Inspiration Avenue Weekly Challenge

Wish

The challenge this week at Inspiration Avenue was

to create a piece from an enticing selection of words

given to us by Tammy of  Art and Inspirations.

The word I chose was "Wish".

I liked this vintage picture ~ I imagined she 

is wishing for something, 

but I have no idea what....

Maybe for the little bird to talk to her...

It's almost deadline time (what a surprise)

so I'll get this posted in a hurry and 

get it over to Inspiration Avenue.

Check out all of the entries HERE!

Oh, and Happy Halloween!

WOYWW

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday

Yay! I finally joined The Sketchbook Project.

  

Sketchbooks traveling around the country?

What a fabulous idea! 

I can see them with their little bags, standing in line at the airport,

taking off their shoes, going through the metal detector...

Or maybe they are going by car. I hope they can afford the gas!

I know I am late as usual. Everyone else probably

has their sketchbooks mostly filled by now.

My sketchbook has been shipped, 

and I am anxiously awaiting the mail lady.

Can't wait to get started!! 

•••

Finished the first lesson in Tam's

free art class, Art, Heart and Healing,

a journal spread. 

Next is an altered board book  ~

I've always wanted to do one, and now that 

I have some motivation I'm going to try it!

Tam is such a great teacher and so inspiring!

Check her out at willowing.org.

•••

Also on my desk this week is my  mermaid

from Suzi Blu's class. I admit I've been neglecting this.

Maybe because there are so many 

directions to go, I am stumped.

Ugh...glass beads, mica powder, 

stamps, modeling paste,

stencils, sea glass, fibers, 

fabric, tissue paper...

My head is spinning.

"Why don't you finish me?"

I'll work on her this week for sure!


 Finished! And sold!
I like her better with floaty hair.

What are you working on this Wednesday?

Inspiration Avenue Weekly Challenge

Harvest

The theme at Inspiration Avenue this week is

Harvest

I like this quote from a poem
by Ella Wheeler Wilcox.
So I included it in a mixed media piece
of a girl standing under a harvest moon.

I actually got up the courage to wax this, yay!
I also applied beeswax to my "Pink" piece,
and will post it when I am able to photograph it.
It's too big to fit in the scanner.
The wax does add a warm glow,
and I think I like it.

EXCEPT:
Does anyone know how to get the wax
perfectly smooth with no marks from the iron?
I would like it better if the surface was smoother.

All of the entries will be on Inspiration Avenue
by noon (edt) on Sunday. See them there,
or better yet, create your own Harvest  entry
and leave a comment at Inspiration Avenue
with a link to your blog! With each entry you are
eligible to win the monthly giveaway.
This month it's an awesome
altered composition book from Pics by Shel.

Weekly Challenges

None of Your Beeswax...

 Or perhaps I should call this post
"Fear of Beeswax"

Since I've been taking Suzi Blu's classes, I've been
instructed at the end of each painting to give it a
nice coating of luscious beeswax. This sounds
good in theory, and looks amazing on Suzi's paintings,
but somehow I am sure I'll destroy all my
hard work by dripping hot wax onto it.
And then I will absolutely have to call it "finished"
since you can't do anything else with it once
you've applied the beeswax. Hmmm...
I wonder if that's the real reason...
Oh well, like Scarlet O'Hara,
I'll think about that another day.

So, this is the one that will finally get the beeswax.

The picture above was snapped sans beeswax because
I knew it was way past time to do the post for
Inspirations Avenue's "Pink"
and The Three Muses "Vintage".
And having nothing to submit
for either challenge was not gonna happen!

As soon as this post is finished, I will
be applying a coat of beeswax to this very painting.
With so much collaging and layering,
it definitely needs a topcoat of something.
WiSh mE LuCk!

In the mean time, visit both
Inspiration Avenue and The Three Muses
to see the (as usual) amazing entries to both challenges.

Here Kitty, Kitty, Kitty

Since I am Ker-azy about black cats, I have to share
the latest treasury I have been so kindly included in.
My item might have the least to do with black cats ~
my collage sheet just includes the black cat from
Edgar Allan Poe's creepy story by the same name.
Still, 'tis the season for all things Poe, n'est-ce pas?

The curator is Vintage to New, whose shop is
filled with wonderful items fashioned from
reclaimed material. Check out her lovely bags!

If you love kitties, visit this  treasury to see
everything from cats eye glasses to
some wonderful paintings (my favorites)
and everything in between!

Have a cat-egorically great day!

Inspiration Avenue Weekly Challenge

Mexico

One thing I love about Mexico is the color.
No one there is afraid of color, that's for sure.
The more the better.

Another thing I love
is shopping in the outdoor markets.
I don't think I did it justice though ~
I didn't really get the image of the
sights and sounds and the hustle and bustle.
This painting is just a bit too serene!
But still, I hope it's a pretty picture.

Not too realistic either.
I'm wondering if a pretty girl in that country
might end up somewhere other than selling
curios on the street. And the little sleeping girl ~
at that age, a kid would probably
already be working a full day.

The last time I went to Mexico
(about 18 months ago)
the police were carrying AK-47s
and were very visible all over town.
Someone told us the mayor of the town
(Rosarito Beach) had just been murdered.
There was a lot of ill feeling among
the different political groups
and the police were trying to impose order.
 Or something. It was a little scary!

But still, that experience didn't
kill my affection for Mexico.
The people are so kind, friendly, and creative.
 The culture is fascinating. Ancient.

I understand that now it could be
quite a bit more dangerous to visit there.
It's a frightening time we live in!
And not just there, but anywhere.

Ah well, what can one do?
Painting pretty pictures helps...

Don't miss the entries in the Mexico
challenge over at Inspiration Avenue.
As usual, they are varied and amazing!
All of the entries will be in by noon (edt) Sunday.

Happy Weekend! 

Look at these  
2 exciting projects
I've discovered!

One is a *free* online art class

offered by the wonderfully generous  
Tam at Willowing called

The Heart of Art

is a four-week course with a
new project each week! Yay!
(Did I mention it's FREE? )
The focus is on healing through art.
There's a video on YouTube
to watch for more info.
Class begins October 18.
I'm signed up and ready for skool!
I hope you'll join us!

Tam's other classes look awesome
and I have a feeling I'll be checking
those out too!

The next project is called

The Butterfly Project  
mandate is to remember the  

1,500,000 innocent children

who perished as a result of the Holocaust
by collecting 1.5 million handmade butterflies.

Please go to Two Dresses Studio

to read a very informative description

of the project. To participate

all you have to do is create a

handmade butterfly and mail it to either

Two Dresses Studio

or

mail directly to the 
Holocaust Museum in Houston, Texas USA.

Update on Oct. 7: 

The link to Two Dresses Studio 

seems to be working sometimes
and sometimes not.
If the link doesn't take you there,
you can go directly

to the Holocaust Museum Houston

for instructions and an address to

send your butterfly!
Thank you!

Two Dresses Studio has done a
wonderful job of laying out all
the information and rules.
Check it out there!

This one is by
Abby Lazar
Jamesville, NY, USA

I hope you'll look into both of these
fun projects and join in! 

Whine? Who, Me?

I have noticed that Fall is the favorite

time of year for so many people.

I used to love Fall.

 Until I realized it is just a big scam by Mother Nature

to distract us from what will be coming next.

Around here ~ which is western Pennsylvania ~

the Autumn vistas are quite spectacular.

Stunning golden trees that look like they

are lit from within. Blazing reds and oranges.

Wood smoke in the crisp, cooler air.

Wonderful displays in front yards

of pumpkins, scarecrows, mums,

and cornstalks placed there by neighbors

who count Fall as their favorite time of year.

And of course, Halloween.

One of the funnest holidays around.

The magnificence of the autumn display

seems to be in direct proportion to the

awfulness of the winter to come.

Look at New England.

I'm sure autumn is even more spectacular

there than here. That's where all the

Leaf Peepers go, isn't it?

And if there's one place I'd dislike

more to spend the winter than here,

it would be there.

On the other hand, what about  Southern California?

I can only say this because
I was one of these people myself ~

Californians desperately pretend autumn

is a season there, trying to get in the spirit.

And moan about how they miss the changing

of the seasons. Then they glide right through

November, December, January, and February

in glorious sunshine with outside temperatures

hovering around what our furnaces are

struggling to maintain inside the house.

I want to go back there!! Please!
I promise to never complain again
about no seasons!

Autumn comes and goes so quickly.

It seems one day you are admiring

the maple tree in the neighbors' yard

and next thing you know,  it's Thanksgiving
and the views outside give new meaning
to the term "monochromatic".
Brown, brown and more brown.
Like a moon landscape, but browner.

Alright, enough whining and whinging.

I love the verb 'to whinge'.

Whinge: Complain persistently and in a peevish or irritating way.

It seems more descriptive than 'whine', which

sounds too much like a delightful beverage.

And I realize that is exactly what I'm doing ha!

(Whinging, not drinking wine.)

So. I think I have just enough time to go to
the market, buy some pumpkins and mums,

dig out my Fall decorations, and make
an awesome display in the front yard.

Did I mention I love Autumn?