St. Maarten Day 2009

Caribe, caribe!

digital collage, click for details

The islands yesterday

(images are clickable)

This was my view yesterday while driving on a very steep and narrow road that is leading to one of our beaches at the east side of St. Maarten. The island in the distance is St. Barth's, it belongs to the French Antilles and it is said that several Hollywood celebrities have a home and like to spend some time there. I visited it in 1983 when it was not yet invaded by the jetset, it was a lovely island at that time and indeed very, very French. Yesterday I was captured by the grey sea and sky, which is pretty seldom here, and I must say that I always feel very happy when the sun decides to not show up for one day, reminds me of Holland...
I then get active and energized immediately (would this be something Pavlovian I wonder?)

picture: Historic Santa Fe, NM

But I would rather not return to such a grey climate! A little bit of turquoise and other colors will always be preferable, oh and some sun please!

with a little bit of fantasy, of which I am sure most readers have plenty, one could see this as a heart. I shot this picture in MAdrid along the Turquoise Trail, it could have been put there for me, how could I not see and make a picture of it?!

Today I decided to show this picture, because I just read that I am the lucky winner of Rayna Gillman's giveaway on her blog, you can read about it here
While I am a long time fan of Rayna and her art, you will understand that winning this beautiful scarf makes me very happy today, I will wear it happily and with pride.

Thank you so much, Rayna!

And on another note: the greyish weather made me start some new work. Last week I have been playing around with the sewing machine and made myself a jeansskirt. It has been ages since I made this kind of clothes, with all the accented seams and details like nails, but I must say that it was fun to do again. Then I saw a nice scarf (I am a scarf lover indeed) in Denyse Scmidt's book and made me one for our upcoming trip to the Netherlands. And finally I started some fiber art. It is in the very beginning phase, but I am thrilled to see if my plan evolves in the way I want, this may sound a little bit cryptical, but I am sure you get the idea. Will show results as soon as there are some

In the meantime I wish you a very good Tuesday!

Playing around

with my sewing machine, with my art journal and PS, and now we leave for the beach

Life is Good!

(click image for details)

Sunday collage

Thanks so much!

Jane Royal of Painted Hearts Studio has honored me with a Best Blog Award!

Though I am aware it has been forwarded to lots of bloggers before in the past,

I so much appreciate this gesture of online friendship

Thanks so much Jane, for the award and your ongoing support on my blog!

Go and have a look at her blog, you will be amazed of her watercolour works...

***

Upon receiving this award, I cannot help looking back at the very beginning of my blog and how my life has changed ever since. For quite some time I had my doubts whether I would be able to blog, would have enough to write about as my life here on this so very tiny island is not exactly exciting. That is, if you come from a bigger land (Holland is huge in comparison, can you imagine?) and are not a part of the working and/or artistic society, the latter hardly existing.

In the artistic/creative field I felt very lonely and this has been my big urge to start blogging myself. Quite a confession, is not it?!

Never I could have guessed to meet so many fantastic people and art online.

For this I will forever be grateful.

My life at present feels better than at the start of my blog. I now have a twofolded life (without being shizophrenic, don't worry :)) one where I live and try and manage more and more to be happy in, despite the hot climate and the limitations, and one online, where I have found and keep discovering a community of kindred spirits and friends.

Thank you all out there, thank you!

I have checked with Jane about the 'rules' of the award, about passing it on in return etc. Fortunately she assured me that there is no obligation at all. From the above you may have guessed that I consider all bloggers that have added to my artistic and/or spiritual well-being worth receiving the award, so I pass it on to you, you know who you are, don't you?

And for once, to support this rather personal post, I show some images of our tropical home, the house where we live, from where I love to communicate with the 'rest of the world'

Wishing you a wonderful and creative weekend!!

Inspired by trees

(all images are clickable)

for the subtle color palette

for the order within

admiring its strength

for this one has it all

and for its bold structure

On the moon and Wabi-Sabi

Wabi-Sabi moon

Yesterday after dinner, it was about six o'clock in the evening, this glimpse of the moon (second picture) was visible above the hills where we live. Some years ago I could follow the rising moon in all its glory, but since then an ugly house (I know, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, but still..) has been built right in front of our plot and the pleasure of seeing the moon has deminished somewhat.

Despite this, I usually get excited when it is full moon, so yesterday the camera came out to document this process.. I should have used a tripoid, should have changed the settings of our simple point and shoot camera, I am a lazy one at that...

These two pictures I have chosen, also for another reason. While reading lots of wonderful blogs regularly I sometimes come across the term Wabi-Sabi. Today I finally googled it and a whole world opened up to me, so much to learn about this interesting approach of life, art, photography etc!

My usual work is absolutely not wabi- sabi, this is what I understand.

All this abundance in my digital collages simply does not fit. But on the other hand: I am very much attracted to old, weathered, torn and rusty, oh, and simplicity, so my wabi sabi side must be there already. We'll see how this developes, this competition between colorful, much visual activity, and the simple beauty of old and worn.

And many thanks to Ian Foster, Donna Watson and Leslie Avon Miller for introducing me to

Wabi-Sabi

Have a very good Tuesday

Monday memories...

(click the image for details)

Pueblo 1

Monday,

start of a new week after what turned out to be for us a delicious weekend.

Monday morning,

for some reason (the working of the human brain never ceases to surprise me) suddenly remembering our wonderful time in New Mexico last summer, buying our RV, customizing it to our wishes, visiting Albuquerque, the Turquoise trail, Cochiti Lake, the Sandia Mountains and of course Santa Fe!

Today seemed the perfect moment to show this digital collage.

Let's make it a wonderful week and enjoy!