Artsmiths

A Canadian Summer

All my life, summer for me meant time spent near the ocean. I didn't grow up in British Columbia, but did spend most of my summers here. As much as I love the prairies where I grew up, I have a deep and abiding affection for the ocean and the mountains that surround me now.

One of my favourite things to do is to call the local government agency and get the tide charts for Crescent Beach. I like to pack a picnic and take my guys out there when I know the tides are really low. We can park the car and walk for hours, barefoot in the soft sands, exploring the tidal pools. Sometimes we find tiny sand dollars and occasionally small jellyfish. Once my husband picked up a giant oyster shell and asked me what was inside. It turned out it was a live eel and he was quite surprised!

I love Crescent Beach-it holds really good memories for me. When my son was in grade 2, his class went to camp there for 4 days and I was designated as beach education mum. *laughs* Imagine someone who grew up on the prairies, miles away from any large body of water teaching little kids about ocean life! I loved it though and the kids got a kick out of watching me pick up and handle all kids of sea creatures. Good times!

Our family also spends a great deal of time at Stanley Park and those of you who read my blog regularly know this is my sacred space. I adore Stanley Park. It is my refuge and balm to my soul. Sometimes we go to the aquarium, sometimes just to drive around, sometimes we walk the sea wall...any excuse to be there is a good one.

  Occasionally we take the sea bus across Burrard Inlet to Lonsdale Quay for lunch and shopping. Lonsdale is home to the Beavertail, a fine Canadian dessert. The market has all kinds of wonderful fresh fish and produce and it's a great place to take photos.

The Quay kind of reminds me a bit of Pike Place Market in Seattle. Same sort of idea, really-cool little shops, interesting eateries, lots of tourists.

The culture here in my little corner of Canada is centered around the great outdoors, being out on or near the water, surrounded by the mountains and enjoying the natural beauty of this place we call home.

extreme paste paper giveaway winner is......

 

seth!

please e-mail me
your address and i
will send this bundle
out asap!

thank-you kindly to
everyone who left
comments and
sweet words,they put
a big old smile on my face
...that is always a good thing!

i have added 4 petite paste paper bundles
to my etsy shop
for anyone who may want to add a splash of flash to a project.

and thanks again!   -denise lombardozzi

Extreme Paste Paper GIVEAWAY!

from firstborn studio/denise lombardozzi:

"i spent a very satisfying day with two fab art sisters
creating stacks of luscious papers using a tried and true
paste paper technique.
we pooled our supplies and imaginations and came up with
some new twists on an old favorite and have developed a
very fun and yummy workshop for our beloved
rock paper scissors,check it out here.
i have gathered a generous sampling of my papers together
to giveaway to one lucky visitor,please leave me a comment to
include your name in the july 12th drawing!"

To our loyal ARTSMITHS readers:
I am extending this GIVEAWAY to you as well!
Please leave a comment here,then check back on July 12th
to see if you,too,may be the winner of a generous smattering of these
luscious handpainted papers!

The Call of Summer (by Deb Trotter)

(Chapel In The Tetons ~ © Deb Trotter)

I love this chapel on the way to Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

I remember when my family discovered it on our first trip to the Tetons. It was only by chance that we stopped at this exact location - there were so many little roads we could have explored along the way. It was one of those moments you suddenly realize you are where you were meant to be at that exact moment. Karma at its finest.

I begged to linger there a while, using the excuse to take more pictures. But it was really all about that special moment that I didn't want to let go.

Peace. Blue skies. Trees. Sagebrush. Threatening, dark clouds overtaking the blue skies. Unbelievably beautiful mountains. And a sweet little log chapel where anyone was free to pray or meditate at will.

Here at Artsmiths we are posting about our individual summers. What summer means to us. June, July, or August. The happenings in our neck of the woods. Summer's magical pull on the soul.

This particular photo symbolizes what my summers have always been for me -

Mountains and clouds - clouds and moutains ...

The soft, dreamy clouds over the Blue Ridge in North Carolina.

The hazy, misty clouds sleeping in the Smokies of Tennessee.

The rolling, legendary clouds of the Taconic Mountains in Connecticut.

The powerful, threatening clouds over the Tetons of Wyoming.

I love mountains. I am a mountain kind of gal, through and through.

Each summer the mountains have a special pull for me. An irresistable primal call I am unable to ignore.

Right now it is the Rockies I belong to - but I can't forget the other mountains that have all become my "Soul Friends." They are the answer to the call of my summer.

Is there a mountain calling somewhere to your soul?

Answer the call, my friend.

It is Summer.

It is time.

Niki in the Garden (by Mary Beth Shaw)

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We are in the midst of an amazing beautiful weather pattern here in the Midwest. Yes, it's true, St. Louis is quickly becoming a tourist destination with its balmy weather, arty happenings and friendly people. I only partially jest. But allow me to suggest a perfect day.

Start out at Crown Candy Kitchen and order a BLT sandwich. Go ahead and have it on white bread because, well when was the last time you did that!??! It comes smeared with Miracle Whip. Oh my gosh, I thought I had died and gone to mayo heaven. Thick cut bacon, a juicy tomato....yumyumyum. You may want to share your sandwich with a friend, not for dietary reasons, but simply so you'll have enough room for a Sundae too. The Crown is the best (imho), Hot Fudge, Caramel sauce and buttery pecans smother the ice cream and are topped with whip cream and a cherry. Truly, 2 people can get out of there for about $10-12.

Then head on over to the Missouri Botanical Garden. It's one of our lil' secrets here in St. Louis. Right now, Niki in the Garden is on, a wonderful exhibit of the works of Niki de Saint Phalle. Perhaps you recognize the name? She was an uber talented mosaic artist responsible for colorful works of whimsy. To see these pieces among the natural beauty of a botanical garden is nearly too good to be true.

I learned a little bit more about Niki, specifically the fact she was self taught. And that's why I chose to talk about her today. SELF TAUGHT. Geez, how many of us here are self taught?? I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing nearly all of us. So very many people I know, including myself of course. It was a surprise to learn that Niki was self taught. She achieved such a very high level of acclaim through her life and her art. It was so cool to see children and adults of all ages enjoying her art. Clearly, her passion lives on.

June Turned into July: PEACE (by Sylvia Luna)

June turned into July, before I know...August will be here.

I took this photo in the old mining town of Bisbee, AZ this past month. I'm a native of AZ and had never been there, shame shame. It's a gorgeous artist community south of Tucson, it's heydey high in the early 1900's. I stayed at the old haunted Copper Queen Hotel and of course requested the 'most active' room they had. That is another story, for now i will stick to my June theme.

The grafiti wall spoke to me, PEACE. I snapped it with my cam and loved how the shadows played into it. Look at the darkness of the gaping black window...always outside looking in...

This past year has been a life changing hardship for me, but despite all the bad, I always look for the good. I try so hard to never feel sorry for myself...Is this what  inner peace is about? I don't know...it could be, who am I to say? Maybe it's a denial factor, a protection mode...either way I have found peace in the worst of all chaos. My home is still in disarray from unfinished remodeling, I now say my home sits in a Frank Baum Kansas field. I have managed to do a little bit of art despite the mess...it's not easy but I try. I have gone back to teaching and am slowly dipping my toes again into the convention waters.

I have to look around me and say that life is good, my five dogs are well adjusted and seem more peaceful than they were a  year ago. Someday things will be more smooth, but for today I have peace and that's what matters the most to me. Thank you to my family who I love so much and my friends, especially the art friends I have been blessed with.

I wish you a peace that will embrace you and hold you tight throughout your darkness. There is always light....up ahead. Trust me.

Luv and PEACE....Silver Moon / Ps I love Steve!

Scattered Thoughts on the Color Green

I can never seem to get enough green.
In any shade.Ever.

So with all of the rain that we have had this spring here in Missouri,my favorite hue is showing its varied and true colors.Brilliantly.

My green is raw,earthy and new.She gets along well with others.

This June it appears to me that Mother Nature has been tinkering with the color saturation levels just a bit! Bravo,I say!

I have been inspired to snap a few hundred photos of green and her friends lately,I will use the images for a project that I am working on for an upcoming festival I hope to be participating in this Fall.I will choose chartreuse thread and felt emerald roving.Stay tuned.

Ruth Stout said:

"Working in the garden...gives me a profound feeling of inner peace.Nothing here is in a hurry.There is no rush toward accomplishment,no blowing of trumpets.Here is the great mystery of life and growth.Everything is changing,growing,aiming at something,but silently,unboastfully,taking its time."

And so goes the color green.So goes June.

Inspiring green & growing places,
places I can go nearby to touch and smell green:

Missouri Botanical Gardens            

Laumeier Sculpture Park

Shaw Nature Reserve

The Butterfly House

The Conservatory

Oak Knoll Park

The Jewel Box

Forest Park

My own backyard

 

                                                                  

-denise lombardozzi
                                                    

June River Walk by Deryn Mentock

"River Walk"

What does June mean to me?  About every other year (sometimes every year) my family and I go home to Wyoming.  Wife Whisperer is originally from there and I used to live there as well.  We usually try to go back near the end of June to catch the Independence Day festivities.  We see the Cody parade, and sometimes the Sheridan parade, and the fireworks.  Sometimes we visit the museum and the Park is a regular trip when we're home.  We go to all the old haunts as well but, one of the highlights of our trip is spending time at our cabin in the Big Horn mountains.  It's incomparably beautiful there with the cabin right on the Tongue River.  When we're not fly fishing, hiking or relaxing, one of the things we do (well, some of us!) is float the river.  And, dang, it's cold!  It's a pretty swift current so you have to wear shoes unless you want to tear up your feet and get swept away.  I snapped this picture of a line-up of our drying shoes one day after a big float.  This photo just about says it all for me concerning June!

One Word - HOPEFUL- by Sally Turlington

I Am HOPE-FULL!

 

It could be obvious that I am hopeful. Aren't procrastinators inherently hopeful? (I procrastinated right past the deadline for this exercise!) If not hopeful, we wouldn't dare to be late -- we have hope that all will be ok. That is also the mantra of the optimistic, the confident, the assured.

Not helpful in meeting my deadline was the fact that I was no different from some of my artist friends trying to select one word that wraps up their essence. . . not to mention that while I was procrastinating, one of the sweethearts that posted on time used the word I thought I wanted to use. LOL.

Never fear. I thought (before I sat to write) that there would be many such words for me. Words I love -- like love, joy, happiness -- I thought I could be inquisitive, searching, obsessive, compulsive, helpful . . . and on and on. But when I got serious and thoughtful -- not one of those words alone has the exact shade of meaning I would use to describe my total self. I then thought maybe I don't even know who I am so maybe I should ask some of my friends or family . . . NO-O-O-O, nevermind. I wasn't brave enough to go there --- maybe my word is "coward!" LOL.

I decided to just start my collage and perhaps my essence would show through. What I found was a little picture of me as a very small child. What a cute little pose -- (I was always a ham in front of the camera!) Didn't that little girl look hopeful? "Oh, I hope I get the part." "I hope I get an ice cream cone." "I hope you choose me." "I hope you love me." "I hope we win the game." " I hope I don't owe any taxes." "I hope my ship comes in." "I hope my life turns out great." In the end, I settled on "hopeful." If not hopeful, then what kept me pushing on this assignment?

I looked up hopeful in the dictionary:
     adj. 1. optimistic, confident, assured, looking forward to, anticipating, buoyant, sanguine, expectant
     adj 2. promising, encouraging, bright, reassuring, cheerful, rosy, heartening, auspicious, propitious

Oh my, that sounded like Pollyanna me! In all aspects of my life -- even the dreary parts -- I am, if not cheerful, at least expectant. If not bright, at least promising. I tend to live in the future - can't remember the past and usually put off the present. Anyone who focuses on the future must, by default, have hope, I think. The final scale-tipping thought was that I know that my God holds me in His hands. He has promised me -- and you -- hope and a future.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

The lyrics to the song below, Hopeful by Sean Wiggins, can also illustrate the biggest and best hope I have --which is the hope in my Lord, the light of the world. In my final analysis I declared, it is His love "that keeps me so hopeful." After all, love is the basis of all hope, wouldn't you say?

Listen to the song here:
(Be sure your sound is on - then hit the play button below)

Hopeful
by Sean Wiggins & Billy Cioffi © 2001 BMI

I'm not rich
I'm not well known
Sometimes that hurts
Down to the bone
But even in my darkest night
I reach my hands out toward the light
Hopeful

I don't need
The world at my feet
Knowing I've been loved
Makes me complete
Though the gray clouds block the sun
I wish blue skies for everyone
Hopeful

There are days in my worried mind
I want to walk away, leave all this behind
But something deep within holds me here
It's your sweet love shining bright and clear

My soul gets heavy
My heart grows weak
I want to say something
But I don't speak
Years go by, they ebb and flow
Please know it's your love that keeps me so
Hopeful

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  ~Romans 15:13

I am hopeful that you are hopeful!
(And now I am hopeful that I can get this collage finished so this post can be published before everyone forgets the "One Word" challenge!) Yea! I did it.

My Word is....DISCOMBOBULATED by Silver Moon

Not only has this challenge been difficult for me to focus on but it seems like just getting out of bed lately to focus my eyes after an insomniac night, is quite an ordeal for me these days ...which happen to be flying by so quickly yet very  s l o w l y for other reasons.

Other synonyms for DISCOMBOBULATED are: addled, befuddled, bewildered, dizzy, jumbled, mystified, perplexed, and puzzled. You do catch my drift here? This word screams out my name!!!

I actually heard a really good friend of mine use this word several weeks ago and it stayed embedded in my head. I not only liked the rhythm of the word, but I like that there are other words within this sesquipedalian word.  I see DISCOM...which of course would have to mean discomfort ...LATE....which is me, late for this entry...I see DISCO....I just got home from a dance club that was blaring the disco tunes of the late 70's (how could I NOT mention that?, especially the song Bad Girls!)... and then I see good ol' BOB, so... where are you Bob?

As you can figure out by reading this bit of zany playful nonsense, the word DISCOMBOBULATED is THE perfect one word description for my Moonster Madness Personality and Art. I have managed to confuse myself once again, and if I'm confused, I am betting you the word COMB that you will be too! Now..where in the heck did I leave my car keys again ??? mwah! xoxo