This week, EGYPT, etc.
September 6, 2012

Upstate New York beauty...farms!!

Hi Everyone,

Hope you're having a good week... 

A few days ago, Michael and I took a ride towards Ithaca to relive our days spent in and around Cornell University... we used to love the campus with all its traditional, ivy-covered buildings, fabulous bridges, waterfalls, and beautiful campus. Not so anymore... so many new buildings in a variety of styles that, to our eyes, clashed with the those that have grown more lovely with time... there's less green areas as well! I guess that's progress and development! Sad for our nostalgic journey. As we drove through the towns to return home, we were struck, once again, with the beauty of Central New York. There are many farms, rolling fields and land that looks like patchwork quilts.

As we passed the city of Cortland, we stopped to search for the house I lived in while I did my undergraduate studies there... found it with no trouble as the address is one I won't forget! Many good times in this house... and the outside looks pretty much the same!

On to the art for this posting... blog challenges continue.

CRAZY AMIGO asked us to create a baby card for a girl so my dear granddaughter was my frame of reference...

INSPIRATION AVENUE challenged us to think about WHEELS. Being obsessed with the Gypsies or Roma of this world, I immediately thought of the wagons that they traveled in... don't think there are many who still travel that way, with wooden wheels and brightly colored caravans...

COLLAGE OBSESSION was in a monochromistic mood declaring GRAY as their theme...

Finally, our virtual travel for this week, as prescribed by Darcy's ART and SOLE POSTCARD CHALLENGE, is to EGYPT! Known for its pyramids, mummies, hieroglyphics, Pharohs, their more than 1000 gods and goddesses and for equal rights for women ALWAYS...plus so many inventions... ancient Egypt was a very advanced, sophisticated society. My book page shows their very early recorded history using musical instruments, many of which they developped; my postcard centers on their invention of make-up, used by both men and women.

That's it for this week. Enjoy your weekend... hope to see you for the next edition of The Vivere (The Life.)

Hugs,
abbyj

PLAYTIME 
September 1, 2012 
  

Hi Folks,

Hope you're enjoying your long Labor Day weekend (if you're in the USA...) I've taken the opportunity to do some playing in Photoshop, answering a few more art blog challenges. I'd like to share them with you...

The first is for SUNDAY POSTCARD ART whose subject is DOORS...mine has a romantic twist!

Next is for CREAVIL CHALLENGE BLOG. Their subject is MEN...a card designed especially for the male of the species!  I wanted to do something about the evolution of man, graffiti style, as I LOVE graffiti...

Finally, I combined two subjects in one piece: TAKE A WORD requested something with NUMBERS and THE THREE MUSES challenged us to create a piece for SCHOOL DAYS...

Enjoy the rest of your weekend as well as the week ahead. Hope to see you for the next posting. Coming up on this blog's 2 year anniversary... thanks for your ongoing support. I really appreciate your interest!  :)

Hugs,

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 

NO MUSS, NO FUSS 
August 25, 2012 

Hope you're enjoying your weekend, dear ones! I've been playing with blog art challenges...among other things! Just wanted to share them with my art friends and other interested folks... 

CRAZY AMIGOS, already thinking about going back to school...

THE THREE MUSES asking what we consider MASCULINE... "a society can survive with only one man but no society will survive with a shortage of females!"  Germaine Greer

SUNDAY POSTCARD ART wanted to see what participating artists would do with comic book heroes... my personal favorite is Captain America!

TAKE A WORD declared their theme to be CLOCKWORK...I was thinking about Father Time and past news...

That's my quickie posting... thanks for stopping by!

Hugs...'til my next,

abbyj  

BOSTON...and Japan 
August 24, 2012 

"Puritan colonists from England founded BOSTON." 

Hi Family and Friends,

Our daughter and grandchildren just joined us in a short Boston getaway...what fun!

 Since 1630, Boston has played a central role in American history. My 6 word memoir photo at the top of this posting is Boston's  Old State House built in the early 1700's. It served as a government building as well as one for merchant's exchange! Interesting to see such a revered historic landmark surrounded by skyscrapers... In the late 1600's, Boston was the political, commercial, financial, religious and educational center of the New England area. Along with New York, Boston was the financial center of the United States  in the 19th century and was especially important in funding railroads nationwide. Rebuilding after industrial decline in the mid- 1900's, the 21st century  finds Boston's economy centered on education, medicine and high technology... a major city economically and certainly a popular tourist destination! It's one of our favorite family travel spots!! Here are a few shots from our visit...

Trinity Church

Always a city where people speak their mind...

Statue of an artist in front of the Public Library

One of the Red Sox's biggest fans...our grandson...

...and where do the Red Sox play? FENWAY PARK...

The best Italian food in the city at the NORTH END

Entrance to the underground subway, called "the T," at Copley Square

Newbury Street, filled with good restaurants and great shops

Quincy Market, a historic building near Faneuil Hall. Quincy Market was build as an extension of Faneuil Hall- an indoor pavilion of vendor stalls...in the 1800's.

On our way to Faneuil Hall...straight ahead. Quincy Market is right behind it...

Sailing near Boston's 100 year old Salt and Pepper Bridge (spanning the Charles River between Boston and Cambridge)

 Now, on to some virtual travel...this week, participants in Darcy's Art and Sole POSTCARD CHALLENGE 2012 traveled to JAPAN, famous for Sumo wrestlers and geishas among other things.  Did you know that Japan's crime rate is among the lowest in the world? that it has the highest life expectancy in the world and a literacy rate of almost 100%? that it has a high rate of smokers...almost 60% of the population? that the first geishas in Japan were MEN? that there are people hired by Tokyo's subway system for the express purpose of stuffing people into subway cars, filling them to 200% capacity (during rush hours)? that it's the 10th largest country in terms of population, has the 2nd largest economy in the world (after America,) and the 3rd largest purchasing power in the world?
Here are my postcard and book page for this interesting and unusual country...

Thanks so much for checking into my blog. I appreciate your visit! Hope to see you for my next posting... enjoy your weekend!!

Hugs,
abbyj

READY FOR CHALLENGES... 

August 22, 2012  

RAINBOWS refresh my heart and soul!

Welcome back, family and friends, 
Hope this posting finds you all well and enjoying the tail end of the season (wherever you may be!) This weeks posting is all about art challenges...

The challenge blog at 4X4 FRIDAY asked participating artists to create a piece with a rainbow... I also chose "rainbows" for my 6 word memoir this week as well- they ARE beautiful, aren't they? 

COLLAGE OBSESSION and SUNDAY POSTCARD ART both declared their themes to be CIRCUS...I'm really into them having just finished reading "Night Circus."  INSPIRATION AVENUE asked artists to show where they wished to be...of course, in my current frame of mind, I chose THE CIRCUS!~!!~ Finally, THREE MUSES wanted to see something in black and white plus one more color...guess what my theme was for that?  Obviously...CIRCUS!!!

B and W and one color

One more CIRCUS theme...my choice... TAKE A WORD requested a piece of art that looked TATTERED- my last circus themed piece...I promise!!

Last (but not least,) CRAZY AMIGO CHALLENGE wanted to see if we were given a choice, where we'd travel to...of course, I chose AFRICA.

One last thing...a sneak peek at a project the PHOTOARTJOURNALS online Yahoo art group has been working on...love this group as it's all about photography and improving your photographic skills. We're in the process of putting together a collaborative book using our photographs, but inverting the color...makes it look like a negative. Interesting effect...here's one photo I've played with: can you guess where I took the picture? 

All for now, dear family and friends.  Hope you'll stop by again.

Hugs,
abbyj