TRIBUTE TO SUMMER 

July 5, 2015 

This is a tribute to summer for DIGITAL WHISPER.

What a spectacular July 4th weekend we shared with our daughter and grandkids. The weather and the company were both ideal! These kinds of days are the best part of our summer memories...always. What could be better than spending time with dear family and friends?

This posting has art that's all about summer. Another piece for DIGITAL WHISPER, (whose theme for the week is summer,) is this piece of memorabilia for me...born in the New York City area, I remember some very hot days when the local Fire Department would open the fire hydrants and let the water spray out so we kids could play in it! It certainly relieved the extreme heat of a NYC summer day...and was sooo much fun!

 TAKE A WORD declared its theme to be windows. The piece I created continued the summer theme...

Finally, THE THREE MUSES had their collective heads in the sky...checking out the stars. I created a summer starry night with fireflies as well...love those bright nights and planetarium-like starry skies...magical!

I hope you're enjoying your days and nights wherever you are. Thanks for stopping by. See you next time...
Sending big hugs and good wishes,
abbyj  

New York State Fair, Hungary, etc. 
August 31, 2012 

Family and holiday...Happy Labor Day! 

Greetings, Family and Friends,

Hard to imagine it's Labor Day weekend, signaling the end of summer (in MY mind!) The children are back in school next week to start their scholastic year... happy day, Moms!!! The great New York State Fair is also one of the harbingers of summer's end. Our family comes down from Canada to enjoy it with us... the food, the rides, the eye candy...

This is a sight that made me smile...a usual sight in the cow barn... the farmer staying beside his "family" for the duration of the Fair... sweet!

Darcy's ART and SOLE POSTCARD CHALLENGE this week invited us to travel and experience HUNGARY... virtually, of course! Interesting things about the country... it's the home of the Rubik's Cube- remember that? The ball point pen and holography was also invented in Hungary. One of the oldest countries in Europe,  it also has a sizeable population of Roma (gypsies,) boasts the world's largest geothermal cave system, is home to the Mangalitsa, delicious-tasting piggies! Whereas most popular breeds of hogs are raised for meat, these hogs (also raised for meat) are extreme lard-type animals. This means they provide high-quality fat that's more unsaturated than normal pig fat so it's healthier... also very marbled, juicy,  flavorful meat. In addition, they're really cute with curly hair. Finally, Hungary produces a very well known and loved white wine. Here is my book page, postcard message and postcard- 

My "etc." this week is about blog art challenges... my usual obsession! First up is the COLLAGE OBSESSION blog challenge centering on MUSHROOMS...

INSPIRATION AVENUE's blog challenge declared one of my favorite themes... windows and/or doors. I was dreaming about the most beautiful colors of our upcoming Fall days.....

Finally, THINK MONDAY-THINK ATC wanted to see art based on words with more than one meaning... I thought of so many, but settled on two...

That's it for this posting, folks. Thanks for checking in... hope to see you again!! Enjoy these final days of summer (or whatever season you're leaving behind for another year.)

Hugs,
abbyj 

Travel (real and virtual,) The Beatles and Blog Challenges 
August 5, 2012 

"Pursuing passions for photography and travel..."

"For me, the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity." 

Henri Cartier-Bresson

French photographer,  Father of Modern Photojournalism  

Hi Family and Friends,

Happy you've joined me for this posting. I must say that I haven't been busy with my usual art playing as I've been learning my new camera. It's a bit heavier and larger than I would like, but the quality is worth it! I tried the smaller cameras because I wanted to downsize and carry less weight, but there is a difference in the quality of the photos. Here are some pictures from my new camera...I took them in Asheville, North Carolina this weekend where we celebrated our dear friend Joanne's birthday! We visited America's largest home, THE BILTMORE. It's the home of the famous Vanderbilt family and  uniquely American. With the Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop, George Vanderbilt worked with the best architects and craftsmen of the era (1890's) to develop his vision of a self-sufficient estate. It was opened to the public to help Asheville's tourism industry during the Depression (and to bring in money to preserve the estate) in 1930.

A view of the estate from below in one of its many gardens

Two of the Vanderbilt children...loved the photo

The cathedral where the Vanderbilts worshipped

The weekend before this, we were in Toronto visiting with our daughter and her children... always a good time! Our season subscription to the city's theater series took us to the Royal Alexandra Theatre to enjoy BACKBEAT...the story of  the birth of the BEATLES. The show was just okay...until the end when the "stars" played several favorite Beatle tunes...they did well and we all loved it! It was interesting to learn how the Beatles got together and how they became such important names in pop music history! This is my tribute to the show...

BLOG CHALLENGES this week include 'Windows and/or Doors" from THE THREE MUSES...

THINK MONDAY-THINK ATC offered a challenge to  participants to include a "garden gate" in their art piece...

On the Art and Sole POSTCARD CHALLENGE 2012, Darcy, our host, challenged us to take a virtual trip to Denmark... a small country that, surprisingly, has more pigs than humans. Danish ham is a huge export product!  It has the oldest state flag in the world that's still in use by an independent nation; LEGO was invented in Denmark; Hans Christian Andersen, the children's fairy tale writer, is a son of the country; Denmark was the first European country to abolish the slave trade (although it was the state of Vermont that actually abolished slavery) and they were the first European country to legalize same-sex marriages. Here's the art... 

As Bugs Bunny says,  "That's all folks!" Hope to see you next posting and hope, too, that you stay well!!


Hugs,
abbyj

JUST THINKING...

About Things   
November 12, 2011 

 "Connect with friends old and new"

  

I'm in awe of the technology that enables me to find and reconnect with friends from long ago who may or may not be far away: people who were dear to me but have moved residence or those with whom I became friends after brief, fleeting meetings...friends with whom I've lost contact although they're still in my heart. My 6 word memoir today is a tribute to FACEBOOK and its co-creators. Through FACEBOOK, I have reconnected with friends from decades ago, friends with whom I grew up, friends in far away places, other countries...it's a brilliant means of keeping in touch with dear ones past and present, far and near...AMAZING!!

 Blog challenge site, THREE MUSES invited artists to explore their thoughts about WINDOWS. My thoughts turned to two of my favorite art subjects...trains (above) and graffiti...

Two of my favorite challenge blogs, the COLLAGE OBSESSION and THINK MONDAY-THINK ATC, both had artists thinking about black cats...STILL! The particular cat in my picture has a fascination and curiosity with graffiti... just as I do. She especially loves the window sill overlooking the alley with a huge crow. She can be found there just gazing out (or sleeping) for hours at a time! It's her "go to" place!

Yet another of my favorite art subjects is the Roma or Traveler population found throughout Eastern and Central Europe... the Gypsies. Happily for me, Gypsy Spirit is the subject for this week's blog...  SOARTFUL CHALLENGES.

Thanks so much for stopping by for this short posting...hope to see you for my next!

xox,

abbyj

ONE MORE...

WINDOWS and DOORWAYS... an extra

August 26, 2011 

 THREE MUSES requested that a WINDOW be included in their challenge...

"CLOSED"

    Nose prints on glass, distant fragrances unsensed;

fingerprints on glass, distant objects untouched-

signs of breath fade to black...

just looking...

inviting, yet uninvited;

seeing, yet unseen.

I see the life of the street reflected...

life being lived, suffered, dreamed...

a view of what has passed 

or the promise of new worlds;

a view of moments frozen in time.

Some windows are not transparent at all,

but are darkened and closed to view...

In all, windows are a reflection of life...

yesterday, today and tomorrow.

 (abby lazar)

But,

"a library doesn't need windows-

a library IS a window!"

                                     (steward brand)

 Thanks again for stopping by...I hope to see you next time!   :o) 

xox,
abbyj 

ONCE UPON A TIME...

...not so very long ago...there was an old, abandoned house.

March 22, 2011

It sat right in the middle of a field of lovely sunflowers. It belonged to my Nana and me...it's where Nana raised me. She's been gone for a while now and our loving home has become an eyesore, in a picture-perfect setting. Since its location is so remote, it has remained untouched by all but TIME..many of our possessions still inside and undisturbed. I've made it my mission...my heart's desire...to return it to the charming home I remember and love...starting with the windows!! Before long, it WILL match the picture I have in my head!

 This was inspired by Digital Whisper's Kimmie...thanks for that! She tasked artists to create art with a window...

See you next time...thanks for checking in!
xox,  abbyj