FORGET-ME-NOT - COTTAGE BY THE SEA

TWO DOVES, A CAT, AND MY SON, LOL.
"OUR HOUSE, THEY SAY; AND MINE, THE CAT DECLARES" AND MINE, SAID; MY SON THIS MORNING WHEN I SENT HIM A PICTURE OF THE COMPLETED OIL PAINTING OF THE COTTAGE BY THE SEA - FORGET-ME-NOT.

I finally decided to place the two doves on the cottage roof and a little white cat in the garden. 
On to my next painting. I'm practicing "Hygge; bringing in a little bit of Danish culture into my life and sharing with people that seek that same dreamy place in their life.

MY HOUSE, I SAY 


~ ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON 1850-1894


"My house, I say. But hark to the sunny doves 
That make my roof the arena of their loves, 
That gyre about the gable all day long 
And fill the chimneys with their murmurous song: 
Our house, they say; and mine, the cat declares 
And spreads his golden fleece upon the chairs; 
And mine the dog, and rises stiff with wrath 
If any alien foot profane the path. 
So, too, the buck that trimmed my terraces, 
Our whilom gardener, called the garden his;
Who now, deposed, surveys my plain abode 
And his late kingdom, only from the road."

ONE MOSTLY GHOSTLY NIGHT

If I could travel back in time, I would choose Ghostly Victorian England and live in a cottage by the sea, much like "Gull Cottage" from the movie "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir."

A haunting, lonely cottage by the sea, the house I've lived in all my life in my dreams. It was the lonely, ghostly mood of the place and a house sitting silently alone, its only view the romantic sea that I wanted to capture in this painting of three spooky cute ghost cats by the names of Ghost, Spooks, and Boo sitting by the seashore on "One Mostly, Ghostly Night."

As I was painting the ghost cats sitting on the driftwood posts, I got a flashback to the scene of Lucy and her daughter, Anna, on the beach and how the old fisherman carved Anna's name on the driftwood.

I could sign my work with my name, Anna on one of the ghost cat's driftwood posts. How fitting to pay homage to one of my all-time favorite ghost movies. 


Oh, and by the way, Annabelle is my nickname given to me by my husband when we first met because I love the poem, Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe. Oh, and one more thing, look at the cloud to the right of the moon.

Lucy Muir: "I want Gull Cottage".

Lucy Muir: "I want Gull Cottage".


If interested in the ghost tale, here is a link to its trailer.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) Gene Tierney, Rex Harrison, Natalie Wood

FRIED PUMPKIN BLOSSOMS 🎃🎃🎃🌼🌼🌼

Last night's frost killed our pumpkin patch.

Only spooky white ghosts peeked from beneath the black weepy leaves of the pumpkin patch, no Atlantic Orange, no Fairytales.

However, there were lots of beautiful orange pumpkin blossoms left that managed to survive, so I made Fried Pumpkin Blossoms.

RECIPE HERE: MAMA'S FRIED PUMPKIN BLOSSOMS

AND HOW TO FREEZE AND FRY:

FRESH PUMPKIN BLOSSOMS WITH INSTRUCTIONS VIDEO OF FREEZING & FRYING FROM LYLE HORNER'S KITCHEN 

 

BETWEEN THE COVERS OF A BOOK 😽📕

“Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder.”

~ E.B.WHITE

When,

at that moment, the secret charm of your cat appears before you: how human is he, reading a book, and in the company of his new friend, Charlotte.

HAPPY CATURDAY!😽

For September 5th/2020 Theme,

"Book Titles".


Charlotte's Web 🕷🕸🐖

~E.B.WHITE


“A library is a good place to go when you feel unhappy, for there, in a book, you may find encouragement and comfort. A library is a good place to go when you feel bewildered or undecided, for there, in a book, you may have your question answered. Books are good company, in sad times and happy times, for books are people - people who have managed to stay alive by hiding between the covers of a book."

Bat has a new friend, Charlotte the spider.

Bat, you are one TERRIFIC CAT!😻

The Little Sunflower's Wish 🌱🌻🧡🌻🌱🧡🌻🧡🌱

The Little Sunflower's Wish  🌱🌻🧡🌻🌱🧡🌻🧡🌱

Magic in a Tangled Garden

I glanced up to look at the sunny heads looking down from the towering stalks of the giant sunflowers. A little sunflower was looking up too. This tangled garden of ours keeps creating magic.

Nature tells us many things, and this little guy, I believe, is telling us where there is love life grows.

Ah! Sun-Flower
By William Blake

Ah, Sun-flower! weary of time,

Who countest the steps of the Sun:

Seeking after that sweet golden clime

Where the traveler's journey is done.

Where the Youth pined away with desire,

And the pale Virgin shrouded in snow:

Arise from their graves and aspire,

Where my Sunflower wishes to go.

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

Happiness is A Bat...Pipistrello🦇🐈

Happiness is A Bat...Pipistrello


I read a poem by D.H. Lawrence 'BAT', who unfortunately didn't like bats. I shared the same sentiments until my daughter got me to appreciate them on our bonfire nights. Although, I must admit I still do get a bit anxious when they fly a touch too low.

"Bats, and an uneasy creeping in one's scalp
As the bats swoop overhead!
Flying madly."


Lawrence also states in his poem that in China the Bat is a symbol of Happiness.Bat after all is a cat we must not forget but sometimes we do! I suppose half cat and half bat counts for all the happiness he's brought us 🦇🐈

Along came a bug on October 27th who almost didn't make it. The little bug though looked very much like a tiny bat and so he got the name Bat. Of course, we all have since gone batty ^..^


Couldn't wake up Bat but this other little witch-bird should be sleeping by now.

Love Bats, Cats, and Halloween 🦇🎃🧹🐈


The Bat by: Arthur Guiterman (1871-1943)


Airy-mouse, hairy mouse,
Keen-eared contrary mouse,
Come from your cavern--a star's in the sky!
Fluttering, flittering,
Eerily chittering,
Swoop on your quarry, the dusk-haunting fly.

Airy-mouse, wary mouse,
Witch-bird or fairy-mouse,
Soft through the shadow the dawn-glimmer steals;
Night's your carousing-time,
Day brings your drowsing-time;
Hence to your hollow and hang by your heels!

CASTEL BOUS 🎃🎃🎃👀🧹🐈

Urban Dictionary

Bous is a term used to define any: thing, feeling, emotion place, person, situation, experience or comment that is highly positive or loved by an individual or social group. 

'Castel Bous'

This Halloween Mixed Media Painting is done in 

Acrylic and Ink on small miniature wood panel. 

Still working on a fence for the front of the Castel : )

Can you spot the skair-ee cat ?

Boo came to mind because of the peeking ghost so when I asked hubby for help with a title he sent me the above definition and in the subject wrote "Castel Bous" misspelling 'Castle' with Castel.

The name Castel to me sounded like a wine,  which turns out there is a wine from France called, Maison Castel. Of course when stringing the two words together Castel Bous you immediately think booze :  ) I found it kind of funny so I kept the title ...'Castel Bous' * Hope you like it. 

Anna 🎃🎃🎃👀🧹🐈

A Mostly, Ghostly Night 🐺🐺🐺 🎃 👀

"Listen to them,
Children of the Night. 
What music they make."

~ Bela Lugosi  Dracula 1931


PHOTOS BY M www.instagram.com/murtagh13/

Inspired by an old flick from 1931, 'Dracula', starring without a doubt the best Dracula ever, Bela Lugosi. I have always loved his line about his pet wolves so I thought why not make 3 little scary cats afraid of Dracula and his furry kids. 


 ' A Mostly, Ghostly Night ' is a  Halloween painting done in acrylic & ink on a wood slice and features a clowder of three ghostly cats, Ghost, Spooks, and Boo @ The Castle By the Sea.

When Ghost, Spooks, and Boo are invited out to the Castle for the October Halloween Ball their plans quickly change when they realize just who lives in the Castle by The Sea.

*****

~ They could hear a strange and haunting melody carried across the sea only soon realizing the music was the sound of howling wolves and they knew that only one could be their keeper, Count Dracula. 

And so, they sat on the mooring posts wondering if wolves and the vampire hunted Ghost Cats.

And when I went to paint the driftwood mooring post for 'Ghost' the cat,  I remembered a scene from my very favorite Ghost Movie, "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" 1947. If you have seen the movie you know the scene I am referring to but if not, it is where 'Lucia's' daughter, 'Anna' played by Natalie Wood writes her name on the driftwood log. 

It is my name, after all, Anna. 

How could I not? Purrfect! 
I hope you like the painting and of course Bat.
Happy Halloween ~ 
🐺🐺🐺 🎃 👀 A Mostly, Ghostly Night 🐺🐺🐺 🎃 👀

Anna

NINE LIVES 🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈

*** My latest painting *** "Nine Lives " ***

Bat and "Nine Lives", sure hope this little fella will live all 9! 🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈
I must confess, I do have a favorite pet, Bat! Why, well because his story is so special but that's for another post.

I've become the crazy cat lady in my senior years but I do love them a bunch, all three of them, Bat, Maggie, and Karson! Still, I miss our Grace but for the time being, will wait a bit longer before we get another dog, life is too busy at the moment.

Under the willow, the cat's tomb sunk a little further into the old tree. Only, in the ghostly glow of the moonflowers, could one see the tombstone dimly appear from the dark crevices of the ancient monolithic trunk. 

So, I paint and listen to my music and the words in a song, in a man paint a picture in my head. 

 *********

"So long ago, I don't remember when

That's when they say I lost my only friend

Well, they said she died easy of a broken heart disease.

As I listened through the cemetery trees."

My art is inspired by Living Life and Art.

 Movies, Books, spoken words and Music 

Art imitates Life, Life imitates Art.

The song "One Headlight", The Wallflowers ~ written by Jakob Dylan, was discovered one night when I heard it played in a movie starring Alicia Silverstone and Benicio Del Toro in "Excess Baggage "... Thanks, M for getting me to watch this movie, loved it! Of course, Bat kept me company while I painted. I think he was a painter in another life.

I think I like "Nine Lives " better in black and white. I believe my favorite color is black.

Deceased cat to her paramour: 

"Nine lives lived...

" I know that the ones who love us will miss us". 
I miss you too, my sweetie". 

    

Hubby gave me the title "Nine Lives " when I asked him what he thought of the title I had "Miss You". Then, later I read an article in The New Yorker on Keanu Reeves and his thoughts on death. I'm sure our furry friends feel much the same and so I used Reeves words for the kitty cat. 

Once in a while, a star really shines brighter. Keanu Reeves is one of our very, favorites, especially so for my aunt, Anna in Italy. 

p.s. Anna, 

I thought you might like this bit of information on Keanu Reeves : )

Ghost cats and Bastet,  guardians of Willows Cemetery.

Original in color

Enlarge the image and you'll discover there is more to see besides Bat : ) Hint: look at the trees, sky, and moon and maybe a tombstone, too : )

Hope you like "Nine Lives" and Bat, well I think most do.

Grace and Karson

                    Grace

July 1st, 2005 ~ Feb 27th, 2019

              

Grace and Karson photographed by M

“And it is exceedingly short, his galloping life. Dogs die so soon. I have my stories of that grief, no doubt many of you do also. It is almost a failure of will, a failure of love, to let them grow old—or so it feels. We would do anything to keep them with us, and to keep them young. The one gift we cannot give. •”


Mary Oliver, Dog Songs

 

Above photos by M

The Dreaming Tree 🌳

The Dreaming Tree 🌳
The morning's temperature is -17.
Still icy in the lull of early morning.
I look out the window, a crystal stillness meets my eye; the form of a tree- A Dreaming Tree***** Nature's art is magnificent!

Happy Valentine’s Day, Sweetie ♥️

Happy Valentine’s Day, Sweetie ♥️


♥️ I will make you brooches and toys for your delight
Of birdsong at morning and starshine at night
I will make a palace fit for you and me
Of green days in forests and blue days at sea


Robert Louis Stevenson