New Years Eve

 Home alone, not counting my trusty companions. One sleeps through the noises from outside, while the other with sensitive ears like a bat, suffers when fireworks go off - or any other sudden loud noises. 

I am treating myself to some favorite entertainment.  A Dvd of Jeeves and Wooster is next on the program to be followed by The Inn of The Sixth Happiness,  a favorite old movie starring Ingrid Bergman.  

Before I start watching them, I watched an episode of The Hotel Inspector on You Tube.  I watched the first season ot two when it first showed in America on BBC years ago.    

As a person who has never traveled abroad it allowed me to peek into interesting B&bs and hotels mostly in England.  Many were poorly run by people following a dream,  but with no practical business sense.  They get lots of help and advice from The Hotel Inspector.   The first few seasons it was Ruth Watson.  Later years it is Alex Pelizi.   Alex has recently added more episodes  to You Tube and is cleaning up the naming and numbering system of the episodes  so it is  easier to follow them in order. 

By watching these episodes I feel like have had another travel adventure, often in charming little villages and seasides.   

I am going to get a little snack and settle in for the Dvds and comforting Lulu.  I am looking forward to the next year and have high hopes it will be better for all of us.   Be safe, be happy, a New Year holds promise.  

Distant Echoes - a paper collage with citrosolv

 

After sketching  this face to paint, I decided instead to do a torn paper collage.

Some time ago I created wonderful collage papers with National Geographic pages sprinkled  with Citrosolv.     CitroSolv website has directions and there are videos available on You Tube,  if you want to learn more about the process.   

I was determined to use only those papers but cheated by using a polka dot stenciled scrap from another project.     

LibriVox audio books

 When I am in the studio, or late at night, I enjoy having books read to me.   LibriVox is my choice.  Check their website. It is free and has a very full library of titles read by volunteers.  It also has books that are not free, but my taste runs to copyright free works from early 20th century, or mid  to late 19th century.  These are usually free.  

My obsession with it started with Queen Lucia by E.F. Benson read by Martin Clifton.   This book takes place in a small English coastal village.  Mr Clifton reads beautifully I love his English accent.    E. F. Benson is a favorite author.  I downloaded it to computer years ago.   Now I use my tablet so it can be carried to wherever I want to listen. Even working in the garden.   

My choices of LibriVox books fall into three major categories.  Free. Light hearted humor.  Good reader.    

Today I finished The Indiscretions of Archie by P.G. Wodehouse.  It was read by Mark Nelson, an excellent American reader who is a fan of Wodehouse but reads mainly Sci Fi books.   As much as I like Marks reading,  I will not be listening to those.  LOL. Instead I will be moving on to Love Among the Chickens by Wodehouse, which Mark says is his favorite Wodehouse book. .   It checks all my boxes, and I love chickens.   I'm looking forward to it. 

I recommend it highly.  I invite you to join me in a good book. 

Facing a new day

 

I made a sibling for a face I did awhile back.   She is ready to face the future, whatever it may bring.   

A new face on the block.

 This guy looks as though he needs a friend.  So in the stack of abstract faces he goes.   What an unlikely bunch of characters are there now.  

A little whimsey.

 Joining my collection of painted toilet paper cores, are these little gnomes

I painted this morning. 

Joe Biden won again. And an abstract face.

 So today was the day electoral college cast votes state by state.  And of course the results were that the Biden/Harris democratic ticket won the election. Right up to the day Trump was filing unfounded lawsuits to upturn the election.    

Step by step.  More formalities ahead before it is finalized and the nation will have a new president and vice president.   Trump is spending his time rallying for funds to fight this and to run again in 4 years.

In the meantime I continue the abstract faces series.

And all around the house....

 

Tis the season....

 The other morning, awakening too early to crawl out of bed, I amused myself by checking out You Tube videos.   Their algorithms  suggested a video on felted gnomes.   I watched and was hooked.  I had the tools and supplies that I have not touched since the end of last year.       Here are some of my new creations which are going to grace my holiday decor.  

The tiny gnome is needle felted, as are the ones below. 

Sign of the times

 The pandemic is rampaging the world.  Scientits say if we would all wear masks,  practice social distancing and wash our hands frequently, we could get it under control much sooner.   

  I gave another painting of a masked woman away this week.    To a favorite shop in Lodi, which I entered warily. Finding the owner alone, and masked I enjoyed several minutes looking around.    I purchased a cloche as a Christmas decoration, and gave her a painting.     I am sure she will have it on display in the shop.    

This is a new one.

Showing our faces in public.

 I am so accustomed to face masks now during this pandemic... I often do not wear lipstick.   No one will see it anyway.   But my abstract faces are right out there.  Mouths and noses exposed.   

When I draw the face, usually I start with outer shape. Then the nose.  Then eyes and last the mouth.   Then I divide the face up into sections where the colors and patterns can be used.  

These are jolly fun to do.   Even the drawing part is fun, but when the colors are introduced, WOW!  I hope you are enjoying seeing them as much as I love painting them.

Abstract face on pink

I loved the red hair and decided pink stain over the collaged background would suit this one.  

Wild Woman. Abstract face

 Happy Thanksgiving, friends.   Heres a new one.  Love the wild hair.