Everglades Blackbirds II

Some more stuff. Yesterdays painting, had a little Asian flair, sooooooooo, I wanted to show off this piece that I bought years ago at an antique show. It is wood and has the characters names below their faces. I'm thinking it might be from a play. I love it, looks like black Birdie does too, or maybe that's the director, go figure.

Today I am going to start my 2nd painting "Crows that hang out in the Everglades" , maybe I will make it alittle funky.

Everglades Blackbird

Just finished up my bird painting, watercolor and a little bit of colored crayon for highlights.

How do you like the way I signed my name, hope it is correct. The painting looks somewhat Asian, simple, well as simple as I can make it. I like to use patterning, maybe the next one.

Since I am not going to be attending the workshop, I have to stop feeling sorry for myself and do some paintings. So here it goes, my first of my series of everglade birds, hope it won't be the last.

Hungry Raccoon

These shots were taken at a car event we attended last weekend. The little fellow would take the dog food and douse the food in the water.

Wikipedia - Dousing

Captive raccoons often douse their food before eating.
Raccoons sample food and other objects with their front paws to examine them and to remove unwanted parts. The tactile sensitivity of their paws is increased if this action is performed underwater, since the water softens the horny layer covering the paws.[86] However, the behavior observed in captive raccoons in which they carry their food to a watering hole to "wash" or douse it before eating has not been observed in the wild.[87] Naturalist Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (1707–1788) believed that raccoons do not have adequate saliva production to moisten food, necessitating dousing, but this is certainly incorrect.[88] Captive raccoons douse their food more frequently when a watering hole with a layout similar to a stream is not farther away than 3.0 m (9.8 ft).[89] The widely accepted theory is that dousing is a vacuum activity imitating foraging at shores for aquatic foods.[90] This is supported by the observation that such foods are doused more frequently. Cleaning dirty food does not seem to be a reason for "washing".[89] Experts have cast doubt on the veracity of observations of wild raccoons dousing food.[91]

For the Birds

The top photo-was taken Friday, not a very good photo, but I thought it told a story about the weather. When I bought out the peanuts, it was a different story, they were almost eating out of my hand. The bottom photo was taken from the inside out.

I just started following Abe Lincolns http://mybirdsblog.blogspot.com/ with his amazing bird photos, WoW. He inspired me so much that I actually started my blackbird series last night. Haven't shared those photos yet, thought I would go over the steps, maybe, to the finish. The post might be on the second Thursday of the week.

I paint and draw intuitively, so this idea might not work. I draw something out and the painting looks so different than my thoughts.

Birdee (my Africa Gray) is very talkative this morning, asked what I was doing. I wouldn't put it past her if she started her own blog, hmmmm, that's a thought. Cats and dogs do it!

Playing Hard to Get

Went out to the everglades on Friday and took some nice pictures, painting material. Not so much this picture, maybe put her in one of my paintings. Just wanted to post this picture, just because.

She was looking a little lonely

Just looking a little lonely

Like to join the crowd

Playing hard to get

maybe I should forget

about playing hard to get

Maybe I should mingle

Or I will be single

Maybe tomorrow

I'll play hard to get.

Memories

Far right is a photo of my Brother & I eating our shared Popsicle, I would gobble mine down and Larry use to put his in the refrig and tease me with it later, real funny ha ha. Our clothes were made by that well known fashion designer, our Grandmother. My first store bought dress, I was in 7th grade, (junior High)

Received attached (hopefully) email this morning and brought back memories.
top left- My Mother & Dad,
Middle top- My Brother, Sister and Me, holding our Christmas stockings
top right-My Grandmother, Mother and my second cousin Jerry
bottom left- Me and my Brother (my brother has a toy rubber band gun in his hand. )
Middle - Aunt Maxine and my Mother.
Bottom right - Grandma Z, Aunt Mariana and Grandpa Z.
Hanging at the bottom a Picture of Hubby Jerry giving me a bear hug.

Beautiful Day

Friday we had such hot weather, then Saturday the cold front hit, got down in the low 60's. Sunday we went to Hollywood beach, another perfect day. Forgot my camera, next time.
We ate at a little place on the inter coastal, "Le Tub" http://www.theletub.com/ we use to go there all the time, (winter only) the kitchen is maybe 6 X 6, but they turn out some really good food. The decor is stuff the owner has found on the beach over the years.

Question?

Don't even ask. Some will get it and then again some or most won't.
Actually I love doing things like this just to see if anyone notices. Now, my most fun stuff, I like putting different tops on Jerry's woodturnings to see if he notices, he usually does.
To answer a question about the Indian corn photo I posted the other day. Nicky left a comment about the corn, I didn't know, sooooooooo I found out-(see below) The question -
Is Indian Corn edible? Never really thought about this before, I always buy Indian Corn to decorate. The corn is so beautiful that I don't have to do anything else<:)
http://www.wonderquest.com/meander-beetle-corn.htm#corn

Pumpkins and Corn

PUMPKINS AND CORN, WHOOPEE
Went to the corn patch and what did I see-Saw those corn kernels lookin at me. Pick me, pick me and take me home. Put me in a basket and decorate your home.
Went to the pumpkin patch and what did I see- Saw cool weather coming to me. Pick me, pick me and you will see, carve me some eyes and I'll be lookin at thee.

What Are You Looking At?

Hello!

While the people up north are enjoying the colder weather and the changing of the leaves, I am busy cleaning my patio. It has been too hot to enjoy, won't be long till we're outside eating a good meal. Going to get my kitchen redone, so I will have to get out the George Forman Grill or uncover the Barbee.

This fellow in the picture is not going to like the cold weather. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alligator

Art Show Weekend!

Unpacking from the weekend art show-This was the hottest weekend of my life, in a daze all weekend, then when packing up it started to rain, that put me into ditsy overload. (more than usual) On the way home, of course we missed our exit and had to backtrack, wellllllllllllllll by then I was freezing from being soaked by the rain, luckily I had a jacket in the van. I did get a few stares at the rest stop, 100 degrees and this nut is wearing a jacket. (Oh well, it gave them something to talk about)

The highlight of the weekend were our neighbors, Jeff Eckert, http://jeffeckert.com/ his drawings were wonderful and he was a laugh a minute. My prize- I Traded one of Jerry's pieces for a BEAUTIFUL painting of an old basket, by Joe Krawczy- http://art@krawczykstudio.com/index.html Joe and Sherry were our cattycorner neighbors, at the Winter Park Art Show (Florida) I really don't have any wall space, but the painting is so beautiful, that I will find a place! Sherry, Joe's wife, is a wonderful artist, but was not showing her art at this show, She is a hoot. One wonderful artist was handing out water so we wouldn't pass out, and toward the end of the show, a fellow, all deck out with his kilt skirt on was handing out snacks for the ride home, I think he was from the Smoothie Booth, (or an Angel) Thanks, you made the ride home fingerlicking good. Oh, I almost forgot, how could I, Herbert Hofer, who had our booth as one of his destinations. He also kept us laughing, he made his rounds.
Sherry and I were talking about artist, I mentioned Klimt and Hunterwasser as being some of my favorites.
Started this painting a number of years ago. Keep adding little stuff. Kidda a metamorphose. Can you tell I kidda like Gustav Klimt.
Hundertwasser-
Another one of my favorite artists,
I love Color, shapes, and he avoids theory, he used the senses. I like his flamboyant style, and read that critics went crazy, they thought his art should be logical. Oh well, that's what ya get for thinking!

To be Continued------ http://jersuzstuff.blogspot.com/

Dog vs the Lizard

Gotta get that lizard-He jumped into my pool-Who does he think he is -We have to do a duel.

He's hiding & I don't know where -Some place in my pool-Either here or there-

I think I can catch him because he doesn't have a fin-He can't stay in there forever-OH WELL, I'LL JUST JUMP IN :)

Beyond the Art Show!

We had an art show this weekend (see his stuff at jersuzstuff.blogspot.com) not a big crowd, think everyone in Florida were at the beach. Jerry won a BLUE RIBBON and sold! Turned out to be a beautiful weekend, and we got out of the yard.

Now have to unpack and repack for next weedends show in Winter Park, Florida.

Sometime I doodle beyond the jounal, this piece is called "Shadows" I remember my teacher in elemetary school let us use a woodburner to make our mothers a mothers day gift. Can you imagine that today.

Cold Front

Thought I would share a little bit of Florida when the cold weather is upon us.

Well, we did have a little cold front come in-it got down to 89. Had to do it, people up north are enjoying the autumn leave, and I am enjoying other bloggers with postings of autumn

American Samoa

My thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the earthquake in American Samoa. Especially the family of Dan who passed away in that earthquake.

My sisters friends -Curt, Kath and Stuart who barely escaped. They have quite a story to tell.