Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Family ATC Swap


This is our 3rd family ATC swap.
The theme this time was "The Sea".
And we had a surprise addition to our group.


Our 4 year old granddaughter,
the newest member of our group, created this ATC.

Both of my daughters created mermaids.
This one was done by my youngest daughter.

And this one was done by oldest daughter.


My youngest sister created this collage.

My oldest sister did a photoshop sketch.


I used 4 different mediums to create my Nautilus ATC.
I included an excerpt from The Chambered Nautilus by
Oliver Wendell Holmes.

Michael DeMeng Ballerina Slippers



One of the Manglers had this piece commissioned
from Michael DeMeng using her daughter's ballerina slippers.

Manglers Meet



It has become a tradition to present each Mangler
with a Dolly Swag on her birthday.
This month it was our lovely Terry who was the lucky birthday girl.

Our activity this month was a pass around doll.
Each Mangler passed a blank doll for others to add to.

Our completed creations.

Spinning



My youngest daughter and I are taking a drop spinning class at adult ed.
She is much better at it than I am, creating nice smooth yarn,
whereas mine is very lumpy and bumpy, but I just call it novelty yarn.

My Mess

My Mess
is never ending.
I clean it up only to find that
in a short time it needs to be cleaned again.
This time I am trying to be ruthless. I did sort out enough books
to go from three shelves to two on one bookcase. But I had enough books
sitting on the floor to fill the shelf I had emptied. And then there are the magazines,
and the yarns, and the lace, oh, and the fabric,
and the found objects,
and the,
and the,
and the............




Decorating Masks

We got together to eat pizza and then decorate our blank masks from Dharma Trading.

It didn't take anyone long get started.

Doesn't it look like they are having fun!



The Princess added the pink, yellow and blue glow in the dark paint to her mask,
and it worked, although you can't tell in this picture.
Scary!!
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Soccer Game

Granddaughter's Soccer Game






GO White!!!









This is one interesting soccer game.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Teddy Bear Tea

SOMETHING TO CROW ABOUT


Princess Buttercup and Grammy were welcomed to the Teddy Bear Tea at the Florence Griswold Museum by one of the "Scarecrows At The Museum".


The crow was there to help us if we were cornfused.


The table was set for tea. We dined on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cupcakes and
haystacks.


Almost everyone, got a rug and sat on the floor for story time.




After story time, we were off to the kitchen to do "projects".


Next we went outside to visit the "Scarecrows at the Museum".

Willard Maizecalf
A little fairy stopped to gaze at Willard Maizecalf
This scarecrow was based on the life and work of Willard Metcalf, using natural objects
similar to those Metcalf may have found as walked the Lyme countryside.



Frida Kahlcrow
Kahlcrow is in bed, representing the artist's year of bed rest after an accident
during which time she decided to become an artist.


Magpie Magritte
What is he painting? Why it is the Lieutenant River landscape, complete with fluffy clouds.
Belgian Surrealist Rene Magritte challenged people's perception with his paintings which blurred reality and dreams. His painting often included giant apples, clouds, and bowler hats.



Magritte's paint box.


Scarecrow Scotty and His Boo-st Friend
This boy and beagle were favorite models for Norman Rockwell. They were featured in a series of paintings depicting the four seasons in New England.



Wilde Childe and Sillie Tillie
These scarecrows are based on Lyme Art colony artist Childe Hassam and Matilda Brown.
Both artists are pictured in The Fox Chase which hangs over the fireplace in the dining room of the Griswold house. Painting en plein air, without a shirt, Hassam's skin would often burn in the summer sun, inspiring a paint color called "Hassam Pink".
Wild Childe's easel.


Madame Pompadour Spaventapasseri
This scare crow is based on the style of Italian Painter Amedeo Modigliani.
His figures were often painted with stretched faces atop long necks with blank almond-shaped eyes. This scarecrow represents Modigliani's portrait of a South African poet.
Spaventapasseri is "scarecrow" in Italian. (Sorry her face got cut off.)



The Rambles
The Princess and her new found friends explored the stickwork sculpture
created by Patrick Dougherty.
Oh to be young again!


Indiana Crow
This scarecrow is based on the work of Robert Indiana, an American sculptor and painter.
He created sculptures from items that he scavenged among old building and crumbling piers near his New York studio. These are the same things used to create Indiana Crow.



Crowlotta Grisi
This scarecrow represents the work of the French Impressionist Edgar Dega.
Degas captured the movement of ballet dancers in many of his painting, drawings, and sculptures. Carlotta Grisi was one of the most famous ballerinas of the time.

Paul Crowguin
This scarecrow is based on the French artist Paul Gauguin, a friend of Van Gogh.
Gauguin traveled to Tahiti and was inspired by local Polynesian art, especially ceremonial masks. Gauguin made wooden sculptures and carved wood blocks to make prints.
Notice that that Crowguin has no ears.


Wassilky Cordinsky
This scarecrow is based on the workof Wassily Kandinsky, the Russian born artist who made some of the first modern abstract paintings.


POP!CORN
This scarecrow is based on the Pop artist Andy Warhol.
Warhol is famous for turning everyday items into art.


Jack The Dripper
This scarecrow is based on the American Abstract Expressionist Jackson Pollock,
famous for his action paintings created with paint dripped, splattered, and thrown onto large canvases. Pollock used sticks, basting syringes, egg beaters, and stiff brushes to splatter paint on his canvases.


Chriscro
This scarecrow is based on the work of Chriscro and Jeanne Claude, a husband and wife team known for large scale environmental art. They are famous for orange fabric, and wrapping whole bridges, buildings, and trees in cloth and rope.


Strawsby Matisse
This scarecrow is based on the work of French artist Henri Matisse.
Matisse is know for his use of pure color and strong pattern.
Strawsby's pockets held many treasures that introduced young visitors
to Matisse's life and work.

Alberto Giacrowmetti
This scarecrow is based on the sculpture Walking Man by Swiss artist Albetto Giacometti. He was known for his spindly metal figures.


Mondrian Man
Composition in Re, Yellow, and Boo!
This scarecrow is based on the Dutch artist Piet Mondrian. The artist simplified his
interpretation of nature to basic lines and shapes. He often limited himself to the primary colors plus back and white.


Marc Strawgall
This scarecrow honors the work of French painter Marc Chagall.
Strawgall is dressed like one Chagall's painted musicians.


Kornshucka Hokusai
This scarecrow is based on the self-portraits painted in ink by the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai. His innovative woodblock prints, such as The Great Wave, influenced the art of French Impressionists.






Glittering Gus
This scarecrow is based on the work of Gustav Klimt, the Austrian-born painter and leader of the Art Nouveau style. His favorite subjects were the beautiful women of Vienna.




Gammycrow
The Princess took the last picture as she directed Grammy to stand behind the tree and be a scarecrow.

Information from the "Scarecrows At The Museum" brochure.