Go Down Moses!!!

'Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord," 'Let my people go, that they may serve me.'
Exodus 8:1

'When Israel was in Egypt's land
Let my people go
Oppressed so hard they could not stand
Let my people go 

Go down Moses
Way down in Egypt's land
Tell old, Pharoh
Let my people go! 

Thus saith the Lord, bold Moses said
Let my people go
If not, I'll smite your first born dead
Let my people go 

Go down Moses,
Way down in Egypt's land,
Tell old, Pharoh,
Let my people go!
 No more shall they in bondage toil
Let my people go
Let them come out with Egypt's spoil
Let my people go
 Go down Moses
Way down in Egypt's land
Tell old, Pharoh
Let my people go!'

Negro Spiritual, around 1872
This song is sung at many a Sedar celebration during the reading of the Haggadah.

Happy Passover!!

(read the entire story of Passover here)

My Colorado Portfolio Has Grown Exponentially...

Cordera Community Center

I don't know where to begin...I am doing a show @ the beautiful Cordera Community Center on Sunday. I printed out close to 200 pics, most were 4x6, some were 5x7 (some were misses, most were hits). Looking back on what I printed out, I must have been inspired because there are so many photos, almost impossible to choose. But, choose I did, and now, there are 11 new pieces to add to the many years of  picture taking in Rhode Island. The 70 new cards are made (added to the inventory in stock), pressed, labeled, signed, dated, soon to be stuffed. Numerous 5x7's are matted, some will wind up in frames. I took pics of the finished cards for my Etsy shop and was not pleased w/ the way they came out...hence, the confusion started. Believe me when I say, I am not complaining, but from the camera to Wifi to the iPad to the computer, all put me in a tizzy. I think I have finally sorted out the 11 new shots on the computer. I still have to re-take pics of the cards, but that can wait until tomorrow or Friday. In the meantime, here is a preview of 6 of the 11 new pics, which are in print, and will be available for sale after Sunday's show.

'Low Clouds, Blue Skies, Pikes Peak'

'Sky on Fire Over Pikes Peak'

'Fog at the Foothills, Pikes Peak'

'Looks Like Disney to Me, Colorado'

'Frozen Fog'

'Impending Storm, Pikes Peak'

When we moved here, almost 2 1/2 years ago, I had no clue, I had no idea, I had no comprehension of what was yet to come...how my vision was getting ready to be challenged and expanded in breadth and width. I could not have imagined that these skies would continually take my breath away, that the mountain would be such a profound experience, daily, that a new camera would make such a huge difference in clarity and detail. It took some doing, but, like I said, my Colorado portfolio has (seriously) grown...exponentially!!!

  "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds..."  Mt. 5:14-16

Okay, a Couple of Words for Wednesday....

Wordless Wednesday...

Édouard Vuillard,

 (French, 1868–1940). 

Garden at Vaucresson, 1920. 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Dreaming yet again....

They Saved the 'Madonna and Child'

 'Madonna and Child'

1501-1503

Michelangelo

The “Monuments Men”, were a group of approximately 345 men and women from thirteen nations most of whom volunteered for service in the newly created Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives section, or MFAA section during World War II. Many were museum directors, curators, art historians, artists, architects, and educators. Together they worked to protect monuments and other cultural treasures from the destruction of World War II. In the last year of the war, they tracked, located, and in the years that followed returned more than five million artistic and cultural items stolen by Hitler and the Nazis. Their role in preserving cultural treasures was without precedent.

Visitors to the canal-lined, storybook town of Bruges in Belgium, may look in awe at Michelangelo's marble sculpture, Madonna and Child, in the Church of Our Lady, but few know of its harrowing wartime journey. Stolen from the church by Nazi officers in 1944, the sculpture was eventually discovered by Monuments Men on a dirty mattress in a saltmine near Altaussee in Austria.

Stephen Kovalyak, George Stout and Thomas Carr transporting Michelangelo's, 'Madonna and Child' on July 9, 1945.

Stephen Kovalyak, George Stout and Thomas Carr Howe transporting Michelangelo's sculpture Madonna and child, July 9, 1945. Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child was taken by the Nazis from the Church of Our Lady in Bruges, Belgium, and recovered at the Kaiser Joseph mine.


Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/true-story-monuments-men-180949569/#kuFe6UCBGSzqpmVr.99
Give the gift of Smithsonian magazine for only $12! http://bit.ly/1cGUiGv
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Stephen Kovalyak, George Stout and Thomas Carr Howe transporting Michelangelo's sculpture Madonna and child, July 9, 1945. Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child was taken by the Nazis from the Church of Our Lady in Bruges, Belgium, and recovered at the Kaiser Joseph mine.


Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/true-story-monuments-men-180949569/#kuFe6UCBGSzqpmVr.99
Give the gift of Smithsonian magazine for only $12! http://bit.ly/1cGUiGv
Follow us: @SmithsonianMag on Twitter

Stephen Kovalyak, George Stout and Thomas Carr Howe transporting Michelangelo's sculpture Madonna and child, July 9, 1945. Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child was taken by the Nazis from the Church of Our Lady in Bruges, Belgium, and recovered at the Kaiser Joseph mine.


Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/true-story-monuments-men-180949569/#kuFe6UCBGSzqpmVr.99
Give the gift of Smithsonian magazine for only $12! http://bit.ly/1cGUiGv
Follow us: @SmithsonianMag on Twitter

The Finish Line is in Sight!!!

Finished the water...blue blue blue...

While still working on the 'blues'..

Yet to be completed large and 'smaller' dolphins...

As a whole...48"x32"!!!!

Truth be told, I am somewhat obsessed at this point to finish the puzzle. I think that being an artist has helped because so much of this puzzle has been about 'hues'. The blue-blues, to the aqua-blues, to the light-blues, to the gray-blue hues, to the almost white blues. Now onto the grays for the dolphin. The almost white grays, to the green-grays, to the blue-grays, to the almost charcoal grays, and everything in-between. Shapes are also key. However, with many pieces, I have looked at them, once they fit, saying 'Really??' (yes, still talking to the puzzle....).

The discussion has moved on to, what to do with the puzzle when completed. I am probably going to use Mod Podge to seal it and give it more stability. Then I can choose a backing and it will be a done deal. I am also thinking of donating it to the children at one of the community centers, where Jimmy has been doing so much work!I have my sights set on doing many more jigsaw puzzles, BUT, I will limit myself to 1000/1500 pieces, or whatever fits on Mom's old bridge table.

Lessons learned, and then again, re-learned from this marathon. You cannot fit a circle into a square space. Things will happen when they happen, and then rather quickly. You cannot force it. You can try, but it just will not work, and you will walk away frustrated and bleary-eyed too boot. Not worth it. You really can do anything you set your mind to. It all seems rather basic, but the whole point of doing this puzzle was to stay busy during this Winter, when it was below zero and everything was shut down. Granted, in Colorado, we have not had 1/2 the Winter that the rest of the country is still muddling through, but, Winter nonetheless.Clearly it, (the puzzle) has taken on a life of its own, and has been a fun conversation piece. So, excuse me while I go put a dolphin together....as a storm gathers on the horizon...

Postscript: after working on the puzzle on this wintry snowy day, I have 30 pieces left...looks like tomorrow is the big day !!!

FINISHED, Saturday, March 8!!!

Wednesday Thought...

...enough said...

The 18th Mile (or so) of the Marathon....

 

 

This is a pic of the WHOLE enchilada..

My friend, back East, who has blamed me for the harrowing Winter many in the States are experiencing, simply because I had to tackle this 3000 piece puzzle, has given me a deadline....she has had enough!!! Make sure you send me a video, she said, when you put the last piece in because I will immediately start looking for signs of Spring. We have had a very good laugh for a Winter which still needs some comic relief  (so so sorry East coast). I have made progress since 'East Meets West'. I feel as if I am on the 18th mile of a marathon. The end is calculated, but no less difficult. I am left with blue (the water) and gray (the dolphins) pieces!!! The days are markedly longer here in Colorado, which works in my/your favor...so, here is to a quick sprint to the end with the hope of Spring and that very first daffodil making an appearance!!!

East Has Met West!!!!

Right there.......

For anyone remotely interested in my progress, I have officially connected 4 feet of jigsaw puzzle!!! It was a golden moment. I felt like I had just won an event in the Olympics, an unmeasured feat! Well, that's what it felt like. I did get a couple of fist bumps from the men of the house. 

Taaaa daaaa....

Wordless Wednesday

Patio view...

Lake Como, Italy

ANYONE?????

2 Week Puzzle Progress!

 

 

 Edward: 'Mom, you are aware that you are talking to yourself!'
Me: 'If you were working on this puzzle, you would be talking to yourself too!'

Well, my goal right now is to see the puzzle connect horizontally. I can most definitely see a huge difference in the number of pieces I am rummaging through (way down from the original 3000) to find the gold, if you will. So, in some respects it is easier. However, it remains a difficult puzzle. I can see that I am going to be left with a ton of gray pieces for the dolphins and another ton of light blue for the ocean.  In the very short run, this challenge was a really god idea!

Old man winter is still sticking around!

A postscript :
From my friend who lives on Long Island (back East):
Next year buy a 200 piece puzzle - then maybe it wouldn't be snowing every week here - Somehow I think this long cold winter is your fault, just so you could do a puzzle!!!

Wordless Wednesday...Seriously, No Words Necessary....

Food, warmth, shelter...grateful...

Progress!!!!

Today...

2 weeks ago..

Today...

2 weeks ago..

It is a love/hate relationship. There is no other way to put it. Just when I think that I cannot find another piece, I find 10, 20 or 30...so I continue. I am now working on the 'whole' puzzle, rather than just one area, and I am finding it easier to know exactly where that single piece goes. So, with the pics I am posting, I can keep a record every couple of weeks. It is not an everyday event, but when I can, I am giving it my full attention...the challenge continues!!!

Wordless Wednesday

'Campanella Wildlife'

Graphitte and watercolour 

100x70cm,  2011

Oriol Angrill Jorda

#WhatwasIthinking???

So, in the middle of Colorado's 'Siberian Express' in early December, I thought, this could prove to be a long long winter. One of the best cure-all's for me has always been a jigsaw puzzle. I grew up doing them w/ Mom, and some tough one's at that. We even did a Jackson Pollack once. Off I went to Barnes & Nobel, and scoured their jigsaw puzzle section. Some just looked way too easy, and really, what would be the point. After some talking to myself, I chose the above pictured Ravensberger, 3000 piece puzzle. That should do it, I thought. Well, first, I had to figure out where in this house I was going to actually do this monster of a puzzle, and on what surface. After a couple of failed attempts, Jimmy and I finally came up w/ the perfect spot on the perfect surface...and the games began. The border was relatively easy, as it is a given. Here is what I have found so far. Anyone who does puzzles, will understand this. It rules. It tells you how it is going to work and you just have to play along. I have also found that to actually sit down and 'work' on it requires hours. It needs all your attention and you have to go through each piece over and over and over again once it starts growing. What I love about looking for that needle in a haystack, is that when you 'happen upon' a certain piece you know it, you know exactly where it goes. (Singing, 'Getting to know you, getting to know all about you...'). An 'issue' which I have to deal w/, is that I have blepharitis in my eyes. I think it came from (the best I have been able to figure) a combination of events colliding. Dry eyes, allergies, possibly picking up 'something' during our long stays @ the hospital w/ Mom...just a theory. Anywho, it cannot be cured, controlled, but not cured. So, when working on the puzzle, or doing any tedious visual work for hours on end (like making cards), I feel it, things become blurry and I have to stop and rest my eyes. Annoying, that's all. All this to say, I am taking my time.

After all, it is just mid-January.

Will keep you posted!