After the long hot, dry summer, the cool mornings are a welcome change. It's been an exciting month with dreamatic changes in the look of my property, and mornings on the front porch have been enjoyable. My trees and those next door had me almost hidden from view until you were right in front of my house. A large maple had been dropping dead limbs dangerously close to the house. Tom Dayon with Dayon Tree Service worked three days cutting trees, raising the canopy, grinding stumps, hauling away debris. The process was captivating to watch, and the crew were skilled using the backhoes, cranes, and other machinery. Needless to say, it was entertaining to watch.
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| Before, view from street |
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| Before, view from street approaching house |
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| Before, view from street |
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| Before, closer view (house is in left side of picture) |
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| Before, closer view |
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| In front yard |
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| View from street |
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| Taking down Swamp Maple |
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| This tree kept dropping limbs near house |
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| Hauling debris |
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| After, view from street approaching house |
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| After, from street |
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| After, from street |
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| After, view from porch |
Cat news--Elizabeth and Rahrah have recovered from their serious UTI health issues and are doing well, approaching their 10th birthday next month. The scratchng post has become a scratching log and both are putting it to occasional use, not as popular as Elizabeth's cat tree now that she feels like climbing again. The orange mama cat is settling in and stealing my heart with her talking and rolling on the garage floor for petting. She joins me on the front porch some mornings. I must give her a proper name soon.
I love kids' art and got permission from my young friend Elizabeth Rigney to use her drawing I had saved that her mom (Bethany Rigney) had posted a few years ago. Here is Ellee's Gruffalo in the Jungle.
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| In progress; Ellee's drawing in background |
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| Ellee's Gruffalo in the Jungle |
I enjoyed seeing friends at the MQA Fall Gathering in Biloxi one weekend, followed by a Betty Press class on iPhone Pictures back in Hattiesburg at Singing River Art Studio. Betty shared a wealth of information about the iPhone. The next weekend was our quarterly Southern Fiber Artists meeting in Madison. Jackie Watkins again hosted in her home, and Charlotte Timmons shared instructions and tips on fabric collage.
Last week I tried a first-time decorating of a sugar skull for a Day of the Dead display. Hector Boldo and Jacqueline Gonzalez Wooton hosted a display and silent auction at Main Street Gallery to raise funds for the newly formed LatinX Art Association. I cut out and applied fabric leaves to my skull. Twenty skulls were on display, and the variety of techniques used was amazing! Here are some pictures. Sorry I can't give credit to the artists who decorated them. Enlarge to see details.
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| Poster inviting artists to decorate skulls |
Painting a sugar skull was definitely a first for me. I've been gathering fall leaves and making art using these--an activity with which I'm much more comfortable.
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| 4x6 leaf pictures with mats |
