Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am visiting my mother for the holidays, & I am appreciating the small treasures that make up home.
























I hope that each of you will find joy in celebrating family, memory & small treasures.


Happy Thanksgiving!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

2012 Calendars

There is another QOOP Photo Contest for 2012 calendars this year. It started the week of October 14, & will continue until December 30. It is a weekly contest, so there is a winner & 2 honorable mentions every week. I made two last year, which made nice holiday gifts, & I even won an honorable mention. 


Everyone seemed to like them, so I decided to try again this year. You can see the two that I created here.....


.... & here.

The rules & instructions can be found here. It is a fun project to play around with, & you are not required to buy the calendar, once you have created it, unless you want to. So why not take a stab at it. Who knows, you may be a winner! 

Saturday, November 12, 2011

A Good Day for a Bike Ride!


Today is a little bit windy, but the sun is out & it looks to be a beautiful fall day. A perfect day to take a bike ride! If you happen to live in the Boston area & you do not have a bike of your own, you can take advantage of the Hubway Bike-Share Program. Taking inspiration from Paris's lead in 2007, as well as, the more recent Montreal’s Bixi Bike program, Boston has implemented its own bike friendly effort. With more than 140 kiosks & some 1500 bikes, it is easy to find a location, that is right for you. I happened to see the ones in the photo above, in the North End, last weekend. Boston has a number of wonderful bike paths & trails, so why not get started on a biking adventure. Many other cities, in both Europe & North America, have started similar programs. Check out the possibility of renting one of these bikes in your area.

No matter what you decide to do this weekend, I hope it is a wonderful one.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Bo Bartlett


Looking through the November issue of ARTnews, I came across a full page add for 
Bo Bartlett at the Dowling Walsh Gallery in Rockland, Maime. Bo grew up in Columbus, Georgia, just as I did. I don't remember him then, he was younger than me. I was, in fact, the same age as his older sister, Sandy, whom I did know. Because of this hometown connection, I have loyally followed his career. His hauntingly beautiful realist paintings are at once both familiar & mysterious.



Not only is he an accomplished painter of note, but he has also distinguished himself as a filmmaker. In 1986 he made a documentary film about the life & work of one of his mentors, Andrew Wyeth, called Snow Hill.

In the short film below, illustrated with his beautiful art work & family photos, Bartlett, shares, in his own words, his life experience as an artist. I really believe whether one is familiar with his work or not, you will appreciate the beauty of this film. It is worth watching!

Friday, November 4, 2011






A bike ride along the Neponset River this week. The weather has returned to its full fall glory, after the freakish October snow storm last week. Although the snow did not really hit most Boston residents hard, there are areas of Massachusetts that have been without power all week long. I hope for them, that the power is back on, & that everyone enjoys a beautiful fall weekend.