Illo April 6th

We are leaving on vacation today so I did a quick collage of Rozzy with a Green Brocade Sofa - which she loves, and keeps covered in plastic slipcovers so it won't get ruined.

Memorial day 2

Other pics from that Memorial day

Memorial Day 2006

Last Memorial Day we went kayaking with 5 other friends, it was a beautiful day. We went somewhere up in New Hampshire, near Rye? and paddled around, went to sit and walk on a beach - all in all it was a wonderful paddle. Coming back we had to go under a bridge - and most of us didn't know that the tide was coming in and just surging REALLY hard under that bridge. 4 people got thru before the tide got strong and didn't realize that the other three slowpokes might hit some strong water. Linda and I were two of those slowpokes and when we started to go thru it was like paddling against a storm. It was all I could do to keep going straight, and paddle like crazy to get to the other side of the bridge. Just as I was coming thru I heard Linda yell, turned my head to look back at her and got swept back under the bridge. Her Kayak had overturned and she was in the cold New England water. I went paddling back to her as quickly as I could, worried that she would develop hypothermia in the cold water. Luckily, a large yacht was close by and the guys plucked Linda out of the water (they picked her up like she was a herring) and deposited her on a pier nearby. My hubby was close by and paddled over to help and then went back to the kayak place to report this upset, by this time the surge under the bridge had calmed down.

Linda and I sat on the pier, she was dripping wet, but we were both pretty happy. Tony reported our plight to our friends, including Lindas hubby who went into shock and "I'm calm in the face of danger" mode - which means he was panicked inside. We got picked up and brought back to the kayak store, Linda changed and we had a wonderful picnic dinner overlooking the water.

I wanted to make a memorial piece for that day, and have been working on it since then. First I took a background paper from Claudine Hellmuths collection and tried to work in a 12x12 format. I ruined the paper and had to start over. I used alot of Claudine's ideas, such as the pants - but the 12 x 12 format just wasn't working for me. Finally I threw out that format and went for a 12 X 16 format and using my own paper, recreated the beach scene and showed Linda floating away on a boat with poor Michael looking on from the shore. I finally gave them the piece last weekend as a memory of an infamous Memorial Day. I want to show it to Karen also, she'll understand and get a kick out of it. Here is a picture of the piece that I took, not such a great picture but you get the idea!

Here's to my friends and the fun that we have. May our adventures continue!

Cold Rainy Tuesday

What a typical Tuesday! By mistake I left my computer at home and got to work (after a dreadful traffic day) sans computer. Thankfully someone in the office had a spare so I could work! Weather has been dreadful this week, cold and rainy. I shouldn't complain, after the fine winter that we have had but I'm allowed to complain - that's the way I see it.

I went looking for some spring this morning and found this little flower poking it's head up in my front yard. Brave little thing, and very welcome to see it's little purple head trying to open.

I am working on a collage piece and the perspective is eluding me so I will put it aside and come back to it when my head is clearer.

Come on spring - we're waiting!

Illustration Friday # 2

I was fooling around in my studio tonight and came up with another "SNAP" so here it is..

Teaching Mom over the telephone

My mom loves her computer but is not a whiz at using it but she tries very hard. So today we walked thru how to get to this blog and what it looks like to others. It was great, in that I learned what she wanted to see (pictures blown up) and how I had set it up so that she couldn't really get to the ones she wanted. So I am rearranging everything. Thanks Mom!

Mom keeps admiring this piece - I will bring it down to her house to see if we can find a place on the wall for it.

Sunday AM

Illustration Friday -"Snap" - these topics are great, a good way to learn and stretch your creative mind. I am trying to get the topic and do a drawing each time - we'll see how it goes!

I am off to "Absolutely Everything" for an ATC class and hope to take Bernie Berlins class there later in the month.