Life Saver

My senior year in high school began as a disaster.
My family's 5th move in 16 years. From Syracuse, 
NY to New Milford, NJ. New school, new classmates, 

old drill. Add family hassles.

Mrs. Bea Kettlewood, from my yearbook

My one saving grace. the Art Department at New Milford
HS headed by the indefatigable, Bea Card Kettlewood. 
Assisted by Eva Bowker and Mel Davison. 
I don't remember how it happened, but I got to spend 3 
periods in a row every day in the large,well equipped 
Art Department. Assignments? Anything I wanted to do .
Weaving, mosaics, clay. Teaching, learning and lots of laughter. 

 Eva Bowker, top and Mel Davison, below

Mrs. Kettlewood kept a chart. Upon acceptance to 
Art College, she pasted a gold star next to a senior 
student's name. The rows of stars grew. But my 
space stayed empty. Syracuse turned me down. (I had 
PSAT scores, but not SATs. SU Admissons returned 
Mom's call. She gave them whatfore on their nickel)

         Yours truly, looming in Mrs. K's NMHS Art Dept.

Finally late Spring, acceptance came from the Philadelphia 
Museum College of Art, Mrs. K welcomed me with an enormous 
handmade gold star. Massive cheering and hugs. 
A truly legendary much beloved teacher and friend to all
her former students.



Bea Card Kettlewood

#12 Paint Remnants,          #17 Low Tide, Long Ropes, ME

         Port Clyde, ME  

                                  #11 November Storm, Pemaquid Point, ME

   #30 Architectural Classics, Philadelpia, PA  

    (all painting photos by Tony Gallo)

Retired from teaching, Bea continues to paint and show her work.

Landscapes, Seascapes and Cityscapes. Charming, colorful, 
evocative pictures of  places she knows and loves in Maine, 
New Jersey and one here of a doorway in Philadelphia. 


Follow the link to see more of her delightful work.
   http://www.pbase.com/gailb/beakettlewood

Tippy Toes

Posting this to show my progress...especially 

to Paula P. on the left coast and anyone else 

having a slow art day while learning to paint 

and draw on the computer. 

A "Thank You" note for my thoughtful generous 

sister-in-law who treated me to my first ever 

professional pedicure for my birthday. 

May not look too impressive at first glance. 

But a triumph nevertheless. Painting the left 

foot first and figuring out how to copy, paste

and flip it horizontally next to the original.

Learning to walk before I run. ;-)

A Call To Arms (And Necks)

click on image to enlarge

Beading right along. Some new pieces 

at CiaoCarolina, myEtsy shop. 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ciaocarolina

The jewel colors of these rectangular

carved Czech glass travertine beads

remind me of Egyptian scarabs which

inspired this bracelet. The links are

fashioned by hand from antiqued brass

wire which compliments the bronze

colored edges on the beads. Beads with

this mottling are called picasso beads.

                                     click on image to enlarge

This necklace is really a shapes and colors

sampler of 27 different Czech glass beads

from my collection. I've hand tied them on 

silk cord so each lovely bead can be appreciated 

separately as well as together with the others. Most

are also picasso beads. Some are clear, others 

translucent, all luscious. (OK, I'm a beadaholic). 

click on image to enlarge

These wonderful beads imitate African agate,

but are so lovely and rich as themselves. The

Czech bead masters make them so each differs

slightly from the next, just like stone beads.

From a distance they appear as earth colored.

Closer, the exquisite colored banding in the

glass is more apparent. The colors deepened

by their translucency.

Not finished yet. Many new ideas stirring behind

my beady eyes in my beady brain.

More soon. Bead patient ;-)

Every Which Way But Loose

Listening to the evening news.
Beading tray across my knees.
And I know better.
Slight balance shift.
A gazillion bead pick-up.
Funny thing, gathering loose 
beads. Diminutive art, color, 
texture, form. 
Calming, untroubling my
weary mind.
A floor's worth of worry beads.

Some of my beautiful new Czech beads.


Some have already become new earrings at
CiaoCarolina, my Etsy shop.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ciaocarolina

Freddie Finds Salvation

Had to break it to sweet Freddie. There's a difference 

between joining the Foreign Legion and becoming 
a donation to the Salvation Army.  =^..^=

           After a long morning helping with the sorting, Freddie holds 
           his place in the donations box for the Salvation Army, 

Eye....Uh Make That EAR....Candy

At last, Finished some new earrings and listed 
them on ETSY at my shop CiaoCarolina.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ciaocarolina

At the moment I am completely besotted by the 
delicious glass beads coming again from 
Czechoslovakia. Eye candy. Transparent 
watery colors, milky translucent gems and 
those reminiscent of vintage beads, before 
the world wars in Europe decimated the 
craftsman and their ancient craft.


Learn about Czech beads on Rings And Things blog
http://www.rings-things.com/blog/2009/05/28/featured-bead-czech-bohemian-glass-beads/

Earrings are just the beginning. Hope you will
stay tuned for other signs of progress. ;-)

Thought That I Would Never See...

When PhillyCarShare first came to Phila, 
I started driving again. Early on I found a
a $300 ticket on the car window after just 
15 minutes in a pet store on South St. I
had no idea the short blue meter where I 
had deposited the required coins was a 
disabled person meter and parking place. 
No identifying symbols or words. Just short and blue. 
I live in Center City Phila. I often see odd
things. After a guy dressed like a hoagie, or 
underpants and a giant glittery high heeled shoe-car 
stuck in traffic, a short blue parking meter registers 
only that the city must have gotten a "deal" from a 
new meter company who cut corners.... or rather 

pole height.

Lo and behold.... this morning, I saw yet another
bit of evidence to support my case. 
A tree wearing a sweater, at the corner of 18th 
and Walnuts Sts. Signed slipstitch.
Traced it back to http://www.ishknits.com
An example of yarnbombing. 
Stuff you don't see in the burbs. ;-)