The Rivals....

Hi Everybody!

Brrr, today was cold and grey and wet. I still managed to go for 2 walks,

and spent a couple of happy hours with a friend eating delicious waffles that she made, together with my special jam and lots of coffee - Okay, I will hold a fast day tomorrow! But it was fun!

When I came home I heard the birds outside making a lot of noise. I looked out, and there was a woodpecker clutching onto one of the fat balls, and trying to get some nibbles with his long beak, and the little tits had all got their knickers in a twist and were fussing and hopping around - too funny! The woodpecker had great problems to get at the food, because he was just too big to maneuver himself there. He flew off into the tree, and the littl'uns came back for 'their' food.

For Art Journal Journey,  'Inspired by the Masters' I made a mixed media piece about Leonardo and Michelangelo, who were big rivals in their day, both wanting to get lucrative contracts, and be the 'best' one.

I first gave the background some colour with oil pastel.Then I used paper napkins and printed tissue,  and gave then a coat of diluted gesso when the mod podge was dry. I added Mona, made with my stencil, and an image of Leonardo. The text was computer generated, and distressed with vintage photo DI.

I managed to get a shot of the woodpecker, taken through the glass and  insect netting. I didn't dare to open the door or he would have taken flight! The birds are also rivals when it comes to food!

And then he sat in the tree, probably still hungry, poor thing!

This was the welcoming committee when I got up in the morning, all waiting for me to fill their feeder, and all looking down at my balcony....

Have a great day you all, take care,

and thanks a lot for coming by!

Inspired by Picasso

Hi everybody,

hope you are enjoying your weekend!

Here it was cold and showery, but there were some dry intervals in between, and even the sun showed itself here and there, so it was not too bad! A friend came and we ate rather large amounts of cake and cookies with my home made special jam, and drank lots of coffee, so that was fun - I think I need to have an 'abstinence' day now!

For Art Journal Journey I have been inspired again by Picasso. I used my home made stencils again to make cut outs of the bull and matador. The background has been splodged with water colours and drawing ink. I made the cut outs from blue glitter paper, and outlined them with black felt-pen and white gel-pen. This was fun to make. I think I have a little Picasso-Braque obsession just now, sooner or later it will pass!

After my afternoon cake and coffee consume I went out for a walk a bit later than usual, as it was just getting dark, and watched the street lamps lighting up. I have changed the route of my afternoon walk as I don't want to walk through the fields where there is no lighting after dark. 

Have a great day you all, take care, 

and thanks a lot for coming by!

Saturday this and that

Hi everybody!

Hope you are enjoying your weekend.

 Friday started off here wild, wet and windy, but it did get better in the course of the day. The wind chased the rain clouds away, so it stayed dry, and in the afternoon the wind died down and it was quite pleasant. I had fun on my walks, as always.

For 'Inspired by the Masters' at Art Journal Journey I made another Georges Braque (1882-1963) inspired piece. I love playing with my home-made stencils to get different effects. The background has been brayered with acrylics over a blue water-colour wash. I used some textured paper  in A3 size. The bird and sun have been cut from some black glitter card I found in a drawer, and have a lovely texture, but are hard to photograph and look brown on some of the pics - sorry!

Today I enjoyed 'looking up' and taking pictures of various parts  against the sky. 

The castle ruins look very pretty with the autumn leaves.

In the afternoon I went by the lakes again:

I love these mossy trees by the water.

There was no flaming sunset this evening, it just got darker without the glow. The silhouette of the tree looks like it has a face in profile - can you see it, too?

My visitors are already onto the second fat ball, and this one has already been much reduced.

Have a great weekend, take care, 

and thanks a lot for coming by!

Inspired by the masters....

Hi everybody!

We had another sunny day here, with blue skies, and a fantastic sunset in the evening. Rain is on its way again, but it's good to enjoy the good weather as long as it lasts!

My painting for Art Journal Journey today has been inspired by 2 masters - can you guess their names? One lived in the 15th / 16th centuries, and the other in the 20th. The 2 quotes are from these 2 artists, I am sure you will know who said what!

I used a stencil from Stencilry.org, and acrylic paints. Apart from that, I kept it simple....

I am also linking to Paint Party Friday, hosted, as always, by Eva and Kristin and to the three muses, white space

The boats often have lovely names. Today I saw Brahms and St Antonius swimming by:

The gulls and wild geese were happy:

I love this shot of the blackbird among the leaves:

And I had fun playing with my loooong shadow again:

All in all, a beautiful day!

Have a great day, take care,

and thanks a lot for coming by!