Hello Sunshine

wake up call...............

I just love this photo and have been thinking about posting it for such a long time!  You may have to pause and gaze at it for a few seconds to really see it (click on photo to enlarge).

No, it is not me!  Although my last post was at the end of May, I have not been snoozing, or just "sitting back," or letting grass grow under my feet or waiting for moss to appear.  Dear husband has been in the hospital all summer (and an out-of-town hospital at that!) and my creative time and energy has been going in a plethora of other directions.

At last! He is home and beginning to recover, and the thought of some normalcy is now more than just wishful thinking. The power of the body to heal is so magnificent and GREATLY under acknowledged and under appreciated....but not by me or dear husband or our family!

In the midst of all that has been going on I have managed to water the garden enough to keep it going.  We have had the hottest and driest summer I can remember.  The tomatoes have failed but the basil is thriving and I have made and frozen lots of pesto.  My mini muffin tins have worked out perfectly to use to freeze this yummy mixture.  The little "muffins" of frozen pesto pop right out of the molds, once frozen, and then can be kept in a freezer bag for later use.

My "blue garden" has been the great survivor of neglect.  I have had a blue garden for years and years.  It began following the purchase of a beautiful original handmade birdbath at an art show. Since I used to exhibit at forty-some outdoor juried art shows a year, most of my "stuff" is original, purchased from fellow exhibitors or sometimes traded for my own artwork. This beautiful vessel, glazed in a stunning lapis hue, perches on a base with a sun design. It has been a constant challenge to grow blue flowers. Moving from the mountains back to Florida required being introduced again to new varieties. So many varieties don't fare well in our heat and I always feel a little bit guilty when planting them - like maybe is is actually a little funeral ceremony. But here are the survivors in all their blue glory. 

Ah, it feels so good to be back "clicking" the keys again. It will also feel good to get a paint brush in hand again.  I am chipping my way through the studio to the painting area.

Leave a comment if you are still "out there" my "blog space" friends. I have missed you and am glad to have finally heard my wake-up call.  Hugs, Marcy

fern and moss paintings available------my Etsy Store is Open!!

AT LAST...my Etsy store is up and running!!  It is such a thrill to have jumped another computer project hurdle.  This has taken months.  First the artwork, then the photography, then a different computer program to "fix" the photos for true color representation (this is always hard with watercolor paintings), and finally loading everything into the shop.

What is Etsy? In case you are not familiar (you'll love it and don't blame me) Etsy is an online marketplace for buying and selling all things handmade.  Etsy connects buyers with independent creators and shop owners to find the very best in handmade, vintage and supplies.

I decided to paint a series of fern and moss paintings (see my post of March 26th "Ode to Spring"), using some unique painting techniques, for my first Etsy collection. Most of those spring plants in my post are doing well:-)  Each piece of artwork in the this collection works together with any of the other pieces.  So, just a single piece or several pieces put together for a grouping will work perfectly. Here are a few of my new pieces offered on Etsy.

  

I am quite excited about the whole thing.  Soon I will offer a "Giveaway Painting" in celebration.  Stay tuned for the announcement of that and in the meantime please visit my shop at www.marcychapman.etsy.com .

Hugs, Marcy

Waterscape Painting.......let's sail away to Barefoot Bay

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!  Hope you are enjoying yourself wherever you are!  My holiday spirit has "sailed" me away to anchor at  Barefoot Bay .... an artistic concept of calm and pleasure. Our location here on the Gulf Coast of Florida is just as tropical, covered with lush green vegetation, as this romantic watercolor I painted some years ago.
 

Looking through my painting archives this week, I felt drawn to this peaceful place "conjured" up during my teal period. This is the original painting from which Limited Edition prints were made. ( I have five of these Limited Edition prints available for sale - image approximately 22x30 -  $95.00 plus small shipping amount.) 

It is quiet here as daughter Dianne and Ethan have escaped to the cool mountain air of North Carolina this weekend.  We won't be getting one of her fabulous pizza creations.

 

Well, as for me this long weekend, I am going to enjoy experimenting  with making stuffed grape leaves in the crock pot, completing new fern and moss paintings in anticipation of getting my Etsy store up and running this week and may even try resting a little (aka looking at decorating magazines).  I have already had my shopping therapy for the holiday - a foray into Target and JoAnn Fabrics yesterday to help toward  the economic recovery. I hope the little fence pieces purchased will keep Peter Cottontail away from the Black-eyed Susans in the garden. Peter does not seem to care about any of the other plants right now.

 

I hope the Sun shines on you and yours this weekend:-)

Hugs, Marcy

Making an Entrance

Paintings of entrances, whether a front door, garden gates, archways or portals, have always been one of my favorite subjects to tackle.  When choosing a subject I usually take lots of artistic license, such as this Italian doorway scene that was initially created in my mind. It was painted after a Spring trip to Italy when  eye-popping gardens of calla lilies were in bloom.  Having purchased these exotic blooms by the stem for years at the florist shop, these masses of blooms actually growing in the ground seemed phenomenal to me.  Thus, the memory of an Italian door along with a garden of calla lilies for the foreground became a painting.

Then there was the painting of Fifi's cottage, exact in every detail, just as it looked many years ago when I first photographed it.

As I mentioned in my last post, we recently took a tour of homes in Apalachicola, Florida.  The charming homes on the tour offered lots of ideas for entrances as painting subjects.  My trusty camera captures a treasure trove of new painting ideas. Let me give you a peek.

 

This next home, while not one I would probably choose for a painting subject, was most interesting.  It is an example of one of the "post Katrina" homes.  Very charming on the exterior, the interior was even more delightful.  Built with great consideration for green living, every inch was carefully planned and utilized. 

The open houses and the heat of the day continue on.......

 

A sea captain carving and a grouping of floats are good examples of the nautical themes found throughout the town. Even a mailbox gives  a tropical greeting.
How did we finish off this wonderful day.  LOTS of OYSTERS - oyster stew, oysters Rockefeller(spinach,garlic,Parmesan) and steamed(dipped in butter with a squeeze of lemon) -  at a restaurant on the docks.   

Hope you enjoyed the tour. There's more to come sharing this excursion, but enough for now.  Won't you leave a comment - it is easy to do and I would love to hear from you!  Hugs, Marcy

A GARDEN OF MOTHER'S DAY DELIGHTS--Wanna Shop?

This past weekend was so much fun.  Dear husband and I went  to  Tallahassee for a long weekend - visited with friends, took a very special house and garden tour in Apalachicola, ate lots of fresh oysters at the dockside and I had a little shopping excursion at my very favorite garden center, Tallahassee Nursery.

This fab plant nursery is all decked out for Mother's Day...I'll show you. Come along...we'll enter through the gates of the orchid house. After "moseying" through aisles of large landscaping plants for the yard, butterfly and hummingbird plants, and then the ferns, herbs and vegetable starts, I arrived at a beautifully staged area for Mother's Day gift selections.  

This little vintage wrought iron table, placed on a vibrant indoor-outdoor rug, was topped with a bright filmy fabric and surrounded by gorgeous flowers.

The array of gift baskets already assembled along with unique items to create your own were everywhere.

 

Hydrangeas are the plants that win me over on this excursion.

I chose a little gift for myself to celebrate the honor and privilege of being a mother(2) and grandmother(3) and having had a very special mother myself, Marcelle. Actually, I can always find a reason why there is a need for another plant.

  My selection is a variety named St. Therese.  The planting instructions say lots of shade and water, but not soggy.  I have chosen a location to plant it....cross my fingers it will thrive in this garden on the Gulf Coast. More from this great weekend (including the home and garden tour) soon.  Hugs, Marcy

A Posey for You

Please let me introduce you to Frenchie (even Nana's can have a doll of their own). Frenchie came into my life several years ago at a craft fair in North Carolina.  She is hand sewn from fabrics that are tea-stained so as to appear vintage.  I let her wear some of my vintage jewelry sometimes.  Today, she sparkles with one of my grandmother's heart-shaped rhinestone pendants.  Be sure to note the lovely embroidery on her dress and her special hair.  A conditioning treatment is probably in order!I 

She is holding the first bloom to open this spring on our gardenia bush.  It is huge...the biggest blossom we have ever grown....and it is for YOU.  Isn't the fragrance fabulous?
Have a lovely weekend.  Hugs, Marcy

bits and bobs

An English couple we are friends with use the expression" bits and bobs," where we would say "a little of this and that."  I l0ve the expression, it stirs a little intrigue, and so I say it whenever it fits.
Well, this post is just "bits and bobs" of things around here today (a perfect spring day) .  I sneaked a little time to surf  blogs and discovered a delightful new one..... http://www.thevintagemoth.blogspot.com
Needing to wrap a special birthday present purchased at Selby Gardens last weekend, this blog gave me a great idea for how to wrap my butterfly-themed gift by making some vintage-looking paper.  I printed and then joined two sheets of  beautiful "free" clip-art  from "the moth" and wrapped the present.  Then I used some bits and bobs I had in the studio to add a little bling.  Viola!  Isn't this a charmer!  As I was poking around in my stuff (there's a LOT) a beautiful butterfly card I have never been able to throw away got repurposed.....a big word these days, right? Some beautiful rice paper from my extensive collection (so labeled one day by dear husband) was glued inside for the message.

Check out my  new red bird feeder...the squirrels LOVE it! Foiled again by what our English friends refer to as "rats."

The amaryllis bulbs I featured in a previous post are now in their bloomin' glory.

To part on a thoughtful note, here are some quotes I found written on an old envelope stuffed in a book from the library .......

Samuel Clemmons(Mark Twain), "I'm an old man.  I've had a lot of troubles, most of which never happened!"

Fear is just a shadow of futures which may or may not be.  Non- existent circumstances, borrowed trouble frequently.

Fear is living in the wreckage of the future.

There are no free rides.

Breathe!         (no sources given for above quotes)

Enjoy today;-)  Hugs, Marcy

A Special Sunday

 Today, Easter Sunday, was indeed a very special Sunday.  Won't you come along for a glimpse of nature's poetry! 
Our whole gang packed up for an afternoon at Selby Gardens in Sarasota.  The weather was paradise, lovely breeze off the Gulf mixed with lots of happy sunshine. We took a picnic lunch and found a "settling in" spot the appropriate distance (considering we had three grandchildren present) from a wonderful live string quartet performance. I offered a surprise, my "famous" deviled eggs, to get things started. 

Selby and Ethan climbed over this giant old banyan tree.

After lunch we listened to the music and toured the lush gardens, fascinated as always by the huge banyan trees, specimen orchids and ferns, statues aged with time and the koi pond.

Papa Clint (our own family miracle - ably wheeling around the gardens after a devastating spinal cord injury four years ago) takes baby Sage for a spin.
Sage and I make up the youngest and oldest girls in the family.

 

Selby strikes a pose. 

A stroll around the succulent garden and a pitcher plant (true opposites in nature) in the greenhouse were especially interesting.

 

Ah, Easter Sunday, a happy day of big thoughts.I hope I have touched  you with some sunshine today.  Hugs, Marcy

dancing in the rain

I must share this with you.....

Cokie Roberts, an ABC News correspondent whom I have enjoyed and admired for many years, has a new New York Times best-selling book, "Ladies of Liberty." A very special quote in this book must be shared: "Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to dance in the rain."  Lots of food for thought and action here, right?

Today, I am dancing in the rain.  I will pot some amaryllis bulbs that are screaming for soil and water. By first painting some of my old sap buckets fresh spring colors, these bloomers will have a special place to reside.

Then, I am going to try out the new watercolor pencils I bought  yesterday at a local art symposium.  The Faber-Castell representative gave a demo using these pencils that got me almost jumping up and down.  Lots of creative techniques, FREE samples of art supplies and meeting some new "art" friends made for a great day.

This afternoon dear husband and I will pick up Sage from the mothers-morning-out program and bring her back here for lunch and a swim.  Our pool feels like a spa.  Had to turn the solar heater off yesterday when the water temp reached 95 degrees! 

Don't forget to do some dancing in the rain! (Let me know what you are doing???)  Hugs, Marcy

Have you tried making HUMMUS?

Yesterday, while searching the pantry for something for lunch, a can of chick peas that has been around for a while called out to me....make some homemade hummus.  I got on the web and found a recipe using several  ingredients that I have not previously used in making hummus.  After a trip to the backyard herb garden, I set up the blender and in just a few minutes I had the best hummus ever!!

Store bought hummus is very good.  When Publix has a hummus "BOGO" I enjoy trying different flavors - roasted garlic, roasted red pepper, eggplant etc. and they are all delicious.......but the recipe below gets 5 stars from me. I served it with cracker "scoops", celery and carrot sticks.

Here's the recipe.  Let me know what you think.  Do you have an even better idea??  Comments please!
Bon Appetite!  Marcy

HUMMUS

1 can chick peas drained and rinsed

1/4 to 1/2 cup tahini (be sure to stir up the oil on top )

1/4 to 1/2 cup plain yogurt

3-4 leaves fresh mint

juice of one lemon (fresh)

2 cloves garlic mashed with 1/2 t. salt

Mix all in blender for several minutes.  It will get very smooth.  If it is too thick add one or two tablespoons cold water to help it blend. Spread on plate.  Garnish with 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, black olives and capers if you like. Sprinkle paprika (around rim) and drizzle with olive oil.

Note:  I liked it with the maximum quantity of each ingredient listed in recipe and one additional clove of garlic.  Sweet, smokey Hungarian paprika is wonderful on this and on deviled eggs.  I found it at a specialty food store.