Getting ARBOreal finale

This week i finally had time to visit my tree to picture it for this collaboration's finale. (please don't mind the underscore, I pressed some magical buttons and don't seem to get rid of it)

My tree is looking the same, year in year out. It may have some tiny little apple-like fruits hanging from its thorny branches, but you only see that from up close, no pastel colored flowering in spring like on so many other places in the world.

As I wrote in the first Arboreal part 1 and in the second, I choose it because it has done me a big favour in providing shade during the annual Art in the Park. Last February however, I rented a booth and that was way more convenient, as in case of rain I had a roof over my head. Yet I was happy that this year a new participant choose 'my' tree to show his paintings to the public

the tree where it is al about, you see, solid and reliable as a rock

to get some variety in the images, I waited til the sun had gone behind the hills and the working day was over. As everybody was rushing home, I entered the now deserted park. The soft light of almost dusk made the shadows long and there was a gentle breeze which was so welcome after the heat of the day: this is one of my favorite moments here in the tropics...

(I made this one clickable and if you like feel free to use it in your work)

the colours of nature are amazing, don't you think?
this detail is of the tree of the next photograph

we may not have spring here, but this green looks very springlike to me and I wonder if this is the same throughout the year? So much more to investigate...

Julie and JeriAnn: thanks for hosting this event!

Our next trip

Sitting Bull Lakota

Digital collage

Some weeks ago I made this collage and I have not posted it yet.

In a way it seems the right moment now, because we are once again making preparations for our USA-II trip.

This year (next month if all goes well) we intend to cross the country from Montana to the state of NY. I spend lots of time searching the internet for places that might be interesting to visit, in the field of (fiber) art, technical (hubby) and shopping of course. There are three options, the first from Billings to Duluth (Minnesota) and then all the way up along the Great Lakes and mainly through Canada until Buffalo NY. The second is across Minnesota and Wisconsin between Lake Superior and Lake Michigan into this state and then again between Lake Erie and Lake Huron until Buffalo. And finally the last one (which is my favorite at the moment) southbound via South Dakota, Illinois (Chicago) and then Michigan and/or Indiana/ Ohio (Amish settlements).

Our motorhome was stored in Billings during the winter, the batteries have been charged and after some dewinterizing we are ready to go, I look so forward to this voyage.

Like last year we expect to see lots of interesting places referring Native American history and I hope to be able to make many pictures for my blog and my collages.

I wonder if any of my blogreaders has some good tips for us. If so, I would love to hear from you, please don't hesitate, all information about fiber art, oldsmobile shows, great craft festivals etc. in the areas I mentioned is more than welcome...

Thanks for visiting today!

Regina

In my blogpost of Sunday last I wrote about our friend that died last Saturday morning in his sleep. Needless to say that the last days have been full of emotions for lots of us, Bart being someone so loved and appreciated by many people. After re-reading my post I realized that I may have hurt the feelings of especially my religious blogreaders. If so, I would like to apologize for that and I do hope that you can understand that I made my remarks because I was upset and yes, also angry... However, I should have known better, there is a place for every opinion whether I agree or not.

What furthermore worries me is the fact that, although we so often and easily say (I do that a lot at least): carpe diem, tomorrow may be too late etc etc, once you see it happen close by in your life it leaves you helpless and full of sorrow and in my case also angry a bit. Ah, when will I ever be a real wise woman?! Thank you Caterina for your comment, I agree with you and promise to never take it for granted anymore...

This Friday we will celebrate the life of our befriended colleague on one of our island's most beautiful beaches. We have been asked to wear bright coloured clothes for it really has to be a celebration. So with my head not at making art of any kind, I have returned to making clothes. Somehow it helps to simply follow these sewing rules and not having to think about all the misery around us all the time, though often enough.

I will make me some extra colourful clothes for this special occasion!

Thanks for reading,

Regina

Just imagine...

This was our view on one of Curacao's lovely beaches where we had an incentive day of the company my husband works for, only one year ago. It was a special day, where the Sint Maarten branch of the organisation joined the Curacao colleagues, it was a beautiful day indeed...

And suddenly, this weekend, the situation is so very tragically different. Last week one of the colleagues was diagnosed with a very severe illness, flewn over to Colombia and we all wonder if and hope that she will make it. And as if this was not enough, we received news yesterday that a very close colleague of my husband had suddenly died in his sleep, at the way too young age of 42, just imagine...

I don't know, but until today I cannot see anything positive in this; despite the fact that " it apparently was his time"," there's a time for everything" , and even worse: " it must have been God's plan" I simply don't believe and don't see it. What good can it be that a young, active, healthy and very devoted husband and father to three young girls is taken away so suddenly from this life?
That there has come a sudden stop to his so positive influence on the small society on our island, the loss of his knowledge and experience, what good can that hold?

Only one week ago we had Easter dinner together, at his house. He was also our neighbour and a good friend. We will always remember him as someone very special; it has been an honour to have known him, rest in peace dear Bart.

Printing my art

These are some of my collages and a sepia picture of Sitting Bull Lakota that I printed on
t-shirt transfer paper and then ironed onto Arches paper.
Lately I was browsing Martha Marshall's wonderful and informative blog and I found this method that she described here.

I felt so thrilled because finally this is something I can do here on the island!

We do have a CostULess where they sell the transfer paper andI knew that in our one and only little art shop on the French side of the island (I told you there are lots of artists there!) they sell Arches paper. Photoshop and our home printer did the rest.
Did I ever say I love the internet?

All this information that is readily available, even when you live on a tiny piece of rock with sandy beaches in the Caribbean...

Wishing you all a day with possibly great discoveries,

Regina

Cuba

In our library I found an old book on Cuba. It has lots of great pictures that I played a little with, now that painting our veranda is ready.

digital collage

Our house...

This is where we live. Our house has been designed and built by a Canadian architect about ten years ago. What I loved from the first time that I saw it, was the tropical style. Believe me, you will only find a few of these houses here on Sint Maarten. Most of the houses are made of concrete, lots of it. Apparently houses in this plantation style can be seen more frequent on islands like eg. Jamaica, Guadeloupe, Martinique, thus the architect told us. On the first floor are the bedrooms and bathrooms, the complete upper part is our living, my studio and the veranda.

Why am I suddenly writing about our house?

Well, the veranda needed new painting, so yesterday we have been sanding all day and from today on the painting job will start. It will take a few days before everything is done, so maybe (possibly) I don't have much energy left to blog.

Happy Easter to all of you!