From Nowhere

Images come bubbling up from nowhere sometimes.

Sometimes they flash across your mind from a near faded memory... or a brilliantly remembered moment when you were somewhere else... or even someone else.



Sometimes they drop in from a dream



or a piece of music or even a conversation you were part of that made Art Shenanigans prick up those ears!

And all you can do is turn the blog back on and share.

Take care.

Candace, Still Thankfully in Athens.

Lovely Lady Brigade

Hello!

Here's a lovely lady (Victorian, it seems) who will be made of (mostly) paper... WIP. I'm making a series of them for this year. Who knows, they may wind up on my Art Tree! They might end up in a magazine. (oh do tell! But first, cross your fingers.) I hope to place her against a little 3-D steampunkery for fun.



These Lovely Ladies are small and sweet, and some are for folks in and around my life -- all of them, too, "just as sweet as pie", as we say in the Deep South.

Speaking of the Deep South, I am thinking of Denise (So. Africa), whose mother needs our very kindest thoughts... as does she. Go say hello, won't you? You may blame all the tomfoolery on me. And I am thinking of all you Yanks who may be caught up in the Sun's mighty fierce heatwave this year.

Take care, everyone, wherever you are.

Candace, Still in Athens.

Happy Independence Day!

My Art Tree for the month of July reflects the ol' Red, White and Blue right down to the flowers (all reds, whites and blues) as well as the Barbies -- in variations on those same colours. Oh, okay, one of the Barbies is in a tuxedo... that's another story for another time.

Hello Everyone!

Isn't it funny how this trio of colour runs so deep for so many? Not just for us Yanks but our "cousins" across The Pond with their Union Jack -- and farther on, Viva la France! Same colours. The British colonies of New Zealand and Australia, countries in their own right, show the triage as well as the stars and stripes.

Long may they wave.

And here's the Red, White and Blue Trifle I made for today's holiday bash... YUMMO. Folks gobbled it right up.

See you next week, Peeps! I'm having a Hot Fun in the Summertime Art Shenanigan Day with Kitten. Whew... finally our paths cross again. And it's always a blessing, believe me.

Take care.

Candace, Still in Athens.

Alice, Put The Kettle On

-- and we'll all have tea.

Hello everyone!

First things first. Thanks so much to Vanessa of A Fanciful Twist for putting this show on for us today -- for the third annual Mad Tea Party. If you go here, you will be able to view so so many Blogovians having their MAD TEA PARTIES.

Now, I am not mad. Just a little dizzy! Ha! You would be too if your pen just magically started drawing on its own, producing some familiar characters ...

And if minutes away from guests arriving, your cat drank up something that caused this --

Say, didn't I tell you to leave that alone? Poor old Kit.

and then because his mantra is curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought him back, he nibbled on something and this happened ...

Get him away from the tea set! He's still growing!

Now you won't see the expected crowd. Not even a Red Queen, thank goodness. Altho her ladies in waiting are attending this year. I hear they are fast friends with Tweedledee and Tweedledum, but I think they are a bit easier on the eyes.

But you see the ever so charming Miss Wonderland plus a couple of faces you might just recognize, guests who rarely are invited anywhere. That girl with her personal White Rabbit, for instance.

Although for the life of me, I can't imagine why no one would invite a pig!

I hope you are enjoying the day, tea or no tea. If there is no tea, have mercy! Just get you a cuppa joe.

Candace, Still in Athens.

You Are Hereby Commanded

By The Red Queen

To Have A Spot of Tea & Magic

With Molly Brown & Company

Saturday, 26 June, 2010

At 4PM Eastern Time.

Art Shenanigans Will Be In Attendance.



Your Pal,
Candace. Still In Athens.
Reports of My Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

Adopted Goes Two Ways

Hello Everybody!
Remember that early March evening in 2008 when Chris and Misha let friends know that Devon was going to show up? He will be TWO this September.

And now, just look at him. Tempus fugit, for real! He has teeth. He's talking! And he is such a great little kid. I’ve adopted him as my Stand In Nephew/Baby. His shirt says “iPood”. (And yes, it was from me, if you doubted it! His adopted Aunt Candace is nothing if not off the chain.)

The Happy Family. We met at De Palma’s in downtown Athens for dinner. We had just seen each other for lunch at one of our most favourite of places – The Last Resort. So Saturday was a Double Bubble wad of pleasure. Devon was in excellent form the entire day, flirting with and charming the waitresses and other diners.

Work and other matters have kept me from creating and posting as much and as often as I like. That’s just the way it’s going these days. But earnings is winding down -- so I hope (ah, hope -- that most elusive and irritating of words and concepts) to be catching up, and will be back next week, sharing some creative bits with you for real. As it stands now, here are some very early sketches...

A detail of a piece called "Mr and Mrs Happy Together".

Masque.

I hope to paint this one.

" I'll Have A Shirley Temple".

Until then, don’t forget Vanessa’s Mad Tea Party here. And Victorian Lady has a lovely inclusion as does Sarah in this copy of Art Doll Quarterly. And speaking of babies… ! Congrats, Mere! It’s always good to hear from friends and especially with news like hers.

Say, what's THIS? Well, it's my last ever (okay, okay, for a while) Sake Bomb. Two dollah! Into a glass of PBR Light, we sink the ubiquitous hot sake cup. And presto, change-o! A delight on a hot Southern afternoon, trust me.

And just why is it the last? Well, Peeps, I am on this new super duper medication regime (for a few weeks, nothing serious!) and that means NO al-kee-hall for a while. Sigh. Let us pray... ! No shellfish and now, no liquor. But a gal's gotta do what a gal's gotta do.

Now, if they tell me No Coffee, as My mom used to say, "I might as well curl up my toes."

Take care, everyone. Back in a few.

Candace

SouthWorks 2010 and More

Hello there!
Come on in and just sit a spell. It's been a while. But better late than never... Anyway, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words so do let these photos do the talking for me. (Fat chance, I know...)

Last week, I finally made it to SouthWorks, an annual artfest in nearby Watkinsville held every spring -- and would you believe it, it's the first time I've been? I always forget or I'm away or I'm working. Not this time, though.

T enters the SouthWorks 2010 Juried Art Exhibition in the OCAF Cultural Centers Building. OCAF sponsors this thriving art community and why don't we go just go from the ridiculous to the sublime? I think most of you know that's what I usually do anyway.

Now look, there is NO WAY I can show it all. So I took pix of my and T's (mostly MY) favourites. If you want to see the whole she-bang, you need to come visit us next May. I think that's only fair.

The Three Graces by Barbara Balzer.

If I had the bucks, this sculpture and the next one would have come home with me. Honest. My measly photos cannot do them justice. I took more than one angle of each, and you will understand why in a second.

Next is APPRENTICE by Barbara Balzer. 24 inches tall.

(T finally insisted I get away from this and give other people a chance to look it over.)

The next two are quilts. I can only remember the first one's title.

THE LOVERS. This one is gorgeous -- multidimensional and very tactile. And look at her pocketbook! incredible!

T and I thought of our friend Jeanne who made each of us a sweet half quilt before she left for her new life in London two years ago.

Fun, huh? There's more where this all came from but not today, Kids.

Say, don't forget to register for Vanessa's Mad Tea Party! It's not too late to join in!

I am so there on June 26th. Hope to see you too.

And, I am working on another doll... and speaking of dolls, look at THIS fun post. Congrats to Sarah! So thrilled to see her work up and at 'em.

Take care.

Candace