iva learns to fly: penguins

Showing posts with label penguins. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

A Couple Autumn Penguins (with Leaves)

This blog took a small break, for iva to take some rest.

Also because it was wonderfully hot — too hot to turn on the computer.

But autumn began on cue with a week of rain, so iva was finally able to engage in penguin therapy.

So here are a couple simple penguins, and she hopes to post more.

This sweet baby penguin has discovered some autumn leaves. He's surrounded by oak leaves and is holding one close to his heart, because he loves them. He also doesn't know what to do with them, because he's a penguin.

This baby penguin has decided that all the autumn leaves belong to him, and is holding some of them close to his heart. "All leafs R mine," he says, and he won't let you have any of them.

- - -

If you need to rest, take time to rest. It's okay to do that.

And maybe sit and breathe and watch the pretty leaves fall.

You could even bring some home.

The world and its troubles will still be there when you get back.

But at least you'll have some lovely autumn leaves.

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Winter Penguin (with snowflakes!)

When winter stretches on so long without any snow, sometimes a penguin gets impatient, and decides to climb a ladder and draw its own snowflakes in the air.

Sometimes penguins can be impatient.

Sometimes, when winter stretches on so long and dark, without any magic or festivity, a penguin will go to great extremes to try to make its wishes come true.

Sometimes it's better to wait for the real thing.

But it's okay to enjoy sweet things in life while you wait.

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

The Penguin and the Toy Car

In this image you will see, unless you are visually-impaired and therefore listening to this description, a cute grey baby penguin playing with its favorite toy car, which is red. There are two less-favorite vehicles still in the toybox.

Oh no! The baby penguin's favorite toy car is now broken --hopefully through no fault of its own-- and the little penguin is crying huge tears. It's very upset, sad, mad, frustrated, and every other feeling you might be expressing if your favorite toy got broken.

But what's this? A parent penguin is offering the little penguin an unbroken red toy car, identical to the penguin's favorite car! The little penguin's eyes are wide with astonishment, tears still standing on its cheeks.

Now the little penguin, with a single tear falling from its eye, is hugging the new red toy car. The penguin isn't sure how it feels about this just yet. Its heart still feels broken about the broken toy, but here is a toy that looks just like it. The penguin is feeling conflicting feelings. Penguin hearts take time to heal before they can be fully happy again. They must sort through their feelings of sadness and figure out what they feel.

The penguin now accepts the new toy car, and kisses it, with a tear fading on its cheek. Toy cars are easier to replace than hearts. It's a good thing that baby penguins also have very short memory-spans, so a broken toy is more quickly forgotten than a broken heart.

In our final frame, the little penguin is happy again, loving and playing with its favorite red toy car, but it has taken the other two vehicles from the toybox to play with as well.

Toys can be like hearts sometimes.
Especially when your favorite one gets broken.

Wise people tell us to be thankful that all of them aren't broken, tsk.
But it's hard to do — especially with hearts.

What a baby penguin wants is the original toy magically repaired, without any defects or visible signs of repair.

But sometimes, your favorite toy can be replaced.

Hearts are a different story — they require mending.
This takes time and feeling feelings.

Unless it's a physical heart — those can sometimes be replaced.

In time, you will love your new toy.

And your heart will mend.

The little red toy car with a heart above it, and iva's name on it. Just a little element to let you know that you are loved. Also, just for reference, iva would like you to know that her name is pronounced eeeee-va.

Click here to see more of iva's penguins

Monday, November 18, 2019

Autumn Penguin (with leaves!)

Autumn is a magical time when trees drop free toys for children (and penguins) to play with.

If you aren't a penguin or a child, perhaps you should consider becoming one.

At least just for a little while in autumn. :-p

Monday, September 2, 2019

Playtime at the Beach (Micropenguin)

Penguins don't have to go to school. They get to play at the beach ALL DAY, making sand castles and playing in the waves.

It's not time to go back to school... I want to go to the beach!

(because penguins don't have to go back to school...)

. . . . .

You can always have the beach with you if you take some sand home in your shoes.

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Baby Penguin (with socks!)

Because: socks

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

MicroPenguins: Baby Penguins (with fish!)

Studies show that baby penguins give you superpowers.

Well, actually, studies show that looking at images of baby animals improves focus and performance.

Which is basically the same thing, right? :-p

So here is your dose of cuteness today:

Say hello to these brand-new MicroPenguins!

Reliable sources tell us that baby penguins are grey.

Reliable sources tell us that baby penguins are grey.

These cute little guys are a new breed of penguin here at iva learns to fly.

In case you were not informed, not all penguins are turquoise.

Reliable sources suggest that baby penguins are grey.

Thursday, June 13, 2019

Bedtime Penguin

It's nighttime, and it's this penguin's bedtime, but it is not sleepy. However, it does have its cuddly teddy bear and its blankie, for security purposes. "Blankie" is short for "security blanket", for those who weren't aware.

It may be nighttime, but this penguin is not sleepy.

The teddy bear and blankie are purely for security reasons.

But it might consider the option of going to sleep if you read it a bedtime story.

Preferably a fairy tale, with a happy ending.

. . .

This penguin has also entered a modeling competition over at Spoonflower.com!

If you'd like to support this penguin's modeling career, head over to:

Spoonflower's Animal Portrait Tea Towels Challenge
(voting ends June 18th)

... and wade through hundreds of animal portraits to find this penguin, and vote for it! :-D

If you're up to the, er, challenge, that is. ;-)

If it gets enough votes, then it will go up for sale on Spoonflower / Roostery.com.

If not, sadly, it may have to wait until I were actually making money for my artwork, to pay the proofing fee. ;-)

Saturday, May 18, 2019

Penguins love reading (especially fairy tales)

Never lose your wonder. Hold onto a sense of childlike innocence. It's the way your spirit survives in this dark world.

Penguins love reading books.

Especially ones that light up the room when they open them.

Books that bring excitement and adventure and fairy tale hope and a sprinkle of pixie dust — all safely bound within their covers.

Penguins especially believe in stories with happy endings.

. . . . .

Never lose your wonder.

Hold onto a sense of childlike innocence.

It's the way your spirit survives the dark times.

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Brave Penguin

This penguin put on his robin hood hat to give him courage to give you his heart. If he can be brave, so can you.

This penguin wants to give you its heart.

It's not afraid that you'll break it, because it's made of diamond.

If this penguin can be brave, so can you.

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Christmas Birthday Penguin

This penguin thinks every child needs a birthday party, especially one born in a barn! Happy Birthday, Jesus!

This penguin heard about a poor little baby born in a stable, and decided that he needed a birthday party.

This penguin thinks that every child should have a birthday party.

And grown-ups, too. :-)

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Christmas Decorating Penguin

Penguin wrapped in Christmas lights. :-)

This penguin wanted to help you decorate for Christmas, but it's a little tied up at the moment.

It loves Christmas, and wants yours to be amazing, so it might come over to help you bake cookies after it finishes decorating.

Friday, December 14, 2018

Balloon Penguin (Flipper Upgrade)

(Penguin with balloon) This penguin would like to give you a balloon :-)

It was long overdue.

This unfortunate penguin started out life with a deformed flipper. Poor thing! (You can see its original flipper here.)

But this handicap has now, through delicate digital surgery, been corrected.

Now this penguin has two fully-functional, bendable, appropriately-shaped flippers!

And it still has this balloon it wants to give to you, because it heard you were feeling sad.

º º º

In related news, this penguin went on a journey through the internet to a duplicator machine, and came out with 9 identical friends.

(We tested a promo from Sticker Mule that fit within our budget: 10 stickers for $1 ... Our budget is very, very low. :-p Shout-out to Sticker Mule — Thanks for making these penguins possible! )

(Either my screen or my camera is misrepresenting the colors — in the photo of the stickers, the balloons look orangey, but the real-life stickers match the hue of the original balloon.)

Thursday, November 1, 2018

Deep-Sea Penguin

Here we have a penguin who has refused to come home from snorkeling on vacation. It has decided to live in the sea with its new friends.

This penguin went snorkeling on vacation and refused to come home.

A warm, tropical sea with fluffy friends that glow is so much more pleasant than the icy waters of Antarctica.

It's going to stay here, with its new friends.

They're its family now.

Friday, August 3, 2018

Penguin in Peril

Sometimes you just want to enjoy your ice cream cone on the beach, and color with crayons with your rubber ducky, and an obnoxious seagull comes along and disrupts your entire day. Whatever your seagull is, let it go. But don't let it take your ducky. Distract it with your ice cream. Your ducky is more important than ice cream.

Sometimes you have great plans for relaxing and enjoying your day outdoors — you've got your snack, your best friend, your family-friendly beverages, and something fun to do together —

And something comes along to challenge them.

Like an ornery seagull.

It's in times like this that you might feel slightly dismayed.

I don't have any wise words about what to do in this situation, besides:

Don't panic.

Remember to breathe.

You are smarter than the seagull.

You probably have too much ice cream anyway.

What would MacGyver do?

Don't let him steal your rubber ducky.

Sunday, May 13, 2018

Happy Mother's Day!

This penguin would like to wish you Happy Mother's Day!

Because when it hatched from its egg, it saw you and now it thinks you're its mother.

Sorry about that.

This penguin also thinks this day is doubly special, because it thinks you're pretty amazing, and without your mother, you wouldn't exist.

So, in addition, it also wants to thank your mother for bringing such an amazing You into this world!

Sunday, April 22, 2018

Umbrella Penguin

This penguin loves the umbrella I've given it.

It also loves walking in the rain.

Even at night.

And look, it's found a little green friend who loves the rain, too.

Here we have a penguin keeping the rain off with a bright yellow umbrella, holding a frog out so it can feel the rain. Frogs love rain, too. Rubber duckies, perhaps not so much.

Rubber duckies, however, might possibly prefer a bubble bath instead.

This penguin and its little friends are enjoying a walk on a dark, rainy night. Good thing they have a bright, yellow umbrella to light up the darkness. Because yellow is a symbol of hope. We all need a little of that.

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Bathtub Penguin (with Ducky!)

Here we have a sweet penguin in the bathtub, scrubbing its cute little rubber ducky. But you're looking at this text instead. Tsk. Have you ever heard the German Sesame Street song which goes, 'Quietsche-Entchen, nur mit dir'? It's quite annoying. But slightly cute. 'Quietsche-Entchen, der beste Freund den's gibt'

This penguin loves to take bubble baths.

It would take ten baths a day if it could.

But soapy bubbles reduce the natural oils that waterproof a penguin's feathers, so it really shouldn't.

Not that this penguin has been swimming in antarctic seas lately, though.

Tsk. It's been picking dandelions and drinking tea.

This is obviously not an ordinary penguin.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Valentine Penguin

This penguin wants to give you a lot of things for Valentine's Day.

It went to the store and bought all the balloons they had...

In this space, you will see an animated gif of a penguin holding 7 heart-themed balloons. Except it doesn't have enough flippers for holding them all, so one has escaped. But you (probably) have enough hands to hold all the strings. So take them already. :-p And a flower for you. And several valentine cards. Because it really, really likes you.

... but it's running out of flippers for holding them all.

It's waiting expectantly for a chance to give them to you.

It really hopes you'll be its valentine.

Sunday, February 11, 2018

Infatuated Penguin

This penguin thinks you're gorgeous.

Messy hair? Extra padding?

Glasses? Crooked teeth?

Zits? Scars?

Doesn't matter.

This penguin thinks you look amazing — just the way you are.

If it could, it would sit and gaze at you all day long with hearts in its eyes.