Impressions of Life ~ WIP ~ Paint Party Friday Week 28

Here is an image that I extracted by doing a charcoal rubbing of a relief surface feature belonging to.......You Decide  : )

Can you see something?

Yes, it's a face.....

A simple way to create gorgeous artwork is by simply rubbing a charcoal pencil on paper of which has been positioned over the chosen design. Usually when the right materials are used what should happen when you are rubbing the charcoal pencil over the image is that the charcoal will only pick up " the protrusions and edges; depressions will remain un-pigmented since the pliable paper moves away from the rendering materials" but since I did a quick rubbing of this image I just used what I had on hand.

I discovered that the hard charcoal pencil worked best as the soft and medium pencils seemed to not work as well.

If any of you have some pointers on this technique I would luv to receive any information that  may be of some help to me in continuing this work.

So for now, I leave you with the impressions, imprints and patterns of some secret object I've tried to capture on paper ; it is a part of my WIP for Paint Party Friday as well as an item that I will be creating for the Halloween Blog Party on October 8th and will be part of my give away gifts.

A software program worth $50.00 and an art work by me will be part of the prizes .

So please do remember and mark the date on your calendars ~  October 8th/2011 to attend the Halloween Party.

All you have to do is just leave me a comment on October 8th to participate  and be eligible to win.

And now for a little something extra......This week's TREASURE FINDS from thrift stores in the Ottawa Valley area.....one of my incurable passions and a couple of Whimsical chairs I've been working on.

 The Old Woman that Lived in a Shoe ! Copper Piggy Bank

Chinese Vase, not sure if it's chinese or Japanese but it is truly lovely.

I adore the beautiful gold design.

My Church Gresely Carafe ~ Jug ~ Pitcher....just luv it's spout and handle and ivy design.

And of course I couldn't walk out the store without this tape of a very, beautiful dog

movie I simply adore.... "Fluke".

And here is my latest art work in a different medium other than paint

Charlotte's Chair ~ made from an old petrified wood piece and an iron rod found on the train tracks.

And a Faerie's Tree Branch Chair

 So here is the clue of where I took my impression....Can you spot it?????

Yes, it's the old furnace plate ( don't really know what it is, just liked it )

The little cherub's face is what I rubbed.

It's amazing how many relief items I have lying around the house....I am one that really loves to collect objects with some kind of base relief and so now they have even more of a desirable reason for their collection.

Some of my Treasure finds find a nook to sit in and beautifully embellish our home and other Treasures are used in my art work. Now you know why I have such a passion for thrifting....always very inspiring for me and affordable, the magic word : )

Hope you enjoyed this week's Paint Party Post....Please make sure to go visit everyone that is participating in Kristin and Eva's Paint Party Friday....always a treat.

" Still Life " Paint Party Friday Week 27th

The hearth's terracotta tiles bask in the glow of the crackling fire....cold brisk nights have arrived.

Pussycat and dog curled up beside me as I read my new book, couldn't ask for more for this is probably one of their favourite times to enjoy with the coming of  Fall.

Silence is golden , literally,  for the glow of the setting sun hits the living-room windows and casts it's warmth and shadows on the newly painted white walls of the room. Suddenly the silence breaks, an owl's hooting is over heard the popping hot ambers of the fire.

With Fall and Halloween fast approaching I was inspired to do this wood-burning / painting of an owl sitting on a branch of a very, very old tree, half living half fallen ,  looking out into the slowly disappearing warm setting sun.

The burl wood piece I bought at a thrift store which had been painted on previously of which I sanded off the image.

After examining the wood I decided it looked so much like a tree from the back side and that it would accommodate perfectly the limbs and roots of a tree. Not only that, but it also reminded me of how a tree in nature, sometimes in it's splendid remnants of decaying grandeur tells a story of a storm, disease or simply old age embracing it's life. 

Even though a part of this tree's life has departed a living part remains and flourishes.....Life is eternal?

Visit the artists partaking in Paint Party Friday, hosted by Eva and Kristin and Please do remember to come back for my giveaway blog party this coming October. I will be giving away a software program worth $80 along with a  little something I created.


Here is a little Owl video from youtube I discovered.....Beautiful....Adore Owls!

Love Your Pet ~ Paint Party Friday Week 26th

" Gloria taught me something I'd never known. That is, that you don't just have to have a dog around as a pet or a watchdog. You and the dog can become friends".  ~ Jimmy Stewart 

In the Latter part of the summer months we were busily renovating, juggling all the little orbs of life that it threw at us and basically eliminating much of our treasures free time which one relishes to enjoy, especially in the warm days of summer. Fortunately there was some time allotted for reading and watching a few films at night and of course I took in a few flicks of Jimmy Stewart's.

 I have always adored Jimmy Stewart and aside from Clint Eastwood being my favourite actor Jimmy was right there beside him only that I could relate to Mr. Stewart on a more normal everyday way; just really didn't know why. He was liked so much so even President Truman thought so when he said "If Bess and I has a son, we'd want him to be just like Jimmy Stewart". As usual, like most of us, I wandered down a path that in someway had connected with me and I began reading about Jimmy Stewart.Not surprisingly I discovered why I loved him so.Not only was he an incredible actor but it turns out he was quite a guy off screen.A gentleman who was "gracious and warm to both strangers and those who were barely familiar to him" for he always was in good humour especially so when out walking his dog Beau.Mr. Stewart always had a smile and hello according to Craig who lived around the corner from him. 

The more I read about him the more I fell head over heels on Jimmy Stewart all over again. And then I came across a clip of a Late Night Show appearance he did with Johnny Carson and spoke about his dog named "Beau", I was touched by his deep appreciation of his love for his pet. This was just another trait of Mr. Stewart that I could relate to not to mention he had also written a poem for his beloved dog named Beau. Myself and my family know very well what he spoke about in his poem and I quickly ordered his book from the library and had fun reading his poetry once again enjoying the poem he wrote for his pet. 

I mentioned a while back on Paint Party Friday I was painting some characters for a children's book I was writing and although it is a very huge task for me for I am neither a writer or artist I do know I am lucky to realize that I possess some tools to achieving my goal,

one being a very important, f not the key element to my success....."You can anything you want , if you want it desperately enough ". I'm not sure who wrote the quote although I remember reading a quote of Jim Carrey's saying something similar but essentially  conveying same message and I have to agree that the desire has to be tremendous of which I know I truly own. Sadly, during our renovations we lost our beloved pet Bandit (Our vampire love bird ). I wouldn't go into the details of his death for it will be in my book but what I can say is how much his passing was a mirror image of a human's departure from this earth.  

Bandit RIP 2011

And so I leave you this week with a few art renderings my daughter M did in digital paint for our pet cat, our fat house cat Elliot ~ Elly Angel. I will also include a few pics I want to submit to Costco for their photography contest they are  having this month and hope to get some feed back from all of you of which ones you think would be good submissions. 

Ranger the therapy cat whose owner Marc Lacourciere graciously agreed to let me enter him in the contest. I'm not sure how many I can enter but I know it is more than one so feel free to point out a few possible entries, thanks.

AND ONE MORE THING , I WILL BE HAVING A GIVEAWAY THIS COMING MONTH SATURDAY OCTOBER 1st FOR SOME VERY SPECIAL COMPUTER IMAGING SOFTWARE VALUED AT $80 WITH AN ADDITIONAL WORK OF ART DONE BY ME INCLUDED IN THE PRIZE, SO PLEASE DO COME BACK EACH WEEK FOR THE UPDATES   : )

Rip*** Elly 2001~2008

Ranger the Maine Coon Therapy Cat ~ owner Marc Lacourciere

 Grace our golden angel 

Elly playing Grandma ~ Flickr admirer tagged him that name....I think it fits puurfecatly...lol 

Carson the Vampire Church Cat 

A Lovely furry bunch 

Carson sick to his stomach after his bath 

 And once again Grace our golden mermaid who adores water! Would really appreciate some thoughts from everyone who visits.....thanks a bunch! So now here is Jimmy's poem about his beloved dog named Beau 

***** "Beau" ***** by Jimmy Stewart

He never came to me when I would call

Unless I had a tennis ball,

Or he felt like it,

But mostly he didn’t come at all.

When he was young

He never learned to heel

Or sit or stay,

He did things his way.

Discipline was not his bag

But when you were with him things sure didn’t drag.

He’d dig up a rosebush just to spite me,

And when I’d grab him, he’d turn and bite me.

He bit lots of folks from day to day,

The delivery boy was his favorite prey.

The gas man wouldn’t read our meter,

He said we owned a real man-eater.

He set the house on fire

But the story’s long to tell.

Suffice it to say that he survived

And the house survived as well.

On the evening walks, and Gloria took him,

He was always first out the door.

The Old One and I brought up the rear

Because our bones were sore.

He would charge up the street with Mom hanging on,

What a beautiful pair they were!

And if it was still light and the tourists were out,

They created a bit of a stir.

But every once in a while, he would stop in his tracks

And with a frown on his face look around.

It was just to make sure that the Old One was there

And would follow him where he was bound.

We are early-to-bedders at our house–

I guess I’m the first to retire.

And as I’d leave the room he’d look at me

And get up from his place by the fire.

He knew where the tennis balls were upstairs,

And I’d give him one for a while.

He would push it under the bed with his nose

And I’d fish it out with a smile.

And before very long

He’d tire of the ball

And be asleep in his corner

In no time at all.

And there were nights when I’d feel him

Climb upon our bed

And lie between us,

And I’d pat his head.

And there were nights when I’d feel this stareAnd I’d wake up and he’d be sitting there

And I reach out my hand and stroke his hair.

And sometimes I’d feel him sigh

and I think I know the reason why.

He would wake up at night

And he would have this fear

Of the dark, of life, of lots of things,

And he’d be glad to have me near.

And now he’s dead.

And there are nights when I think I feel him

Climb upon our bed and lie between us,

And I pat his head.

And there are nights when I think

I feel that stare

And I reach out my hand to stroke his hair,

But he’s not there.

Oh, how I wish that wasn’t so,

I’ll always love a dog named Beau.

THIS POEM WAS PUBLISHED  IN JIMMY STEWART AND HIS POEMS" BY JIMMY STEWART, A SHORT COLLECTION OF POEMS BY CROWN PUBLISHERS, INC. RELEASED IN 1989.

PLEASE VISIT EVERYONE ON PAINT PARTY FRIDAY HOSTED BY KRISTIN AND EVA