and now for something different...

I went on a thrifting foray. I have been inspired by:

http://voodoonotes.blogspot.com/ and

http://advancedstyle.blogspot.com/

plus my inlaws are visiting and my sister-in-law and I are playing at making art papers, etc. Time for a break from painting!

Arts reception

Two Old Roosters

This painting was based on an old photo. I'm having trouble with photographing it, the painting works much better than this photo. Oh well, I'll try again when I get it home.
I'm trying to come up with a cool outfit to wear to the reception tonight.

Red and Rhonda

One of the last paintings I finished for my show. I rather like the triumphant way he is holding her.You are invited to the reception this Wednesday night 7-9 pm at Pynelogs. I wish I had had time for more of the bathers series....ah well, I have my work cut out for me this winter.

Z and the end

So there you have it, the whole alphabet. Phew! That ate up much more time and work than I had imagined.

Today, I am delivering work to Pynelogs Cultural Centre for my "solo" show. I don't know why they insist on calling it a solo show because it is NOT. There are 5 or 6 artists sharing the space. I think they are trying to let the public know it is not a group (like a club or painter's group) but it is not a solo show. If anyone can think of a better term, please let me know.

At last, I can take a break. I am going to start tackling the 101 other projects I have been wanting to work on but couldn't because I was painting for art shows. I need to take some photos for this winter's painting projects too.

Mmm..mmm, good!

At nearby Yahk, BC there is a farmer who owns a yak (or two)!

X

I vow to become a tea drinker this fall. I never understood the need for a tea cosy until a friend of mine was using one and I noticed that the tea in the pot stayed warmer longer. Duh! I did not grow up drinking hot tea.

W

The days are still warm but the mornings are cooling off. I could see my breath this morning. Gee, we had... three weeks of summer weather this year!! If only we could begin to be snowbirds.

Thanks for all the kind comments about Jinx. I accept that outdoor cats have chancy lives. Jinx was a phenomenal hunter and loved being out. His time here was very good.

Jinx

My beautiful boy is gone. He disappeared about a week ago. I hoped he had just gone on an extended hunting trip but he would be home by now. We live in dangerous country. I have looked for him with the dogs but he has vanished. He leaves a great hole.

V is for vanilla tea

At last, a day to stay home and catch up on things. Now if the stupid mosquitoes would just die off, I could finally weed the garden.

U is for used tea bags

 

I tried this once with rosehip tea bags and had pink circles around my eyes for days.

I had six very nice people show up for the Columbia Basin tour and I finished a painting. Yay!

T is for tea ceremony

Hooray, I get to stay home and paint today. I have been running up and down the valley for over a week and I'm burnt out! Hope some people drop by for the Columbia Basin art tour. I have to go walk the dogs and hang my paintings as soon as I slurp down coffee.

I got up at 3:30 this morning to look for meteorites. The moon was so bright that I could read the lines in my hand. No falling stars to report. Fiona liked snuggling on the lawn chair but was very puzzled by the adventure.

Newhouse teapot #2

This was the second Newhouse inspired teapot painting. Both teapot paintings sold last night at a smashing reception at Pynelogs. Nothing to pick an artist up like a really exciting reception. Kudos to the Pynelogs staff for a great job (as usual).

A shout-out that my studio is open this weekend 10-5 Saturday and Sunday for the Columbia Basin tour. Take a drive and come check out the collage papers I will be working on.

S is for sassafras

I remember having sassafras tea when I was a kid. It was considered a spring tonic. Better than the sulfur and molasses that my Dad's generation were treated with! It had a remotely root beer flavor. It had been over harvested in our area and people were encouraged not to pick it. I wonder if it still exists now?

R is for Russian Caravan tea

 We had a kettle; we let it leak:

Our not repairing made it worse.

We haven't had any tea for a week...

The bottom is out of the Universe. ~Rudyard Kipling ...

I am so grateful for the kind comments I get. I am suffering from painters remorse this morning. Or more to the point, alphabet remorse. I have to deliver the abecediary and the accompanying three paintings today. I wish I had been able to get more paintings done. This year has roared by like a freight train. I have been working steadily on all manner of art related stuff but not so much the big fun paintings. Too late now. Maybe, I will be able to go to the lake for an hour this afternoon. I have been too busy the last week of hot dry weather to go and if I dont go soon, there will be frost!

Its not that I dont know there should be apostrophes in my typing, its that my stupid, onery keyboard has flipped into French (it does it randomly, I have no idea why) so that whenever I strike apostrophe I get è !!!!!!

Q is for Queen Mary tea

Remember the tea kettle - it is always up to its neck in hot water,
yet it still sings!   - Unknown

P is for tea poetry

There are some lovely poems about tea. I especially like the name of the author of this one.
You could check this link: http://www.librarything.com/topic/39088

O

Until I went off to college, I didn't know there was any other kind of tea.

I am off to do my first demo at Village Arts today. Hope I don't forget anything (last demo I forgot white paint, challenging).

One more letter---!!!!

One more letter to complete then, I'm finished with the tea alphabet. Yes, this is how I feel. Thank goodness there are only 26 letters or else I may not be responsible for my actions.

I will keep posting them, don't fret.

N is for Nabob tea

Thanks to Marlea and Bruce for thinking of this.

I am declaring August Crazy RAvens Studio month. I have demos at Village Arts Thursdays and Fridays for the month. I have the Columbia Basin Tour coming up. I have shows at Pynelogs and I hope to have lots of paintings hanging around Invermere. It's a blitz!!

Nearly Missed it--Happy Lammas

Lammas is the celebration of the first harvest. I am adding a link to a lovely little old lady giving a lammas blessing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfI5RvnhkXk&NR=1