Orange/Bug

This week's challenge over at 2things is Orange/Bug.
Click on image to enlarge.


A Tarantula Hawk visiting our back yard. This species
of spider wasp is one of the largest in the wasp family.

They are known to prey on Tarantula as food for their
larvae. Yes, we do have tarantula and they aren't small. I
just wonder how these delicate wasps tangle with the big
hairy beasts. I just pray one never lands on me.

While this insect is really beautiful in person, it scares
the heck out of me as it flies by with it's long dangling
legs and iridescent body.

You can read more about he Tarantula Hawk here at
Wikipedia.

Nature at it's best!

For those hunting eggs, chocolate bunnies, and Sunday
buffets.

"Happy Easter"

My other blogspot is here at: ThE ArTfuL EyE"

Window/View

For this week's challenge over at 2things is Window/View.

We were sitting bayside in a restaurant about one table
back, we had asked for a table with a window view.
This was best she could do, I liked it for it presented
this still life.

I also like the soft pastel quality added by the window
screen.

Happy Spring!
My best to all. - Andrea

My other locale: "ThE ArTfuL EyE"

2Things Challenge- Textures/Shapes

For this week's 2thingschallenge-Textures/Shapes, I defer to
some landscape images I took on my trip last month.

If you look closely you'll find that our landscapes are much
like quilts with many textures and shapes.

White billowy clouds, with ever-changing shapes we imagine
to feel like cotton. Golden hills shape the land, mounds of
earth covered with rocks and vegetation each in its own
shape. This glassine-like body of water in its organic shape
surrounded by spindly triangular shaped evergreens
and tall slender grasses. Do you see what I see?
Click image to enlarge.

Flathead Lake in Polson, Montana

In this next image you can see that the water's texture has
changed as it is pushed through the narrow gorge. It
becomes thick and opaque as it churns and foams, unlike the
tranquil glassine water of the lake. Each rock or boulder's
shape is constantly evolving, by wear and water erosion, as
rock and water exchange places. Click image to enlarge.

Columbia River Gorge- Oregon

You can see the many different shapes in this pool of
colorful rocks. This image was taken at the water's edge
looking into the lake. Under water their texture is slick
and smooth, once removed and left to dry they are
rougher. Click on image to enlarge.

Lake McDonald -Glacier National Park, Montana

What I know for sure is when you don't look, you can't see.

Please exercise your right to V O T E-Tuesday, November 4

Thank-you for your visits and kind words. -Andrea
My other blogspot "ThE ArTful Eye"

Parallel/Perpendicular-2Things Challenge

Sock Monkey crawled quitely out of his tent, trying
desperately not to disturb his neighbors and travelled hither
and yon to meet this week's challenge over at 2Things-
Parallel/Perpendicular.

Friday on his way into town for some bananas he discovered
these parallel mailboxes with perpendicular notices and
perpendicular shadows, it was perfect.

On his way back home on this HOT Friday night, he decided
to do Cruisin' Grand in Escondido, and check out some
COOL vintage vehicles. He began to notice that lots of things
were parallel and perpendicular. It appeared that perhaps it
was going to be a particularly perfect and practical, parallel
perpendicular kind of day!

Do you notice all the parallel and perpendicular here?

How 'bout the fins on this 1960 Eldorado for parallel...
He liked that the paint was so shiny it captured image of the
tree.

...and this 50's Chevy parallel parked, just look around the
perpendicular tree trunk.

...now for real manly-monkey types- this small block Chevy
has parallel stacks and a few other parallel nuances.

...and how 'bout that little Deuce Coupe '32 with it's
perpendicular decal and parallel trunk lines.

...exhausted Sock Monkey came to this chair and was going
to rest his tired monkey peds when he noticed, the parallel
open lines in the chair and as he began to look around he
found all sorts of parallel and perpendicular.

Well this particularly perfect and practical, parallel
perpendicular day was nearing an end. He was pooped...
and it was HOT so...

He decide to go home, take the weight off, relax and keep
COOL.

Maybe even shoot a few hoops!

Thanks for stopping by and visiting! I hope all is well
in your neck of the woods.

Cheers! My other blogspot: "ThE ArTfuL EyE"

Fireplug/Flagpole-2ThingsChallenge

For this week's challenge at 2Things Fireplug/Flagpole
I take you to Cape Cod, MA.

I found a bit of humor in this one because I realized that
I had some affinity for these objects. I didn't have just one
but several images of poles and plugs.

Commercial St. - Provincetown, MA


Shankpainter St. Provincetown, MA
A bit worn, but not as short and stubby. I liked how the
Alyssum hugged the base.


Commercial St. -Provincetown, MA
This was Provincetown's first firehouse. Notice the traditional
1/2 cape architecture. Only ghosts live here alongside
that sparkly red and white hydrant.


Firehouse #5 Commercial St.- Provincetown
This firehouse is still in business. I took this pic because the
street has my father's name and coincidently the street
diagonal was Mary St. which is my mother's name.


Hyannisport, MA
JFK Memorial Park

Hyannisport, MA Cape and Islands Korean War Memorial

St. Andrew's by the Sea- church of the Kennedy's
Hyannisport, MA
I don't believe I have ever seen a flagpole on top of a church.

Edgartown, MA
Quaint, quiet Victorian streets adorned
with flagpoles at every residence.

Edgartown, MA boat harbor for Chappaquiddick Ferry

"Fancy a flagpole, a fireplug or two, have a cheery day
my friends and I thank-you.

My other blogspot: "ThE ArTfuL EyE"

Symmetrical/Abstract

This week's challenge over at 2Things is Symmetrical/Abstract.

Abstract "Sitting by the Window" 11 x 17 acrylic on manila folder

I usually bring a small bag of goodies (fluid acrylics, glaze,
collage material)to work each day so that I can feed my
creative muse on my lunch break. One day I found myself
without my journal or any strong substrate to paint on so
I reached for some manila folders. I really like how the paint
and glaze reacted with this paper.

I don't usually paint abstracts but when I do, the enjoyment
comes from gazing at the image, spinning it around, and
seeing if something emerges. I'm seeing a seated female figure
in the right hand corner, poised, gazing out a bedroom window?


Abstract "Waterfall" 11 x 17
acrylic on manila folder

A waterfall spray, over a cliff beyond a brown rugged boulder
submerged in a pool of turquoise/green water... or a man
with a hat, fishing from several poles while seated upon this
boulder in a lake. Can you see what I see? or am I just crazy.
I'm okay with crazy by the way.

My intention now is to use these backgrounds for another
project in the works. More on that to come.


Symmetrical "Sunrise, Sunset"
8.5 x 11 heavy cardstock, stencil, mask, spray paint

During my stencil burning frenzy, I used one of my
Stampscapes rubber stamps, enlarged the image and
then burned a stencil into mylar, which in turn presented me
with a mask (positive image). I took both mask and stencil
outside and then proceeded to spray test the several colors
of Montana Gold I had recently purchased.

Something to think about:
"Many would rather be ruined by praise, than saved by criticism."

May your days be filled with mystery and wonderful surprises!
Thank you always for your visits and kind words.
My other blogspot: "ThE ArTfuL EyE"