Want a Puppy?

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 14 Comments

Everyone loves puppies.

They are sweet, adorable, inquisitive, cuddly, and innocent. They are loyal companions, full of fun and energy and devotion.

They are also a pain in the   _______.

Our new puppy makes me feel like a crabby old lady. Maybe I ~am~ a  crabby old lady.

But I’m just not up to the 24/7 madness a toddler dog brings.

Our other Labrador is getting on in age, and hubby thought it a good idea to introduce a new pup to the family circle. Past experience has shown that a young dog really does bring some life and spark into your old dog’s life. Adds a few years, as they say.

I’m not sure my older dog is up on all that. She probably wishes she’d run away and not come back.

As for this senior citizen, a new puppy means inside accidents, chewed shoes, 3 a.m. outside pee breaks, underfoot traffic, and more.

She’s in my way. She’s underfoot. She needs letting out every hour and a half. She chews everything. She eats everything.

Oh, you’re retired, some say. You’ve got plenty of time to keep up with a youngster. She’ll add youth to your life.

Well, crabby patty Granny says she’s earned her retirement, and running around keeping up with a puppy is not her idea of fun. It would be like inheriting your grandkids. You love them to death but the younger ones would run you ragged in a matter of days.

Don’t get me wrong. My new puppy is just that — a puppy. She’ll learn. She’ll behave. She will bring all of us years of happiness, friendship, and love. She’s as cute as a button and smart as a whip. 

It’s just that these days I don’t have the energy or mental sharpness of a whip.

I’m more like a well-used broom who’s losing some of its bristles.

Yet we all find a way to survive….

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Joris Hoefnagel

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 12 Comments

Joris Hoefnagel or Georg Hoefnagel (1542 – 1601) was a Flemish painter, printmaker, miniaturist, draftsman and merchant.He is noted for his illustrations of natural history subjects, topographical views, illuminations and mythological works.Hoefnagel was one of the last manuscript illuminators and made a major contribution to the development of topographical drawing.His manuscript illuminations and ornamental designs played an important role in the emergence of floral still-life painting as an independent genre in northern Europe at the end of the 16th century.Working before the invention of the microscope and long before etymology was an established field of study, Hoefnagel produced images that are much more than the sum of his empirical observations.He created his manuscripts not for a wide scientific public but instead for himself and his small circle of friends.The almost scientific naturalism of his botanical and animal drawings served as a model for a later generation of Netherlandish artists.Through these nature studies Hoefnagel also contributed to the development of natural history and he was thus a founder of proto-scientific inquiry.More of Joris Hoefnagel’s work can be found at https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.2569.html.

 

 

Unique Flowers (repost)

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 9 Comments

I was posting images on my Instagram account and came across this blog — you’ve GOT to check it out!

LOOK AT THESE FLOWERS!

(okay… I’ll cut back on the caffeine now…)

 

Unique Flowers

 

Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnata)

 

Flying Duck Orchid (Caleana major)

 

A Beehive (or Honeycomb) Ginger (Zingiber spectabile)

 

Bat Face Cuphea (Cuphea Llavea)

 

Orange Pincushion (Leucospermum Cordifolium)

 

Lady’s Slipper Orchid (Cypripedioideae calceolus)

 

Japanese Snake Gourd (Trichosanthes pilosa)

 

Jade Vine Plants (Strongylodon macrobotrys)

 

Lacy Phacelia, Fiddleneck

 

African Daisy (Osteospermum Soprano® Lilac Spoon)

 

More in the Gallery! See you over there!

 

 

 

The Lusty Month of May!

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 4 Comments

 

Tra la! It’s May!
The lusty month of May!
That lovely month when ev’ryone goes
Blissfully astray.
Tra la! It’s here!
That shocking time of year
When tons of wicked little thoughts
Merrily appear!
It’s May! It’s May!
That gorgeous holiday
When ev’ry maiden prays that her lad
Will be a cad!
It’s mad! It’s gay!
A libelous display!
Those dreary vows that ev’ryone takes,
Ev’ryone breaks.
Ev’ryone makes divine mistakes
The lusty month of May!

Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe

 

 

 

It’s All About Me!

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 8 Comments

I never knew I was so powerful.

Especially as I’ve gotten older.

If my computer crashes, it’s my fault. If we get lost driving somewhere it’s my fault. If something is left behind on the table it’s my fault.

I never knew I was so powerful.

Yesterday my computer crashed. Of course that was my fault.

Never mind that I’m very careful where I wander on the Internet. Nevermind I have McAffrey on and delete folders when the pics are online or I keep up with changing passwords and clean my cache often.

Whatever happens I must have had something to do with it.

My partner is a very linear person. He uses his computer to pay bills and search on Amazon and little else. He clears caches all the time and doesn’t wander the Internet looking and/or downloading pictures or articles or recipes. The computer is for work, serious research, and little else. (That’s what his cellphone is for.)

So when I get this weird message about having a non-HP battery in my computer (I don’t) or my Internet connection has disappeared, it must have been something ~I~ did.

And being flighty half the time, there’s a good chance he’s right.

But he’s not.

I am sure all of you are careful where you wander on the Internet. There are bad sites and trick sites and black holes any one of us can fall in. There are security systems you can buy that keep an eye on your wandering, along with Google or Windows warnings of fishy sites.

So when my computer just up and didn’t work yesterday and this morning, I must have pushed a button somewhere or approved some computer change that I didn’t remember. Why else would you lose your Internet connection?

Doesn’t matter that we have chitty Internet service. Doesn’t matter that on occasion it takes forever to get to a common website.

Somehow it was something I did.

I wish I would have known about this ultimate power sooner.

I could have shut down obnoxious websites. Gone to the top of the blogging popularity lists. Gotten books published. Chatted with the Princess of Wales.

With the push of a button I could have taken money from wealthy bank accounts. Gotten into a chat room with Trump and Putin and told them what’s what. Started a world peace movement.

But it’s too late. I’m too old.

All I can do these days is crash my own computer.

Which, as you can see, is now working.

Darn!

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — eL Seed

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 7 Comments

eL Seed is a Tunisian artist, born in France and now living in Canada.His distinguished fusion of Arabic Calligraphy and Graffiti has made him an important influence for graffiti artists throughout the Arab world.eL Seed works in the public sphere. His work is not signed and he doesn’t claim ownership upon them. His work is characterized by intricate layers of color, symbols and letters that convey universal messages about coexistence, peace and freedom.Through his art, eL Seed amplifies the voices of the communities he encounters, using language as a tool to create connections and inspire ideas of unity.He celebrates the beauty and uniqueness of cultural heritage and draws inspiration from local writers, poets and philosophers he meets on his travels.Sometimes, eL Seed has a particular theme in mind that he wants to raise so he will search for the appropriate place and quote.In other circumstances, a community will reach out to him first, so he will look for the most appropriate issue to address with his art.You can find more of eL Seed’s amazing murals at https://elseed-art.com/ and https://elseedrelated.com/.

 

 

 

The Gallery Is Open!

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 9 Comments

It is with much enthusiasm and woopies that I announce that my other blog, Sunday Evening Art Gallery, is back in business!

Back in business, you ask? What are you talking about?

Well, like all seniors on social security, there are priorities. Priorities and more priorities. Having blown my yearly wad on vacationing down in Florida, I had to wait until my budget came back around to be able to afford a renewal — one that includes more storage space and no ads.

There is no doubt that every one of us has to budget our life away. There are always priorities that take precedent over other priorities. Food is more important than going to the movies. Paying your electric bill is more important than buying plants for your garden.

Unless you hang out with the likes of Zuckerberg or Gates, there is always a struggle to figure out which priority needs to come first.

Determining priorities isn’t always a life-and-death decision, of course. It can also be as simple as if you want a shrimp dinner next week you’ll have to eat spaghetti this week. You know. Substitutions.

ANYWAY…..

I’m glad I could rearrange my finances so that I can bring you  larger galleries of the artists I introduced in here.

I do hope you are going over there now and then to check out the diverse worlds I’ve collected through my journeys through the World of Creativity.

See you on the other side!

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Janna van Hasselt

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 8 Comments

Janna van Hasselt is a ceramic sculptor, born in Ōtepoti Dunedin in 1980 and now resides in Ōtautahi Christchurch, New Zealand.She earned a BFA (printmaking) from Ilam School of Fine Arts, Ōtautahi Christchurch (2004) and, as a recipient of a Fullbright Award an MFA (visual art) from the School of Art Institute of Chicago (2014).van Hasselt’s work is characterized by a pleasure in materials and a strong sense of spontaneity, playfulness and humor.The artist works with media ranging from printed and dyed fabric to puff pigment, ceramics, hot glue and inflatables.Her works often have a feeling of controlled chaos; knots, tubes, folds and stacks are van Hasselt’s forms of choice as she experiments with the tension, stress and gravity of each object made or represented.She also explores the idea of architectural failure, questioning how far her structures can be pushed before they collapse.

“I find inspiration in the everyday; the minutiae of life as a parent,” Van Hasselt shares.“My works are created manipulating clay and slip using varied actions present in basic life tasks – kneading, rolling, stretching, extruding, slicing, stacking, piercing, plaiting and highlighting.”More of Janna van Hasselt’s unique and fun art can be found at https://www.janna.co.nz/ and https://www.seedgallery.co.nz/collections/janna-van-hasselt-sculpture.

 

 

Still Looking Back! — Mini Things

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 11 Comments

Bringing another Saturday of fun, joy and amazement to you wandering eyes!  Today I want to wander back through the art galleries and showcase more unbelievable art.

I ~do~ hope you are clicking on the blue titles and checking out their additional works.  That’s half the fun!

:Lets try a different topic. How about ….. Mini Things?

 

Williard Wigan

 

Kiva Ford

 

Snowflakes

snowflake-10

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Dr. Gary Greenburg

(sand)

 

Angelo Musco

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Tatsuya Tanaka

 

Izumi Akinobu

 

Miki Asai

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Sheryl Tempchin

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 11 Comments

Sheryl Tempchin’s abstract and semi-abstract paintings are expressions of her deep feelings for the natural world, its beauty and fragility.Born in Minnesota, Tempchin spent much of her childhood surrounded by nature—the woodlands and lakes near her home on the outskirts of Minneapolis, as well as her grandparents’ farm near the town of Alexandria.As an adult, she eventually settled in the coastal town of Encinitas, where she continues to live and paint.Tempchin studied art at Palomar College, in San Marcos CA, UCLA, and the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles.Tempchin’s technique involves applying oil paint to canvas or panel with various tools—palette knives, squeegees and bondo spreaders—then blending and refining with brushes.“My paintings are about the natural world, the sea, the sky, and the life that surrounds me,” she says.“What I’m interested in is not so much how things look as how they make me feel, and the mystery behind it all.”“Through my paintings, I hope people can connect to that sense of mystery.”More of Sheryl Tempchin’s inspirational art can be found at https://www.sheryltempchin.com/.

 

A Long Time Ago ….

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 5 Comments

Always Always Always … On my way to doing something else ….

This morning I was all ready to write a new post about a new and wonderfully unique artist when I got the urge to go back through the forest and look at my very first post.

Even the Universe Chuckles. Published April 18, 2011, at 11:51 am.

What a big day that was.

And look at where I am today. Friends with so many of you, hoping still bring some sunshine and smiles into your everyday world.

But I digress …

It was a fun and light-hearted look at middle age, something many of us were going through. I had a lot of ideas back then of where I wanted to take this blog — some panned out, others drifted back into the mist.

I will repost it here today to give both you and me a chuckle, as not much has changed in 14 years.

But more importantly, I wanted to post a reaction from one of my dearest writing friends that passed away not long after I started wandering down this path.

He was a writer, a good person, and the reason I kept attending Wisconsin Writer Conferences year after year. We encouraged each other, talked about how our lives influenced our writing, and other writer/friend stuff. We just enjoyed each other’s creativity. And I’m thankful for that.

He responded to my first blog with this:

Fantastic start, Claudia, my one and only unicorn. 🙂
Middle age? It’s that long period between when young people think you’re “old,” even when you don’t, and when your body starts telling you you really are. There’s no reliable set of numbers on middle age (or young or old). I like to say that age is a state of mind, until your body tells you otherwise. So middle age is probably from somewhere in the 30s to somewhere in the 60s, though we’ll get arguments on both ends of the spectrum, depending on who’s arguing.
I know “kids” who think 30 is “old,” people in their 40s who argue they aren’t “middle-aged yet,” and those in their 70s who refuse to believe (or act like) they’re old. I also know people in their 50s and 60s who think and behave “old,” sadly allowing their zest for living to wane.
Another definition of middle-aged, therefore, might be as long as the zest survives.

Boyd

 

I miss you, Boyd. A lot.

 

Even the Universe Chuckles

 ~ humoringthegoddess

1 Even the Universe ChucklesWhat exactly is middle age? 

You always hear people talking about their “mid-life crisis”: how one particular panic attack or moment of decision changed the second half of their life.  But what if your perception of reality has become tilted over time?  Would you even notice it? 

I know I share the sentiment of many who feel their cosmic clock ticking away, day after day, year after year, without as much as an apology from said clock for moving near the speed of light.  Some of us reached this level of maturity easily; others bumbled and stumbled our way here.  But all of us have filled our hearts and minds with experiences that made the journey worthwhile.

Humoring the Goddess: Managing the Madness Magic of Middle Age  mingles a bit of magic with the madness that surrounds us as we ease away from the dreams of our 20’s to the realities of life past 40. Magic, you say? The older I’ve gotten, the more I realize that magic is nothing more than our point of view.

Magic touches and guides us from within, a mixture of common sense, experience, and nonsense, taking us from dreams to reality and back again.  And since it doesn’t cost a thing, it can be tapped into over and over again.

Alrighty. We’ve chatted about middle age and magic. What about this blog? What can you expect from this corner of the universe?

Each week, Momentary Musings will bring you stories that twinkle with honesty, irony, and positive energy. There also will be Quimsical Quotations, witty words from some of the most fascinating minds in history; and Frivolous Facts and Falderal, useless bits of entertainment that have nothing to do with the world in general but keep you chuckling with the universe in particular. And believe me.  The universe chuckles.

Sometimes life twists and turns as if we’re traveling down some corkscrew highway.  We think we know where we’ve been, where we’re going.  Suddenly children and elves and family members come along and fracture whatever notions of normalcy we have.  What was simple suddenly becomes complex. We feel slower, chubbier, and denser than we ever have been before.  Other times we fly with the grace of a downhill skier.  We develop insight like Einstein and patience like Gandhi, making the circle of life complete once again.

Let me assure you, you are not alone in your misgivings about middle age, whether you are heading in that direction or already there. There is a thread of truth that rings through all my stories, a thread that connects us all with smiles and tears, sighs and adrenalin rushes. And hopefully you will come to understand that it’s okay to experience them all.

Enjoy your journey through Humoring the Goddess: Managing the Madness Magic of Middle Age.  Before you know it you’ll be humoring the Goddess yourself, no matter what your age.

 

 

 

Faerie Paths — Nobility

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 7 Comments

 

picture taken this morning

 

When you do something noble and beautiful and nobody noticed, do not be sad. For the sun every morning is a beautiful spectacle and yet most of the audience still sleeps.

~ John Lennon

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — David Webb

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 8 Comments

David Webb (1925 –1975) was known as a distinguished American jeweler.Webb’s self-taught style brimmed with ideas gleaned from years spent poring over ancient jewels from Greece, Mesopotamia, and Central and South America, as well as traditional jewelry styles from China and India.

His ability to craft imposing, grandiose, yet impeccably elegant accessories — filled with bold contrasts and rich gemstone shapes — cemented his reputation as one of America’s most iconic jewelry designers, delighting high society with his unparalleled craftsmanship.The trajectory of American and European jewelry over his formative years can be broadly described as a swing away from the abstract geometry of Art Deco towards more exuberant, figurative themes from the natural world.After honing his skills at the Penland School of Craft in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Webb set his sights on New York City.

With the backing of the wealthy patron Antoinette Quilleret, Webb was eventually able to open his own shop in 1945.His fledgling business quickly met with enough success that he was able to buy out Quilleret shortly afterwards, establishing David Webb Inc. in 1948.

By the 1950s and 1960s, movie stars and fashion icons could be seen wearing his trademark bracelets, brooches, rings and necklaces fashioned in hammered gold, black enamel and oversized gemstones, many in the shape of exotic animals.

More of David Webb’s amazing jewelry can be found at https://www.davidwebb.com/ and Sothbys.

 

 

 

 

 

Background Distraction or Enhancement?

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 11 Comments
Jenndalyn Art

Sitting on my sofa early in the morning, looking out the window at the cloudy and windy atmosphere,  a bit of You Tube’s April Jazz playing in the background, I started contemplating the day, and wondered…

Do you listen to music or watch TV while you craft?

I am a big background music person. I can handle total silence for only so long. Perhaps that’s because there is so much chatter in my head I hesitate to leave any more empty space for buzzing.

Fortunately, the Creativity I enjoy is more of a sedate kind. Creative thoughts but sedate positions. Angel Tears, sketching, garden designing, writing, all require little movement.

As I get into the “zone” I find that music helps get me pumped up, organized, calmed, and focused. After a while I push the music to the back of my brain so that I can concentrate on what I’m doing, but there’s something about the vibrations of notes and melodies that make concentration easier.

Sometimes, if I’ve been sitting too long, lost in whatever I’m doing, I find music turns into too much of a good thing, so I change genres or turn on a no-brainer movie in the background just to add a fourth dimension to my already crowded third dimension.

My son introduced me to an app called Video Lite that cuts out all the advertising on You Tube, so I am free to listen to uninterrupted music, which is perfect for crafting. Sometimes its Smooth Jazz, sometimes it’s Gypsy Jazz, sometimes its Upbeat Classical or Steely Dan. I have made playlists in a number of genres, all reflecting a positive mood. I’ve done the same on Amazon music, so I can find “mood” anywhere.

I find the music makes my head (and hands) calmer and more accurate. Which, for an older granny, is great.

So tell me — how do you create atmosphere when being creative?

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Easter Eggs (repost)

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 5 Comments

Sometimes a repeat is just what the imagination needs!

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Easter Eggs

The world is full of hopeful analogies and handsome, dubious eggs, called possibilities.  ~ George Eliot

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking Back Yet Again! — Art in Motion

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 4 Comments

Another Saturday, another chance to play in my Sunday Evening Art Gallery Galleries, another Saturday I’d like to share with you, my fun friends!

How about …. Art in Motion?

 

Martin Koegl

 

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img_4887_1000

 

Karina L. Llegro

Figurative surreal underwater red woman painting

 

Peter Jansen

 

Jess Bell

 

Benjamin Shine

 

Splashes

 

Twyla Tharp

 

Kites

 

Xavi Bou

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Hanae Mori

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 12 Comments

Hanae Mori (1926–2022) was a was a Japanese fashion designer. 

Born in a rural corner of western Japan, Mori graduated from Tokyo Woman’s Christian University In 1947 with a major in Japanese literature, then  and entered sewing school all within a few short years.Mori was one of only two Japanese women to have presented her collections on the runways of Paris and New York, and the first Asian woman to be admitted as an official haute couture design house by the Fédération française de la couture in France.Using obi and kimono fabric and other high quality Japanese components, Mori created a wide range of styles, including dramatic evening dresses pattered with flowers and birds, cocktail dresses adorned with lace and embroidery, and chic suits of refined three dimensional form.Mori used the traditional Japanese style as an inspiration but in a totally different way.She took the traditional Japanese textiles, the classical prints of the silk kimonos, and bridged the Japanese and Western fashion worlds with grace and ambition.Her modern take on design balanced Euro-American trends with Japanese-inspired aesthetics.

More of Hanae Mori’s designs can be found at https://www.ibtimes.com/hanae-mori-grande-dame-japanese-fashion-3603198 and https://www.famousfashiondesigners.org/hanae-mori…

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Henrietta Harris

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 8 Comments

New Zealand-based artist and illustrator artist Henrietta Harris is known for her incredibly beautiful and often distorted portraits.She works with working with paper, pen, oil, watercolor, gouache, acrylic, and sometimes gold leaf to produce incredible works of arts that are a fascinating mix of naturalistic, surrealistic and post-impressionist technic and substance.
Her watercolor paintings often involve portraiture with a departure into the surreal, with faces skillfully obscured and misplaced by the clean sweep of a brushstroke.She often depicts individuals at the crossroads of early adulthood, in states of uncertainty or isolation — self-scrutinizing and scrutinized by others.The artist’s earliest works were executed on paper and tended to disrupt the usual access point to emotion — the face. She made pen drawings of people with visages barren of features but surrounded by lyrical waves of hair.Using watercolor, she played with faces in other ways, multiplying them or stretching them like taffy, such that they were differently enigmatic, or differently expressive.Moving into oils, Harris began to experiment with more traditional modes of portraiture, creating immaculately rendered paintings in which brush-marks were all but eliminated.

More of Henrietta Harris’ surrealist paintings can be found at https://henriettaharris.com/.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Faerie Paths — Friendship

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 3 Comments

 

 

Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

 

 

 

One Day You’re Up, the Next Day You’re Down

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 15 Comments

Being a human being is hard work.

The road forward has so many bumps and twists and turns it’s hard to set a path to the next stop. And the past has memories of bumps and twists and turns that don’t want to let go.

I know you feel like I do.

One Day you’re Up, the Next Day You’re Down.

Often the down part of it comes from being knocked off your path by unseen circumstances. Or circumstances you anticipated but still hit you hard.

The happy part is what gets you through every day. Love, creativity, inspiration, friendship, all help us float above the rocks and debris to a resting spot ahead.

I have been doing a good job lately of keeping a steady emotional state. Working on my health, my sleep, and my creativity, I have been able to find a comforting balance between chaos and nirvana.

Last week my brother-in-law wound up in the hospital. He’s been a medical mess for years, and this time it might not be as easy to get a “Get Out of Jail Free” card.

And once again I find myself riding that all-too-familiar roller coaster of emotions that travel between ups and downs and guilt and freedom.

That’s the human being part of all of us.

I sometimes feel awkward loving and playing with family and friends when not long ago I lost my son to someone else’s madness. Sometimes I wonder how could I be alive and happy when he cannot.

Before you start to worry, I have worked through all of that. Emotions have their place; they never really disappear. But it’s so much easier to weave it all together into one tapestry and let everything exist together. I have family and friends that I love just as much that keep me going.

One Day you’re Up, the Next Day You’re Down.

Maybe the point of today’s blog is to remind you that it’s okay to be happy when some part of your life is sad. That life is relentless, and it’s up to you to make the most of every day, every situation.  That there is something to be happy about every single day of your life, and it’s up to us to find it.

I went shopping today and bought a lot of bling for my Angel Tears bookmarks and purse charms. I am almost finished with a website so I can share these crafts with you, and that makes me happy.

In reality, One Day you’re Up, the Next Day You’re Up, Too.

Embrace it All!

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Wat Rong Khun — the White Temple

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 17 Comments

Wat Rong Khun (Thai: วัดร่องขุ่น), better known as the White Temple, is a Buddhist temple in Pa O Don Chai, Mueang District, Chiang Rai province, Thailand. Situated outside the city of Chiang Rai.The White Temple was created by master Chalermchai Kositpipat, the national artist who designed, constructed, and opened it to visitors in 1997.Kositpipat attended Silpakorn University, which was Thailand’s primary visual arts school. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Thai Art in 1977.

Still under construction, when completed, the white temple compound will have nine buildings, including the existing ubosot, a hall of relics, a meditation hall, an art gallery, and living quarters for monks.Unlike most Thai temples, the Wat Rong Khun building is all white, with glass and mirrors embedded into the outside to make it shine and sparkle in the sunlight.The primary structure of the temple is made of a basic concrete frame and a wooden roof. Viewed from a distance, it appears to be crafted from sparkling porcelain, but on closer inspection it becomes evident that the dazzling effect is achieved through a blend of whitewash and transparent mirrored chips.While the exterior embraces classical Thai temple design, the interior murals are a blend of the past and present, merging timeless Buddhist teachings with modern-day imagery.Depictions of superheroes, spaceships, and real-world events stand alongside sacred figures, creating an unexpected fusion of worlds.More of master Chalermchai Kositpipat’s magnificent Wat Rong Khun Temple can be found at https://sabiduri.com/wat-rong-khun-the-white-temple-of-chiang-rai-thailand/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Rong_Khun. 

 

 

 

 

Happy Caturday With Friends!

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 8 Comments

Another Caturday is here!

What better way to start a Caturday morning than with some fun, useless, interesting facts about our friends’ friends?

 

  • A common garden snail has 14,000 teeth. Their microscopic teeth are called radula, and some species actually have over 20,000 teeth.
  • A cat’s back is extremely flexible because it has up to 53 loosely fitting vertebrae. Humans only have 34.
  • The Giant Pacific Octopus has 3 hearts, 9 brains and blue blood.
  • The male seahorse goes through pregnancy and gives birth to babies. They are the only animal on earth where the male carries the baby rather than the female.
  • Owls don’t have eyeballs—they’re more like eye tubes. They’re elongated and held in place by a bony structure in the skull called a sclerotic ring.
  • Koala fingerprints are so close to humans’ that they could taint crime scenes.
  • Cats don’t have sweat glands over their bodies like humans do. Instead, they sweat only through their paws.
  •  Polar bears have jet black skin under their white fur coats.
    It helps them absorb heat to keep warm, while the white fur helps provides camouflage in the snowy and icy environment they live.
  • Male Gentoo penguins search through piles of pebbles to find the smoothest, most perfect ones. When he has selected his pebble, he presents it to his intended companion. The gift acknowledges the relationship between the two penguins and helps grow the nest for their budding family.
  • Dogs have over 100 facial expressions. So take that, cats!      

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Emerald City

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 13 Comments

“Even with eyes protected by the green spectacles, Dorothy and her friends were at first dazzled by the brilliancy of the wonderful City.”

– Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

 

Jacquie

 

Catherine Holcombe

 

euroxtc

 

 

Kat Crosby

 

Sarah Goer
Jesus Fidel

 

Seth Engstrom

 

ravenscar45

 

Mirtha Moreno

 

Dylan Cole

 

Steve Allen

 

Dr. Frederick Glover

 

 

 

 

An Evening Alone (repost)

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 10 Comments

On my way to something else ……

A fun — and still true — blog from October 2020.  It’s for all of you — you know who you are — and I’m still there ……

 

An Evening Alone

 ~ humoringthegoddess

Do you ever wish you had an evening or two to yourself? All by yourself?

That seems to often be a fleeting thought to new moms, seasoned moms, wives, husbands, and roommates.

I am not talking about losing someone for good  or forever — I mean, getting rid of the nonstop chattering, crying, whining, chatter of your household. Peace and quiet for just one night. An evening to do whatever you wanted. Watch whatever you want. Eat whatever you want. Write or paint or do some research without disturbance.

Then suddenly you have that opportunity. The kids are going by grandma! Hubby or wife is going out to dinner with friends! Husband is hunting or wife is at a seminar. You have the whole afternoon/evening free!

Oh, the things you will do! The projects you will start/finish! Now you can finally watch that R rated movie you couldn’t with kids around. You can make that shrimp/pineapple pizza you wanted to try or make yourself an ice cream sundae and not have to share!

Then the time comes.

You are like a zombie. 

Don’t know what to do first. 

So you start with having a glass of wine or soda. You look at the pizza ingredients — you’re not sure you want to waste time making something from scratch. And all that clean up! A ham sandwich would do just fine. 

Then it comes to projects. There are so many! I’ll write. No — I’ll finish cutting out that pattern. But then you spot the movie you’ve been waiting to watch. So you decide to watch the movie, then write. 

But there is a pile of laundry in the washer and your kids will need their soccer clothes in the morning and while you’re changing around laundry there are a few dishes you should really put in the dishwasher. 

You didn’t mean to get so sidetracked so early in your freedom. But do just a few little things and your guilt won’t be so heavy. After all, even though you did promise to make a cake for the party tomorrow, you can always pick one up at the store …

And so it goes. The movie isn’t as good as you thought it would be. You couldn’t think of a thing to write. Grammar was boring. You’ve already watched Downton Abbey or Game of Thrones a hundred times, so no power watching there.

You get an upset stomach from the wine, and really wish you would have made that pizza. That bubble bath you promised yourself suddenly feels like a lot of work. Maybe just pj’s and to bed early with a good book. That’s it — you’ll read all night!

Five minutes after you climb in bed you have to go to the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later the dogs need to go outside. You start to read and the phone rings. Campaign robot reminding you to vote. You find your place in the book again and you find you need to go to the bathroom. Again.

Finally, you give up, turn out the lights, and go to sleep at nine.

This is usually how my “night alone” goes. The best laid plans often get waylaid, messed up, dashed, or postponed. 

Don’t let it get you down. The cosmos has plans for you, and sometimes it decides to mooch in on your private time. If nothing else, your sidetracked ideas will last until the next time you get to be “alone.”

Next time tell the cosmos  to mind its own business.

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Giambologna

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 2 Comments

Giambologna (1529 — 1608) — (known also as Jean de Boulogne) — was a Flemish sculptor based in Italy, celebrated for his marble and bronze statuary in a late Renaissance or Mannerist style.

A master of the Italian Mannerist style, he occupies a pivotal position in the timeline of Italian sculpture, providing the link between the periods of the High Renaissance and the Baroque.After youthful studies in Antwerp, Giambologna moved to Italy in 1550 and studied in Rome, making a detailed study of the sculpture of classical antiquity.He was employed as court sculptor by three successive Grand Dukes of the legendary Medici dynasty.Giambologna remains most revered for his dynamic marble portraits, and for the production of exquisite bronze statuettes that were avidly sought by collectors throughout Europe.The artist was invested in the idea of beauty for beauty’s sake and produced works that featured figures composed of sinuous lines, graceful curves, exaggerated poses, and an elegance that delighted the public.He distinguished himself from his esteemed predecessors by accentuating more fully the asymmetrical contrapposto stance of his characters.The graceful, elongated Mannerist contours of his figures had the effect of revitalizing a somewhat stagnant Florentine sculptural scene.

SONY DSC

More of Giambologna‘s amazing sculptures can be found at https://www.wikiart.org/en/giambologna and https://www.theartstory.org/artist/giambologna/.

 

 

 

 

My Own Creativity Shed/She-Shed

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 18 Comments

If you remember, eons ago I did a Sunday Evening Art Gallery Post on Creativity Sheds  (my term), otherwise popularly known as She Sheds.

According to Hartville Outdoor Products, a She Shed is a personal retreat designed specifically for women, offering a quiet, comfortable space separate from the main house. Much like the male counterpart, the man cave, a she shed provides a place for relaxation, hobbies, or work.

She Sheds are much like storage sheds, set in a backyard or at the edge of a patio somewhere, that provide a workspace for painting, crafting, or writing, along with a cozy retreat for reading, meditating, or socializing with friends.

Well, I have rechristened my downstairs library into my very own Creativity Shed.

We have an extra bedroom upstairs for overnight visits by grandkids and traveling friends, and a downstairs that has turned  into a man cave with football memorabilia mixed into a video game center. We moved the “library” downstairs into a room with a window, and it hasn’t been the same since.

I mostly do crafts down there, but I, too, have memorabilia from days gone by, stacked and shifted in-between books and posters and our first breakfront that is way too big for my dining area. I found a wall that was just calling for my winter 2024 sketches, and I got brackets for the closet to hang my works-in-progress.

A number of people have said they wished they had a Creativity Shed. I was one of them.

Then I realized that I didn’t have to go to a separate building to build my own world. That it doesn’t matter if a room is geared to crafts or reading or sketching or meditation. It’s what YOU make it that counts.

Even a table in the corner or a spare closet can be your escape pod. Creative people need a place to write, to think, to dream and daydream.

Don’t worry about what others think of your creative gambit. If they know you — really know you — they won’t think a thing about it. Just do it.

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Roger Hopkins

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 5 Comments

Roger Hopkins is a stone sculptor and landscape artist in Desert Hot Springs, California.In the late 1990s Hopkins moved to the California desert to pursue his stone artistry.His cut, chiseled and polished works, in various phases of rough-hewn and silky-smooth finishes, often have the odd combination of being abstract and practical.The artist uses local granite and stone from surrounding states.Hopkins believes that boulders have a spiritual relationship with us and the beauty of the stone should remain paramount in his sculptures.“You get a deep connection to having been around and investigated how these ancient stoneworkers actually worked, and you get a feeling of brotherhood with them,” Hopkins shares.“You get a respect for what they were trying to do, and you want to do your best; you’re fighting to bring some of this ancient megalithic works into present day.”

More of Roger Hopkins amazing stone sculptures can be found at https://www.hopkinsrockart.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/carvesrock/.

 

 

Looking Back Friday #4 — Buildings

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 20 Comments

Happy Friday to you All! Another Friday, another chance to go back in time (and galleries) to experience unique and wonderful art in all its forms.

This round let’s look at Buildings of all sizes and shapes:

 

Glass Houses

Nico Van Der Meulen Architects, South Africa

 

Unusual Museums

 

Unusual Hotels

 

Frank Lloyd Wright

 

Round Houses

 

Daniel Libeskind

 

Creativity Sheds

 

Unusual Library Buildings

 

Friedensreich Hundertwasser

 

Castles

 

Odd Shaped Houses

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Heaven

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 7 Comments

Posts about Heaven are a tricky thing — do you find art that is named heaven, about heaven, refers to heaven, infers heaven, or reflects heaven? Let yourself be tricked, then.
~Claudia Anderson

 

Drop of Heaven, Jaison Cianelli

 

Heaven, Anthony Falbo

 

Stairway to Heaven, Kathy Linden

 

The Plains of Heaven, John Martin

 

The Ascension, Benjamin West

 

Windows of Heaven, Jeff Brimley

 

Heaven, John Pitre

 

Garden of Earthly Delights, Hieronymus Bosch

 

Stairway To Cat Heaven, Barbara Dubovsky

 

Heaven, Zac Kinkade

 

Jacob’s Ladder, William Blake

 

Landing in Heaven, Jan Kasparec

 

Gates of Heaven, Isabella Zietsman

 

 

My Non-Bucket List

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 15 Comments

I have returned from a week of springtime ocean waves and beach in Destin, Florida. I am sunburn (tourist), jet-lagged (19 hours of driving one way), and sweetened out (Buc-ee’s Beaver Nuggets). I also had a marvelous time with my hubby, son, grandkids, and assorted other family members.

One of the things I’ve always wanted to do was walk the beach somewhere. Florida supplied that magical moment, although, being a little stiff these days, I was also content to sit on my balcony and watch the crashing waves with a cup of coffee and a blanket.

Which got me thinking … was this a Bucket List moment?

I don’t have a Bucket List per se. There’s so many things I’d love to do the rest of my life that my bucket list would be more than 20 pages long.

Bucket lists are made of those things one wants to do before they die. I’ve known people who have put parasailing alongside kissing the Blarney Stone as Bucket List must-haves. Other lists include seeing the Southern Cross, eating macaroons in France and spotting a whale in the ocean.

All admirable goals.

There is something so final about completing one’s Bucket List, though, that makes me not want to make one.

I’ve never had one single overwhelming desire to do much of anything during my 70-odd years of living here on Earth. I have experiences in my past that I remember to this day that, looking back, could be counted on a Bucket List. I sat at the same table at Le Recrutement Café in Paris that I once saw in a photograph; I saw the King Tut mask when it visited the Art Institute in Chicago in 1977; I was at the Beatles in concert at Comiskey Park in Chicago in August of 1965.

These memories weren’t on any list — they were just opportunities that came my way through the years.

Yet standing on the beach watching sunset over the ocean was no doubt something I wanted to experience before I left this world. That moment of beauty, of cosmic connection, was something to experience. It was a different connection than watching moonrise over the fields or sitting on a tree stump in the middle of the woods, both of which I’ve done too.

My take on the whole Bucket List thing is that one needs to think about what experiences are actually possible and which will never happen. Honesty can be a downer, but I also believe in the lemons-to-lemonade theory.

You can cross things off of your Bucket List every day.

Can’t make it to the upcoming Van Gogh: The Roulin Family Portraits at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston? Attend a local art gallery’s exhibitions. Can’t fly to the Metropolitan Opera House to hear Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia? Listen to the Met’s Saturday Matinee Broadcasts on public radio. Can’t experience sunset on the Hawaiian shore? Find a quiet spot and watch the sun set over your own town or city.

I’m not downplaying Bucket Lists. I may start one just to narrow down what I’d like to see and do before I check out the big Taj Mahal in the sky.

Until then, I’m setting achievable Bucket List goals.

Don’t make a bucket list of things you’ll never do. Don’t wait to experience awe, inspiration, peace or nirvana. Make your own version of a Bucket List , and start to experience life NOW.

Do you have a Bucket List? What’s on your list?

 

 

 

The Glory of the Ocean (my pictures)

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 20 Comments

I sit watching until dusk, hypnotized. I think of the sea as continually sloshing back and forth, repetitive, but my psyche goes with the river- always loping downhill, purposeful, listening only to gravity.

~ Ann Zwinger

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — David Gentleman

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 10 Comments

David Gentleman is an English artist, illustrator, designer and author.He was born in 1930 of artist parents, studied at the Royal College of Art and has lived in London ever since. Gentleman’s artistic style is characterized by its simplicity, elegance, and attention to detail.He often works in pen and ink, using delicate lines and cross-hatching techniques to create intricate and highly detailed illustrations.Gentleman’s use of color is restrained yet impactful, with carefully chosen hues that enhance the overall composition.The artist has a deep appreciation for nature and often incorporates elements of the natural world into his work.His illustrations of landscapes, flora, and fauna are highly regarded for their accuracy and ability to evoke a sense of place.More of David Gentleman’s intriguing art can be found at https://davidgentleman.com/.

 

 

 

Faerie Paths — Color

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 10 Comments

 

Color provokes a psychic vibration. Color hides a power still unknown but real, which acts on every part of the human body.

~ Wassily Kandinsky

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — John Pusateri

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 6 Comments

Artist John Pusateri creates near photo-realistic drawings of beautifully colored owls using pencils, charcoal, and pastels.After moving to New Zealand to pursue a Master’s degree in Fine Arts, Pusateri grew to appreciate the country’s culture and ecology and he decided to stay.His owls are highly detailed and display individual feathers as well as crevices on their beaks and between their feet.Sometimes, it’s hard to tell whether the birds are photos or paintings because they appear so realistic.Pusateri achieves this effect by layering the different media which creates a richly-colored and complex picture.His work reflects a deep love and respect for the world and animals around him.More of John Pusateri ‘s magnificent owls can be found at https://www.johnpusateri.com/portfolio.html and https://www.behance.net/pusateri

 

A Summer’s Night (Poetry)

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 2 Comments

A summer’s night
Songs cloud the crisp air of night
Ringing voices singe the tips of the trees
And fall gently to the earth
Only to be absorbed and heard from no more.

I scream violently through the crevices of my mind
What is wrong — why do I torture myself as I do?
Love has vanished
Evaporated into the depths of time.

Give up your useless crusade,
Abandon your ballet shoes, your tiara
Your nylon stocking.
Come back to where thoughts linger
In their own poverty-stricken holes.

Cast your eyes upon the dawn
Watch as shivering beams of sunlight
Illuminate the corners of the night.
Do not cry in remorse or self pity
At the ragged state of things.
Dry your tears, put on your blue jeans
And pick up your shattered dreams.

 

April 1977

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Rob Woodcox

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 4 Comments

Rob Woodcox is a fine art and fashion photographer currently living between Mexico City, Los Angeles and New York City.Woodcox uses the human body as building blocks for his elaborate compositions.

His pictures of dancers take advantage of their strength, balance, and flexibility, as he places them in a wide variety of dynamic positions.

The results are striking photographs that are both complex and minimalist.Woodcox, who categorizes his style as “realistic surrealism,” captures an inspiring array of portraits of people in precarious situations that leaves the viewer wondering what the context is of each scene. Each concept is a declaration of his experience and seeks to tell a meaningful story to each individual that views it.More of Rob Woodcox’ surrealistic photography can be found at https://robwoodcox.com/ and https://www.flickr.com/people/rawjrphotography/.

 

 

 

 

Faerie Paths — Art

~ humoringthegoddess ~ Leave a comment

 

Art is about the messy and marvelous business of coming to your senses —  and also, to the senses of the world.

~ Michael Leunig

 

 

 

Forecasting the Future

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 12 Comments

All of us have blogs, photos, texts and memories of the past. Where we’ve been, what we did, how we felt. Looking back we experience a myriad of feelings, real and imagined, of the way things were … real or imagined.

I’m going to try something different today.

This week is full of cloudy yet promised-to-be-warmer days with a lot of house cleaning around the corner.

Next week I will be on the beach in Florida with my son’s family and in-laws and their expanded sister circle.

I wonder … what will I  be doing? Feeling?

The first thing I predict is that I will be looking and feeling like a pudgy Polish grandmother. That’s okay. I’m working on that, but it is what it is.

But what else?

Will I sit on the beach, watching the sunset, sipping wine or cherry cola, inhaling the salt and surf and beauty of nature?

or

Will I sit in the sand making sandcastles of unique and lumpy quality with my grandkids?

or

Will I finally make time to start reading a book I’ve been wanting to read for over a year?

or

Will I playing Uno and Rummy around a kitchen table until wee hours of the night?

or

Will I sleep late or burst upon the world early, enjoying a sunrise and cup of coffee on my balcony?

or

Will I get carsick on spending eight hours in the car with three other adults and three loud, funny, crabby kids?

or

Will I get sick of cooking my own food and opt out for a seafood dinner at a shrimp shack somewhere down the road?

or

Will I get more sunburn than windburn or heartburn?

 

I hope to say all of the above.

I’ve never had a super-long vacation with six family members in tow and ten others waiting for us to land. 

Should be interesting, to say the least …..

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — John Whitehead

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 6 Comments

John Whitehead was born in Demerara, Guyana. He came to the United States at age five and grew up in various inner-city neighborhoods on the west side of Oakland, California.Whitehead pursued a major in economics with a minor in art and in 1979, received his B.A. in economics with high honors. In 1986, he was awarded a master’s degree in economics with magna cum laude distinction from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

His sculptural works are the result of geometric abstraction and are primarily abstract expressions of beauty, nature, freedom, human progress, modern architecture, and cultural empowerment.

Whitehead’s body of work mainly consists of totemic sculptures built from fine-grained wood and mirror-polished stainless steel sculpture with varying geometric shapes, repeated forms, and negative spaces.These sculptures reflect a high level of geometric abstraction and often contain objects that are perched precariously atop each other, appearing to defy gravity and/or displaying a balance/imbalance dynamic.“I view my work as an evolving process that seeks to achieve three objectives,” Whitehead explains.“One, to provide sculpture that is imaginative and original; two, to provide sculpture that reflects meticulous craftsmanship and structural strength; and three, to provide sculpture with durable materials, which can reflect, absorb, or blend with their surrounding environments.”

More of John Whitehead’s sculptures can be found at https://www.johnwhiteheadsculptures.com/.

 

 

 

Is There Soccer in Heaven? (repeat)

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 3 Comments

Over the weekend I was searching through my blogging past for a particular word and came across this blog from 2017. Seven years ago. Man. It brought a slight tear to my eye in a happy way. So this Monday morning I’m sharing it with you.

 

Is There Soccer In Heaven?

 ~ humoringthegoddess

Happy Saturday!

I just got home from sweating my caboose off at my grandson’s soccer game. I remember going to every soccer game for both of my sons.  That turned out to be 13 years for one son and 11 for the other. I have sat in sweat, rain, wind, and frost. I have shouted “good job” or “move in! Move in!” more times than Bayer has aspirin. It has been a great run. And I love that I now have my oldest grandson (7) and someday his little brother (2) and maybe even their little sister or brother (coming 2/18) to go and watch and yell “Move In!”

I wonder if they have soccer games in heaven.

And if they do, I wonder if it’s a perfect 65 degrees with a slight breeze from the south when I sit facing north, or a westerly wind when I’m watching the game from the east. I wonder if they’ll have cushioned seats instead of the sack chairs I’ve carried for the past 20 years.

Since time would be irrelevant in heaven, I’d be able to watch my sons and grandsons and great grandsons kick the ball back and forth over and over and over again. I could move from one soccer game to the next, no one ever getting tired, no one getting sunburn, no one getting soaked from the torrential downpour that started at kick off.

The fields would be enormous — large enough so that my ever-expanding family could picnic and play volleyball and drink Piña Coladas without getting drunk. Each family member’s game would be at their own special separate time — no running from field to field to catch parts of each kid’s game.

In heaven I wouldn’t be chubby, giving in to sweating in all the wrong places as I cheer my grandkids and kids and great grandkids on. I’d be tall and thin and my flowing shift would match the kid’s uniforms. There would be more than enough treats and drinks for each team, everyone getting their favorite juice box and granola bar or Capri bag and bag of Cheetos. No arguing. No pouting.

If there are soccer games in heaven, there will be a balance of winners and losers. Except in heaven, there really is no losing, is there? There would be no obnoxious parents telling the ref he’s blind, no cheap shots at the goalie, no broken ankles or concussions from being t-boned on the field. No one will feel like a loser, because in heaven everybody is equal and happy and good natured.

Now there may be a question about which of your kids’ age groups you want to watch. I mean, I watched my youngest from kindergarten through high school. He was amazing all 13 years. I watched my oldest almost as long. Do I want to watch my grandson at age 7 (now) or when he’s 10 or 15? I figure God will have figured that out by the time I get there. I mean, She’s/He’s omnipotent and all. And in heaven everything is possible.

My only dilemma is….what if (coming) 2/18 wants to play football?

 

 

 

Happy Saint Patrick(Cat/Dog)’s Day!

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 7 Comments

 

You know me — equality for domestic animals!

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK’S DAY!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Train Graffiti

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 5 Comments

Originating from the Italian word “graffiato” (scratched), graffiti is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view.Train graffiti can be traced back to the 1970s when young people in New York City began using spray paint to tag subway trains with their names or other graffiti art.In the 1980s and 1990s, train graffiti spread to other cities around the world. In some countries, train graffiti was embraced as a legitimate form of street art, while in others it was met with resistance and seen as a form of vandalism.Over the years, disparate styles such as  rural hobo markings, gang symbology, and bold, colorful urban spray-painted vistas have fused into a contemporary style that seems to draw equally from each tradition.The sides of train cars today run the gamut from sloppy gang-style tags and idle signatures to line drawings, stenciled imagery, and enormously complex color fields.While train graffiti is often viewed as a form of vandalism, it has also had a significant impact on the world of art and culture.The world of train graffiti exists in a gray world: amazing, creative art on one hand, vandalism and destruction of private property on the other.It is up to you to find a comfortable ground between the two.

More train graffiti can be found at websites such as https://www.graffiti.org/trains/ and https://www.graffiti-unlimited.com/.

 

Happy Saturdogday!

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 12 Comments

Last Saturday I posted that there are cat people and dog people and no-pet people. All have a place in this world.

After admitting I belong to all three states of mind, I showcased the meowy world of cats.

Now it’s the dogs turn.

For your Saturday Morning reading pleasure, here are 10 strange and fun facts about dogs:

 

  •  In general, dogs can learn up to 250 words or more; some super smart pooches even understand up to 1000-word commands.

  • a dog’s only sweat glands are between their paw pads.

  •  When dogs howl at each other, they adjust the pitch of the howl to sound more unique.

  • Dogs can tell which way a human scent trail is headed, even if they come across it at right angles — and even if the person walks backward. And studies show their sense of smell is so sensitive that they can tell the difference in scent intensity within just five footsteps of the track layer.

  • Greyhounds are the fastest dogs on earth, with speeds of up to 45 miles per hour.
  • The record for the most puppies in a single litter is an astounding 24.

  • Rin Tin Tin, the Hollywood-famed German Shepherd, signed contracts for 22 movies with his paw prints.

  • People once believed that Great Danes helped repel evil spirits and ghosts. In fact, it’s why Scooby-Doo was a Great Dane!

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Albert Paley

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 4 Comments

Albert Paley (born 1944) is an American modernist metal sculptor.Initially starting out as a jeweler, Paley has become one of the most distinguished and influential metalsmiths in the world.Albert Paley earned B.F.A. and M.F.A. degrees at Tyler School of Art and Temple University respectively.Paley was a highly successful jewelry artist in 1974 when he won the Renwick Gallery’s national design competition and was awarded the commission to design decorative metalwork doors for the gallery shop.His Portal Gates structure opened the door to a new career for Paley, leading to numerous commissions and world renown for his monumental architectural ironwork and sculpture.

Within each of his works, three foundational elements stay true: the natural environment, the built environment, and the human presence.For Paley, the physicality and the artistry of working in metals come together as a defining aesthetic.“Through the creative process I have developed a personal visual vocabulary fundamentally based in symbolism and metaphor which is implicit in my work,” Paley shares.“With forged iron, I deal with plasticity. I’m dealing with vulnerability. I have no idea of what I’m capable of doing. It’s only through the process and experience that I understand what my possibilities are and what my limitations are.”More of Albert Paley’s impressive sculptures can be found at https://www.albertpaley.com/

 

Looking Back Wednesday — Body Enlightenment

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 7 Comments

 Sometimes when I look back through my galleries I realize how many artists I’ve almost forgotten I’ve highlighted. There are so many categories I can’t begin go keep track of who has come and gone.

So today I thought I’d thread together another group of Galleries — let’s try Body Enlightenment ...

 

Nails

extraordinary-nail-art-design-7

 

Hair

 

Jose Vergara (Redosking)

Eye2

 

Tal Peleg

11930795_1654455421478714_760390622_n

tal-peleg-eye-art-2

 

Valeriya Kutsan 

 

Mehndi — Body Art

 

Vanessa Davis

 

Andrea Reed — Girl Grey Beauty

 

Dain Yoon

 

 

 

Another Monday

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 13 Comments
                  (not my squirrel)

I try and start Monday out with a positive post — something I can mull over and turn around and digest quickly, absorbing all there is of it, then spit it out and move on with the week.

I am sitting on my sofa facing the front window, looking out at a squirrel trying to get to my round bird feeder that’s stuck out three feet at the end of an aluminum pole on the deck railing.

Obviously the feeder is perched in this fashion to keep the squirrels out.

Obviously this squirrel thinks this intent is for everyone else but him.  

Slinking out on a thin aluminum pole, holding onto the top and hanging chain for dear life, stretching downwards around the saucer-like lid to the saucer below is a death-defying act of courage. Or hunger.

Nevermind that I also dump a scoop of seed out on the ground right below the feeder every day for the ground creatures …

Sometimes his determination (and dexterity) pay off — other times not.

Which made me wonder: Which quote would better suit him (and the world) on a day like today?

Never Give Up…Never Surrender (Galaxy Quest movie)

You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em (The Gambler, Kenny Rogers)

Alas, his quote of choice will have to wait for another day.

He opted for the seeds on the round table top instead.

 

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Helen Richman

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 19 Comments

Helen Richman is an embroidery instructor at the Royal School of Needlework at Hampton Court Palace, London.

Her embroidery journey began when she joined the Royal School of Needlework and completed the three-year apprenticeship, gaining expert knowledge in many fields of hand embroidery.The artist designs and creates her own projects, including stumpwork, a style of embroidery in which the stitched figures are raised from the surface of the work to form a 3-dimensional effect.This style of needlework offers the freedom of combining all sorts of stitches and techniques together in a single design, with a three-dimensional quality.Richman enjoys the finesse and intricacy of goldwork, silk shading and crewelwork. “I particularly enjoyed designing and creating my own projects and I think this is what led me to love Stumpwork so much,” Richman shares.“The playful mixture of threads, fabrics and color; the freedom of combining all sorts of stitches and techniques together in a single design, and the three-dimensional quality of this embroidery.”More of Helen Richman’s remarkable embroidery can be found at https://www.bluebirdembroidery.co.uk,  https://royal-needlework.org.uk/tutor/helen-richman/ and https://www.sofst.org/helen-richman-stitching-britains-wildlife/.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Caturday Again!

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 6 Comments

There are cat people and dog people and no-pet people. All have a place in this world.

I slip in and out of all three states of mind. I’ve had both cats and dogs, loved them all, miss them all. Yet early in the morning when our dog dances to go outside, I’m of the third state of mind.

So to waste your Saturday Morning reading time, here are 10 funny CAT facts to amuse and entertain you!!

 

  •  Cats can move their ears in all directions, to a total of 180 degrees. That’s twice as much mobility as dogs.

 

  • Cats can make more than 100 different vocal sounds while dogs can only manage around 10 – so no wonder cats often seem so much more expressive than their canine counterparts!

 

  • A group of cats is called a ‘clowder’, while an individual kitten is called a ‘kindle’.

 

  • Cats have a third eyelid called the nictitating membrane which helps keep their eyes moist during sleep or when hunting for prey.

 

  • The Singapura is officially recognized as the smallest cat breed in the world. Females can weigh as low as 4 pounds and males can reach 6-8 pounds. 

 

  • The Siberian tiger, also known as the Amur tiger, holds the title for the largest living cat species. Males can weigh up to 660 pounds and reach 11 feet in length, including their tail.

 

  • There Are Exactly 24 whiskers on every cat.

  • Cats can’t see directly in front of their noses.

  •  Cats lack one of the proteins needed to allow them to be able to taste anything sweet.

 

  • Cats walk with both left legs and then both right legs. Giraffes, camels and Icelandic ponies also walk in this manner.

 

You may be asking yourself, “How did I ever exist before not knowing all of this?”

Well, let me just say ….

Happy Caturday!!

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Myriam Dion

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Canadian artist Myriam Dion cuts rich textural patterns reminiscent of embroidered lacework right into pages of newspapers.

Major design elements and photographs from the pages are often left intact or otherwise incorporated into her paper cuts, creating a strange element of harmony, as if the paper was always intended to look like this.

Through slicing, weaving, and gluing, the daily publications find new meaning and relevance as the artist overlays their pages with intricate lace patterns.

These precise motifs obscure much of the text, leaving only a prominent headline or single image entirely visible.

Painstakingly constructed, Dion’s works question the notion that news is inherently fast-paced and fleeting and instead, offer visual depth, dimension, and intricacy that mirrors the nuance of the stories she highlights.

It’s also amazing to consider that each tiny cut is made by hand, and yet more negative space is left behind than actual paper.

Characterized by elaborate geometric patterns and motifs, her work draws inspiration from a variety of art forms, including architectural details found in mosaics and textile arts—weaving, tapestry, carpets, embroidery, and lacework.Major design elements and photographs from the pages are often left intact or otherwise incorporated into her paper cuts, creating a strange element of harmony, as if the paper was always intended to look like this.

More of Myriam Dion’s amazing work can be found at https://www.myriamdion.com/ and https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2024/11/myriam-dion-timelines/.

 

 

 

 

By Reason of Insanity (a poem)

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I write to share
I write to dream
I write to entertain
I write to celebrate
I write to release passion
I write to create passion
I write to escape
I write to explore
I write to feel better
I write to feel
I write to clarify my thoughts
I write to understand my thoughts
I write to understand the world
I write to escape the world
I write to find an outlet for my emotions
I write to make sure I have emotions
I write to encourage
I write to invigorate
I write to bring a smile
I write to bring a tear
I write to cover my inadequacies
I write to deal with my inadequacies
I write so that I never forget
I write so that others never forget
I write to be understood
I write to make others understand
I write so that I will understand
I write because
I am a writer

 

~ 2006

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Shadi Ghadirian

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Shadi Ghadirian (born 1974 in Tehran, Iran) is a contemporary photographer living and working in Tehran.Her work is influenced by her experiences as a Muslim woman living in contemporary Iran, but her work also relates to the lives of women throughout the world.Through her work, she critically comments on the pushes and pulls between tradition and modernity for women living in Iran, as well as other contradictions that exist in everyday life.Inspired by 19th century photographs from the Ghajar period – the first portraits to be permitted by religious law – Ghadirian carefully reconstructed the opulent style of these images with the help of many friends: borrowing antique furnishings and costumes, commissioning the painted backdrops, inviting them to pose in the images.Ironically, the clothes worn by the sitters in the archival portraits are more revealing than what is acceptable for Iranian women to wear in public today.“I try to tell the different stories of Iranian women, which is somehow my own story too. I want to show a woman from different points of view.” the artist shares.“I’m not a sociologist, but I hope that when people see my photographs, they’ll understand the reality for women in Iran, then and now.”More of Shadi Ghadirian’s revealing photography can be found at https://www.shadighadirian.com/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadi_Ghadirian.

 

 

 

Narcissism? Or Human Nature?

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The other day I posted three more of what I endearingly call “My Masterpieces,” a winter’s art project. I am not a professional artist — I’m actually not a professional “anything.” But I love to play.

One of my friend/followers, Maddie Cochere at Breezy Books  wrote a comment that really rang my bells: I love these! You’ve put so much detail into them. And colorful! Don’t they make you happy every time you look at them – they’re so vibrant! That quilt effect is fantastic! 4 exclamation points from me. 🙂.

I found myself thinking of a short thank you, and found myself writing:

You know, everyone likes praise now and then for feats accomplished. Sometimes it’s tough with those around you.. maybe they’re used to your efforts or don’t quite understand the point of why you do extracurricular things. I have written a number of novels and short stories and no one in my family and friends circle have ever asked to read them. Same with Art. So an outsider saying something nice in a particular way makes me feel amazing. Thank you.

After I hit “send” and moved along to reading other blogs, my answer began to haunt me. In a good haunting way, of course. Yet I thought about how much a little compliment means to me. To others.

And I wondered — do we all consciously or unconsciously seek praise for our accomplishments?

Even if it’s something small like cooking a great dinner or cleaning out a closet or teaching your kids how to chop parsley, we all like to hear an atta’ boy now and then.

I mentioned I’ve written a number of things through the past 30 years. Novels I thought were top notch, short stories that were on the mark, poetry that was clever. Yet not one of my circle has ever asked to read anything. 

Not that they don’t love me — not that they don’t appreciate me. It’s more like they’re not aware of my writings. Or I don’t talk about my Creativity enough. Or I haven’t printed something out and requested them to read it. You can’t say something nice about something you’ve never seen.

Yet I do love a good atta’ boy just as much as the next person.

That’s why I always try to throw out compliments to strangers when I can. Nice outfit, great t-shirt, great blog. The complements are genuine, the moment genuine. And a mere sharing of that appreciation at that nano-second can make someone’s day.

And their reaction can make yours.

This isn’t a blog about fishing for compliments. This is a blog about appreciating all kinds of gestures and moments and choices and sharing that appreciation. Getting and giving. 

I don’t think that’s narcistic at all.

That — is human nature.

 

 

 

Faerie Paths — Swirls

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Artistic creativity is a whirlpool of imagination that swirls in the depths of the mind.

~Robert Toth

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — My Masterpieces #3

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Having fun looking backwards at my Days of Future Art, seeing what was a hit and what was a miss. I can definitely tell which were experimental and which were a definite plan. Sometimes any sort of art can do that to you — start out with one idea and wind up with something different. Writing did that alot to me, too.

All in all, it was a fun experiment. I plan on hanging these over my work table downstairs.

Until the next Art Experiment ….

 

 

Diversity

 

 

Travel

 

 

Love

 

The End

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Elsie de Wolfe

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Elsie de Wolfe (1865—1950) was an American interior decorator, hostess, and actress, best known for her innovative and anti-Victorian interiors.Also known as Lady Mendl,  de Wolfe lived a glamorous life as a well-known member of the European cafe society and earned the title of “grand dame of modern decorating”.She is believed to be the creator of the interior design profession and called the ‘first modern professional decorator’ by many.De Wolfe’s contribution to interior design was monumental, inventing the profession and revolutionizing interior spaces with her anti-Victorian aesthetic.Her philosophy emphasized comfort, simplicity, and functionality, influencing the industry significantly.De Wolfe showed the world the importance of pale color schemes, painted woodwork and airy interiors, and that floral chintzes and leopard print can actually be stylish if used in the right way.She is also the first designer to use the painted trellis as an indoor wall-covering, which gained a huge popularity and is used by many interior designers over the years.De Wolfe introduced animal-print carpeting and mirrored walls, revolutionizing the interior design world.More of Elsie de Wolfe’s remarkable career can be found at https://www.gardnermuseum.org/blog/interior-decorator-elsie-de-wolfe,https://www.interiorsicons.com/blog/elsie-de-wolfe  and https://www.interiorsicons.com/blog/elsie-de-wolfe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do You Think Too Much?

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 13 Comments

Sometimes Monday Morning can be the time for a new start. A new day.

Other times Mondays can be a pot of confusion, like, “What was I thinking/doing?”

Earlier this morning I THOUGHT I was opening up/adding to my One Drive, the likes of which I don’t quite understand. Now I have all kinds of documents and folders on my desktop … Did I do that?

After a weekend with the family I’ve been having second thoughts about one of my new products for the craft fair. Of course, I’ve made 10 of them already — 10 with the same possible flaw.

I’m looking at a second item I designed for the craft fair and am having second thoughts about that.

I also slipped and fell off a second step of a spiral staircase over the weekend … I’m just fine, but a lightheaded now and then, and this Monday morning l wonder if I’ve scrambled a few eggs up there.

Why all this confusion and self doubt?

I truly am a believer in Creativity (duh) and doing what you enjoy. If you want to make money off it, that’s alright too. If not, still do what feels good.

But what if after all this time you’re not sure it connects to the universe?

I mean, does anyone care if you’ve changed a design on something you’ve created? Does anyone care if you go back through your inventory and recheck and redo half of it because of some real or perceived flaw?

Okay. So you don’t do crafts. How about your other intentions? Reorganizing a closet or rewriting a whole chapter in your latest novel or researching why your favorite plant is suddenly drooping.

What did you do?

And why is so hard to change?

And if you do change, how much should you change?

What ever happened to “I’m alright just the way I am”?

And, most importantly, why am I wasting valuable air time worrying about stuff that, for the most part, doesn’t matter?

I have a few friends on social media that are constantly posting their amazement/fear/disgust with current social and political stances. I get it. I am upset at times too.

But it seems that’s all they can focus on, all they can think about. It seems they have lost the ability to be Creative.

Now, maybe some leave social media and paint a sensational landscape or write a great novel or quilt a fantastic piece for their bedroom. Maybe they drink champagne with their significant other or vacation to Maui or enjoy an old fashioned bike ride in warm weather.

We’d never know, for all we see and hear is their amazement/fear/disgust with current social and political stances.

Maybe that’s the benefit of doing something Artsy. It’s redirecting your energy and aura towards something that is you and that no one can change. It’s an outlet for all the crap that upsets you and the magic that fills you and silences the prattle and redirects precision to a place where it feels really good.

So on this jumbled, scattered Monday morning, I am hoping you find your calm center sometime today and fall into it’s hole.

The world will right itself, with or without you.

If you want to be a part of the righting, share your knowledge and creativity and magic with those around you.

And don’t worry about the stones popping off your newly created bookmarks.

That’s what they invented Gorilla Glue for ….

 

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Time

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What is it that is everywhere, yet we have so little of it?
~Time~

 

Being Time, Katherine Marie

 

Nobility of Time, Salvador Dali

 

Mystery of Time, Robert Zietara

 

Truth Unveiled by Time, Gian Lorenzo Bernini

 

Eternity of Time, John Lautermilch

 

Time, David Stoupakis

 

Fountain of Time, Lorado Taft

 

Awan (Time), Aljazi Al-Naimi

 

The Clock, Christian Marclay

 

The Time, Victoria Dubovyk

 

Time, Jefrë Manuel

 

 

 

 

 

Looking Back Friday #3 — Wire Sculpture

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—Flashing back through my Sunday Evening Art Gallery blogs, I get a thrill every time I look — really look — at how other artists show their Creativity.

Every time I look I wonder: How do they do that? Where do they get their materials? What inspired them to go in that direction? And …

How Do They Do That?

I hope you are enjoying your trips back through the galleries. I hope you are telling friends and family to follow me and have their minds blown on real, live artists and their real, live creations.

This time around I’m going to share:  Wire Sculpture — a shortie but a goodie!

 

 

Elizabeth Berrien

 

Richard Stainthorp

richardstainthorp5

 

Juan Isasa

 

Robin Wight

 

 

 

 

 

Faerie Paths — Birds

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Wherever there are birds, there is hope.

~Mehnet Murat Ildan

 

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Cameron Limbrick

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Cameron Limbrick is a self taught American artist who has spent his entire life creating in a wide variety of media.

From traditional painting and graphic design to video and music production, Limbrick’s diverse artistic background ties together a solid foundation for his calling as a full-time visual artist and music producer.

Limbrick went to art school with the goal of becoming a commercial graphic designer and practiced the medium on his own.  

 Many years later Limbrick’s passion for painting resurfaced and revealed itself as his favorite way of artistic self-expression.

The method Limbrick has developed allows him to be spontaneous.

He approaches each piece with the curiosity of an adventurer, following lines like roads around bends and textures like rocky canyons, wondering what is around the corner.

With every painting’s inception, the artist has no idea what the final piece will look like.

The deep mysterious subconscious is revealed to him throughout the entire process, shapeshifting as it advances towards its final frame.

The result is a riddle, its meaning dependent on the viewer.

More of Cameron Limbrick‘s artwork can be found at https://www.cameronlimbrick.com/.

 

 

Opera? What??

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Jessye Norman

One of the highlights of any Creative venture is listening or viewing the venture in its own surroundings.

All bundled up for the Wisconsin winter, I watched my grandson shoot trap with his local club last Saturday. Visitors must wear some sort of protective sound gear, so I brought along my trusty headphones, complete with FM radio (I love mowing in the summer to classical music… no commercials …)

Digressing early I see …

So as I watched orange clays being popped by various members, I also listened to WPR Radio, which at the time was broadcasting opera from the Metropolitan Opera.

Now I imagine most of you would rather listen to Smooth Jazz or Country or something more familiar to the masses. Normally I would, too. But I hate commercials, and since this was a simple device with a simple FM connection I often turn to public radio.

Saturday the Met was rebroadcasting an Opera from 1985, Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, written in 1912.

I never knew Richard Strauss wrote operas.

Again I digress.

I had happened to tap into the discussion between scenes where the announcer and other guests talk about opera, the opera itself, and the actions to come. It wasn’t the opera per se that caught my attention – it was their enthusiasm and familiarity with the craft that blew me away.

The hostess happened to be on a Face Time call with the three “nymphs” (other characters in the opera), and they all enthusiastically praised the lead diva, the late Jessye Norman, for the way she worked color into her performance.

(According to Wikipedia), The New York Times music critic Edward Rothstein described her voice as “a “grand mansion of sound”, and wrote that “it has enormous dimensions, reaching backward and upward. It opens onto unexpected vistas. It contains sunlit rooms, narrow passageways, cavernous halls.”

Whether you appreciate opera or not, look at those words describing the singer’s craft. 

The nymphs used similar language to praise their lead soloist, and I was touched by their use of the words “color” and “dimension” to describe someone’s voice.

I began listening to the opera, and when practice ended, I slid back into my Saturday routine of seeing the grandkids when possible, folding laundry, baking cookies, and getting into some form of Art.

But I think I will wander back to the Metropolitan Opera Artist’s Choice series on Saturdays. Not that I will listen long and hard – it would be more to listen to artists glow and gloat about their trade.

Something we ALL should be doing!

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — King Henry VIII

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Henry Tudor, King Henry VIII (1491 – 1547) was King of England from 1509 until his death.Henry is known for his six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled.His disagreement with Pope Clement VII about such an annulment led Henry to initiate the English Reformation, separating the Church of England from papal authority.Henry VIII appointed himself Supreme Head of the Church of England and dissolved convents and monasteries, for which he was excommunicated by the pope.The King’s break with the Catholic Church and the establishment of the Church of England marked the beginning of the English Reformation, a pivotal event in British religious history.

The monarch brought radical changes to the Constitution of England, expanding royal power and ushering in the theory of the divine right of kings in opposition to papal supremacy.Henry also is credited with modernizing the English navy, expanding the fleet and investing in warships, which laid the groundwork for England’s naval supremacy.

More about King Henry VIII can be found at https://www.royal.uk/henry-viii and  https://www.history.com/topics/european-history/henry-viii.

 

 

 

The Hard (yet enchanting) World of Quilting

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 9 Comments

 

My friend Laura Kate over at Daily Fiber is one of the most creative people I’ve met. She is always trying new types of art, while holding onto what she is most familiar with…  in this case it seems to be quilting.

I have always loved the patterns and flow of homemade quilts. I wanted to share a couple of hers with you this morning.

.

https://dailyfiberfun.com/2025/01/24/friday-finish-here-be-dragons/…

 

https://dailyfiberfun.com/2025/02/05/wip-wednesday-sahrr-round-three/…

 

(I know the above is a work in progress, but look at all that wonderful detail!)

Do pop over to Daily Fiber and see what Creativity is all about!

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — My Masterpieces Part II

~ humoringthegoddess ~ 18 Comments

Deep cold outside today — and lots of snow to come tonight. Welcome to Wisconsin.

Today I’d like to share a second round of personal “masterpieces” from my drawing spurt at the turn of the new year. 

I would sketch the circle in first, then let the theme take me where it would. How cosmic… But really, I had a basic idea for each theme, but what filled the spaces was (my) magic.

I hope you try this sometime!

 

Loss

 

Life

 

Flowers

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Robin Wight

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Robin Wight (-1960) is an English artist and sculptor from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.Wight is known for creating stainless steel wire sculptures which depict fairies.

To construct his ethereal sculptures, Wight first builds a sturdy skeleton out of thick steel wire.He then uses different gauges of wire to create muscles, limbs, and skin, wrapping them around the skeleton until they form a dense, lifelike form.Inside each figure lies a heart of stone, sometimes engraved with messages to make each piece unique and personalized.Each wire is carefully shaped and arranged to convey movement, emotion, and intricate details.The transparency of the medium adds a layer of complexity, allowing viewers to appreciate the interplay of light and shadow within the sculptures.In doing this, Wight hopes to “deliver a balance of the traditional childlike whimsicality with the aesthetic of a female form wrapped around an action type persona.”More of Robin Wight’s whimsical sculptures can be found at https://fantasywire.co.uk/

 

 

Faerie Paths — Dancing

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We dance for laughter, we dance for tears, we dance for madness, we dance for fears, we dance for hopes, we dance for screams, we are the dancers, we create the dreams.

~ Albert Einstein

 

 

 

How Does Creativity Appear in YOUR World?

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cYesterday I got together with family to (a) celebrate a birthday and (b) watch the Super Bowl, only one of which had a happy ending (I’m a Chicago Bears fan, so really the whole Super Bowl was superfluous..)

One of the family members received some birthday presents, including materials to craft a hanging terra cotta pot with sparkling leaves/stones flowing out of it. She showed me a couple of pics online and I thought, “Wow! What a creative idea!”

I also brought my current bookmark idea to the fold and got some really good feedback from book lovers, and I thought, “Wow! I never thought of that.”

I also sat down with my 7-year-old granddaughter and colored in her new Floral coloring book, and, watching her color, thought, “Wow! She’s good!”

Creativity surrounds us. Every day.

I use the word freely from everything from diamond art to Sunday Evening Art Galleries. Whenever someone makes something by hand I slip it into the Creative Folder. Whenever someone talks about a book they wrote or material they bought to use in scrapbooking I slip it into the Creative Folder.

Some of us make money off our creations — I hope to this summer at a couple of craft fairs. Others decorate their house or garage or  back yard garden with their creative thoughts and touches.

I never tire of listening to someone talk about their Creative experiments.

Experiments litter my craft room/library as I learn more and more of what to do and what not to do.

And I’m always learning.

I’m thinking of making a walking circle/meditation circle/labyrinth in my back yard this year. My husband rolls his eyes and tells me all the obstacles in the way of creating a circle of paths and flowers and creative weeds.

But just the thought gets me all tingly and excited.

After all — the BIG question is —

Why Not?

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — Jeff Koons

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Jeffrey Lynn Koons (-1955) is a famous contemporary artist whose work is influenced by an eclectic array of sensibilities.The artist studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago before moving to New York in the late 1970s.

Koons made a name for himself by using everyday objects in special installations that touched on consumerism and the human experience.His art originates from a place and mind informed by strategy and intention for how the cultural world impacts the role of the artist and vice versa.

His work is reflective, energetically charged, and empowering for the viewer.Koons has stated that there are no hidden meanings or critiques in his works, yet critics come sharply divided in their views of his art.Some view his work as pioneering and of major art-historical importance. Others dismiss his work as kitsch, crass, and based on cynical self-merchandising.As with all artists, the meaning of his work is up to you.More of Jeff Koons’ impressive art can be found at https://www.jeffkoons.com/.

 

 

 

Looking Back Friday — Part 2 — Food

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I’ve loved taking trips back through past and past past Sunday Evening Art Gallery galleries. (too many double doubles!)

I know it’s tooting my own horn, but there are really some fun, imaginative artists back there. My mind is always blown by the world’s creativity. You know?

Let’s take a look at another common denominator today:  FOOD…

 

Food Art

food-art-1

 

Siew Boon

 

Mézesmanna — Judit Czinkné Poór

 

Michael Massaia

sonic the hedgehog

hello kitty

 

Nightmare Food

 

Ron Ben-Israel

 

Daniele Barresi

 

Iven Kawi

 

Kathleen Ryan

 

Can Sun

 

Shayna Leib

 

Dream Food

 

Famous Food Paintings

 

Normalynn Ablao

 

 

 

 

Sunday Evening Art Gallery — My Masterpieces Part 1

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There is always two sides to a coin — a perfect side and a flawed side.

Being Creative, you need not choose either side. Think of your work as better and … better. Just getting “it” out there is better than hiding it waiting for it to get better.

There is always two sides to a coin — play and play more.

So in that confusing Goddess vein, here are three of my artworks I wanted to share with you. More to come!

 

Storm

 

Music

 

Fall