A Thankful Time of Year

These are a couple of pictures of parts of 2 of my collages that I had Moo cards made out of (mini business cards). They have the picture on the front and your information on the back.

For the prompt this week, of course, it has to have a Thanksgiving theme! I want you to think of something that you are thankful for, from your past or your present, and do art about that. Photos could be included in the art, if you'd like. Whatever works for what you are being thankful for.

The quote for today will be this harvest prayer that I love.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Harvest Prayer(Anonymous 17th Century Sermon)
Please be gentle with yourself and others.
We are all children of chance,
And none can say why some fields blossom
While others lay brown beneath the harvest sun.
Take hope that your season will come.
Share the joy of those whose season is at hand.
Care for those around you.
Look past your differences.
Their dreams are no less than yours,
Their choices in life no more easily made.
And give.
Give in any way you can.
Give in every way you can.
Give whatever you possess.
Give from your heart.
To give is to love.
To withhold is to wither.
Care less for the size of your harvest than for how it is shared,
And your life will have meaning
And your heart will have peace.

Ten on Tuesday

This week's Ten on Tuesday list is ten things you are thankful for this year. Here's mine:
1. my 4 children and their spouses are all doing well
2. my 2 (3 3/4 year old and 3 month old) grandchildren are healthy and happy (not to mention adorable!)
3. I have another grandchild on the way!!
4. my husband's bladder cancer check-ups have been clear
5. I recently had an mri and it showed no changes
6. my husband and I just celebrated our 33rd anniversary
7. friends!
8. art making
9. Starbucks lattes and mocha's
10. having a day to just roam art supply stores, craft stores, a bookstore, and a coffee shop

Can it Possibly be Monday Already??

Yes, I guess it can. I didn't post much last week because I had a cold all week. I didn't feel horrible (thankfully), but just kind of lousy.

I did manage to get my second piece done for the art show with the shrine theme. (I showed you my first piece last week - a shrine to my Grandmother) The second was a large canvas done about the Mona Lisa. I've always loved the Mona Lisa. I find looking at her very soothing. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a picture taken before handing it in, so will post a picture after I get it back in December.

The prompt for this week is to think of a painting or style of painting that evokes a memory for you. A memory that comes to mind for me is sitting in a doctor's office with my son when he was 10 or 11. He asked "why would they have an awful painting like that on the wall?". When I looked it was a print of a Grandma Moses. I tried to explain that she was very famous and very highly thought of, but he wasn't accepting that.
So, with the prompt, take the memory and do art from that or do something in the style of the technique of the painting.

"Argue for your limitations and sure enough, they're yours". Richard Bach

New Art and a Prompt

This is a piece that I finished for a show. It had to be a shrine of some sort to someone or something meaningful in your life. This is an 8 x 10" canvas with a photo of my Grandmother that has been "painted over" (a technique taught to me by my very good friend Marilyn), the canvas is painted and has 2 small canvases attached (one is a photo of me with Grandma and the other is my four kids with Grandma). Along the edges I attached etched wood strips. No beeswax on this one! I'm working on one more for the same show that is beeswax.

Unconscious Mutterings for last week

I say ... and you think ... ?
In love :: with my husband
Be my guest :: for lunch
Number one :: numero uno
Swallowed whole :: grape
50 percent :: half
Made in :: America
Supplement :: vitamin
Right for :: all of us
Endless :: infinity
Ceramic :: tile

and for this week

I say ... and you think ... ?

Coverage :: clothing
Cynical :: my husband
Gust :: wind
Improvised :: made do
V :: Roman numeral
Guests :: party
Brutal :: war
Grant :: scholarship
Pull :: wagon
Streaming :: absolutely nothing pops into my head for this! even when I think about it

This week's prompt - Think of a favorite line from a song. Do a piece of art or write a poem and incorporate at least a few words from that line in the art.

Here's a quote that I really like. "Everything I do and say with anyone makes a difference."

Gita Bellin

10 Things You Love to Talk About

That's the topic for this week's Ten on Tuesday list. Here's mine:
1. My grandchildren Lily and Zachary
2. My 4 children and their spouses
3. Art in general
4. Beeswax Collage
5. New Art Techniques that I haven't tried yet
6. Books
7. Pregnancy and childbirth
8. ER (with my daughter-in-law)
9. Restaurants
10. Movies

First November Prompt!

This is a beeswax collage from awhile back.

Yes, it's the first Monday in November! Hard to believe that there are only 2 months left in 2008.

My Halloween was better than any in a long time! The day before, I got to go to my granddaughter's nursery school and see the Halloween parade. Lily was a penguin and was absolutely adorable! On Halloween she and Zach both came over and he was sooo cute as a puppy.

The prompt for this week is to take the 2 words "I am" and finish the statement with something that fits for you. There are tons of different directions you could go with this. Come up with an I am statement and then make a piece of art with the statement in.

I haven't talked about journaling in awhile. A fun technique to use in journals is tape transfers. Tape transfers can be made from newspapers, magazines, or photocopies. You lay package tape face down on whatever you want to transfer. Smooth it down well by burnishing with a bone folder (or spoon or Popsicle stick). Then soak in water a few minutes. Next rub the paper off with the pad of your thumb or other finger (like you do for gel medium transfers). That's all there is to it. Sometimes it is sticky enough to stick down like that and other times you'll need to stick it down with gel medium.

"The moment when you first wake up in the morning is the most wonderful of the 24 hours. No matter how weary or dreary you may feel, you possess the certainty that, during the day that lies before you, absolutely anything may happen. And the fact that it practically always doesn't, matters not a jot. The possibility is always there." Monica Baldwin

Something New

This is a new list-type site I stumbled upon. I guess that I like things that make you think and this does (like the Tuesday list I do). It's called Unconscious Mutterings and you're given a list and are supposed to answer with the first thing that pops into your head...a word or phrase association thing. Cool, huh? It comes out on Sunday and you can do it any day that week. Here's my first.

Contemplate :: ponder
In the house :: at home
Classical :: music
Quest :: Don Quixote
Best friend :: understands me
1991 :: living a new place
Never will :: have another baby
Fool :: trick
Unhappy :: rarely
Best man :: wedding

Things just snapped instantly into my mind as I read each one. I think I'm going to enjoy this! Hope you do, too.

Ten on Tuesday

The topic for this week is 10 Favorite Horror Movies. Now, I am not a fan at all of blood and gore horror! I've NEVER watched one of them. But, I was able to come up with a list of 10 horror movies (that I don't consider blood and gore). Yes, there are a few blood scenes, but not like chainsaw massacres or stuff like that.
1. Rosemary's Baby (Had a positively haunting effect on me when I saw it years ago as a teen!)
2. The Shining
3. The Shining remake
4. The Stand
5. Salem's Lot
6. Christine
7. Cujo
8. Pet Semetary
9. Needful Things
10. Rose Red
Now you may notice a trend here...all except the first are Stephen King! These aren't necessarily my favorite of his, but they are the first 9 to come to my mind. I watched Rose Red again a few months ago and slept for 3 nights with the light on! Don't ask me why I would subject myself to something that obviously scared me, but I did...all 6 hours (it was from tv).
My son just pointed out I left off It...which I cannot do, so
11. It.

Last Monday in October!

This was my first try on a technique that my good friend Marilyn taught me. I mentioned it in an earlier post. She is a wonderful artist (and a wonderful friend). This is a really fun and relaxing technique that I know I'll be using alot more in the future. This piece is an 8 x 10" gallery canvas. The background is extremely simple and plain because I felt it went along with the image well to do it that way. I was very happy with the way this came out. It's done with acrylics and shiva paint sticks. Thanks again, Marilyn!

The prompt this week...yes, hard to believe that this is the last Monday in October...is to think of a Halloween memory. Halloween is a "holiday" that I really don't like, but it holds some memories nonetheless. When I really think about it, I feel a sense of love from past Halloweens. As a child my Grandmother always sewed my costumes and they were Great! A few I think of off the top of my head are angel, witch, native american, bride - and believe me these costumes were the real thing, not something thrown together. Later on as a mother I sewed or put together costumes for or with my kids...and that, too, was filled with love. Just a few - genie as in I Dream of Jeanie, tomato, pumpkin, bag of potatoes. So, anyway, take a little stroll down memory lane Halloween style and see what you come up with.

"Let us savor the fleeting delights of our most beautiful days". Alphonse de Lamartine

Ten on Tuesday

This week's list is 10 of the best meals you've had. Here are mine.
1. Crab's legs we used to eat in Delaware when my Dad owned a weekend house there.
2. Corn chowder in a bread bowl from the D.C. Food Fest.
3. The meatballs my Grandma Holley used to make (which I wouldn't even eat now 'cause I only eat fish and not meat, but they were delicious).
4. The only time I ever remember my Grandpa making any kind of food was when he was in his 70's and cut a clipping from the newspaper of a recipe for plum tapioca. He made it and although I was very hesitant, it wasn't bad at all!
5. Not exactly a "meal", but immediately after my 3rd child was born, I was freezing and so so thirsty. They got me a heated blanket and a glass of orange juice and that oj was like heaven on earth! I remember it like yesterday even though it was 27 years ago.
6. My Dad used to make some kind of eggs where he tore pieces of cheese and tossed them in the eggs and the eggs rose up high and were delish.
7. My Mom's lasagna when I was a kid.
8. Grandma Holley's egg custard was a real comfort food for me.
9. shrimp, scallops, seafood bisque...most any seafood
10. Holiday dinners - Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Mother's Day, 4th of July, birthdays