of watercolor paint I've been meaning to try called Brusho Crystals. They come in powder form (probably not too unlike the colors used in Holi Festival celebrations.) I sprinkled some of the powder onto watercolor paper, sprayed a little water onto the colors, and voilà… colorful fun!

Of course—regarding the paint powder—as Tom Dickenson of 'Will it Blend?' video fame a lways says: "Don't breath this!" (Click here to see him blend an iPhone 6 Plus.)

1. Saint Patrick’s real name was Maewyn Succat… and 9 other interesting facts you may not know about St. Patrick's Day. And from Biography online: Who was St. Patrick?

2. Take a trip back to 1931 New York with this beautiful photo-based animation.

3. Roald Dahl's final children's book to be reissued with new illustrations by Quentin Blake.

4. Dutch children’s book author and illustrator Dick Bruna has died at the age of 89. He published over 100 picture books which sold more than 85 million copies in 50+ languages during his career. It's been argued that Hello Kitty and her sidekick Cathy—a global marketing phenomenon worth $5 billion per year—is based on, and infringes the copyright of, Bruna's best-known character, Miffy (Dutch for “Nijntje", which is short for konijntje, or "little rabbit".) Take a look here and decide for yourself.

5. The Cat in the Hat, by Dr. Seuss, was published 60 years ago last Sunday—on March 12, 1957. Here's an interesting article about the book's creation, and the hidden political message it contains.

"Is maith an scéalaí an aimsir."
[Time is a great storyteller.]
― Irish Proverb

Welcome new subscribers to The Happiness of Art! In case you missed them, here are the last few issues:

The 'Ripples of a Kind Heart', 'Puppy' and 'A Mother's Heart' prints featured in the recent LifeStyle Magazine article about me will be available for purchase in the near future. Stay tuned to this newsletter for updates.

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"Is glas na cnoic i bhfad uainn."
[Distant hills look green.]
― Irish Proverb

"It is for her own good that a cat purrs."
― Irish Proverb

[Ever wonder how and why a cat purrs?
Here's the answer!]

Each month I give away one hand-signed, limited edition Giclée fine art print to a lucky newsletter subscriber. (With the exception of the small framed print pictured below, all come matted, but unframed.) Winners—who are notified via email at the beginning of each month—may select one of the prints shown here…

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"Leprechauns, castles,
good luck and laughter.
Lullabies, dreams
and love ever after
May blessings outnumber
The shamrocks that grow
And may trouble avoid you
Wherever you go.
–Anonymous

Until next week…

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About Me

Hi. I’m D.E.Uhlig. I’m an artist, author, husband and father.

For as long as I can remember, I have loved to draw. Years ago I gave my wife a hand-drawn card for our anniversary, and she loved it so much she made me promise to ALWAYS hand-draw her cards. Then our three kids made me promise to do the same with their birthday cards. And when I posted some of my drawings online, people began asking how they could purchase my work—so I created this newsletter. I believe in something I like to call “The Happiness of Art” and I hope it makes you smile.

Official Bio

D.E.Uhlig is an award-winning illustrator whose work has appeared in numerous publications including the Kansas City Star, Christian Science Monitor, University Daily Kansan, Editorial Humor Magazine, and World Policy Journal. Commercial illustration and design clients over the years have included Samsung, Sprint, and the Los Angeles Times Syndicate, among others—and his Starbucks RedCup illustrations have been featured on the company's Pinterest and Facebook pages. In 1989, Mr. Uhlig co-founded Uhlig LLC, a leading provider of cross-media publishing and communication services in industries ranging from residential housing to book publishing to cancer care. Mr. Uhlig is married with three children and resides in Kansas City. He is currently working on children’s books, ebooks and apps.

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[Ever wonder how and why a cat purrs? Here's the answer!]

Previous Newsletter Issues

About Me

Official Bio

Follow me elsewhere…

[Ever wonder how and why a cat purrs?
Here's the answer!]