Monday, December 31, 2018

Seventh Day of Christmas

Next 100 Watercolors

While it is actually New Years Day as I write, for some of you it isn't yet. So I can do a final year end post on finishing my goal of another 100 watercolours this year. Here are some from today numbers 196 - 200.

Eisvogel

not so good, but it counts as learning experience

A just-for-fun tone study


 Number 200! Fun colours

Others will follow, God willing.
Blessings on the end of your year.

Sunday, December 30, 2018

Sixth Day of Christmas

New Old Things

Yesterday, Maria and I went to Basel to the now-empty apartment of the old aunt of friends. She has had to be moved to a care home, and her home of many decades is being cleaned out. She was a book lover (danger bells ring here), and folk art painter (more bells!), and quilter and needleworker (give up... ), and we were asked if we wanted anything before it was given away to Brockenhouses or trashed. YUP. We did. I came back home with ten plus crates of colour-sorted fabrics, plus miscellaneous stuff. Maria came back with loads of fine old German books. And furniture is there if we want it.





It is sad what happens to a lifetime of work, creative products, collections of fine things, when someone has no progeny to pass it on to (or the children don't care about what their parents did). Most of what is that home no one wants. It is not the current fashion.

But I am looking forward to using the abundance that I got.

Watercolor 195

Light effects for a winter morning, which we do NOT have here.

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Handmade Gifts

I made a very few gifts this year.


My sister has an electrical panel in her kitchen wall, with a construction-hole above it.  It is ugly and she wanted to hide it a little.  So I made this wall-hanging for that spot.




The material is white canvas duck cloth.   I cut stencil shapes and used fabric paints to stencil the design with different shades and mixes of eggplant, navy, cranberry and teal. I stenciled other designs on top of some of the petals.  I had some trouble with a messy stencil mucking up my white canvas, so I added the little yellow dots to hide the "oopsies".

The photos don't really show the colors, since the light was dim.  You'll have to use your imagination.... this is what happens when you finish something late at night and mail it first thing in the morning.




I finished it with navy bias tape around the edges and some loops for a dowel at the top.

While I was at it, I did a similar design on a couple of dishtowels for my Mom and a friend.







Also, because it's pretty, here is my version of an "ombre" citrus salad that I made for Christmas dinner (recipe from a magazine).



We are continuing our Christmas celebration, finding treats and fun each day as we can.  My husband has spent the last few days putting up Christmas lights outside ("They're not Advent lights" he says) which he will leave up until Epiphany and all our neighbors will shake their heads, but we will enjoy them!  Today we are off to a wedding, and I decided the children can wear their fancy Christmas Eve outfits-- it's still Christmas, so it must be appropriate!

Thursday, December 27, 2018

Third Day of Christmas

Winter Watercolors, 190, 191, and 192


Not a winter scene, but painted on Christmas Eve.

English robin

In certain light, the snowflakes glimmer.

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Second Day of Christmas

New Pen

From a thoughtful son, I received an electric stippling pen for Christmas.
So, today I sat down to try it. An illustrated song sheet happened to be nearby, which I sort of copied, improving upon the equine element. This pen saves the wrist in repetitious motions. This is a keeper.


Tuesday, December 25, 2018

The First Day of Christmas

Blessings to All

A hand painted glass ornament

And much happy "Arting" with all your new supplies.

Time to resume canvas paintings


Letter Art and Some Bows


It's been a while since I did some marker calligraphy/letter art, so I decided to letter out the Advent words from this year's meditations here on Little Bird:

didn't use any guide lines, so things got a little slanted, haha -- it's even worse on the actual page; I took the picture at an odd angle to try to capture it straighter XD


Last week I finally got around to photographing in daylight the bows that I'd made the week before:


recycled cloth, from an old dress that was too damaged/stained to donate -- in several different sizes. I didn't measure anything

added alligator clips to the back of each



MERRY CHRISTMAS! <3



Monday, December 24, 2018

Christmas Eve

Glory to the Newborn King

The last Advent calendar doors are opened today.

Before dinner we add the Christ Child to the nativity set to mark the start of festivities.

All is prepared –

After dinner the tree is lit for the first time. 

All set for our Christmas Eve service, with figures that come out every year.

Watercolor 187

I actually took time this afternoon, before dinner and service and festivities, to paint a couple more watercolours. I am trying to finish my second 100 before the end of the year.


This was, obviously, experimental: blowing paint.

Watercolor 188

A very loose landscape


Blessed Christmas to All

Sunday, December 23, 2018

Advent 23

The Fourth Sunday in Advent

The fourth candle is lit today.
Week Four

* Invocation
Heavenly Father, in this fourth week of Advent, as we look to the coming of the Christ, prepare our hearts and minds for the great Light of Your Way.

* Summation
In this fourth week we read of the Angel announcing the coming of the Savior to those whom the Lord has called according to His grace. As His faithful people people responded with humble hearts and wills conformed to His, so let us do likewise.

* Bible Reading

From Luke 1
And there appeared unto Zachariasan angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard;

And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice.

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God
To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name wasMary.

And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord iswith thee: blessed artthou among women.

And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. 

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

ForHe that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy isHis name.

And his mercy ison them that fear him from generation to generation.

He hath shewed strength with his arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He hath put down the mighty from theirseats, and exalted them of low degree.


* The Lighting
We light the fourth candle of Advent. We kindle it in PEACE that Your will is good and right and that we will FOLLOW in it.

* Prayer
O Christ, Light of the world, come to us. When Your calling for us looks overwhelming, depressing, life-shattering, and not what we would chose, help us, like Mary, who in faith conformed her will to Yours, to follow Your leading, to cast down our pride, that we may be exalted by You when we humbly submit to Your direction. Let our spirits rejoice in God our Saviour. By Your mighty arm, continue to do great things to us and through us, that we might always bless Your holy name.

* Song
God of Peace, O shine on us;
Guide our path in this life's night,
That our will in Thine be done;
Come to us, O Christ the Light.




Only One More Window to Open



Scenes

We have no white Christmas, but the wet reflections are pretty.

The Märlitram in Zürich. It is for little children to hear stories from an angel, as St. Nicholas drives. It is sponsored by the Jelmoli store, celebrating 60 years this Christmas.

A window in a Christmas market stall


One of the city Christmas markets - by the opera house.




The Christmas view of the city. That is a circus to the left.

The Bahnhofstrasse





Prepared for the Christ Child


Friday, December 21, 2018

Advent 21

St. Thomas Day, The Shortest day of the Year, The beginning of Winter

And our snow just melted. But the days will start to get longer now.


Advent 20

Watercolor 185



Watercolor 186

This is postcard size