Life...The Vivere

A DAY OF SPRING

April 4, 2013

SPRING pierces the white blanket!
(for INSPIRATION AVENUE's challenge blog: April)

From days of heavy snow to a day with sunshine and 50+degrees...overnight!!! That's Central New York!! Not complaining...I love it. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings- it's always a surprise!

I hope you've had a pleasant week with lots of good memories to call upon when necessary. 
Michael and I are particularly pleased to have gotten back an embroidered painting we purchased in Vietnam. We had it framed and have hung it on our wall. Embroidering a painting is a very tedius and detailed art form...a specialty in Vietnam. Imagine embroidering an entire picture...a very large one...tiny, tiny stitches in shades of black and white...not easy. Most of the embroidered paintings are done with many colors. Many are worked on by more than one person. Working in shades of black and white is for those who are highly experienced and particularly gifted...only one person working on one picture. First, the artist must sketch her picture, then she starts her stitching. It takes several months (or longer) to complete each one. Ours was done by a lovely young  woman who had her face reconstructed - her Dad contracted Agent Orange in the war and passed it down to her. (I never knew it could be passed to future generations.)  Her name is Huong.

Here is the embroidered painting we purchased from Huong. You must click on it to enlarge it and see the tiny stitches that make the grandmother's wrinkles. Too, Huong used some of her own hair in the embroidered hair parts. We STILL look at it in amazement...

There are some lovely art challenges this week and I have thoroughly enjoyed creating pieces for them!! 
First, COLLAGE OBSESSION asked us to create something using the theme, "cities..." 

TAKE A WORD wanted to see a "moon" in our art...

THE THREE MUSES was interested in anything to do with "transport." I jumped at the opportunity to create something with my beloved trains... (I have an ongoing romance with that particular mode of transport!!)

Finally, Flicker's DIGITALMANIA introduced us to two new artists...one, last week: Christian Schloe, a Chilean artist whose work includes photography, illustration and painting. These pieces I did...he was my inspiration:

Liz Huston, is this week's inspiration. She's a photographer and photomontagist living and working in Venice, California. Here are my Liz-inspired pieces:

Lots of art this week...great way to pass the time on snowy days!! :)

Enjoy your weekend. Hope to see you back for my next edition of Life...the Vivere!

Hugs,
abbyj