Celebrating One Birthday - Twice

When it's the eighteenth, that's great! When you're older than dirt, not so much.

It was my first grandbrat's birthday. I think she liked her little surprise party!

Yup! Even her sister got a thank-you hug.

You see before you, one very happy girl!

She loves books, like me.

Something else from her aunt. What can it be?

It's well-received.

The girl likes anything English.

Hey! How did this one manage to get a cupcake - and I didn't?!

Ohhh, very pretty.

"If I can't have a cupcake, would somebody please let me outta here?!"

And a necklace.

She likes this too.

Not so sure about this one.

Okay... she likes it.

A lot.

But, apparently, she likes the cupcake more.

Give her sister one too. She looks like she's fading fast. (A couple of clowns!)

And there you have it... her 'first' little birthday party. Ta Da!

The next day -

Heeere comes party number 'two'. Bring it on!!

Hmmm... I wonder what this is.

YESSS!!

Sweet!!

Dad helping out.

I love this picture. Such happiness. :)

(Does anybody notice the scary-lookin' black dog?)

Ohhh, yeahhh.

A card is always nice. Especially when there's cash involved. (Notice her right hand.)

But she's got class and actually read all of it.

I gave her a heart necklace with mushy grandmother-stuff engraved on it.

In reeeally tiny writing.

I live for these bear-hugs from my family!!

Tuning the new guitar. (Dad's glowing with pride.)

Trying it out. Sounds good!

I love her beautiful hands.

She gets them from her other grandmother.

She most definitely does not have my ham-hocks!

The birthday party was over, but the music continued.

Since then, there's been a haircut -

And a prom.

But that's another story for another day ~

There are SO many things to love!

I love "Followers" and comments too!

Thank you.

Signing off for now,

gabriele

For The Love Of Art: Part Two

Once I have my old color-wheel, I'm good to go!

I didn't misplace it, because I use it in my silk painting too.

I'd be lost without it.

This is how I like to set-up my paint area. All neat and tidy.

For those of you that like to read things in the correct order,

here is "For The Love Of Art: Part One." But come back now, ya hear?!

Here is the photograph I chose to go with. One of over 300 that I took at the beautiful Frey Vineyards. I'm saving my favorite for last. Like dessert. Well, I'm lying here. Sometimes I have dessert first. So... never mind.

First I did a quick pencil sketch on my nice, new canvas.

Then I outlined the sketch in acrylic. While I was doing that, I remembered that I usually began with this step, instead of sketching it in with pencil first. It's been fourteen years since I did an easel-painting, so I have an excuse!

The outline/sketch is finished - and now comes the fun part.

I consider this the underpainting. Just getting some of the main colors down.

I always love the look of the colors on the palette.

After a few hours, the palette is full...

And I'm getting tired of painting. (It happens.)

Tomorrow's another day.

I'll be refreshed and ready to paint some more on the left side, and then on to the best part - the finishing touches! The highlights, the shadows and the fun colors. Yum!!

It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it.

Until the next time ~

My Website; Silk Accessories

Silk Painting

More Silk Painting

For The Love Of Art: Part One

My Road Trip To Frey Vineyards

Frey Vineyards

There are SO many things to love!

I love "Followers" and comments too!

(Thank you.)

Signing off for now,

gabriele

Oh, Fortuny! How I Love Thee!!

"Fortuny". That name does something to me. It conjures-up beautiful, romantic images of years gone by. I'm a collector of Fortuny. Not only of his lamps, (reproductions!!) but also the books written about him, as well as the tiniest scraps of his fabrics that I can get my hands on!

Mariano Fortuny is my absolute favorite designer/artist!

This is my favorite Fortuny lamp.

I have one of these small, cone-shaped lamps too.

But I really love the glow that comes from the large one. Comfy-cozy!

Then there are the books. The books with photographs of the most elegant, beautiful dresses, made from the most gorgeous fabrics ever!

He took the secrets of his pleating on silk and fabric-painting techniques with him to his grave. According to the books written about him, he only shared the secrets with one of the ladies that worked for him for many, many years. And she didn't tell either!

Drives me crazy, actually! I want to know!!

Another one of my favorite books. Page after glorious, glossy, colorful page!

I believe Amazon.com carries these books, for all of you other Fortuny lovers out there.

(I've spent so much money on books, I think Amazon has a portrait of me, hanging in their corporate office.)

I think I have all of the Fortuny books now. (But I'm afraid to check!)

I even found a book written about his father, another fabulous oil painter!

A really wonderful book. I didn't want it to end.

Mariano was an oil painter as well as a fabric/clothing/stage designer and a ton of other things!

Remember the "tiniest scraps of his fabrics" that I mentioned earlier?

Well, here they are! I love to hold them in my hand...

And imagine being in his studio, in Venice, while he's working on them. For a fabric designer, that's pure bliss!

His work is such an inspiration! Here's a piece of velvet I designed. It was white when I began.

The white line is actually the shine of the panne-velvet. "Fortuny Influence", 46" x 72".

(More of my velvet work.)

Back to my stash of fabrics - I especially love the pieces with the gold background.

Unfortunately, I've never found any of his spectacular velvets.

These colors are a little hard to see in a small photograph, but trust me, they're luscious.

Here come my larger pieces. I didn't crop this photo so that you could get a better idea of the size of the fabrics. Okay... I have to tell you that I tried to iron a couple of the pieces and they acted funny. I was really careful with the temperature setting, but they still wanted to curl-up on the corners. For fear of damaging them, I decided against ironing! And if you know me at all, you'll know how those creases are driving me crazy!!

Close up of the creases... I mean fabric.

Love this.

Another piece, full length.

Close up.

Same piece.

Another one. I always wonder what the people selling these, made with the rest of it.

Close up.

It's hard to see the shine of the metallic, but it's stunning.

Here's an interesting, but simple pattern.

Up close and personal.

Another large piece.

And the close up.

And here is my absolute favorite one!! Silver-metallic and baby-blue!!

This is the oldest one in the bunch. One of his earliest pieces. I love it!!

And this is the one I handle very carefully.

It still has tags on it. Love that! I'm glad they don't still have a "Los Angeles Office", because I'd go broke!!

I was so happy when I found the tags on that piece.

I have no idea what they mean, but I was happy. Old tags are cool.

Finally, you can see a little shimmer from the silver-metallic! Gorgeous!!

One of his earliest signatures. Awesome! My oldest and favorite piece of fabric!!

Here are his pleated silks. They are not wrinkles. Not like my pieces. :(

Mariano Fortuny, 

Born in Granada, Spain, 1871. Died in Venice, Italy, 1949.

What a talented human being!! Love him!! ~~

There are SO many things to love!

I love "Followers" and comments too!

(Thank you.)

Signing off for now,

gabriele