Friday, 9 November 2018

When every leaf is a flower....

Hi Everybody!

I'm still enjoying the wonderful weather here, it's not often we have sunshine and mild temperatures in November, and I am making the best of it, and spending a lot of time outdoors, visiting various parks and just having fun. Work is overrated! Right now I'm sitting in my cosy kitchen. There's a huge pot of cabbage and tomato stew on the stove, and I'm looking forward to enjoying it with sour cream and rye bread when I've finished this post. 
There have been some lovely tags posted for Wendy's beautiful 'poppies' theme, and I'm glad so many people are remembering and showing gratitude for those who fought, suffered and gave their lives. I have another simple tag made with some water-coloured poppies:


And I have a large (A3) autumnal piece, using a Mucha image (GeckoGalz) on a painted and stenciled background. The leaves have been dried and one was embossed with ultra thick enamel from Suzi Weinberg in gold. 








I am linking to Tag Tuesday and Paint Party Friday

Yesterday I took the tram into Düsseldorf and then walked through Hofgarten, a beautiful park with lots of water fowl:





This is the Thyssen House in Düsseldorf, I worked here for 2 years when I first came here, waiting for the school authorities to check my papers so I could get back to teaching - after 2 years they rang up and asked, 'Could you start tomorrow?' They were always sooooo good in planning..... The good thing about working here was that I got to spend my midday breaks in this lovely park every day:


This is the 'Märchen' (fairy tale) fountain, now without water 'cause it could get frosty anytime:





And, as you might have noticed by now, I can't get enough of this wonderful autumn:


This statue is called the 'Mahner' (warner), you can read more here




I fell in love with this bronze deer the first time I saw it back in the early 70s:







And I rewarded myself with a cappuccino and sit down at a nearby bakery before walking along the Rhine to another park:


Have a great day, take care,
and thanks a lot for coming by!



41 comments:

  1. Lucky you to have such gorgeous Autumn weather. Here it's been rain with high winds which stripped all the beautiful leaves from the trees. Your poppy tag is so beautiful in its simplicity. The Mucha goddess is the perfect image for the quote you added. I enjoyed the walk through the park and the statues. Very impressive. Enjoy your weekend.

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  2. Your watercolor poppies piece is just terrific. I'd hoped to spend some time working on poppies and that didn't materialize but I need to get back to it. Beautiful. And timely.

    And if you like Mucha, I have a treat for you a few posts away -- the Mucha exhibit in Paris!

    Love your park visit. Oh, those trees are so glorious -- more color than I saw anywhere this fall -- too early in England, too late in Michigan. I would hold those close to my heart all year when the world is covered in white. Which is happening as I type these words right here in Michigan. I'm not ready.

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    1. Thanks Jeanie! Lucky you seeing Mucha in Paris, I am very much looking forward to seeing your photos, please post lots!

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  3. Hi Val, I love your beautiful tag with the poppies, it's gorgeous. And the Much a piece is fantastic, you know how much I love his paintings. Lucky Jeanie if she got to see them. Your autumnal photos get better and better if that's possible, I can look at them all day. The littl'un is sick again, just in time for the weekend, sigh! Have a great weekend yourself, hugs, Sarah

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  4. wonderful art and outdoor photos. The poppies are so lovely and delicate. Love the gold leaf on your second project. And what a beautiful park to be able to visit -really gorgeous with all the colorful trees and so many wonderful sculptures. Happy PPF!

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  5. great autumn outdoor photos you walked in a wonderful neighborhod.also love your autumn tag and all

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  6. Hello dear Valerie!
    Your poppies tag and your Autumn page are absolutely gorgeous creations!
    Stunning pictures and fantastic Autumn scenery from your walk in the park! Such beautiful nature’s colors!
    The building and the status are very beautiful and impressive ! Great capture of the preety black swan,!
    Wishing you a lovely day and a happy and sunny weekend! Hugs!
    Dimi...

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    1. Thanks so much, dear Dimi, your comments are always lovely!

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  7. Lovely memories at this beautiful park, that deer has been there for a long time. your cabbage stew sounds delicious. Lovely Remembrance tag and a beautiful autumn piece for your favourite season!

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    1. The cabbage stew was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good!

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  8. Beautiful autumn photos, Valerie. And I LLLLLLLLOVE your Mucha tag!!!!!!!!!! Hugs, my talented lady.

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  9. You poppy is wonderful! Love the colors of the second piece! Your photos are simply gorgeous! I don't think we had such nice color here this year.

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    1. Thanks, I love taking photos, and have done so since I was a kindergarten kid! This is the most beautiful autumn we have had in years.

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  10. Oh wow! Spending time in the outdoors you have captured some very creative photos! Beautiful !
    And your poppy art is delightful and wonderful tribute too!

    Happy Day to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  11. such beautiful art and photos,, and a yummy meal! Our ground is white, winter has come.

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  12. Those Autumn views are stunning, and I love the fountain and the statues. The idea of walking from one park to another with a bakery stop for coffee in between gives me joy :) What a wonderful day!

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  13. Two absolutely gorgeous tags today. The beautiful poppies struck me most, I think, but I did like the leaves, too.

    Speaking of leaves, I was perusing your photos when I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the black swan. What a magnificent find. Just LOVELY. So is the bronze deer, too.

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  14. Your autumn leaves remind me of the Poinsettia at Christmas
    Happy PPF

    much🖤💌🖤love

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  15. Your watercolour poppies are so beautiful, and I love the golden glow of the Mucha piece to go with the golden glowing leaves later in the post.
    Alison x

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  16. A gorgeous painting of the poppies and the page looks fabulous as well.
    Wonderful photos, I liked seeing the sculptures and loved the Fairy Fountain.
    You must have enjoyed working so close to that lovely park.
    Yvonne xx

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  17. Beautiful poppies and most amazing photos, so much to see and take in.xx

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  18. Such beautiful tags Valerie and both quite different

    Another wonderful and amazing place you visited Valerie. So much to see and admire. It is plain to see from your photographs that you really enjoy all that is around you when you visit places. Thank you for sharing this beautiful trip

    Love Chrissie xx

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  19. Both makes are fabulous and in their own way reflect the wonderful moods of Autumn! I love your wonderfully painted poppies and the colours in the Mucha piece are just gorgeous!! The park photos look amazing, it must have been great to work close by and go there every day. That deer statue is amazing!

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  20. There are no other words than simply stunning. Your Poppy tag is a sheer delight needing nothing more as those Poppies do all the talking. Your Autumnal Mucha Journal page is outstanding, such a bountiful harvest she has gathered.
    Your first photograph of Hofgarten would make a stunning print like a hidden jewel in Nature.
    Hugs for a super weekend Tracey xx
    P.S Those cuddling frogs/toads at the fairy fountain are adorable x

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  21. Fabulous tag Valerie, and love the Autumn page as well. Great photos as usual.
    Hugs Wendy

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  22. fabelhafte seite und schöne bilder aus der natur,wunderschön.
    schönen abend.


    hugs jenny

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  23. Nice page. I really like the leaves, especially the gold one. Your poppies are gorgeous. Those bronze statues are spectacular. hugs, teresa

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  24. Oh you are making me so jealous. But not even 2 years left to go and I will be doing the same thing. Which is what I did today and so why I am so late in commenting. :) Love the latest art and of you are having beautiful weather. Winter has arrived here-windy and cold. Brrr. Enjoy your beautiful weather. Hugs-Erika

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  25. Lovely artwork and beautiful photographs. But I couldn't help noticing the Black Swans, which are native to Australia. I hope they are able to fly, and weren't someone's "exotic pets" with clipped wings that were abandoned there. (That happened a few years ago here in the US near where I live, and an animal rescue group had to capture the Black Swan before Winter set in and the water froze over.)

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    1. No, they are bred here and live well cared for in the park. They have houses where they can warm up in Winter, and official and voluntary carers to look after them.

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  26. You always amazing me at how prolific you are in creating beautiful art and having time to go out and take photos. Never stop.

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  27. Such beautiful art-work, fabulous photographs and a delicious cabbage and tomato stew on the stove - which sounds delicious :)

    All the best Jan

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  28. Beautiful art Valerie! Your meal sounds delicious! Lucky you to get to go to that park in your lunch breaks! The colours really are wonderful at the moment! Hugs, Chrisx

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  29. Your artwork is so beautiful. :)

    I can see why you would have loved taking your lunch breaks at that amazing park. So glad you were able to go back and take a stroll through it. So, so pretty. You are doing the right thing and getting outside as much as you can while the weather is still good. Enjoy!
    ~Jess

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  30. your poppies are so lovely! i almost forgot to make my tag for this challenge. i'll have to make one! xo

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  31. Such beautiful artwork! The poppies looks so pretty and I love your autumnal piece and amazing photos too 😀. I hope you've had a lovely weekend, sorry I haven't visited earlier we had an unexpected surprise with friends visiting so I now have a lot of blogging to catch up on ...lol 😉. Wishing you a happy new week! J 😊 x

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  32. I am so happy you are being blessed with good weather!
    Love both your art pieces! They are so special!
    Your cabbage and tomato stew sounds so yummy!
    Love the photos! Gorgeous fountain and gorgeous statues!!
    Big Hugs!

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  33. Still catching up on posts...
    My Valerie! you do have lovely scenery where you live! I love how the bank of that brook is lined with those stones- just beautiful!

    Your poppies and Mucha are both feasts for the eyes my friend!
    Jackie xo

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