In the mind of a valentine...

Due to a very sad change of plans today, I had some time to while away on art. Awhile back, I took a picture of me blowing kisses to send to my grand babies. I opened that picture today because I was sending it to one of the little sweeties. Then, you all know how this goes, I started fooling with it, then I started thinking about Valentines, making Valentines, look at that heart shaped face, needs to be pink/red for a Valentine, hmmm, I wonder...



what would happen if I did this, then this, oh now this...yes, cut it into a heart...scan...back into photos...too bad Photo Shop refuses to work ever since you upgraded the operating system, why can't you figure it out? maybe it's too old to be compatible, geeze that means buying a new version... wait! remember that little program you once got for free, magic hat, magic trick or something, where is that, look in applications... Ok...there it is! Let's see, oh! look what it does, forgot all about this, oooh, look at this one, checker board, hey can a star look like a kiss streaming out? No, it looks like a star. Ok, but it's still cool. Hey, maybe you can show this to the bloggers,

go ahead, you know you want to. Ok, ok, let's see...Firefox...Blogs....Art From Trails End, is that trails as in more than one or do you need an apostrophe like the end of the trail? ...upload photos, browse...ummm...what? Oh, the sad event? Daughter sick, cancels business appointment, baby stays home...oh sure, it's also sad because is daughter is sick...of course...just a bug, better tomorrow...are you sure...we could worry...hmmm

An afternoon of art

Today was a gift. Several peaceful hours; just me, some scissors, paint and paste and The Eagles on the iPod. Ahhh.

What I've actually done is cannibalize a watercolor I made of a sketch I made of an ad for furniture from a magazine.

Of course, now that everything is all pasted down, I wish I would have cut the white out of the base of that little lamp. (Note to internal critic: It's OK, really.) Maybe I'll hit it with a little black marker.

I'm working toward a most yummy cardboard journal that Katie Kendrick presented in the Nov/Dec issue of Cloth Paper Scissors. This is one of those things that keeps me happily awake at night; planning and plotting how I'm going to do this. I've saved up many pieces of cardboard, bought some cheese cloth and now I' starting the art part. At the rate I'm going, I'll finish this sometime before I'm 100. Something I have learned, however, from doing art is that it's all whole, each piece in itself. Heck, I took much pleasure just reading about this project in the magazine.

In the course of working on this I discovered that a big old box of paints I received as a gift years ago contains oils (as well as a huge array of colored pencils, pastel crayons, and colored markers) which scared me at first. I overcame my I-don't-know-how-to-use-these resistance and squished some of these oils on my paper plate right along with the acrylics I'm used to. Of course, I got paint all over my hands and panicked about the clean up. I was prepared to trash any brushes that didn't survive, but I really cannot trash my hands!

How happy, as well as surprised, was I when most of it washed right off. I used the scrubby side of a dish washing sponge and, except for a few colorful nails, my paws are clean.

Now for some weird news. Several years ago I became aware of the phenomena of synchronicity. You know, seeing or hearing the same thing over a short period of time. Before about ten days ago, I'd never heard the name Xander. Must have been living under a rock or something, but I have no recollection of ever coming across that name. Last week I saw the name in a magazine, a few nights later someone in the news was Xander, and yesterday I started reading Stephen King's newest book (I am a huge fan) and there it is again. A character named Xander. I am aware of the neurolinguistic theories about this, but I prefer the school of thought that says when you notice this you are "in the flow." Oh yeah, I want to be "in the flow." Me and Xander, just flowing by.

Peace and Art to all.

You Make My Day Award

Last week Katydiddy's Laura gave me the You Make My Day Award. It's nice to think our blogging can bring pleasure to others. So many of the blogs are entertaining, inspiring and just plain old fun it is hard to decide which will be the ones to pass this award on to. But decide I must and decide I have. To the following, I just want to say "YOU MAKE MY DAY!"Dispatch From LA, all that crazy stenciling, great photos and wonderful links.
Patience-Please, that doggie loving woman who has quite a way with words.
Judy Wise, offering art and words that I take to heart. I learn a lot here.
joyouslybecoming, such beautiful and tender words, art and photos.
Sandra Evertson, an inspiration and a generous teacher.
Days Missed on a Hammock, a visit here is definitely like being asked in for tea.
Creative Arts and Crafts, by wonderful Alison who always takes the time to let you know she's there with you.

Faerie*Dust*Dreams where Michelle always has something new for us.

I'm also going to pass this onto Randi, who started me on this whole thing. She is the accomplished artist who, I say in my bio, told me I could draw then taught me to make journals. Once upon a time, I could have had many art days with her. Now she's moved and I regret lost opportunities.

Now, I going to make some art!

Winter in So Cal

Trails End Ranch is in glorious winter bloom this evening. We've had enough rain to coax out the tender grass and we've got a lot of plants strutting their stuff this chilly, peaceful evening.


The big fire 4 years ago burned the ivy from our hillsides so we've replanted with Rosemary. It's taken off like crazy, enough that I wondered if we should rename the place Casa de Rosemary! Here's just a tiny peek at these light blue, yummy smelling clouds. For a time I couldn't figure out why I was always hungry for a roast of beef. Then I realized that one of our dogs loved to disappear into the Rosemary and always smelled of it.




Here I caught the setting sun through the bougainvillea.

These I don't know the name of, but I love them. This bush just blooms and blooms and I can see it from my den.
When I lived in Ohio, I prided myself on the jade plants that I managed to keep alive in the house. Out here, they grow like weeds. This monster is on the front veranda. I never realized that they bloom until I moved here.

The green under the palms is a winter treat. As soon as the rains stop, this is all bare decomposed granite.

This patch of Lantana was also planted after the fire. This was filled with huge antique roses which burned to ash. They climbed up the wood posts and one of the reasons I am sure our house was saved by intervention of the divine is that there was not even soot on the posts.
I love sweet little Lantana. It looks so old fashioned.
I liked the way the setting sun put a glow on this Geranium.
And those old show off's, Bird of Paradise, are also doing their thing.
Here is one of those shots I love to play with. We are looking into the den from outside. You can see my favorite peacock lamp. I saw this in a catalog and wished for it. Seems my husband is more attentive than I ever suspected! It showed up under the tree last Christmas.
This shot of a gate motivates me to share a poem I wrote about the ranch awhile back.

The Constant

The grass on the pasture is high.
The ponies have eaten the wildflowers.
Come back in awhile
and see if things have changed.

The jet stream has slipped.
Weeds crackle the warning of fire.
Come back in awhle
and see if things have changed.

The draft horse’s hooves are thick.
He limps from trough to trough.
Come back in awhile
and see if things have changed.

Rust has eaten the last molecule of iron.
The corral gate hangs askew.
Come back in awhile
and see if things have changed.

Squirrel has moved the roof tiles.
Mouse is breeding in the attic.
Come back in awhile
and see if things have changed.

The last laugh line has joined a wrinkle.
A head is two hairs grayer.
Come back in awhile
and see if things have changed.

Each day the sun rises over
Houses, hills and hearts.
Come back in awhile
and see if things have changed.

lm 5/2006

Thanks for sitting with me for awhile. I have several painting and pasting projects in the works and I've been writing quite a bit lately. Now I find that, more and more, I'm itching to poke around with my little Canon. So much fun, so little time.

P.S. Katydiddy honored me with an award last week. I am truly flattered and grateful. I don't think she did this just cause I'm her Mom, do you? I mean, I already promised to babysit, no bribes are necessary. I think she really likes me!

Stay tuned, I'll be passing it on next week.

I'm on a roll

First no blogging for days, now, what is it-3? in one afternoon. Well we're back from dinner and I was taking pictures out in the dark, I know a lot of you know just what I'm about here, so the camera was out, so I got pics of that beautiful journal I blogged about earlier.

Here are the charms I traded for at AnS that I put on Laura's journal.


And here is the journal. I love the color and that shell.


And here are the results of skulking around in one of my little "gardens" in the dark. My mom gave me this little fairy a while back because I read so much.

I'd better sign off. The Santa Ana winds are howling and I don't want to lose power before I send this.

Hope I don't wake up in OZ!

L

Still??

Ok, lets do it the old way.  Laura is katydiddys@blogspot.com and Randi is randif@blogspot.com

I really think I know what I'm doing now so I wonder if something is just goofey with blogger.