Eye Candy for Halloween

I tried to blog this post on the 25th, but the computer was so slow I couldn't load the images. Today it seems fine, so I don't know what the problem was. I worked long hours Monday & Tuesday. My knees have been aching ever since.

Weather here is quite frigid. Temps have been below 10 F. We've used the hot tub a couple of times this week. That felt nice. Yesterday Warren & I spent the day together. I picked up a queen sized quilt top from Cyndi Campbell, to quilt. Last night we went out for dinner & a movie. Warren wanted to see Appaloosa, so that's what we saw. It was OK. Not great. I found it interesting that Timothy Spall, who plays Peter Pettigrew in Harry Potter, was in it. He was a "good guy", this time, but still kind of smarmy.

The photos here are from my trip to Salem. I wanted to share with you Ilene's neighbors, John & Sandy. Both are artists. Here is John showing me a plate he painted.

He had several paintings, each one included a mandala, & a bird.

I love Mandalas. I've always wanted to make one in a quilt.

This was glass paint on a window.

They also had several beautiful hand woven rugs that John had picked up in his travels from Turkey. He is a retired airline pilot from Germany.

Sandy showed me a quilt friends had made for her. It had a sad story with it. One of the women who worked on it died before they gave it to her. She asked if I thought she should hang it on the wall, & I told her if I had been the friend who had died, I think I would want her to wrap it around herself when ever she needs a hug.

The picture on the wall above her right shoulder was one she won an award with. It's the face of a baboon. Below is one of her textural pieces.

This was from a live model in a class she took. I thought he looked like Leonardo Da Vinci. I also thought it was interesting how I caught her reflection in the glass.

Her paintings & mixed media art had a dream-like quality.

They remind me a little of Susan Seddon Boulet.

I loved these textures. I'd like to put them on fabric.

Speaking of textures, Sandy took me to this place.

Loose Ends.

They had old doors & windows,

& stuff that looked like it could've come from an dig somewhere.

Interesting paper boxes that made me think of Sue Bleiweiss.

This is some of the stuff I bought to play with, & maybe include in my embellishment classes.

Outside they had a great garden. Even though it was done blooming. I loved this flower bed.

This tree is a bright PURPLE, I couldn't get over the color. Sandy said it wasn't painted, & she didn't know what kind of tree it was.

I loved how the Sun peeked through these palm fronds, & how they shadowed each other.

Back in Ilene & Stu's neighborhood I soaked in all the red leaves, & seeds on the Japanese maple. We don't get much red in Alaska in the fall, & I miss it.

I may print some fabric from these.