Another journal page from Italy!

My friend and I arrived into Italy a few days early to explore before our Adventures in Italy class(I think this was 2011 or 2010 Sharon T).  One of our adventure was a trip to Villa d'Este in Tivoli.

This photo is one of the 100 fountains in the wall…"Le Cento Fontane"(The Hundred Fountains)…the entire villa is breathtaking…the grounds, the grotto, the steps go on forever….and then there's the interior…click on the link above if you'd like to learn more….

Ciao!

Reminiscing...

I have this terrific journal started from a class taught by Kristen Steiner / Adventures in Italy.  I recently unearthed more ephemera!  Time to add more pages…and schedule another visit….

Gratitude!

Doesn't that word just elevate you to another level….

think about it…

It does me… 

every time I catch a glimpse of it's resting place in the kitchen, where so many activities transpire...

It's a beautiful reminder of the "good" things….friendships, conversations, good times…I am SO lucky and blessed!

Thank You Meliss, my friend, for the birthday gift:)

Love you!

An UPDATE!!! 

 Published in the May/June issue of Cloth Paper Scissors magazine!  Prints are available here!

YaY!!!

:)

I've been working...and working...& did I say...working?

I'm developing a new series here ... yes, a series:  a number of related or similar objects

"Aria":  an elaborate melody sung solo with accompaniment, as in an opera or oratorio

I say..."yes, a series:  a number of related or similar objects" because I think I may...did I say MAY?....ok...I definitely have commitment issues...

"Eclipse":  a reduction or loss of spender, status reputation

However....this new series of mine which I call "Wallflowers"  is so exhilarating to me....

"Ebullience":  high spirits; exhilaration; exuberance

that it doesn't feel like a commitment at all....rather, a pleasure...a study...an experiment...

"Luminous":  radiating or reflecting light; shining; bright

I am looking forward to sharing more....

"Surrender":  to give (oneself) up to some influence, source, emotion

and reading your comments on this journey....

"Wanderlust":  a strong, innate desire to rove or travel about

Because I'm Happppppy!

Once those lyrics get in my head….glee is inevitable…it's time for skipping…wiggling…clapping, bouncing with the pup, smiles... smiles… and layering of vibrant garden hues that make me…..

HAPPY!!!!

Betting you are too!

Home Sweet Home

One of my morning garden "inspections" revealed this…..

Snuggled in a bromeliad….I think she has great taste!   Don't you?

May's Garden

The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just on the body, but the soul.

Alfred Austin

Gardens are not made by singing 'Oh, how beautiful,' and sitting in the shade.

Rudyard Kipling

Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are.

Alfred Austin

In search of my mother's garden, I found my own.

Alice Walker

It will never rain roses: when we want to have more roses we must plant more trees.

George Eliot

Gardening is how I relax. It's another form of creating and playing with colors.

Oscar de la Renta

Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.

Luther Burbank

A garden requires patient labor and attention. Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them.

Liberty Hyde Bailey

When I go into the garden, I forget everything. It's uncomplicated in my world of gardening. It's trial and error, really. If something doesn't work, it comes out, and you start all over again.

Emilia Fox

A garden must combine the poetic and he mysterious with a feeling of serenity and joy.

Luis Barragan

Won't you come into the garden? I would like my roses to see you.

Richard Brinsley Sheridan

A Glimpse

It's one of those days where I must calm my mind and tend to domestic responsibilities.  I can live in chaos to a point…then…the twitchiness sets in.  I will catch up on the news, listen to music as I scrub and dust  and organize the "twitchies" away…then I will begin messing things up again as I continue to work on several series…here's a glimpse of one:

Happy Friday to you…More to follow!

Another Stencil Technique

Hop on over to Artistcellar to peruse all the great stencil tutorials!

Here's mine for this week's post

Happy creating!  Love to see your versions!

Published!

So Thrilled to be published!

Look for  me in the May/June issue of Cloth, Paper Scissors!




Prints available here at my Etsy shop:)

Save a Tree….Carve a Tiki

Sadly, this queen palm has died…a toxic disease that affected a couple of our other queens…we were warned it would spread and it did.

No choice but to call the tree trimmer.

However, this is no ordinary tree trimmer.  Behold - Chainsaw Art!

And it just keeps getting better…add the grinder for detail work.

30 minutes from start…(longer than Mr. Trey expected)…here's the result!  Happy Dance!  Pretty awesome seeing the whole process!

As he stands…with a heart tattoo for my tiki loving husband:)

P.S. The artist/tree trimmer info:  Trey Bliffen's Tree Service, 772-475-3378 Stuart, FL

Sacred Heart Stencil Giveaway

Just a note! 

 If you have an obsession with stencils as I do, check out the blog link on artistcellar to enter a giveaway. 

In addition, there's a blog hop underway and design team inspiration for these Sacred Heart series stencils.  That's where you'll find the process I used to create my own sacred heart.

Green!

A quickie post on the Monday garden feature…

Great things happening here!  Will share more later…till then, share your green and be joyful!

Seeing Red

Continuing on my series of The Average Woman…

Latest works include "Seeing Red"

 

A diptych - two 16 x 20 canvases…good motivation to go larger next project…

Featuring canvas one…the colors are so different from the above photo…not sure why, but this is closer to the tones in the actual piece.  Multitudes! of layers!  These pieces started out as compositions of ginkgo leaves….they're still detectable if you look closely.

A closer look at canvas two…wondering if your eye goes directly where mine does?

A closer crop of canvas one to share texture details, lots of sgraffito and some collaging from a chinese newspaper confiscated long ago from a business trip…if only I knew what it said!

The inspiration for this piece in my Average Woman series was the color RED and the connotation of RED in the Chinese language:  JOY & Good Fortune.  Notice the relationships in shape and pattern versus the lines of dark colors and the blocks ranging from cool to warm colors interlaced with text…what does this piece say to you?

And it just SO happens I was thinking of Ms. Jenny today…give her a visit!