bird's eye view

it is hard to see but this was the last treasury that ended early this morning... the theme was of course from a bird's eye view, and the houses and trees below... I love the view... if only I could fly!

Trick or Treat Black Cat Ttv photograph by James Spicer

HAppy Halloween! Ok I admit it.. I keep going back to this fellow's etsy site and looking at his photos. I love the feel and the subject matter and especially feel myself transforming into Robert Duvall's twilight zone episode where he keeps going back to the museum because they have a doll house on display, and there is a woman inside the doll house he likes and he keeps imagining he will go into the house and be small and live with her. Well. I am not going to slip through this dimension into the one that James SPicer's photos are in but while I am looking at them I often feel I could. Please visit his Etsy store and see more... I featured one of his photos in a treasury this week and hope you all get to see it before it disapppears.. I think its one of my best.
Here is how James describes his photos: "Original photograph by James Spicer. This is from my TTV (Through the Viewfinder) series which gives the photograph a soft, dusty, vintage feel. The flecks, scratches, and black border add to the charm."
here's the treasury.. quick before its too late... I will make a post of it on this blog later today.. but it will be smaller... http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=30599
go and click and leave a comment! thanks and have a wonderful boo tiful scary halloween!

White and Red Pomegranates-Encaustic Beeswax Painting

This is an encaustic painting that is 8.5X11 and was done with a plate of fresh pomegranates sitting in front of me. I taught myself how to paint encaustic after a visit down to San Jose Del Cabo one year to see my daughter and grandkids. Next to my daughter's restaurant Fandango was a wonderful little art gallery that carried just the latest and greatest artwork fresh from Los Angeles and one of the artists she carried was an encaustic painter that did realism. Most artist do not do realistic encaustic as it is very time consuming but I knew what I wanted to create the minute I smelled that wonderful melting beeswax for the first time and it was not abstract art... that is not to say that I don't love abstract for what it is but for me it's always been about realism and the photographic medium and most my art except for my illustration has stayed along those lines.. This was particularly difficult because the red kept melting into the lighter tones.. but I faced the challenge and eventually figured a way around it.
I love to drink and eat the pomegranate but beware of the deadly stain it leaves. I bet women of old used the juice of pom to tint their lips and cheeks... maybe.
I think this time of year is when the pomegranates start to hit the stores and we can decorate and eat them and admire them for their beauty as well... this red fruit is a many splendid thing!!

Halloween Black Cat Fake Cupcakes Faux Food Decorations

Ok its almost halloween and as we get closer the word SWEET and CANDY is always being floated around as well as black cat and pumpkins and cider and candied apples..
These wonderful faux food cupcakes look good enough to eat. I admit.. I have always had a slightly perverse attaraction to fake food. I remember walking through downtown Portland about 25 years ago with my camera looking for interesting things to snap and I stopped in front of a Sushi restaurant that's front window was completely filled with faux sushi and other wonderful items all made from molded plastic. I think we have come a long way in the faux food biz. This person who makes her most wonderful faux food not only has the nicest looking fakes but also knows how to photograph them to make them almost... good enough to eat!
Click the photo to go to her Etsy website to see her other wonders. And to all who are getting into the mood for the scaries coming this week... have a boo!tiful time!

front page early this morning!!

How exciting to have a front page again... I think it was nice but some folks on the admin have fun switching the items around.. I will never understand that.. it is supposed to be our creation.. but perhaps something sold! let's hope so!! congrats to all!
Here is a link to the current treasury I have: Indian Princess

Specimen 8. Dragonfly/Octopus on the Ingoldsby Legends

This original silkscreen is one of many fanciful if not slightly surreal images made by a store/company called wondercabinet on Etsy. I find myself drawn back again and again to look at the pieces as it isn't just the images that I enjoy but the combinations of the ink on the paper over the book pages. I could see myself wallpapering an entire room with these images and never tiring of it. I don't suppose Jules Verne would disapprove in the least.
After spending the last 4 days with my daughter Rita trying to figure out the silkscreen photo process using photo emulsion from 5 years ago left in a 200 degree garage for 4 years and then getting a sunlight -then black light- and now at the late hour she has washed the old unusable emulsion off the screen and is painting in the resist by hand so that all her cross country team will be able to wear the t-shirts she designed -this weekend for the regional meet. They argued over the slogan for 3 days- and now with a finalized slogan the black light our last attempt...didn't work- and of course in this one horse town there is no one to do silkscreen for any price! not that I could pay any price.
So I have a certain new found appreciation and continued love of silkscreen, not my first, or even recent artform conquered.. but guaranteed to be tried in the future..
Please click on the dragonfly octopus to be taken to the wondercabinet store and treat yourself to a menu of wonderful delights...
her bio from her etsy profile:
If it involves cutting, pasting, painting, collecting, organizing, hoarding, glueing, arranging, obsessing, tasting, listening, pilfering, filling, pouring, resisting,
protesting, tearing, sewing, pretending, peeking, hiding, or constructing altered realities, I'm into it.
I am an artist living and working in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I do a lot of sculpture and installation work, and I make prints, drawings and paintings in between the sculpture exhibition deadlines.

Circus Girl by Maria PAce Wynters

I would like to know more about this artist that I bookmarked as soon as I joined etsy. This woman is both and artist and children's book illustrator and I defy anyone to look at just one of her paintings.. It is like eating one potato chip, you can't. Her style is a mixture of old world mystery and splendor with a dash of Chagall color and surrealism yet grounded in a firm storyline that is woven through the image telling a story all by itself. I am so impressed with her originality and subject matter and also admire her for being with her kids. The childlike innocence theme runs through many of her subjects and she never fails to thrill me with her work. Please check out her store and her website to see more of Maria's beautiful and haunting images.. I am pleased to feature her today. In her own words she says.."I am a mixed media artist that works on both canvas and paper. Currently my subject revolves around what I revolve around: My daughters and life as a stay at home Mum. Not always easy but more than a little gratifying. "

HARLEQUIN HOLIDAYS-Sasha doll and outfit

My sister Sharon like other sisters and mother in the family are really addicted to the creative process. Sharon could be the one that we would all say has the ability to make the most beautiful doll clothes, a gorgeous necklace and really quite talented and capable at painting beautiful folk art. Let's focus on one thing here. The doll clothes which of late have really been getting creative and wonderful! This is one of many that I keep saying is my favorite... how can you have a favorite when each new one is sweeter than the next. Sharon sells her Sasha doll dresses on Ebay and is doing nicely with this business and just this week sold one for a very very nice price which made us both scream! as we watched it end the auction at a wonderful, and might I say, well deserved, price! I could go on and on here about how she makes these dresses and the fabric she collects and her personal business history as owner and designer of one of the most popular and beautiful of children's clothing companies during the 90s.(Wee Clancy). I know and so do all of my siblings as our little girls were always adorned in her Wee Clancy dresses and velvet capes and on and on...
It is so fun to check back to her store on Ebay and see what she has come up with this week... please visit her store and read her descriptions... if you don't have a Sasha doll you will want one... just so you can dress her in Sharon's wonderful creations.... click the photo to go to her store!

Zukzuk Odd Bods

Here is an artist on Etsy I would love to introduce. I have her in my favorites section and always go back and stare at her variety of illustration and art she has listed. I am a big fan of portrait illustration and almost have a fascination with it. It reminds me of both a yearbook page and also that we are in this world together, not just alone as some single portraits reflect. Not that there is anything wrong with alone its where we get all our good inspiration and find time to read and reflect. I think if you go to Zukzuk's store which ..you can by clicking on the illus. you will be pleasantly surprised at her work. Also I include her profile and feel that if she lived next door to me we would be friends... She says it best in her following profile which I took from her site,:
When I was reading a book to my son the other day, one of the characters, a Wombat, said that he liked to think and he liked to dig. I guess that's a bit like me. I too like to think and to dig, especially come summer, but then digging snow in the winter is good too...

Most of the time I'm pretty mesmerized by the world and by the people in it. The state we're all in today is a pretty stunning thing to contemplate if you have five minutes! When I'm not digging I love to spend as much time as possible near trees and to travel (my family is still wondering when I will find my way back home to New Zealand). I like being involved in community activism, riding my bike, spending time on my own (rarely happens) and reading. I spend too much time in front of the computer and eat an inordinate amount of dark chocolate each day. I'm very personable so please don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions about my work or just want to say hello.

Tristan Little Artist

Here is a photo of my grandson Tristan while on a visit to Mexico about 5 years ago. He was 4 in this photo and is now 8! I never get enough of my grandkids and Tristan has always shown the most interest in art, even when very small he would always ask for "art supplies" when asked what I should bring down to San Jose del Cabo for the visits. There was so much time to do art with him and I usually hauled watercolors, colored pencils and paper and scissors and glue and we even did collage. Still, to this day Tristan is creating art in journals, filling them with incredible drawings of abstract, line art of family, and even a fabulous ink drawing he did of a myriad of different heads that was so great his mom framed it. Now I have been promised some original art or at least copies of some from his latest "work" at a very upscale art school in Eugene Oregon called Maude Kerns, which he was fortunate enough to attend this summer while I was there. He came back the first day and said he was the only boy in a class of 14 girls but he stuck it out and attended all day long for 5 long days. This would have been difficult for most boys as even Tristan is an ace soccer player who is on 2 different leagues after school and has consistantly played with kids at least 3 years older than him despite his small stature and age. Do I sound like a bragging grandma... well I am. This is not to say the other 3 are not equally talented and beautiful.. just wait until I get some good photos of them to post.. you will see. I am very interested in children and their art and hope to sponsor a children's art contest this coming spring with a prize of art supplies for the winner, and a certificate for all who send in an entry via the web. Keep checking back as this is something that will happen on this site.
For now enjoy your kids and grandkids and please put art supplies in front of them sometimes instead of the TV or computer... it is a balancing act and one that you as a parent or grandparent will reap the rewards from some day.. and don't just place the supplies.. sit down and do some art with them.. I cannot wait to see what Tristan will continue to create. He has had lots of support from his mom and family to continue to do his art.

White horse girl on gold original painting

Jill Mayberg.. I woke up got my Pete's coffee and toast and headed to the computer. First thing I saw in the treasury was this image. I clicked into her site and immediately started to go crazy.. I loved her work. So folk art and child-like yet creative and sophisticated in style and color and depth!
This was an artist I had to look at again. I immediately saw what she had for sale, purchased the only print she had which was of a bird.. meant to be.. my favorite subject, and then later thought that I might see what else she had in prints, none yet.. hello.. I was her first customer on Etsy... I can't speak for Jill but I googled her name and found her online with a gallery and went and saw all her other wonderful images. After awhile I decided to ask her if I could get a print of a red dog she has called yellow dog... I thought how fun to give to Rita framed for Christmas. I proceeded to torment this poor woman with tons of questions about the paper it was printed on, as I am pretty fussy about the quality of printing, and the size. She was so agreeable and so easy to work with. I highly recommend her and hope you will all check out her store on Etsy and I also hope she will sell her images on cards so i can get even more! Her art is well explained by her as follows,: Original acrylic painting with collaged, layered paper depicting a girl riding a white horse. Thick cotton rag paper is cut and printed and painted giving the painting a dimensional look." Click the photo to go to her store and have fun....

Cinder and Smoke

I would like to introduce you to a young, but wise, photographer from over the sea in Wales. His name is Duncan Binet-Fauvel.
I have always been a detail person in photo and art and when I caught a glimpse of his work on Etsy I was so excited! He speaks with his photos. These are not ordinary snapshot images but rather a journey that involves really seeing and then going back and looking again.
With the vintage photos that I sell online I spend alot of time enlarging the image and looking into the shadows and corners to see what I can find. What mystery lurks there. Very often it reveals itself with the lightening tool or just the magnifier. Duncan's photos are the same. I can see that not only detail but color also matters and in those two elements lie his mystery. please click the photo to be taken to his store for more of his photographic pieces. I hope to see his other work in the future and journey once again to the outposts within the landscapes of this portion of his world.

Under The Greenwood Tree by Jo at Green Island Studios

Inspired by Shakespeares Wonderful Words
This is a wonderful photographer on Etsy with a keen eye and a sense of place. The photos offered traverse the globe and yet the heart of the photographer..JO, comes through quite nicely. I especially enjoy the landscapes of clouds and ocean and like my own photos Jo enjoys talking about the camera used and place the image was captured. I reccommend visiting the store as there are some really beautiful works here and you get a glimpse into another fine art photographer on Etsy! Below is a little profile kept on the store that explains a bit about Jo!

Green Island Studios is situated in a woody glade near the seaside at St Agnes. Specialising in visual art, this is the shop front for Jo Bradford’s originals, prints and wearable art and other one off pieces.

Jo graduated with a first class MA from Falmouth College of Arts and specialises in darkroom work, photographic colour printing, antique and homemade cameras, photograms and cyanotypes, mixed media collages, painting and the development of unique light based artworks.

L'Oiseau The Bluebird Shop in France

Here is a photograph taken by a friend in France named Jean Claude . He is a sesasoned world traveled photographer always taking one of his many cameras wherever he goes. His job is to photograph people and places around the world for a magazine in Paris and over the last few years I was lucky enough to be able to see his marvelous photos on a regular basis. This image is of a store front from a city in France named Tournus. I have always loved old store fronts and cringe when shop owners repaint and modernize them. This one so special... was probably a lady's fine boutique in it's day and later became a wine shop. The top panel is covered with old movie star photos from America, Jackie Kennedy, Harrison Ford. The paint is a perfect robin egg's blue.

L'Oiseau The Bluebird imagined

I decided to give it a make over in photoshop by collaging in an image of a French dressmaker's ad. It was such fun to do this and I thought I would share the original and the re-do.

Dad's Flower Painting

This is a painting of a vase of flowers done by my father. We in our family know that both our parents not only were able to raise 11 children but also managed to both express their creative sides thus giving many of the children a sense that they too could do anything they desired. This painting is from a photo that a friend in France sent to me who is a wonderful if not marvelous photographer, and although I feel that many in our family are decent photographer's my dad knew that my friend possessed that rare quality of truly capturing an image not just taking it! So he has over and over painted photos that my friend has sent to me that I passed through emails to my dad. This is his latest. I believe it is in oils as that is what he has worked with lately. Dad is almost obsessed with creating, he always also has some carpenter project or garden project to accomplish when the weather is good. He golfs twice a week at least with my brother Mike and really has shown me that when you retire.. you never retire if you are creative and driven as he is.. but maybe that is what retire is all about... Hat's off dad, you are the artist of the day, week, month and year! I love your work and you!!
Now my mom is yet another on the go person who is either knitting, sewing or baking, also having time to read books, newspapers and cook up the most creative jams, and deserts and dinners. In our younger years in her spare time from taking care of 11 children she would can fruit and vegetables, and keep us all in wonderful hand made clothing. Yes I think I know where all of the siblings and myself acquired the need to create and keep on the move....hat's off to mom too! and so the story goes....

The Weight of Time Sunflower Polaroid Transfer by Tiffany Teske

Maybe this time of year the sunflowers are starting to droop and fall over with their weight. Birds and beasts reap the benefits of this weight. Light fades to dark earier and earlier and the colors change even in the sky. I found this artist on Etsy by typing in polaroid transfers as at present and always they continue to be one of my favorite art forms, crossing over the boundries of art and straight photo. that is happily where I long to be.. somewhere in the middle of the two worlds, art and photo.. I have always drifted to that land even as a child when off colors and subtle hues enchanted me. I have never been one for wild or bright color. DOn't believe me, look in my closet! Tiffany has a great eye and seems to know just what images work well with the transfer process, being familiar myself I think she nails it really. Check out her store by clicking on the sunflower. Enjoy those weighted sun-filled days before they all turn grey.

on the farm with cat and trike

this is an image that I recieved in a photo album today that I got online. It is a trimmed cabinet card and I photoshopped the frame from another tintype as this is a tintype frame but I like it on this image. The trike is missing a seat and looks like it has seen better days. the little boy wears a boler hat , holds his large cat with love and has ripped knees in the pants and the girl has both toe areas of the shoes split open as if they were well played in by someone before her. It is dated late 1890s but could be earlier as there were several images in the album dated mid 1860s. I was going to sell it but just couldn't.. too sweet. Always remember in these blogs if you want to see the image larger, just click on it.

Sie Hassan Ben ALi & His Acrobatic Troupe 1912

this troupe of acrobats came to the US in 1912 and the man in middle appears to be Sie Hassan Ben ALi. this was a scan that I made years ago of a photo postcard I had of this group and a man bought it, kept it for over a year and then returned it for a full refund.. I don't know where it is now in this house but I have it somewhere. I came across the scan while looking for another. I couldn't resist the costumes are way too cool! The blurb below is from 1912 nyt. He apparently died 2 yrs after this photo was taken.

if you are interested in circus history click on this link to go to the circus historical society, that is the only place i was able to find anything about this troupe besides the ny times from 1912, which is what is about.. last line

Tiger Lily

This is a tiger lily that I took several years ago from the garden and then printed it out onto canvas paper and painted over the entire image with acrylic paint. I sold the image so I no longer have the actual painting but the photo is somewhere in some dvd that I compiled all the past artwork on. I wanted to share this because the color is so wonderful for fall and I know that some lillies are still blooming at this time. I really want to do more of the painted photos on canvas and have got to force myself to work less and art more.. fall tends to make me feel creative and I think it hits us all about now.. our Sedona air turned cold and Rita just took Blue down to the little space we call "the willow tree" to play with the tennis ball. She had mittens on.. does that tell you anything?
Not alot was accomplished today but a good walk and some shopping and clothes folding and cleaning... I keep saying I will devote a little time each day to something creative and it keeps showing as this blog but that is fine for me.. I also got the counter in at the bottom so that is a little something that Rita helped with as I cannot do the html very well and she is a whizz... teens just know these things. So today was more about doing not much and not cooking and relaxing after that long day yesterday... hope you enjoy this painted photo.

The Letter "C"

Here is the letter C which is the
cleverest of all letters..see how it can be juggled
on the clown's feet.
I have always had a fascination with circus and the costumes and animals and posters and ladies riding bareback..the old French posters were so wonderful and colorful. I found this image on a French website like our Ebay called Delcampe.
you really can find or look at some amazing french things there.. if you like french paper or old perfume bottles or anything french... you can easily navigate your way around the site...have fun!

The Hat Family

This is something created long ago about 5 years ago when I was playing around with a tintype I had and photoshop. It is the closest I can come to an eerie image..enjoy the weirdness of this family.. not so unsual compared to many these days!!

BlueMoonRose Upcycled Sweaters and HAts Dogs too!

..one of a kind...
Victorian Vibe...Perfect Wedding Sweater to quote the designer herself! Is there anything better than cashmere.. I don't think so.. add a little lace and voila! a sweet sweater and upcycling helps the environment and is truly one of a kind..

visit her shop on etsy BlueMoonRose

Wow the color and CHARM in this necklace is just so unique and filled with it's own personaliy.. to go with yours. Sharon has something for every style and outfit in her SharonClancy Designs Etsy store. Check it out!

Check out organic cotton peace tote on Sheila Clancy's Etsy store. Say it loud, say it proud! Peace Baby Peace!!

Here we have a little mama dog resting after maybe nursing her puppies. This but one of many treasures you will find on thePheakkley store on Etsy. Please check out this husband and wife team who walk the talk and have a wide assortment of beautiful artwork.
The Oracle woman in lower center on the Paris treasury below was created by Rachael who was so kind to put me in her blog and then Rita's and I owe her alot for the inspiration she gave me to start a blog.. just by being her young and vibrant self. Check out her store on Etsy, so many wonderful finds! I love her little doggie..

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14697630

New Treasury West Paris Anytime

WOW this was a fun treasury to create. I started with the image of the footstool and built the entire thing around those tones. I really wanted an even tone in this and I think I got it. I could have kept going as there are so many wonderful images and treasures to chose from on Etsy. It wasn't easy to chose.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=28401

welcome to my new clancy's classics blog

This day one of my new blog is pretty exciting for me as I have visited everyone's blog thinking about doing it and always finding an excuse not to do it, too busy or not sure what will happen if I did do one and here I am taking the plunge.. I welcome you all to my blog and love.. love to get any and all feedback from those who visit my Etsy site or any other ideas from out there in the global world of internet users. I have a big group of family and friends and it seems to be growing through the relationships I am making via my Etsy and Ebay stores.. let us all come together!!