Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 177

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 177: A Song of Blue and Green

This is another photo (actually a packing tape transfer) taken of my grandmother, Mimi, when she was perhaps 18 or 19 -- around 1916. It brings to mind a song my grandmother used to sing to me. It was very old-fashioned in words and lyrics...but the tune and the memory still floats into my awareness from time to time. In vain I have searched the internet to try to find the lyrics -- my next step is the Smithsonian -- this must have been a song from the late 18oo's or early teens of the last century.

Here is what I remember of them:

In 1892 grand papa in a coat of blue
Met grand mama in a green silk gown
with hat to match on her way to town.
Grand papa with a by your leave
offered his arm in a blue clad sleeve,
which grand mama took, was a trifle rash,
because green and blue are supposed to clash....

Then my grandmother would trill a little tune because she forgot the next verse or verses, I think (it seemed reminiscent of the Poor Pauline silent movie pauses, where music would play in the theater, when the scenes changed). I don't remember the final verse, except for this single phrase that indicated a life-long relationship that ended in death:
....Years have passed and two hearts that once beat as two, now lay still as one.

Definitely a sweet...and haunting memory of my grandmother and of an era passed.

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 176

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 176: Moon Shadow

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 175

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 175: Left Her Heart

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 174

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 174: Facing Up

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 173

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 173: True Strength

Sock it to me, babe.

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 172

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 172: Back & Forth

There's the side of me that acts and there's the side of me that sits and twiddles its fingers. Guess that's a Libran trait I'm just not gonna grow out of! Yin and yang. Male and female. All part of the whole.

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 171

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 171: Letter from the Editor

Bones of a Poet -- Week 3: Eggsactly

The Bones of a Poet online course week 3 assignment brought an amusing exercise to the mix: take an egg or two and try to communicate some sort of feeling. I bought my plain white large grade A eggs on Sunday, and finally took a couple of them out of the fridge today. I went outside with them, my camera, and two humorous egg cups that my sister Mary bought for me in Harrods, London. However, once outside, a rusty tin lumiere seemed to be the perfect "home" for the eggs. Angelina Beautiquina followed me around and of course modeled very nicely for me in a number of the shots. I had the most fun under the oak tree in back: it reminded me of the time I spent in my childhood, playing with my plastic horses in the roots of our maple trees. More photos and thoughts about the photo shoot here.

Bones of a Poet (Week 2): Natural Graffiti

This is NOT spray paint! While out on Deer Island last week, I was thinking about the Bones of a Poet week 2 assignment, and decided to take a few pics of anything that caught my eye. The starburst-shaped fungus in this fallen tree stump grabbed my attention. I liked the pattern and contrast of the white against the grays and browns and blues of the wood. Go here to see the full set of pictures.

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 170

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 170: Why Did We Create

Such a passionately hued page, yet the woman seems drained of all life. Maybe she is emerging from a deep sleep or hibernation...her dreams spun her out of the cocoon she'd placed herself in. Now she will shake off the cobwebs of desire and doubt and move forward into the soft pinks and purples of a rising sun.

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 169

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 169: As Inspiring as She Is

I like this page it reminds me of the road I have been on for many years. Originally I read this as "As Aspiring". Curious. Another definition of aspiring is to ascend or soar. It seems that in order to fly with one's true self, there must be a mix of feet on earth (barred windows) and the intention of ascending. However, one must be inspired to even consider flying. Def: to be influenced, moved or guided by divine or supernatural intervention. So maybe the two words walk hand in hand.

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 168

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 168: Discover the Skin You Were Born to Have
Ah, perpetual youth...or maybe this collage is more about the confidence of youth. But I never felt confident in my youth -- it wasn't until much, much later that I felt comfortable in the skin I walked in. It's a confidence that comes with knowing through trial and error that I am exactly who I am supposed to be...no more, no less.

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 167

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 167: Make a Memory

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 166

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 166: Dance All Day

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 165

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 165: Adventures in Wonderland

My, my. This is an odd one. But I am finding that I need to expand my horizons a bit here and there. I really like to make "pretty things" to the point of stopping myself if things don't "look right". Me and a billion other artists, of course. Well, here goes funk as I meet, and pass, my 1/2 year of creating and posting daily journal pages. Yowser wowser. This has been fun, and I don't have any reason to stop now!

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 164

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 164: My Grandmother's Blue Eyes

Another picture of my grandmother, Virginia Moremen Lindsay. I love this studio photo of her -- she must have been around 8 or 9. If you look at photos of me around that age, there is a definite similarity. I surrounded her with blue objects -- she had the most beautiful blue eyes, and her house was filled with blue furniture, wallpaper, porcelain ash trays and bowls that she crafted. I made an Our Town Vintage oriel pendant of her called, Beautiful Blue Eyes.

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 163

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 163: There's Nothing Artificial About Me

You pretty much get the real deal with me: I tell it like I see it, my reactions are real and true....because they are based on my own set of perceptions. Here's what else: I realize that everyone has a different perception that may slam up against mine. But it doesn't make you or me right or wrong.

I'm All Ear

This photo of Angelina is from this week's assignment from the Bones of a Poet online photography course that I am currently taking -- a wonderful opportunity to stimulate your senses with the end result of broadening your photographic eye. This week's assignment was to take ALOT of photos of something and to try and stay out of your head -- just photograph as much of the subject and see what comes out of the session. I wandered out into the yard to photograph something and Angie came wandering up almost on purpose (ya think?). So she became my guinea pig. Then her brother Zeus joined us and he had his time in the limelight. Very fun and I liked all the bits and pieces the camera caught of them, their "essential catness" seemed to come out in the small bits! To see the best of the set -- go to my Bones of a Poet -- Week 2 -- on Flickr

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 162

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 162: Crystal Gazing

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 161

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 161: For a Loop

Seems like I've lived long enough on this planet to not be thrown a loop by circumstances. But some person, situation or thing or emotional reaction comes along and WHAM! I'm on my ass wondering, who the hell pulled that chair out from under me! And shouldn't somebody be sitting in that chair? Why isn't someone sitting in that chair, looking at me? Wait a minute. Maybe I'm sitting in the chair and I'm the one knocking that chair over from sheer joy and exitement. Hmmmm. I'll have to sit with that idea for awhile....

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 160

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- 160: Wordless

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 159

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 159: One Letter at a Time

What is it about Russia? Something very primal, very old, very sleazy, very manipulative, very beautiful. I love hearing the spoken language, both by men and women. There is nothing like it, and it triggers feelings very ancient and mysterious and painful. Although long ago I tried learning the Russian language, I was hopeless -- and no ear for it, I think. But years later, I had a dream in which I spoke Russian -- fluently, lovingly, and with great ease -- and I knew, in the dream, in English what I was saying. Fascinating to think that we know all languages somewhere in our DNA. Or that we can tap into a supra- or collective consciousness in which all languages are translated into.

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 158

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 158: Coat of Invisibility

OK, I am finally catching up to my daily journal page postings. My server is down, I cannot scan my pages -- no way of transferring them to my laptop cause the disc reader is not working!). So I am resorting to photographing the pages and uploading to here via my laptop.

This page, although created last week, reflects my current state of mind. Well, an aspect of i,t at least. What is real and what is not in this lifetime? Why do I feel caught up in events and circumstances and unable to act, unable to manifest what I truly desire? Why do I feel invisible? Or maybe my invisibility has more to do with the fact that who I really am, underneath the surface goings on, is just starting to emerge. It is someone who is the opposite of invisible. Interesting times. I look forward to seeing what will be revealed in my daily life!

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 157

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 157: Of Artist and Muse

Ah, the curly haired, brooding, solitary poet. Self-exiled, surrounded by his books, paper, and pens. If he could only write in longhand with quill pen and black as blood ink, he'd be in heaven. His muse shimmers in the blue monitor's light....inspiration is at his fingertips.

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 156

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 156: My Mother's Pearls

My bed-ridden, 86-year-old mother thought my journal pages were very interesting. So while I tried to play catch up with my journal pages (which had fallen by the wayside this trip home), we sat down and created a page together. We had a wonderful time leafing through the magazines, trying out different images and textures. She found my choices fascinating and I found her suggestions helpful as well as playful. A moment I will never forget.

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 155

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 155: Jacob Blue

Started out with torn blue jean pieces, a handsome Native American male model, and then added this woman's eye -- with its startling, animalistic golden pupil. This spread reminds me of Jacob in Twilight...morphing into el lupe.

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 154

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 154: Part of the Mystery

I'm doing everything on the fly for the next week -- I'm in Kentucky for a wedding and a visit with girlfriends and my mom and brother. So very little time and few art supplies and I left my digital cam at home and so I may have to post things later. I'm definitely not happy with this scan of Bob may have to redo later. Art will have to suffer for a while. And brew. Along with the humidity and the cicadas roaring in the trees. I love visiting here -- it's so beautiful here in Kentucky in the late summer early fall. Green, green, green, and the wedding will be on a good ole Kaintuck horse farm. We helped set up the tables, chairs, flowers today. Gorgeous. More later on down the road!

9.9.09 Redid this page -- I like it better now. Bob seems to be walking down a road in Wales or Ireland thinking about his next song.

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 153

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 153: Their Bedroom

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 152

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 152: What We Know

Daily Journal Page Challenge...Day 151

Daily Journal Page Challenge -- Day 151:Heartfelt Desire to Create