December Take It Further: What Is It To Give?

First off - the updated photo from this morning. A foot of snow. For us that's " a WoW!

This is the last Take It Further Challenge for 2008. I have really enjoyed this monthly challenge & have learned a lot along the way. Although I have missed some month's, it has been wonderful to have included these challenges in my creative life! The question that was posed for this month was "what is it to give", along with an appropriate color scheme. As always, you could pick the color scheme to work with - or the verbal suggestion - or, as I prefer to do, a combination of the two. I love the rich, warm colors of this season & angels are some of my preferred beings. Yes, I DO believe in them. It seemed natural to me that I should combine the two! I painted a background that I added the image of a painted angel to. If I had the power to "give" -the things that I would give, that I would wish for all people, and for all nations as well, would be hope & blessings. Blessings, to my way of thinking, are wishes: for love, laughter, health, prosperity, & all things good. I wish that all peoples might enjoy the happiness of home & hearth, the fullness of having enough to eat ,and, as trite as it may sound, peace on earth & good will towards each other. Never, perhaps have those words meant as much to me as they do at this point in my own history. We are about to enter into a New Year that is filled with so many different kinds of challenges, and yet, in the midst of all the potential for fear & sadness, there is , always, hope.

Namaste.

Take It Further Challenge For June

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Deeply

The theme for this month's TIF challenge was " Stories That Are Told: Stories That Are Possible". The Om sign symbolizes the presence of the divine in all things; and , in my opinion, that represents the concept of peace. Stories have indeed been told about this symbol and what it represents. In my naive moments I like to believe that peace is possible, and that if we begin to seek peace by appreciating the small, everyday, pleasures of living well, laughing often and loving deeply we may be able, in some small way, to glimpse what a world of peace might be like. Namaste and happy weekend to all.

Detail

The Month's Color Palette from Sharon B

Happy Memorial Day & Take-It Further Challenge Piece For May

It's Memorial Day here in the States. I try to take time each year to give thanks to everyone who has served our country in the military services. I especially give thanks to my three wonderful uncles - pictured above - who served during World War II. Thankfully, they all came home. My grandmother knew many families that received the dreaded phone call telling them that a family member was injured or had died. Throughout her life, my grandmother never did like the phone because of that experience! My uncles are gone now - but I believe that they know how proud I am of them.

Otherwise, I really have been catching up this weekend. I got the Grab Bag piece just about fit to mail. I also got the May Take-It-Further challenge piece finished. You may remember that I posted a photo of a mono print I did the other day. When I went to do the TIF piece I realized that it fit the suggested color scheme and, more to the point, it also fit the 'topic' for the month, which is "how do you describe yourself?". I am, truly, becoming & that's how I describe myself. It's frustrating to realize that with each passing year I am not only getting older but am also becoming the person I always wanted to be. I wish I had arrived at this point years sooner, but I also believe that there is a reason for everything. My "spousal unit" gives me the stability that I have always needed but also, at times, I liked to reject! Taking the big step of cutting back on work has also given me so much more freedom to work on discovering and 'becoming'. I am poorer financially, but so much richer all in all. The circles in this piece are also eminently appropriate for how I describe my life. Circles figure largely in my experience. They begin, and may be broken, but somehow they always manage to come back around in order to be completed. This was another small mono print on cotton. I enhanced the print with Caran D'Ache Neocolor water soluble crayons and ink. I printed the letters using this cool new toy that I got from "Making Memories". The letters are magnetic and fit into a holder that makes stamping words so easy! I had hesitated to spend the money on them when I was at Michaels last week on my off island jaunt with Lauren but now I am so glad that I did ! Now I am ready for June's challenge! Getting a bit caught up feels so good - now on to tackle the next "want to do" project - 'Quilt For An Hour" that I mentioned in yesterday's post.

Here is the piece in my sketch book along with my playing with those new, cool, alphabet stamps!

Finally! Doing Some Catch Up

Thus far this weekend I have been able to make some headway. Thankfully! I believe I will meet the dead-line for the Grab-Bag Challenge - I just getting into the quilting phase now. I need to check the "rules" sheet - I don't think I can post any photos of it yet. I am also within minutes of having my 'Take It Further' piece for May finished. I am going to be able, at last, be able to get somewhat caught up with Judy Laquidara Quilt For An Hour piece. I am happy with the colors I chose -and think it will make an unusual quilt.

"Poison" greens have always been a favored color for me, but, before I became so totally enamored with oranges & reds, my favorite colors were "my" "poison" greens & teals. I have never been too much of a true blues fans- and cool, pale blues make my eyes squirm ...maybe it's my memories of the requisite pale blues & other pastels that many of my high school classmates (notice I didn't necessarily say friends) wore to "fancy dances" when I was growing up . I wore deep red moire or black! Anyway, I feel that my needs are, once again, beginning to swing towards teals - and, as always, more & more "poison" green. Wonder why they are called "poison" green ????? Back to the machine - I REALLY want this Grab Bag Challenge DONE & outta here ! Have a great SUNday !

Take It Further Challenge #2 : I Remember The Love of My Grandmother,Thea

The theme for this month's Take It Further Challenge is what are we old enough to remember". I thought about that for some time. There are so many things I remember - so many good memories - along with the bad memories that we all have a supply of ! I thought about the many concerts I saw at the Fillmore East, about Woodstock, and about the lazy days spent at the lake or the old quarry. I remembered the coal furnace we used at my Grandmother's house in upstate New York , the hand pump for water in the kitchen, and the outhouse. I considered the pleasures of roller skating and hopscotch on New York City sidewalks, and exploring China Town, Little Italy & the garment district with my father; the vacations on Lake George when I could actually drank the water from the lake! So many things to remember!

I realized however, that what I remember most and what I am now old enoug to treasure the most is the love of my grandmother. Thea Elizabeth Kavanaugh Ellery. Born December 1898. Died September 1976. She was a red head and had four red-headed children;Ellen (my mother),James (my beloved uncle),John & William. My grandmother once applied for a job in the office at an amusement park & took great affront when she was offered the position of Mother Goose instead ! She had an indomitable spirit and lived through a lot of hard times with much grace and dignity. She helped make my childhood a much better time. I still love her with all of my heart and it is her love that I will always remember the most.

I painted on muslin using using Stewart Gill paints and ink. The photograph that I painted from was taken in 1918 - it is my favorite picture of my grandmother.

Take It Further Challenge #1

Sharon Boggen's "Take It Further Challenge" in underway. We were given the option of using the pre-selected palette or doing a piece about someone you admire. I was momentarily stumped. The colors in the palette are so "not" me, but I could not really narrow down the field of the people I admire either. I thought I would be behind in this challenge from the get go until I took out some paints and started mixing them to get as close as possible to the colors I needed to use. I just started dabbling on some Lutradur & ended up liking the way the piece was coming together. Once the paint was dry I free motioned some "thread painting" to add the details I wanted and then added some beading for texture. The butterfly was added a a little 3D element & his body is beaded as well. Phew! I'll be ready for the next part of the challenge after all!

Of course -I still have all of those triangles to redo for the Banner Triangles Swap (see yesterday's post). I finished the first one in what I hope will be a more correct colorway. It is painted on raw linen (which I simply adore working with). I beaded it & then hand bound it with a coordinating yarn. I have started the preliminary work other 9 triangles- and thankfully the deadline for the project was extended - so I may make it on time yet! Lesson learned: ask more questions to clarify what you THINK you understand BEFORE you start! The back of this triangle is a collaged page from an old book. I am new to mixed media things - and it is not my forte!