Flowers as Art

There are many objects that can be used for media when it comes to art. Flowers, with their variety in shape, color, and texture, come to mind when I get the urge to create something. Sometimes it is fun to experiment with new shapes and ideas. As a general rule, I feel most comfortable with traditional and symmetrical shapes, especially when it comes to flower arranging! But, with the beautiful flowers this May, I thought it might be time to try something a bit more challenging, so I ordered a floral frog and putty. What an experiment! I immediately learned of several things that I did wrong! But, since it is "art" I've decided to appreciate my first attempt and count it as a happy experiment. Arranging on a low plane changes the entire structure and formula for floral design. There's so much to learn, both artistically and mechanically.

But, although this arrangement has fatal flaws, I also appreciate the casual lines and the natural form and shape that flowers provide. Each kind has its own unique droop and flair. It didn't seem fair to try to coax them into a way that was unnatural to how they grew, so I let them be.

This picture replicates the effect that occurs when you squint your eyes and look at something in order to see what pops out at you! What do you see in this picture? Purple? Red? Or are they equal to you? My desire was that the red compliment the purple, but I really think it worked out to be the other way around.

Flowers represent such uniqueness. Just like human faces, each is special in its own way. I will keep working on my asymmetrical, floral frog arrangements until I get it right. But, just for fun I'm sharing my first attempt with you today. Breathe deeply and imagine the fragrance. See the colors, shapes and sizes. Look for radiation, repetition, and gradation. Imagine the harmony and unity that could be there but is yet not seen. See if there is a fragment of harmony and unity already there. Search for dominance in size and color. And seek the balance in the whole. Tomorrow is another day. I will try again.

Nature is Art

‎"Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an

 oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all." 

Stanley Horowitz

September Teacup

"The breezes taste

Of apple peel.

The air is full

Of smells to feel-

Ripe fruit, old footballs,

Burning brush,

New books, erasers,

Chalk, and such.

The bee, his hive,

Well-honeyed hum,

And Mother cuts

Chrysanthemums.

Like plates washed clean

With suds, the days

Are polished with

A morning haze."

by John Updike

Photo by Joyce Wilkens

From her book, Teacup Art...and Reflections

To enter a drawing for this book, please scroll down or click here.

A Teacup's Story

Teacup Art...and Reflections is a beautiful book filled with photos and stories of teacups. They were gathered by the author and photographer, Joyce Wilkens, from places around the world. Each teacup is steeped in a story. And each teacup holds a meaningful place in Joyce's heart. Many of her pictures and stories are sure to bring forth a similar response as you recall specific objects and events in your own life. Wherever you sip and tell your stories, connections are made when you raise your cup.

What story does your teacup tell? 

Please share your story here. Leave a comment at the end of this post. Describe your teacup and then tell the story of your teacup and how it relates to your life. Your teacup story and how it relates to your life will bless other Gracious Hospitality readers.

All comments which meet the criteria above will be placed into a basket and one will be randomly drawn. The person whose name is drawn will receive a copy of this delightful book! Entries will be received until midnight on Friday, September 7, 2012. 

Please share your teacup story and how it relates to YOUR life!

With a Cup of Tea

The art of Sandy Lynam Clough draws richly upon scenes that include teacups, teapots, linens, and lace. If those are things you enjoy, you will not be disappointed with this little book. "With a Cup of Tea" is a small book that features the art of Sandy Lynam Clough. Interspersed between Sandy's paintings are quotes related to tea and a genteel lifestyle. I appreciate how thoughts from Emilie Barnes are liberally sprinkled among the quotes. This book was published in 1997 by Harvest House Publishers. If you are interested in discovering what it is about tea that warms and comforts us, I think you'll enjoy being drawn into the pages of this book. It beautifully shares the ritual of taking a cup of tea for any occasion.


Do you enjoy the art of Sandy Lynam Clough? Do you have any hanging on your walls or in your bookcase?


This chintz patterned teapot was a gift from my friend, Tari. It is Royal Patrician, England.

Whimsical Tea

A little tea figurine sits on an end table in my living room, reminding me to take time to share precious moments with those I love and to enjoy a cuppa tea. It's so quaint and cute; a be-hatted tea lady sharing a cup of tea with her beloved kitty who just so happens to be wearing pearls! This figurine is a Heather Goldminc creation and is part of her Blue Sky Clayworks line. Heather is a Canadian artist from Vancouver, British Columbia. She creates a body of work that is designed to please the eye and delight the senses. This whimsical piece does just that for me! It's impossible for me to stop and look at it without a smile breaking out on my face.

What simple element of everyday life brings a smile to your face?

The Painting

Years ago, there was a very wealthy man who, with his devoted young son, shared a passion for art collecting. Together they traveled around the world, adding only the finest art treasures to their collection. Priceless works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet and many others adorned the walls of the family estate.

The widowed elder man looked on with satisfaction, as his only child became an experienced art collector. The son's trained eye and sharp business mind caused his father to beam with pride as they dealt with art collectors around the world.
 
As winter approached, war engulfed the nation, and the young man left to serve his country. After only a few short weeks, his father received a telegram.  His beloved son was missing in action. The art collector anxiously awaited more news, fearing he would never see his son again.
 
Within days, his fears were confirmed. The young man had died while rushing a fellow soldier to a medic. Distraught and lonely, the old man faced the upcoming Easter holidays with anguish and sadness. The joy of the season, a season that he and his son had so looked forward to, would visit his house no longer. On Easter morning, a knock on the door awakened the depressed old man.
 
As he walked to the door, the masterpieces of art on the walls only reminded him that his son was not coming home. As he opened the door, he was greeted by a soldier with a large package in his hand. He introduced himself to the man by saying, "I was a friend of your son.  I was the one he was rescuing when he died.  May I come in for a few moments? I have something to show you."
 
As the two began to talk, the soldier told of how the man's son had told everyone of his father's love of fine art. "I'm an artist," said the soldier, "and I want to give you this." As the old man unwrapped the package, the paper gave way to reveal a portrait of the man's son. Though the world would never consider it the work of a genius, the painting featured the young man's face in striking detail.

Overcome with emotion, the man thanked the soldier, promising to hang the picture above the fireplace.  A few hours later, after the soldier had departed, the old man set about his task.
 
True to his word, the painting went above the fireplace, pushing aside thousands of dollars of paintings. And then the man sat in his chair and spent Easter gazing at the gift he had been given. During the days and weeks that followed, the man realized that even though his son was no longer with him, the boy's life would live on because of those he had touched.  He would soon learn that his son had rescued dozens of wounded soldiers before a bullet stilled his caring heart.
 
As the stories of his son's gallantry continued to reach him, fatherly pride and satisfaction began to ease the grief. The painting of his son soon became his most prized possession, far eclipsing any interest in the pieces for which museums around the world clamored.  He told his neighbors it was the greatest gift he had ever received.  The following spring, the old man became ill and passed away. The art world was in anticipation.
 
With the collector's passing, and his only son dead, those paintings would be sold at an auction. According to the will of the old man, all of the art works would be auctioned on Easter day, the day he had received his greatest gift.
 
The day soon arrived.  Art collectors from around the world gathered to bid on some of the world's most spectacular paintings.  Dreams would be fulfilled this day; greatness would be achieved as many would claim "I have the greatest collection." The auction began with a painting that was not on any museum's list.  It was the painting of the man's son.

The auctioneer asked for an opening bid. The room was silent.  "Who will open the bidding with $100?" he asked.  Minutes passed.  No one spoke.  From the back of the room came, "Who cares about that painting? It's just a picture of his son. Let's forget it and go on to the good stuff." More voices echoed in agreement.

"No, we have to sell this one first," replied the auctioneer.
 
"Now, who will take the son?"  Finally, a friend of the old man and his son spoke.  "Will you take ten dollars for the painting?  That's all I have. I knew the boy, so I'd like to have it."

"I have ten dollars. Will anyone go higher?" called the auctioneer. After more silence, the auctioneer said,  "Going once, going twice. Gone." The gavel fell. Cheers filled the room and someone exclaimed, "Now we can get on with it and we can bid on these treasures!"

The auctioneer looked at the audience and announced the auction was over.
 
Stunned disbelief quieted the room. Someone spoke up and asked, "What do you mean it's over? We didn't come here for a picture of some old guy's son.  What about all of these paintings? There are millions of dollars of art here! I demand that you explain what's going on here!"

The auctioneer replied, "It's very simple. According to the will of the father, whoever takes the son...  gets it all!"
 
Just as those art collectors discovered on that Easter day, the message is still the same - the love of a Father - a Father whose greatest joy came from His Son who left his home and gave his life rescuing others. And because of that Father's love... whoever takes the Son gets it all.


Author unknown

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son; that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
 John 3:16
 

Happy Creating!

When our children were small and we were developing our parenting and educational philosophy, we decided that creativity was a trait that was important to us and one that we wanted to develop in our children.  According to one of my favorite books on the subject, one of  the best gifts we could give our children is to provide them with ready-materials and time.  It’s important to let children invent, create, and have fun.  It sure makes a mess, but it’s worth it!  Arts and crafts projects that don’t use pre-drawn patterns or designs allow children to create and develop according to their view of the world.  Here are some ideas for some of the craft projects.  Maybe they would be something you would enjoy doing with the children in your life.
 
1.  Paper mache’ — create sculptures or scenes using newspaper and flour & water glue.  After it dries, paint with Tempra paints and add twigs, stones, dried moss, aluminum foil or mirror rivers and lakes, etc.  Great fun!  We once created the Garden of Eden doing this!

2.  Sawdust and glue — similar to paper mache’ but using fine sawdust and Elmer’s glue instead.

3.  Make kites — use a plain template and paint or color designs on the kite body to make your own design or check online or the library for books and kite shapes.

4.  Wooden objects — children seem to enjoy crafting with wood, so we bought lots of different ‘wood’ things from the craft store and let them paint, decorate, hammer, nail, etc. to make things.  Stencils are helpful in adding designs like planes, trains, etc.  When homes were being built around the neighborhood, we would ask the contractor if we could take the wood scraps home.  They were happy to get rid of them and they provided raw materials for some great building projects.

5.  3-D art using foam shapes, twigs, dried legumes, etc.  Fun to use a basic design on tag board and then glue objects on it to make a collage or work of art.

6.  Computer art — using simple programs that teach 3D animation, computer graphics, or photo editing.

7.  Kits — lots of fun!  Go to Michael’s or Craft Warehouse and look at all the kits that are available.  Latch hook rugs, felt art, beading, etc. can all be fun for both girls and boys.  Boys enjoy making latch hook rugs in an airplane theme!

8.  Candle-making — either dipped candles, molded candles or rolled candles using beeswax.  Kids especially have fun with this project:   take an aluminum pie plate and hold a regular candle up in the middle of the plate.  Then pour melted, colored wax into the plate.  Gently dip the plate of wax in a sink full of cold water.  The hot wax will rise to the top and will ‘hug’ the candle, making a candle holder.  Work as a team, as hot wax can burn.

9.  String art — look online for designs.  A pattern looks somewhat like a dot to dot page, but without the numbers.  Colored string is sewn on the page in sequences that create a woven effect and make beautiful pictures — of ships or buildings — etc.

10. Watercolor — really fun and helpful if you can find someone who is willing to give a few lessons first.  Use ‘cheater’ techniques to help get started with watercolor (like dot stickers that keep paint from sticking somewhere when you first coat the page, etc.).  Small paintings make great Christmas gifts for family.

11. Boys love sewing machines!  And so do girls.  Make them earn their driver’s license first (to teach machine safety) and then give them small projects where they create designs — hot pads, pillows, and other small things are fun.  Or, have them turn a t-shirt inside out and sew up the neckline and the sleeves.  Turn right-side-out and stuff will pillow stuffing.  Then stitch up the bottom.

12.  Theme quilts — have them make quilt blocks on a theme (we made one with a dog theme and another with an airplane theme).  Use muslin for the blocks and cut them out in 10″ squares.  Using fabric crayons, permanent markers, appliques, buttons, or photo transfers (where you print off photos onto transfer paper and then iron them onto fabric) to create blocks in the selected theme.  Give grandma a block to make — and one to dad — and one for mom — etc.   Then have the child sew the blocks together with printed fabric (also in their theme — they have fun going to the fabric store and choosing something that strikes their fancy).  The quilt top is pretty easy to make.  Add a back (stitch together like a pillow case with thin, rolled padding for the middle and then turn right side out).  Tie with yarn and stitch up the turn-space by hand.  Easy and really valued by the child when done!

13. Make wicker and twig (or silk flower or dried leaf) arrangements or wall hangings.  Cool glue guns, fabric ribbons (printed in themes kids like) etc. all work together to make small objects, arrangements, wall-hangings, etc.  The fun is the process — and they make nice gifts for family members.

14. We had a great time with ceramics!   A ceramics shop has green-ware that they will show you/your child how to clean (using tools kind of like a dentist uses).  After it’s cleaned, they will bake it for you in a kiln for a small fee.  Then have child apply a glaze and take it back to the ceramics shop to be processed in the kiln again.  We chose projects like gazing balls, vases with multi-colored glazes that melted and make funny patterns, chess game pieces, etc.  You can also get plain clay from them — like play-dough.  Statues, objects, free-form pots, etc. can all be made.  When done and dried they can be fired and glazed as well.

15. Model rockets and model airplanes — plastic or paper — ones that fly or are used just for decoration — all are fun and teach creativity and following directions.  Allow your child to think ‘outside the box’ as they create on their own using the base kits that are available at craft stores.
16. Model airplane paints work great for painting designs on stones for paper weights.  Be sure to buy the type of paint that is safe to breathe!

17.  For art — never negate the value of Legos when it comes to developing creativity!  So many skills are learned with Lego building.  You might assign specific projects with Legos — a complete village or building or vehicle.  Take a picture of the finished project to remember it by.

Happy creating!  Remember, children are only limited by time, resources, and their imaginations!


~ Thanks, Katie, for sharing a fun afternoon and for posing for the picture! ~

Painting with Puff!

 

When I was a child, my first grade reading book was Dick and Jane.  They had a dog named Spot and a cat named Puff.  I always thought Puff was a cute name for a cat!  But this post isn’t about reading or about cats.  It’s about a fun art project that uses ingredients mixed together that create a paint that puffs up when microwaved.  How fun is that?  Here’s the recipe.  May it keep the children in your life happily entertained for at least an hour or two!


In a small bowl, combine:

2 Tbsp. self-raising flour*
6 drops of food coloring
2 Tbsp. salt

Add enough water to make into a creamy paste.  Using a paint brush or sponge, create a design on tagboard or cardboard.  Make another ‘batch’ of puffy paint in other colors if desired.  Paint, paint, paint.  When done, microwave the design on high for  15 – 30 seconds.  The paint will puff and should dry completely.


*To make your own self-raising flour, blend 2 cups of all-purpose flour with 1 Tbsp. baking powder.

~ Thank you, Allison and Levi, for cheerfully posing for this picture! ~

C H O C O L A T E

 

Aren't these beautiful chocolate bars?  I discovered them at a coffee & tea shop in town.  Each is a unique work of art and heart.  Replicas of old postcards, rubber stamped verses, ribbon, and sequins artfully decorate a chocolate bar wrapped in pretty paper.  I love chocolate, but these are the kinds of candy bars that I would keep forever!  I do have that tendency, you know.  A beautifully wrapped piece of chocolate is enjoyed in its wrapping for so long that the chocolate inside turns hard and white before I open it.  By then it is not good to eat.  It's actually a point of discussion in our family.  The others think chocolate should be opened and eaten immediately.  How sad is that?  They miss the enjoyment of having and enjoying the wrap.  Enjoy your day and go find yourself a piece of delicious chocolate to unwrap!

Art in the Park

Gentle breezes from the river and the coolness of tall trees buffered the heat for those attending the a local arts and crafts show in the park. People came in hordes to attend this annual event. Handmade jewelry, pottery, garments, aprons, lawn ornaments, photography, paintings, crocheted hats, soaps, linens, and more, more, more. How very creative some people can be! Chatting with vendors and visiting with friends from the community was an added bonus to this artistic day for many.

Do you have an annual arts and crafts show in your community? Do you attend? Do you sell your wares there? What are your favorites? Is this something you look forward to each year? I'd love to know! Please share. . .

Tasha Tudor, a Tribute

Today the world lost a talented and gifted friend. Beloved Tasha Tudor, author and illustrator of many books and gardener extraordinaire, passed away at her home in Marlboro, Vermont. Born in Boston, Massachusetts on August 28, 1915, she was named after her father, Starling Burgess. But her father, who enjoyed Tolstoy's War and Peace preferred to call her Natasha after a character in the book. Her mother's friends would sometimes refer to her as Rosamund Tudor's daughter. Tasha liked the sound of the name Tasha Tudor, and eventually had her name legally changed to reflect this preference.


Ms. Tudor received many awards and honors for her exceptional contribution to literature. A Caldecott Honor was given for her work for Mother Goose in 1945 and again in 1957 for the book 1 is One. She also received the Regina Medal in 1971 for her contributions to children's literature. Her prose was always simple and captivating, frequently including rhyming text. Enchanting illustrations were detailed and realistic in soft colors that seemed to fade away onto the page. She was known for her love of nature and flowers, birds, and other charming animals were frequently featured in her art.

Some of the books she wrote and illustrated are:

Pumpkin Moonshine
A Tale for Easter
Snow before Christmas
Thistly B
The Dolls' Christmas
Edgar Allan Crow
Amanda and the Bear

A is for Annebelle
1 is One
A Time to Keep
Corgiville Fair
Tasha Tudor's Seasons of Delight
The Great Corgiville Kidnapping

Tasha Tudor was one of the great artists of the 20th century. Her love for illustrating New England nostalgia and sentimental illustrations that made one think of a bygone era. She lived her life as she dreamed, simply and sustainably, preferring the old-fashioned in both lifestyle and dress. For 92 years the world has been blessed by her presence and contribution to American culture, literature, and art. Although she is gone from us now, her legacy and spirit will live on through the work she so fluently contributed to all.

Tasha, you will be missed.

The photographs today are taken from one of my favorite books: Tasha Tudor's Garden by Tovah Martin and Richard W. Brown.

Tasha Tudor

Born: August 28, 1915
Boston, Massachusetts

Died: June 18, 2008
Marlboro, Vermont

92 Years of Age

Tasha Tudor's Memorial Website
Memory Book & Obituary

Tasha's Art

Tasha Tudor, Illustrator
Pictures from the book: Betty Crocker's Kitchen Gardens
1971 (Written by Mary Mason Campbell)