Speed Sewing (and no, it's not a video game!!!)

By the time you read this, I will have recovered from a non-stop, two day sewing marathon that was not---I repeat---NOT FUN. However, the new stole is done for the altar, it is in place, and hopefully all is well in the world.
Below are some of the details, considerably different from the previous photos I posted a while back, but similar........it's the same, but different! ;-)

I did not have the selection of braids I am accustomed to, so you wing it with what you can find locally. Around here, that is extremely limited. Turned out nicer than I thought; hand sewed the braid backgrounds for the crosses while watching "The Misfits". (classic movie, not classic punk band!) The miters are much easier managed by hand......

It looked a lot more impressive on the altar and finally I can see some of the linen embellishment on the altar cloth under the glass. The auto-focus on my camera will not take a picture through glass that is in focus.....most frustrating, to say the least.

And here, completely in place, with a lovely shot of the bottom of the altar cloth. I was not fond of the fringe I used on this but not having real metal bullion to work with, oh well........don't whine Anne. It's okay. It's okay. Really.....

And my reward? After delivery, I sat in complete and utter mental and physical exhaustion eating cold pizza and chugging down a Blackened Voodoo Lager. YUM!!!! (I guess I'm easy......to please, that is....) It is, of course, a New Orleans beer, which makes me even happier. Good memories with that earthy taste!

And what shall TODAY bring?

Hopefully a LOT of rest and a back that is not aching from time spent bent over the machine.

I certainly hope that SOMEONE (who shall remain unnamed) appreciates this.........ahem!!!

Now chill out, have fun, and go be creative---enjoy your day!

Back to the Grind!

It seems like, no matter what I do, there is a story behind it, and this is one you're going to have to do without. However, I am in the throes of making another liturgical stole and making it as fast as I can.
DH worked all day yesterday, so after church I had a fair amount of time on my hands to cut, layout, tinker, pin and repin and generally in way too short a time, get an idea for this new stole. Thankfully, there was enough fabric left from the last that I made to produce this one. (I always buy extra due to my *cut first, measure later* moments. And I seem to be having more of those.....)
The good part is it is coming along fine. The bad part is I would have liked to have had some of the rayon embroidered crosses I always use, and while I have some on order, they won't be here in time for when this needs to be done.
Well, life is full of compromises, eh? You can still make something fine, even if every tidbit is NOT how you would have liked it.

All of what you see here is now sewn on; I am moving along with the construction on the lining and the extra braid being stitched into small squares to put on point with the two tiny rayon crosses I had leftover from the last stole. And I know I had a few more here somewhere, but it has been so long since I was able to sew that I am clueless to where anything is. I couldn't even find the foot pedal for the serger.......yeah, it's messy out here. ;-)
So stay tuned; let's see how fast Anne can crank this one out and not keel over in a heap or have a meltdown!!!!
I declare Monday the official "No Meltdown Day"!!!!
Now get creative!

Letting Go

This was from the last meeting I lead for the Co-Op. One of my friends from Logan snapped the shot; there is a serenity to it that I did not feel at the time but now I see as a foreshadowing of things coming.
While I enjoyed my time (and there was a tremendous amount of it) spent planning and working for the group, it has been through a lot of life-related issues and counsel with friends that I realized I need some downtime for myself, for other work, and to grow in an artistic manner.
Letting go of anything you love is the dearest and hardest gift you can give; it is a portion of your life and heart that are lost forever but it is necessary to make the separation. I have no doubt that I did the best I could, I've made mistakes, I've had good times and hopefully others have too.
Other opportunities have presented themselves of late, and it was with a great deal of introspection that I made the decision I did.
And I was ready.
Often our guidance in life, in our jobs, in our spirituality comes in quirky ways, in little things sent at the right time, in painful separations and in the realization that we are on a finite path and must make the best use of it.
After church service today, I will be in my much neglected studio again and be working on something special......and I have missed that freedom. In fact, it is rather hard to feel at home here again, with the very small amounts of time I've spent within these walls of late.
Art, in whatever form you make, requires sacrifices---and it mimics life in that respect. That is why I always sign my correspondence with the tag line "Life creates Art. Art creates Life." Both need nurturing. Regularly. Continually.
Treat yourselves to a day of artistic nurturing, with no sad looking back but only joyful looking forward and the realization of how wonderful each and every persons life-path has been and how blessed you were of the other paths that have crossed yours!
Pax.

My New Toy.......

Okay, I admit right up front, this looks more like a *guy thing* than something I would be posting on a blog that only occasionally, of late, has some art involved! BUT! Bear with me gentle readers, there is a good story that follows.
Years ago, as I disposed of items from my parents house after they passed, I had taken some of the massive amount of my father's tools but when we moved to our present location, I had to pare down to the barest of yard implements (motorized and *Anne powered*) and basically electric hand tools. I had gotten rid of his bench grinder and have spent 16 years regretting it, both for practical and emotional reasons. At home, I used it a lot, ripped my hands up on it frequently and listened to him fuss that I shouldn't be near it (the lathe too) but then he would brag to his friends when he thought I was out of ear shot about how I could use all the stuff.
And guys....a woman is NEVER out of ear shot....... ;-)
So for the last 16 years, I have had to sharpen all the yard implements by hand with a file, and the hardest was Dad's scythe, simply because the blade is so long and curved--it is a very old one. Yes, I still cut high weeds with it. If you know what you're doing you can pick one out and not touch the others around it. Plus it is meditative work, and it makes you appreciate the way farm work was done before machinery. AND---it's a good work out.
But I digress. Yesterday my girlfriend and I went to the minister's family Moving Sale, mainly because books were listed and we both own far too many. I turned the corner of the drive and there it stood, not quite gleaming in the early morning sun. Three leg support, so no bench required, good condition, a good stone and good wire brush. I was in love..........sigh........ But I walked past and pilfered the books, yet it was still calling my name. My friend said, after I had stood and dithered far too long, these simple words; "If you don't buy that, you're going to regret it." So I hunted Steve down and we stood there doing the guy-thing of discussing the merits of the machine; could I put a new plug on it, how about a ground, etc, etc. So off the price tag went and I paid for my purchases. As he was carrying it to the car for me, he said he was glad it was getting a good home, as it had belonged to his father. Karma, yes? My father's replaced with that of a friend's father's.
I brought it home, scrubbed it down, hit all the main parts with Liquid Wrench, polished it up a bit and then the moment of truth; turned it on. It purred! And I grabbed the scythe and put an edge on it---a REAL edge that would cut a thread. I went and cut thistles and ragweed and it sliced through all like it was cutting warm butter. Ooooooooo............wonderful!
So in the Fall, when it is not so humid, I'm going to get some paint for metal and repaint the legs, then mount the feet on a good heavy wood block, and maybe add some locking casters. Yeeeeeaaaaaah!
I am in "Tool Heaven"!
I just hope the guys allow a girl in there.
Now go be creative and don't hurt yourself.....!!!

Respite From The World

Sometimes on days when I cannot get my mind in order for art, or am processing other things going on around me that require much thought and consideration (and not a temper tantrum) I will walk around the yard and either enjoy the gardens or shoot pictures.

One of my favorite roses; I thought I lost it last year but it came back from the root stock. An old fashioned variety, so it is still true to form and color.

A line of poppies, all neat and in a row, caught in a moment when the breeze was not swaying them back and forth........

A Turkscap Lily opening. These used to be found in the ditches of this state before the ridiculous *need* to mow along the roads. I remember digging my first up as the mowing crew waited, patiently or otherwise--I was getting the lily doomed for the mower blades. They said nothing; just watched. I wonder if any of them understood? This particular specimen is taller than I am, or right at around 5' 10".

A luscious hybrid iris that passes too quickly, with petals delicate as silk satin and an aroma tart, sweet and distinct. One heavy rain and they literally melt.

And again, my favorites, the poppies dancing in the wind. Grabbing a quick shot, holding your breath that the camera was fast enough to freeze their motion. What a slender stem for such a huge flower head! A bit of back lighting showing the fine, fragile hair on each stem......

The brain calms, the senses return to normal, ideas begin to perk and life is again on the right path.

So here is a small virtual garden for you to walk, and may it calm you and bring you visual delight and inspiration!

Pax.

Early Morning, Bright Photo!

I tried to pick one of the brightest pics I had for this morning; I had a late night after having the opportunity to chat with a friend I've not been able to really talk with in ages. We bemoaned the lack of time for exquisite gourmet cooking (yes, I used to do that, and quite well too!), the quality of raw food available and how a whole generation of people have never eaten *real*, farm grown, fresh food stuffs. It reminded me of how much I used to grow and how we basically spent Summer having the garden provide almost all our meals. How I miss those wonderful harvests and the incredible flavors of produce straight from the ground!
This evening DH and I are off to meet friends in Wabash for a bit--we've been trying to hook up for the longest time and with everyone's schedules tonight happened to work. Yipee!
I keep asking myself when life became so hectic, and bit by bit, I am paring down. I want quality time--studio time--time with friends and time for more work with my church.
Sometimes it is easy to be swept away by the moment and become involved in far too much. Harder still is the ability to step back and let it go. With some sage advice from good artist friends of mine, I have taken that first step and while it feels a bit odd, it is also like a weight has been lifted off me. Yes, there is still work for finishing up some loose ends, but after that's done, I will have more of my own responsibilities back and less of those belonging to others.
Saying no can be good, but let me tell you, it's hard.
Studio time is worth it though; health is worth it, peace of mind is worth it.
Now to start some serious thinking on a fiber class I will be teaching in the Fall, incorporating the elements of the outdoors into personal work. That's exciting!
And yes, I am still working on the fiber piece I had posted here earlier---the hands just have not been too cooperative. Check back in soon for some fiber art content!
In the meantime, here's hoping you have a bright and productive day, filled with beauty and creativity!

Beauty and Sadness

It is always an honor to have work you have done displayed for the public. As artists, we strive to reach a point where that is possible.
Today, however, I find myself wishing this was one time my work was not on display as it is offering an altar of solace and healing for PGA player Chris Smith, whose wife was tragically lost in an auto accident. The extended Smith Family attends my church, and Steve, my minister, had e-mailed me yesterday morning that he had set up the altar Sunday evening with the stole for those who wished to come and pray. He also mentioned I might want to come see it.

I immediately went into town with camera in hand, and these probably are the most detailed shots of the altar cloth and stole that I have. Steve and I talked, and as chance had it, I had grabbed a rosary on the way out. Despite the difference of denominations, I found it a perfect place to use the small, white beads.
So for over an hour, I was at one with beauty, grief, prayer and the fragileness of this life we call our own. We have no guarantees of tomorrows; the todays are what we must use well and cherish.
Make use of your time and love those around you.
Pax.

Pieces of Fortune

I promised I wouldn't tease too much with the current box canvas, so above you will see what I started with. A transparency (which I had never used before) the toned and somewhat collaged canvas and some pieces of Paperclay, stamped and painted. My original intent was the girl on the front, the large clay piece in front of her --like she was emerging from it, and the two small pieces on the side.
That did not work, so off I went to the back.

I had built up layer after layer of color, laying in, rubbing off, to get the depth and patina shown here. This is not an exact science in any way. The back was originally painted 50's aqua with the inner band of the wood being bubblegum pink. Why? They make good colors as bases to add a different tone to the colors that follow. I also had, in the process of rooting about, found a page of butterflies that were the right color and size for the piece, so out came the scissors and away we went.

I rubber stamp with Golden fluid acrylics; they dry almost immediately, do quirky things I cannot control and love how they mix (or don't, as the case may be) with the other paints. They will fade away or provide good contrast depending on the amount of paint applied.

BE WARNED! Those stamps must be cleaned IMMEDIATELY and with a soft brush and paint soap, or the acrylic in on there forever.

The side gives an idea of how many colors were used, some over and over, building the appearance of age and wear. There is no simple recipe for this; it is just practise and patience and experimentation. Yes, after a while you know that this paint will do *this* or you want a particular dark for the edges, but most of it is trust and time to let it happen.

Some German glass glitter ended up in the bottom of the recess; I am not sure why, I just knew it needed to be there to complete the feel. There are also fragments of gold leaf on the inner edges of the wood, not visible in this photo but in the one from the previous post.

And here is how the front changed from my original thoughts! The transparency was sprayed with workable fixative on both sides, then the back was loosely painted with a mix of collage medium and light gold fluid acrylic. It made a shimmering but transparent layer that literally brought the image to life! I found the edges too dark and harsh, so took a nail file (the soft paper ones from the dollar stores) and sanded away some of the ink in the upper portion of the figure, and selectively sanded a bit inside the figure as well. The resulting image was what I wanted. Then it was a matter of tinkering, again, with layers of paint and applying butterflies, which were originally coated with Nickel Azo Gold but then toned down once on the canvas. Everything was pulling together in a most amazing way!

I had decided that *something* of significance needed to be above the butterfly, and then knew the back called for the clay panel. The wishbone is one I have had for years, cleaned, whitened and laying in the bowl of pearls, awaiting the right piece to go in. And it definitely was this one. Although it may not show, it is suspended from a twisted piece of dark copper wire, and the copper ties in with the other warm, orangey colors used. It balances the heaviness of the clay panel at the bottom. The side pieces of clay were not used---in this incarnation, they had no place.

I have not titled the piece yet, though I am favoring something along the lines of "The Ghost of Fortune's Souls" or anything reasonably close. Suggestions are welcome---I may pick and choose words.

I hate to brag, but this is one of the most delightful pieces to hold in your hands and turn over and over, enjoying all the detail, much of which cannot be seen here. But I hope I have provided enough for you to see, enjoy, move along with the process and maybe let your next project guide you as opposed to you trying to guide it.
May fortune guide you! Make art!

Things To Come

Yes, this is a tidbit of a piece I posted the front of last week--Thursday's "Artsy Activities", and you'll get to see the steps tomorrow (at least as many as I photographed!) and how much it changed. I believe in letting a piece set it's own path, and this turned out completely different than what I thought it would. Which shows what I know....... ;) .......at least I have learned enough to listen to what the materials are telling me and let them take their own course. Sometimes we need to push the work and sometimes we need to step back and follow. I chose to follow, and have been greatly rewarded!
I'm working on more accurate photos to post. For whatever reason, was getting a lot of burn out, and it was too hot to shoot outside, plus some of the paint was wet.
So maybe later today or this evening, I'll get the camera out again and go for round two.
In the meantime, may you always end up with the lucky side of the wishbone, and may your wishes come true!
Happy Monday!

Technical Difficulties

My monitor is putting out a most peculiar *HOT* smell and so this is a quick peck at the keys before it goes up in flames. Frankly, it shouldn't be on, but dang it---gotta blog! Hopefully by afternoon I will have the new one purchased, hooked up and be posting a la a flat screen (which I really am not enthused about, but....????)
So off we go to the computer store and off I go to get this posted before the current one blows up!
If it isn't one thing........ ;-)

I kind of think.....

(I hate admitting that anything that can make me so miserable can make such a lovely photo....)

....that the allergy season has hit full force this morning! Woke with eyes scratchy, head plugged, throat tight and sore......so it's either the culprit pictured above, or I have a cold. And I seldom get those. I guess I'll *med up* and head for the wet studio today.
Yesterday evening after dinner I headed downstairs and worked on the canvas I had pictured yesterday. Things sort of took on a life of their own in the work process, and I was excited! It is now not at all what I had planned, but it is better than my original idea. Which is one of those serendipitous results that happen when you just let the creativity flow, stay out of the way and allow the piece develop. Maybe I can get a photo later and post it; on the other hand, it would be nice to wait and post when it is done.
Seriously, I am excited about the piece as the parts (which were quite simple) have melded into a fantastic, greater whole!
Now, where's that bottle of allergy medicine......and I hope you have a pollen-free day!

P.S. The fiber piece is still sitting, though other strips were pinned on, getting that part done. I went to quilt on it and again, couldn't find the readers, so when I stitched totally off the strips a couple of times, I figured it could wait another day.
And maybe I'll find the glasses. ;)

Artsy Activities (or how I spent yesterday other than laundry....)

Above you find another box canvas I am working on, and some of the pieces I intend to add. I took the plunge and printed out a transparency to try and incorporate into the design---I can see it so firmly in my head and want sooooo bad to just jump in (or waddle, as the case may be) and finish it! But it is stewing while the fiber piece from yesterday is still stewing.
We stew a lot here. ;-)
At any rate, all these diverse pieces speak to me, and there will be more added no doubt, but this is a preview of what is going on in the studio at Casa Lockard.
And, another fun thing that happened yesterday was my friend Val came over (have posted her art here before) and I walked her through doing a blog, so if all y'all would be kind enough, go to the link in the sidebar for Community Artists Co-Op and take a peek. I think between the two of us, we did a nice job! Yes, the background is the same as my blog, but for the moment, it stays because I tried finding some free and EASY TO INSTALL backgrounds, and we about crashed everything........don't ask....... The one I use is a simple copy the code and stuff it into an HTML box in the *add a gadget* section and that's all I can handle. Period. Geek, I am not and I wish I was.
So anyway, at the end of the day, we had pretty much artted ourselves out, between discussing and sharing fiber, critiquing the above piece and of course our large venture, the blog.
Val will pick it up fast----it's just taking time to tinker with all the stuff and learn.
And it's fun to share what you know with someone so they can create on their own.
It's pretty cool being an artist, no matter what your medium, isn't it?
Have a good one and go make art!

Fiber art day---or how I spent a drizzly, grey day in a bright studio!

With the pieces from the quilt show in hand, I began working, not sure where anything was going. Sometimes that's how it is with fiber; you need to just work and let the fabrics and embellishments speak as you go. Above is the fused sheet of Angelina---I used some of all the colors from the bag, plus a bit I already had. It is extremely difficult to photograph as it shimmers and changes color is the light from every angle, but in the photo below.......

......you can get an idea of how it has changed again, next to the flambouyant batik. It holds it's own though! At one point I was looking at it thinking, how will I use this monster I have just fused??? Ah well, back to the batik fat quarter.......I was envisioning something long, to set off the leaves in the wax print. I cut two strips 7" wide and seamed them. The pattern did not match but with the riot of color, it really did not show much.
Thus, the long piece in the photo below.

At this point I have backed it with a very contrasting batik I have yards of and put in some new batting that is a bamboo blend. It's quite soft and drapable---I could see it used for clothing easily, though I wonder about the possibilities of dying or painting directly on it. But that's for another day......

I began quilting only the large, detailed leaf motifs and opted for a clear thread, since it had been so long since I had done freemotion and I had little faith in my hands to work. Well, it went *okay*. It certainly was nothing like my quilting of yesteryear. The beauty of the clear thread is it doesn't show the boo-boos but provides texture.

The back shows the stellar quilting........someone really needed to find her reading glasses before embarking on this journey. >:(

When all the large leaf motifs were quilted and the piece was stabilized, I looked for a contrasting batik to tear some strips from. Torn across the grain, they have a certain amount of flexibility; a little coaxing from the steam generator and they curve almost like bias strips, but I can still retain the raw edges I love.

So that's where we are now; torn strips pinned on, more to pin, and did you notice that the Angelina is nowhere in sight? There are still a lot of decisions to be made on this, and I may have to pin and re-pin until I am happy with the dark, vining shape, as visually that will be the make-or-break part of the piece.

This is just the beginning; lots more to come.

Including some of that Angelina.......I just have to find the right spot!

I did learn my leg will hold up to sewing, and also that it needs a LOT of breaks. So when I resume the church banners, that should be interesting. No working straight through all day.

At any rate, I hope you find something today to provide the pleasure this did for me! And yes, I loved the smell of the batik under the iron......what can I say???

In the weeds at the edge of my yard and farm field.....

.....I found THESE! For the life of me, I cannot remember the name of the plant.

I had it in the flowerbed a few years ago and assume that during the process of deadheading, some of the seed took hold and produced this lovely specimen.
If you could see the tangle it had to grow through to make it, you would not believe it.......

It seems to be a little inspirational thing for me; one tiny seed struggling and not giving up, and then putting on a show of unbelievable color!

Trust me, these photos are not retouched as far as contrast or color. Straight from the camera to the computer. The plant truly glows.

If anyone would like to refresh my pea-brain memory on what precisely this is, I would not at all be insulted. Be it age, anesthesia, or just mental non agility, I can't remember like I used to. And I started these from seed to boot!

Help! Someone name it!

P.S. I received an e-mail from my dear friend Lynn McDonald, also an artist, with the name for the plant:

Rose Campion

THANK YOU LYNN!!!!!!!

Gleanings from a quilt show

I meant to post about this LAST week after going to the Kokomo Piecemakers Quilt Show but somehow it got lost in the Swiss Cheese I refer to as brain matter.
I was, for the most part, a very good girl, as I only came home with a couple of purchases, but boy---do they GLOW! Click the pic above and check it out up close!
One fat quarter of batik, and one bag of mixed Angelina fibers, which worked soooooo well with the trimmings from the fabric I had donated that as they sat on the table I kept thinking, "This has to be something". I mean, really, does that mess not call out to be created into something wonderful? I think so.
I had a few moments of painting yesterday, time in the yard for a few photos and still, in the back of my head, this picture stewing.......what is it I see?
Nothing traditional....that's for sure.
Textural, 3-D, shiny and glitzy.
Yep, that's the ticket.
In the mean time, it's back to some desperately and long overdue cleaning, and laundry and ironing, and hopefully the obstinate leg holding out.
But I keep thinking about that ONE SINGLE FAT QUARTER purchase.
ONE.
ONE.
I think that is nothing short of miraculous, especially if you saw my stash!
Now go make something that glows!!! Come on, let me be a bad influence!
Happy Monday! >;)

A Little On The.......

......drippy, feeling greenish-blue side as yesterday, for whatever reason, the hip, knee and leg decided they did not want to work, walk right or play nice in general. Couldn't sleep from pain; missed the next to last service with our present minister this morning and plan on a down day. Somehow the hosta seemed to describe my feelings exactly at the moment.
I know I have pushed myself too hard---I know that. I've put everything else before my own recovery. And I spent too much time on the concrete floor at the circus building for nothing----did I mention we didn't even get to photograph the one banner, Serena the Snake Charmer, we completed before being given the boot? Nor did we get to finish a small amount of outlining, which would have taken all of an hour or two before it was yanked off the wall, rolled and stuffed under another banner. Obviously someone doesn't see with an artists eye. I hope it was dry.....
I am hibernating. I quit everything (outside work) other than my liturgical work. My own artwork I will continue with. These were decisions I have had to make over a weekend of constant pain, and sometimes you have to learn to be like those hosta leaves and let it all roll off and do what you need to do. It is odd because I wasn't sure I was going to post this morning, nor what I had to write about, but this just flowed and I assume it is what I need at the moment to clear the air.
I look forward to the writing, and usually like to have it done the night before, so it's there for early risers. For that, I beg your indulgence.
Maybe I can actually make it to my own studio today and get things ready for sewing, providing I can operate the machine. Otherwise, I'm painting, and everything else that needs doing can just roll right off........ ;)
Hope you all have a good one and that anything hindering your own personal creativity can roll off like water---push forward---make something beautiful!

Little Corazons

These are the possibilities of 4X4 canvas panels. They are small, fun to work with, totally non intimidating and quick. Looking at a piece of blank canvas that small is much easier to get past than looking at a large expensive stretched canvas, that you are afraid to put a brush to.

I always keep a pile of these on hand so when the notion strikes I can whip something up. These were a combination of collage, ink, gesso, fluid acrylic and a pencil with a very soft lead--a quilters template pencil. My guess is it has a bit of grease in it, but a Prisma would probably do the trick too.

Now off to the weights today, which is not fun in any way, shape or form. I was reminded last evening after a workout (and after a full day's work) just how out of shape I am and did not need my anatomy text to know how many muscles the human body has because they were all quite vocal! ;)

So here's to an art day, straight from the heart, and not the other body-parts! LOL!

Have a beauty!

The Product of Excessive Rain.....

.....Has been that my old fashioned roses have produced like I've not seen in years. Yes, gentle readers, this is again a flower post. Apologies, but I love these flowers, and if my soil was better, and the yard more protected from the elements, I would probably own as many as I could afford to buy!
Normally we do not get the quantities of rain at the time of year necessary to produce roses like the ones pictured, or they bloom out, we have one storm and they are gone. So your authoress is revelling in their splendor, perhaps a bit too much........
The top rose is one I call my "Railroad Rose" as it was dug from the edge of an old railroad, but it was apparent that at some point, the property had been that of a home as there were other flowers too. I usually lose this one to some sort of bud bomb, so having pics is wonderful. The scent is very sweet but different from the others.

This is a delightful moss rose, and though it doesn't show much, there are little fuzzies all over the buds and stems. Rub your fingers across them and a rich, heady, cool-spicy scent is given off. I always remember the fiber piece I did "Attar of Roses" which was inspired by this particular rose. The flowers are so richly scented that it is easy to stand and smell them and forget about yard work........and the photo still does not quite represent the vibrant hot pink/magenta color.

I have carried this rose with me on every move, as it belonged to my grandmother and possibly came from great-grandmother's house. It is a typical cabbage rose and is virtually thorn less. If you cut the flowers, it needs to be in bud stage as once they open, the following day they will shatter completely. Touch the canes even lightly and showers of pink rose petals go everywhere. Again, the scent is completely different than the other old-fashioneds; this being lighter but more what one would associate with a typical rose.

I am not sure where this beauty came from; it could have been a cane from a friend or it could be a mutation of the Railroad Rose, as this is the first year it has looked like this! Ah, the wonder of flowers and what they do on their own! That beautiful golden center is rich with scent that is both sweet and woodsy at the same time. Not at all like the green spiciness of the Moss Rose, but there is a connecting undertone.

As an aside, the china pattern my great-grandmother chose for setting up housekeeping was "Moss Rose" of which there are numerous variations, depending on who produced it. I still have some of the dishes of the fine thin, delicate china, and each time I look at a moss rosebud coming open, I think of her.

Hope you have enjoyed this little trek through my antique babies; there are catalogs available FULL of older roses that have been rescued from extinction and it warms me heart that in a day of hybridization to the point of no scent what so ever, people have taken the time---actually made it their MISSION---to retain these magnificent specimens, and there are many. It boggles the mind.

I hope they have brightened your day a bit and I sure wish you could send scent through the computer! You would be sure you had arrived at the gates of heaven!

Have a marvelous, bright, creative day!

P.S. For anyone trying to contact me, my usual e-mail address is again not working. Use the Yahoo address, and use it all weekend. The normal process of losing e-mail on Friday thru Monday is once again in action........good old Omnicity! I might as well change over to the other one as my primary, except I just got 200 business cards printed with the northcc addy.........grrrrrrrrrr......

Quick Peep

Was going to post some lovely photos from the garden but woke to thunderstorms this morning, so nothing but text instead. Pooey!
Off to my last out of house PT session this morning until the Doc reevaluates me, but in the meantime, I have the Marcy home gym uncovered and ready for action. (look out Jan! HA!) Now it is serious muscle rebuilding time, though they were quite surprised at most of my leg strength. There is one area half as strong as the others, so that is where I will be focusing, plus a good upper body work out to get back to being able to bench press something other than wussie-weight.
Gary said he will help me in the sewing studio this weekend to get it back in order and I shot a pic of the two purchases I made at the Quilt Guild show last Saturday, which are bright, glowing and just BEGGING to have something made from them. There might be sewing in the near future.
PLUS!!!! A friend of mine had dropped off two good, old iron skillets for me (seasoned and wonderful!) and I hadn't opened the plastic bag till yesterday. When I did, I found a small bag of the German pressed gold paper ornament (and I can't think of the proper name now to save my soul) and I was estatic! It will work so well for the box canvas pieces! So that is tempting me too.
And I have been delaying a trip to Manto Fev's site for a few things I need......AHEM!
I guess I'd better stop the verbal ramble and get myself cleaned up for therapy, but there is going to be some *art therapy* going on here at Casa Lockard too. I'm tired of posting my wild back yard (although I still have new blossoms on the tulip poplar!) and I am sure you're tired of seeing it!
There is supposed to be art here.......
I'm looking for it........
Hope your day is much more sun-shiney than here and hope your art time is productive and soul soothing! And add a few extra minutes to it for me, would ya? ;)

An Evening At Westleigh Estate....Or Enjoying Cole Porter Tunes On His Birthday In a Family Home!

Last night was enchanting; delightful, delovely! I was invited by Joey Kubesch, a direct blood relative of Cole Porter to an event on the Westleigh Estate. It is an exceptional piece of history she has lovingly kept restored and opens for occasions such as this. New York's premier singer and pianist Daryl Sherman was the evening's entertainment, flying in from the city just for the 118th birthday of the man himself, Cole Porter. And she was quite delightful! A beautiful singing voice, rich, mellow, vibrant and talented on the ivories. Joey outdid herself with a exquisite spread of cheeses, wine and other delicious nibbles, plus a birthday cake that was beyond luscious description!

Sigh......

I feel a bit like Cinderella after the ball...... ;)

But to the other purpose of the evening, and that was all the funds raised from the sale of tickets went directly to our local food pantry, Helping Hands. We are a county in need (the last I knew, the ninth poorest in the state), and it was not until the founder and director of the facility, Herschel Manhart, stood and gave us a brief history of the project and the amount they provide, both in monies for heat and in food items and basic necessities, that it really struck home. Yes, I was more than happy to go last evening and have the cash go to this very worthy cause, yes, I donate to them on an occasional basis, but the twinge of guilt for all I have was there when hearing the numbers of those who do not. It is staggering the assistance they provide, and all from local donations.

So for any of you who love the music of Cole Porter, and would like to do something very GOOD in honor of his memory, please let me link you to the site of the Northern Indiana Community Foundation, where you could make a small donation to Miami County Helping Hands. If there is any proper way to remember a man who gave so much musical joy to the world, it would be by giving just a bit to his home community.

Note: In the *FUND* field, choose MCCF-list name of fund below. At the bottom of the page, there is a box to type in the fund you choose to donate to, which would be Miami County Helping Hands. No gift is too small---all monies go to those in direct need. This is not my usual blog post, but then, my readers are not the usual, run of the mill people. I think there are a lot of caring souls out there, and especially those interested in theater and music who might be honored to share a tiny bit in memory of *The Man*. And please forward this to anyone you might think interested.

May you always have enough, may you always have a bit to share, and may we follow Joey's example of being aware of the needs within our communities and taking action.

I thank you.

Now go create something Delightful!!! And have a wonderful day!

Passing Storms.....

(Click photo to see this marvelous cloud in detail)

.....in many ways. Last evening we were again under the gun in certain sections of the state, and I inherit from my father the *need* to be on the porch looking at the sky, but usually with camera in hand. All I can say is I'm glad this cloud did not hit us. However, recording these behemoths is something I enjoy, and there is such beauty in the massive, churning thunderheads.
Tomorrow will, most likely, be the last day for working on the circus banner and I intend to do my best to get a decent photograph of her---"Serena, the Snake Charmer". I spent the whole day yesterday painting, through heavy storms and humidity, standing on concrete (and laying on it too for low details), up a ladder and squatted down. One more day and it's over.
It will be most interesting to see what my therapy assessor has to say about my body today---how much of this misbehaviour will show for her to see. And what happens from there.
I am, though, in the process of making some personal decisions that may make others unhappy but I think it is high time I did for myself. Exhaustion, daily, is not good for healing. Frankly, it's not good for anything! So Anne is doing a little soul searching, and when I am finished, the storm clouds in part of my life will have passed.
I know I said I probably wouldn't be posting, but I have found I do love this blog, and the comments---the connections with people far and wide and I realize how lucky I am to have started this AND have followers.
And there needs to be art on here.
So there needs to be some changes made.
Storms pass and we survive, sometimes more refreshed after they are gone. It makes you realize what you have and what is important.
Here's hoping you have a storm-free day, emotionally, weather wise---every way possible! Get out there, grab the moment, and create!

Short and to the point

I am, in no uncertain terms, DEAD TIRED, and pleading for a break before I end up like the fellow above.......although I could do with a few less pounds..... ;)

Had a lovely church service yesterday a.m. then off to the Fort Wayne Museum of Art (and managed to get seriously lost) then home, back to town and finally, collapsed in a heap.

Today I am working on the circus banner that is almost finished, and hoping I have the strength and stamina necessary to really crank out the work it needs to get it close to complete. The leg, knee and lower back are about to give out and once they go, I'm back to square one. And I don't want to explain that one to my Doc.

Anyway, if---in the upcoming days---I do not post, it is because I have so much going on I literally cannot THINK or WRITE. I beg your forgiveness but sometimes the brain is dead and the fingers don't have enough sense to stop typing. Not good.

So, as Arnold says....."I'll be back....."

New Day

.....For a fresh start, to open up for good things, to enjoy what is around me.

A new day to take in the beauty in nature, focus on the path before me and determine where I belong.

A new day for this moment to be better than the previous.

A new day for me to pass that sentiment along.

Wipe off the dust; move forward. Hit the path ahead of you.

Don't look back, and don't stop---except to smell the flowers.

Join me!!!!

Run Through The Wringer....

....I'll tell you right now folks, I don't think there will be artistic content in today's post. Acerbic humor maybe (hopefully!) but I feel as though the art has been drained from my body. I feel like I should be living in the above photo----in this grey, windblown, desolate shack with the bottle trees out front.

They are, as far as I know, a Southern Thing. I have always wanted one. The original purpose was to ward off bad spirits. Blue bottles would have some water put in them, and they would be hung in quantity from trees. Evil spirits, being inquisitive, would go into the bottles and not come out. The modern bottle trees--and yes, you can ORDER one.....OY!--are just a variety of bottles usually on a rebar welded shape. Not the same.

With the goings on lately, I think I could have used a yard surrounded by real old fashioned blue bottled trees. And maybe a moat and a few bear traps. Can't get into it right now, but I am sure that some evil spirit has sucked the artistic soul out of me and I am a black and white walking shell.

Today is the first day I have had off in, oh my gosh, I don't know how long and I wasn't going to post but discovered I had a new follower and thought "Get thee off thy lazy pouting rear and DO IT!" So a very hearty WELCOME! to my new follower and usually my posts have more depth or at least a good rant or sometimes, if we're all lucky---ART!!!!

I know I am rambling today---the photo I posted is a favorite of mine. I don't know why other than it expresses a long gone era and it has a quality of, hmmmm, almost that feeling when you walk by a cemetery at dusk. There is mystery that you want to investigate but not too much. There is back story but you're not sure you want to know it. It, in some ways, reminds me of the poorer areas of my grandfathers farm in Virginia, where he moved when the TVA took the land they lived on . I do recall he built a small, small house (we would call it a shack by today's standards) until the family could settle and get a proper home built.

Maybe that is what I see in this---a legacy of people surviving anything.

Which of course circles back to me and my whining. And that's what it is.

I think I will go cut roses off my old fashioned shrubs and bring them in. And then go to the wet studio and clean things. Purge. Throw things out. Start anew. Burn some of my candles to clear the air, smudge the place. Do whatever necessary to refresh my inner artist.

On the other hand, since two of those things involve FIRE, maybe I should just get a spritz of air freshener and call it good!

I love seeing firemen in all their get up, riding those big trucks.......but not in my driveway! LOL!!!

So from me to all of you, may you be protected from everything that dries your creativity, may I be your little bag of gris-gris, shielding the inner artist and drawing away the distractions.

And may you step out of the black and white and into the world of full color creativity!

Now get thee off thy rear and go have a productive day!

Or make gris-gris and send me some........

An Award???? Me????

Okay, it's a bad Grinch imitation, but hey, it's the effort that counts!

I was cruising the blogs I've missed and discovered that my friend Vicki at My 2009 Project 365 had given me an award!!!

This was a really nice surprise considering the skunk-o few days I've had, and I send Vicki lots of Cyber-Hugs for sending it to me! Sometimes you get just what you need at just the right time.

Anyway, to the *rules*, and there always are some.....

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who granted the award, with his or her blog link. (okay....I did that)

2. Pass the award to 15 (more or less) other blogs you've newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for the award.

Now, I warned Vicki that with all the recent goings on and PT and LIFE, I might not make 15, but here goes for what we're getting:

http://peartreegallery.blogspot.com/

http://wwwpeggysamusement.blogspot.com/

http://lloronaarts.blogspot.com/

http://marbledmusings.blogspot.com/

http://thevintagemoth.blogspot.com/

http://thelastdoordownthehall.blogspot.com/

http://queenmagnoliablossom.blogspot.com/

http://leslieblairgallagher.blogspot.com/

http://highfibercontent.blogspot.com/

http://www.gaylepritchard.blogspot.com/

http://tristanrobin.blogspot.com/

Yes, I did this the lazy way and sorry folks---there is too much happening too quickly to do it properly. BUT! You can click the link and go right to their site and how good is that??? ;)

So thank you Vicki and to all the folks getting this, you have earned it in one manner or another, so be happy and proud to display it---from one blogging friend to another! (and yes, Tristan probably has 5000 of these, but dang it, he has one lovely blog!)

INTERNET!!!!

Hey all, just got this monster back---don't know how long I'll have it. If I don't reply, go suddenly silent, etc. I HAVE NOT DIED!!!! (and no, you all don't get to fight over the fabric and art supplies even if I do....)

So I will be back in the swing of things......maybe....in a day or two.

I have had a horrible day and will post more about it as I can. The politics of small towns and blithering red neck idiots.

Need I say more????? ;)

Hugs to you all---missed answering comments and reading blogs!