Foggy Hill

Late February fog presses in like a
blanket on the muddy, wooded hill.



(The answers to yesterday's post are:

Bottom: Mary Cassatt. "Little Girl in a Blue
Armchair;" 1878.

Middle: Claude Oscar Monet; "Jean Monet
In His Cradle."

Top: Auguste Renoir. "Girl With A Watering Can;"
many people's favorite!

I really enjoy Mary Cassatt's painting;
it is one of my all time favorites.
I love the subject matter in this-the little girl
'all out' from hard playing on the gorgeous
blue chair and then surrounded by the
blue chairs! Good work. )

3 of my Favorite...

For my offering today, here are 3 of my favorite
photographs of paintings at the Smithsonian (previously taken.)

See if you know...your "art." Try the following:
assign the artist's name to his/her work
(I had to research this) and title each piece. Take liberty!
You can make up a proper "Title."

Mary Cassatt, American, 1844 - 1926.
Pierre Auguste Renoir, French, 1841–1919.
Claude Oscar Monet, French, 1840-1926.

(Dear Readers, due to an illness in my immediate family,
I have not been able to get out and
to photograph the workings of spring, here.
Hopefully, I will be 'back in the saddle,' soon.)

Delicioso

Friday Night Thai Curry Soup

We 'nailed it' this past Friday night with this
beautiful dish. The Thai Curry Soup (for me)
contained fresh roasted shrimp. On the bottom
of the coconut curry soup are rice noodles. Hum
hum good! (I thought that it photographed well also.)
I regret to say that, the next night, we had Pad Thai
(chicken and pork) with home-made tamarind
sauce that I neglected to photograph.
Oy vay! :-)
Maybe next time...

Other People's Art Day

...You know how you find great items at yard sales for next to nothing?

This is one of such items; a print that I paid next to nothing for...On this print (I could only scan about 80% of it...) the signature of 'huldah' is in small case letters at the bottom right corner. With the 'glory' of the Internet today, I could sleuth out more about this.

And here it is: Huldah Cherry Jeffe (1901 - 2001) is an American fine artist born in Dallas, Texas. Huldah Cherry was an accomplished figure painter who studied at the Art Student's League and Grand Central School in New York City. She also attended private classes taught by Robert Brackman. Huldah began her career in the 1940s. Huldah has had her paintings selected for the Grand Salon of the Salon des Artistes Francais in Paris. She won Honorable Mention awards on the Salons of 1948 and 1967.

For her subject matter, she focused on turn-of-the-century women and adolescent girls. Her young ladies are costumed in the fashionable attire of the period, and her style hints of impressionism with a strong Renoir influence.

I like this print because of the beautiful use of red (!) and light blue against a muted and a strained background.

How lovely is the women in the painting. Her use color and her impressionistic technique inspire me!

Playing...

Mr. Fuddyduddle (digital oil)

Beach Home Sunset (digital oil)



The Hay Bale (digital oil)

SilverTone (digital oil)

Hodge Podge...

Where O Where?

Tiny Pines on the Top

Snow Tubing at Sugar


These pics today, are a collection of shots taken
(bottom two) at Sugar Mountain. Yesterday,
school was cancelled due to ice and snow, but
that did not stop any and all fearless mountain
trekkers from hoofing it to a nearby ski mountain.
Needless to say, we haven't had 'great' winter
weather for the ski hills this year, so when
ever we have had snow, people take off toward
the 'hills.' Bottom: The bottom of the tubing run.
Note that there is a moving conveyor belt that
you stand on to get back to the top! I thought
this was funny. Apparently, gone are the days
that you have to hoist your own sleigh back
to the TOP. Middle: I am always always intrigued
by the tiniest of trees that line the mountain tops
and endure the super-harsh weather up there...
I also loved how blue and then blue the sky was
yesterday! Top: I am really enjoying watching our
beardie hunt! Here he is (in this shot) cocking
his head and doing the ol' one-eye looking for his
breakfast, those fast moving (ghostly white because
they are calcium-coated) crickets!
Enjoy!!

Snow Today.

How amazing!

Rusty

Rusty Red

A well worn path;
a dusty trail,
takes me to
your door.

The Inkling

The Inkling

I got an inkling

deep in the night

of what to have

stay

and what

not to invite.

Ragged (old) but good thoughts-stay.

Dreaming-stay.

Lust-away with you!

Crippling arthritis-you’re gone (and you’re not my friend.)

Coping-stay.

Health; enough to coddle and indulge-stay!

Denial-go away.

Rusty, worn out thoughts-go.

My mojo-back, (to stay.)

Organic dreams that deceive, with (some) friends-away.

Tomorrow granted-stay!

Fresh food-stay.

Fear and all (fear) based doubt-cast away.

Company that lifts me-stay!

Spirits that linger and drag you down-away.

Hope like a mountain-stay!

Words that pour out like fountain-stay!

Power-(to) stay!

Milking it-go away.

Energy-stay!

Feigning (of any kind)-you're out.

Motion-you’re in.

Change-“Hum,” well, O.K.-I suppose, you're in. :-)

People that bless- you’re in.

Those that seek to rip (you) up; to deceive and mislead you, to tear you down and mistreat you-don’t even dare, you’re out.

Shouting and grinning, ear to ear, while perhaps jumping a rope and twirling your hair-you’re in.

Hands waving-you’re in.

Music so fine-you too.

Beginning (again)-you’re in.

Laughter- you are in.

Query (letter)-you’re in.

Inquiring mind-you're in, as well.

Dreary (in all its forms)-you’re out.

Stubborn-you’re out.

Pliable, moldable and teachable-you’re in.

Helpful-you’re in.

Publish-you’re in.

Drawing-you’re in.

Painting-you too.

Sitting (alone to stare)-you’re out.

Vagrant-you’re out.

Pouting-gone.

Fright-away.

Smiles-stay.

Cheery-stay.

Being lifted-stay.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus-Hold me, stay-you’re in.

Sunlight; open all the windows and let it stream in (kind)-stay.

[Here is my list. Now, consider making your own list and sharing it. :-)]

High Country Hills

High Country Hills

Today, we have the faintest touch of spring
on the horizon. It is 52-ish and sunny, but everything
is still pretty much BROWN here. So...I painted a
photo (digitally) of the High Country
in its green splendor!
Enjoy!!

Happy Valentine's Day, Friends

Portal in a Night Time Dream

Luscious


This was taken (by my husband) through the vines
and the curly trees out our backyard as the initial hints
of a sunrise began to appear, about two years ago (or so.)
We can never find a better Valentine's Day photo
(than this one.) Because of the drive to "do better and better..."
(and then some, I suppose :-)) I (especially) have
been on the watch for anything similar in quality
[but I have yet to find it, dang (!!)] I have photo-
shopped it (artistically) with local flowers and call it
"A Portal in a Night Time Dream;"
[above; it is a view looking through the flowers
(in this world to a time and a place beyond...)]
However, I feel that the original photo;
the view through the vines and the trees,
with its deep and lovely red hue
of the innermost rays of the morning
sunrise, conveys such LOVE,
surprise and JOY.

Happy Valentine's Day, Friends!

I hope that your day is a blessed and
a GOOD day, today.

Yours, as always...

Morning! :-)

Top of the morning to you, friends, from...the High Country.

Pets and Such...

This is "Wrassle" (like 'Wrestle' only in southern jargon... :-) ) our newest (albeit) pet family member! Isn't he just too dang cute??! He is tilting his head and saying "Hi!" and peering with his one-eye..."Just where did those LIVE crickets get to, now...??"

He arrived yesterday shipped in a (rather) small cardboard and styrofoam lined box with a heat pack (from Florida) and inside of a cloth bag marked "LIVE REPTILE--NONVENOMOUS;" (which I thought was humorous!)

Bearded dragons are sweet creatures. They are docile and can be easily held and even petted. They turn their little heads and with their large golden eyes...they look YOU right in the eye. They even follow you around the room with their gaze.

He lives on sand and rocks inside of a large glass terrarium with a lot of proper lighting (well, what we could afford at this time; a 29 gallon tank.) And--from what I am seeing, people go "all out" on their enclosures.

Anywho, today (for a change from mountain scenery and the like...) he is shooting you a rather big "Hi!" and wishes you well!!
lg
P.S.
He is my dear daughter's gift for a straight "A" report card...
The 'things' that you do do...for your children :-O
(Oh my.)

Panoramics

Shuffling through my vast collection of photos I found these panoramics that I am in love with.
The drama of the long views of the mountains here cannot adequately be captured (on film.) Hold your breath and look, that should help.
lg :-)

At Play...

Shrouded in white, the misty mountain peaks push their backs and their ridges through the low lying cloud formations, like hump-back canyon whale creatures on a cross country journey of some kind. It is a cool and a crisp, moderately bright February day. The (Appalachian) mountain tops are set adrift and they are rising, suspended, across the low lying expanse that opens up out in the canyon. Ridge after ridge fades off into the dusty blue horizon. Where do the cloud formations meet up with the vast blueness of the sky? The expanse is mystical, today; yes, there is something new at work, leaving the mountain tops to exist as tree-lined sleepy, giant islands.

[My dreaming takes me there, to the curling and the lifting place; to the place where the mist vapor holds and tugs at the solid base of each tree, and to the white blanketed forest--heavily draped in mountain's mist--shrouded in the fine, white, milk of silken-dull mist fingers. They are numb and yet--they hold tight. Today, they tug on the mountain's ridges. Yes, they hold them back (and down.) I have stumbled upon a game; the game of the push and the pull. Yes--it is the (mountain) mist's game today, and in her splendor she plain suits herself, as she is fancy up along the ridges and not the least bit ashamed. She lifts, rising in shafts and in columns, and she then fans herself out, spreading up and then up again--all the while dancing. The mist is at work here in a mindless kind of fashion, but for our sake (only) she plays out sweetly as she sings songs across these ol' mountain hills.]

Newness of Light

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

(John 1:5)