Hi everyone. Happy Friday to you.
Today I have a journal page for Nicole's Friday Face Off , Gillena's Friday Lunch Break and also for Matilde's All About Numbers challenge at Art Journal Journey.
This is a page I started last fall, and then it sat there unfinished for many months. I decided it was time to complete it.
I started with an orange painted page, and then I glued down the owl. After he was dry, I took a pine branch and cone stencil as well as some colored stencil paste and stenciled around him. I had to do the stenciling in 2 sittings because I didn't want my colors to blend together. First I did the needles, and then I added the cones.
I stamped and colored the owl and then added the hat and the die cut glasses to him. I also decided to dull down the pine background just a bit so I sponged on some gesso.
Mr. Owl's branch is painted with bronze colored thick body acrylic and then details were added with a Sharpie. I also added a few bits of tissue paper, as well as the sticker quotes. Finally I cut the numbers out of a sheet of printed paper and added them.
And this year up at my Mother-in-law's home on the lake, Mama Merganser has 10 babies. Look at them all. I hope they all make it.
My mother-in-law has been in rehab since April when she took a very nasty fall and broke her back, her shoulder and part of her facial bones. Truthfully I don't think she is going to be able to come home at all this summer, but she is not going to be able to ever live at her house alone again. That's really a sad thing. We live about 30 minutes south of her home, and she wants people to use it, so we often take a ride up so the dogs can go swimming. Us too, even though the water is still on the colder side. The hubby and I both like to swim, although I'm not a very strong swimmer and he is.
The yellow circles you see in this next photo are some of the fish nests that are at the bottom in the shallow water near the shore. You can tell it's been a lot quieter here than usual (June has been cold and fairly wet) because both sides of the dock have tons of nests. I definitely haven't seen this many fish nests here.
And this same day last weekend we had some pretty skies too.
And look at this dragonfly that landed on my bird feeder pole the other day.
I really need to get a dragonfly ID book or brochure or something as I have no idea what kind it is.
My roses have really started to bloom also. They had a lot of dead branches that I cut back once I got home from Iceland, and I guess they liked me doing that.
And finally for this post, the wild blackberries growing along one edge of my driveway are blooming too.
Have a great start to your weekend.
Thanks for visiting too.
23 comments:
...the dragonfly stole the show for me!
The rays from the sunshine bend perfectly in half, in the sky and over the water. Amazing
Is your owl counting sheep? 😁
Thanks for linking to AFFF today.
Much💚love
Beautiful art and photos Erika!
I love your dapper owl.
Have a great weekend,
Alison
I like your owl — I’ve been reading about owls and posting owl art that I’ve found, so it’s very nice to see it.
best, mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I am so very sorry about your Mother-in-law. I am lighting a candle and sending healing energy to her. It is so nice that she has opened her home to you. It is really pretty there. Your owl art is great. Brings a big smile to my face. Every Owl should have a bronze branch to sit on. LOL Thank you for joining FFO and have a lovely weekend.
Love your owl with the Chapeau Claque!
Mae has a review on a book on owls,"What an Owl Knows by Jennifer Ackerman"... I pre-ordered it :-)
Wow, that second sky-pic is awesome! As the dragonfly.
I can´t wait to go swimming when we´re in Perth.
Have a happy weekend, hugs
Beautiful-enjoyed everything-love the dragonfly
I have never, ever heard of fish nests, much less seen them!
Collage creation is awesome ~ love the owl and fantastic photos ~ especially the sky shots ~ Wow!
Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
Very nice Photos and the sweet owl with number Journal page!
Thank you, have a good Day, hug Elke
Nice page and I enjoyed the photos!
Fabulous photos, the dragonfly is a super catch, and I love the sky pics, too. Your garden is looking good, and I love your colourful journal page. Is Matilde on holiday, she hasn't been around for days. Hugs, Valerie
Gosh, the sky shots look dramatic and amazing! The owl with hat is just too cute.
It's so great tha you've completed this page! Lovely background. Thanks for another beautiful inspiration!
it seems like you and your husband had a nice getaway at his mom's place, Erika. However, I was sorry to read about her obviously nasty fall. You may be right that she will be unable to live in her home alone, but perhaps with a companion or other assistance she can return home in time. I too was not familiar with fish nests. The skies were beautiful as was that dragonfly, which I am sure David G will be able to ID.
The dragonfly might be a skimmer.
You have some gorgeous pictures here today, and I love love that owl. I too, put things away and finish them a long time later. Terrible about your mil. We never know what tomorrow will bring. Today, be as happy as you can. I would love to be able to put my feet in that creek and feel and hear the rushing water.
Hi Erika! Your page is a hoot, lol. Mighty pretty with all the pine! I like 'bamboozled by the light of the moon.' He looks it!
That's quite a lot of injuries for your m-i-l. Sadly, it happens a lot to the elderly. My sympathies are with y'all.
Your photos are gorgeous, especially that sky shot over the lake, wow. So happy you are getting to enjoy your garden flowers.
Happy Weekend to you, xoxo
Your owl page is wonderful, Erika. You went through processes and art supplies I know nothing about, like colored stencil paste. Your photos are gorgeous, especially the sun behind the clouds and all reflected in the lake! I'm sorry that your m-i-l is experiencing such difficulties. It's a difficult time in life. My heart goes out to her. I'm working on balancing a lot with my trainer in the gym. Falling is the thing I worry about most. I've never seen such a beautiful dragonfly. We've had a cold wet spring too. I still have flannel sheets on our bed! Your roses are so pretty. Enjoy these beautiful summer days! Take care!
I love your owl art. Great photos, but wow, just wow, on that sun rays sky photo!!! :-) !!!
The owl is amazing. However, the background ism what got me. I couldn't believe how amazing and time consuming that must have been. It really was the star of the page, even more so than the owl and the numbers. Thanks for this great entry you have given us using Matilde's theme at AJJ. It's great for FFO, too.
I've never heard of or seen a fish nest before. Really unique and well photographed, too. And the sky over the lake is beautiful. I like the rays that extend to the water.
Your roses seem to love that you cut them back. They are beautiful.
I'm playing catch up and so sorry to read about your MIL. What a mess she made of herself. I do hope she can make a good recovery.
Love the photos of the Lake and that one of the sky would make a great background. Never seen a dragonfly with colouron his wings like that - the black bit. How fantastic.
Your roses are lovely, had to comment on them before I got around to your little owl. he is so cute. love his hat and spectacles and that is a great background, well thought out and well done.
Hugs, Neet xx
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