Sky Watch Friday

The skies around our area have been so changeable the past few weeks - makes for much more interesting photos!

Here are a few I took this week.

Be sure the other great participants here.

ABC Wednesday - K is for Knit the Bridge and some great artists

ABC Wednesday has rolled around again and this week we look at K.

There are quite a few "K" artists and I will focus on 4 of them, very different from each other.

As well, I am sharing more photos of "Knit the Bridge"!

Frida Kahlo: She was a Mexican painter, known for her vibrant colours and her many self portrais.

Thomas Kincade:

"Kinkade emphasizes simple pleasures and inspirational messages through his paintings. As a devout Christian, Kinkade uses his gift as a vehicle to communicate and spread inherent life-affirming values."

Paul Klee: He was considered both a Swiss and German painter. " His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism."

 

Cornelius Krieghoff: He is " probably the most popular Canadian painter of the 19th century. Krieghoff is most famous for his paintings of Canadian landscapes and Canadian life outdoors, particularly in the winter"

 

Knit the Bridge
I have to include some more photos of the fabulous art project that took over the bridge in downtown Cambridge! "Knit the Bridge" turned out to be such a collaborative effort of people far and wide. It was such fun to visit as well. All the knitted goods were taken down yesterday and will be washed and donated to the needy. What a worthwhile project!




(Yes those are slippers marching up the bridge!)





Be sure to visit the other great participants of this fun alphabet meme here.

Sunday Weekly Wrap Up

Although I have been busy - with creating ATCs, taking part in several memes and challenges, doing the weekly wrap up was just not happening for a few.

I had said a while back that after coming back from holidays I needed to step back a bit from blogging and take part only as I wanted, not because I felt I must.

I have been taking part in the GPP challenges and enjoying them I realized a couple of days ago that I hadn't posted what I had created. So I thought I would combine it on this wrap up.

GPP #44 - In a Scrape

Using a couple of old plastic cards, I had fun scraping paint on paper. Here are my results:

I used this one for the Day of the Dead ATCs below

ATCs

I have been involved in many swaps with ATCsforall. Here are a few I have completed:

Shadows:

Day of the Dead:



Crows and Numbers:

 

Full Moon Dreamboard/ Fall Tree of Intentions

Last week was both the beginning of fall and the full moon. I really enjoyed creating my tree of intentions

 

Photography

I have been involved in 365 days of photography with Madeline Bea since Sept. 1.

Here are some of my favourite shots.

Skies:Flowers

An old log:

More pictures of "Knit the Bridge" - a fascinating art project in Cambridge




A spider - tried for a closer macro shot - have to work on the different settings!

100 Days to a Healthier Me!

My next project is not an artistic one but a healthy one - 100 days of healthy living. My tree of intentions got me fired up to finally (!!!) do something about my weight and my health. In just over 100 days I will turn 59 and I am worried that if I don't do something soon, my health will get worse.

So, after all the wishful thinking and writing about what I wanted to do, I am committing to eating better, exercising and taking care of my health!

Shadow Shot Sunday

Shadows need not be ignored - they can become the centre of interest in your photos! Join Tracy and the other shadow chasers at Hey Harriet for a fun weekly meme!

Summer has now officially ended and as I looked at my flowers I realized they wouldn't be around much longer. So here is a tribute to flowers and shadows!

Be sure to check out the other participants of:

Shadow Shot Sunday here

and

Macro Flowers Saturday here.

Weekend Reflections

Shadows and reflections - the hunt for both is so enjoyable. I even have my hubby looking for them for me!

Last week I found other reflections in the waters of the Grand River.

The windows of a church make great reflectors as well.

Be sure to visit other great participants here.

The Happy Book - Dance

This past week' s Happy Book adventure was to dance - To find those songs that make you just want to drop every thing and dance.

A number of years ago I had made a tape of songs that I would put on and dance to, sometimes for 40 minutes at a time. Dancing was my way to exercise, to release stress. The past few years I have gotten away from that love of dancing and I dance only rarely now.

My favourite show is "So You Think You Can Dance", both the Canadian and American versions. I suppose in another life, dancing would have been a big part of my life.

I moved to music a bit this week, I sang in the car but I really didn't let loose and dance. I have been feeling unfit and tired for a while.

Then I refound the wedding entrance dance and I could feel the joy in all the wedding party and I knew I had to get that feeling back. When I made my ""tree of Intentions" yesterday, I had to place dance on it. I resolve to make sure I dance till I feel better!

Some of my favourite dance songs are:

"Flashdance... What A Feeling" ~ Irene Cara

"Party for Two" ~ Shania Twain

"Jive Talking" ~ BeeGees

"Dancing Queen" ~ ABBA

"Billie Jean" ~ Michael Jackson

"YMCA" ~ Village People

"Stayin' Alive" ~ Bee Gees

"I Gotta Feeling" ~ Black Eyed Peas

"Celebration" ~ Kool and the Gang

"Disco Inferno" - The Tramps (1978)

There are so many more but this is a start! I'm off to make a CD - I've been inspired! Thanks Jamie!

Be sure to visit the other "Happy Book" participants here.

Sky Watch Friday

Time once again to look to the skies - for clouds, for sunsets, sunrises, storms, even clear skies - there is so much variety!

This week it was about the cloud formations!

Be sure to visit the other great participants here.

Wishcasting Wednesday

Today is Wishcasting Wednesday and Jamie (of Jamie Ridler Studios) has another wonderful question:

What do you wish for an abundance of?

As I thought about the question I realized that I want abundance in a couple of areas:

I wish for an abundance of creative challenges and opportunities; an abundance of time to be creative and seek creative outlets.

I also wish for an abundance of social interactions - opportunities to meet new people and more opportunities to get together with family and friends.

As Jamie says: "You can be a maker of magic and a tender of wishes. It’s easy. Answer the wish prompt above on your blog . Support wishes by visiting other participants. It’s that simple. There is great power in wishing together."

Visit other wonderful wishcasters here.

ABC Wednesday - J is for A.Y.Jackson

Once again it is time to turn our focus to the letters of the alphabet - this week it is J.

For me, one of the greatest artists is A. Y. Jackson, a founding member of the Group of Seven.

 

To learn more about this wonderful artist visit here and here.
Be sure to visit the other great participants here.

Shadow Shot Sunday

Shadows have become a subject in their own right! Instead of trying to get rid of them, those who follow "Shadow Shot Sunday" eagerly seek them out!
While photographing the knitted bridge in Cambridge this past week, I realized the shadows just added to the uniqueness of this art project. ( The knitted afghans, toques and scarves will be removed Sept. 27, washed and donated to the needy. It has been quite an interesting project.)

Be sure to visit the other great shadow seekers "Hey Harriet", the meme created by Tracy.