POST CARD CHALLENGE-WEEK 8~CUBA

Well this week brought a lot of new things to consider on this challenge-Should I use a well known Cuban figures such as Castro, Chavez, Hemingway, Arnaz ? Or really go out there and use the country side  specialities such as Mogotes, sugar cane fields, Yumuri Valley, coral reefs or better yet Guantanamo Bay... Well I choose Havana as my locale and especially the Tropicana Night Club. Enjoy.

FRONT of CARD

The inspiration of this card was from a vintage postcard

from the Tropicana Night Club in the 1950's. The lettering is

from the original card but the yellow psychedelic image was

hand drawn - The lady was cut out from the G45 paper line

Tropical Travelogue.

BACK of Card

Alex has heard back from Melite after several months of her being in therapy - He Writes:

Melite,

So glad to finally hear from you! I have been away on business (seems like I’m away from home constantly); this time I’m in Havana, Cuba. The shows at the Tropicana are amazing; but I hope they decide to purchase some of my products- it will bring their shows to a new level.   Anyways after consulting with several of my ‘medical friends’-I was advised that by me telling you my first name –it will not harm your recovery. Did not  want to cause  more distress.                
           Alexander

PAGE in BOOK

PAGE in BOOK With CARD

So that's this week postcard- Did you notice a new clue ?

Happy Creating ~Until Next Week

Fotojoy/Joyce

POSTCARD CHALLENGE WEEK 7 ~WALES

So another week and another great country to send correspondence from. You know this challenge has taught me so much--using new tools, products and learning about each country has been wonderful. This week was no different -  I really knewn very little about Wales except there once was this beautiful Princess of Wales~Diana ( whom I loved so much )- Anyways I didn't think that would be a great subject for my card- Once again I wanted  to find something unusual about Wales - besides 12 million sheep live there while only 3 million people call Wales home. So after much debate and knowing I could not use abseiling & coasteering as my topic - I turned back to another love -oceans- I LOVE the OCEAN- even though I can not swim! It just so happens a National Park is part of Pembrokeshire, Wales- Thus I have my topic & location~Now how to display the views of Pembrokeshire- Digging around the internet I happen to stumble across a great artist named Rhian Field -whom lives there (check out her work here:  http://www.rhianfield-art.co.uk/2.html ) So my postcard is based on her work- using the  Pembroke Castle as my main figure.


 FRONT

BACK

Correspondence as follows:

"Alex",

Well I hope the waffles & chocolates did not get the best of you in Belgium . I completed the first phase of my treatment in China.I still have no recall of Austria , but I now know why- I have suffered a closed head injury. Unsure when this occurred but my "Healer" advised my next step to regain my memory was to travel to Wales- Pembrokeshire.  I'm staying at the St. Bride's Spa- art therapy & relaxation galore. By the way is "Alex" your full name??

Melite.

Page in book with postcard in sleeve

Open view of page (still have journaling to do )
 I  have incorporated the Red Dragon , celtic cross, and "Stonehenge " cousin- (The stone from Wales is believed to have been used at there). The cross is from an actual cemetary; but is shows the Celtic knot pattern which originated in Wales.

Well Thanks You for following this weeks adventure....
                Happy Creating ,
                Fotojoy/Joyce

POST CARD CHALLENGE WEEK 6 ~BELGIUM

Week 6 and another great country to visit on this great art adventure!!This week I decided to try a not so frequently used item in my art room  -markers! Belgium has so much to offer to use as a topic for my card such as Belgium Waffles, chocolates, Belgium lace, beer, horses etc. Then to even  make the dilemma more  difficult, I had so many great cities  to visit...So after much debating I decided to do my interpretation of the Tapis de Fleurs. This is the most amazing floral carpet design I have ever seem (maybe one day I can see it in person). The premise behind the "Floral Carpets" was that 2 alderman of Brussels had seen a floral carpet in Audenaarder and decided a floral carpet should be made at the Grand Palace. The world renown landscape architect E. Stautemans designed the first carpet in 1971 , and now the carpets are made  every 2 years in August. (P.S. Stautemans actually made a floral carpet in my home state of Ohio; for Columbus when they sponsored a huge Rose/Flower celebration several years ago) I have attached a link to the website showing the Gorgeous displays.
http://www.flowercarpet.be/site/main.php?lg=en&otm=19&mtm=20&hst=_04_16&pg=113

                                                    
FRONT OF CARD:

This "carpet" was made using some old parts of previous carpets  and adding new elements.I started out by making my outline in Pitt pen and colored it in with several colors of Faber-Castell fine brush markers.The center symbol is St. Michael which is part of the Brussell flag and is a treasured icon of their city.

Back of Card

Correspondence as follows: Melite,
                                                 Well since I have not head from you recently, I hope this means you are still undergoing treatment in China, I'm now in Brussells, Belgium attending to business, Seeking a new venture~What do you think about chocolates or lace?  Anyways his year's Tapis de Fleurs is Amazing-the sweet smell of the begonias permeates the Grand Palace Square. Just wish you were with me to enjoy it.
                                             Hope to hear from you soon, Alex

PAGES IN BOOK

                                                  Book with Postcard in place

                                 View of page with postcard open- Didn't do a lot with the page because
                                             I wanted the  Belgium lace to be premier part of page(journaling   to follow)
                                              The yellow flower is the symbol of Brussells. I took a piece of lace and
                                             sprayed Lyndy's spray through it to achieve the background -
                                              The photo is of the Grand Palace, where the carpets of flowers are displayed.

HAPPY CREATING!

Fotojoy/Joyce

Something Different to Write About

 
Okay when I started this adventure of "blogging" about one month ago - I mentioned I would share what I have been up to in 'the Studio'. Since I do not watch much TV, I tend to art-while listening to online movies & radio (paticularity musicals). Recently I found this superior musical called "CHESS"- It has been performed around the world in many forms since the 1980's ,but never achieved a Successful musical run;{It was actually written by the 2 of the founders of ABBA -Benny Anderson& Bjorn  Ulvaeus}~until   2007 when Tim Rice became involved in the updated version - The original version had much success with many of it's songs being recorded ,but as a whole the peformances flopped. In 2008 CHESS was performed  in concert , at Royal Albert Hall in London, England-This version is jammed packed with star performers such as Josh Groban (swoon...), Idina Menzel (won Tony for Wicked), Adam Pascal (swoon again...),and  Kerri Ellis (another Wicked  alum from UK). To say the least THIS IS A SUPERIOR musical and I hope one day it will go back on tour , because I will be in line to watch it. For a sampling I have attached a You tube version of it http://youtu.be/Mwr_o_PagsA 

                       Enjoy my blog of the week

                           Fotojoy/Joyce

POSTCARD CHALLENGE WEEK 5~ FRANCE

WOW  a whole month has gone by in the postcard challenge!! I'm really enjoying the AMAZING work everyone is doing -so many interesting story lines and characters. This week Darcy picked the wonderful country of France (somewhere I hope to visit one day~so many amazing things to see there). Anyways I had a tough choice to make as to  where my characters would travel to in France.  As you recall Melite is in China ,trying to recover her "lost memory" that 'Alex' claims she is suffering from.  "Alex" has now traveled to Paris to attend the Fashion Week and take in a few of the tourist attractions.

               FRONT OF CARD

                          As you see I found a picture of downtown Paris at night time as my background.
                      Then I water colored in the eerie skyline . Next I found this amazing close up of one of the Gargoyles
                   from Notre Dame Cathedral. You can not tell it but is dimensional with the arms,legs, and head cut out
               several times, then layered with different thickness of hot glue. Really adds to the scariness of it. 

               BACK OF CARD

                     Lots of details on the back-the Carte Postale insignia was drawn on based from an old
                    Paris postcard from early 1900's- I did a little coloring with watercolor pencils- Made the stamp
              using an old stamp template I've had for years-over stamped with several French stamp images.

                           Correspondence:
               Melite,
                   So glad to hear you're seeking treatment in China. I'm in France taking in the "Fashion Week"-hope to find a similar dress to the one you wore in Austria-Taking in the sites- LOVE the Cathedral of Notre Dame.
                   Hope by the time I get home, you will recover your memory!
                                                   "Alex"
     
                             STORED in BOOK

View of France page with postcard in place

View of pen drawing of Notre Dame Cathedral

   
Stay tune for the next adventure of Alex &  Melite next week~Where ever they may be...

                           Happy Creating ,
                             Fotojoy/Joyce