Return of Happiness

The Lilly of the Valley...Return of Happiness

" This was one of my prayers: for a parcel of land not so very large, which should have a garden and a spring of ever-flowing water near the house, and a bit of woodland as well as these. " ~ Horace

Like Horace the Roman poet I too long for the same , only I may be a touch more demanding.

My garden of Dreams lies out in the open air , somewhere between an ocean and a wood, secluded in a pastoral rural landscape far from the maddening crowd that is steadily coming my way. Since the arrival of Spring I've been awakened by the sweet scent of the lilly I found near my door ; It summons my hidden affairs of the heart knowing quite well that I'll never escape from the want of the remote pastoral landscape that I lovingly long for.

Don't get me wrong for I do have a house and a yard, roughly a 1/2 acre which of course I'm  very lucky to own but it isn't the garden I dream of...for many reasons....and it will never be, although someday it will be for the next occupant of this home. Soon we will be looking for a secluded place far from the city in a beautiful remote area where I can dream and create to my heart's content ....there my garden will grow. 

Until then, these are  a few of the products of which makes one Happy, makes us Happy...makes me Happy....The Return of Happiness......

Happy is *** Family Group Photo of the Whimsical Wish Flower the Dandelion ***

Found this Sonnet on the net....I like Cheeky Missy's  writing, must do some further reading on that site for I am known to be partial to the ancient mariners; never really explore the modern day poets....maybe I should....Enjoy!

Sonnet #xcv   Lilly of the Valley

On dainty fragile stalks white waxy bells

No music play; whilst melodies surround,

Demurely silent hang their heads; whilst round

Them rise the other greens whose height excels,

Whose damsels' colour palettes o'er their swells

In lavenders and lemons, reds abound;

Yet in their brilliant rainbow ne'er is found

So rich a scent as yet as have these belles

Who fill, infuse the breeze, on wafting airs

Entice and tease. As maidens modest, sweet,

Ne'er boldly e'er parade nor voice they raise,

Yet play upon the senses softly; theirs

The love that's pure and clean; in white they greet,

As  brides their heads now bent to hear love's praise.

   

                                      by ~ Cheeky Missy

from 21st Century Poets.com

Lilly of the Valley image Wikipedia

Always keep a keen eye on those country drives, you never know what will greet you around the bend....

Happy Chance meeting these whimsical purple coneflowers-daisies growing up along a weathered wall of a barn.These lovelies happily make a good substitute to the real mccoy; especially great with Ottawa's water ban in place.....No Water Needed! Discovered on route to Merrickville one Saturday morning.

So HAPPY in finding this lovely Black Velvet petunia at Richmond Nursery.

Happy to see these lovelies ( Miniature Iris ) return each year more beautiful than before and so easy to care for.... my only compliant....too short lived. 

Another Happy Meet...Petunias were my grandma's ( on my dad's side) favourite. I hated these flowers when I was young, never could understand why so many gardeners loved them...now I know....ease , beauty , variety, their scent and attraction to wildlife.

A Happy day for the Bumble Bee.......

and his companion

Happy being near "Pretty in Pink "

sO Happy I discovered this Fairy's Tree...not sure what it is but if any of you know its secret name I would luv to know....on my list for my dream garden

May Apple Flower ....Happiness is sitting in a cool meadow of ethereal white and green.

Happiness is finding a tiny Karner Blue Butterfly sitting long enough to capture with my camera .

Happiness finding that Dark Red Calliope Geranium I enjoyed last year!

Happiness is having your Art Hearted......this Little Hobbit - Faerie's House was sent to a new home yesterday....Hope you like it Mary!

Happiness is a painted Daffodil..a symbol of Hope..and Hobbit's favourite colours of yellow and green.

A Heart and a spiral window....simple things make me Happy.

Happiness is  a twinkling door ...every time a different colour, purple....and then green

Happiness receiving a gift from a far away land over the sea....

More surprises from inside the package to come later.....Thanks a bunch cRAFT aTTACK.

Happy in contentment at being home with the family , both human and furry.....



Happiness will always be there, you only need a keen eye.....

Don't Worry be Happy!!!....Just had to say it...haha! 

Until tomorrow see you at PaintPartyFriday..will most definitely show you  some of my found treasures Kristin....haven't forgotten. Good Night!

Annabelle

"A PATCH OF BLUE" ~ PAINT PARTY FRIDAY WEEK 11

I'll begin by sending out my apologies to everyone for not visiting last Friday's submissions. Unfortunately matters in the family have become more serious and a strain therefore I was obligated to set aside my art and deal with the pressing situation and by Wednesday night I was able to get a break.

 I sat down and watched "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" with M and painted ......for therapy; needless to say, not enough time to complete it and messed up the little pooch I had painted. So for now this is a WIP and hopefully by this time next week there should be a little critter in the landscape. Again, I'm posting this painting this morning and then I'm off with more errands to run for the day. Will be visiting later this evening and throughout the weekend. .... most definitely!

Out of the complete weekend and week I was able to get in a Saturday morning jaunt to the Annual Bishop's Mills Community garage sale and this is the Treasure I found!!!!!!!

Meet " Ranger the Therapy Cat "....Isn't he a handsome fellow? His owner was kind enough to let me photograph him and Ranger was quite patient in letting me take ample photos in making sure I captured his best assets...I think I did!

Ranger who happens to be a Maine Coon Cat ; one of my favourite breed of cats , seems to adore his stroller, even my kids didn't stay in theirs so contently....I see why he is such a lovely soul for therapy!

Quite a patient cat...thanks for letting me take your pic Ranger.

And this has to be my favourite! Wow, seriously need to learn my camera....just luv when some pics turn out so good...I feel I'm improving with my photo skills.....although I still don't know how the buttons work....haha!

A drive in the country with a camera on hand just in case and hunting for lost treasures works wonders for me, great therapy. Discovering Ranger was a welcome surprise and even better I was lucky enough to capture the moment because I wasn't too lazy to bring the camera along.

What is good Therapy?

#1 Time spent with family, human and furry or feathered or whatever

#2 Driving in the country and meeting interesting folks

#3 Enjoying a healthy outdoor snack

#4 A Camera for capturing Treasures beyond our immediate reach

#5 Enjoying all the elements of Spring....Life

.....These are just a few of the things that make me happy....the secret to a well lived life.

So here is this week's submission.......

"A Patch Of Blue "  Inks and Acrylics on canvas.

Serendipity 

A Little Heart

 I'm sure you've guessed where the name came from..my boo -boo ...haha!

Until next week Happy Painting..... Annabelle

If you are just visiting here, do think about dropping in at Paint Party Friday; I'm sure you'll linger a while and maybe participate....good therapy, I promise!

 PAINT PARTY FRIDAY WITH KRISTIN AND EVA

p.s. I guess I forgot to show my recent discoveries at the local yard sales....will post them soon.

" Past Curfew " Completed Paint Party Friday Week 10

"The Woods are Lovely Dark and Deep"...... and I'm afraid a Little Too Spooky for Me!

Last week Ronda from Roban asked if I would take a few pics of the Artist Conk next time I would be out and about in the wood collecting some specimens for my art. Well, Since it's been raining forever and ever now the idea of taking a hike on the trails of the local forests seems to be a far away dream. Not only was there the initial fear of confronting bears and fishers but now another few obstacles have popped up; the trails I usually frequent suddenly have morphed into tiny canals reminding me of my Venetian family roots, only not as pleasant for the visual beauty and serenity of the walk for undoubtedly they will be mischievously tempered with by none other then the nasty annoying pests themselves, the little vampire beasts .....yes....mosquitos.

And as I write this post, just outside my door, they are hovering over the sides and top of the frame looking for  any tiny opening they can squeeze through, waiting to take their first juicy bite of the season!  So, I have opted to wait for a while before I venture into the Wild Wood for the time being and force myself to work on a regular canvas for the following week's PPF. So this Artist Conk painting is it for the time being. I kind of like it . I will miss the wood burning. I have come accustomed to enjoying the mushroomy smell of the conk.

Paint Party Friday Week 10

" Past Curfew " Just finished painting it this afternoon..........Water colour, inks and acrylics

I will be visiting everyone later tonight and throughout the weekend......

Until next time.....HAPPY PAINTING...TREASURE HUNTING AND ENJOY OUR BEAUTIFUL WORLD.....NATURE IS THE TRUE ARTIST!

NOTE BENE.....If you aren't part of Paint Party Friday group, maybe you should think about joining us and if you are enjoy all of the participant's recent and past submissions....truly inspiering! Thanks to Kristin and Eva for hosting this fabulous community of lovely artists.....for sure ,lots of fun to be had !

Check it out! Paint Party Friday

Annabelle >^..^<

A Church Sale and a Lesson Learned

Well, every time I go Hunting for Treasures there is ultimately a story to tell.....A while back , hubby and daughter accompanied me to a community sale in Merrickville and while I was totally submersed in finding my Treasures hubby and daughter were finding their little piece of vanity fair observing the bargain hunters; some totally oblivious to their surroundings;such was a lady blissfully happy with her Treasure finds, unknowing to her immediate calamitous predicament.

This is where the first garage sale poem was born....." The Spider and the Shed " or " Spider's Moving Day " , one of my hubby's notorious funny quaky, quirky poems.

I would have never guessed in a million years that he possessed this poetic talent if it were not for these funny occurrences the two keenly observed within the radius of the common market I visited that day and was only made aware of this gift he possessed upon our return back home.

Ahhh, aren't they sweet angels....or are they ????

The famous shed where hubby and daughter witnessed the Spider's Moving Day....Lucky spider never anticipated getting a free mover that day and the unsuspecting Treasure Hunter had a good day herself, hubby and daughter found a way to find fun without costing them a cent and I got more than I had bargained for ; a keeper poem to remember the lovely day the family had at the Annual Merrickville Community Garage Sale!

These poems are meant to be taken lightly and no real names were used to protect the guilty....haha!!!! All in good fun and like my daughter simply puts it "Boredom of the Jedi"....that's another story, her own. So here is the one that started it all, followed by the one he just wrote today . Hopefully I'll have another for next weekends Garage and Church Sales. So here you are.....Hope you like them.

Enjoy !!!

The Spider and the Shed

Out at yard sales on a rainy day

In the entrance to a shed

We watched as a spider dandled down

Looking to be fed

We stood outside in the pouring rain

Just me and Emma Peel

She looked my way and said to me

I’m not a spider meal

It was raining hard, we were getting wet

There were treasures inside for sure

I would check for bargains once inside

But only after her

Then suddenly without a word

We stood and did not care

As the woman that had just walked out

Had the spider in her hair

The way was clear, it was alright now

We could find our deals inside

We could have told the lady who cleared the way

But to hell with foolish pride 

She knew that she was on her own

She knew the price to pay

It’s everybody for themselves

For this was garage sale day

~ Stan Belanger

At this mornings church sale my husband and daughter decided to take a break but there was no need for them to be present to hear about my disappointment in missing out on some Treasures.....nothing lost, actually much more was gained from the experience...... a funny poem and a lesson learned......"don't fuss and fiddle with tiny jewellery bags , just horde them in your stash , pay and move on to the next treasure chest....haha...I'm afraid I'm a little too giving to take the whole loot , I like to share and give others some fun in the hunt as well! So here is Stan's version of what transpired at an early church sale in the country. Enjoy!!!

Church Sale Pig Lady

Entered the church sale

Like time and again

Spotted some jewelry

And suddenly when 

A pig lady appeared

That followed no rules

Pig lady, pig lady

Just like a fool

Gathered up everything

Looked like a witch

Hoarded all the jewelry

Lord what a bitch

I tried to grab something

She said’ “everything’s mine”

A little embarrassed 

I said ok, fine

If you like a good church sale

I’ve learnt one thing for certain

You have to be rude

Or leave there a hurtin

The next time I go there

No one is safe

Wheel chairs and walkers

Get out of my way

~ Stan Belanger

So now when I go to these sales I do come away hoping for something more, not only in material treasures but more importantly, something to share, get a little chuckle out of and a little souvenir to remember of a time well spent together as a family.

Will share some of my finds tomorrow...... 

Until next time enjoy the Spring Sales and Treasure Hunts ~

Annabelle

Paint Party Friday Week 9 ~ " Past Curfew "

Not sure what is going on this week , maybe blogger issues I don't think Kristin and Eva cancelled the party, anyway I'll go ahead and post; hopefully it isn't .

This week's Paint Party Friday Submission....." Past Curfew "

Friday the 13th............Weeps once again is alone in the Dark

WIP.....Just finished " Weeps " yesterday and when I tried to post him this morning blogger was down......Hmmmm...... anything to do with  it being Friday the 13th? I for one keep the number 13 as a lucky charm but probably not for all so it seems.........

Step #1 ~ Harvest Conk
Step #2 ~ Dry the Shelf Mushroom for a couple of months, but not required
Step #3 ~ Gesso  prep
Step #4 ~ Sketch design, again not required if you can draw...hehe...not like me
Step #5 ~ Wood burn using wood burning tool...again not required
Step #6 ~ Paint, again not required
Step #7 ~ Seal with shellac if desired

This artist Conk doesn't sit well so once I complete "Weeps" I will be making a base for the Shelf Mushroom art

A small little door to a fairy's home. Looks like Weeps isn't really all alone as he thought.

Another little door isn't too far from Weeps.

M named this work and thought of adding the lily flower lantern .Will be working on him for this week in-between gardening, treasure hunting for old relics of the natural kind and manmade. Hope you all have yourself a great weekend and enjoy the Spring weather.

p.s. I will try to post a few of the great Treasures I was fortunate to come across in the last few weeks.

Maybe they may give you an incentive to frequent a few yard and church sales of your own.....maybe you'll find your artistic inspiration in a lost and forgotten gem.....

Have fun Treasure Hunting and Creating

Annabelle

Sir Eldrick Sim ~ The Whimsical Spider ~ Hush Sweet Charlotte

Sir Eldrick Sim ~ The Whimsical Spider .........Sim sure has lovely eyes, don't you think?

I have a small collection of antique vintage jewels I collected since I was a teenager and a few recent acquisitions from estate and church sales. They aren't the easiest to acquire for it seems everybody has the similar ailment I possess that of an incurable addiction and affection for all things sparkly and very, very  old.And even though these out of time pieces with their lovely worn and tattered patina usually come with missing stones their charm is never lost and somehow make them more endearing to our heart.

I present to you Sir Eldrick Sim, Sim for short though he is far from it with those dandy long legs of his...hehe! Sir Sim is my most recent Spider creation....Oooak.

An antique Aquamarine vintage brooch melded with a vintage clear rhinestone brooch make up the alluring physique of this long legged arachnid . I sculpted his very long legs from heavy gauge copper wire and then added a finishing touch of antique patina to give him that old world look of a well travelled  seasoned gentleman Spider , perhaps a renaissance gentle arachnid man. A welcome companion in any household who adores a bit of whimsy, a fairytale or two and the story of Charlotte's Web for a life filled with magic and a love for all God's creatures great and small, creepy and scary, and all fun to observe and adore.

Sir Sim adores climbing high along castle walls, especially those constructed of ancient crystal fossils..... a very complimentary background for having his picture taken.

On sunny days you'll find Sir Sim sunbathing in the bird bath, happens to be his fav spot surrounded by all the ancient crystal fossils.

Another day at the Bath....never enough of these days....too beautiful to miss.

That Orbed Maiden Paint Party Friday Week 8

This week's submission to Paint Party Friday......Digital Painting of the moon I did sometime ago.

The moon was first sketched on paper and then I applied the background layers, colours and text in Dreamweaver.

Click on banner to visit other participating artists in Paint Party Friday Hosted by Kristin and Eva

Until next Friday, 

Happy Painting and a Very Lovely Mothers Day to all

Annabelle ~^..^~

Whimsical Wednesday Hosted by Danimal Week 24 (May 4 - May 10 )

Okay I think I will be submitting quite a few whimsical pieces of my art that I have done in the past so for my regular visitors....sorry for the repeats, for the new visitors, well here is week 24 submission for Whimsical Wednesday Week 24 ( May4 - May 10 ).

Click the Web of Whimsy to take you to Whimsical Wednesday hosted by Dan

My infamous moon I painted and then made a Flickr collage incorporating some of the most lovely photographs of other Flickr Members. I loved creating this Magical Whimsical Piece....magic, fantasy, the Mysterious Romantic Moon and a secret road to a fairytale land....enjoy!

Magic of the Night ~ A Study in Blue

1/ Moon and Poe www.flickr.com/photos/83323987@N00/

2,5/ Tree's memory www.flickr.com/photos/macallen/

3,4 ,11,12 / nocturne a stroll www.flickr.com/photos/madsofa/

6,7/ Scary Sky www.flickr.com/photos/amitsphotos/

8,9/ The Bubble Magician www.flickr.com/photos/tjt195/

10,13/ Blue-Tree www.flickr.com/photos/ghostbones/

Listen to the Music of the Night at pastoraldreams.blogspot.com/

Whimsical Wednesday Hosted by Danimal

Okay, I must say I am a big kid at heart! I adore treasure hunts; the kind of treasures that are of a natural kind, like hunting for the mesmerizing swirling crystal fossils I adore discovering in the wild Canadian wood and incorporating into my whimsical art work; I must be some sort of bird because I adore glittery things. Treasure hunting for old things specifically very very old books and illustrations, church sales and garage sales and flea markets anything that has a link to the ancient past. Fairytales and Legends, Religions and Mythology and Halloween. Romantic Stories and Murder mysteries, Sherlock Holmes and Mackenzie King, Fairies and Spooky Ghost Stories. Spiders and webs , Owls and glass. The ocean and its lovely treasures and stories of pirates, the deep dark forests lined in their mossy velvet greens; the secret world of the Little Folk. A fragrant midnight garden filled with magical fireflies twinkling on a delicate black canvas ; they are the tiny helpers guiding the fairies in the darkly night . The iridescent light of the magnificent Moonflower twining up an old oak reaching high up its tallest branch to a hollow knot where my fav bird , the wise old owl lives. The snugly warmth of a chair by the fire on a cool night enjoying a glass of Grand Marnier and an old book while your best friend sits comfortably near by. A lot of very old movies, gorgeous pre-Raphelite art, beautiful Victorian , British Poetry, castles and old stone churches and homes. The British Isles and Wales, Italy and Canada, the gorgeous mysterious moon and the stars; as a matter of fact the whole entire Earth and universe.....life is beautiful even in the darkest corners.

Yes, I am a big kid and I think it is one of the secrets to enjoying life. Dan has invited me to join his group Whimsical Wednesday and I think its about time we all take a little break and look for our fairytale heart  and play the game. Thanks for the invite Dan.

 Click the Weedy SeaDragon to enter the Whimsical Realm

This is my submission for this week's Whimsical Wednesday.......Annabel Lee a whimsical self-portrait caricature

I created this whimsical self portrait ....I guess I kind of looked a bit like this when I was very young or thought i did...haha! I did have gorgeous eyes when I did them up  Egyptian style..lots of eye liner..haha!

I sketched Annabel Lee and then created the rest in Dreamweaver. I always adored butterflies, an obsession of mine since I was 11 years old when I first watched "The Collector". I loved the story, the acting and directing, England and the Ancient Roman catacomb belonging to the tudor home. I loved the feel of serenity and peace in the open country space the main character bought with his winnings and always dreamed of owning such a gorgeous forgotten solitary place....a lovely sanctuary. And the music....Maurice Jarre.......Doctor Zhivago......simply entrancing!

 I was born under the Pisces sign and of course everything to do with the sea is in my heart. Flowers, fragrant flowers, birds and old lace and Poe's poem all have much to do with who I am .....an incurable romantic....and loving it....reason for the crown..... Queen of Romance! The name of the portrait is Annabel Lee because my birth name happens to be Anna and hubby nicked named me Annabelle when I first met him ; he knew how much I adored Edgar Allen Poe's poem of the same name....slightly different in spelling. So here it is...a bit of Whimsy.