Saturday, July 28, 2007

ON A HAPPIER NOTE -

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I think this may be one of those cherished kodak moments of Lovely Little Mini. She did her best to make her way through the very crisp and dry wheat grass in the back of the property today but succumbed to whining When I consider how I would feel trying to navigate through wheat grass towering over my head, it is certain I'd voice my share of whimpers.rs.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Eleanor of Toledo - 10x10 collage mounted inside a rubix cube type frame

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This should be arriving at Tejae's today - I hope she is happy with it!
She was Spanish. She was part of the House of Alba, and her father was the Marquis of Alvarez, Viceroy of Naples for the Spanish Royal House. She was a Neapolitan Spaniard. It was the Medicis' need to possess Naples that raised their interest in Eleanor. This young woman, fragile and reserved, was always surrounded by her chaperons and her cockatoos; this system which would still exist in Velasquez' time, this completely exotic side of the Spanish women of that era, but who, in Florence, would have to learn the rigors of etiquette and live at Cosimo's side; we will never know whether she loved or hated him. She bore him ten children.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

The Recollecting - AAO Altered Book Round Robin

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" The Recollecting" - Inside Spread Altered Book
is

Friday, July 13, 2007

Altered Book for Debbie M. - AAO - French

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"Andy and Amelie" Altered Book Pages
The above two pages are for Debbie M's altered French book via the Altered Art Obsession group Altered Book Round Robin. It leaves here on Monday to Lia Kent. The pages are centered around Andy Warhol and the French movie Amelie. If you look very closely you can see the Garden Gnome standing in front of the Eiffel Tower! Andy Warhol is represented by transparency photo booth photographs mirroring the romance Amelie has in the movie with the pornography store clerk who collects forgotten photo booth images. The original page subject is INLAND TRAVELLING, therefore I've used Parisienne postcards as well as a little touch of French lace, a fleur de lie, the Eiffel Tower and a vintage French postage stampas addressed to Belgium. C'est la vie!

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Altered Book Collage for Jerrie Hall - Altered Art Obsession

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I am in the final stages of completing my pages for Jerrie Halls' Altered Book. The topic is CIRCULAR VOIDS. Jerrie wanted me to photograph my pages and let her see them before I sent the book off to the next artist. I decided I would give her a peek at the 'concept.' She'll have to wait until her book comes home to her....sometime in December 2007 to discover the layout, the topic and the country! There are several clues in this collage - a map, a letter, the name of the country. One final clue: the Flavors are UP, DOWN, TOP, BOTTOM, CHARM and STRANGE.

Aha Moment

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the views, the energy, the air....
This is a photo Roger snapped of me in my friend Gerry's backyard! Within seconds of entering this peaceful forest, I had one of those AHA moments - I knew this was where I belong. Sigh.

Northern Flickers !!!

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I've been blessed by the presence of a Northern Flicker couple visiting the yard both yesterday and today. From their behavior, it appears they may have chosen to nest in one of the spruce trees in our front yard. What is particularly beautiful about these birds is the brilliant red under their wings in flight.

Monday, July 09, 2007

Gladding Nourishment - Silliness - From The Daily Om

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Children appreciate all that is silly as a matter of course. Their grasp of humor is instinctual, and even the smallest absurdities provoke joyous gales of earnest laughter. As we age, this innate ability to see the value of silliness can diminish. Work takes precedence over play, and we have less incentive to exercise our imaginative minds by focusing on what is humorous. When we remember childhood, we may recall the pleasures of donning funny costumes, reciting nonsense poems, making up strange games, or playing pretend. This unabashed silliness nourished our vitality and creativity. We can take in this nourishment once again by giving ourselves permission to lighten up and be silly. Too often we reject the wonderful silliness that is an inherent, inborn aspect of the self because we believe that it serves no purpose or is at odds with the grown-up culture of maturity. We play yet we do not lose ourselves in play, and our imaginations are never truly given free reign because we regard the products of irrational creativity as being valueless. Yet silliness itself does indeed constitute a vital part of human existence on a myriad of levels. Our first taste of ethereal bliss is often a consequence of our willingness to dabble in what we deem outrageous, nonsensical, or absurd. We delight in ridiculousness not only because laughter is intrinsically pleasurable, but also because it serves as a reminder that existence itself is fun. Skipping, doodling, and singing funny songs are no less entertaining than they were when we were children. We need not lose all interest in these cheerful and amusing activities, but to make them a part of our lives we must be ready to sacrifice a little dignity and a lot of fear. It is precisely because so much of life is inescapably serious that silliness should be regarded as a priority. Through the magic of imagination, you can be or become anything—a photographer, a professional athlete, a dancer, a pilot. Whether you take hundreds of silly pictures, revel in the adulation of your fans as you make the winning catch, boogie down rock-star style in front of your bedroom mirror, or turn your desk into a cockpit, the ensuing hilarity will help you see that lighthearted fun and adulthood are not at all incompatible.

Sunday, July 08, 2007

T H E K I D S

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How I miss them!!! From Left to Right: Daughters: Hayley and Jillian, their boyfriends Matt and Jahmed.

Monday, July 02, 2007

Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, BC

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Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada

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