Foliage

I just started doodling, and what do you know,

it turned out to be an entry for Jenn's Foliage challenge

at Inspiration Avenue!

It's relaxing to just sit and doodle . . . I am not that handy with a pen ~

my lines are messy, but I still kind of like her, and I'm calling her

Primavera

So ~ a quick, simple entry calls for a quick, simple post.

That's all I've got!

******************

Oh, except for one thing.

I got my own URL for my blog!

“The Magpie's Nest” was not available (of course),

so I am now The Fanciful Magpie.

In case you didn't notice.

If only I could figure out how to delete the

Cutest-Blog-on-the-Block background that has

attached itself permanently to my html.

I have to cover it with white so it looks like I have NO background.

Still have the little logo in the corner, though.

Gr-r-r-r.

 The next day...

O.  M.  G.

I just created my new grabbable button for The Fanciful Magpie 

(very proud of myself because it worked the first time)

And even better than that ~

when I went to remove the html for the old button,

THERE was the code for 

that *^&%#*@ CBOTB background hiding in the widget!! 

I never had so much satisfaction clicking "Delete" :)

 So now I have a new button, and a blank slate for my background!

You probably have no idea why I am so happy.

But I am.

:)

Have a super fantastic weekend!

Frida Kahlo

Priti.Lisa's Inspiration Avenue challenge this week is

"Frida Fiesta"

It's been one of the most profound challenges for me.
I learned more about Frida than I ever knew before.
She was involved in a bus accident when she was eighteen,
and suffered many operations, some of which made her worse.
I was moved by the amount of pain she lived with her whole life.
And still made wonderful art until the end.

And doesn't it suck that she never knew
the acclaim while she was alive that her art enjoys now.
Today, her paintings bring more money than any other female artist.
During her life, her art was overshadowed by that of her husband,
Diego Rivera. Diego was some 20 years older than Frida,
and their marriage (well, both of them because they were
divorced and remarried) was filled with infidelity on both of their parts.

“There have been two great accidents in my life.

One was the trolley, and the other was Diego. Diego was by far the worst.”

I was enthralled by all of the photos that are available of Frida.
I loved this montage because of the still photos but especially
the video portions, which brought her to life for me.
In the videos, I get the sense that Diego loved her very much.
I think he was just a weak man who was incapable of fidelity.
Frida's infidelities I think may have been motivated by revenge.
I think she did love him too.

Some of her paintings have a surreal quality, and reflect the pain she
lived with constantly. At the invitation of French poet and founder of Surrealism
André Breton, she went to France in 1939 and was featured at an
exhibition of her paintings in Paris.  The Louvre bought one of her paintings,
The Frame, which was displayed at the exhibit.  This was the first work by
a 20th century Mexican artist ever purchased by the internationally
renowned museum.  André Breton wrote admiringly:

“The art of Frida Kahlo is like a ribbon around a bomb.”

These paintings are almost too hurtful to look at for me,
and I prefer her self portraits with animals and tropical plants.
I used her photos and those paintings as inspiration
for my challenge entry.

It isn't finished but I'm running out of time!
I want to work on the background, the stone statue,
and the right side of her face needs some tweaking.
If I have time before Sunday, I'll replace this with a new one,
if not, c'est la vie! I'll replace it eventually.


At the age of 47, Frida Kahlo died.

In one of her last journal entries, she wrote:

“I hope the exit is joyful. And I hope never to return.”

I guess she had had enough. It's a tragedy the we didn't get more of her.
I wish her life had been easier.

On The Way!

My Round Robin journal will be 

on the way to Lisa today.

It's a good thing the deadline has arrived, 

or I would be tweaking this forever!

I finished the cover.

Added 2 more inside pages:

I wish I had made them more colorful like the other pages.

Put some darker definition around the hibiscus flower.

That's it! Off to the post office!

I've been doing some long-needed updating to my blog.

So frustrating ~ I finally succeeded in removing the Cutest Blog on the Block

background I had been using. But as you can see, the CBOTB logo will NOT

leave the upper left corner!! Grrr. I have a feeling it is buried in the html somewhere,

but I just can't find it, and I am scared of tweaking the html anyway.

Can't find any real help by googling the problem either...

I did get my own url from GoDaddy! I am now The Fanciful Magpie lol!

Don't know what good it does me, but will be handy if (when :) I have a website.

I must work on a new blog banner. When I get time. Don't know when that will be.

It's Saturday, and I just realized I have not done a Stormy Weather entry

for my own challenge at Inspiration Avenue. I'll try to find time to come up 

with something, but if not, it won't be the first time (I hope) that the host

hasn't had an entry! The entries are looking awesome...please visit

Inspiration Avenue by Sunday to see them!

And speaking of Inspiration Avenue! Stay tuned over there for

a Postcard Swap! We have not done one before, and I think it will be

fun and exciting. Will be in April or May...we will nail down the dates soon!

Enjoy the weekend!

Almost Ready!

I'm excited about participating in a Round Robin coming up 

the first of April! These are the first inside pages of my journal...

can you tell I'm ready for summer? Preferably to be

spent at an island location...well, dream on, I know.

The seven other artists in the round robin are so talented

and we have all been bloggy friends for (can it be?) years.

I'm so looking forward to seeing the gorgeous pages they will create!

I used a skinny moleskine journal. The cover was black and the 

inside pages are creamy smooth but not as thick as I'd like.

So I glued every two sheets together to make a sturdier page...

I hope it works for everybody.

Other than the obvious reason for being excited about this project ~

 this little journal is my unused Sketchbook Project journal from 2010.

Ugh. I never sent it in...it may have had one or two pages

finished started (which I tore out) but otherwise it was completely wasted. 

(A reason I was so adamant about getting my 2011 SBP book in on time.)

So I feel quite pleased that it will be put to such excellent purpose!

The first 2 pages and the covers are my own art.

Next will come a little bit of info and maybe a sign-up

page or, as Lisa did, blank tags for each artist.

Lisa, do you mind if I use your tag idea?

I think the tags could be a separate little artwork, or incorporated into 

the artist's page(s). Eeee, I'm giddy thinking about it :-D

The cover is a work in progress...

Still have work to do on it.

Think I will go with the black outlining like the inside pages,

and maybe some words.

I'm linking this to Paint Party Friday.

Happy PPF!

And Happy Weekend!

Photos...Very Altered

Weekly Art Challenge at Inspiration Avenue

What a fun challenge we had this week ~ "Vintage Photos"

brought to us by Shel, our resident photographer!

I have scads of vintage photos that I draw on for ideas

when I create digital images to sell in one of my Etsy shops.

Truthfully, for the past year, I've been pulling away from 

creating digitally since I've rediscovered the fun of putting images

down on paper or canvas with brushes, paint, pencils and other things.

I try to paint every day, and I know I haven't begun 

to scratch the surface of possibilities!

When I saw Shel's challenge, I thought I would have some fun

with an image of a little girl on an Easter postcard.

I'm always drawn to the old pictures of children.

Here she is:

At first I put her in the center of an 11 x 14 page.

Of course I couldn't leave well enough alone. 

She looked rather forlorn there by herself!

So I got out my glue, paints, pens, stamps,

and went to work. I guess I subscribe to the theory,

More is More

My Little Easter Girl must subscribe to this theory also. 

Why is she holding up one finger?

Why, to let me know I can add one more thing if I want!

Or maybe she's saying “nuh-uh, please no more!”

Or perhaps she's saying “I need a moment.”

I think after the pussy willows, Easter eggs, crocuses,

and various decorative patterns, I am finished. No more.

But, if she could tell me what the one thing is, I would add it!

????

 

Ah, I just thought of what it is ~

She's wishing she looked a little more vintage-y:

Be sure to visit Inspiration Avenue to see the entries in the 

Vintage Photography challenge!

You have until noon EDT on Sunday, March 18 if you'd like to enter

a piece of your own "Vintage Photography"!

(I love typing "EDT" . . . in case you don't know,
it's now Eastern DAYLIGHT Time!! Yay!! lol.)

You’ve Got Mail!

“Mail” Challenge

and

Paint Party Friday

“Par Avion”

It's hard to believe Kristin's and Eva's 

Paint Party Friday is 1 year old already!

Congratulations to you both for hosting this awesome

weekly event where artists can display and chat

about their newest artwork via blogging. Thank you!

I wish I could say I have participated each week, but

I guess I'm not fast enough or prolific enough to have something

ready each Friday. It's been fun anyway!

Even today, I am posting very late but still wanted to participate...

However, late for PPF is still early for Inspiration Avenue! lol.

Early for me at least, 

who is usually typing my post on Sunday morning.

The IA challenge this week is brought to us by Jenn,

one of our newest Inspiration Avenue members.

Jenn is wonderfully talented, upbeat, innovative,

and a great addition to the team!

I love this theme...thanks for a fabulous topic, Jenn!

I wanted to convey the happy feeling you get when

the mail holds something special amidst

the bills, ads, flyers, magazines and other, well...junk.

I started with pieces from mail, stamps, postmarks,

decorative papers...

I photographed the background before adding the 

little girl and winged letter. Thought I might

use it in a digital piece someday.

No ideas yet, but you never know...

Please visit both 

Paint Party Friday and Inspiration Avenue

for much art and inspiration!

You'll be glad you did :)

Have a fantastic weekend!

Inspiration Avenue - The Allegory of Spring

The Three Graces

Splendor, Mirth, and Good Cheer . . .

 

Beauty, Grace, and Charm . . .

Aglaia, Thalia, and Euphrosyne . . .

The daughters of Zeus and Eurynome.

I decided to take a small portion of Botticelli's

Allegory of Spring and paint the three graces, modern version.

(Do these lovelies have even one bit of grace among them, 
let alone three? I'm not at all sure.)

I took the Cupid aiming at the three graces from Botticelli's painting also.

I was hoping he would strike the apple, but I think he is going to miss.

The robin, flowers, green grass, and falling apple blossoms

all are some of my favorite parts of Spring!

The apples themselves are a bit out of season,

but they're included in other representations of the three graces.

These are modern girls, they probably picked them up at the Giant Eagle. lol.

I'll leave you with a tiny portion of a poem by Lucretius

(written in six books, eons ago, in Latin) called

De Rerum Natura or On the Nature of Things

Springtime and Venus come, and Venus' boy,

The winged harbinger steps on before,

And hard on Zephyr's footprints Mother Flora,

Sprinkling the ways before them, filleth all

With colors and odors excellent.

This thoughtful challenge was the brainstorm of Priti.Lisa ,

who always presents us with a challenge that requires our thinking caps!

Visit Inspiration Avenue on Sunday to see

the gallery of Springtime Allegories!