Iris in Western Colorado

Iris are in bloom!  Here are some pictures from our back yard:

Raindrops resulted in white spots on the photo of the yellow iris.

THIS SITE gives detailed instructions on dividing iris, and replanting in a sunny spot. That information was helpful in planting the rhizomes brought back from South Carolina yesterday.

South Carolina

Yesterday, I was in Rock Hill, South Carolina.  Here is a recorded happening there, according to The Charlotte Observer:

ROCK HILL House painter Jerry Gibson armed himself with an electric drop cord Tuesday morning and took off running after the giant bird that ran 5 feet from his disbelieving eyes.

Gibson joined a fray of dozens Tuesday as word spread about an ostrich - an emu really, but a big bird is a big bird - strolling down Chestnut Street and elsewhere in the East Town neighborhood just east of downtown.

Now that had to be quite a scene, although I was in York, SC with daughter Julie and SIL Jack and FIL John.

Julie has been on home IV therapy for seven weeks. She is scheduled for another surgery May 7, 2010. Your prayers for her well being are again appreciated.

Julie and Jack

Above is a picture of SIL Jack's father, John Heniford, Sr. (92 yr.)  Those are his roses and iris from his yard.  Until this spring, he has been solely responsible for the upkeep of both his and Jack and Julie's lawns and gardens. 

Fireworks of Glass at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis

An impressive 43 foot tower of glass is now on exhibit at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis.  Dale Chihuly is the artist.  Here is a picture:

It is placed above a glass ceiling.  1,600 pieces of glass compose this 18,000 pound exhibit. What a sight that must be!

Insect Art

Daughter Julie gave us the book Pheromone. (2008, Pomegranate Communications, Inc., CA)


The Insect Artwork of Christopher Marley in photographs is an amazing array of botanical images. 

From the bookplate:

Christopher Marley's graceful arrangements of jewel-like anthropods and delicate betterflies transform the hitherto creepy world of insects into stunning works of art.  His keen eye for design combines with his entomological passion to produce mesmerizing kaleidoscopic bug mandalas and striking up-close-and personal single insect portraits....

Here are a couple of photos I took from the pages of this book:

These images will be fun, but challenging, to paint in oils.

Angels Used in Embroidery

This site, Checkered Houses, displays artwork from over thirty artists.  Many are folk artists. 

Paul Flack drew the angel shown above. 

Paul began to look for that sense of fulfillment in painting, inspired by the likes of visionary artists. He had painted earlier in his life for a short time. As his spiritual quest grew, he became intrigued with the concept of angels. Angels are spiritual in nature, not religious and span time and appeal to all ages.

His angels are colorful, eye-catching, and unique in their forms. They appeal to everyone whether you believe in them or not and encourage the imagination to wonder in terms of what the painting means to each individual. It is in this, that Paul finds his fulfillment.

This will make an interesting outline for embroidery work on the back of a work shirt.  The lines are simple, and can easily be drawn from the photo onto paper or cloth for further embellishment.

Here is one similar angel embroidered from a kit, and sewn onto cloth, then appliqued on the backing of a woman's vest:

We need all the angels available to surround us, so why not on our clothing?

Art Space Colorado and Open Studios

Western Colorado is privileged to have exceptionally talented artists. One of the many organizations that sponsors art in this area is ArtSpaceColorado.

On the weekend of May 1 and 2, 2010, "Open Studio Tour" is happening in the Grand Valley of Colorado. Twenty-four different studios will be open during this weekend, displaying works. From their recent flyer:

Spring is a great time to visit the Grand Valley. Twice a year artists open their creative spaces and invite the public to view and purchase their artwork. There are sculptors, painters, jewelers, potters, and many, many more artists in different media to enhance your visit. On the self-guided tour, you choose which artists to visit.

OPEN STUDIOS SPRING TOUR

Saturday, May 1, 10 AM to 5 PM

& Sunday, May 2, Noon - 5 PM

Celebrate the arts and view new artwork from artists across the Grand Valley, free of charge.

Click here to download a map or you may pick one up at any of these locations:

•The Artist's Haven

•The Art Center

•GJ Parks & Recreation

•Visitors Center (Horizon & Fruita)

•Camilla's Kaffe

•Traders Coffee on Patterson

•Fruita Chamber of Commerce

•Coffee Muggers

•Colorado Java

•Main St. Bagels

•Hang Ups Gallery

•Planet Wines

•Planet Earth

•Twisted Brick Studios

•Palisade Chamber of Commerce

•Main Library Downtown

•Alpine Bank Downtown

•Meadowlark Garden

•Tiara Rado Pinion Grill

•Chez Lena

•Palisade Chamber of Commerce

•Palisade City Hall

•7th Street Deli

•KAFM

•Haute Tomato Cafe

•Aspen Coffee

•Fruita City Hall

$13.99 + $3.95 (shipping & handling)

This handy calendar has 26 full color art images and space for notes or comments. Its a convenient size for home or office which fits easily into a portfolio, backpack, or purse. Makes a one of a kind gift too!

VISA or MASTERCARD ACCEPTED

NOTICE:

If for any reason you don't like the purchase, send it back within two weeks for a refund  (purchase price). Questions? call 970-640-8177 or email artspaceopenstudios@gmail.com 

Mint used in Main Dish

Thai  Beef-Mint Salad (we like it as an entree):

The recipe shown above is an easy one that we make frequently in the spring and summer when mint is plentiful.  This recipe is from a book K's Kwisine, authored by Harry Kaiserian, a Maine columnist.  It can be purchased here.

Harry says in the foreword of the book:

These recipes are all favorites of somebody, somewhere. The best of the best, so to speak. They represent many, many years of cooking and dining experience and were submitted by a lot of wonderful people for the K's Kwisine column that continues to run since its start in 1987.

Daughter Heidy and I were fortunate to spend a week with Harry Kaiserian and his wife at the Italian Cooking School Scula di Cucina "La Bottega del 30" north of Sienna, Italy learning how to make some traditional Italian dishes. 

Harry was just getting this book printed when we met, so of course I had to purchase the compilations of his favorite recipes.   Every recipe in his book K's Kwisine is a keeper. Give the Thai Beef-Mint a try, and like Harry says: "be bold" and enjoy!

You might also be interested in the recipes we learned to prepare in the villa a Sesta at their cooking school.  The book of Italian recipes is available at the Scula di Cucina website located here.

Dolls Carved from Soap

A friend sent a PowerPoint slideshow that is amazing. Amazing because each doll has been crafted from a bar of soap. See below for the first slide in the series.

Here is the link to the slideshow of  15 intricately crafted soap dolls in its entirety:

 French Dolls in Soap

FloralArtOilsandWatercolors - A new blogspot for artwork

Yesterday was the day for art clean-up, including creation of a new blog for cataloguing my paintings.

The new site is called Floral Art, Etc. and will focus only on art and displaying what I am currently painting.

Most of the oils and watercolors that I saved to computer files are displayed here.  Some are for sale, some have been gifted, but all can be more or less replicated.  Many of those pieces have been blogged about on Nancy's Arts Crafts and Favorites on blogspot, and the references are duplicated there.

Please visit it and offer constructive criticism, if you will.  Thanks!

clean up picture courtesy of this site by Anjum

Multnomah Lace Shawl (modified)

Just off the hooks is a fab shawl pattern that took about a month to knit.  It is the free download pattern available here from HelloKnitty.

Socks that Rock by Blue Moon Fibers, 100% merino wool, was the yarn choice in the lunasea colorway:

Modifications were made to the original pattern, thanks to cheepskate on Ravelry. 

Here is a picture of the completed lace shawlette.  It knitted up to 66" x 23" on size 4 circular needles.

It was an interesting pattern, and the lace repeats (feather and fan) kept my interest, along with the modifications to the upper part of the shawl.  (Again, thanks, cheepskate and HelloKnitty.)

Portrait Painting Tips on the Web

Painting in watercolor to achieve a portrait?  A web search turned up this site by Margaret Crowley-Kiggins, FWS.  She gives step-by-step advice including the selection of equipment and palette colors, to preparation of the canvas, all the way through completion of facial features and background.

At another site located here, the same artist goes through similar steps on another portrait.  The steps are basically the same, with minor modifications.  This is a guide which will prove worthwhile to save in the computer Art-Favorites toolbar.

Several years ago, I attempted painting a copy of Madonna from the original by Murillo (see below):

Here is my poor rendition of Madonna in oil, completed in 2007:

(The Madonna looks about 40 in my picture, and her chin needs some touch up, obviously.)  It's a start.

Friend Shirley is an accomplished artist, and is currently painting a portrait of a beautiful young woman (it is in its first stages):

Here are two portraits she previously painted:

The Open Tomb

Living in a Saturday World before Easter

The following is taken from Christ in Our Home, a Lutheran publication:

What do you do on Saturday? Catch up on work around the house? Make a trip to the grocery store? In our culture Saturday is an in-between day. It's wedged between the work week...

What do you do when your world has fallen apart? Late Friday afternoon, Joseph of Arimathea made sure the body of Jesus received a proper burial.  He sealed the tomb with a large stone.  I can imagine that once Joseph's work was done, he -- like the other disciples -- started wondering what to do next.  The Saturday between the first Good Friday and Easter was an in-between day.  It was a day of unspeakable sadness.  The hopes of the disciples had died with Jesus.  There was little for them to do but wait.  They could not fix the situation.  Only God could.

We live out our days on Saturday. It's a day of waiting for God to come and do what only God can do. Philip Yancey tells a story of a grandmother who lies buried under 150-year-old oak trees in a cemetery in Louisiana. In accordance with the Grandmother's wishes, only one word is carved on the tombstone: "Waiting."

(From Augsburg Press, p. 7, April, May, June 2010  issue)

Good Friday: Images

Christians gather at Rome's ancient forum ahead of Good Friday's Stations of the Cross ceremony, commemorating the crucifixion of Christ.

From Photobucket:

From Apologetics:

Is Christianity True? Introduction by Brian Auten (series of essays)

Is Christianity True? Introduction by Brian Auten

Today's essay can be accesses via audio here.

Posted using ShareThis.

Feather and Fan Pattern for Centerpiece

From the beautiful coffeetable book Knitter's Stash (2001) by Barbara Albright, I found her intriguing patterns for elaborate lace washcloths.  She has eight different lace patterns, and suggests using linen as knitting yarn for these small projects.

Knitting a smaller piece is a good way to see which lace pattern repeat you prefer from the eight discussed. 

Using a bright wool/polyester fiber with slubs, here is the completed project called "Feather and Fan":

And here is one use for this little jewel:

It is a canvas for a terrarium placed beneath a painting on an entryway table.  Those bright colors just make me happy. 

And now I am ready to complete a shawl with the same "feather and fan" lace repeat on its edges.  This smaller snippet of lace was helpful in familiarizing myself with that particular pattern repeat.

Needlepoint Facts and Pictures

It's time to use some old pieces of needlepoint that I've stashed for years, waiting for a good use.  Most of  this intricate handwork was performed by long deceased family matriarchal members.

From this source, Marie Reidelback, Curator of the Needlepoint Museum writes:

Every needlepoint is an astonishing achievement, when you think about it.

They take tons of work--even a small needlepoint the size of a business letter has about a 100,000 stitches and took someone maybe forty-five hours just to stitch--an incredible investment of time and energy.

And when it's finished? Needlepoint is amazingly durable, colorful, lustrous, and rich--a needlepoint bag will last for years of heavy use, as strong as leather. And from the canvas to the finished piece, it's made completely of strings. Remarkable.

This same Museum of needlepoint oddities shows dozens of "odd" pieces in its gallery.  Nudes, flowers, landscapes...all are included in their library.  Here are just two of the differently abled displayed needlepoint pieces shown at their website:

Needlepoint is one of the oldest forms of needlework and has long been associated with church vestments, kneelers, and wall hangings. During the 19th century this method was known as Berlin work and is now sometimes known as canvas work. The needlepoint technique is worked with needle and yarn on a strong canvas background.

Below are a couple of pieces of old needlepoint that I previously re-purposed (the rose was completed about 100 years ago by a great aunt and now used for a footstool cover.   The monogrammed "M" on the leather folder and the framed lemon were sewn by my late mother).

This is the last piece of needlepoint that needs to be used.  It is about 9" x 7" with a geranium motif on an ivory background. 

What do you think? Should it be used for a knitting yarn bag?

Lauren Burch has beautiful, hand painted needlepoint designed canvases if you want to create a 21st century piece of needle art that will last for centuries.  It is worth a click to see some of her beauties.

Create Your Own Color Palette using Colourlovers.com

Project:  Guest bathroom needs a paint facelift. 

This has been on the to-do list for a while.  Color choices: narrowed down to reddish hues.  Where to go for color guidance in paints? THIS SITE is excellent!  Colour Lovers opens up a plethora of choices in helping select a paint palette. 

Here is the scheme I made in about five minutes using the software on the site, without downloading anything:



Two walls will be painted in the darker red, and the wood trim will be painted in a very light hue of the purplish grey, similar to this color:

What a fun, easy way to choose colors.  You might give it a try.

On second thought, the red is too dark.  Back to the drawing board for a lighter shade of brick red.

Now to get the paint and do the work.

Color by COLOURlovers

Alice in Wonderland, the movie

Have you seen the movie Alice in Wonderland yet?

Stephen Greydanus gives a far better review than most (the link is inclusive and has an excellent viewer comment included).  Simplistic me, I enjoyed the 3-D graphics, and believe it was worth the price of admission to enjoy the graphics and costuming.

Loved the Queen of Hearts' red valentine mouth!  And Tweedledum and Tweedledee were captivating.

An enjoyable film, and popcorn and soda were not necessary concessions for added entertainment value.

The Arches National Park

This week included a trip to Moab, Utah and Arches National Park, a short visit from a Denver friend, and a new recipe that was pretty tasty.

Regarding the park, the above site says:

Arches contains one of the largest concentrations of natural sandstone arches in the world. The arches and numerous other extraordinary geologic features, such as spires, pinnacles, pedestals and balanced rocks, are highlighted in striking foreground and background views created by contrasting colors, landforms and textures. With the addition of the Lost Spring Canyon area, the park is 76,519 acres in size.

Above is a picture of The Three Gossips, one of many unique rock formations found in the park.

Water and ice, extreme temperatures and underground salt movement are responsible for the sculptured rock scenery of Arches National Park. On clear days with blue skies, it is hard to imagine such violent forces, or the 100 million years of erosion that created this land that boasts the greatest density of natural arches in the world. The more than 2,000 cataloged arches range in size from a three-foot opening, the minimum considered an arch, to the longest one, Landscape Arch, which measures 306 feet from base to base. New arches are being formed and old ones are being destroyed. Erosion and weathering are relatively slow but are relentlessly creating dynamic landforms that gradually change through time. Occasionally change occurs more dramatically. In 1991 a slab of rock about 60 feet long, 11 feet wide and 4 feet thick fell from the underside of Landscape Arch, leaving behind an even thinner ribbon of rock. Delicate Arch, an isolated remnant of a bygone fin, stands on the brink of a canyon, with the dramatic La Sal Mountains for a backdrop. Towering spires, pinnacles and balanced rocks perched atop seemingly inadequate bases vie with the arches as scenic spectacles.

The weather was sunny and warm and a perfect day for a car trip and sightseeing.

Here is a quick recipe that was ready for us when we returned home, since the crockpot did the cooking:

Tangy Chicken

2 ½ - 3 lb. meaty chicken (boneless thighs or a package of frozen, skinless, boneless chicken pieces)
¼ tsp. salt
½ of a 12 oz. can frozen lemonade (3/4 cup)
5 oz. can of chopped green chilies
3 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp. Ketchup
1 Tbsp. vinegar
2 Tbsp. corn starch
2 Tbsp. cold water
Put chicken pieces in slow cooker. In small bowl combine lemonade, sugar, ketchup, salt, vinegar and green chilies. Pour over chicken. Cook on low 6-7 hours or on high for 3-3 ½ hours. Take chicken out, cover and keep warm. Put the sauce in a small pan, skim off fat, combine corn starch and water and stir into liquid. Cook til thick and bubbly. Cook for 2 minutes more and pour over chicken.

Cashews or peanuts added at the last with a garnish of chopped green onions tops it off!  Served with rice, this is a fast and tasty dinner. (Thank you for the recipe, Darlene.)

St. Patrick's Day

Top o' the morning to all you Irish and others!

Two years now I have been blogging!  This blog experiment started around St. Patrick's Day in 2008.   It has been a self indulgent journey of archiving projects, places, and eclectic facts that are of no particular interest to anyone (except me). 

Tonite, Gene, the Cook, is making a traditional Irish corned beef and cabbage dinner for family and friends.  I'll be whipping up an emerald dessert to keep us in the spirit of the Green.

A short pub crawl in downtown Grand Junction will finish off the evening's activities.

Pretty Birds

Pretty Birds at the Bloedel Conservatory in Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver, BC:

Daybreak Scarf (2)

Notes: Ensure that the edges are very loose as the scarf has a tendency to pull inwards.  Blocking and then ironing with steam will set the edges nicely.  This was a pattern download from Stephen West.

Imagination hand painted sock yarn from KnitPicks in the Munchkin colorway was used along with a plain green acrylic yarn.

Vancouver Pictures

A Week In Vancouver


Create Your Own

Knitting for Pleasure with Betsy McCarthy

This is worth watching; it is a video is with Jane Pauley (NBC) and a Betsy McCarthy, a woman who has traded a professional life for a less stressful retirement of knitting full time.   Her passion has also led to teaching the art of knitting.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Is your life calling?  Can you relate to Betsy?  As an understatement, I surely can.