Define FUN!!

Wow! It is the end of June already! So far it is a fabulous morning with the bright sunshine!

One of the girls at work brought in these mini candy bars on our first night shift. The words "FUN SIZE" caught my eye. Often I think that the creative minds behind the marketing do an exceptional job. This time however, I think they missed the mark. How does the size of this bar make it any more fun than its' full-sized counterpart? I have no idea. I am not sure how eating a mini chocolate bar and any chocolate bar can be considered FUN! I don't think of eating as a "FUN" activity since I don't consider chewing to be an active activity and one whereby you consume more calories than what you spend in the process of that consumption. Really, eating nutritious food is a "necessary" requirement for our bodies.

I know that this is not rocket science and there is no ah-ha moment here but it is just something that gave me pause on my last night shift. I find that I contemplate the oddity in life that catches my eye.

Summer Projects

I have a few projects that I want to start but I have a painting "started" or rather one layer on the canvas. I will finish it. The next two projects are not paint related; one is to make something useful out of the mess of spools that I purchased and once that is finished to start a abstract painting using collected fibres. I have it partially imagined in my mind but don't want to get too solidified so that the end result won't look too deliberate.

Here is a picture of a "tag" project that I completed with a group of fibre art enthusiasts called "Marmalade". It epitomizes what it is that I want to do (and no, I don't want to replicate this project but just give you an idea where I might be going with the abstraction concept).

I have been trying to clean up my computer and off-load some stuff (like movies and videos etc) because they suck up so much space. I am not too sure about the idea of CLOUD storage but I will put some of my documents there for safekeeping. I purchased an external hard drive to hold all of the stuff that I don't need regularly. I am also removing many of my photo's for the same reason but I want them to be "safe" so I will be adding them to the hard drive as well. I have tried to be a bit more "brutal" by trashing some of the "not-so-great" photographs. Honestly, not every photograph I have taken needs to be kept.

It is hard but I have reclaimed 2G of space on my hard drive already. I had best get back at it.

It is such a beautiful day and I want to go out for a long walk too. Need to get a move on....

It might only be a Bic pen but....

Okay... so I know that it isn't "fine" art but ya know... I just love to doodle if that is all the time there is, so be it. When there is a bit more time but that time is sporadic I still enjoy trying to complete a picture and not make my doodle a "zentangle" (which I have to say I also enjoy!).

I was trolling the internet and came across a photograph of a a teapot. It reminded me of a "Brown Betty" that I had purchased "back in the day" when I was in my late teens and early '20"s. I know that I am NOW a coffee-holic but everyone needs to own at least one teapot in which to steep some jasmine tea, if nothing else. I have to admit that I am very partial to a "blueberry tea" even though it is of the alcoholic persuasion (a very close and good friend of mine introduced me to it).

So the bottom line is this.... making art doesn't alway have to be about making "fine" art but just about exploring a new medium, a new image or whatever. The fact the matter is that I enjoyed the time that I spent creating this doodle and that is what it is....a doodle. I am proud of this "doodle" even though it is not quite "right". I "eyeballed" it so often I find that my perception can be out of line at times.

Honestly, I don't think this was created using a "Bic" ball point pen per se since it is just a blue ink pen that I found at work. If memory serves, the advertisement on the pen was for a national hotel chain. The point I am trying to make is to make a "mark on the paper", it does not have to be "fine art" just a form of art. I have to say that the memories that sparked in my mind where fun. I recalled the times when "back in the day" we spent hours upon hours contemplating the universe and drinking tea. It feels like a minute ago although I don't want to say just how long ago it was...fun times!

So my advice is....just do art.... it is all about the "DOING" and not always about the art!

Vintage Thread Spools

So how many is too many?

I bought three bags of these vintage spools at a local thrift shop. I couldn't help myself. They didn't have any thread on them when I bought them.

The clerk asked me what I was going to do with them. I actually had no idea but I know that the internet will supply me with some ideas. Yup! Some of them will have a new purpose shortly! When I get them re-created into something new I will post them here!

I wonder who had these and why they threw them out. I find it strange that each one had every bit of thread removed. I have found a few other spools but they usually have a least a little bit of leftover thread on the spool. Someone went to a lot of trouble to remove the thread from all of the spools. I haven't counted them yet and all I can say is that they are "numerous".

Made me laugh

This iris was growing on the side of the road, obviously transplanted by rodents from the neighbouring garden. Very pretty! I love how the "mouth" of the flower with it's lucious tongue attempts to lure you inside. If I was a bee, I don't think I could resist.

It is strange sometimes what tickles my funny bone. When I saw these birds yesterday on my walk I immediately thought of the birds on wild beasts in African travelogues that we see on public television. I just couldn't help trying to get some snaps.

Now, we all know what it is that these birdies are waiting for don't we????!!!

My Dad is failing with each passing day. Although he is now on the list for long term care I don't believe that he will make it. It is sad to see him in such a way because I truly don't believe that he would not want this for himself. I am sure he would rather leave this world quickly and not by this long protracted method. He does not have any quality of life!

So, I must find as many pleasures in my life as I can so that I do not become melancholy too. Walking and listening to my iPod is one of my greatest pleasures.