When our kids were small we surprised them with a “Great Adventure” ! Christmas was coming! The weather was cold and damp. My husband and I were going away on a mysterious trip! The kids would be staying with the grandparents. We all went to the airport and to their great surprise the kids got on the plane with us! the grands waved goodbye and we were off on our great adventure! We flew to Miami , changed planes, and flew in a much smaller plane to our island south of Cuba! I had sent christmas gifts ahead to our rented cottage. Who needs christmas gifts! All three children were in the warm blue caribbean before 9  on Christmas morning! The gifts waited till evening! Didnt do that ever again! We all had a fantastic time. We saw birds that dont fly north, huge turtles. Iguanas,ghost crabs marching down the road at night, shells with live inhabitants and so much more. We explored various parts of the island and concluded that we liked where we were staying best, but the snorkling on north side was great! We all enjoyed our adventure  so much we vowed to do it again and we did! That was a christmas gift no one will forget.

 

I was watching the news on tv the other nite.They spoke of gas prices rising once more! I already knew that having filled my tank  recently, but hearing it just made me erupt! We always say its the Arab oil countries! But really is that the whole story? No! Part of it is the oil futures markets here trying to squeeze us to death and the other part is us! We know when consumption goes down gas prices go down! We know that we need to look for alternative fuels. But do we push our disfunctional government to do something ?? NO! We drive faster and buy bigger cars !  Lets get together and at least slow down! Guys wont, but us women can!  Please click the pic to enlarge!

Several years ago John, Toni and I went on an adventure to Las Vegas, Nevada ! We didnt go to gamble! We went to see the desert and the mountains! We did play at night but not for long! Too tired from sight seeing! We had a blast! Living in South Jersey we miss the hills and beautiful trees that others take for granted.  I read recently of several artists  working on their personel geography in their sketch books. I thought what a good thing to record before its all forgotten! So this morning  I went west! From time to time I’m going to try to picture some of the other wonderful places we have been and show them to you! Anyone care to join me?

New Years day was a play day for me too! I had lucked into two large canvases at the G.W. for a couple of bucks each.Just the thing to just start! No plan. Gessoed and roughed up for texture ,then a great orange for the center surrounded with turquoise! Wow! Where am I going with this? Still dont know!  A border of chinese newspaper and some turquoise bubbles in the orange! Thin some gesso and cover the entire canvas to tone it down! Flick some thick gesso on top! Looks like a fish tank to me! Find some big fish!! A rusty tin garden ornament is just the right size. Cut a couple of big fish out of oragami paper. Give them a coat of yellow iron oxide and away we go! All in one day! What did you do to celebrate a free day?  Please click the pic to enlarge!

 

 

Toni and I want to wish all our friends from the blog, the shop ,etsy and wherever else  you find us A wonderful Christmas, a Happy Hannukah, and the healthiest New Year possible! It has been fun visiting with you and reading your comments. We’ll see you soon! Dont work too hard these last few days and remember after today the days start growing longer!

A couple of years age I madethis envelope for my daughter’ Toni. At the time I was annoyed about the commercialization of Christmas.  I am not a “Religious” person , but I do feel that it is sad that what was a celebration of the birth of Jesus has become a romp in the department stores. This year I noticed something new. After the madness of “ Black Friday”  many people seemed to stop, look around and say “I’m not doing this any more.” I am shopkeeper for my daughters home decor and gift shop, Almost Heaven ” during the week when she is at her other job. I have been surprised this year at the many customers, some of whom we have not seen for a couple of years , coming in to say its no longer fun or pleasant to shop in the big mall stores. Some of them I know have been put off by the loud tv commercials and the junk mail advertising!  Its been fun to see them and to try to help in finding just the right thing for  a sister or grandma! My hope is that some are remembering “ The Reason for The Season” Enjoy finding just the right thing for your loved ones. It doesnt have to be something big and expensive just a gift that shows your love for that person. Thats how this all started!

this little virgin has been with me for about 40 years. She has moved from house to house with our family and is usually found on a shelf in my bedroom. I found her at a thrift shop and paid the huge sum of $2.00 for her. Over time many would be experts have looked at her and made comment. No one can establish an age but they mainly agree she is from New Mexico. The wood she is painted on is most likely pine. The thick board was gessoed then painted. Over time she has lost some of her paint but I still love her primitave look. To see more of Rebecca’s tribute to the Virgin please go to http://corazon.typepad.com.

Watch the world go by!  Some days ideas fly thru my brain , other days its like pulling teeth! This picture you see is a combo! The background and the oriental paper were just asking to be painted and glued! Then it sat there looking at me! Ah, the eye I had glued into a bottle cap!  then  – nothing. I went off and did other things !  When I came home the picture started shouting ” Circles” ! I wasn’t too sure at first but as I stamped them with my trusty thread spool  I thought this is just what the picture needed! I like it !  Hope you do too! and remember ,”Have Patience”!

This triptych will allow you to cast your vote without saying a word! Sounds like it would be useful in family debates! The 6×6 canvases were gessoed and had a border of words applied, the center was painted black and the hands applied last. After all of that dried, I applied a coating of gel medium for protection. The  canvases can stand on their own or be hung.  Later this week I will give them to Toni to post on our Etsy site. Have you ever been there? Its fun. We have some assorted supplies, Toni’s gems and jewels and occasionally something I’ve created.  please visit!

 

Back in that magical wing chair one evening I was trying to decide what  to start drawing. I had seen a wonderful print of circles connected to circles with circle upon circle within! Lets try to do that! I quickly learned something! Circles are nearly impossible to freehand! For me at least!   Ovals on the other hand are simple unless you want them to be all the same size!  I put some Go;den fluid acrylic on them next day. The page looks like a fabric print to me! Not very complicated but I did learn a good bit about whats to draw!