Abstract Floral Collage

Posted on February 1, 2019 by Mama Cormier

….the first collage using the moon papers

After cutting up some of the printed transparency film I started to arrange the shapes onto one of the papers that I thought would make a nice background. Before gluing the pieces down I took a photo so that I would know what order and where to glue the pieces when I was reassembling the abstract still life.

Once all the pieces where glued in place I started to add some detail with white, black, gold and green gel. I think it helped bring some life into the piece.

More Plumbing Woes on the Snowiest and Coldest Days of this Year

Posted on January 30, 2019 by Mama Cormier

….after replacing the sewer pipe on our side of the property on New Year’s Eve I thought we were good for another 20 years

This time last week water started coming back up through the sewer drain again. We immediately called the plumber who did the job and he arrived early the next morning. He cleaned out as much as he could and he discovered that the problem was with the sewer pipe going out to the road on the city side of the property. He said we were good for awhile but the problem needed to be addressed as soon as possible.

My husband was on the phone for a couple of hours on Friday but couldn’t get through. Over the weekend we rationed our water usage by not taking long showers, using the washing machine or the dishwasher. On Monday Kevin called the city again but this time he got right through. A couple of hours later a crew showed up to see where the problem was. In the meantime the biggest storm of the season was upon us.

All afternoon the problem was being assessed by several people and finally the all important phone call was made to declare a potential sewer fail. The problem was that the gas people had to come out first because the gas lines are in close proximity to the sewer pipe. Due to the bad weather we had to wait another day before that could happen.

The next day my husband spend hours clearing away the snow and the city plows cleared the street and the sidewalks. When the gas people finally arrived there were more measurements and detection devices deployed to determine where the gas line was situated. Green paint was sprayed onto the area where the digging needed to take place but that wouldn’t happen until the next day (today).

I went to the Inn to bake bread and Kevin stayed home in case the gas people needed to talk to him. They finally arrived about 1:00 in the afternoon with about three trucks and a digger and front loader. Apparently it was pretty noisy as they dug up my neighbours driveway, sucked up the water and waste and pulled out the broken pipe. The good news was that the gas lines were about two feet away from the sewer pipe and now the city can come back and replace the pipe. Hopefully this will happen tomorrow. In the meantime we continue to ration our water usage. I have to give these workers credit because they came out on the coldest day of the year and tomorrow doesn’t promise to be any better.

Do Dogs Wear Bow Ties?

Posted on January 30, 2019 by Mama Cormier

,,,,”it’s a dog with a bow tie but dogs don’t wear bow ties”

This was today’s comment for today’s cartoon drawing from our granddaughter to which my husband replied….”dogs do wear bow ties…they love bow ties and Papa loves bow ties too……but Bill the Cat, not so much.”

Enjoy!

A Blast of Winter

Posted on January 28, 2019 by Mama Cormier

….for the longest time I complained that there was NO snow

Who complains about the lack of snow? Unless you’re a skier or a child dreaming of a ‘snow day’ when all the schools get closed, very few ‘sane’ people, especially seniors, would dare utter those words. Well I guess I’m a little bit crazy because I love watching the snow come down from the warmth of my bedroom or living room and because I’m retired I can just hunker down and enjoy the beauty from my window.

“He Has Really Big Eyes”

Posted on January 27, 2019 by Mama Cormier

…according to our granddaughter after she saw her Papa’s latest drawing

All Good Things Must Come to an End

Posted on January 27, 2019 by Mama Cormier

…..the weather that is

I’m not talking about the weather that we’re experiencing today but the weather that we had when we were in London, England back in October. Most people think of England as being foggy, cloudy and teaming with rain with a bit of sunshine here and there. Fortunately for us that was not the case. Out of the 14 days in London we only had one rainy day. That happened on Day 8.

Originally we planned to take the train to Brighton and enjoy the seaside. The relentless downpour that day changed our plans. Instead we took a bus to Brick Lane. Brick Lane is in the East End of London and is famous for its curry houses. Having said that I found it unusual that our son wanted us to try a deli where they serve salt beef sandwiches. I guess they’re pretty popular because there was a huge line-up to order one of these massive buns. The weather certainly didn’t keep people away. Unfortunately I didn’t take any photos of the area because the rain was really lashing down.

After sampling the salt beef we ventured back outside and maneuvered our way down the street with umbrellas overhead. We made our way to the Whitechapel Gallery to see the Elmgreen and Dragset show. It was to say the least, a most unusual show. On the ground floor gallery they present the ghost of the Whitechapel Pool.

Throughout the exhibition there are more sculptures, such as, a cash machine, in front of which a baby has been abandoned. This supposedly acts as an emotional precursor to sculptures in the rest of the galleries. These include a rifle on the wall, a judge’s wig, a pregnant maid and a frightened schoolboy.

Later that evening, closer to our accommodations, we all went out for dinner together. It would be our last night together with all six of us. Andrea and Josie were heading for Scotland and my husband and I were moving to a hotel in South Kensington the following day. Our son picked his favourite Ramen restaurant, Kanada-Ya, Ramen Bar on Upper Street.

Not only did the good weather come to an end but so did our time with our daughter and daughter-in-law. Luckily for us the good weather did return for the rest of our trip but Andrea and Josie had quite different weather farther north in Scotland.

I’m Getting There

Posted on January 26, 2019 by Mama Cormier

….with my 8 random collage pieces

This is number five. Even though lesson two has appeared in my mailbox I’m hesitant to start it until I get a least a couple more of the random collages done. I struggled with this one and didn’t know where I wanted to go with it. I decided to just pick up my pen and start adding detail to the blue waterfall that I had posted into my sketch book. It did remind me of the body of an emu or an ostrich so I decided to turn it into some kind of bird. As the bird neared completion I added a horizon line and then the little bits and pieces came out to make a landscape scene.

One of the other reasons I haven’t started lesson two is because it requires a lot of space to lay out the papers made with the Gelli plate. I’ve been deliberately cleaning out boxes of things that I brought with me after I retired from teaching. Purging feels real good and it’s gives me a bit more space to put up another table in my art space. This one is collapsable and can be stored under my bed when I’m not using it. I’ve also wanted to do some sewing and use my machine for some of my art projects. The only place I had for the sewing machine was on my dining room table which isn’t ideal either. This new table will also come in handy for the machine. It adjusts to three different heights so I can stand at it and work, sit at it with the sewing machine and the third height is lower and will come in handy when my granddaughter comes over to do art with me.

Apologies to My Followers

Posted on January 24, 2019 by Mama Cormier

….WordPress no longer likes Safari

For a couple of months now I’ve not been able to ‘like’ or leave a comment on some of your blogs. I’d say that 60 percent or you or more have not heard from me in awhile. It’s not that I don’t read your posts, I do but I can’t press ‘like’ or leave a comment when I open up WordPress in Safari. For over six years it hasn’t been a problem. I know that some of you are experiencing the same thing because you’ve written about it.

When I open up in Google Chrome I’m able to connect with all of you but I find it difficult to write my own posts and add photos. Has anyone had a similar problem with Chrome?I’d much prefer to stay with Safari but if I have to move over I guess I will. Please leave me some advice if you’ve experienced a similar problem. I haven’t contacted WordPress yet. If no one can help me I guess that will be my next step.

Sunday Stills – Windows

Posted on January 24, 2019 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to Hugh from Hugh’s Views and News for hosting Sunday Stills this week

All these windows are in London, England. They start at Heathrow Airport and include Buckingham Palace, storefronts, museums, churches and the train station.