It's Friday...This Must Be Holland  

March 16, 2012 

  
 "old life gone...

awaiting spring renewal"  

I spotted this sweet young deer outside our bedroom window this morning. He or she seemed to be waiting for spring...or perhaps, a friend with whom to share some R&R :)  I did catch him/her nibbling at the sparse grass that blankets our lawn these days. With the fresh loss of my dear friend, seeing this young life renews MY hope and makes me smile. 

Today is the day for participating artists in the cyber blog, POSTCARD CHALLENGE 2012, to post their weekly postcards. This week, we journeyed to the land of windmills ... Holland/Netherlands. Here are my cards...

The journey continues for both our correspondents in the Postcard Challenge and for me as I struggle to cope with my loss. We'll see where next week finds us...

Thanks for stopping by and checking in!
xox,
abbyj

Rest in Peace, dear Audrey... 
March 15, 2012 

After three months of fighting, Audrey has lost her battle with cancer. A brave, strong and vital woman, a pillar in her community and a personal role model for me, I can't imagine my life without her. My heart goes out to her family with whom I seem to have grown up...my friendship with them continues and my memories of many, many years of happy times with Audrey will be forever in my heart.   

Rest in peace, dear Audrey. I wish you a safe journey and a wonderful reunion. You will be remembered always...with love and respect.

xox,

abby (guy ya da ha)

A Personal VINTAGE commentary... 
March 14, 2012 

  "YAHOO groups

Cyber friends...

life's joy!" 

This week, two of my Yahoo art groups have inspired me to embark on a quick retrospective of my early childhood... VINTAGE looks with personal VINTAGE photos: 4X4 FRIDAY and INSPIRATION AVENUE! I thank them both for the inspiration to take a quick walk down memory lane. This is for them, for me...and for anyone else who would like a glimpse...   

This is me at the age of 6...

 and here I am with my Mom and Dad. I was an only child... 

The heart of my life was my Nana...my maternal grandmother with whom I shared a room for as long as I lived at home...actually, until I married and moved out to make a home for an US rather than a ME. Nana taught me how to love...she was my confidant, my protector and my best friend. She planted seeds of goodness, encouragement and confidence in my heart and soul...as well as a strong faith in our Creator. She taught me to value truth and family... 

Every Sunday, Nana and I, dressed in our Sunday best, would walk many long city blocks to get to her mother's... my great grandmother's... home. We crossed lots of very noisy, busy streets with cars, taxis and buses whizzing by... many needlessly honking their horns! But Nana always had a tight hold on my hand so I was safe.  On the way, we passed some of my favorite places...the store where I got my bubble gum and chocolate soda, St. Margaret Mary's church that was cool, dark and peaceful inside and the church playground across the street from our apartment building. That's where the big boys played basketball and Nana took me to ride my tricycle. It always seemed like FOREVER 'til we got to Grandma Klewan's building. As soon as we entered the lobby, we could hear the laughter, the singing and the piano playing...and we could smell all the good things  cooking. Grandma Klewan's apartment was right off the lobby. The door was always open because there was  a big crowd there on Sundays... aunts, uncles, cousins, family friends...

Grandma Klewan was very old, but her wrinkled face boasted very bright, blue eyes. She always took my face in her hands and kissed me and talked to me...but I could only understand her smile and her kiss- she didn't speak English. I was her first great grandchild.

Then, there was Uncle Al, Nana's brother. He always saved his cigar rings for me...I loved the smell of his cigars and was proud to wear the cigar rings on my finger...he made me feel special!

I was the only child at Grandma Klewan's Sunday get-togethers for a long time but I loved being there... the singing, dancing, great food and all the love that this family shared with one another... they were good years and made for stellar memories!!   

Thanks for stopping by once again and sharing some of my happy childhood days...VINTAGE, for sure!!

Until the next,

xox,

abbyj 

 

 

VINTAGE, STEAMPUNK and BIRD
March 13, 2012  

 HOLY STEAMPUNK...a veritable visual feast!

I must start this post with a rave review of the Award-Winning movie, HUGO! Although it's billed as a family film, it's ideal for audiences from 12 to 100+...and although it has a young protagonist in Hugo Cabret, it's a story that touches on very ancient and eternal mysteries. Imagination is the currency of our dreams; literature and film are keys to the kingdom of our hearts. The brilliant Martin Scorsese understands this... I think that in HUGO, he shows us the importance of preserving that which makes us truly human... our imagination!! Visually, the film is extraordinary... especially if you're a lover of the STEAMPUNK genre of art. The sets are detailed, dazzling and very clever...a real reflection of its time.

The acting was equally marvelous... can you tell how much I enjoyed this movie??? It inspired me to do a little steampunk art of my own...

On to some art challenges... vintage seemed to be a popular subject this week... for both 4X4 FRIDAY and INSPIRATION AVENUE... here's one for two!

Carrying on the pen thought, here's one for THINK MONDAY- THINK ATC...

SUNDAY POSTCARD ART may have been thinking about SPRING when they declared their theme to be "our feathered friends..." and since I was in an ASIAN mood, it was reflected in my art!

Finally, this week's country for my POSTCARD CHALLENGE 2012 is the Netherlands/Holland. Did you know that its capital city, Amsterdam, is know as "Venice of the North?"  I'm working on my postcard and will post it this weekend. As the story continues between our two friends who are corresponding, one seems to be in some sort of trouble... more later!!

All for now. Glad you stopped by...Happy to "see" you!!

Hugs,

abbyj