POSTERS WITH HEART

THE POET OF LOVE

One of my favorite poets is Walt Whitman. I was fortunate enough to find an illustrated, slip-cased copy of LEAVES OF GRASS at my used book store. This replaces my well-worn, paperback with the missing cover. It is a large edition with fine black and white lithographs and in quite good condition, and it was only $4.00! In the introduction, Whitman's masterpiece is referred to as a love letter to every reader. It is a proposal to the individual's love and respect of self, as in
"Song of Myself"-
I CELEBRATE MYSELF, and sing myself,
And what I assume, you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.

CLEANING THE STUDIO AND SQUIRREL WATCHING

I am attempting to get my studio cleaned and in order. There are many boxes and old mat board waiting to be recycled and I must make room for a new shipment of frames, there is just so much space available! Smokey Siamese has made my silkscreen area into a watch perch for squirrels. Even though I can spend hours organizing, I am never alone!

VALENTINE ELEGANCE!

The big day of romance and love is approaching...

BROOKDALE ART DEPT - 1989

The white iris has been cultivated since ancient times and may be the oldest iris in cultivation. It originated in Yemen.

ALICE'S BIRTHDAY!

Birthday Wishes and Love!

GOLDEN EGG BREAD

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, lightly spray large loaf pan. The ingredients for a large, lovely loaf are:
1 package yeast
3/4 cup warm water
3 cups white flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 cup olive oil
pinch of salt

Stir yeast in warm water and set aside in a warm place for ten minutes. Place yeast mixture in bread maker, then add flour, sugar, eggs, olive oil and salt. Knead on manual setting then remove and place in bread pan, cover with towel and place in warm area for 45 minutes-1 hour.
When bread is finished rising, place in oven and bake for 30 minutes. Cool before removing from pan.

THE COLOR OF LOVE

RED is the color of Love. In Chinese tradition, red is believed to bring good fortune. The Chinese Wedding Chair is filled with auspicious symbols and the bride wears the color red.
"There is not a moment of stillness in all creation. If we understand the changelessness of things, then all things, including ourselves, have no end." (Su Shih)

THE EXQUISITE ART OF HAITI

Haiti's complex history, traditions and
culture are represented in the genius
and spirit of Haitian art. The Ritual Flag commemorates a specific saint or spirit. It is composed of 20,000 sequins and beads on a satin background and took over two weeks to complete.

The narrative painting by Haitian Artist, J. Durosaire depicts everyday life in the mountain village. It is exquisite in color and detail, a joyful story of community.

FEBRUARY STYLE

Hot tubs can be brutal on bathing suits, mine were so embarrassingly faded, so I decided to invest in several new ones today. I love the sarong type leopard print, it looks great on and I also chose a basic black to go with my yoga pants. Both were on sale, everything seems to be on sale for Valentine's Day. I couldn't resist buying earrings and sunglasses to go with them, pearls in pastel shades of pink to smokey grey and rhinestones in crystal blue, purple, pink and white.

GARDEN OF LOVE - FEBRUARY

February, the Month of Love, will be dedicated to loved ones, special times, places and objects of affection. After all, "Love Conquers All!"

Garden of Love. Engraving, 1450, France.
The scene is the garden of love, a man offers his lady a goblet of wine, other young couples play cards, make music or caress. It is a perfect landscape of woods, meadows and fairy-tale castles. Bottles of wine are cooling in the brook and a meal is being served.

GROUNDHOG DAY

I am sure those little guys will not venture out tomorrow, it is thick hard snow, and nothing green for them to eat, let them rest, see you in the Spring!

VISIT TO THE FEED STORE

With another winter storm in the forecast, it was time for a trip to the local feed store to stock up on chicken pellets, black oil sunflower seeds, cat food and straw for bedding. With all this snow and cold weather no one wants to leave the cozy barn accomodations and all of the foraging is going on inside. Frosty, the barn cat waited for Fred to bring in the 50 lb. bags, and the chickens appreciated having their feeders refilled and another warm layer of straw.

NEW ORLEANS, LA

Thinking of my children in New Orleans, how warm and balmy the weather must be, but missing them the most.











Art Deco footbridge over the pond at The Sculpture Gardens in City Park. New Orleans.

SATURDAY AT RUTGERS GEOLOGY OPEN HOUSE AND ROCK ID

We managed to dig the car out to go up to New Brunswick for the Geology Open House. Grandson Chris and I had rocks that we wanted help identifying. Chris has bought his at a thrift shop last year and I had several from the beach at Gorleston, England. First stop was the Geology Building on Old Queens campus, it features a mastodon, Egyptian mummy, and a wonderful display of rocks, minerals and prehistoric stone tools from NJ and NY. At Scott Hall next door, we waited in line for Professor Muller, a retired teacher from Rutgers (45 years of teaching!) examine our stones. Chris's sculpture turned out to be made from obsidian from Mexico, taken from an Olmec design and mine were quartz, the material from which our Paleolithic ancestors made tools and fire. Chris bought a jasper rock from China, nicely polished at the rock sale in the auditorium, it is mounted for a nice display.

PEACOCKS

Theatre mailer, yoga mat design, silkscreen on paper, theatre poster for Brookdale, newspaper ad for Harbor Island Spa, blue peacock sketch