All Hallows Eve

I have to work tomorrow, some time ago I had prepared some photo's I had taken earlier. Using iPhoto, I touched them up a bit to make them black and white. Although they were actually taken during the summer, I think they are suitable for the season. Just a little bit spooky.

I love my little cemetery at the corner and often walk through and look at the names of the people who had once lived in the area. I wonder what their lives had been like. What would it have been like to be a woman in the early 1900's.

Really though, I thought of doing this because I really enjoyed listening to Neil Gaiman's book, The Graveyard Book on his website. It is a fun and not really spooky story. Really it was written for children and won a prize for this genre. I just like Neil's writing so mjch and enjoyed listening to his voice on the video. It was great listening to the story in its entirety. I urge you to take the opportunity on a dark and dreary day to spend a few minutes and listen to each chapter. Go to Neil's website at www.neilgaiman.com

I have read other books by Neil and have enjoyed them imensely and my favourite is "Neverwhere".

Small ArtWork

I did this piece some time ago and was happy to see that I had actually taken a picture of it because often I forget and give the piece away without doing so. This was a fun piece that began life on a piece of cardboard. Then I painted on two canvas board pieces and using some silicone glued the pieces on to the painted canvas "frame". This was a second attempt at doing this particular "style" but I don't have a picture of the last painting.

Just in case you are wondering, I didn't use acrylic paint for this painting which I think was 8" x 16" and using 4" x 6" canvas boards for the actual picture. I have a small collection of nail polish that I used. I truly did enjoy doing this piece except for the smell; very toxic! I used paint as a "primer" only so that the polish would adhere to it without much problem. It took some time to dry and it took what seemed like forever for the smell to disappear. I would only do small works because the brush that comes with the bottle is only meant for nails and therefore virtually useless. It means that your art must be constrained and limited to something small. It was an experiment and I did have fun so I think that it was indeed a success.

It is a fun piece and even now when I post this, it still makes me smile!

Fall Splendor

I am so happy that the weather has been so much better these last few days because it makes me appreciate the beauty of fall! I can never get bored with the sights that surround us! Nature continues to astound me. I often filter what I see into what could make a picture worth taking and a picture worth painting. Of course, if I actually had the time to paint. I am only whining a little bit here. Really, I am the author of my own busy schedule and need to take ownership for my lack of leisure time.

That is one reason why I love photograpy and at my simplistic level. I love my new camera because it is still a point and shoot and I love taking "snaps". I make an attempt to "frame" the subject matter to the best of my ability while "out and about" or "in the field". Of course, I have the use of iPhoto later at home to improve upon the orignal. I have only forgotten a few times to duplicate the photo first before manipulating it through the software because sometimes I do overwork the modification process and the photo is not quite so pleasing to my eye. Sometimes it isn't all that much that can take a great photo and make it into a photo that is obviously overdone. It is quite possible that this is a personal critique only since the the viewer will not know what the original photo looked like in the first place.

I like these two because I did not manipulate in any way, I like them just the way I snapped them the other day! I am so glad that the weather has been so compliant these days. I love fall but I hate the rain!

Giving Thanks

I have had to throw out my oldest pair of walking shoes into the garbage can. When I was taking out the laces they looked so very furlorn and naked that I had to take a picture and "say goodbye" to a pair of "old friends". They have done me well and I have worn them summer and winter. I'm the sort that would wear them even now if the instep didn't push up into my foot making walking very uncomfortable.

The weather was a bit frosty this Thanksgiving weekend but no complaints from my quarter. My hubby was able to attend a meeting of the Oro Rate Payers Association and found out that the township has had to pay upwards of $260,000 per year to pick up garbage that is thrown on to the side of the road. This amount is up substantially from 2006 when the cost borne by the tax-payer was only $43,000. This dumping problem has been created from the garbage bag limit here and from the neighbouring city of Barrie. People don't want to have to pay to get their junk removed. I don't really think that this is so unexpected really since we live in a world whereby everyone wants "something for nothing". I must move on or I will get stuck on this issue and I really shouldn't go there.

My daughter came home for thanksgiving so I got to go for a nice walk with her in the east end of the city. I had an opportunity to take some pictures. Have I said how much I love to take pictures!!

The Epitome of a Donkey

Fall has officially arrived with the frost warning last week; all of the fleshy veggies had to be brought indoors. I thought that I would try my hand at capturing the essence of the beefsteak.

When I was in Ottawa, I made an art purchase and bought myself a new Lamy pen. I haven't had the guts to try it out yet, I'm still a bit shy about my drawing abilities in pencil. I want to keep trying the pencil medium before I move on to something else. I think that pen is an extension of the pencil and I shouldn't be overly concerned about the trial and error process that ultimately occurs.

My hubby and I are angry! We hate it when uncaring people throw their garbage, especially when it is on our concession, because they are too cheap to pay the fee at the dump. These midnight mauraders continue to dump a short distance from our house. Earlier this summer it was garden hoses and plastic containers and such like. Now it is this cheap freezer and to add further insult, they left a pop can too. However, their bad behaviour will in fact be rewarded since I will e-mail the township and have them remove the thing. It seems that this pattern of behaviour is not specific to my area and seems to be prevelant elsewhere. I read a letter to the editor in the local newspaper and the writer was complaining of the same thing. She even said that she was going to go through the garbage bags and if she found a name she would deposit the garbage back on their lawn. So right. I hate numpties and donkey's alike especially when they are dressed up as human beings. I think they need to be spanked like little children and made to pick up after themselves. Okay I feel better, my rant is over.

Right now I'm listening to Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits) sing with Emmy Lou Harris, they make a good duo. I'm not much of a country buff but "Red Staggerwing" is quick paced and toe tapping. In the car this last little while, I've been carrying my iPod along and listening to podcasts: Classic Tales, Sherlock Holmes, and other tales of horror. Such fun!