The face of autumn.

Hi Everybody!

Lots going on today, so I'll get started straightaway:

Today we are beginning a new challenge at TIOT - autumn colours/ leaves.
Projects of all formats are allowed, and you have 2 weeks, as always, to link your autumnal themes to us - looking forward to seeing you there!
I made a mixed media A3 page. I drew the face on the gessoed page and coloured it with water colours and metallic paints. The birds were stenciled with Dina Wakley's stencil. The quote is from John Donne.

I am also linking to 49 faces and to Art Journal Journey, through my window, and to Kim Dellow's Show your face..

At Tag Tuesday our theme this week is Nature's Bounty, so I made a tag in autumn colours, with gold embossed leaves on a painted and stenciled background. I added a mix of dried seed pods, glass beads, buttons etc as embellishments, and some fibres as tie. I stitched it to a backing of corrugated cardboard.

Today is also time for Elizabeth's T stands for Tuesday, so welcome to all the gang. I baked a bread pudding this afternoon, using left over whole wheat bread, raisins and prunes soaked in Brandy (to disinfect them!), ground nuts,  lots of mixed spices, brown sugar and cinnamon. I sprinkled some roasted sesame seeds on top to make it nice and crunchy. I have a visitor coming Tuesday afternoon, so I have to keep my fingers off it till  then! But you are welcome to try it! This is something I often make in Autumn and winter, as it tastes good hot or cold, and is also delicious with vanilla sauce or ice-cream!

My drink is Coffee Latte today, I made it extra to share with you!

The pigeons were all sitting in the tree this morning waiting for breakfast:

I saw this huge sunflower in the grouds of the hospital, next to the house from the 12th century:

And I nearly had a photo of a kingfisher, but he flew before I could press the shutter - but the stream is still nice!

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

Lady Julian's Windows

Hi Everybody!

My A3 mixed media Journal page today for Art Journal Journey, through my window, shows Lady Julian of Norwich. She was an anchoress (someone who has retired from the world) who lived in a tiny house attached to the Church of St Julian in Norwich. She lived from ca. 1342-1416. After a severe illness she had a series of visions which led her to her secluded life. She wrote a book, 'Revelations of Divine Love', which is the first book written by a woman in the English language - and that at a time when the majority of the population could neither read nor write. I do not have the time to write more about her visions and ideas here, but those who are interested can read about her  here.

Her little house had 2 windows,  a window to the Church, so she could take part in the services, and a window to the outside, where she could talk to people. She called them her 'window to God' and her 'Window to the world'

I have showed her here in a Gothic window, with her 2 windows to her right and left. I stenciled the diamond pattern to give the feeling of diamond-pane windows.

Today started off with a super sunrise again:

I enjoyed blue skies on my walk through town, although it was very cold.

There is a feeling of autumn in the air:

I was pleased to see that this old, rusty gate is still there:

The apples are ripe, but I had no ladder:

Have a great day you all, take care,

and thanks a lot for coming by!

Night and day, sun and moon

Hi Everybody!

Hope your weekend is going well!

For Art Journal Journey, through my window, I painted the face of the night- I often look out of my window at night when I can't sleep, and love seeing the colours of the sky, the shadows of the trees, the moon and the stars. The quote I have used is from Sting's 'Sister Moon'.

I painted an A3 page with various blues, green, turquoise and black, added some fairy dust, drew the face profile using one of 'my' heads and drew the town silhouette along the bottom. I added some foil stars and painted the moon with Maya gold from Vivacolor.

I am also linking to 49 Faces and to Kim Dellow's 'Friday Face'

I was up early and watched the night turn to day and then the sun rise. You can see planes coming in to land at the nearby airport:

The crows were in 'their' tree:

There were lots of boats on the Rhine again:

And this evening the moon shone into my room:

Have a great day, take care,

and thanks a lot for coming by!