Last year I treated myself to a few Amaryllis bulbs, little prezzies for Christmas. You can’t beat an Amaryllis bloom for making you feel like the world is a beautiful place and cheering you up on a gray winter day. The flowers are like beacons, facing out in sometimes four directions, like trumpets shouting “Look at me, Look at me, am I not the most gorgeous flower you’ve ever seen??” And of course, you have to agree with the “girls” (they’re always girls to me). They are the Most Beautiful of flowers. The “girls” have treated to me to a bonus this year. Both of these bulbs came back with flowers. This deep pink bloom is just at the papery stage, almost done, but still beautiful. I do love that backlit look, which shows off the veins in petals.
And this deep bright red amaryllis is just bursting with vigor, four blooms and another stem coming up. It’s a bulb originally from South Africa.
Of three bulbs that I restarted, only one produced only leaves and I must admit that bulb was a bit shriveled when I repotted it.
I remember the first time I got an amaryllis to re-bloom many many years ago. All really quite by accident, not knowing what I was doing at all. In fact, why it worked with all the neglect and just plain lack of knowledge was a miracle of sorts. I’d gotten a bulb before Christmas and it had bloomed and I’d lopped off the stem when the flower was done and let the leaves grow. I must have know that much at least.
One day, in the late spring I just put it out on the deck and more or less forgot about it except for watering until fall. Then it died back and I brought it in for winter. I noticed a bud starting out from the bulb and started to water it again and it rewarded me with another set of wonderful blooms. Dumb luck that time.
Now I’m a little better at it. I try to remember to let them dry up in early fall. This year I set empty flower pots over the bulbs to make them think it was dark. Then in late November I brought them out and repotted them with fresh dirt, put them in a warm place and watered and waited. The “girls” came up very well. Now, I wonder, can I do this for another year? It’s always a surprise and well appreciated when it works.
Sometimes as you scan the shelves in a thrift store something just calls out to you, reels you in and you know you must have it. Ok I couldn’t resist alluding to fishing terms, but this little fish ornament had me hooked and became the start of this next mosaic. I just loved these little pink fish, even though I had no idea what to do with them.
But then, later that summer, I found a really crazy beach-colored teapot, with a seahorse handle. Check out the under shelf area here.
It also had a rather wonderful lid with a seashell on it.
Well, of course, it all came together, all I needed were a few more fish.
The next step was to create the backing. I thought round, like a porthole. And then how was I to attach the little fishies? I needed shelves. And under the shelves I wanted a curved area. You really don’t want to know what a hassle this was and just how much mastic glue there is under these pieces to create this effect. But I love it. It worked.
Suddenly all the dishes in watery colors and patterns called out to be used. And, along with a nice discovery of using the underside of dishes to create this undulating seaweed feel, everything just flowed together. Just can’t resist the watery terms.
Do you remember those fish ornaments in plaster with bubbles that everyone in the 50’s had in their bathroom? Well, maybe not or maybe yes, depending on your age. Giving mine away again. Well, this is my answer to those plaster fish. And of course, it’s hanging in the watery room of the house, the bathroom.
Tags: 50's plaster fish ornaments with bubbles, fish ornaments, mosaic inspiration, pique assiette mosaics, thrift finds
I just realized that I haven’t carried on with my “inspiration series” for a while and thought of this odd little mosaic to post about today. I call them “The Happy Trio” and they never fail to give me a smile.
I often get my inspiration in a serendipitous manner. Now did you know that the word “serendipity” was coined by Horace Walpole as “the gift of making delightful discoveries by pure accident” in his fairy tale, “The Three Princes of Serendip”? We have adopted it as our motto for years.
My delightful discoveries were the two Japanese figure ornaments that I found in a Thrift shop one day. They were so unique and such good work that I wondered how someone could have given them away. I still wish I knew who the original designer was but there were no tags or identification as is often the case with ornaments. Bill found the little cat in the middle, also a Thrift find, and gave it to me, as a present. And right away I knew just where the little cat must be…..
I set the three of them together and wondered how to create a mosaic home for them. The circular back was maybe inspired by the Japanese flag, really I don’t know. It just came to me. I always love the look of checkerboard and somehow it felt right to use that and a modern design behind them.
And the chopsticks? My son, Dave, had given them to me. He was watching me one day, as I was putting the pieces on the back and suggested using them. I’m so glad he did. I think it makes the piece.
So now I present the finished mosaic. Here are the Happy Trio, posing graciously and mirthfully under the Bonsai tree. How fitting.
Serendipity
The gift of being able to make delightful discoveries by pure accident.
(Coined by Horace Walpole after the “Three Princes of Serendip”, a fairy tale).
Tags: chopsticks in a mosaic, Japanese ornaments, Pique Assiette Mosaic Inspiration series, Serendipity, The Three Princes of Serendip by Horace Walpole, Thrift Store finds
My latest student has a dream of creating a mirror with four special tiles and a huge collection of beach pottery shards that she has been collecting for years. When I saw the tiles and her collection of beach pottery I knew instantly that the shards and tiles were meant to be together. But it left me with a problem to solve. I have always avoided using beach pottery shards for mosaic because I was afraid of how grout would react with them. A year ago, I’d seen another mosaic artist use it on a vase and she had reported no problems with it. But I knew I had to try it out for myself. It was time for me to experiment on a small mirror.
Luckily I had been given someone’s entire collection of beach glass and pottery shards over a year ago and added it to my own collection. All those lovely worn, wave-washed pottery shards had been waiting in the greenhouse for this day.
Beach pottery shards feel smooth under your fingertips, their surfaces ground by waves and rocks. Unlike the shiny, grout-repelling porcelain surface you have on new dishes you now have a matte surface, worn and pitted. I wondered if the grout grittiness would ruin the surface and if the colorant in the grout would mar and color the surfaces and sink into the pits. I also wondered if I’d like the matte surface against the grout when I was so used to the jewel-like mixture of dull grout setting off shiny bits and pieces. Well, the only thing to do was try it.
Deciding on a random design, I started applying the pieces as they fit. I wanted to avoid having to cut the shards and preserve the smooth edges that they already had.
After spending a few hours listening to music and getting lost in the meditative world of fitting shards I was soon near the end and pretty happy with the result. I’d taken quite a few breaks, something I always recommend to my students, to stretch and move. It’s so easy to get caught up and give your self a nasty back spasm from being in the same position for too long lost in your work.
I left it all overnight to allow the mastic to set and harden. Tomorrow would be the test. I must admit to some trepidation. I loved the surfaces on some of the shards so much that I was loath to lose them if the experiment failed.
Next day, I mixed up the grout. After a little consideration, I’d chosen a colored grout that coincidentally evoked sandy beaches called Summer Tan. I needed to find out if the grout colorant would be a problem. And if it was a problem, at least this color, which was a bit rusty would at least blend in with the rustiness of some of the shards if it did sink into the pits on the surface.
And the final result? Well, I must admit, it was a little harder to clean off the grout. The matte surfaces held onto the grout and developed a cement sheen that had to be rubbed off and even sponged. I hardly ever use a sponge, preferring instead to only clean with old cotton socks. Oh yes, there is a use for all those old cotton socks with big holes in the heels!
I loved the final look! This surface felt old and worn still and so smooth to the touch. It all looked antique and I wished in the end that I’d used an old worn mirror too. Ah well. Experiment done. I was glad though that I’d used the rusty colored grout, because where it did stay in the pits on the surface it looked natural.
Conclusion: yes it’ll look good and yes it will be a bit more work.. but all very well worth it. And next week we’ll use these results to help my student create her dream.
Tags: a mosaic experiment, beach pottery shards, grout on beach shards in mosaic, pique assiette mosaic
Yesterday it finally stopped raining. We’d been cooped up in the house working away on the computer together. Suddenly tired of work, we poked our heads up and realized that we could really use a nice walk… without an umbrella.
Usually we either walk different routes around our own neighbourhood or we jump in the car and make our way to the Gorge Walkway. But today, we had to pick up a special cat food or suffer the consequences of a ticked off kitty. And that led to our realizing that we hadn’t walked the Selkirk Trestle for ages and only once before, at that. So since we were close and traffic was easier if we turned that way anyway…. off we went.
If you live in Victoria you’ll know the Selkirk Trestle which is part of the Galloping Goose Trail. It used to be a railway trestle and is now used exclusively for walkers and bike riders. There is something special about walking on this boardwalk, made of wide wooden planks. It invites you to slow down and look around. The feel of smooth weathered wood under your feet is so good, wish I could come up with the perfect description.
Seagulls perched on a post are a ubiquitous bit of tourist kitsch in Victoria. There are racks and racks of seagulls glued to posts in the tourist shops on Government Street . But to me seagulls are such handsome birds that I just had to take some photos. Don’t you love how they seem to pose majestically for the photo?
We carried on to the end of the bridge and followed the rather muddy path to the park. And we cannot resist seeing what is around a bend, can you?
Seeing this little houseboat anchored on the Gorge, we couldn’t help imagining living in it, all cozy and bobbing up and down with the tides.
Further on in the park, which was full of all sorts of birds feasting on berries, we found this little grotto. Now doesn’t the reflection of the rocks in the water make it look as though they are round and floating on the water? Oh maybe, it’s just me.
Then it was time to go back home again. We took our time, walking slowly, not really wanting to go home and work. But the walk had cheered us and given us a meditative space. I wanted to catch some good shots of the structure of the trestle. I love the look and pattern of all those big posts sunk into the inlet.
We moved here from sunny Alberta and many Albertans and also many many native Victorians moan about gray days, preferring instead sunny blue skies. I decided long ago to accept this place as it is, and enjoy it, gray skies and rainy days especially. And it’s easy to do…. I love nothing more than the smell of a wet day, the smell of wet cedar and ocean cannot be beat. And gray skies? Oddly, I will not tolerate gray as color in my artwork hardly ever, but gray skies never ever really bother me.
Tags: Galloping Goose Trail, gray days, houseboat, seagulls, Selkirk Trestle, trestle structure, Victoria
New Years Eve is fast approaching and with that comes the idea of New Years resolutions. I don’t usually bother with admonishments like LOSE WEIGHT which is so negative. It’ll be more like I’ll eat less fattening goodies as soon as the Christmas goodies are all gone. Or GET MORE EXERCISE becomes something like go for more walks, notice things and take photos of them and do more walking meditations.
I don’t go in for hard rules to follow, knowing how soon I’d give up. No, I go for softer rules with some flexibility. My resolutions become more like reminders that can be summed up easily and posted in a good daily spot, like the Fridge for instance. So here it is, my “Notes from the Fridge”. It’s a bit chaotic, what with collaged magnets that we’ve made from magazine pages, and old postcards, but I like the collage aspect of my fridge door.
First is a reminder to “Think Abundance!” I need to remember that the world is full of abundance and that there is more than enough of what I need and want. Have faith that I can have what I want and remember that what you focus on tends to grow. So focus on abundance not scarcity.
Below that are the two questions to ask myself every morning. “What is good about my life? What needs to be Done?” The first to remind myself to be grateful for what I have. The next , to remind me to focus on what I need to do to get what I want. It’s an old note, a little yellowed but still very relevant. Found probably in one of the many books I’ve read. Couldn’t find the author. I’ve also read somewhere that the most important question is “What Do I Want?” And each new years I try to make that list. I may even post it on the fridge, to help it come to fruition.
Next on the fridge, now very yellowed, is the quote by Thoreau. You know the one…”Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined”. It’s given me faith in bad moments. My new quote above it this year, all fresh and white, is to ask myself “What will you do for fun today?” I’ve asked people this and most have never even given it a thought. But I really believe that life is to be enjoyed not suffered through. So this note will be to remind myself to build in fun (fun equals creativity to me) everyday.
Just below the freezer is a quote to which I cannot find the author. But I find it invaluable and tell it to worriers. “Worry is just being negative in advance.” And below that, a latin quote that Bill liked, Vivere ad Creare or Live to Create. Always a good reminder for us artsy types. BTW that little note you can’t make out next to the portrait magnet is from a fortune cookie. It says..The world will soon be ready to receive your talent.. I sorta liked that one. And then there is the cut out from a Health mag cover ” Fight Aging Now”. To remind myself to stop thinking “Old”. 
The next quote is from a movie which always brings me a smile. It’s from “My House in Umbria” starring the inimitable Maggie Smith. It goes like this, “Gradually our anxieties began to recede and we surrendered ourselves to happiness”. There’s something so wonderful about the idea of surrendering myself to happiness.
Next, newly white on the fridge is some good advice which may be courtesy of Deepak Chopra. “Refuse Judgement.” It is not easy to stop judging but when you can it gives you so much relief and is very good for the blood pressure. For example, refuse to judge the bad driver on the road, refuse to let him ruin your day, realize that everyone makes mistakes.
There is the quote by Socrates that the Unexamined life is not worth living, but I really enjoyed the rebuttal which was that the un-lived life was not worth examining and had to add that to the fridge one day. And Bill, on another day, added this good quote: ”Life is too important to be taken seriously” but we can’t remember the author. And best for last. I have no idea where I read this one but it’s been important to me for many years. “Accept and Enjoy.” Accept yourself, accept others as they are and enjoy them as they are, no buts, or if onlies. Just enjoy and accept. Accept their fears and faults and enjoy their good points. Makes like so much better and fuller, really it does.
Do you have a good quote for the fridge that you’d like to share?
Tags: creativity, New years resolutions, note from a fortune cookie, notes from the fridge, think abundance, Thoreau quote, worry
There is absolutely no way that Christmas Day could have been any better. At least for those of us who DON’T subscribe to “Dreaming of a White Christmas” or go around singing “Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow”. Oh no, Snow is a four letter word to me. I love a green Christmas most of all. But yesterday was a bonus, it was a Green and Sunny Christmas in Victoria, the place where lawns green up in winter!
So after all the gifts were opened, the mince tarts eaten and a hearty brunch had by all, Bill and I went off for our Christmas Day Walk. We chose the Gorge Walkway and were rewarded with Great Scenery either way, going up
or down the walkway.
And then as an added bonus, we got to meet the Christmas Dogs. First was this cute little guy in a red sweater sporting reindeer yet.
Next we met the little black poodle, a quiet fellow, dressed up in red. Such a good color on him.
Our next meeting was with a little black and white with a curled up tail.
Who soon drew the interest of another dog.
This quickly became a great tangle of leads as each twirled around trying to get a good sniff. You’ll just have to imagine it. We were having enough trouble trying not to get caught up in the leashes.
And then there she was….the tiniest little charmer in a Santa suit. She had so much energy that we had quite a time trying to get a photo. Almost got her entirely in the shot here…
Oh only the nose here…
And finally a cute photo looking up at us.
The Christmas dogs made the day. All dressed up to celebrate by their proud and loving owners.
Tags: Christmas Day walk, Christmas dogs, Gorge walkway, Victoria
Now here it is, Christmas Day at last and also my last little collection of Santas. I know they’re an odd little group, but I do like them all. The two, 3rd and 4th from the left are special to me, both a bit worn but still happy and guess what? They’re pencil sharpeners! And the next to them, to the right, there’s a Santa already getting ready for next Christmas! And next to him, a little cupie doll Santa with curly lashes. Now to get them all organized…
Ok everyone, altogether now….Merry Merry Christmas!!
Hope you’ve enjoyed my little collection.
Tags: 25 Days of Christmas Santa Ornaments, Christmas, Santa ornament collection
You could be excused for thinking these Santas are kind of a “prickly” bunch. I call them the Grouchy Santas and they are always displayed in a group. A power group you could say. And they really DO want to know, this Christmas Eve…. were you naughty? Or nice?? Watch out, the big Santa just might poke you with that holly! Hope you were nice…..
Tags: 25 Days of Christmas Santa Ornaments, Christmas, Grouchy Santas, Santa Claus ornament collection
I didn’t count how many photos I took of this Santa Claus display. The little globe has sparkly bits floating around in it when you shake it and I was trying to catch that. But I’d shake the globe, centre the camera and by the time I hit the button the flakes had settled. I finally gave up trying to catch the sparkly bits floating in the globe.
So here they are, the Santa Claus in the shape of a moon who has sparkles on the clouds below his beard, with his little dangling elves (not participles although I love that phrase “dangling participles, don’t know why). And next to him is the Santa in the Globe with sparkly bits settling (sorry about that, you’ll just have to imagine it) who is being avidly watched by the elf on the Moon Santa.
Tags: 25 Days of Christmas Santa Ornaments, Christmas, Santa ornament collection
