More Garden Work I think we may be finished (for a while) in the back yard. We stained the table and chairs, filled some more planters with beautiful flowers (75% off clearance sale - yay), and did some trimming and rearranging. I’m ready to just RELAX back there for a while. 

 When Asking “What if….?” Ends Badly Whatever possessed me to ask: “What if I changed the theme of my blog?”  If I had known that doing so would change EVERYTHING, I would never have clicked the “apply” button! Had there been a choice to “restore,” I would have done some fun art instead of spending the past three infuriating hours trying to fix everything here. At this point, though, I don’t care anymore. It is what it NOW is. Grrrr…….

  More Cards I love making cards! The technique of collaging with my stash of fodder, drawing a b&w focal image, and then sewing a border is becoming my go-to card style.  Drawing flowers, cats, and birds has been my thing for quite some time; familiarity is comforting. I was out of that comfort zone with drawing ducks, but I gave it my best shot. 

The Talented Carrie Clark   My great aunt, Carrie Clark, was a fascinating person and a talented artist. She painted china and worked in oils, watercolors, and soft pastels. In 1979, she was a featured artist in Porcelain Artist magazine. My home is filled with a fascinating variety of her china pieces, paintings, tracings, letters, and photos. She and her work are treasures.  Her tracings for her porcelain painting show her sketching talent and attention to detail. Her calligraphy. . . Oh, my! This painting of hers was tucked into the magazine along with the tracings.

  Soft Pastel Play My great aunt, Carrie Clark, was an eclectic artist who painted china and worked with soft pastels. I have her china, her paintings, her tracings, and her set of soft pastels. Pastels are a medium that I have yet to try, so I gave them a try. Holding those pastel sticks was a profound tactile experience; her hands held those very same sticks that mine now were holding. Wow. Lots yet to learn with this medium, a totally different experience. There is something very primal about it. No tools, no brush, just applying directly with my hand and smudging with my fingers. Very chalky fingers. Kind of like child’s play, really. Yet a very challenging technique. I do like the expressionistic result. Much, much more practice needed!  Aunt Carrie and her art deserve a separate post. Will write that now.

 Never Enough Florals  I’ve been so hooked on florals lately!  Lily pads and coral - watercolor, acrylic, acrylic markers Watercolor bearded iris and a couple other florals to use leftover paint.  Acrylic florals in bold,  primary   colors. 

Islamic Geometry Rosette   “ The mathematical elegance of Islamic designs is that no matter how elaborate they are, they are always based on grids constructed using only a ruler and a pair of compasses. Islamic design is based on Greek geometry, which teaches us that starting with very basic assumptions, we can build up a remarkable number of proofs about shapes. Islamic patterns provide a visual confirmation of the complexity that can be achieved with such simple tools. Geometry is really a universal language, everyone can – and does – relate to it instinctively. There is a joy to be had in starting with a blank piece of paper and to draw lines and circles and end up with a pattern that is recognizable and beautiful. This process connects you very directly to a design heritage .”* In Islamic art, the geometric figure of the circle represents the primordial symbol of unity and the ultimate source of all diversity in creation. 10-fold radial symmetry. Fascinating. With its focus, t...