MYTHOLOGICAL TAROT 

AUGUST 22, 2015 

 

A quickie piece of art for the online challenge blog,  COLLAGE OBSESSION. (A quickie posting...putting it together was anything but quick!!) Collage Obsession asked participating artists to create a tarot card based on a mythological being. I love the myth of Icarus who flew too close to the sun, melted his "wings" and fell from the sky. Here's poor Icarus...

I'll be back with another posting soon...please do check back!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Hugs,

abbyj

 

TRAIN TRACKS, TATTOOS and MAN 

AUGUST 22, 2015 

I've always had a love affair with anything involving trains... the tracks, the steam locomotives, freight trains, the Orient Express, less fancy sleeper trains and normal passenger trains... that lulling click-clack sound and gentle sway of the carriages. It's all part of a romance novel for me,  one of adventure and comfort, too. This week's theme at online art blog DIGITAL WHISPER just happens to be "railroad tracks."  My mind flashed to one of my favorite visual experiences with the subject...in Bangkok, Thailand, Maeklong Railway Market is set up along both sides of very narrow railroad tracks. The train chugs through the market spaces 8 times a day. The people must pull back their booth covers and often, their products, each time. The customers walk along the tracks to gain access to both sides of this market. It's very exciting and wonderful fun!! I wanted to share this with you...I only played with my photos, digitally, a bit.

Here's a good video showing how this works in real time...check it out by opening this link...it is truly AMAZING:

https://youtu.be/wJpR9n-L680 
SUNDAY POSTCARD ART's theme for the week is "tattoos." This is near and dear to my heart being a child of the 60's. I have a lovely thin vine with a couple of small flowers tattooed on my wrist (done within the last decade) and a matching  small flower on my ankle (from the 60's.) Here's the first woman tattoo artist, going back to the mid to late 1800's...Maud Stevens Wagner. She was a circus performer and learned the art of tattooing from her husband, also a circus performer! Here's Maud...

 Finally, TAKE A WORD simply asked to see "man!" That was easy and fun. I thought of boys and their toys...what's more fun than a motorcycle???

Thanks so much for stopping in. Please join me for the next posting. Enjoy your days ahead...

Big Hugs,
abbyj

THE THREE MUSES 

August 19, 2015 

Hi Dear Family and Friends,

This is the first summer in a decade that I haven't spent  part of my days in Africa...I'm missing it, but I was just there in January! Will return next year...soooo looking forward to visiting with extended family once again as well as making new friends.

When online art challenge group, THE THREE MUSES declared this week's theme for our creations to be "background with text,"  my thoughts turned to the Dark Continent.  I recalled a trip to Ethiopia where I spent a while with a tribe called the SURI. They are true artists...even the children...using natural elements for personal adornment: florals as well as minerals found in the ground to paint themselves and the things they make.  Here's the piece I created using my photo of a new friend...a chief's wife.

We spoke easily through a translator, despite her lip plate. Here are some more photos of these beautiful and interesting people...

Thank you for checking in. Hope you enjoyed a peek into the art of Ethiopia's Suri tribe. Please stop by for my next posting...

Hugs, abbyj 

PLAYING and FLORIDA 

August 16, 2015

Hot, hot days here in Central New York as in much of the country, but we're not used to it here. I'm ready for SNOW!! I know...crazy! Hope you're well and enjoying the season, wherever you are. We just returned from visiting with dear, long time friends...about 48 years of friendship- starting right here and continuing long distance. Pete and Martha live in Florida's panhandle, near Destin. We visited them with our daughter (their God-daughter) and our grandkids. I thought it was hot here...nothing compared to hot, humid Florida, but we had a wonderful visit with our friends and their family. Here are some photos...

(l to r) Michelle, Me and Lilly

Michael and Pete

Clark (4 years old) and Martha (Grandma)

Pete and me

Hunter (our 12 year old grandson)

Lilly, our 10 year old granddaughter

Lilly and her Mom, Michelle

Michelle and Michael tubing

 On to current art projects...Astrology is the theme for SUNDAY POSTCARD ART...here's a wizard of astrological matters...

TAKE A WORD wanted to see some glamorous women. To be a bit different, I went to the glamorous women who graced to noses of many of the U.S. airplanes involved in WWII... airplane nose art!

Finally, THE THREE MUSES challenged artists to create art with a "feathered friends" theme.

All fun themes to create...hope you enjoyed viewing them!

Big Hugs until my next posting,

abbyj

GRANDDAUGHTER ART 

August 14, 2015 

Meet Lilly, our 10 year old granddaughter. She's athletic, musical, artistic and a good student. Color us PROUD! Recently, on the plane coming home from Florida, we sat together and did some art. She wanted to learn how to use some of the art apps offered on her ipod and my iphone so we worked on some photos taken on our trip. She learned a difficult app, SUPERIMPOSE, so quickly it made my head spin. Here are some of her very first pieces...I can't wait to see what she's done since she's been home. She's already taught her Mom how to use the app!!

Keep it up, Lilly... this is a fun way to use your electronics in a more useful way than just playing games!!
Thanks for stopping by. I'll have a regular posting soon.

Big Hugs,
abbyj  

ART and SOLE's 

CALENDAR CHALLENGE  

AUGUST 1, 2015 

The last month of our summer... a very short season! But, we do have the most beautiful fall months coming up...Mother Nature's palette is always jaw-dropping!! For now, welcome to August!

My calendar piece this month, for ART and SOLE's Altered Calendar Challenge, is by American  painter, Frank Weston Benson (1862-1951.) He painted "The Silver Screen" in 1921.

In altering the calendar art, I kept part of the original picture...the table top. I built my graffiti and stamped (on watercolor paper) with an apple cutter, toilet paper tube (round and folded...) and I confess, some homemade cardboard cut out pieces, then transferred the paper to the wall behind the table. Finally, I added the silhouetted painter on the ladder. Voila!! The finished product!

Stay well and try to do what makes you happy!

See you for my next blog posting????

Big Hugs,

abbyj

 

ARTFUL READERS CLUB 

HALF OF A YELLOW SUN  

BY CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE 

JULY 31, 2015

It's time again for my monthly book review for Art and Sole's ARTFUL READERS CLUB. For July, I'm reviewing "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adihie. 

The book gets its title from the flag of the short-lived, independent nation of Biafra. After 2 1/2 years of civil war to gain independence from Nigeria, millions of civilians died from fighting and from famine. Biafra existed from May 30, 1967 to January 15, 1970. It has since been reintegrated into the Nigerian nation.

HALF OF A YELLOW SUN is a story about the birth and life of Biafra. Before reading this book, I didn't know much about the small country... what I knew came from photojournalism- LIFE MAGAZINE pictures, primarily. Biafra was a synonym for starvation, hunger and misery. 

But the book isn't only about war... war with its horror is scenery for a story of love, loyalty, friendship, betrayal, forgiveness and fight for survival. It's a universal story placed in a particular historical context! It's a HUMAN story, bringing to life the different layers of Nigerian society, giving them back their African identity and heritage while telling how it was snatched away. War cuts across class, gender and race...the privileged Igbo woman (the second largest ethnic group, living in southeastern Nigeria,) the Igbo houseboy from the village, the white Englishman in love with Igbo art. Three primary voices for this story, three hearts broken by the grief of a war from which they were somewhat protected: Olanna by her family's wealth, Ugwu by the status and resources of his employers and Richard, by being a white foreigner. Yet, their hearts were all exposed and vulnerable...HUMAN!

I was totally unprepared for the force of this story about the birth of little-known Biafra...how the impact of the awful reality of these years would affect me, loving Africa as I do. The realization that this struggle has been repeated over and over throughout the "dark continent"...throughout the world... and continues to happen. It was searing, raw and unforgettable...a highly recommended read!

Thanks for stopping by. Please join me for my next regular posting.

Big Hugs,

abbyj

WOMEN and the BEACH 

July 25, 2015 

Welcome, fellow artists, family and friends! This is a short posting on some interesting challenges. I always like when a challenge involves some research as it did this time for one of the women coming up.

The first challenge came by way of the group from Flicker's DIGITALMANIA. We were tasked with presenting the face of one of the old Renaissance Masters' paintings in a modern day setting...I used the face of Botticelli's BIRTH OF VENUS. Do you recognize her? I put her on the runway for New York's FASHION WEEK!!

 Here's what she looked like originally...

I also used Renaissance Master Peter Paul Ruben's CHAPEAU de PAILLE for an all-American cowgirl...

and, here's how she looked originally...

SUNDAY POSTCARD ART's theme...strong women. Here's where my research came in. I wanted to feature Rosa Parks...both brave and strong! TIME MAGAZINE included December 1, 1955 in its list of days that changed the world...because of Rosa Parks. It seems that she was on her way to a meeting at her local NAACP about protesting segregation laws when it happened: "she found a seat in the first row of the "colored" section in the back of the bus. But after a few stops, the driver ordered her to get up so a white passenger could sit down. Parks refused, so the police were called to take her to jail." Her ordeal would soon inspire a citywide boycott and a ruling that such segregation was illegal! BRAVE and STRONG!! 

Finally, TAKE A WORD challenged artists to create a piece that was mostly black and white. I used an old photo... 

 

That's all, folks...enjoy your weekend!

Big Hugs,

abbyj 

WILD, HOT AFRICA 

JULY 22, 2015 

TRY IT ON TUESDAY just opened a challenge that I absolutely couldn't resist... "hot and wild" is the theme- for me, AFRICA is the place!

I caught this fabulous leopard in Botswana one late afternoon when Michael and I were enjoying our 50th anniversary trip to Africa. She was watching some warthogs below the tree...planning dinner for her babies. A woman's work is never done!!

This guy is a resident of Tanzania. He emerged from the rocks at dusk (when the lighting was perfect) on a search for food...always food!

Meet my friend, Icaru. She lives on Ngamba Island in Uganda. We met when she and I went for a walk, along with her keeper, several years ago. She was 11 when we met. She's an orphaned chimp as are all the rescued chimps on this island.  Chimps have a very good memory...she has remembered me on subsequent visits through the years. We play, groom one another, and you should hear her giggle when I tickle her... she is a gift in my life!

 

 

 This was a quick post...hope you enjoyed it. See you next posting...

Big Hugs,

abbyj

  

ON THE ROAD AGAIN 

JULY 21, 2015 

 

Lots of back and forth over the next few weeks... spending quality time with our daughter and grandchildren and the added bonus of time spent in the car: hours to play with all the art apps on my iPad and answer some art blog challenges on the go. The iPad doesn't allow for some of the more intricate manipulations possible in Photoshop (on my desktop,) but if I practice, perhaps it will be possible on the iPad as well...practice, practice, practice!!! 

...AND, how are you? We've just been through several days of the most extreme heat yet this summer. And you? Wishing you comfortable, enjoyable days ahead, whatever your season!

On to my iPad challenges...what amazing tools are available for this device.

DIGITAL WHISPER's challenge blog tasked participants to create art around the theme of hiding and hide and seek. I obviously had so much fun with this one as you will see by my 4 pieces...

SUNDAY POSTCARD ART asked for something "messy!" I had an immediate picture of my granddaughter, Lilly, when celebrating her first birthday. I know it's a pretty typical photo, but to me, it is the very definition of the word!!

TAKE A WORD's thoughts were nautical...sea life! I just got my toes wet, but can you see the fish under the bit of water in the foreground?

Finally, THE THREE MUSES challengers were thinking literally: their theme...books!

I DO appreciate your stopping by. Looking forward to seeing you for my next posting. Stay well!

 

Big Hug,

abbyj