DOOR, PUERTA, PORTA, PORTE, OVI, DEUR, DIE TUR, HURO, DOR, DRZWI, VRATA, DVERE

" There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception." - Aldous Huxley

Telluride Colorado has a treasure trove of doors. I could have gone on forever. But alas, I want to get out there and ski today.

After photographing just a few, I went over to the local hardware store looking for some copper sheeting, so that I could use one of the photos and create an embossed metal painting, of sorts.
Unfortunately, a small piece of brass was my only option, so I went for it.

"Happiness often sneaks through a door you didn't know you left open." - John Barrymore

I enjoyed working with the brass, though it was much stiffer than the copper and I couldn't get rid of the shine.

My inspiration. Keep those skis handy.

Most of the town consists of very colorful Victorian homes. Beautiful details, some of which are covered by the massive snow they've received this year.

Let the sunshine in.
A door to the past. What a gorgeous patina this old building had.

The old bank from the 18oo's now sells goggles and sunglasses. Go figure.

The entrance to the old jailhouse has a message. Can anyone hear?????


The door to the ski lift operators hut. What a view from 14,000 feet!

Entrance to the Smuggler restaurant. Grab a chair lift and have a bite.


Even the dogs of Telluride have a colorful place to find some shelter.

My door is open. Welcome.

Other people posting doors can be found at Elizabeths blog, thehouseinmarrakesh and Franks blog, mypaintbox. Enjoy!

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH

"Mountains are to the rest of the body of the earth, what a violent muscular action is to the body of man. The muscles and tendons of its anatomy are, in the mountain, brought out with force and convulsive energy, full of expression, passion and strength." -John Ruskin

Report from Telluride-

So I brought a sketchbook with me. I have such a fear of this journaling thing. I can ski down an expert slope with abandon.....I'm doing a bit less of that these days, though you have to challenge yourself once in awhile...... but, to put words and drawings in a journal/sketchbook......YIKES!!! I played around while I was on the flight over......(no movie, can you believe it!) I plan on trying to make as many entries as I can........remember, I said "challenge yourself once in awhile"......errrr, I think I'll go out and ski a few crazy runs.


Are you ready to follow me? Put your helmet on. (BTW, the day I bought this new fashion statement a few years ago, I fell and broke and dislocated my left shoulder).

Let's take this trail into town. SEE IT? Way down .........THERE!

SNEAK PEEK

Last May I was invited to participate in an altered book round robin with some wonderful artists. Eight from Australia and seven from the United States. Each of us chose a theme, created a book from which to launch our work and began sending the books from person to person. My theme is "Face It". It can be interpreted as the artists see fit. We will eventually get our own books back, full of amazing work , before the end of this year.


We just recently decided we would share what we are doing on our personal blogs......but just "sneak peeks". This month I received the first in a series of books from the Australian artists.

This one is entitled , "Science and Art". I got my inspiration from a Leonardo Da Vinci quote ".............art is the queen of all sciences".

THE SLIGHTLY OLDER THAN HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS GO TO THE FRIDA KAHLO EXHIBIT.......AND ART CAMP POST

I simply can not say enough about what a wonderful few days I had with some fantastic fellow artistic blogger women Constance, Susanna, Paula and Leslie not to mention my beautiful daughter Emily. Just imagine.....an inspiring trip to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit, a whirlwind tour of Philadelphia, two great dinners (if I do say so myself), many glasses of wine, discussions of many topics, including art, age (we were in our 20's, 30's 40's and 50's.....I won't say who was which age, of course), piercing, travel, friendship, family, art again.....I could go on......, hot tubbing, thrift store shopping. I'm thinking of going into the blogger girl travel and get together business. I loved every moment.

Above you see my shrine to the group. I received some very thoughtful bags of goodies...thank you all. The last day I had a mini workshop on copper repoussage (metal embossing) with Constance and Susanna. We made, what else?....Frida shrines!!

I decided to use a portrait where she looked pain free. Her work is shockingly personal in her depiction of her physical and psychological pain, I wanted to give her some peace.


We had a beautiful snowstorm that night. Can you see the snow?


The book was found in a thrift store. I thought it appropriately silly for this post. The two "dudes" are from Leslie.

The class gets started. I used to teach this in my art classes. There was no talking back in this group.......maybe a little.



The cookies and soup that Constance brought and the wine that Paula added are gone.

LONG LIVE BLOGLAND GET TOGETHERS!!!!!!


PLUS......I just realized today is exactly my ONE YEAR BLOGGING ANNIVERSARY!!!!

COLOR MY WORLD WITH..........

....THE CARIBBEAN


" Art is unquestionably one of the purest and highest elements in human happiness. It trains the mind through the eye, and the eye through the mind. As the sun colors flowers, so does art color life". - John Lubbock

Just returned recently from an "adventurous" trip (we had pretty strong winds this time) , sailing in the British Virgin Islands. LOVE THAT WATER. Somebody had the right colors of blue on their palette when they colored the waters of the Caribbean Sea....and the fish.


Can you find the foot in the photo above? How about that end of the day drink and view? ahhhhhhhhh

Below is a page from my sketchbook, a bathing suit hanging from the line.


Some of us, it appears, had a better view than others. Yes, that's our wet bathing suits hanging from the line of our boat.



We went with some dear friends, Paula and Rich. Paula and I took our little sketch books with us and decided we would draw each day.......at least some of the days, anyway. It turns out that sometimes things are just too "perfect" to draw......like a palm tree for instance. Is there any way to draw a palm tree without making it look trite?





Yes, I was really at this beach. It is a little place called Sandy Cay off of the island of Jost Van Dyck.

Coming soon............Frida Khalo at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

EXPLORE DREAM DISCOVER

"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. EXPLORE, DREAM, DISCOVER." -Mark Twain

I will be taking a break from my computer for a bit. In the meantime, explore, dream and discover.

Yes, this is the other side of the guitar that I made, from the previous post.

MY MOMMY TAUGHT ME TO SHARE

The rhythm of the blog world is miraculous. It creates these wonderful black holes, vortexes or whatever you would like to call them, that continually brings us all closer together. Somehow I just can't say this enough or read it enough when I visit the rest of you.

"The greatest gift is to give people your enlightenment, to SHARE it. It has to be the greatest."- Budda

With that said, I would like to share a beautiful gift I received yesterday from my dear blogging friend, somepinkflowers. Now here is an example of someone that shares like there is no tomorrow. Humorous, thoughtful, kind and always interesting. Pinker than a glorious sunset. This is not just buttering her up for another fun present either, I might add. :-)

Speaking of which, I will now share in the opening. It's always fun to open a present. Enjoy.

Nice stamps, huh? Lucky me.

Nicely decorated wrapper, with a very thoughtful message. The best gifts are unexpected.

Duh......


Yessiree , yippee!

One side.....

The other......

Almost there......

YES!.....



Dream on.
,,,and BTW, today is her birthday. Happy Birthday SPF!!! and thank you.

A VERY SPECIAL GROUNDHOG DAY

"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking outside your body." -Elizabeth Stone


Groundhog Day, February 2nd, is a popular tradition in the United States. It is also a legend that traverses centuries, its origins clouded in the mists of time with ethnic cultures and animals awakening on specific dates. Myths such as this tie our present to the distant past when nature did, indeed, influence our lives. It is the day that the Groundhog comes out of his hole after a long winter sleep to look for his shadow.


28 years ago today, Groundhog Day, my life changed forever. My first child , Daniel "awakened" and poked his little head out. It was a joyful day and has been a glorious roller coaster ride ever since. And yes, my heart "walks outside of my body" every day... love you, Dan.
Happy Birthday!!!!!!!






Just a few words......above, Dans early attempt at culinary mastery..........

........ below, last weekends dinner, made by Daniel and posted on his blog post "Pizza Porn" he called it. That's homemade pizza, from scratch, including the dough. I'm so proud!!!!


.....and he lived happily ever after. Happy Birthday, again.

.....party on!!!!!