What's up?

 

Today I'm joining my dear friend Erika who many of you know as BioArtGal.  Erika's theme for the entire month of January at Art Journal Journey is What's Up? 

Bleubeard and I want to know

 

 

To make it colorful, I enhanced the image using PhotoShop.

Thank you so much for visiting today.  I hope you will join Bleubeard and me at Art Journal Journey with your own interpretation of What's up?

 

 

January, 2023 is complete and February has already been written in

 

It's once again time to share my monthly calendar pages.

I realize I'm late sharing this completed calendar page, but it was actually the first opportunity I've had to do so.

I've said this more than once that I write in my calendar at the end of the day.  Do you see those squiggly lines on the page?  This is where I have fallen asleep with the calendar on my lap while writing in it.

After I checked in Preview, I noticed some of the days didn't show at all.  I think they are the Pastels from my box of colored gel pens.  I decided to attempt to color adjust in Photoshop in case you want to read the minutia of my rather boring life.  Not sure it helped much, but maybe a bit.

February is all about RED, which means I can join Erika, our host this month at Art Journal Journey, who wants us to use RED in our art. 

 

Thanks for dropping by today.  Although my calendar pages pale in comparison to my more gifted blogger art friends, this is the only place you will find my calendar pages, since I'm not on any other social media sites.

 

Monday Murals: Kansas Food Bank

 

It's time once again to join Sami at Sami's Colourful World and her Monday Murals.  Even though it's still Sunday in my world, please be aware that Sami's mural link goes live at 11:01 a.m. my time today.    

This is the Kansas Food Bank run by Cargill.  Granted the Kansas Food Bank is a badly needed source of food to many who live in Wichita, Kansas,  However, the "Cargill Cares Complex" is a bit of a misnomer and possibly an oxymoron.

 

Before my dear friend Mae Sander jumps in with her version of Cargill (I am assuming she has one), let me just say they could be one of, if not the worst privately owned companies in the world.  They are responsible for child abduction and forced labor (Nestle cocoa beans), deforestation (many places globally), e coli (everywhere from the states to Australia), and the spread of Covid in their meat processing plants (in several U.S. states).  All the company really cares about is the bottom line, the mighty dollar.

I lightened this in Photoshop, but I couldn't get the actual color exactly correct.

The abutment on the building is the reason for the shadow.

This is the color that came straight off my camera.  You can see the mural deals with all kinds and types of food.  This mural is located at 825 East Douglas in Wichita, Kansas (USA).

Here is a better photo I found on the internet:

  It's obvious I visited at the wrong time of day.  Note in the image I found on the internet, the letters had not been cleaned nor had the building.  Also, in the above photo, there is an Avenue Art Days tag, which is no longer present.  I assure you, I always look for the name of the artist and signs that it was or was not a sponsored mural.

If you enjoy murals from around the world, please don't forget to visit Monday Murals at Sami's Colourful World.  Thanks for stopping by this weekend.  Bleubeard and I are delighted you could join us this week.

 

 

Friday Smiles 491: still at the art fair

 

It's Friday, which means it's time to join Friday Smiles which is hosted by Annie (at A Stitch in Time).   Let's visit her and the other wonderful ladies who also share their smiles each Friday.   

I stopped at this booth because I felt it had an African feel.  Unfortunately, the booth was very dark and I didn't get very good photos.

 

With the help of Photoshop, I lightened and added contrast to this photo.  Not sure I helped it much.

I know several of my readers and followers like pottery.  I was impressed with these bowls.

I got a real laugh at the sign.  In case you can't read it, "Buy art from a living artist. The dead ones don't need the money."

I came upon this booth and was immediately mesmerized.

I love copper and whirligigs, too.

The only problem was, there was no shade and no real tent, so I realized I had to move on.

This goes against everything I said about not showing sunflowers or jewelry.  Some of you may know I am allergic to metal.  I can't wear any jewelry, not even 24 karat.  Any metal against my skin causes me to break out in a rash.

So why, you ask, am I showing a sunflower and earrings?

Actually, the sunflower just happened to be in the way of the real object I was focusing on, 

 

the Keeper of the Plains, the real focus of my attention.

I will have one final booth to show next week.  No funnies this week, but a few Keepers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know some of you really enjoy seeing the Keeper.  I hope you enjoyed these images I found on the internet.  

 

Now PLEASE visit Annie  and don't forget to start your weekend with a smile.

 

 

Monday Murals: Kansas

 

 It's Sunday, which means it's time once again to join Sami at Sami's Colourful World and her Monday Murals.  Even though it's still Sunday in my world, please be aware that Sami's mural link goes live at 11:01 a.m. my time today. 

Obviously, this is called Kansas.

I didn't realize until I got home, how you can't see much of anything.

No matter where I stood, I didn't get a decent photo.

I attempted to lighten the bull using Photoshop, but only made matters much worse.

Instead, I managed to distort the color, which was closer to the first image I showed.  

 

I'm having a bit of trouble interpreting this mural, which was painted on slats of a boarded up building at 3208 East Douglas in Wichita, Kansas (USA).  It's obvious the cow's ear is tagged (the mark or tag used to show the cow's owner) with the Wichita flag. The scene on the right appears to be the Yellow Brick Road possibly leading to the Emerald City.  My problem is, Kansas is far better known for its wheat, not cows.  I couldn't find the artist who created this.

If you enjoy murals from around the world, please don't forget to visit Monday Murals at Sami's Colourful World.  Thanks for stopping by to visit Bleubeard and me today, too. 

Friday Smiles 414: In the garden of rain and wind

 

Welcome to Friday, dear friends.  It's time for Friday Smiles which is hosted by Annie (at A Stitch in Time).   Let's join her and the other wonderful ladies who also share their smiles each Friday.

This has not been a good week for me.  It's rained every day for two weeks except Sunday and Monday.  I haven't seen the sun except those two days.  I sent an e-mail to a very dear friend that I regretted as soon as I sent it.  Hopefully, it hasn't damaged our friendship.  My friend is much more tactful than I.

I got some happy mail this week, but if you want to see what I got, you'll have to wait until T time next week.  I had a bit of fun playing with filters in Photoshop, though.

Had it not been for my dear friend Scott, who brought my groceries on Sunday, I wouldn't have these to smile about.  He pointed out that my hyacinths have bloomed.  In fact, one may be past blooming.  Three years ago I purchased three.  One pink, one purple, one white.  The second year they doubled and I had two of each. 

Sadly, that didn't happen this year.

 

I guess they don't multiply after awhile.  And apparently, they only last three to four years before the bulbs die. 

As I was taking photos of these, it started to rain.

However, I had to check on my tulips and got myself and my beloved camera rather wet in the process.  Luckily, the tulips are doing well and the camera seems to be working fine once I dried it off, too.

For a bit of humor, I decided to focus on technology this week after I told a blogging friend who suggested I text her that I'm the only person over the age of seven who still doesn't own a cell phone.

The reference to 42 is for my friend Divers and Sundry who looks for that number everywhere.

For all you cat lovers (or maybe cat haters) out there.

And finally, this is my favorite, since Firefox is my internet web browser.  Thankfully, I don't have Windows on my computer.

Now let's head over to Annie's our beloved host.  And whatever you do, please don't forget to start your weekend off right with a few Friday Smiles of your own.  If you would like to play along, Annie would love to have you join us.  Remember to stay safe, wear a mask, and smile. People will still know you're smiling, even behind the mask.

This will be my final Friday Smile until April 23.  For 22 days in April, beginning with April 1 and leading up to Earth Day, I recycle, reuse, reduce, rethink, re-invent, redesign, re-craft, recover, restore, rebuild, revamp, reclaim, and/or re-purpose something to keep it out of the landfill.  I hope you will stop by and see what I have planned.  Most of these will be very simple crafts that anyone can make.  After all, if I can make it, so can you.