A Change of Pace -- Part 1

Hello Everybody!



Well, a change of pace was good for this gal ... she's reaching for that brass ring, which just happens to be a red rubber ball in a celestial game of "Jacks". I loved that game when I was a kid. You could play it inside, outside, good weather, bad... it didn't matter. And "Jacks" is indeed a work in progress...



Get More of What You Love.
Candace

ALWAYS PLAY

Hello Everybody!

That’s exactly what I am doing this weekend. And Always Play is the title for this piece here.


Playing in and around Athens -- aside from a quick trip to Atlanta -- The Farmers Market at Bishop Park where I hope to see Rose Pringle, going to The Midnight Iguana for its 20th anniversary of being in business … seeing friends for Indian cuisine chased down by a slice of coconut cake at The Last Resort…

And in and around and up and down it all is none other than ART SHENANIGANS. (And four hours’ worth of work – oh yeah, I conveniently forgot that!)

Check out these ATCs and Envelopes I found at Hobby Lobby (thanks for the tip, Kitten! ). $2.49 a pop. Not bad.

The Assorted Pack has 12 or so cuts of all types. So far I think I like the Illustration Board best, but we’ll see. These should help me prepare for my tiny canvas…

Take care and batten down the hatches. Molly says, believe it or not, Autumn is on her way.

Get More of What You Love No Matter What,

Candace

A Different Kind of Road Trip

I did not go to Folkfest this past weekend. Long story cut short. Okay, okay -- for one thing, I was working on these two and be careful if you do click on them. They will take a long time to load if you want an "up closer" look... just sayin'.

Hello everybody!

I did have a Sunday roadtrip, however, starting with coffee with Joe and Pita and another pal, and then ended up lunching at The Royal Peasant,

a new pub, smack in the middle of Five Points in good old Athens. That's Tonya, the extraordinarily self-possessed waitress who handles hooligans outside as well as those of us in.

The food is delicious and authentic. Both of the smaller wallmounted TVs were turned to BBC sports channels – natch! A lovely bar, gleaming pub tables, great long-ago photos of football teams and stars, a great atmosphere all in all. I told Pita, who shows up yet again in this post, “It’s the closest you can get to England without going to England.”

The lamb stew was cheap and delicious! The fish and chips -- perfect.

T had a pint of water --

while I had a pint of draft cider – Blackthorn. Yummo. Just what I needed on what felt like a million degree day!

The glass reads: "Tour The Brewery". No thanks -- as good as this cider was, I think I will just drink the brewery instead.

The Royal Peasant is conveniently located beside Earth Fare where we went next, and who did we see while shopping for our daily bread? First, Joe and Pita -- told ya! -- whom I occasionally pop in a picture of on this here blog. Sorry, kids, no photo today.

And – alas, no photo of Michael Stipe of REM, who still lives in Athens and is very accessible and involved with the community. Not so long ago, I was living in Atlanta and had already seen REM a time or two in THE premier club at that time, a two level building called 688.

My friend Jayn worked backstage and -- finding out they had not eaten and were not likely to eat, as funds were very tight for them -- she brought them over to the apartment for homemade spaghetti, salad and garlic bread.

T and I had just moved in together. Nobody we knew and loved had died. Everyone worked and everyone made art and music. Everyone was still good friends with everybody else in our enclave. It was a great summer, maybe one of the last.

I don’t tell the story about REM very often because I don't want folks to think I am shining them on with “celebrity sightings” and such. But it was nice going up to Michael, re-introducing myself and reminding him of that long-ago spaghetti dinner. Good to have a good laugh, and be able to tell him, “I appreciate what you have done and still are doing with your fame and your fortune.” It was good to hear him say, “That’s something I’m always happy to hear."

I hope your summer is going well and I hope you have a great rest of the week.

Get More of Everything You Love.
Candace

ALL YOU NEED

-- is love.

Hello everybody!

Here she is, all but finished.

Too bad I can't shrink her down to fit on that small canvas I have already begun work on! Well, I could...

Besides love, all I need sometimes is a space to just sit down and work. (And a cup of coffee. Cream and sugar, please.)

Sometimes I just clear off a corner of the dining room table. Occasionally I sit at the foot of my big ol’ bed and finish up a piece with the usual suspects -- coloured pencils and Crayolas. For painting, however… I take it down to the basement, set up the canvas and have at it.

Tell Me, Peeps, where is your favourite spot to work? Do you even have one? What’s your “studio” like if you have such a luxury? I know some of you do, and I admit to being a tad green with envy over it but we all do what we do to make it happen. That old Art Shenanigans won’t wait on me so I have to entertain him whenever and wherever he shows up!

Another fun bit – one of my Topsy Turvys on one of the Ro Bruhn pieces I won this year in one of her splendiferous giveaways. This will be a card for a friend...

Say, speaking of fun bits, a couple of you have worried about working very small. You seem to be worried about the size of your -- ahem, shrine. Well, don't be! Let's just have fun and you go ahead out there in Blogovia and just make a shrine – ANY size will do -- to share with everyone (altho Janet of Are We There Yet? is possibly staring at a couple of Altoid tins right about now -- lol!).

SHRINE DAY FOR LABOR DAY -- the first Monday in the month of September.

Till then and forever after,
Get more of what you love.
Candace

Beyond Continuous

Hello Everyone!

In "Wreck This Journal", which some of you know, one exercise encourages you (and me!) to draw a picture using one of my favourite methods of drawing, which is to form a piece of work with only a single continuous line.



Well, I had not done this in a while and so it was fun to do. And this girl's a bit of a goofball as well, which is, after all, what we need to be in order to cuddle up to Art Shenanigans. And from there, we can springboard into more "serious" things. And even those are fun...

While this Dialogues piece may seem whimsical in nature, is there anything more absolutely controversial and revolutionary than love...? And is it really all we need? Is it ever easy? You tell me!

Here is a peek at the second part of the most Kitten Art Challenge -- the notorious tee tiny canvas I will paint an entire Lovely Lady on -- mmmm. And Jeanne, take it "One Day At A Time" and do whatever size shrine you like, Pal. That goes for every one of you who want to be in this Shrine Day For Labor Day challenge. No guts, no glory.

And, just when I needed a quicker picker upper (work has been gruesome and I sure miss my weekly Art Days with Kitten!), look at this postcard from Sarah. She must remember how I love those old cows! Isn't the drawing great? I assume she did it. But if not, it's still spot on.

And the stamp on the front is one I must save to add it to My Collection. Sarah stamped this card with a little beauty you can check out here -- Pixies. I scoped out this series of British postal stamps and wow, am I ever impressed with this lot. The link gives a little information about the "Mythical Creatures" stamps, too. Thanks, Sarah!

Continuous blogging leads to continuous friendships blooming away in the cyberspace garden ... several of you have recently sent me blog awards and how I thank you all for those kindnesses! Back at'cha... and speaking of blooming --

Get More of What You Love.

It's Easy!

Candace in Athens.

CHALLENGES and More

Hello Everyone!

Last week, Kitten gave me this small tin and said, "Here is your new challenge." I love it when she does that until I hear what it is. "Make a shrine." Mmm... but it's so tee tiny.
"I said it was a challenge. You can do it! And while we're at it, here's another challenge for you."

I ducked and covered but no dice. Kitten gave me a 1 inch by 1 inch stretched canvas (you read that right) and said, "Paint one of your Lovely Ladies on this."

Before I could even form a thought, let alone voice a word of protest, she added. “NOT just the head. I want to see an entire person on this.” DOH! But what I said was, “No problem.”

Tell Me, Peeps, do YOU have a shrine of any size whatsoever to share with us? If so, I would like to try for a SHRINE DAY FOR LABOR DAY (the first Monday in September for you non US types). How’s about it? (Simply because it’s going to take me that long to do it, believe me! Just when I think I am working small, I realize I’ve picked up extra millimeters.)

T and I took a short roadtrip today to visit some friends in Decatur. It was the first time I had visited their new home.

Nic is a great b&w photographer while Kathleen is all about colour.

The blue kettle on the stove made me think of the cobalt blue boiler Jeanne in London left with me almost two years ago.

And extra eyecandy for the casual observer was this gorgeous glass seahorse from Nic’s Mom hanging over the sink – which I am so down with. I recall my fascination with seahorses and octopi even as a child. Let's not even talk about dinosaurs. I was nuts for them all!

My next roadtrip might have to be the Florida beach community where Nic’s Mom lives to get myself one of these glass treasures! If so, rest assured Miss Mimi Hollace Green will definitely be invited.

Home again, home again, iggity jig to a lovely plate of roasted potatoes on a Blue Willow plate and then trundling upstairs for a visit from The Sandman --

hey, that's not The Sandman! What the...???

More next time!
Take care and get what you love.
Candace in Athens.

Are We There Yet???

And who else could have won the Augustpalooza Giveaway but

from “Are We There Yet?” Join me in congratulating Janet and even better, go check out that blog of hers. Janet, you know the drill by now, I bet. Please send me your addy at canwiggins@gmail.com.

This next little piece is entitled “Birds of a Feather”. Sort of a tip of the hat to the Pet/Owner Syndrome… you know how some married couples look alike? Some pets and owners do too, from some photos I’ve seen. I also wanted to show Miss Mimi Hollace Green that I really am managing more than heads in my "body of work" … lol! Coloured pencils are good at making fun little "popped into my head" drawings.

Below is a very rough pencil sketch of Oberon’s Court from Midsummer Night’s Dream – I know it’s tough to see. That’s Oberon with the leaf crown and cape and Puck is sneaking a peek up at His Nibs. Yes, those are faerie princesses gathered around, always hoping Titania and her ass won’t show back up so they can have a chance at The King o’ the Wood himself. (Listen to how I talk here! It’s the call of the wild!)

And this here boyo is Lysander from That Same Play. A coloured pencil sketch of a character that I always thought of as an overripe peach, personally. A tad soft and near spoiled… but that’s just me. Of course, you knew he’d be (almost) a redhead!

Someone asked why I am so quiet lately on the blogs, etc.

Yep. All the livelong day and weekends till August 22… supposedly. The extra OT moula this week will come in handy for next weekend when I am hopping in the car for -- yes indeed, another roadtrip! This one with a definite artistic slant in mind, too, as I trek down I85 to the North Atlanta Trade Center for FolkFest 2009.

Stay tuned and as always -- Get More of What You Love.
Candace

Counting Down –

For Augustpalooza!

Hello everyone! The owner of my best and longest friendship ever – 47 years! – was born August 1st, which is an important day no matter who you are or what you believe. Several family members were born in August as was yet another good friend. And kids go back to school. So the month is special to me for several reasons.


Lammas or Loaf Mass was/is celebrated on this day. For many, especially in agricultural societies around the world, it was First Harvest. And it was a last chance, a last ditch effort to get those quickie crops in the ground that would supplement the harvest over what were harsh winters, no doubt. More on that later… like October.

And, this is the Last Chance to make a comment for the drawing at Midnight on Saturday, August 1st for EyeCandy’s Augustpalooza Art Giveaway. Only three more after this. This has been fun, even if a couple have been delayed and one got TOTALLY off track… what the --???

Speaking of first harvests...

Now, before you laugh, T is inordinately proud of these three little peppers (and how they grew), and the basil is not to be believed… we’ve already been enjoying these fragrant leaves in food and tinctures for other things. Good thing it's all in a pot up on the back deck, otherwise that handsome rascal Buck would make short work of it. Of course, if he got a mouthful of those peppers, he might think twice next time.

Happy birthday, Leon.
Get More of What You Love,
Candace