ad libitum

ARRIVEDERCI

I'm going to Italy with my older daughter to celebrate her 21st birthday (yes, my younger daughter is already thinking bout her 21st birthday trip in twoyears) and we will be back on July 19. For my 21st birthday, my parents took me to Frank's Italian Restaurant in Hartford, Connecticut. My husband, who does not particularly like to travel, will be monitoring us long distance (I rented a European cell phone for the trip so we can stay in touch). We're primarily going to Rome, Florence and Monterossa al Mare, but we'll be taking day trips to Pompei, Pisa, Sienna and the Tuscan countryside. Have fun while I'm gone :D

SUMMER BLESSINGS

With strange weather all across the country (OK, Nature, we get; we're not in charge), it's nice to know that there are occasional delightful summer evenings to be enjoyed. Last week I saw my first fireflies (they've probably been out longer than that, as I'm a very unobservant naturalist). Between our midwest storms, we've enjoyed some beautiful bits of summer weather. I decided to make a digital collage in appreciation of beautiful summer evenings.

DICTIONARY PAGES

I'm participating in a dictionary and trying to get everything done before I leave for 12 days...So, I got confused and couldn't remember what letters I had (too dumb to look in the database until I finished my pages); so, I made 5 pages. Anyway, I sent off the pages today and am now posting them: the image on the left is the front of the page, the one on the left is the back. I hope you enjoy my made up words and am assuming it's OK to have some extra words for some of the letters. Meanwhile, I'm starting to try to organize for leaving for Italy next Monday.

 

FRAGMENTS OF ROBIN'S EGG BLUE AND ANTIQUE PAPER

I am in a Colors Round Robin and have just completed my spread in Joyce's book. The book is titled "Fragments" and she chose the colors robin's egg blue and antique paper. I decided to  do a fragmented page and to write a short poem (well, if it's about fragments, it wouldn't be long; would it?).

RESTORATIONS STORE PHOTOS

I had visitors from Illinois and took them to a Restoration store in Kalamazoo. I hadn't been there before because parking is such a problem, but there was an open spot right in front of the store when we drove up. I have no idea what I'm going to do with the photos I took, but I know I'll use them eventually. Anyway, here are a few of the photos of the cool stuff in this store.

 

BELATED FATHER'S DAY GIFT

Well, we had company staying here for 5 days (fun, but not conducive to doing art or housework), we had 10 people to Father's Day Dinner,  I'm working with one hand and four fingers from the other hand, and ... You get the drift. I'm 2 days late with my gift for my husband for Father's Day. He got the uber-portraits I did of our daughters this morning (Diamond Glaze adhering the beads to the canvas wasn't dry when we went to bed last night). Anyway, below are the portraits I did.

 

ROAD TRIP

Sometimes, last minute plans are the ones that come together beautifully. On Friday, Beth Bricker invited Catherine Warner (sadly for us, she has no blog) and me to go with her to the Milwaukee Bead and Button Show on Sunday with her. We would drive up on Saturday night, spend the night at the Hyatt (a mere walkway from the show) and go bead shopping (surely, one of the most delightful experiences known to exist) on Sunday. Who could turn down this adventure!!!! Beth picked Catherine and me up and we hit the road at about 4:30 on Saturday, expecting a 5 hour drive. We didn't know about the storms (and, it turns out, the tornadoes) until we hit the Chicago area. Beth drove valiantly...for about six and a half hours. We happily arrived in Milwaukee in the dead of night and set out for the Bead and Button Show Sunday morning. The hours were from 10 a.m. 'til 4 p.m. We were there when they opened the doors; we were there when they kicked people out. It was wonderful. I can tell you that I did a great deal to bolster the economy. In fact, I should get a letter of thanks from Ben Bernancke. Beth and Catherine, too.

Below, I am posting pictures of Beth, Catherine and a few bead tables.

 

A PAPER, NOT CYBER, ART JOURNAL

I really do consider my blog to be my art journal. But, I've always felt intimidated by the idea of a pen and paper kind of art journal (that's for "real" artists), too afraid to commit to paper. Hmm,  I wonder what makes paper more sacred to me. Maybe it's because I was born in the first half of the 20th century and I grew up with the tradition of artists working in concrete media, not cyberspace. Anyway, I was willing to take my hands to keyboard and mouse to start an art journal before I was willing to try the more traditional path.

With that in mind, I started another art journal today. I took Pitt pens and watercolors in hand (right hand, the one with working digits) and started to journal about a few things that are on my mind. I'm adjusting to the fact that my left hand will be in a cast for 8 weeks more before I can wean myself from it (found that out yesterday - I'm recovering nicely from my thumb surgery, but the body does not heal as quickly as one would wish; as I've said before: instant gratification takes too long). So, when I leave for Italy with Becky in 7 weeks, I will be a one-handed tourist. So, below is an entry in my new art journal, a merging of cast contemplation, preparation for Italy, and committing myself to pen and paper.

ONE HANDED ART

I've been going through art withdrawal the last few days (once the constipating post-surgical narcotics left my body) and have been working on a piece for Kathy McElroy's Orange book on a colors round robin we're in. Currently limited in the hand department, I decided to make a digital piece. I have a new cabinet card, which I've been wanting to play with; so, I scanned it. I worked at cleaning it up (bigger eyes, hint of skin tones, adding colors, etc.) and put in a sunset photo I'd taken on the drive back from Art & Soul, a flower from last year's trip to Hawaii and a champaign glass from last February's trip to Williamsburg. Then I had to write a few words to fit the picture.

After I printed my digital collage out on watercolor paper, it needed embellishment, but Kathy's piece's are all going to fit in a cigar box, so it had to be a flat embellishment. So, I decided to free-form stitch on the paper. Not a brilliant decision. I actually like the results, but it took a really (as in extremely, excessively, ridiculously) long time to thread my machine, change the foot and do the sewing with one hand and not very agile fingers sticking out of a cast on the other hand. After all that, I jazzed up the background sheet with color mists from Outside The Margins .

So, here are the pictures of the the original cabinet card, the digital collage and a scan of the finished piece.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A WEEK MAKES

  Happily, the 700 pound cast has been replaced with a sleek plastic, arm fitting one. I am no longer taking pain pills (still self-medicating with tea and chocolate as needed, though) and today I joyfully drove my car (the grocery store never looked so intriguing). I have a regime of physical therapy exercises that include thumb bends (still working towards a 90 degree angle) and making a fist (not very threatening yet). As you can see, I couldn't stand having an unaltered cast; so I took out the Sharpies and made an ornamental hand. It took me 2 hours; I don't work fast (or with great skill) one-handed. But, I'm starting to feel frisky and artsy and have even started working on a digital collage (this is slow work for me, so I'm not sure when I'll finish it; but I will post it when it's complete).

I want to thank everyone who left kind and thoughtful comments. I treasure each of you and I appreciate your messages.