JUST PLAYING...
October 6, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving, my Canadian dear ones!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving for our neighbors to the north... my dear daughter and her family and dear friends. I'm thankful for you all!!!
I've had an opportunity to play on the computer in Photoshop so, of course,  I answered some blog challenges... some new tricks and some old...

'By the light of the full moon' for SUNDAY POSTCARD ART...

'Balloons' for TAKE A WORD challenge blog...

'The Sea' for THE THREE MUSES

I trust that you're enjoying your weekend... I wish you a great week ahead!

Hugs 'til the next,

abbyj

 

EARLY OCTOBER
October 4, 2012

This rose is for my readers!!

Inspired by INSPIRATION AVENUE's challenge blog, the rose above is for them...and for you all!! Thank you for stopping by for this posting of THE VIVERE!
Here in Central New York, I'm missing my favorite part of Autumn...the vibrant colors of the leaves before they fall from the trees and crunch beneath our feet. This year, the colors are very slow to come and many have fallen STILL GREEN!!   That's why I welcomed SOARTFUL CHALLENGES current blog theme, HARVEST MOON...colorful!

Also a colorful presentation for CRAZY AMIGO's theme for the week, NEW HOME...

COLLAGE OBSESSION called for art about an ISLAND... I chose the blue-footed boobies on the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador... so colorful and fun to observe!

Finally, this week's country for Art and Sole's POSTCARD CHALLENGE is Portugal...one of the world's oldest nations. It was established in the 12th century- that's 4 centuries before ROME!!! A very colorful country, the people really seem to enjoy living their lives. Their unoifficial symbol is a brilliantly hued rooster... the Rooster of Barcelos (see it  next to the address on the postcard!)  Tile-making is the country's most popular art form... everything is decorated with them. They can be blue and white or full of color... they're on the sidewalks, buildings, walls... note the sidewalks and roads also done in mosaic tiles in many varied designs. Fishing is a major industry and the seafood is plentiful and  excellent. Something else unique about this country to the left of Spain... a genre of music specific to Portugal...FADO. Traced back to the 1820's (but probably has much earlier origins,) it's characterized by mournful, melancholic tunes and lyrics... often about the sea or the life of the poor. Today, though, Fado can be about anything...as long as a feeling of loss is involved. One shows appreciation for fado performances in two ways... clapping/applauding or coughing and clearing your throat... odd, huh? Here are my postcard and book page...

AuRevoir until the next, dear family and friends. Thanks again for stopping by...

Hugs,
abbyj