Some Randomness

 A Bauhaus postage stamp that I gleaned from the internet and like a lot.

 A brass buddha hand that I saw in a shop that no longer is in business. I wish I'd bought this hand. I need calming images and things around me.

 The cover of the book that my offspring will have published this coming spring. I think it'll come out around the time of the next on-line challenge. It can be pre-ordered on Amazon and I've already ordered two for myself. Why I need two, I'm not sure, Guess I'll gift someone with it, or make it a prize for something. Who knows. I was excited so I ordered two. You know how that goes.

 I recently came across this old photo of me. We were in Copenhagen in March of 1967. We'd just gone through a religious wedding ceremony for our parents where they lived, after having a civil ceremony months before where we lived. It was cold in Denmark. My cheeks were rosy all the time. And check out the travel costume! A dress, stockings, high heeled shoes. Oh dear!

A friend of my sister's sent her this photo of a painting of mine that she somehow had. I'd painted it in the early 1960s, while still a student. I barely remember it, though I do remember painting a series of heads and I do remember that yellow ochre oil paint was a favorite of mine. 

 Here are some mitts that I made awhile ago, and sold.  It's knitting time again and I'll be participating in a pop-up gift shop again at my friend Keithley's. She's the owner/maker of Bad Girl Art and has an annual shop in her home. She invites a bunch of us to join her and sell our wares. We bring beverages and food and customers can eat, drink and shop. It's a lot of fun. This year, it's December 9 in the evening and December 10, all day. If you're in or near Richmond, VA, come visit us.

and another peaceful image. I took this in Paris in 2012, I think. It's one of my favorite images. It's calming and romantic and holds such memories. The really fun thing is that I'm planning our anniversary trip to Paris for early 2017. It'll be 5 years since we've been there.

Meanwhile, I'm still struggling with my new Chrome Book. I don't know how to get all my photos onto Google Photos. Some get on there and some don't. puzzling. AND my iPhone won't let me take anymore photos!! And I only have 270 images showing up on that device. Puzzling, it's all so puzzling!!

Have a good week.

More about what's happened.

 I'm home bound for another week, with in-home PT. I'm doing well, getting stronger, walking with a cane.

People have been so kind and thoughtful. I've gotten cards and flowers, and candy, food, and visits.

My hunny has been very supportive.




And then another thing happened, last week on my birthday, my mother died at noon. She was old, as regular readers of my blog know, but still - on my birthday! It put quite a twist on the day.
She was 101 and left us in her sleep.

She lived 3000 miles away from me, and as I'm home bound couldn't travel there.

So I'm remembering and honoring her memory, here at home.

This is part of the headband she wore when she worked at the Orange Crush stand during the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago, Illinois USA. It had an orange ribbon threaded through it that tied around her head with a bow at the nape of the next. She must have looked adoable with her engaging smile and big brown eyes.

 

N, J, and Z came over the evening of my birthday and brought me a lovely cake and we ordered Japanese food. It was lovely. 

M came in from NYC a few days after my birthday, and brought me two birthday gifts - they were perfect and just what I wanted.

A felt pigeon by Mother Pigeon  and a vegetarian cookbook The Vilna Vegetarian Cookbook. I can't wait until I can get busy in the kitchen.

It's been an interesting summer, so far.
My sad and disbelief goes in and out.

The card from my friend in Ireland says it all, Speedy recovery, happy birthday, and condolence.
So it goes.

I'm on a roll!

#170

 Since, I'm in a catch up mood, I'll post some of the other pieces of Mail Art that I've made. More of my exploring the Inktense and water color pencils.

#171

I added some collage bits to these, just because. I'm particularly pleased with #172, the way the large circle appears to be part of the water color area.

#172

An acquaintance invited me to submit something to an exhibit in one of her Micro Gallery projects. She wanted 30 items, Mail Art for people to take away. 
 Since I do individual cards, usually, this would have been difficult, but I thought of the prints from another project that had gotten water damaged. I was able to cut away the borders, where the damage was, and ended up with postcard sized works. They're photos that were printed up for an exhibit I had several years ago.
It was called the New Jersey Turnpike Project. I would take photos, not driving, allowing the irregularities in the roadway, to cause the camera to move. The results were such fun. Lots of lights along the strip from the Holland Tunnel to Exit 11, if you know that route.

Here's a photo of the grand girl contemplating the big Buddha, at VMFA.

Good Grief, long time no see!

#168

#169

 I've been remiss in posting my Mail Art, that's for sure. I've been making it, not quite daily, but having a good time with it for sure.

#170

Finding the woman for the vintage Chrysler building postcard made me so happy. I feel like I haven't had such a good combination in awhile, maybe since Tiny Town. #169 was sent to a Mail Art call having to do with the Moon Landing in 1969. I had First Cover from that time - trust me, not that valuable, all of you who might be horrified that I used a first cover for Mail Art. I did a collage to put inside the envelope.
#170 is more playing with my Inktense pencils. I got more of them. So fun. But I added a sleeping Buddha cause it seems so right.

The Big Buddha

La Paloma

On Sunday's we've been taking our grand girl to the Virginia Museum of Fine Art and one of her favorite things to see is this Big Buddha, which is wood and from Japan. It's quite lovely and the room it's in is dimly lit and quiet. Only missing, a bench.

This pigeon is a ceramic piece that we saw at an exhibit at the Museum of Art and Design in NYC, and I've been wanting to share it with you for awhile.  I wish I'd taken down the artist's name. A real miss on my part. If you know who did it, let me know.

Mail Art plus

#153

This was my post on Facebook for MAM (Mail Art Monday.) I was really pleased with how I could take two scraps of paper with similar purples and a circle and create this landscape-like composition. I'm really please with myself. And what a good feeling that is.

What gives you that pleased with yourself feeling?

 Here are some chickadees by Milk, that are on display at Quirk Gallery. I had to buy one and I got a tiny one for free! How cool is that. Can't wait for the show to come down so I can have my bird!

 Here are some mice that were on display at the candy counter in Southern Season. I did not buy any. I was tempted, but I didn't do it. Maybe another day.

We've been fortunate to be able to take our grand, Zinn, to the Virginia Museum of Fine Art on Sundays recently. She loves being there and has some favorite pieces. One of them is this large Buddha. She says Buddha so clearly, it makes us smile. A Buddha smile!

Happy New Year, looking ahead.

 HAPPY NEW YEAR!

With dancing, gaiety, frivolity, happiness, joy, and laughter;

 With peace and compassion, with good health, with love.

The first day of the new year is almost over and we're not finished packing!! Oh, No! Tomorrow night we leave and the following morning we'll be in Paris.  Amazing!

I'm in awe of our good fortune and grateful for this opportunity to see Paris, again. And now to finish that packing!

Another alteration, my skull, and some exciting news!

#177a

 This is an altered card, with an image of an art nouveau broach as the base. I am so fond of the buddha smile.

Here's the skull I'm creating, for the Skull Appreciation Day exhibit. I had a paper mache base to work from/on, as did 99 other artists. It was a challenge just to come up with an idea that would say more than: collaged skull. I cut up (oh horrors) pages from an old atlas given to me by a friend, very old, it still showed the Ottoman Empire on it. You figure out that date. I cut it into 1" circles and placed them so that they connected with one another to create new countries and oceans. I wanted to create a skully world that broke down artificial barriers between people. I cut the top off of the skull and created a base from that. I'm going to have butterflies come out of the head. You'll be seeing more of this soon as I have to finish it today, to turn in tomorrow. Cutting it short, right? I work better under pressure, right? aaaaagh!!
And now for the exciting news: Mica's film Mermaids of New York will have three screenings this summer.
June 16-19 will be in Northside Festival sponsored Union Docs competition screening (exact date TBD)
http://www.thelmagazine.com/newyork/NFFilm/Page

July 21 Screening followed by panel discussion about Sirens & Society at The Observatory in Brooklyn
http://observatoryroom.org/directions/

Aug 12-13 during the World Mermaid Awards and convention in Las Vegas (exact date TBD)
http://worldmermaidawards.com./

Let's all go to Las Vegas. I'm going to make my Mermaid tail soon as I finish my skull! Oh, by the way, any idea what I can entitle my skull?

A pretty sight and some Mail Art

Buddha and Birds

 This morning I met up with a friend at a coffee shop to practice our Spanish. It was slippery out there but the sun was shining.

On the way home, I stopped by the post box so that all the mail from the weekend could go out at the 1 p.m. mail pickup.  #27 of 365 went out with the mail carrier late this afternoon.

The James Center

Late on the 24th, we went down to the James center to see that light display. Isn't this beautiful. Lots and lots of straw deer with lights on them interspresed with lit up trees. The buildings in that area are outlined with lights, too. It's like a fairyland. My son took this photo with his smart phone. Beautiful.