Week 12--Grass

It's the lazy days of summer. What better way to spend a day than lazing in a hammock reading a breezy novel, spreading out a tablecloth for a picnic, picking daisies in a field and making daisy chains?
How about creating some art?

First, we have lovely memories from Sarah who wrote:

"I remember a meadow where I used to drive amongst in the morning at a house I worked at. I took many pictures, but they have been lost in old cell phones and now all I can do is bring you the meadow in my mind with its giant rolls of hay in the morning light as I first turned into the driveway. A bittersweet memory that I love. That 'grass' in the meadow stretching endlessly will live in this girl's memory forever. No cell phone needed."

Meadow
by Sarah

Just imagine if Sarah had all of her photographs still!

Then from Freebird, whose son likes to cut the grass, old school, with a push mower. She did this beadwork for him:

Grass
by Freebird

Freebird also shared some fond memories on her blog post, so be sure to check it out!

For our official response:

Digital composition
by Cheryl

Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to check out what else these artists are up to, as they are a creative bunch! 

Until next time....

This Turf is SO D

Living in Arizona gives us a slightly different perspective on things. For starters, there's no denying it's hot out.
Now, there's an understatement.
Visions of picnics, putting your feet up and sipping an ice cold lemonade float through the mind and quickly evaporate. Wouldn't it be nice to sink bare feet into a nice, cool patch of grass?
We'll just have to do our best imagining and think where we could even FIND a patch of grass--our yard is covered in leaves and stone.
But it's pretty amazing where you will find "Grass," our topic for today!
Cows thrive on it:

 From Dobson Farm

Sports guys play on it:

From Korineum Golf Resort
Cyprus

Children consume it (cereals are forms of grass):

Fruit Loops
From theatlantic.com
Try it with Vanilla ice cream!

And then there's the whole bru-ha-ha over marijuana:

From krwg.org

I'm going to keep politics out of it, but the fact is medicinal pot is legal here in Arizona.

While I ponder all these possibilities, I'm going to go back to dreaming of sinking my toes in somebody's nice cool lawn.

AHH! That's what I'm talking about! 

BTW: we learned that SO D (gotta have that space in the middle and it's pronounced "SO DEE," means "so decent." 

Show us your "Grass" twinchies!

Send them to 1xeritas@gmail.com by 2PM Arizona time, August 25, 2015

Include your blog-link, if you'd like. 

See "The Rules" for more details.

Week 11--China

This week's prompt offered many different ways to go, whether it be China with a big "C" or small. A LOT of choices!

Sarah got right to work and sent this from Michigan:

Chinese Character for
Tangle
by Sarah Antoinette

Freebird drew inspiration from a photograph of a teacup for her lovely beadwork:

China Tea
by Freebird

And our official response:

Chinese Flower
by Cheryl

We are thrilled the artists are still working through the dog days of summer and vibrantly creating. Thank you to all the participants, the thinkers and the appreciators that get to see what's going on. Please check out what are artists are up to and tell them we sent you!
Until next time...

Dim Sum Yum!

The topic this week is Capital "C" "China," or small "c" china. We just love words that have different meanings! That alone offers many choices for the direction of inspiration to go. This encompasses a lot of territory: depending on the choices of measurement, China is the second largest country on the planet. It is the most populous country, counting over a BILLION more people than the United States (that just boggles the mind, doesn't it?)
So, it's BIG!

This is a small architectural project that you can find across China:

And a modern discovery from ancient China:

Terracotta Warriors

Another Chinese treasure is their panda bears. These are on loan to the National Zoo from China.

Baby Bao Bao is now almost two; she will go to China when she turns four.

Mei Xiang and Bao Bao
National Zoo

There is the annual spectacle of Chinese New Year and the dance of the dragon:

Who doesn't like Chinese food? What's not to like about taking tea with some Dim Sum? Like an English tea, the daily ritual can be a little snack to a meal unto itself:

Dim Sum
YUM!

Which brings us to small "c" china, such as porcelain tea cups:

Royal Albert Provincial Flowers
For sale on Ebay by
wascollectingdust

We collect floral teacups with black backgrounds. You wouldn't know it as they are packed away for the duration of our kitchen remodeling. But we can still DRAW inspiration from them!

Send us YOUR China or china art! Maybe a twinchie of both! Give it a try!

Submit your two by two inch artwork to:

1xeritas@gmail.com by 2PM Tuesday, August 11, 2015. All submissions will be posted later that day.

Any questions can be submitted to the same e-ddress. Check the pages for "The Rules." 

Week 10--Rain

Let's start with some humor shall we?
If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?
Pilgrims.
Maybe we should stick with making art, hmm?
While we're secretly praying for weather--here in Arizona there's a fine line between some rain and way too much--and keeping an eye on the sky, we're enjoying the work that our artists have created to celebrate "Rain."

Sarah had some paper waiting for such a project and created this one:

Rain by Sarah

(We also noted that she carried the theme forward for her Diva response this week. You never know where the inspiration will take you!)

Margaret got into the spirit of things and created TWO Bijoux!

Rain by Margaret

Freebird explained her inspiration came from her favorite movie for her beadwork:

Singing in the Rain
by Freebird

In Denmark it was raining, which helped to inspire Ann to tangle some zen:

Rain
by Ann

And our official response, imagining umbrellas viewed high above a palazzo:

Rain by
Cheryl

Hopefully we'll get that rain we need, just enough. In the meantime, we can sing and dance! And we can check out what else all these marvelous artists are doing--they are a creative bunch and multi-talented! Or, perhaps you can try your hand at the challenges!

Until next time....

Rain on Me!

We have heard that the Navajo Nation have twenty words for "rain." We don't know about that, but there are plenty in the English language: rain, storm, downpours, drizzle, showers. There's fat rain that comes down in big splats; puddles, trickles and floods. There's lightning and thunder that can turn a simple rainstorm into something very spectacular.

Nice Lightning Storm One Night
Author Unknown

Here in Arizona, rain can become so rare that we all stop to watch. And because it rains in a big way when it does finally come, we have to stop what we're doing as we're not going anywhere for a while.
Last summer, we received thirteen inches of rain in August, more than the previous three years COMBINED. Let's just say it got a little too exciting at our place.
Twice.
As we compose these notes a Pacific hurricane named Dolores is planning to visit and all the news is about the potential for rain. (She did wreck havoc elsewhere, but we didn't get much more than a few drops. And Humidity with a capital "H.").
But we digress.
One of our favorite artists creates amazing paintings that depict Arizona scenery and weather in abstract fashion. This is Ed Mell and this is his rendition of rain at the Grand Canyon:

Rain Spears
Ed Mell

For all the tangly people in our midst, there are "Rain" and "Msst," two official and weather-related tangles. CZT Jean Chaney and fellow Arizonan created this "monotangle" for "Rain" last May:

Diva Challenge 168--"Rain"
Jean Chaney/Tangle Street Studios
Provided with Permission, All Rights Reserved

Henri Cartier-Bresson photographed what he called, "the decisive moment." He caught plenty of Parisians jumping over puddles and you just KNOW they're going to get wet!

Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare
Henri Cartier-Bresson
1932

We'll add one more inspirational work from Belarus-born Leonid Afremov:

We're pretty sure he uses ALL the crayons in the box, given the chance. 

Dig out YOUR crayons, pencils, markers or camera and show us your RAIN twinchies! 

Send them to:

1xeritas@gmail.com

by Tuesday, July 28 at 2PM Arizona Time. 

Usual parameters apply (see "The Rules" Any questions? send to same email).

Week 9--Squirrel

If there's anything we can surmise from the art submissions this week is that we all have a love/hate relationship with squirrels. They're cute, furry little animals. They steal birdseed. They can be outright scary.
As we were putting together this post, this came in from the National Park Service:

Don't Mess with Texas
Squirrels!

Sarah sent in her sentiments from Michigan:

In Denmark, Ann drew this cute critter:

Freebird stitched a squirrel with beads and sent it from Arkansas:

And our official response:

Biker Squirrel from
New York

This weeks creations were done with humor and talent. Be sure to check out each artist's blog, as there is always something going on, and in many different media and directions. Let them know you saw them here while you offer kind words and encouragement. 

Until next time....