Friday, October 31, 2008

Cemetery Bench

http://winnasworld.blogspot.com
"Cemetery Bench"

Posted Oct 31 2008 by E J Mordasky


Another Eastport Maine moment---

when driving through the cemetery

I spied this bench off a ways looking

like it expected someone to sit there

and watch the sea while visiting.

It was more for a child then big

people size--it had some carvings here and

there and on the bench back

I just found some initials

--I took one telephoto

shot to get some of the detail

and that's all--it looked like it was sinking

into the earth and had

been there a long time

it is done in the small

Moleskine book...... this morning.....

I started to add the color and just

could not stop till it was done

---or close to---it seemed to have

the spirit of All Hallowed Eve

So I'll post it in time for that.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

"Bill's On The Way ! "

"Bill's On The Way"
This spread commemorates such good times
when the family would have the Lobster
meal driven fresh from Maine by
Uncle Bill Stevens. I forgot to mention
in the newsy note on the left page,
that Bill always brought Kate's Homemade
Butter and I would make Butternut
squash, seasoned with Brown Sugar.
I have thousands of photos I've taken,
to use or have the objects right in front
of me or find somehow what I need---
in this stage, there are lots of
"Aha!, just the perfect thing I need"
Then I start to plan the page with
the first object as the main focus and
then things get added to design the
space well...I use pencil first with eraser
kept busy, and then the Pitt pens--then
watercolor pencils, usually. And I am never
sure what will be next--the time on the
watch was not readable in the old
photo, so I made it 8:20 am,
the time when I was born, for personal
celebration of that moment that must
have been looked forward to---I put
the yellow flat elastics that hold the lobster
claws in the front and that lead to adding
Yellow in a couple other places for balance
of that color. I did add the red fireball
on top of the bread, as I felt it needed
a red spot there--now that was not
preplanned.....that's how it goes.......E J Mordasky

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Lock your doors.......



Every once in a while I like to put


up a "guess what" type of photo.


I took this today and was


surprised to see this amount of


detail...such a cutie pie!





Roof Top King

A sketch from a clear morning view in Eastport
last summer--
it sure surprised me to find out
this is the same house
I had painted from a down low
angle---it looked so different
to me from up above. In the Bay
below the car ferry goes
several times a day to a
nearby island I have yet
to experience---maybe
next summer.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Fall Bounty


This spread is done in my favorite small
Moleskine 3 1/2" by 51/2" size....I don't
like usuing any other kind of paper
as this seems to take alot of abuse
and the watercolor pencils work well
on it. Everytime I do a journal sketch
I never know exactly what I will do
---but just keep plugging away till I like it.
Last week, as I drove to the grocery
store, their massive display of pumpkins
caught my eye, because it just seemed
like way too many and nobody was
around them--this spread shows just
some---the girl in the now popular
tight low rider jeans I had photo'd
earlier in the week down there,
so I thought she'd
fill the space with interest...
..and, why not add some black crows
I like to use alot and the memo on
making pumpkin Woopie Pies
this year--let's hope they turn out
right---I will make the cakes
tomorrow to try to be ahead of the game.
Don't forget to left click on the photo
to see it larger.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Baked Potato Challange for EDM

Several people in this
Every Day Matters Sketch Journal
group posted their favorite Baked Potatoes
with toppings sketches. This restaraunt mentioned
is in Ireland on the Kerry Ring road trip
and was really a big place completely
made of stone on a hill by the sea'
I like this combo of the two potatoes
in my sketch but I sure love them many
ways---do you?

Friday, October 24, 2008

Fall Shadows




In all the years I have driven by here and taken photos,

today was the first time I timidly drove down into the driveway

to get this shot---it seemed so deserted and if

they saw me they sure knew the yellow VW was me

and wouldn't mind anyway. That tree is

so huge with it seems thousands of branches

lifting upwards---pretty awesome gathering

of shadows.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Can't Be Beat !

I saw this hanging on the side if an old shed
and was fascinated with all the textures,
shapes and the
cast shadow. I'll bet it could make
some yummy whipped cream for
dumplings made with
apples in the orchards nearby.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

"Lark's Spurs Trading Post"

I add this acrylic painting as some have mentioned
not being able to make larger the ones
on the left on the blog page---they do not open
up--have no clue why--but this one will---I
really enjoyed painting things like this where I
had research to do on what might be in an
old timey Western post.

Monday, October 20, 2008

"Casy Would Waltz With The Strawberry Blond"

If you left click you can read the words
much better. The Strawberry photo
I took, got this spread started in my journal
Then Ireland entered the scene with an old
Abby ruin, Pub sign, Shamrock, Pub award, waltzers,
and musical instruments. I guess I would use
a blue background any time I can--love it---could be
sky or sea. The remaining words in the
old time song are: "He'd neer leave the girl
with the strawberry curl,
and the band played on."

Saturday, October 18, 2008

"Somewhere....."

One of my assemblages I like a lot
as this was the first movie I ever saw.
The two typewriter keys on the bottom left
say OZ...the hanging tag says "Somewhere....."
and there's Toto by some poppy stems.
There are several bird tickets (that
fly over the rainbow), some tornado
information, the tin man's oil can
etc.----

A Real Fixer Upper

This was on the desktop as I am using it
to draw a journal page that has Irish
things--I am so happy to have quite A
lot of photos in my files from there, nobody has
ever seen. Or maybe I did show this before.
This is a ruin of an old
Abby I am guessing---I just
know as you drive around Ireland,
there will be scenes
like this that must be so ancient.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Dish Play


---I am becoming more aware of my
surroundings and what a difference
that makes in life--never really a
boring day with nothing to say for
me now. I did a page that had my
daughter in it--now, I have 4 sons
to go...Kurt was the 3rd born and
I love to hear him talk about
things--makes me laugh...
I left the right side with less
color as to me, it seemed it would
be on the busy side if I used the
watercolor pencils all over--some
of you MUST recall
You're In The Army Now song
--- that kept going through my
head while doing the spread...
maybe it was suggesting I do
a spread on my husband's Army
experience that was humerous
--I'll think it over.

Breakfast With John Wayne

"Ya gonna eat em all up Pilgrim?"
I made some of the best in the world I've
ever made, French Toast Sticks and enjoyed
it sooooooo much, even with
John Wayne being sarcastic.
He watches my calories for me.....
********************
This type of photo can easily be a page
in my journal, complete with the recipe etc.
The most simple everyday things around you,
and I mean just you---are so unique if you stop
to notice---such as how you place something
on a table---what pin you chose to wear ...
where you put the peanut butter---how you get in the car ,
what's your position reading this......can you see
that as non electric these things are, they are still
wonderful moments for ideas that say "you" and nobody
else. Let's take your pocketbook and spill it
out...now that more than likely says
allot about you....I'm just harping on how
you don't have to run for office, win an
Emmy or climb Mt Everest to be interesting.
We are all different in many ways and these
'ways' help others to relate or even disagree--
but it's why were here---we all have something
to leave behind, if we record it somehow. At
any rate that's a lot of my reason, that and
being unhappy if I'm not doing
art journaling. Totally a gonner, there.
I also believe I have to be where I am in
my cyle on earth to have the time to
do this.....

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Boss Strawberry



Enough for a large pie....

One of my favorite photos from
the weekend--this is in the
shade---not easy to get the color
so thank heavens for PSP 7...
where I could lighten it. I am wondering which
photo, different people like best...and
here's the chink---
say why you prefer one to the other.?




Project Runway

"The Fall Collection"
Here we have VW on the runway,
sporting the look
we all love in the Fall,
when it's
oh so smart to park under a maple tree.
Accessorizing with a flow of
motion in the trees
spells unique for this number.
Thank you VW....

Monday, October 13, 2008

Extra photo for today


I spy a break out !

Driving through pumpkin patch country
over by Broad Brook yesterday--I must
have seen thousands of them---and you
just know they won't all make it to the
big night, or just how many, will the
evil stinking monsters smash..
I guess you can tell, someone stole
my electric pumpkin one year and
I never put another one out....I didn't
plan on taking any photos, but will be
uploading a few more I like..soon...
I have no doubts this particular
pumpkin was trying to leave the patch to
be in some special display or pie---

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Every Day Matters Challange #192

This is the first challenge I have done in this group..
there will be a new one each week. The theme
was Things that float---I'm wanting to see what
others do with it--this group is pretty talented and
from all over the world. I like how on the left
it looks like the boat picture is stuck in a slot in
in the page---it wasn't preplanned but just
developed and I will use it again.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

My Car Door Oct 10 08



When I went out to go get the mail

at the post office in the Hollow...

this leaf that floated into the handle

was a moment I had to photo.




Friday, October 10, 2008

Don't Stand Me Up

I'm just waiting for you to pick me up
for a Hollow Halloween Party..
they are the best, starting with a moonlight swim
with the geese, then the Barn Dance at Mauley's.
and rounding out the night the with a trick or
treat tango by the old mill stream.





Thursday, October 9, 2008

The Stool Pigeon

I am so addicted to doing a journal page..
.this is one I just finished
and while doing it, did not
like it at all---but from
experience, I thought I better
keep on using the watercolor pencils
till it looked better to me--it
took awhile but it shaped up better
than I thought it ever would..now
I have to go on about other things
with this day---I wonder if anybody
ever heard of this old song.
I used it as a result of looking at the pigeon
photos I took, and trying to come
up with a reason to have them
on a page that appealed to me--
can't you just hear the voice tone
of the stool pigeon...they'll
banish him from the group for sure.
Left click on the photo to see it
bigger...........

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Like a Postcard View

Some photos it seems look fake when they are not--
the buildings here look painted to me when I see
the photo in it's large size. Taken to day
out of the window in Sean's room
at Hartford Hospital. He remains in a coma
while everything heals is the hope.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Jill's Auburn Maine

A new journal page with memories old and new from
my home town of Auburn Maine. The great Victorian
house we lived in once has it's copula represented here
which as a child I barely noticed, my Mother's
watchful, caring eye, my junior high school, a
newer old looking street light, Halloween was
such big and fun and exciting, the church here was where
I went to crafts classes and sang, Carry Away A Song
as we left each day--I'd be clutching my beads made out
magazine roll ups. ELHS stands for Edward Little
High School and to the left is Squire Edward Little himself
who I knew only as a silent statue watcher
on the school lawn ...there's my father with his
tipped back hat, a Balloon for the Fest they
have each year, some mountain ash tree berries
which were so prevalent on the streets,
a 1940s style shoe for Auburn
was once known as Shoe City with several factories'
my brother was in the top right corner but had
a slight complaint about it so that's how the
while starry sky came about, my sister's straight A's
report card I had no way to better, My mother's crypt
door where she was kept till warmer weather for
burial---they made sure she stayed there with
all that twisted rusty chain...
Crows I have always loved
to see and hear and Sumner will no doubt
have his own page in my journal
as the brother I dearly love.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Love the dove

A photo taken today for a class and what
a treat for the dove to some sit and stay
there for me--I think the doves thought I was
just one of the big Yellow machines they
use over there doing the loam operations.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Not so little

How this uploaded is a mystery
to me--usually with any words
it refuses to accept my photo.
Trying to do an assignment to day
I tried some horses that were
good--it's just that I wasn't thinking
and used the wrong lens. So they
may never be famous...and centerfolds
in Playhorse. I will try again
maybe with chickens....

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Ireland Memories page

I 'm pretty sure I could fill a journal with just Ireland
memories---here are some Gorse flowers that grow
everywhere in Ireland, a pitcher I loved coming upon,
castle yard hardware and Hennessey the Flavin family dog
where I stayed for a week in Listowel, County Kerry.
My ex students may be
interested to know I look at one
of my photos on the computer
and draw by eye for all this stuff--
or sometimes by eye from the actual object.
doing it everyday has brought back my sketching
times which I had missed---I always thought
it was ideal to just draw--I remember thinking
James C Christensen's sketch books were the
most interesting things he did even
when I'd see his great paintings
on the walls--it was the sketches that
enthralled me....
but that's just me being me