Postcard Challenge Week 30~INDIA

WOW week 30 ALREADY?!

This week was a week I truly loved- I was so inspired by INDIA-As soon as Darcy posted I knew immediately what I was doing and how I wanted to do it. As most of you know India is land of many  contrasts; severe poverty but yet many great cities  with amazing temples and shrines of elaborate architecture.  It also is a land of many beautiful jungles ; containing some amazing animal such as the  Royal Bengal tiger- which are still on the endangered species  list (since 1970).They have the most colorful coats , are extremely graceful in the way they walk,  but at the same time they are powerful and highly feared animals in India. Because of this, they are still being slaughtered  daily mostly out of fear. (Several premier reserves have been developed  all over India to protect them, but this is proving to not save all of them).
The shrines in India are spectacular including the Taj Mahal built over a period of 22 years(?) by Shahjahan to honour his late wife's death ; whom died after giving birth to her 14th child. It was intended to be a mausoleum , but actually became a testament to his love for his wife. Now you know why I choose my subjects.

Front of Postcard

This Tiger was done in watercolors and pen .

Did you know no 2 tigers have the same coat patterns?

I mean seriously How gorgeous are  their coats?

I love to look at pictures of tigers - but I don't

think I would like to come face-to-face with one!

Back of card



Correspondence:

"My Dearest Melite,

I know by now you're probably very upset with

me since "I disappeared again"-

Part of the reason for my trip to U.S. was to prep for

a mission to India- The aim was to raise funds for the

Royal Bengal Tiger Reserve in Ranthambhore,

Nat'l Park. We must save this amazing cat!

Once that work was done I went to see the
Taj Mahal- the story behind it's building

is so Romantic-So wish you were there with me!

Alexander

xxooxx"

Page in Book

I choose an image of the Taj Mahal .

Was going to draw it but ran out of time so

I altered a image I found online instead . The

sunset coloring is done in watercolors -

the Taj Mahal is detailed in gold Posca paint pens.

I drew an arch way based on true India architecture and

painted it in black acrylics- the sand was done in  

acrylics too-  added the images of the elephant

and camel to the foreground.Title was cut out

from an old travel ad -detailed with gold paint too.

Completed Page in Book

HOPE EVERYONE HAD A GREAT

CREATIVE WEEK -

OFF TO SEE ANY ONE'S WORK

FOTOJOY/JOYCE





POSTCARD CHALLENGE weeek 29~IRELAND

HOW APPROPRIATE DARCY PICKED MY MOTHER'S HOMELAND THE NEXT WEEK AFTER VISITING MY FATHER'S HOMELAND OF GERMANY LAST WEEK?...
IRELAND IS SUCH  A LAND OF BEAUTY AND A MYSTERY. IT HOLDS SO MANY LEGENDS ABOUT  FAIRIES, LEPRECHAUNS, RAINBOWS AND POTS OF GOLD, LUCKY 4 LEAF CLOVERS AND THE "BLARNEY STONE".  I CHOSE TO INCORPORATE A LOT OF THOSE THINGS IN MY WORK THIS WEEK ; BUT MY  MAIN SUBJECT WAS SLANE CASTLE- MOST PEOPLE KNOW OF SLANE CASTLE DUE TO MANY GREAT ROCK CONCERTS HELD THERE SINCE 1981- THE CASTLE HAS A NATURAL 80,000 SEAT AMPHITHEATRE,THEREFORE THE LIKES OF U2, ROLLING STONES,MADONNA AND MANY OTHER CLASSIC ACTS HAVE PERFORMED THERE TO SOLD OUT CONCERTS!

FRONT OF CARD

This card was based on a poster from a

Rolling Stones concert held at Slane Castle.

Many Irish symbols are zentangled into the

background - Such as the Harp (national symbol of Ireland)-

Trinity Knot (many meanings  such as Past, Present & Future or

Spirit, Mind & Body or Power, Intellect & Love)-

the 4 Leaf clover or Shamrock  (which means Respect,

Wealth, Love and Health)

Done in pen  and copic markers.

BACK OF CARD

 CORRESPONDENCE

"Alexander,

Where are you? It's been almost a month since 

I last heard from you~

Did you get lost in American?

When I left Germany I went to Ireland -

Kissed the Blarney Stone hoping it would bring

me 'GOOD LUCK' in returning my memory.

So frustrating but with  each day I'm having

some flashes of  my visit to Austria -

I figured out who "Rueben was" - I think it's

Peter Paul Ruben from the Kunst

Historches Museum- Anyways I

hope it is his images that make me  make

me scream his name out in my dreams...

Melite"

 PAGE IN BOOK

Started the page out by making a background of a

Irish Tartan print using Pan Pastels(hard to see)

Next I included images of a Celtic Cross (found from a

travel ad to visit Ireland put out by TWA in the 50's)

Then an image of Slane Castle is found on the left mid section of the page.

The cute couple were added showing the traditional  dress of

Irish people . The "handsome" guy is wearing a  formal Irish tartan
Kilt and Sporran (the patterns of the tartan determines their family lineage

or what part of Ireland they are from) The lady is wearing a corseted gown that is

probably made from heavy wool or velvet!.

COMPLETED PAGE

SO HARD TO BELIEVE ANOTHER WEEK IS DONE -

 MELITE AND ALEXANDER  ARE STILL

COMMUNICATING ABOUT A MEETING THEY HAD

6 MONTHS AGO THAT ONLY 1 PERSON CAN REMEMBER-

OH WELL HOPEFULLY THIS WILL CHANGE SOON...

HAPPY CREATING THIS WEEK

FOTOJOY/JOYCE

POSTCARD CHALLENGE -WEEK 28~GERMANY

Well this week I was home more ; but still  limited time to devote to my card. My ancestors are from Germany- but I know very little of my Father's homeland- I remember as a girl scout I was fascinated by their  postage stamps so  I broke down this week and used a real stamp on my card. One thing I do know about Germany is they have many types of beers (they are the 2nd largest beer consumers in the world) & of coarse Oktoberfest is the most famous beer party all  over the world- Favorite foods are  sausages & pretzels . Famous people from Germany are many musicians such as Beethoven , Handel, Bach - Pope Benedict XVI. Levi Strauss, Rudolf Diesel Thomas Man, and many more. Famous items from Germany are  Zeppelins, BMW, gummy bears and the first printed book was in German.
The one symbol of Germany I can recall is the Kaiser Eagle - this is found all over Germany and it is the symbol of the Holy Roman Empire- My version is the old 2 headed version.


FRONT of Card

Kaiser Eagle done in ink and markers then  cut out

and placed on postcard -the background was

achieved using Distress ink -Old Paper

Shield is the Flag of Germany

 BACK of Card





I used the old "Real " stamp on the back to add some coloring.

Script on top of card is based from an old post card from Germany

Correspondence as follows:

"Alexander,

I'm heading home from England ,

but stopped in Germany to do some more painting-

The countryside here is so tranquil.

Went to Cologne Cathedral  very  awesome -

 well worth the 600 years it took to build it.

My memory is improving-Still haven't

figured out 'Reuben' ; but I do remember

being in a dark room with vaulted ceilings...

I do remember your amazing tux in Austria-

But my dress is a blank?

Waiting for next card,

Melite"

Book Page

Back to watercolor and pen work

This was based on 2 tourist posters from the 1930's

 One was an ad for traveling by Zeppelin and the other was

an ad for touring the countryside in a BMV.

I choose the items I loved best to complete the page

The Scripted Header is an example of German Fraktur

writing  ( believe that is correct )

Completed Page

Oh Yea another piece of trivia- the largest German

 word is 79 letters long-

Let's see how may of you can read this (especially after all the beer):

Donaudampfschiffahrtselektrizitatenhauotbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft

Happy Creating

Fotojoy / Joyce





Postcard Challenge Week 27~ISLE OF MAN

ISLE of MAN

  Well after being out of town most of the week and the 4th of July holiday  - I  finally found time on Saturday to do my Card- I must say the beginning of the week I had the most amazing time- I was able to attend the military retirement of my Brother from the US Coast Guard after he served for over 21 years!!  As he said in his speech he chose the date of his retirement so he could have fireworks in his honor! And boy did he-  we ran into several bad rainstorms  while driving home and then the first day home ;we had severe weather which resulted in 40,000 people without electricity for 3+ days in 100 * heat!

Now back to the challenge- Week 27 took us back "across the pond" to Isle of Man-   I Didn't know much about Isle of Man; but in my brief research I found out about the Manx Triskelion sculpture- (Origin unknown) but it truly is the symbol of the Isle of Man- the translation of the motto associated with the image means  "whichever way you throw, it will stand" I chose an image of Laxey Wheel as my subject this week - it  is the largest water wheel in Europe.   The Great Laxey Wheel, 'Lady Isabella', was used to pump water out of the mines.

Front of Card

Small Mixed media- the image of Laxey Wheel

 is done in copic makers. The background and sky is

done in in watercolors. I did manage to

incorporate the image of the Manx Triskelion

on the flag flying above the wheel.

Back of Card

"Alexander,

Your postcards have been most up-lifting. The visions are

 decreasing but my therapist suggests to ask my

questions- Who is Reuben? Do you know him?

In my nightmares I yell his name out frequently.

My stay in England is almost over - I have

gained some 'Strength and Power' back.

I just got back from the Isle of Man-

went there to paint.

Melite"

Due to time running out once again this week I will complete my pages in

the book and post them later.

Happy Creating ,

Fotojoy/Joyce

PC Challenge Week 26~UNITED STATES

We Made it to the 1/2 way Point already?

 Darcy picked my homeland USA as the country this week. Using the message she provided it was a no brainer what subject I  was going to use- The sites of Route 66 in Arizona. I lived in Arizona for a brief period and made many trips on Route 66 near Flagstaff & Winslow. This is the land of volcanic craters, forests and Indian lands. I love the rich history of the  21 different tribes of Arizona especially  the Hopi, Zuni, Navajo,Ute,Yavapai,and Havasupai Indians. I have a small collection of artifacts from there including a Kachina- thus this is my card subject this week.

Front of Card

Back to my copics for this card

The Eagle Dancer Kachina

symbolizes "Strength & Power" and the

dance is one of the most grueling tribal

dances there is -
Included the blazing Arizona sun, pueblo

and saguaro cactus-all typical of the Az landscape.

Back of Card

"Melite,

After leaving Australia I went to the United Sates

to attend to business at the U.N.

For some fun I went to Arizona. On spare of the moment

I drove Route 66-Some strange  but beautiful sites in Arizona.

I was honored to attend a Hopi Pow Wow - the outfits &

dances were amazing! Thought of you when I saw this

EAGLE KACHINA Doll. It symbolizes

"Strength  and Power"

Miss you Deeply -

Please get well soon!!

Alexander

xxooxx"

Due to many commitments and preparing for a trip

I did not complete my page in the book yet - But come back to see it later.

Fotojoy/ Joyce