ARTFUL READERS CLUB
Review for SEPULCHRE by Kate Mosse

October 31, 2014  

Hello Artful Readers and other lovers of books. It's the end of October...time for another artful book review. I hope this posting finds you well and that you've been able to fit in some good reading time throughout the month! My selection for October was another of Kate Mosse's Languedoc Series, SEPULCHRE. Languedoc refers to a geographical region in southwestern France...an area that my daughter and I recently spent some time exploring with our cameras. This book came alive for me, having been there, but it will come alive for you as well...compliments of Mosse's engaging writing. It's a piece of historical fiction encompassing romance, obsessive revenge, a smattering of supernatural, some tarot divination, puzzle-solving and researching for long-lost family roots. It's compelling fantasy and mystery with two concurrent stories separated by time, linked in mysterious ways. One story is set in the late 1700's...the other in 2007. France is beautifully represented and the characters from both periods of time are well rounded and complex. Told over centuries using ordinary people and places, Mosse is a master at creating a haunting, atmospheric epic and twisted, suspense-filled narrative.

The first story begins in late 18th century Paris and carries on to southwestern France's  municipalities of Carcassonne, Rennes-le-Bain and neighboring town of  Rennes-le-Chateau...the Midi...an area rich in ancient legends and superstition dating back to  the Visigoth era. The second story, contemporary, is about a young American graduate student, an unknowing descendent of the French characters in the first story. Her journey to France to do some professional research ends up taking her on a voyage of personal discovery.

If you're a fan of historical fiction and a mystery buff  with a leaning towards the occult...this book's for YOU! 

See you for my next posting...the last few months have been exceptionally busy as will be the coming month so postings will be sparse. Looking forward to getting back to normal...

Big Hugs and thanks for stopping by...

abbyj 

BACK IN THE GAME

August 6, 2013

 

Dear Family and Friends,

 

I hope you've been enjoying your days... for us, summer...warm and sunny, green and fragrant. The birds have been very busy at our bird feeder...always a pleasure to watch! 

 

Back in the swing of art challenges from a variety of online blogs...ongoing fun to share art and create new pieces!!

 

SoArtful Challenges asked participants to play with maps... with Africa still very much on my mind and in my heart, I used my photo of an Ethiopian mother... 

Collage Obsession was in the mood for some gardening... perfect time of year to admire the fruits of your labor if you're into that!!! I used some field journal sketches and notes about gardening...

Being a former pilot (of small aircraft) and having a continuing interest in aviation...(my husband is a dedicated recreational pilot...) I'm an admirer of Amelia Earhart. When Sunday Postcard Art requested some art to celebrate women, my thoughts turned to her. What ever happened to Amelia?

 Finally, is there anyone who doesn't love the idea of Paris...if not the actual city? Just the thought conjures up so many wonderful images for me. Again, using some photos I took while there, I offer "Bon Pain" or good bread...for Think Monday-Think ATC's challenge blog.

 

Hope you enjoy the rest of your week and of course, your weekend!! Thank you for stopping by.

 

Hugs 'til the next,

abbyj

ART and TRAVEL

ART and ANTARCTICA 
August 7, 2011 

My current Six-Word Memoir...

That done,  on to some quick art blog challenge responses:

SUNDAY POSTCARD ART requested art with pirates as the theme. When my grandson was younger, he loved anything with pirates...this is for Hunter...

THEME THURSDAY was dreaming about Paris. I'm ALWAYS dreaming about Paris... when I'm not dreaming of Africa  :o)

COLLAGE OBSESSION is continuing to ask for art based on the 7 Deadly Sins...this one's GREED...

Finally, THE THREE MUSES wanted some angelic art... I worked with a beautiful cemetery angel that I found in Umbria, Italy.

 On to the travel part of the posting...

Penguins are the superstars, but ice defines Antarctica!

I hope you're enjoying your summer (or current season, depending where you are in the universe!) It's been an exceptionally hot summer in Central New York, but it's been nicely mixed with rain, so a lush green blanket covers the land. The extreme heat and humidity have brought back memories of our trip to Antarctica several years ago. Our expedition to the White Continent, Antarctica (South Pole) started with a trip through Chile where we boarded our small ship with ice cutters for use as we approached the continent. Wandering Albatross followed our progress 

as we journeyed through the treacherous Drake Passage...one of the most severe bodies of water in the Southern Ocean, if not the world!

We met our first penguins and seals in the South Shetland Islands. The penguins were a raucous, pungent collection of CHINSTRAP and GENTOO penguins and their chicks....the seals were silent observers.

It was magical to walk and sit among these penguins who were as tall as my knees... to quietly observe their comical, curious ways and personalities. 

Our weather, throughout the expedition was generally cloudy or rainy and felt like winter in Central New York (although it was summer in Antarctica.) But, our spirits weren't dampened as we observed a variety of species of penguins, seals and whales on a daily basis. As we navigated further south, towards the White Continent, more and more ice appeared...much of it populated by our penguin characters. The natural ice sculptures were breathtaking...their azure-color almost dreamlike.

Packed ice and giant ice floes, icebergs and ice fields (defined by size) often made navigation difficult...

but we did well, even landing on some of the islands as well as on the continent of Antarctica. We loved kayaking with an audience of penguins observing!

Our trip was a once in a lifetime sojourn...but I'd return there in a heartbeat! The rivers of Antarctica will continue to flow and ice will continue to form as it has done forever, connecting the sea and sky. We have captured the colors of her depths, breathed her wild perfumes (some more pleasing than others,) we have walked across her spectacular contours and been shaped by her weather... Antarctica will  be part of us evermore!

Thanks for stopping by...see you next time?
xox,
abbyj 

FULL SWING SUMMER

CRITTERS & ART
June 23, 2011 

But first...

"adventurer at heart...

living out loud!"

My guide took this photo of me in tribal southern Ethiopia: my friend, Joanne, joked that if I entered the tribal, remote part of Africa, I'd been boiled alive...we're just acting out her thought! It was a fun and humorous time for all of us! This was taken in the village where my African families live...the tribe is the KARA tribe.

Welcome back, family and friends...I'm happy you stopped by to share my "vivere" for the week... Summer is finally in full swing here in Central New York and everything is very green. (We had two months of rain in April and May...is it any wonder?)  The flowers are blooming and the critters are very busy living their lives around us. My bird feeders are weigh stations for many different species of sky vagabonds......

Birds always personify "integrity" to me...that's what's written in Japanese...INTEGRITY! The cardinals are constant visitors to our weigh station...that flash of red is startlingly beautiful!

and  some of our trees provide enticing berry snacks for neighborhood squirrels!

In between reorganizing my art room/den this week, I did manage to answer a few art challenges...helps me to stretch my imagination a bit and as the years march on, it's good mental exercise! See what you think...

SUMMER was the theme for three of my favorite challenge groups, so I thought this piece would do nicely for all three: 4X4 FRIDAY, THEME THURSDAY,  INSPIRATION AVENUE;

THREE MUSES had me dreaming about Paris with their POSTMARK, PARIS challenge. I used a photo I took from a train in Paris as my inspiration... THE CHALLENGE BLOG also asked for some Travel or Journey inspired art...this works!

One of my favorite online art groups, PAPER TRADERS, has group members creating an ongoing Word Prompt Journal using words to live by (and interpret...)  Here's INTEGRITY...

and WONDER...

SUNDAY POSTCARD ART wanted to see some VINTAGE MEN...these have been workin' on the railroad!!

Thanks for spending a few minutes with me...please come back...I'll be looking for you!  :o) 

XOX, 

abbyj