A Trip to The Fair

When you live in northeast Pennsylvania, a visit to the Bloomsburg Fair is a must. According to the sign, this little fellow is called a herd bull. He's cute, and he's sporting some cool jewelry in his nose. Ouch!

The steamed clams were delicious.

Broadway?

If you want the BEST potato pancakes at the fair, you have to stop by Running Deer's stand.

The folks at Running Deer are quick and efficient when it comes to cranking out the goods. The lines today weren't too long, but they know how to keep the flow going.

There's nothing like the sheer insanity of these freak show posters. Spider Girl looks pretty creepy, although I didn't see her in person.

Imagine seeing a two-headed cat? Yikes.

If you're looking for mindless entertainment, you can play "I Got It" for 50 cents. Simply toss each ball into a little box. The first person to get all of the balls in a row shouts, "I got it." You should see some of the prizes. Johnny won a Black Sabbath mirror. We know where that's going. Don't get me wrong. I like Black Sabbath (to a certain degree), but not on my wall.

Check out those bugged-out eyes on those bananas. I had enough for one year.

EHAG Winnings

I'd like to thank the folks at EHAG for drawing my name as the winner in their recent giveaway. I was thrilled to learn that I won. To learn more about this wonderful group of artists, click here.

The ornament above is by Joyce Stahl of Enchanted Productions. I love hearts, and I already found the perfect place to display this little ornament. To learn more about Joyce's artwork, click here.

This "Gnome Jack" postcard print is by artist Christopher Klinger. What a fantastic concept! I can't wait to get this print matted and framed. I already know where I'm going to hang it. To learn more about Christopher's artwork, click here.

Check out these ghoulish, little earrings by artist Eleanor Burian-Mohr. They're so adorable, and I've been wearing them and receiving many compliments on them. They're just too cute! To learn more about Eleanor's artwork, click here.

Be sure to check out the EHAG Emporium. You might just be the next lucky winner! Thanks again to the talented artists who donated their work for this giveaway.

Several Observations Result From a Painting Project

I just finished a painting project this afternoon for my friend. I typically don't take on such projects because by trade I'm not what you'd call a "stand-on-a-ladder-all-day" artist. My feet are still aching. I don't know how mural artists do it.

My friend asked me to paint the soffit above her kitchen cabinets to match her dinnerware. With any painting project, the prep work is the hardest part. Using a plate and a bowl as references, I created several preliminary sketches on tracing paper. After my friend's approval, I created sketches for the entire length of each soffit. I'm glad I have a long table in my studio to do this kind of work.

This picture is a closeup of the second photo above. 

With the exception of two leaves that I added on either side of the center design, this part looks like the design on the bowl. As for the rest of the project, I created my own arrangement.

The painting process is the easiest part, and it's almost meditative in a way. It's very calming.

So, what does a girl think about while she's on a ladder all day? For one thing, I thought about how God gives everybody different types of gifts. As an artist, I can share my gift with others and, hopefully, make their day a bit brighter when they look at my artwork. Likewise, the person who's good with math or science can make our lives easier with inventions, new medicines, and cures for diseases.

Another thing I realized is that all the new music today sounds the same. I was listening to a local radio station while I was painting, and it sounded like the same band or singer was singing every single new song. Back in the day, every band or singer had a distinctive sound. Whether it was disco, rock, dance, or whatever, the musicians all had their own sound within any one of those music genres.

Take disco for example. Donna Summer sounds different from singers Diana Ross, Evelyn "Champagne" King, Gloria Gaynor, and Patti Labelle. As for rock, Led Zeppelin possesses a different sound from Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, KISS, Deep Purple, and the Rolling Stones. Get my point?

It's interesting how a painting project could lead to several observations. Life is a wonderful learning experience!

Coming Soon to The Hodge Podgery

I understand my Recycle With Style ™ jewelry was a hit at The Hodge Podgery, so they've asked me for more. Here's a peek at some of what I've been working on tonight for the ladies.

I was thrilled to finally get to use the new beads that I bought at Philly Bead Fest in August.

The orange chips are a magnificent color. Wait until the folks at the Hodge Podgery get a closer look.

I love the color of these dark, mossy green pearls.

The beads in these earrings are show-stoppers. They're like big pieces of root beer candies.

On another note, I thought this Greek salad that John brought home today was a work of art. Check out the way the Feta cheese is layered on top of the bed of greens. If you're in the Kingston area, check out Angelo's One Pound Cheese Steaks on Wyoming Avenue. They have the best salads, gyros, and cheese steaks.

Makes you hungry, doesn't it?

The Last Hurrah For Summer

Now this is my kind of day: a hot, sunny day at Knoebels Amusement Resort with no lines. It doesn't get any better than this. I was the only one in line waiting to ride Twister. The front seat awaits.

Here's another peak at the coaster's platform.

Check out those seats. Save for those two riders, the seats were empty. When I rode in the front seat, you could feel the difference in the ride. The coaster car felt a lot lighter, so it was a bit more scary.

This structure is a piece of artwork. Do you think it's too late for me to change careers so that I can design wooden roller coasters? I wonder if I could just design the coasters and then leave the engineering stuff up to someone else.

Whatever possessed me to wear black capris is beyond me. It felt so good to touch the ice at "The North Pole."

Knoebels has a charming Christmas cottage filled with all things Christmas. It's a great way to beat the heat because they really blast the air conditioning in this little building.

~ A charming Christmas tree ~

Now I can't wait for Christmas.

John and I love the quirky look on this frog's face. Maybe he just swallowed a rotten fly.

Walking around Knoebels provides me with great inspiration for my paper mache sculptures. Knoebels has the best selection of zany characters.

I wonder if Flying Turns will be ready next year. I've been waiting to ride this coaster for the past three years now. I can't wait any longer.