Eye Candy and French
I am an eye candy junkie.....well at least that kind of candy doesn’t end up on the hips. Lately my new favorite blogs are mixed media artist blogs and French life style blogs. Here are some of the wonderful wondrous blogs, that I thought you might enjoy.
Unnabenulla is a blog by Ulla an artist and art teacher. She writes about and shows images from the most amazing web sites and stores. Many of these sites are sent to her by her friend Florizelle who lives in Paris. See here some of the Paris Discoveries.
After reading one series of posts, on Gypsy wagons, fashion and art I was ready to live in a Gypsy Wagon, wear Gypsy fashion and create gypsy art. Here Ulla shows some of her own wonderful art, now tell me what would you do with an ugly brown bug.
Another favorite blog is Paris Breakfast. Each day Carol Gillott does a watercolor of a favorite sweet, pastry, teacup, teapots, chocolate pots, her luminous watercolors are always sure to make me happy. Today she has an homage to the French Egg. Will you look at boiled eggs with a different eye, after seeing this post? I know that I will.
Is it just me or do French women have a special way, with not only how to tie a scarf, but also in how to design and photograph their surroundings. Take a look here and here and tell me if I am right.
And look here at L’Armoire de Suzanne how clever they are when it comes to finding that special something.
So yes, lately I have been possessed by the French blog. No, I don’t know French well enough to be able to read these blogs without help, so I go to AltaVista Babel Fish. Sometimes the translation is humorous, I love that.
I am inspired by the above, sites and you will notice that on my other blog To Live A Creative Life.
Unnabenulla is a blog by Ulla an artist and art teacher. She writes about and shows images from the most amazing web sites and stores. Many of these sites are sent to her by her friend Florizelle who lives in Paris. See here some of the Paris Discoveries.
After reading one series of posts, on Gypsy wagons, fashion and art I was ready to live in a Gypsy Wagon, wear Gypsy fashion and create gypsy art. Here Ulla shows some of her own wonderful art, now tell me what would you do with an ugly brown bug.
Another favorite blog is Paris Breakfast. Each day Carol Gillott does a watercolor of a favorite sweet, pastry, teacup, teapots, chocolate pots, her luminous watercolors are always sure to make me happy. Today she has an homage to the French Egg. Will you look at boiled eggs with a different eye, after seeing this post? I know that I will.
Is it just me or do French women have a special way, with not only how to tie a scarf, but also in how to design and photograph their surroundings. Take a look here and here and tell me if I am right.
And look here at L’Armoire de Suzanne how clever they are when it comes to finding that special something.So yes, lately I have been possessed by the French blog. No, I don’t know French well enough to be able to read these blogs without help, so I go to AltaVista Babel Fish. Sometimes the translation is humorous, I love that.
I am inspired by the above, sites and you will notice that on my other blog To Live A Creative Life.
Labels: Inspiration
Friday, January 19, 2007
Marilyn Radzat, The Curator of Enchantment
Today I am going tell you about Marilyn Radzat and show you her amazing art.
Marilyn is called The Curator of Enchantment, this phrase is a prefect description of Marilyn and her art.
In April of 2005, I connected with nine kindred souls at a retreat in Hawaii.
This retreat was at Marilyn Radzat’s home on Kawela Bay. Marilyn and her long time friend Gail Lackey also a fantasy artist, were our guides on our creative journey. Marilyn and Gail are both members of the prestigious doll artist organization NIADA.
When I was in Hawaii, everyday was a journey of enchantment, as Marilyn gently guided us to find our inner artist, our Muse. She did this by taking us on excursions to find the magic in nature and the magic within ourselves.
We went to a Banyan Forest, where we found not only the beauty and the majesty of the Banyan trees, we also found great treasures on the floor of the forest. Banyan trees are able to make magical places with their trunks that at times cling to each other and other times line them selves up to make a Cathedral, with their branches making a roof as they spread and intertwine their horizontal arms.
We went to a deserted beach, there Marilyn showed us the treasures that wash up to the shore. Sea glass, shells, coral, small stones and other objects that have been smoothed by the sea and sand. We all came back with our bags and pockets full of the kind treasures that are so prominent in Marilyn’s art.
Along with using natural materials that she finds in nature, Marilyn has an eye for beautiful manmade objects. Her studio is filled with glass tiles, sequins, beads, ribbons, charms, laces, fabric and many more special finds. These are her medium for magic and enchantment. It takes you breath away to walk into her beautiful treasure filled studio.
For the first time in her 35 year career, Marilyn is teaching a series of classes at the Gourd College Online. She will be teaching techniques, that she has developed and used, while creating her own art.
There is still an opening for some of the classes. I would recommend that you take as many classes as you can. You will learn a lot more than technique, knowing Marilyn she will also teach you to see and find beautiful objects to create your own art.
This year Marilyn and Gail are again offering a Creativity Retreat in Hawaii. When I talked with Marilyn last week, there was one space left. I wish I could be there, however, I am unable to go this year. If you can find a way and the time to go, I recommend that you do, you will never regret it. It is a magical journey, an adventure in paradise.
List of Photographs, from the top:
1. Scorpio, close up
2. Scorpio
3. We the women, who attended the Hawaii Retreat in April 2005
4. In the Banyan Forest
5. Gail and Marilyn in the studio
6. Seating area in the studio. You can see the ocean from the balcony.
7. Ladybug, sample for the class that Marilyn is giving at the Gourd College Online
8. Ladybug open
9. The willow, also a sample for the Gourd College Online
10. The Heart of the Willow
11. A Secret Shared
12. The little "Hoonie" from a Secret Shared, close up
13. The Seven Deadly Sins
14. The Deadly Sins
15. The Deadly Sins
New post on To Live A Creative Life please come for a visit, you are always welcome.
Labels: Artist Profiles
Saturday, January 06, 2007
12th Night And A Report On The Jolasveinar
Today is 12th Night, the last day of Christmas. This is the night that animals can speak in human tongue. When seals come to land, shed their skins and take human form. It is also the night that elves visit humans.
I am stayin up until past midnight, just in case. I would like to see the Hidden People.
This night is celebrated in my home. In years past we used to have large parties and ask each person to bring a branch of their Christmas tree. After a lovely feast and strong drink, we would burn the Christmas tree branches in our fireplace,(fire laws where we lived, would not allow us to make a bonfire) and bid Christmas farewell. This evening will be a small celebration as there will be just the two of us. We will talk about our lovely Christmas and bid it farewell. We will be keeping the memories :)
This is also the night that Kertasnikir-Candle-beggar, the last to arrive and the last to leave, arrives at his home in the mountains. He was a little late this year. He was carrying so many candles in his arms, that he dropped one or more, from time to time. He would stop to pick up the ones he dropped and then having to rearrange his loot in his arms. He would then trudge on, having to repeat this routine several times. At one point he though he would just walk on and leave the candles that he dropped, but greed got the best of him and he does love a well lit cave, which is funny, because he will be sleeping while the candles burn down. He arrived just as Gryla was about to send poor little Stufur.....Stubby to find him. Stufur was relieved not to have to go after all, because for every one step his brothers take he has to take five, and that can get tiring.
You will be happy to know that Meat-hook made it back to the mountains. He was dragging his fat tummy, it was a very good year for him. As he arrived at the cave he flopped into his bed and fell asleep instantly. Snoring was heard all the way down the mountain. Some folks thought it was a land slide, but one of the villagers said with some pride “I have heard this sound before, about 50 years ago, when it was a very good year for Meat-hook”. He then puffed himself up and said “This is Meat-hook snoring” The villagers looked at each other and started laughing, because, this villager is well known for telling fantastical stories about the Jolasveinar. He considers himself an authority on Jolasveina lore. The villagers go along with him because they are not quite sure if he is or not, they have no way of proofing his stories.
Skyrgamur.....skyr gobbler, poor thing ate so much skyr that he had severe stomach ache and was heard crying out loud “I should not have eaten all the skyr” with every step he took. Will he ever learn? It is said that he does this every year.
All this crying out loud did not bother Hurdaskellir.....Door-slammer who was just a day ahead of him. You see Hurdaskellir had slammed so many doors, heard so many dog barks, startled screams and baby cries, that he had temporally lost his hearing. Don’t worry he will get it back after a years worth of sleep. He will be in good form with his hearing back and his arm ready to slam doors.
The saddest story that I must report to you, is the one about poor, skinny, hungry Thvorusleikir....Spoon-licker. Seems that there were not as many dirty wooden spoons, as in past years.....dishwashers. Thvorusleikir was so hungry that he hardly could drag himself up the mountain, once or twice he even fell down and had to crawl for miles. When he arrived at the cave he looked so pitiful that Gryla felt sorry for him, no small feat for Gryla, and offered him some Reindeer Moss soup. Gryla, Leppaludi and The Jolakottur.....Christmas cat did not have much success this year either. The Icelandic children were particularly good this year, so they are stooping to eating Reindeer Moss soup. Leppaludi is looking rather smug and Gryla is annoyed because she can not figure out why, but we know that he ate, more than a years worth in sales, of the Bæjarins Bestu Pylsur and Coke.....hot dogs and coke.
Disclaimer: The Jolasveina story was told to Mo’a by her Muse and is not to be copied by anyone. Her Muse would be very angry with you if you do and furthermore she gave Mo’a copyright :)
I am stayin up until past midnight, just in case. I would like to see the Hidden People.
This night is celebrated in my home. In years past we used to have large parties and ask each person to bring a branch of their Christmas tree. After a lovely feast and strong drink, we would burn the Christmas tree branches in our fireplace,(fire laws where we lived, would not allow us to make a bonfire) and bid Christmas farewell. This evening will be a small celebration as there will be just the two of us. We will talk about our lovely Christmas and bid it farewell. We will be keeping the memories :)
This is also the night that Kertasnikir-Candle-beggar, the last to arrive and the last to leave, arrives at his home in the mountains. He was a little late this year. He was carrying so many candles in his arms, that he dropped one or more, from time to time. He would stop to pick up the ones he dropped and then having to rearrange his loot in his arms. He would then trudge on, having to repeat this routine several times. At one point he though he would just walk on and leave the candles that he dropped, but greed got the best of him and he does love a well lit cave, which is funny, because he will be sleeping while the candles burn down. He arrived just as Gryla was about to send poor little Stufur.....Stubby to find him. Stufur was relieved not to have to go after all, because for every one step his brothers take he has to take five, and that can get tiring.
You will be happy to know that Meat-hook made it back to the mountains. He was dragging his fat tummy, it was a very good year for him. As he arrived at the cave he flopped into his bed and fell asleep instantly. Snoring was heard all the way down the mountain. Some folks thought it was a land slide, but one of the villagers said with some pride “I have heard this sound before, about 50 years ago, when it was a very good year for Meat-hook”. He then puffed himself up and said “This is Meat-hook snoring” The villagers looked at each other and started laughing, because, this villager is well known for telling fantastical stories about the Jolasveinar. He considers himself an authority on Jolasveina lore. The villagers go along with him because they are not quite sure if he is or not, they have no way of proofing his stories.
Skyrgamur.....skyr gobbler, poor thing ate so much skyr that he had severe stomach ache and was heard crying out loud “I should not have eaten all the skyr” with every step he took. Will he ever learn? It is said that he does this every year.
All this crying out loud did not bother Hurdaskellir.....Door-slammer who was just a day ahead of him. You see Hurdaskellir had slammed so many doors, heard so many dog barks, startled screams and baby cries, that he had temporally lost his hearing. Don’t worry he will get it back after a years worth of sleep. He will be in good form with his hearing back and his arm ready to slam doors.
The saddest story that I must report to you, is the one about poor, skinny, hungry Thvorusleikir....Spoon-licker. Seems that there were not as many dirty wooden spoons, as in past years.....dishwashers. Thvorusleikir was so hungry that he hardly could drag himself up the mountain, once or twice he even fell down and had to crawl for miles. When he arrived at the cave he looked so pitiful that Gryla felt sorry for him, no small feat for Gryla, and offered him some Reindeer Moss soup. Gryla, Leppaludi and The Jolakottur.....Christmas cat did not have much success this year either. The Icelandic children were particularly good this year, so they are stooping to eating Reindeer Moss soup. Leppaludi is looking rather smug and Gryla is annoyed because she can not figure out why, but we know that he ate, more than a years worth in sales, of the Bæjarins Bestu Pylsur and Coke.....hot dogs and coke.
Disclaimer: The Jolasveina story was told to Mo’a by her Muse and is not to be copied by anyone. Her Muse would be very angry with you if you do and furthermore she gave Mo’a copyright :)