STILL EARLY WINTER

CHALLENGING MOMENTS... 
January 31st, 2012 

 "spring is still a distant thought"

Welcome back, folks! This week, Central New York has been blessed with spring-like weather, just in time for IMBOLC, an ancient Celtic festival  associated with SPRING and new beginnings. Groundhog Day is right around the corner as well...what will the verdict be...6 more weeks of winter, or will spring be on its way?  I personally celebrate each of our 4 seasons and can't imagine living in a place with any less...

The online challenge blogs continue to inspire willing artists to participate in their calls for pieces art with a variety of themes...throughout all the seasons. Here are the current pieces...

4X4 FRIDAY has challenged artists to create a representation of what IMBOLC means to them... to me, it's still time to gather firewood to keep warm... perhaps Groundhog Day will determine that this won't have to continue for much longer. Note the new crocus shoots...

 winter melts to spring

earth awakens from slumber...

STILL winter in New York

SOARTFUL CHALLENGES is paying tribute to artist, Geogria O'Keeffe. I created my personal tribute to one of our country's great artists...

She said, "I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way- things I had no words for."

SUNDAY POSTCARD ART ... a bit nostalgic with the "As Time Goes By" theme. I was equally nostalgic about the 60's!

 A musical theme was declared by THREE MUSES...

In case you're wondering, Jason and Little Chops are my family!  :o)

TAKE A WORD  wanted to feel that REGAL touch, so I gave them a Queen...on a KING card- two for one!

COLLAGE OBSESSION was thinking of the everyday picture with their call for art about TOOLS... how about gears?

 

Finally, I came across this photo I took in Myanmar (Burma)  many years ago, played with it because I think this man has a great face... and thought I'd share it with you. My goal was to make it resemble  the style of  famous American photographer, Alfred Stieglitz. (He did many photos of Georgia O'Keeffe!!)

Thanks for stopping by...hope to see you next time!

Take care...

xox,

abbyj

A HIDDEN PLACE

MYSTERY and CULTUREJanuary 24, 2012 

Bright colors bring my soul joy...

Who can resist the mysterious, romantic and often "bad boy" lure of Gypsies... Hollywood has painted such an iconic picture of this interesting and inaccessible culture. 

 soul's music, dancing

dressed in freedom and joy

feet caressing earth

In a tiny corner of the United Kingdom, there's another, much smaller kingdom that doesn't appear on any map...a kingdom within a kingdom...a Gypsy kingdom.

This KINGDOM of GIRELLYGOG's royal family is that of the fair-minded, gentle King Yoska Jinnypen.

It's a kingdom that's existed for about 1,000 years and throughout that time, it has been mostly invisible. Even here in their newest location, they continue to be remote and unknown to their British neighbors...they like it that way! They're one of the U.K.'s best kept secrets...this Rom or Gypsy town. (In the U.K., Gypsies are called TRAVELERS.) 

They live just west of Givrngreskey, England now, but their roots are actually in the ancient Indian city of Drobwilanty... that's why they call themselves  DROBS and call the center of their town, Drobwilanty.

It's a place I just happened upon and was fortunate enough to be welcomed by one of it's younger residents, then 19 year old Layla. 

 

She took me under her wing, invited me into her home to meet her family (and extended family- there seemed to be hundreds of them,) and they've all been family to me ever since!

I'd like to share with you a look at the real Rom or Gypsy life, in Layla's words:

My ancestors called no place their own and everywhere their home. They lived in wagons (vardos) and traveled  with the dawn.

They left little trace of themselves as they moved throughout the world. Today, we continue to honor our customs and traditions...our way of life. We dance to the music in our souls, 

repeat the stories of our ancestors ...

and we sing the songs of our lives.

We tell fortunes to those who seek our wisdom;

several of us have started up our old repair businesses for the locals within and we just started venturing into neighboring Givengreskey...a major step for us.

Our livestock and horses continue to be healthy and productive

and new permanent homes are sprouting up like weeds all over our fields and valleys...

but many still prefer their tents and vardos. Most of todays Drobs walk in two worlds...our world and the one where houses never move. We're keepers of time lost, happily unconcerned with everything but our own here and now, our relationships and family ties.

Contrary to popular belief, social control is very important to us...justice, fidelity and morality are included in the Gypsy Code of Ethics. But, as with any small population, those who err stand out more than in a large population. Our days and weeks flow into each other without punctuation. The general population of the Kingdom of Girellygog ebbs and flows, but we are an ever-adapting, lasting entity. From the 335 wagons and homes I remember from my childhood, our numbers have dwindled to 97. But we continue to grow as other Rom wayfarers find us, arriving from all corners of the world.

Our kingdom...our community is small but strong. And Drob imaginations still spark with songs and stories of the past, sung and told with the rituals of the present, weaving a vision and language of the future. We're grateful that we're all free to live as we wish, in peace with one another and...little by little...our neighbors.

I hope you've enjoyed this glimpse of Gypsy life...it continues to fascinate me! The Kingdom of Girellygog, (developed for an online art group hosted by Trudi Sissons and based on extensive research on my part,) is a very real place IN MY IMAGINATION. Layla and I remain close and I continue to study and learn all I can about her amazing, colorful culture. Thanks for joining me...

xox,

abbyj

MID-JANUARY...

SNOW and ART CHALLENGES... 
January 14, 2012 

"Food and shelter...life is good!" 

 Gentle crystals fall

Dancing through the frost-filled air...

Winter's here again.

My favorite place to be these days is in my den, right next to a big picture window. With the knowledge that my honeys are safe and warm, hot chocolate to sip,  a computer with which I can play, the most  spectacular sight of snow blanketing the landscape and what seems like hundreds of birds flying in and out of the trees and my bird feeder...life is indeed good! I AM THANKFUL! 
I'm thankful, too, for my cyber friends in a variety of yahoo art groups. They give me inspiration and support as I continue to answer my familiar art blog challenges. For instance, the PAPER TRADERS group has invited it's members to join a swap with a Mardi Gras theme. Here are a couple of my entries...

 Merry Mardi Gras,

Old traditions in the air...

Night of mystery

The CRAZY AMIGO CHALLENGE was very weather-appropriate for those of us in Central New York: a winter colors theme...

TAKE A WORD's challenge was nature-related, too. I played with some of my photos from Africa...the most wonderful place on earth, where  "nature"  is truly extraordinary!

Finally, THREE MUSES challenged participants to include a map in their art...so be it- from the New York City subway system to the South Pole! :o)

Thanks for checking in to "the vivere!" Hope your New Year has started on a positive note and that the symphony will continue!

'Til Soon,

abbyj