FELICE COMPLEANNO, TOMASSO

H A P P Y  B I R T H D A Y, Tomasso!!

                                                                  ©carolyncroll2012
Con grandissimi abbracci e molti baci!!!

Bold Boho Bead Key Fobs

Beading right along.........

Just finished these jazzy boho arty new key fobs. 
Available at http://www.etsy.com/shop/ciaocarolina
(click to enlarge image)

Jolly boho handpainted wooden Indian bead key fob.

Also added 2 chic millefiori, clay and glass key fobs
Below, another view of the beautiful millefiori design on bottom fob.

Back On The Bead

My new jazzy bead boho Key Fobs, just posted
at http://www.etsy.com/shop/ciaocarolina.

Nothing soothes my overheated summer 

self than a lovely day swimming........... 

in BEADS (in air conditioned splendor). 

BEAD FEST, Philadelphia 2012 in Oaks, 

PA this August did the trick.

I began beading for relaxation. 

Beads have become a passion, 

a source of inspiration and a major vice.  

To the gratitude of a number of exhibitors, a 

beadaholic friend/cousin joined me in cutting 

a swath through the aisles draped, stacked and 

dripping with temptation.

Each of us with an eye out for our own unique finds.

Sometimes falling for the same treasures.

But always with a different purpose in mind.

Making it all even more interesting.

Handmade black furnace glass and red Tagua bead key fob

by Carolyn Croll. Available at http://www.etsy.com/shop/ciaocarolina

Peach and blue furnace glass with handmade handpainted Asian beads.
The painted "eyes" are intended to ward offevil spirits.

by Carolyn Croll. Available at http://www.etsy.com/shop/ciaocarolina

iMac, iPad, iFred & Me

My gray and white fluffy left arm rest at work.
Notice his opened eye....for the nearby mouse? 

     
   Finishing revised sketches for an 
assignment. 
   Original pencil sketches drawn
by hand, but the computer helps
making requested changes.
   The best part, no mess!
   Finished art will be by hand in pencil, 
watercolor and color pencil.
   
   But the time spent learning to draw 
and paint on my iMac and iPad have 
not been wasted.


PS: Not every gray and white fluffy left 
arm rest will lick your fingers and purr......

Murder / English Style

Pet Peeve Rant Dept.

Listening to media people these 
days can be not so very  fun.
When the Queen was coronated 
sixty years ago, speaking
English properly was a basic 
requirement for employment
as a communicator on radio and 
television.
As a child, grammatical slip ups 
were met with immediate and 
consistent correction.
Answering, "Good" to the question 
"How are you?" elicited
"No, you are well", usually from
Mom.
Any wonder so fun, very fun and 
coronated rattle?

Fun is a noun. 
Nouns (and pronouns) are modified 
by adjectives.
So and very are adverbs, not adjectives. 
(Adverbs modify adjectives).
Such is an adjective, 
Therefore, saying such fun is correct.

Coronate is not an English word. 
There is no such verb, to coronate
A Coronation is the ceremony
where monarchs are crowned.
(the verb is to crown).

Paul Monasevitch / Marvelous New Work

Gorgeous new abstract painting by Paul Monasevitch
click on image to enlarge

So exciting to see this new work by abstract expressionist 

painter, Paul Monasevitch.

Paul Monasevitch is a fine painter and I am delighted 

to admit, my brother in law as well.

I love his paintings for their space, color, movement, 

texture and they are big, but never overwhelming.

Lively yet soothing. 

This new work is so engaging. 

The eye moves through the richly colored and decorative 

elements as they seem to float together and apart as if 

in creamy liquid.

Paul describes his painstakingly careful and time consuming

methodology on his web site http://www.paulmonasevitch.com/

A terrific opportunity to view Paul Monasevitch's work in person, 
including this new gem:

"Paintings by Paul Monasevitch" at the Marlin Gallery, Camden County College. Artist's Reception: May 30, 2012, 5 - 7:00 p.m.; Gallery Talk 6 p.m. 

Press release: http://www.camdencc.edu/pressroom/detail.cfm?customel_dataPageID_1445=24618

Eating Elephants

done on my iPad / Carolyn Croll 2012

The way to eat an Elephant? 
One bite at a time.


Lately found my plate piled with 
pachyderms. 


Securing additional help for Mom
after her short hospital stay for 
cracked ribs.


Participation in condo democracy
preventing a scary proposed project
from proceeding.


And pest control. 
Having discovered my treasured 
bargain blood-red Bokara ruined by 
wool moths. Also the lovely cashmere 
throw bought in London years ago when 
the $ and the £ were tit for tat. And
Bessie Bear, made from my 
Grandmom's old fur jacket from
the 1940-50's with her monogram
BTR as the pad under the left foot.
Decimated.


Breakfast, lunch and dinner....
Eating Elephants.
Hope to finish and be back posting soon.


CC

Joyeux Anniversaire, M. Audubon!

My illustration of John James Audubon showing his Snowy Egret to Pierre-Joseph Redouté 
from my book REDOUTE, The Man Who Painted Flowers 
(please note, I handpainted/copied both artists' artwork. No photoshop here)

April 26, 2012, the 227th birthday of John James Audubon

Born in Haiti on his French father's sugar plantation.

Moving to France in early childhood.

Fascinated by nature, particularly birds.

After the upheaval of the French Revolution and 

the Napoleonic Wars, his father sent 18 year old

Audubon to America. Living on land his father 

owned near Philadelphia, Audubon spent his days 

hunting and fishing and drawing from nature, 

particularly birds.

When Audubon married and had children, 

he tried unsuccessfully to support them. 

So his wife, became a teacher and the 

breadwinner. 

Meanwhile Audubon decided he would like 

to draw and paint all the birds of America, 

life size and in their natural environment. 

All in one volume. Some of the life size birds 

were huge.

Audubon took his gun, paintbox and 

an assistant. Beginning an epic journey 

that would last 14 years 

Along the way, he traded drawings for goods, 

took and gave painting lessons, in order

to raise money. Freezing in the north, roasting 

in the south. Bugs, danger and disease. 

Still Audubon kept going.

John James Audubon

Nearly finished, he traveled to Europe seeking

subscribers. In those days, publishing such a book 

depended on funds raised from wealthy 

patrons desiring a copy of the finished book.

Among the important and enthusiastic supporters 

he met was Pierre-Joseph Redouté, the great Belgian 

flower painter to Marie Antoinette, Empress Josephine.

Between his exquisite paintings and colorful buckskin clothes,

Audubon made a powerful impression and won subscribers.

Joyeux anniversaire, M. Audubon!

Interested readers can find a copy of John James Audobon's

Bird's of America as well as Redoute's Les Roses and Les Lilacees

among other treasures at The Academy of Natural Sciences library

in Philadelphia.

http://www.ansp.org/research/library/

Bunnies and Brisket / Matzoh and Jelly Beans

Some of my illustrations and little egg books from
The Great Easter Egg Hunt, by Mary Packard /Workman

                         

Arriving together this year.
Two holidays linked from antiquity, Passover and Easter.
Growing up with family Passover traditions.
Clearing kitchen cupboards of everything leavened.
Family seders, Hagaddahs read in Hebrew and exuberant singing. Gefilte fish with horseradish, charoses, brisket and matzah instead of leavened bread. 


My childhood best friend, Pommy, and her family celebrated Easter traditions. 
Baskets of chocolate rabbits, jelly beans, decorated eggs and marshmallow chicks.

These days my Lutheran sister in law makes the family seder complete with gefilte fish, charoses and Passover plate.

Always managed to enjoy the best of both traditions and still do!

My illustration for The Story of Passover / Moses and the Burning Bush
this book was never published, canceled by a corporate merger between 2
publishers (See March 10, 2010 post, The Story of Passover)

Another of my illustrations for The Story of Passover / The Seder

Not What I Signed Up For

Sharing this cautionary tale for colleagues who autograph 

their books.
Recently discovered my signature on Google images. 
Yikes!!
Posted by a bookseller advertising a used book for sale.
Why they thought just mentioning the book was 
"signed by the author" was not sufficient, I have no idea. 
Having already had my artwork stolen online and used,
(see my October 12, 2011 post)
I shudder to imagine the creative uses a signature 
could be put to. Though the bookseller responded 
immediately to my insistence on the signature's removal, 
it took over 48 hours for Google to eliminate it. 
Having signed zillions of books beginning years before the 
internet came along, the cat is long out of the bag and left the 
building decades ago. 
I always sign books with a "book signing signature", 
not my official legal signature.... but criminals and credit 
issuers don't know that. Since its still a signature, who
can be sure of legal ramifications.
Rethinking signing books at all. 
Maybe initials only.

Fun At Trader Joe's

Shopping at Trader Joe's.
A Father accompanied by 3 
little dark haired daughters.
Stepping stones age 3-4ish, 5-6ish
and maybe 7.
Soon learned there was another older sister
and a brother at home.
Well behaved with shy smiles and shining eyes.
Helping. 
Loading their cart with broccoli bouquets and 
other stuff.
Exchanging smiles and little jokes for months.
With Dad's permission I brought them a
little present.
A copy of Too Many Babas.

This afternoon, a sister committee
awaiting my arrival in the first aisle 
of Trader Joe's.
Presenting me with 2 beautifully and 
touchingly written thank you notes
in delightfully decorated envelopes.
One by the 3rd sister and the other by
their Mom.

Seems they already knew and liked
The Big Balloon Race as well.

Book lovers all!!

HOPE, SPRING, ETERNAL

My art from Easy-to-Read Folk and Fairy Tale Plays

                   Carol Pugliano, Scholastic

A Message With Teeth In It

For all the Dentists in my life 

and all who work with them ♥♥♥♥♥ 

TPC, JHC, MAR & HH ( 2 brothers, 

1 cousin & my Philadelphia Dentist)  

You know who you are!  OXOXOXOXOXO

CATching On

Continue practicing on my draw and paint iPad app.

Trying to get good enough to do some real work on

this amazing device. 

These simple kitty pictures, like the previous "Valentine" 

kitties are exercizes in using the app tools and especially

transferring iPad images to the big guy...iMac.

Think I've finally got it.

But will it last

 Cat, kitten, fancy rug and red bird, c.croll 2012

                  iPad practice sketch   

TZ  in window watch first snowfall, c.croll 2012

iPad sketch

      

Valentine

         

♥♥ 2012 Valentine, Carolyn Croll

       done on my IPAD ♥♥

Secret Life Of A Groundhog

My illustration from QUESTIONS, by Lee Bennett Hopkins, HarperCollins

February 2, Groundhog Day.

This year he saw his shadow.

Six more weeks of winter.

Ever wonder what a Groundhog does

for fun the rest of the year?

Chucks wood.

Yeah, as in "How much wood would 

a Woodchuck chuck.......

How come?

Groundhogs and Woodchucks are the 

same animal. :~)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog

How Time Flies

Jane Flory in my college days

48 years ago this month since I walked into 

Jane Flory's Evening Division office as her 

new student helper. 

Part of my student aid package.

Best boss I ever had.

Friend, teacher, mentor followed.

Can't say in what order, evolving and growing

with time.

Some time before Jane revealed her other profession.

Author and Illustrator of over 50 children's books.

An alumna of the College.

As well as raising three lovely, talented 

and mischievous daughters.

Just a few of Jane Flory's wonderful books

Jane was the first to believe I could write as well as illustrate.

Trusted me to illustrate her Ranshackle Roost (HMCo).

Taught me everything she knew about "the ropes"

of writing, book illustrating and publishing and introduced 

me to Houghton Mifflin Co., her publisher.

We did 4 books together.

Ramshackle Roost, We'll Have A Friend For Lunch, The

Unexpected Grandchildren and The Bear On The Doorstep

(all HMCo).

Hard work, much laughter, interesting expeditions.

She listened, sympathized, advised, cheered 

and laughed with every "war story" from books 

that came after.

We shared a love of history, doll houses, handcrafts

and travel. Unabashed Anglophiles.

Remembered anecdotes from shared adventures 

always make me laugh. 

And I miss her.

Jane Flory at the Landis Valley Museum in Lancaster, PA. 

 on a research trip for my book, The Three Brothers, Whitebird/Putnam

One of our memorable"expeditions" over the years.