Saturday, October 25, 2008

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.

11 comments:

Barbara C said...

Thanks for the great eye candy. It was like visiting a gallery full of wonderful visual treats.

jenclair said...

Eye candy is right! Love the mandelas and the paper boxes. Hard to imagine below 0 temperatures--stay warm!

Melodie said...

Loved the art! John's stuff is great!
We have a warm-up coming......going to be in the mid 60's in a couple of days! Our color is pretty much gone tho.
Don is back from CO and he got an Elk!
Miss you!

Kathy -MIQuilter said...

That woven rug would be a wonderful quilt, I love it and the old door. Wish I was sitting in your hot tub under the stars.

Elaine Adair said...

Thank you for this lovely gift of so many wonderful images. You have a gift for beauty in many areas.

The mandalas caught my eye because just yesterday, I picked up a new book from library on the Hex signs in Pennsylvania, and how to actually make them - designs, kind of paint, lettering, etc. Very much like the mandalas.

Delighted Hands said...

It is kind of gloomy here today, I thought it was chilly until you gave me perspective! The colors were a treat, thanks for sharing! Talent is appreciated in any medium.

Stephanie said...

that purple tree is something else,that is really cool. Loved all the eye candy, thanks for sharing

Rian said...

Eye candy is right. I really enjoyed the "picture show." That purple tree is too much!

Michelle Auer said...

I like the paintings of the faces. they are really cool!

Anonymous said...

Great eye candy! I hope you do print some fabric from those brilliant leaves, they would be fantastic! I might have to make a flower bed similar to that in Toad Haven.

Anonymous said...

My folks have trees similar to that on their property in Prescott...is it Tanzinita (something like that)???

wow so many postings for me to catch up on!