flee market finds

once a month i like to visit the

st. lawrence antique market

i get there as early as i can

i love wondering through, usually twice

deciding what i'd like and how i'm going to use it

i have so much "stuff"

i try to put a limit on what i get

and how much i spend

some things are just worth it

like the brownie starflash camera

i'd finished and was leaving

waiting for the light to change and looking back

i caught it , sitting there calling to me!!!

i had to buy it, only $10

i have a small collection, this one makes 5

other great finds:

a bag of crystal $5

a box of metal hardware $20

a bag of watch parts $10

and children's shoe form $5

it was a fun morning

i even saw some celebs

justin and colin from home heist

more blooms

after the rain yesterday

i could smell the honeysuckle

i have 4 in bloom

my arbor is covered in clematis

on both sides, white and purple

red prince weigela

and a second bloom on my woodland poppies

everything else is growing nicely

with all the rain then the heat and now more rain

i can't wait to see what blooms this week

garden blooms

a few of this week blooms

out by the back fence where the cherry tree

used to shade the whole back garden

now the sun is filtering through

and things have really change since last year

the hostas and coral bells are bigger

the creeping jenny has taken over the flagstone path

the hydrangea's are twice the size

everything seems happier

also in the garden, evening primrose(sun drops)

perennial geranium and weigela

it's official

after watching last nites show

michael buble meets madison square gardens

i have a crush!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NAUmr6seb8&feature=player_embedded

summer dayz!!!

since sunday the temperature has been

climbing up into the 30's c.

which is nice for the garden

all that heat had made a few things burst open

my peonies were just sitting

in these little buds for weeks

i was beginning to wonder if they would every bloom

yesterday they were half open

and today, full blooms!!!

i love them, they remind me of my granny

more encaustic

another project from heather's class

inspired from one of my texture photos

it was one of those projects

that started out as something else

(brown and copper leaf)

and went off on it's own tangent and

became something really cool

i added the metal bar and gave it a rust treatment

the rust came out a bit yellow instead of orange

which works great with this piece

i finished off the sides with roof flashing
rusted it and nailed it to the sides
i've enjoyed using my found objects
adding another element to my work

encaustic class

i had my last encaustic class this week

feeling a little sad

i love my classes with heather

i learned so much and i

look forward to class in the fall

i've been busy "finishing off" a few pieces

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above is one i started a few weeks ago

i used natural bees wax and wall paper

rubbed on oil paint and added the metal

close up of the key

i just finished the sides
i used copper sheeting
distressed it with liver of sulfur
then added a patina wash
and nailed it to the fame
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i have a few more to finish
just waiting on the rust treatment to get to work
will post as soon as they are done

essential things in life are seen,

not with the eyes but with the heart

antoine de saint exupery

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above, photo from my garden

columbine

found art in the country!

while up in the country this weekend

we attended an outdoor party

at "western smoke out town"

owner "earnie" hosts this great party

3 bands , food and byob plus a huge bomb fire

the first thing i noticed was charlie's bike!!!

WOW a collage artists dream

i couldn't stop taking pictures

the was so much "stuff" on this bike

i love the "mad max" feel

my favorite is the " brownie hawkeye" camera on the back

crown royal bag, crystal door knobs,

mouse trap, egg beater, change maker,

hand cuffs, oil can, spur, horns, lunch box,

marlboro ashtray and bicks and smuckes gas covers

i'm sure i could design my own helmet

that would go perfect with this!!


i'm getting inspired

country weekend, part 2

my friend lisa and her horse "skippy"

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the weather was just perfect

sunny, not too hot and no humidity!

-----------
(i really needed some time away from my computer!

still have some "quirks" to work out)

--------------------

it was nice to just hang out

it's such a different life

i really must visit more often

the pet peacock

danny's barn

i want my mom!


back of the chicken coop





"jackson"

country getaway

just got back from a weekend in claremont

had a great time

but a little tired and soar

will post photos tomorrow

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above , my boots and me relaxing on the deck

looking at " dutchess" the 9 month old "paint"

enjoying her lunch and new home

doing my happy dance!!!!

i'm happy to say that my computer is home

and i'm feeling whole again!!

my hard drive died a terrible death

and now i have a new and improve model

everything seems to be somewhat back to normal

i'm sure i'll find lots of stuff that needs to be done

but for now i'm doing my happy dance

(with the help of a bottle of wine--thanks gillian!)

above a few shots of the
bachelor's buttons aka cornflower
blooming in my garden

encaustic class

well, my computer is still in the shop

so i'm on my friend lennie's

(too far to drive to irenka's)

i'm still going through withdrawls!!!!

i've managed to get a lot

of other stuff done
today's encaustic class was learning more texture

layers of paper, then wax

oil paint, more wax and some cheese cloth

i like the effect

these will make great backgrounds for future photos

garden bloom and computer gloom!!

my computer started acting funny last thursday

by saturday i was ready to throw it out the window

since then it's been in the shop

i never realized how much i used it

until it wasn't available

i'm going through withdrawals

my routine is all messed up

and i feel like a limb is missing!

(or just miss checking up on all my blog friends)

hopefully everything will get back to normal

by the end of the week

above is a sea of garlic chives

growing out front

a least my garden will keep me sane

encaustic class

after 7 classes with heather

i really happy with the way my work has been progressing

i've been very patient

practicing new techniques

not really knowing what to expect

(i've never worked like this before)

working back and forth a several pieces

learning to build up texture

and taking breaks , working on something else

then going back

so yesterday it was exciting to finish

my second piece!

i was getting frustrated

not sure what to do with this one above

i had a vision then lost it and

suddenly i found it again

and then it all clicked!

the more i look at it the more i like it!

below are a few close up details

of some of the texture

nature meets grunge

i love photoshop

sometimes you just don't have the time or the space

or the energy to get out all the supplies and

work on some art

never mind all the trial and error

waiting for paint or glue to dry

and then all the clean-up!

after a long day

it's nice to sit at the computer and play

with just a few click you can take

a few simple photos

one of a tree silhouette taken earlier this spring

and the second of a telephone pole, taken today

a few tweeks here and there

brightness/contrast

convert to black and white

a bit of cropping

merge the two together

play with the blending modes

add some text

a half an hour later!

something i could not have created

without going a little crazy!