MANDALA 2009

This year I made some "New Year Mandalas" for my family.  Copper, acrylic paint, heavy gel medium, fabric, thread and water color crayons.

My wish for them and all of you is conveyed through the symbolism that I drew in the copper. Some of the symbols can be trite, but the thought is anything but. Peace. Hearts for good health and much love. Dollar signs.......yes, a good economy for all of us.  A West African Adinkra symbol for wisdom and creativity. Texture and color in your life.

OH.......and I got a new puppy. Her name is Harley. A golden doodle rescue. We haven't had a dog in two years.  I forgot how much work it is, but she is a sweetheart.

 

May you all have as much love as I have had in the past few days......

.....and a very healthy....

......and happy New Year, full of texture, color......creativity and ......

......peace. I look forward to spending it with you.

BAH-HUMBLOG....JUST KIDDING

I've been working on some holiday "stuff",  gifts, cards and ......just plain WORKING. Every year I tell myself I will make things for people and start early. Yeah, right.  I do work well under pressure, but really, you'd think one would learn a thing or two after a few years. 

I still very much enjoy the whole "handmade" gift experience, though. How about you? Are you a procrastinator?

In the meantime, the following quote made me laugh out loud.  I give the gift of laughter to you. Hope you find it funny, as well.

"In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it 'Christmas' and went to church; the Jews called it 'Hanukkah' and went to synagogue; the atheists went to parties and drank.  People passing each other on the street would say 'Merry Christmas!' or 'Happy Hanukkah!' or ( to the atheists) 'Look out for the wall!'' - from Dave Barry, "Christmas Shopping a Survivors Guide

Hope I didn't offend anyone.  Have fun creating.......or shopping.

EXHIBITION 36

I ran into Susan Tuttle's new book at Borders the other day. It is a "must see".  There is some amazing work in there and everything about it is top quality. 

You can purchase it here. You also have an incredible opportunity. Susan is giving away a copy, so go to her beautiful blog and check out her contest. Good Luck!!! I know ,I signed up to win one.

DEDICATED TO THE ONE I LOVE- A SONG

Once again LK Ludwig, from Gryphons Feather and The Poetic Eye has declared today a "sharing day".  Today is a day of music and song. What a task to try and come up with just one. I love so many different types of music.

A  few months ago my friend Maddie at Persisting Stars had a link to a You Tube video by Katie Melua, called Nine Million Bicycles. I fell in love with her music.

While checking out that song, I found the one below, that made me think of my husband, who loves to sail. I am dedicating it to him :-)......enjoy!

 

SUN-DAY IN THE RAIN

"The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain."- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I'm spending a nice quiet Sunday afternoon listening to the rain come down and playing with some photos I took in Rome of graffiti, by adding paint and various acrylic mediums.

The word graffiti comes from the word graffiare in Italian which means to scratch or scribble. Graffiti originated in ancient Italy as inscriptions and drawings on sculpture and walls. It was even found in Pompeii.

How are you spending your day?

RAISE A GLASS TO THANKSGIVING TREASURE

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures." - Thornton Wilder

Every Thanksgiving we usually host the family at our house. I love having everyone together as we catch up and enjoy each others company, laughing and eating ourselves into oblivian.

This year however, will be a quiet one. My dear mother in law, Yolanda is trying to make her way back from a bad fall and some major surgery.  She will be sorely missed this year. She is our inspiration for gathering together. Her sweet disposition, incredible love for her family and , last but not least cooking expertise, is legendary. Each holiday, we not only have turkey, but we also have the privilage of having her amazing homemade ravioli.

My husband has been spending the last few years trying to learn as much as he can about her cooking techniques. Each holiday now, he spends hours making the homemade pasta that Yolanda is no longer able to make.....and he's good.....very good.

We traveled to her Italian home, Lumarzo, in the hills just north of Genoa, this year. It's a beautiful village, where almost everyone has the family name Schenone (Yolanda's maiden name). 

The ravioli we were lucky enough to have there was good and similar, but not as good as Yolandas.

Our fire burns brightly for you, Yolanda. We love you very much. You are truly a treasure in our lives for which we are thankful.

Please raise a glass to Yolanda and all of the treasures in your life, my blogging friends, I am treasuring all of you as well, for all of your visits and comments and creativity you have brought to my life. Thank you.

SAY IT WITH COLOR ?

"I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way- things that I had no words for." - Georgia O' Keeffe

I am back in Tuscany. Not literally, I simply have more to show and tell. 

When you are there, everything takes on a glow. You look at the landscape and realize why so many artists painted there, why so many writers wrote there, why you are there. Everything looks like a painting, the light, the colors, ochre, raw umber.......

This assemblage piece was meant to be a shrine to the brush that I scrounged for at a flea market. I have a weakness for old paint brushes. I had almost given up hope. As a last ditch effort, I got down on my hands and knees and ran my hands through the dirt and "junk" and viola!

I had spent so much time on the shoe piece a few posts back , I almost forgot about the brush. it turns out, the junk finds that I had left were each precious to me in their own way, so I decided to say "what the heck" and just attach everything together.

The colors, rust, white, a touch of blue, YELLOW, brown, all seemed to work together. I added a bit more, copper mesh and a bit of blue paint to the brush handle, a yellowish ribbon to highlight the yellow of the......... round, whatever-it-is, with the buttons, a piece of ochre mica. It all seemed to blend well with my surroundings.

I LOVE MY BRUSH!

" I think it pisses God off if you walk by  the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it". - Alice Walker

DIA DE BLOGLANDIA

Happy Dia de los Muertos everyone and thank you to Susanna and Stephanie for planning a " get together", DIA DE BLOGLANDIA.

I decided to use the design of an Arbol de la Vida (tree of life) and do some work in copper and paint to remember my father and his family.

ALTERED BOOK ROUND ROBIN PEEK

I just finished working in the second to last book of my altered book round robin. The theme of this book was "Layers". 

It took a bit longer this time, to decide how I was going to interpret the theme, as a few of the other artists had already thought of some of the ideas I was going to use. 

I ended up using an archaeological dig theme.....of sorts.

Receiving a package each month, filled with the art work of so many people and adding my own to it,  has been an amazing experience.  Once we finish up in the next two months, I hope to share the images in their entirety.

ITALIAN DREAMS- VENICE

Detail from an assemblage "shrine"  to Italy by Karen Cole

"I stood in Venice, on the bridge of sighs; a palace and a prison on each hand. I saw from out the wave of her structures rise, as from the stroke of the enchanters wand; a thousand years their cloudy wings expand around me, and a dying glory smiles o'er the far times, when many a subject land, looked to the winged lions marble pines, where Venice sate in state, throned on her hundred isles." -Lord Byron

Back from a sleepless trip to a magical place.  Above, a "winged messenger" from Susanna, taken from the balcony of our hotel. The Rialto bridge in the background. (duh!)

The key to a great Venetian experience? The key to your room at the fabulous Al Ponte Antico, a Venetian Spritz (Prosecco and Aperol) made by Matteo our host, A CAMERA and a view.

Sharing it all with wonderful friends.

Al Ponte Antico from the other side of the canal.

Even the construction has style.

A "must see". The Fortuny Museum. The current show Un Mondo Di Carta, the work of Isabelle de Borchgrave, clothing and accessories made out of paper. Swoony stuff......oh my!

Do you like mosaics? Don't miss the Orsoni workshop where you can get beautiful smalti.

Food? How about an artichoke fresh from the Rialto market?

Perhaps I'll get to experience carnivale next time.

Venice is a jewel. Detail of another italian shrine by yours truly.