Honeysuckles are celebrating Dia de los Muertos

Dia de los Muertos is celebrated between October 31 and November 2nd. A celebration of those who have gone before with us with feasts and laughter and at times in the grave yards. When you think about it, not a bad idea.

Oh, Mexico, you are so right with this celebration. Okay, my little honeysuckle peeps, yes I am trying to get inspired to create some Mexican art for a swap I am participating in.... remember India.... this month we travel to Mexico.

I visited Mexico at a very young age - around 8 years old. We went through Brownsville, TX, and went into the country and I fell in love with it. My parents honeymooned in Mexico in the late 40s after my dad came home from the war. So, yes, there have always been warm and fuzzy thoughts about this marvelous country. Well, kind of... OK, I also love San Antonio and the Alamo and didn't like the Mexicans trying to kill my boys! Even bought my first coonskin cap and sang Davy, Davy Crockett outside the Alamo and stuck my fingers in the bullet holes.... as I sang.

Today, I started to get serious about my creation. Nope, I still don't have a clue on what I am going to create - this is the time to absorb stuff to creep into my creative juices getting ready to flow through my creative process. I hope it pops out soon. I took photos while shopping today:

Bought some food products to see if I want to use the packaging - don't know yet, but it will be on hand when my muse wakes up.....


I do promise not to be wasteful and will cross my heart that I will try to use these products. cross, cross. Also found some recipe books after eating at my fav eatery - Taco Bell (have to keep with the program here), amigos,

and already had skeletons cut out from my September workshop, (I do love my blue painted watercolor paper but not sure blue will work with Mexico, we will see),

Bought some fake skeletons to cut up if I decide to,

Here is an example on how they might work cut up:

CSI would love the remains:

To use a Michelle Ward saying, "I crack myself up!" Yes, it is that time of the night when I tell you I need to run and cook dinner. BUT, tonight in about 1 hour my buds, Ghost Hunters, have a live marathon on SyFy! I love Halloween. And hugs to all,

As the wind comes....... so goes Harley!

Good afternoon, boys and girls -- Harley at the helm here while my mistress is working hard at a convention. We tried to fly into Madison, WI, yesterday in the great wind storm of October 2010 - can you read into this: WIND SHEARS.

Holy cow Bat Man - it was shearing and the plane itself refused to land. But we tried twice to land and aborted the landing twice and flew back to Chicago, Chicago, that toddling town..... and then we had to turn around and catch a b u s to Madison - yes a three hour bus ride but hey we had to get here by hook or crook.

United didn't even try to land those little 55-seater planes until today but we were already here! We love the view from our hotel room is beautiful in downtown Madison,

Obviously my mistress was bored this morning and posed me in a shower cap. GRRRRRR, I have my limits boys and girls but she is paying no attention to them. She woke up way to early this morning thinking it was Eastern Time Zone - way too early.....

Just wanted to stay in touch and also to let you know I may never, ever, never, get out of bed again...... it is scary scary when my mistress gets bored......

Stay safe in all this crazy weather we are having .....

More Splishing and Splashing....

This splishing and splashing in paint can become addictive:

To this:

To this:

And on and on:
The final product, maybe?

Just kind of grows on itself. I also painted two other small watercolor pages just to use whenever, this one especially reminds me of golden locks of beautiful hair (and of course it will probably not remain this way - LOL):

OK, before I close, I promised you some Halloween photos from the office - Dilbert and his latest "flame," Miss Art (however the "Arters" say it is a "he" - hmmmm, how can you tell?

Dressed in finery with demon spawn:

Such a good baby - (OK, I admit it, Harley refuses to babysit for his spawn):

And you know, the devil is in the details:

Gertrude is not necessarily impressed with her new Halloween obligations, but hey, she has a line in her job description, "and any other jobs as may be assigned....."

OK, what part of "not amused don't we get?"

Harley is refusing to get out of bed until after Halloween.....

So, I guess it is, goodnight to all and to all a good night!

Splishing & Splashing in Paint in the Breeze

Well, I told you the other day I was painting a "red" thing, and I did. The only "to-do" I need to work on today is getting it a little darker and painting the other side of the watercolor paper.

I signed up for Julie Prichard's Layer Love Class last year. Luckily when you sign up for an online class with Julie - she lets you keep taking it until you make it through. I know a number of you who follow this blog have taken a number of her online workshops. Click on the link above and check out the outstanding variety of workshops she has created. The gal is multi-talented, beautiful, and a joy to follow as she walks through her artistic journey! She is an inspiration to us all.

OK - back to reality -- You know where I'm going with this don't you? Nine lessons - I'm on # 2. Ahhhh, such a driven painter and A-type personality in the painting world - NOT. Even took a class with Michelle Ward on painting stuff, luckily that was a hands-on experience in Wisconsin at Valley Ridge Art Studio. I am one of these individuals that will get excited about a class, sign-up and pay, and have all the good intentions in the world and NOT take it. Dadgumit. BUT, the two lessons I took with Julie on the Layer Love -- I learned a lot and when I am in the moment it is like I am painting with wings. I love it and I feel like I'm soaring. BUT, it is getting to the moment. (hmmm, I am preaching to me not you....).

I need to darken this up a bit today. I painted it with the red and black and some mushy stuff to make it a little more "pushy around the page" - I am so technical when it comes to painting - then added some old book pages, scrapbook paper, and song sheet. I love spraying stuff with water (including myself when water mister pointed wrong way, I am multi-talented).... love those drippy runs (yes, my make-up runs too):


This photo does make it look "lighter" than it is. So back to the old rag....

Need to get lunch. I have to admit I played cardio tennis this morning. When I got in the car at 7:45am - it read 39 degrees. OUCH... when I got to the courts it read 42 degrees - yup, on a roll. Played an hour or so, got back in the car and it read 42 degrees, heat wave, boys and girls, heat wave. But the trees are beautiful here in Northern Virginia -

When I first arrived here almost 31 years ago - it was in the Fall...... what more can you say - this state is spectacular dressed in Fall Foliage! Headed to a play tonight, will visit with you tomorrow and bring you up to date on the office decorating for my favorite holiday - Halloween!


Gertrude sends her love, my little peeps. Happy Saturday!

Merrily We Trip through the Honeysuckles.....

Or is that the sunflowers? Yes, I received my Round Robin (Six Players, Six Months" Collaborative Group) pages from Gina and she blasted out the "Sunflower" theme. I wanted to originally name this blog using the word Sunflowers in the title but every time I googled a new "title" it was already used.... Oh No.....

So I went to my second all time favorite flower and smell - the honeysuckles. They have been with me since childhood and each time I catch a whiff of them I am just happy. No other word can describe it -- just happy and not a care in the world.

Bless, Gina, she brought a tear to my eye when she used one of my all time favorite song lyrics:

"I could have told you, Vincent, this world was never meant for one as beautiful as you."

Oh wow, what a story Vincent had to tell. One of my favorite shows that had a Vincent character in it was a recent Dr. Who. Yes, the Sunflower painting was the theme of the story.

Interestingly enough, the background on these two sunflower pages look so much like Vincent's Starry Starry Night. The colors, not as vibrant in the photos as in person, sing to you.

The "Beaded Sunflowers" may well become a framed piece and hung instead of being placed in a book. I have not made up my mind yet. Those beads used as the sunflower petals are made from paper and Utee and embossing powder.

Knocked it out of the ball park, Gina, did since I don't have any doubts that I will never be creating any of those beads and am just marveling at her talent.

And then, Gina included a beautiful tag with the title of both pieces: "Vincent" and "Beaded Sunflowers." The tag is, once again, a work of art:

My heart skipped a beat just looking at the beautifully old buttons Gina used:


And these,
And how was your day? I really hope you had a sunflowerspectacular DAY with the wafting scent of Honeysuckles tickling your nose. Hopefully, see you tomorrow night and let you see the "red" thing I am trying to paint. OH my, oh my! Hugs to all......

Busy Beeing in the Breeze

It is one of the most beautiful fall days today on this glorious Sunday! WOW is all I can say. After finishing my "See India" pages for Patty, I needed to clean up before starting the Mexican pages..... oh my, another stretch coming. I have not only been trying to clean the mess created "in India" but the mess all over the place.

Last weekend I did manage to clean the kitchen, dining room, living room, and my bedroom.

However, the crafty area known in loftier terms as "my studio" is really when all is said and done - "hoarder's heaven" - does that sound harsh. It is probably meant to be.

So after some pretty darn heavy rainfall this last week I looked to the heavens (translated "my ceiling") which is on the top floor of the 4-story condo - surprise, Horders Heaven has a leak somewhere on the roof - gonna have to call the managment company to come and take a look.

Oh Oh

They do have to get in, don't they.... And to top it off I had so much stuff "pinned" to my lovely curtain that it fell down on my computer and my little work area yesterday. Guess you know what I've been doing. Slowly, slowly making some progress and finally, I can say I can call the condo management company tomorrow. They can get in here...... kind of. LOL!

Did manage to take one load of stuff to the Goodwill today and another stack of stuff for a coworker to take to her church scrapbookers! I do this for her about every six months. Sorry I don't have any art work to show you, but at least you have seen some of my progress. Or not! Hugs to all and tomorrow I get to go out and play tennis. Whoop Whoop.

Ok, my little honeysuckles, I am headed downstairs to fix dinner and watch TV and get ready for another busy week at work and a little more "thought" time on Mexico!