What is on my easel...

Last Saturday I finished this painting and I named it "Secrets of a childhood".Again I painted on an unstretched canvas with acrylics. The painting itself measures 33" x 35". with a band painted in blue of 4" all around it.

The subject relates to me when I was a little girl and I would hide little secrets inside certain dolls. It could be a pebble, a little note, anything that I felt to be my own little treasure and some things I did not want anybody to know about. But even though I was always a little afraid that somebody would find it, I never thought all these little things inside a doll's body would make a noise. I now know my mother would take the arm of the doll to look inside, curious what made that noise when she moved the dolls to clean, but she never said anything to me about what she would find.

Summer is almost here...

Summer's almost here ...

You should be able to see the deer moving around in your back yard!

While, here in Miami, the temperature is a lovely 81 degrees and two mocking birds are fighting over the nesting rights in our mango tree.


What can I say....

Happy Valentine..

Where did the Tradition of Card giving on St. Valentine come from? We have to go back to a time before the Christians took over the "civilized world".

It all started as a pagan tradition in the third century. The god Lupercus, was said to watch over the shepherds and their flocks and keep them from the wolves. During this time hordes of hungry wolves roamed outside of Rome where shepherds kept their flocks. So the Romans celebrated a feast called Lupercalia to honor Lupercus so that no harm would come to the shepherds and their flocks.

Additionally, during the Lupercalia, but in honor of the goddess Juno Februata (are you still with me here?) , the names of young women were put into an urn. Later their names were drawn by lot. The boys and girls who were matched would be considered partners for the year (yes, the Romans invented the friends with benefits), which began in March. It will probably surprise nobody that this celebration continued long after the wolves ceased to be a problem to Rome.

After Christianity took over Rome, the Christian Church sought to replace this holiday with something a little more tasteful (read less ... way less sexual). It changed the name-drawing. Now, both men and women could draw names. Surely, the young Romans felt cheated as they found the name of a Christian saint on their cards rather than the wonderful companion they wished for. Instead of getting a companion through the lottery, they got a saint which they were to exemplify for that year. 

The Romans were miffed. They missed their friends with benefits every February. Some ingenious Roman lads thought up an idea. Instead of hoping that the woman they admired would be on their card, they went about sending cards with their names on them to these women. This tradition has carried on to this present day. 

So if it was not for the Romans (a.i. Italians) we would not have a Valentine Day Card Tradition. Life is so much better with an Italian...(I know... I live with the Hitman!)

Happy Valentines Day

Two expositions in February!!!

Once upon a time there were two "call for artists". I entered my work for both the events... Yes I was feeling gutsy and you never know, right? 

And then I was juried into both events...

Tonight is the opening of the first event. It is the Cheesecake Pinup exposition and I have two small male nudes showing there (yes, MALE nudes.... why should all pin ups be female?). 

The show is at Galerie Jenner in Fort Lauderdale and will continue until March 31.

The second event I was juried into is the "River of Art"; an annual event organized by Life is Art here in Miami. The event is only one evening and every year 7 or 8 artists are selected to show one painting at the event. And there is my painting on the poster.... the third one from the right bottom row.

Meanwhile I am working on a new painting ...

Life is just wonderful...

What is on my easel?

Just an hour or so ago, I finished another painting and will be send to The Netherlands next week where it becomes part of a private collection.

It is painted on (non-streched) canvas with acrylics and its size is 33" x 32".

Anybody who knows me a little, knows that my pictures of my work are not the best and yet again I manage to NOT capture the true colors. 

The following detail of the painting gives a better idea about the colors.

I named the painting: "OWL"

Seriously Sarah?

In March 2010 Palin started a “Take Back the 20” website, featuring a U.S. map targeting--with bullseyes--20 Democratic House members, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. In one of her tweets Palin urged her supporters, “Don’t Retreat, Instead – RELOAD!” and she even  made the phrase a part of her campaign trail repertoire. 

The site was taken down in the wake of Saturday’s attacks. It wasn’t until something like the Arizona tragedy took place before someone in the Palin camp thought it was a good idea to take this stupid and perhaps even dangerous site down from the internet. 

I checked Sarah Palin's official website (not the take back website) today, out of curiosity, to see if she left any comment with regard to what happened to the Democatic Senator Gabrielle Giffords. And this is what I read TODAY:

"On The Tragedy in Arizona"

My sincere condolences are offered to the family of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and the other victims of today's tragic shooting in Arizona.

 

Seriously... nobody told her that Senator Giffords is still alive. Or is Sarah Palin waiting for somebody who actually is going to reload... 

But maybe somebody will tell her - and with her many other politicians on every level - that ranting, throwing mud and opening stupid and even dangerous websites have nothing to do with the freedom of speech. In the least it shows that such politicians are ill mannered and are barely able to foresee the consequences of their doings. Not my kind of politician!

2011 and then some

Going home last night I sat in the metro. Across from me sits a young woman trying to ignore ... well basically everything, a true poker face, blank eyes and staring into nothing. The next stop two men walk in and one decides to sit next to her - still no chance in her expression - and the other one sits next to me.

The man next to me was carrying several bags and out of one he lifts a bottle in a brown bag and takes a zip. 

The man opposite of him - yes next to the poker faced woman - looks at him and then the following conversation starts:

"Is that a single malt?"

"Nope just some pick-me-up"

"Sounds good, sounds good. Are you sharing?"

"Sharing?"

"Yeah sharing, like in the spirit of the holidays"

"Nope I am not spiritual at all."

"Oh good, cause I should not be drinking with my medication and all..."

Still no change in her facial expression and I know she is listening...

"What kind of medication would that be?"

"To stop the voices"

The conversation now hangs in the air.. what can you say after such a reply, right? 

But I made a little bet with myself that she will get up within 10 seconds, even though she kept her cool.

"Do you hear the voices often?"

"Yes... even now..."

She only gave me a quick look and gone she was.

I smiled  and the little girl inside was doing a little victory dance.. I won... I won...!

The men kept talking with each other and I returned to my book. A good beginning of the 2011.

Have a wonderful 2011 filled with good conversations, little victories, good health and a lot of smiles!