HAPPY BIRTHDAY,M🧡🐾🐾🧡🎃

HAPPY BIRTHDAY , M! 

LOVE, MOM, DAD ,TY, MAGGIE AND BAT 🧡🧡🎃🧡🧡 🐾🐾🐾🐾

SALEM ~ A HALLOWEEN PAINTING

 

★★★★SALEM ★★★★ 2023




Handmade Original 
Measures 10 x 8 
Material : Acrylic Painting
Signed and Dated


~Artist retains copyright ownership and all reproduction rights to the artwork.
©AnnabelleandM


I couldn't sleep but I remembered my dream... Salem returned.


Here is a spooky cute poem by
Ian Serraillier,


"Ian Serraillier was an English novelist and poet. He retold legends from England, Greece and Rome and was best known for his children's books, especially The Silver Sword, a wartime adventure story that the BBC adapted for television in 1957 and again in 1971." ~ Wikipedia 


‘The Visitor’, by Ian Serraillier


A crumbling churchyard, the sea, and the moon; The waves had gouged out grave and bone;


A man was walking, late and alone...


He saw a skeleton on the ground; A ring on a bony finger he found.


He ran home to his wife and gave her the ring. “Oh, where did you get it?” He said not a thing.


“It’s the loveliest ring in the world,” she said,


As it glowed on her finger. They slipped off to bed.


At midnight they woke. In the dark outside, “Give me my ring!” a chill voice cried.


“What was that, William? What did it say?” “Don’t’ worry, my dear. It’ll soon go away.”


“I’m coming!” A skeleton opened the door. “Give me my ring!” It was crossing the floor.


“What was that, William? What did it say?” “Don’t’ worry, my dear. It’ll soon go away.”


“I’m reaching you now! I’m climbing the bed.” The wife pulled the sheet right over her head.


It was torn from her grasp and tossed in the air: “I’ll drag you out of bed by the hair!”


“What was that, William? What did it say?”


“Throw the ring through the window! THROW IT AWAY!”


She threw it. The skeleton leapt from the sill, Scooped up the ring and clattered downhill, Fainter... and fainter... Then all was still.


★★★★Salem was one of our rescues, a very special cat who had a sixth sense I'm sure.★★★★

ORIGINAL PAINTING ON SALE HERE: 

ANNABELLE & M

SWEPT AWAY TO ANOTHER WORLD - IS THERE LIFE ON MARS?

SWEPT AWAY TO ANOTHER WORLD - IS THERE LIFE ON MARS?

The crashing waves on a hot summer's day playfully mix with the crescendos of Life on Mars that's playing inside my head. Dreaming under a shy sun, we have been swept away: to another world. Is there life on Mars?

WIP  

★ LEFT SIDE OF PAINTING IN THE SAND SPELLS BOWIE ★

"HE IS NOT DEAD HE IS LIVING ON MARS"@niallooo

"Believe nothing you hear and half of what you see." 

A mother/daughter Ghostly Adventure, writing together for the first time about their favorite subject, the supernatural.

♥️ Annabelle & M ♥️ FLORENCE BLUME -MERRICKVILLE

© 2023

LIFE ON MARS


It's a God-awful small affairTo the girl with the mousy hair
But her mummy is yelling, "No"
And her daddy has told her to go
But her friend is nowhere to be seen
Now she walks through her sunken dream
To the seat with the clearest view
And she's hooked to the silver screen
But the film is a saddening bore
For she's lived it ten times or more
She could spit in the eyes of fools
As they ask her to focus on
Sailors fighting in the dance hall
Oh man, look at those cavemen go
It's the freakiest show
Take a look at the lawman
Beating up the wrong guy
Oh man, wonder if he'll ever know
He's in the best selling show
Is there life on Mars?



It's on America's tortured brow
That Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow
Now the workers have struck for fame
'Cause Lennon's on sale again
See the mice in their million hordes
From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads
Rule Britannia is out of bounds
To my mother, my dog, and clowns

But the film is a saddening bore
'Cause I wrote it ten times or more
It's about to be writ again
As I ask you to focus on



Sailors fighting in the dance hall
Oh man, look at those cavemen go
It's the freakiest show
Take a look at the lawman
Beating up the wrong guy
Oh man, wonder if he'll ever know
He's in the best selling show
Is there life on Mars?


- DAVID BOWIE **** "HE IS NOT DEAD HE IS LIVING ON MARS" @niallooo

 

BAT TUB

Bat, bathing in the moonlight, at midnight, in the dark, in the woods, alone. 

My daughter hijacked my painting; no stars, no flowers, no more cats, and no ghosts. Maybe, Halloween? She named it Bat Tub.




“The moon can never breathe, but it can take our breath away with the beauty of its cold, arid orb.” 

― Munia Khan




"Believe nothing you hear and half of what you see."

MOONSTRUCK ON CAT ISLAND AND HAPPY CATURDAY 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐈‍⬛

I HAVE LOVED AND ADMIRED SIDNEY POITIER ALL MY LIFE. THE FIRST TIME I SAW HIM ON FILM WAS "TO, SIR WITH LOVE" AND FROM THAT IST PERFORMANCE I KNEW HIS KIND SOUL. I COULD FEEL IT RADIATE THROUGH THE TELEVISION SCREEN.

SIDNEY POITIER WAS BORN ON AN ISLAND TUCKED FAR AWAY IN THE BLUE WATERS OF THE CARIBBEAN SEA. CAT ISLAND IN THE BAHAMAS WAS HIS HOME. WHAT A MAGICAL PLACE IT MUST HAVE BEEN. IT WAS HERE ON THE TINY ISLAND HE WAS TAUGHT BY HIS PARENTS THE VALUES AND MORALS TO KEEP CLOSE TO HIS HEART ON HIS LIFE'S JOURNEY.

"IN THE KIND OF PLACE I GREW UP, RECALLS POITIER, "WHAT'S COMING AT YOU IS THE SOUND OF THE SEA AND THE SMELL OF THE WIND AND MOMMA'S VOICE AND THE VOICE OF YOUR DAD AND THE CRAZINESS OF YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS ... AND THAT'S IT"

I READ "THE MEASURE OF A MAN" BY SIDNEY POITIER, HIS SPIRITUAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY, AND FELL IN LOVE WITH HIM ALL OVER AGAIN. 

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BEAUTIFUL BOOK!♥️

THEN, JUST RECENTLY, I WATCHED OPRAH WINFREY'S DOCUMENTARY ON HIM, "SIDNEY". NATURALLY, I WAS LEFT THINKING OF HIM AND CAT ISLAND AND INSPIRED. 

BAT WEIGHING .8 OF A POUND THE NIGHT WE BROUGHT HIM INSIDE 

BAT ONE OF MY FAV PHOTOS OF HIM TAKEN BY MY DAUGHTER EMMA

BAT THIS MORNING LOL 

I PAINTED BAT, OUR BLACK CAT RESCUE WEIGHED A MERE .8 OF A POUND WHEN HE CAME TO US AND HAD LITTLE CHANCE OF SURVIVING, BUT HE WAS DETERMINED TO LIVE. HE WILL BE 6 YEARS OLD THIS OCTOBER 27TH. I DECIDED TO PAINT HIM IN MY REVIVED PAINTING OF "GHOSTS IN THE MOONLIGHT". WHAT BETTER PLACE FOR A CAT TO LIVE THAN ON CAT ISLAND IN THE BAHAMAS.

MIXED MEDIA OIL PAINTING ON WOOD 

MOONSTRUCK ON CAT ISLAND 2022 ANNABELLE ...I  FORGOT TO SIGN IT, LOL

THANK YOU SIR♥️

  HAPPY CATURDAY FROM CAT ISLAND 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐈‍⬛

INSTAGRAM POST WITH SOUNDTRACK FROM PRACTICAL MAGIC  - ALAN SILVESTRI

IF ONLY IT TOOK JUST A CAT IN A HAT TO CLEAN UP THE MESS! 🌍🌎🌏 MONDAY THOUGHTS

THE CAT IN THE HAT

Inheritance

There's a house in Kemptville which has a fireplace under the stairs.
I fell in love and, I saved the realtor's brochure in my book box of art I someday would like to paint. 

Summer came and went in a flash. My mood was in a shadow and, then, Autumn arrived and October. The chill in the air, the trees turning beautiful yellows, oranges, and reds, the beautiful moon at night all filled my senses. It's the month of October that always stirs my spirit, of course, our cats as well. "I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers."If only more months would do the same for my mood as October does.

It's almost four years now, on October 27th, 2017, when Bat and Maggie, our two little rescues, showed up at our back door on M's birthday and Black Cat Appreciation Day in the UK. Bat is a black cat, well, a brown-black Nordic cat; imagine the coincidence. Magical! Because of them, our days are busy with photoshoots, paintings and, stories. M loves doing the photoshoots and, I love painting the two little Gremlins.

"Inheritance"- my latest painting, began with the Fireplace Under The Stairs and Halloween. I can't help it. I'm bewitched by October.
Bats, cats, pumpkins and, ghosts are purrfect for a Halloween Night in Uncle Herman's old cottage. Oh, did I tell you? I almost forgot to mention Bat and Maggie inherited Uncle Herman's estate, " Bat Cottage ".

OCTOBER

“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
Inclusive of our cat, Bat, whose name in the book is October."🖤🐾🐾🐾

Bat's official registered name is October Bat 🐱🦇🖤🧡🎃

THE DREAM AND THE VISITOR

I couldn't sleep but I remembered my dream... Salem returned.

‘The Visitor’, by Ian Serraillier

A crumbling churchyard, the sea, and the moon; The waves had gouged out grave and bone;

A man was walking, late and alone...

He saw a skeleton on the ground; A ring on a bony finger he found.

He ran home to his wife and gave her the ring. “Oh, where did you get it?” He said not a thing.

“It’s the loveliest ring in the world,” she said,

As it glowed on her finger. They slipped off to bed.

At midnight they woke. In the dark outside, “Give me my ring!” a chill voice cried.

“What was that, William? What did it say?” “Don’t’ worry, my dear. It’ll soon go away.”

“I’m coming!” A skeleton opened the door. “Give me my ring!” It was crossing the floor.

“What was that, William? What did it say?” “Don’t’ worry, my dear. It’ll soon go away.”

“I’m reaching you now! I’m climbing the bed.” The wife pulled the sheet right over her head.

It was torn from her grasp and tossed in the air: “I’ll drag you out of bed by the hair!”

“What was that, William? What did it say?”

“Throw the ring through the window! THROW IT AWAY!”

She threw it. The skeleton leapt from the sill, Scooped up the ring and clattered downhill, Fainter... and fainter... Then all was still.



Salem was one of our rescues, a very special cat who had a sixth sense I'm sure.




THE VISITOR BY IAN SERRAILLIER

TIME OUT - IT'S FRIDAY THE 13TH!

Ok, you need to stay in the corner till Friday is done! 😂 Just kidding! Love you, Batman!


Photo and digital artwork by M -Three Cats a Dog and A Camera

Witches are Cats Too !! ‍🐱

"From now on, young man, watch your step...mother is watching you " 

- Endora in Bewitched

~ Bewitched Theme


photo by M 

Three Cats A Dog and A Camera 

Bullitt ~ A Purrfect Shot 📷

Named, of course after one of my fav movies Bullitt and star Steve McQueen



Photo by M

Three Cats A Dog and A Camera

AIR CASTLES AND A BLACK CAT ~ MARCH 1ST/2020 🍀😺

Happy March 1st / 2020

When I am tired of toil and strife
And wearied of pursuing care,
I turn aside from real life
And build a castle in the air. 

 ~ 
Heritage Minutes: Lucy Maud Montgomery

Taking a break from the news today.

 Happy March 1st 🍀

A Stitch in Time Saves Nine * Please Don't Eat The Daisies 🌼🌼🌼 Happy Caturday 😻

They say a stitch in time saves nine, in other words, deal with the problem right now before it gets out of hand. I love Spring, I love flowers and, I love cats and dogs but cats destroy the flowers 🌷🌷🌷 so before they could ( although some leaves already have little teeth marks) kill the daisies I covered them under a glass dome. 😂 Now, Bat is wondering what to do with his extra special day.

Follow the adventures of Bat and Maggie

EYES WITHOUT A FACE 👀 LES YEUX SANS VISAGE 👀

IT'S EASY TO DECEIVE  WHEN YOU ARE A  BLACK CAT, LOL.

THREE CATS, A DOG, AND A CAMERA  ON INSTAGRAM

instagram.com/murtagh13/

This photo of Bat made me think of Billy Idol's song, 'Eyes Without a Face'. You can listen to it here.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OFpfTd0EIs

I'm The Bad Guy 0202 2020

"I'm The Bad Guy "
So, Bat thinks he's Lee Van Cleef 😂
photo by M 

My Precious by M

" My Precious" Photograph by M

~ Bat is such an obliging cat when it comes to having his picture taken. Love the pic, M ♥️

🐈🐈🐈 🐕 📷Take a look at her Instagram Three Cats, A Dog, and a Camera

WITCHES' BROOM TREE WIP 🧹 OIL PAINTING

I love the trees! 

I love collecting their leaves, their seeds, the conks that I sometimes find on their trunks on my woodland walks and of course taking their photos. 

I also love the illustrations and paintings of trees, particularly the ones done by 19th - century British artists.

The Witch Broom Tree in this painting was inspired by Emily Carr's gorgeous trees of British Columbia.

"In 1818 Constable exhibited a beautiful drawing of elm trees at the Royal Academy. It failed to sell and so it was still in Constable’s possession two decades later, when he added a note on the back to the effect that “This noble Elm … was blown down April 1835.” It was a portrait, in other words, of a particular tree, one whose fortunes he continued to follow, and whose eventual loss he lamented long after he’d moved away from the area." ~ Professor Christiana Payne


And like John Constable, I adore painting them. When I came upon a tree down the road from where I live that looked quite peculiar I took a few photos of the tree for future reference which would come in handy when I went to paint it. At the time I didn't know why the tree was afflicted with such unusual, odd-looking, broom-like distortions but after looking it up online I discovered it was disease trees get and not from witches : )

I suppose the namesake is because it reminds one of a spooky broom belonging to a witch. So I decided to paint the Witch Broom Tree in oil but it was my first time painting entirely in oil and I didn't realize just how long it takes for the painting to dry and cure. This painting is still very wet.

I added a couple of spiders and webs to the tree and eventually would like to add a black cat and create more depth to the scenery before it's complete. Hopefully, in the process, I wouldn't destroy it.

NINE LIVES 😽😽😽😽😽😽😽😽😽 DONE 🧹

I believe this time it's done! I took a poll and asked people if they preferred the black and white version of 'Nine Lives' or the color. So I decided to add more color to the original; something I tend to shy away from.

I find each new painting I work on is a learning lesson and although the vision of what I perceived of the landscape to do not always materializes most often I'm happy with the end results. Of course, in the end, there is always that option to have one in black and white if I wish. 

'Nine Lives' with more color

 I  changed the vines and light on the tree. I think it's more effective in reflecting light. I also added color to the bird trees to the right of the tree and the moon has a small crescent moon inside its time tunnel. I also did more detail work on the moonflowers adding gold leaf to their center and star. Basically, I added color where it was needed. I like this one much better than the original.

'Nine Lives' ~ Original

If you are interested in my artwork or my daughter M's artwork and photography...

Three Cats, a Dog, and a Camera

I have just reopened my Fine Art America Shop and will be adding more artwork soon.

Thumbelina Bat ~ How Bat 🦇 Got His Name

When we brought Bat home with us from The Ottawa Humane Society, the staff had covered him with a pink crochet blanket, only his face was showing. He looked like a tiny bat. Photograph by my daughter M