Wednesday 6 May 2020

Rain's Thursday Art Date - your flower

Hi Everybody!

Hope you are all well and happy. We have been having some cool but sunny days here, so it was great for walking, and I was able to visit some parks that have been closed these past weeks. Next week we have been threatened with wintry weather and perhaps even snow!

Rain's theme this week is 'your flower'. I am a great fan of flowers of all sorts, including wild flowers, which I do not regard as unwanted weeds. In my previous home I had my garden full of dandelions and daisies, Queen Anne's Lace, Morning glory, poppies and many other flowers which most 'serious' gardeners here do not like. Anyway, I liked it, an was always happy sitting on my wild-flower meadow.

I made this piece for the last challenge at AJJ, and never got round to posting it - the month was too short - so I added some flowers and now I have a piece for Mia's  'flowers' challenge. I digitally put together various images from Pexels,  Serif and me:



And I have lots of floral pieces from previous times. I love working with flowers, birds, old photos and various artifacts:


This one is showing an unknown girl, my mother and Erika:


This old photo is showing three of my elder siblings, taken at a 'wings for freedom' rally in Trafalgar square in 1943:


A pink eyed lady:


Beautiful Frida, always with flowers:


This photo shows my Mother - standing, second from left,her 2 elder sisters, right and left, and the happy(??) couple getting married, my great Uncle Benny and his bride. I love their dresses:


And this is my mum as a toddler:


I am also linking to Paint Party Friday

These photos were taken on yesterday's walk to Schloss (castle) Kalkum:





I was happy to find the gates open again:




My fave lion was holding his nose in the sun:



And at last I got to see the goslings of the Canada geese:


It was a magical atmosphere at the lake, and I stood and watched them for a long time:






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

82 comments:

  1. Wonderful ... I don't have time for more details now ... I'll be back tomorrow with an XL comment, okay? Have a nice evening! Hugs!

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  2. Hi Val, good evening to you! Hope you had a great day and got lots done. Love your new piece, and if course the older ones, especially the family ones, so moving and beautiful. I'll show them to mum later and see if she remembers any of them. The photos are wonderful, love the goslings. Have a nice evening, hugs, Sarah

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    1. Thanks Sarah. Will be interesting to see if your mum recognises them. Have a fun evening!

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  3. I am also a big fan of flowers and I loved your post.
    I really like to see old photos and the way you presented them is super original giving a spectacular effect.
    All the photos are wonderful.
    Take care and be well
    Greetings

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    1. Thanks so much Maria, glad you like the pictures. I love combining old photos with other Images.

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  4. Thanks Laurie. Spring will come to you soon! Stay safe!

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  5. Really lovely creations. Glad you are keeping safe. x

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  6. Oh Valerie your art is breathtakingly beautiful...wow!
    I love wildflower gardens! They are my favorites!!!
    Your photos so beautiful.
    I'm love visiting your blog and seeing all of this beauty in one place.

    Thank you!!!

    Hugs and Stay Safe🌷🐦☕

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    1. Thanks Jan. Good that we have the same taste in gardens! Stay safe my friend!

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  7. Wonderful art and family photographs.
    Gorgeous scenes from your walk, especially the goslings, they are so sweet.

    I just love the Spring

    All the best Jan

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    1. Thanks. Spring is just wonderful. Those goslings were so sweet.

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  8. Your Pages are incredible Wonderful Valerie !! I love this vintage style, and the great photographs of you Mum and your family. Thanks so much for sharing them with us.
    Your photographs from your walks are amazing, love this castle, the flowers, and the most I love... are the little goslings.
    I wish you a very nice thursday, stay safe and
    Big hugs,
    Caty

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    1. Thank you, dear Caty. The little goslings were really adorable. I will visit them again tomorrow!

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  9. Gorgeous art work Valerie, I love all of the old photos of your family and the fabulous vintage details! Beautiful pictures today, the flowers are so colorful and the goslings are absolutely adorable! Stay safe.
    Hugs, Tammy

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    1. Thanks Tammy, the photos are fun to look at. And those goslings were soooo sweet! Stay safe!

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  10. Beautiful artwork. And lovely photos. Thanks for sharing!

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  11. I agree about weeds. Most are wildflowers I welcome even when they are enthusiastic. I pull up some things, but dandelions, violets, etc. are always welcome here :)

    Exciting to see the gates open!

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  12. Thanks for sharing the wonderful Asian inspired piece at AJJ.I love it. And I love seeing those flower pieces of art. Flowers are wonderful even the ones some folks consider weeds. And I can't get over how it looks like summer in your photos. We're on the snow watch too. Hope it misses us both. Hugs-Erika

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    1. Thanks Erika. Looks like the bad weather will be heading to several places! Stay safe!

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  13. I am with you Valerie, love a wild flower garden. I am happy if things grow and self seed!! Love your Buddha and flower art, lovely to include your family history photos in your art work too. The 1920 wedding photos are great , such beautiful dresses and hats. Great walk photos.

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    1. Thanks a lot. I'm always happy when flowers grow. Those 1920s styles were so elegant!

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  14. Super awesome colours and fabulous photos once again, love the floral artwork...great make.x

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  15. Lovely family photos in your art today. Glad you are able to go into the parks again. The photos are beautiful.

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    1. Thanks Christine. I'm happy the parks are open again!

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  16. Such a pretty collection of flowers. Happy Weekend.

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  17. Hi Valerie wow love your pages and your pics,beautiful post my friend xx

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  18. Schnee?!!! Nein danke!
    Das Auto ist super integriert, und deine Mutter schaut direkt drauf, clever. Und was für ein süßes Bild deiner Geschwister...
    Schönes Familienportrait, oh und das Fahrrrad! Vor ein paar Jahren hatten wir im Park einen bepflanzten Einkaufswagen, den alle mit nutzten und pflegten, der hatte sogar ne Homepage.

    Ein Hallo von Heinrich :-)
    Wir wünschen dir einen schönen Tag, immerhin schon 7C hier, und sonnig, GlG, Iris

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    1. Danke. Wer will jetzt Schnee? Fürchterliche Gedanke! Das Fahrrad steht am Rande dew Wise und wird von einem alten Ehepaar bepflanzt und gepflegt, immer so schön!

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  19. Das sind wunderschöne Kunstwerke über das Thema mit deiner Familie , herrlich wie man früher ausgesehen hat mit dieser Kleidung!!!
    Deine Wanderung war wieder schön die Gänsejungen und all die Blumen überall eine wahre Farbenpracht.Bei mir war es so kalt und der Wind brrr...
    Ich wünsche dir einen schönen Tag
    Lieben Gruss Elke

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    1. Danke Elke! Ja, die Klamotten waren damals schön. Die Gänsebabies waen total schön. Ich hoffe das Wetter wird besser für dich!

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  20. What a beautiful post. So glad you are able to visit one of your favourite places again - and share some of its beauty with us all. Love the goslings, how lovely to see them like that.
    Beautiful pages, and what an artistic way to display your family photographs, something to look back on with fondness. I must say I do like the Pink Eyed lady especially but I like them all so it seems wrong to choose one from them all.
    Hugs, Neet xx

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    1. Thanks Neet! It's good to get into the castle park again, I missed it. Have a great day, stay safe.

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  21. My day is now complete, Valerie. To know that the Canada Geese have their babies and all are doing well is great news! The goslings look big and strong already. As as for the description of your garden as your own wildflower meadow, that is my kind of place. Just think of all the insects and other creatures that called it home. Your world seems to be opening up. Perhaps a visit with Nathalie (she of the wonderful toes) will soon be on the agenda. I can only imagine what a glorious reunion that will be! Take care, big hugs from the Big Land. David

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    1. Oh yes, the Canada geese get well treated here and are really happy and productive! I was happy to see them. Have a great day!

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  22. It must have been lovely to be able to go into the park again and see the goslings.
    Your art looks fantastic. I really love the first one those flowers made me look more at the Buddha image and of course Frida always looks good with flowers in her hair.
    Your family photo pages were lovely and yes I like the wedding dresses from that generation as well.
    Stay safe Valerie.
    Yvonne xx

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    1. Thanks Yvonne! It was great to be there again, especially with those sweet goslings and their watchful parents.

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  23. Ohhh Valerie this is a stunning post.

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  24. Beautiful art ~ I love the wedding photo, the dresses are incredible..now if they could all -smile- :) LOVE the wisteria and how it's growing like that ~Wow~ The bike with the flowers growing is wonderful and so are the goslings! Blessings

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    1. Thanks. They mostly didn't smile in photos back then, my mum ist the only one smiling. Have a wonderful day!

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  25. Oh my, so many nice pictures to look at. You seem to like Frida's face. I remember seeing the movie about her, starring Selma Hayek.

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    1. Thanks. I admire Frida Kahlo and her art. The film was good. Have a nice day, Valerie

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  26. dear your photos are so stunning! All looks blomming and shiny:)

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  27. Your pieces are wondrous. I hope you are keeping the ones you've made with family members in a scrapbook. Purrfect mementoes.
    Sounds like you had my kind of garden:)
    Love those goslings.
    Stay safe. Be healthy. Hugs

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    1. Thanks Sandra. I do indeed have some scrapbooks. Stay safe my friend!

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  28. Beautiful, Valerie. Happy Thursday

    Much💚🌎💙love

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  29. Piękne sa twoje prace. Cudowne fotografie cieszę sie ,że mogłaś wyjść do parku na spacer. Dużo zdrowia:)

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    1. Thanks Lucyna. I was happy to go to the park again. I wish you good health, too, stay safe!

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  30. What lovely pieces, you are SO like your mum! Enjoy your time in the park again and take care, Sue xx

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    1. Thanks Sue. There is really a family likeness, true enough!

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  31. How cute these Canada geese babies! Great photos, Valerie!
    And who doesn't love flowers and birds? Your art is always beautiful and I love the page, full of flowers, you entered in my challenge at AJJ. Thank you, my friend, and hugs!

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  32. Lightening knocked out my electricity for hours and hours early this morning and that's why I'm late visiting. I actually LOVE this piece you created for Art Journal Journey. By adding the flowers, it works perfectly for Mia's theme at Art Journal Journey. Thanks for sharing.

    Great images of your family. I love your mother at the wedding and her as a child. She is beautiful.

    Great photos of the now open park and castle. Great to see the geese and their goslings, too. Really stunning floral photos and art, dear. Hope you are well.

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  33. Oh my gosh, your pieces are wonderful - especially the ones with your family. Wow. I love them and wish I could make them! Lovely work and lovely people. Your walk pictures are fab too. I know it is doing you a lot of good to get out. Hugz

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    1. Thanks Nancy. Getting out is important to me, Stay Safe!😁💖😁

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  34. Beautiful pages, Valerie, especially the ones with family photos.

    What a lovely walk. You sound like you were in 7th heaven. I'm glad you can get out and walk around in the fresh air again. Eileen xx

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    1. Thanks Eileen! I'm always happy when I can get out and about, and it was really beautiful today. Have a great weekend, take care!

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  35. I have a feeling that this flower theme will be a snap for you!

    Your goslings look a little bit older and bigger than mine -- at least yesterday. They do seem to grow very fast! It's such fun to see this new life and signs of spring!

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    1. I saw the goslings again today, they are already bigger!

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  36. Your collages are beautiful and meaningful to just about everyone even though the pictures are of your family ... I too have the old pictures but have never thought to use them as you have here. On your walk, you seem to be ahead of us "Spring" wise. So much green and so many flowers (even the dandelions which I love too ... they are disliked by many because they are so successful and can fill a yard or a field with their glory), but especially the goslings which we have none of yet (that I have seen) though we have hundreds upon hundreds of Geese in our area. You always outdo yourself with your posts. This one is glorious and one to be remembered as it brings joy at a time when we are all stressed and sad.
    Before I go, I want to tell you that I found my Sunflower with the honey bees and posted it after you had already visited. Please feel free to come back and take a peek when you have time :) Stay safe, Be well!

    Andrea @ From the Sol

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    1. Thanks Andrea, stay safe! Off to See your sunflower now!

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  37. Such beautiful art pieces! I love them all! Thanks for sharing all the precious photos of your family!! I love the lion and all the babies! So cute! Big Hugs and Stay Safe!

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  38. I didn't know this writer, thanks :)
    fiftyshadesfashion.com

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  39. Wonderful art and photography Valerie!
    Cute goslings. My son had a telling off from some geese parents on his walk today, as we were chatting on the phone. I've had a few nips from the vicious geese at the animal rescue too, in the past.
    Alison xx

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    1. Thanks Alison. Geese are sometimes like watch dogs!

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  40. Valerie your art pieces are beautiful, I love that you add photos of your family. So nice. :) Oh the goslings, they are adorable. I was driving by one of the marshes yesterday and I saw two sets of mama Geese with about a dozen goslings swimming right behind her. It's so magical to see! :) That lion sculpture is great!

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    1. Thanks Rain, I love that stone lion, too. Geese and goslings are always gorgeous! Stay safe!

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