Swinging London Ladies

Hi Everybody!

It's weekend, enjoy!

Thanks to all those who sent me get well wishes - I am feeling less groggy

so your good wishes helped!

My hybrid collage for Art Journal Journey, maps, led me once again to London. I made some templates from some images from a prospect that arrived in my mail box, and used them to map out some ladies. I was inspired by thoughts of 'Swinging London' back in my youth, and made them into swinging ladies dancing over the Thames. The background map is courtesy of Wikipedia, and once again shows the area where I grew up, went to school etc. I'm afraid there will be more London collages coming this month!

Here is has hardly rained today, which is good, as the water in the Rhine is still much too high, although it hasn't yet reached the danger mark. The rain and storms should be abating by Tuesday, so hopefully all shall be well. Some places have been badly damaged by the floods, I feel so sorry for the people who have lost everything this way.

The cormorant now has an island all alone:

The jetty is almost at the same height as the embankment:

There is still more than a yard before the water spills over the wall:

These pigeons drive me crazy. They like visiting my balcony, land on the flowers, pull them out,  knock down the feeders, make themselves comfortable on MY recliner, and eat everything if they get a chance....

and they look so sweet and innocent!

The poor jay got soaked again yesterday evening, and came back for a feed just before it got dark:

My wellies are my best companions just now!

Have a great day, take care,

and thanks a lot for coming by!

Thursday/Friday This, that and the other

Hi Everybody!

I am posting a bit later than usual, as I was just feeling totally crappy yesterday, and don't feel much better today - It has to get better!

Today is Elizabeth's second on the second, where we re-show some pieces made previously. This is a mixed media one made in 2012, and I chose it for today as it also fits the 'maps' theme we have just now at Art Journey Journey. Once again I am back in London:

I then took part of it and gave it a freshen up to make it suitable for the challenge today, giving it a new frame, and adding some digital details

And as it is Paint Party Friday tomorrow, I am showing another London piece made this week - London in my head. The map is, of course, a map of the London Underground, the 'Tube'. The background was painted with acrylics, and I added some bits and pieces digitally. And once again Mr UM is there, watching what is going on.

There were no blue skies here, and once again it rained all day. Welles and raincoats are the order of the day. There are huge puddles everywhere, and some motorists seem to take delight in driving through them at speed to soak unwary pedestrians.

The horses didn't seem to mind the rain:

The water in the little stream is getting higher and higher:

It has almost reached the top of the bridge:

The grill and chilling place is almost in the water:

But I do like watching the ships loom up out of the haze:

This is the path I usually take down to the shore, but I did not try it today:

The flowers seem to be enjoying the rain:

And the robin and the jay spent most of the day on my balcony, where it was dry:

Have a good day you all, take care,

and thanks a lot for coming by!

Double First

Hi Everybody!

Today we are celebrating the start of not one, but TWO new challenges - at 

Art Journal Journey and at Moo Mania and More.

We have a new hostess at Art Journal Journey, Mary Nasser, and the new theme 

that she chose is 'maps'. We are happy to have Mary with us, as she is an established and accomplished mixed media artist who specializes in maps, and also designs stencils and stamps. She also has a home page which you can visit to learn more about her. She made us a wonderful piece to start the month, and you can see it on the AJJ blog.

I hope to see many of you joining in again, and projects of all formats are welcome! 

For my start up piece I made a hybrid creation, using an 18th century map of London (courtesy of Wikipedia) as my background. I chose the part of East London by the Thames and docks where I was born and grew up, as I still feel very much attached to this corner of the world. The Beefeater is standing guard over the tower of London, which was a couple of hundred yards away from where we lived. If you look under Mr UM's umbrella you can see 'Well Close', which at my time was called Wellclose Square. The area belonged to the 'Freedom' or jurisdiction of the Tower for hundreds of years. Many of the old building there have  sadly been pulled down in the meantime. The place where my great Grandparents settled when they immigrated to England was in a little court off the square, it is even possible to see the house they lived in on the enlarged map. 

I think the little girl with the camera is a symbol for me, as I loved having a camera in my hands, even when I was small, but the camera had no film in it!

I love the place where I live now, but That corner of London will always be my home.

At Moo Mania and More our new challenge is 'Masculine'. Once again, 

projects of all formats are allowed, not just Moos, so hope to see lots of you there in the next two weeks.  I made a mixed media piece on a painted and stenciled background. The postcard has a torn-paper background, and the image has been made with a mod-podge transfer and then clear varnished.

Yesterday evening the temps started rising after the stormy day,

and you could see the water steaming off the fields:

Later on, when the steam had more or less cleared, everything had a bluish glow:

The sun managed to get up this morning, but I was up an hour earlier!

Some photos taken before the big rainfall:

And these were afterwards.

Have a great day, take care,

and thanks a lot for coming by!