Fall in the Pocono Mountains

Fall in the Pocono's

Great Place to visit for a get-away-weekend

Crisp fresh air, colourful mountains, leaves filled with orange and gold... Nothing like a walk down Pennsylvania trails and experiencing the fall foliage. Time to enjoy cool fresh air while camping, fishing, apple picking or finding your favorite pumpkins. Perfect to stock up on harvest vegetables, fruits, home and bake a homemade apple or pumpkin pie.

When visiting the Poconos you may want to bring your camera.  The colors are spectacular. Many State game lands and overlooks to see. Excellent for family events. 

Amelia's Island, Florida

Amelia's Island, Florida

August 14, 2014

 

It was my Mom's Choice for the day. After all you have a 75TH Birthday only once in you life time and you can do mu what ever you heart desires. She so badly wanted to see the Atlantic Ocean and what better place to view it in the one of America's hot spots for tourist, Amelia's Island. A place to enjoy a delicious seafood lunch, a stroll to the beach, watch the sunset in the evening, a view of historical homes, and  inhabited with Florida's wildlife. Just recently we discovered the sea turtles make their annual journey to the east coastal shores between the months of June till October.

 

Several state parks are situated along the shore startng from Ferndina Beach too Little Talbot State Park.
 

 

Enjoy a leisurely walk down the pier. Nothing more soothing then listening to the ocean waves and the protected sand dunes. While we were on the pier we had experienced a traditional southern rain storm and found ourselves caught in a downpour. This giving the area even more character. I loved it. Rain on a hot day felt so good. And it poured all afternoon. 

 

 

You might want to keep your camera handy. So many spectacular views.

  Enjoy!  Excellent get away from you hustle and bustle.

Fort Caroline Memorial Park, Fort Caroline, Florida

Fort Caroline National Memorial

National Park



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     Recently my husband and I relocated from Scranton, PA to Jacksonville, Florida. The terrain is stunningly beautiful and spectacular. Filled with wildlife and perfect to live the Florida dream. Bountiful with lush plant life, tropical terrain, and exotic wildlife. It has all the perks of a new and life for us to embrace.  Approximately 35 minutes north of our future home, on the banks on Atlantic Ocean, east side of Jacksonville and South of Savanna Georgia is the location of Fort Caroline National Memorial Park. This is on the mouth of the St' Johns River.

Fort Caroline Memorial Park is a most see if you are passing through the area. This in one of the oldest historical locations in the country beginning in 1564 with the battles fought between the French and Spaniards settlement.  An outdoor memorial is dedicated to the battles fought between the Spaniards and Frenchmen who lost their lives on September 20, 1564. The preservation. of the land, plentiful walking and biking trails, historical outdoor and indoor museum, and enjoy a stroll through the gift shop.

Tips to make your trip a little more comfortable:

1. Free to the Public
2. Handicapped accessible
3. Bring plenty of water and fluids
4. Public Facilities
5. Pet Friendly
6. Prepare if you plan on hiking the trails. 
7. binoculars at hand
8. Camera is a must!
9. You will need insect repellent for our little insect friends.
10. You might want to pack snack, picnic, or hub knob with the locals at a restaurant with in the vicinity.

A good chance you will spot Manatee along the St Johns River.

We were not able to see the reenactment taking place at this time and however there are certain days during the course of the year they take place. You will need to research and find out when.

Across from Fort Caroline Memorial Park is a little spot called Spanish Pond. Spanish Pond is a wonderful place to up close Florida' wildlife.  Take a moment to stop in. It is worth it. You will experience a pictures pond with gorgeous wildlife up close.   Hope to see you there soon.  Enjoy!

Fort Caroline is ten miles east of Jacksonville and can be reached by traveling east on Florida 10, turning on St. Johns Bluff Road, then Monument Road, and proceeding east on Fort Caroline Road. For more information visit the National Park Service's website, Fort Caroline National Memorial. Previous Site

Louisiana Herron

Amelia Island's Gold

Amelia Island

August 14, 2014

 

 

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Amelia's Gold is the beautiful wheat protected by the sand dunes along the Atlantic Costal Line of Amelia Island. The over time is becoming rare to see and it is like gold know.

It is one of America's Top rated hot spots to vacation in. The Island is filled with is located in the North Eastern Part of Florida. Plentiful in beaches, vacation rentals, trails, wildlife, historical homes, and lots of shops to hob knob around. A chance to break away from your ordinary routine and see and extraordinary view. Many of the condo's, motels, and rentals homes are within walking distance from your room. Just grab a cup off coffee and sit out our deck and watch the view when raise in the morning. Plan on a romantic evening in the historical town with realm of unique cafes, and places to dine. Enjoy a nice glass of wine as you see gorgeous sunset. A definite must see place for you and your family. You will not be disappointed.

 

 

 



 If you happen to be along the coast between May through October a good chance you will be able to experience the sea turtles making their annual journey to sure. Many volunteer's are working hard to preserve the sea turtles and are successful in doing so. Programs offered to educate the public are found at Fort George State Park, Amelia Island State Park, and Fernandina Beach.

Amelia Island

We had been fortunate experience to view Amelia Island and Fort George State Park during a tropical rain storm. The weather report had announced possible chance of rain. Unlike most storms southern storms that normally move rapidly across the terrain this one was determined to be around all day. It had approached us rather quickly while the family had been out enjoying a long walk on the Fort George State Park.  It captured a more dramatic effect to the photographs and most wildlife went into hiding. So I guess we will have to return for another journey to Fort George State Park and spend more quality time absorbing the beautiful

 

 

I recommend you plan on spending several days in this vicinity. Don't leave home you camera, a pair of binoculars, or forget the umbrella.

Amelia Island, Florida

Amelia Island
August 14, 2014

 Amelia Island

Amelia Island

According to the Wikipedia: Amelia Island is an island in Nassau County, Florida. One of the southernmost of the Sea Islands, a chain of barrier islands stretching along the east coast of the United States from South Carolina to Florida, it is 13 miles long and approximately 4 miles wide at its widest point. The communities of Fernandina Beach and Amelia City are both located on the island.

 

 On August 14TH my Mother had celebrated her 75TH Birthday.  It was her choice in how she wanted to spend the day. She immediate remembered the hospitality and beautiful vistas of the Atlantic Ocean. She recalled many vacations she had spent with my Father. Unfortunately he recently passed away. But her memories were strong and delightful to listen too. She knew of so many places to dine and wanted to enjoy a walk along the pier at

Photographing Florida's Natual Beauty

  

Hanna's State Park
 Jacksonville, Florida
August 2014
 

 Florida is graced with spectacular natural colors of beauty. Vivid and rich tropical plant life and diverse for a photographers dream. The tropical climate gives you an intriguing world of color, textures, and compositions to photograph. In every corner there is something to photograph.
   
 Rich in a thick terrain you might want to consider a diverse amount of lenses. From wide angle, to magnifying lenses. Expect to experience rain on daily basis. We are moving and currently living in the North Easter Tear of Florida and noticed it rains late in the afternoon around 3:00 PM. You might want to make sure you have your rain gear at hand if you happen to be traveling through the area.




The Bowl

Think Color

When you see all the beautiful colors in oil paints you will tempted to purchase one of each kind.  Colors establish a mood, are believed to be more enticing to see, and more effective. It has been my experience that people believe the more color in artwork the better you are.  Michelangelo was a great color theorist.  He explored in depth a diverse approach to color.  He was well aware of the balance needed when creating some of his master pieces. When he painted his figures he made us believe that the figures could possibly come alive and start to speak to us.

There is no exact way in painting with colors.  No two artist approach it the same.  My philosophy is to only allow yourself to start with no more then 3 to five colors.  I encourage you to work with the three primary colors, RED - BLUE - YELLOW!  This will allow for a full pallet. You will be able to create the Secondary colors from the primary colors, GREEN, ORANGE, and PURPLE! White and Black are a given.  

Some suggestions......

* Less is more.  The more color you have in a painting the more confusing it can be to visually interpret the oil painting!

* Select colors that are appropriate to the subject matter!

Black and White are a given!

* Yellow will always brighten up an area in your painting while White will always dull out an area!

* Start with a painters chart for practice so you can learn about the diversity in painting. An example of a painters chart will be given at a future date.

*When beginning painting do not hesitate in being experimental.  Artwork is learned through trial and error. The beauty of painting is you can always go back to your painting to add additional paint.  This is the biggest advantage with oils.

* Use complimentary values when painting various hues.

This happens to be a recent still life I created with watercolors on paper.  Note there are only four colors in the painting, yet it appears to use a full color pallet.  

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What to Paint and Why?

Painters - Artist have been painting since the beginning of Man Kind. You would think that since man kind is only 5000 years old that we have painted it all. This is not true!  There is much room for discovery and everyday new and inventing ways of painting are being discovered.  I thought the abstract painter, Raushenburg, may have summed it up best when he for sees us depicting our own history in Art.  In a sense, painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, and all other forms of art from music to ballet give us an insight not only of what the artist is trying to say but in different approaches of how it is best said. 

It is only my opinion, that the stronger work tends to come from ones personal experiences.  It is the individual experiences in life that offer a different insight to each painting. So it is recommended for you to begin keeping a journal or sketchbook of your experiences.  A small one to be carried around with you in your travels for the day.  Jot down a memory, fast note, cut out articles, fill it up with poems, and phrases you may like. Carry a pencil with you at all times. Sometimes a scribble can turn into a remarkable painting to be used for future reference.

The more you add to your journal the more ideas you will have in creating. Simple ideas can prove to be very powerful in a painting. A simple drawing of a tea cup while having your afternoon tea, fresh fruit in a bowl, a window sill, a chair or pair of shoes.  

When preparing to paint refer to your sketchbook.  If time is short and you are unable to capture the moment in your sketchbook then there is always your smart phone, or digital camera to document the moment for you. 

Ask yourself these questions:

1st - think about what is off interest to you?

2nd - what is important to you?

3rd - How are you going to approach painting?

Another words, concept, aesthetic value, and technique. All three elements are important and all are necessary in creating a painting.  Not one is lesser then the other.

For beginners I recommended simple geometrical shapes.  You may find these in a still-life of fruits and vegetables. 

For more advanced you might want to tackle a portrait of a friend or family member. 

Do not hesitate to take on more then you can do. It is better to strive for harder and more difficult elements in you paints. You are almost ready to begin.  

Learning how to work with Oil Paints

 

 There are so many ways to approach oil painting.  Oil paints are the longest drying medium compared too water-colors, or acrylic.  Make sure you have the correct brushes, work only from containers that do not dissolve with Turpin solutions.  I recommend selecting a painting medium that will dry your oil paints faster and intensify the oil colors, use linseed oil which will allow your paints the right consistency  plus a  varnish for intensifying the value of colors.

The rule is part of painting medium, one part linseed oil, one part  varnish. 

Turpentine always thins out the paints.  Depending on the thickness of your paints depends on how much turpentine you require.

When attending art school the painting instructors were as different as day and night. There is no correct way to approach oil painting understand this may not be much assistance to you when you are starting. However, painting is trial and error.  The more you paint the more you learn to understand how the paint can or can not be controlled. Oil paints are the slowest drying medium compared too water-colors, or acrylic.  Because of this you will need a painting medium.  They range in prices.  If you are beginner then you may prefer the brand name Gumbacher.  If you are a more advanced painter then you may like Windsor Newton Brand.  There can be a huge difference in cost.  The more you pay the better quality you will have in the product.

The second medium you need is a Varnish.  Oil paints dry dull.  The varnish will intensify the value and give you the ability to overlap the colors. 

The third item suggested is linseed oil.  Linseed oil will allow your paints to give you a smother constancy.

You will need turpentine.  Turpentine requires a well ventilated room and will give a strong and distinct odor.  Usually I use turpinoid.  Turpinoid is less pungent in odor.  However, the cost is slightly higher.  There are other solvents that can substitute oil paints but your best choice will be in turpinoid.  

Be prepared to have several containers to wash you brushes.  I keep one with clean turpentine, one to use for light to white colors, and one to use for mixing darker colors.  You want to poor at least a 5 fluid ounces turpentine into each can.  You need to use containers that will not be eaten away from the turpentine.

Brushes come in an assortment of sizes and shapes.  The smaller the number the smaller the brush.  The detailed brushes numbers go as low as triple zero.  While the larger brushes can even be the size of your house paints.  The more brushes you have the more possibilities of textures you can create. It can be overwhelming.  Look for brushes that state good to use for Oil Painting.  Because of the turpentine you will find your paint brushes will need to be frequently replaced.  Many of the Art store carry paint brushes in sets.  If it is your first time painting it is highly recommended you purchase a beginners set. 

Disposable pallets are easy for clean up. 

Wear old clothes, consider a smock top, and be prepared to slop up your space. 
Accessories like pallet knifes, tooth brush, foam or sponge brush will allow for different textures.

Look for the notes on selecting your canvas.........  Get ready it is almost time to have fun and start your first oil painting.

HAVE FUN........

Eckley Mining Village, Coal Patch Days

Coal Patch Days, Eckley Miners Village, Eckley, PA, reanacts coalminers life style. During this annual event I was reminded of the life style coal miners lived during the 20Th Century.  When you experience this you see an understanding of how fortunate we are to have a better quality of life in the 20TH Century. The anthrucite coal mining region had laid a great inpact on the economy hear in North Eastern, PA. Beautiul hand spoon craftsmanship, homeade food, and the gift of kindness was spread through out the village.  People opened up there homes and were proud to display thier goods and collectables of Antiques. Worthy to see. 

Personal opion is the understanding of our roots in history helps us understand who we have become toady.  It gives us conviction and a foundation for our beliefs and we will be better off for it all.

Eckley Miners Village

For Fathers Day our family spent the day at Eckley Miners Village, Coal Patch Days, Eckley, PA. A rare look into the 19TH Century.  While we were there a women invited us into her home to show off her collection of Victorian clothing and lace.  She took such pride and enthusiasm in the collection. It was perfect example of how many products were handmade in the USA.  She had so many examples of the lost art of tatting lace.  Even thou her home was small it was filled with beautiful Victorian hats, change purses, hat pins and clothing of the period.  It gave us a better understanding of what life must have been like in during the Victorian age. Amazing experience!

Saint Elizabeth Senton

I found a place of peace. It was a humbling experience. You will be in the Arms of Saint Elizabeth Anne Seton. She is an inspirational women to all women. Believed deeply in free education and serving Christ. She over came many personal tragadies and offered great hope to people who did not have much hope. The strenght in her faith was reassured as you can visit the mueum, Bascillica, and her homestead. Worth your time and effort.

First day of school has come and gone. Students nerves have settled down. Stomachs no longer turn while giggling begins. A teacher has control for all about a week. Teachers will unite and scheme up ways to settle students disputes. First thing in the morning is grade K. 27 to 1. Whats the odds of a teacher winning over 27 little munchkins. If students only knew I am figuring this out as I go.

Tiny fingers will learn how to glue and paste. Tiny minds speak words and be the informers. Yes, there is nothing like being an underpaid over achiever baby sitter. I let the 8Th Graders believe they are all grown up and big kids know. Too me, they are as little as grade 'K". They never prove otherwise.

First day of school the building was quiet.. Second day of school never did the student body utter a word. Seventh day of school.......... let the games begin.

One mans junk is another mans treasure

We had an All American Yard Sale yesterday. Sold off are the old books, pottery, a few sentimental pieces of dinner ware and some of my antiques from the vintage cubbard. I guess after living for 47 years you collect 47 years worth of valuable stuff. There was a wok on the table, never been used. It had been passed down to me over twenty-five years ago. I always intended to use it and learn the fine art of Chinese cooking. I decided to give it away as a gift for next Christmas. Most yard sales offer a candle or two. My candles melted in the sun. They need to be scraped off the table.

Every yard sale has at least one punch bowl, a dip platter, and a cake plate. Thank goodness, sold right away.

All in a day

You know you are in a good mood in the morning when you set up and here Norah Jones singing "Come away with me." How uplifting! You can easily get caught up in the words of poetry and drift into a daydream............. and then you start from there.

Soon the day will arrive and my fate of being 47 years old will be sealed. My grandmother used to say life goes by too fast. How right she was. One day you are a child and the next day you are figuring out how to get out of jury duty and what paying federal income taxes.

A discion had to be made. You see I teach for the Catholic Schools. I love all those little people. They keep me on feet, thinking fast, and young. You forget what it was like to be a child and how hard it is. Then you see the children going through the motions of there day and quickly remember what it was all like. The cuts and bruises, the anger from having the big kid behind you cut in front of you at the lunch line, and recess is the coolest part of the day. Your choice is do you have a red lunch bucket with a bologna sandwich or a yellow lunch bucket with peanut butter and jelly. Then you have me, an Art Teacher, wheel into a room with a cart of supplies. This is pretty cool. No arithmetic, science, or history for 40 minutes. Yes, at six years old we are going to be a professonal artist with our box of crayons.

Getting back to the job. Love it, but don't make a living wage. So I was looking for work in other locations. Ain't happening. Not enough experience or not updated in knowledge. It is hard to believe with 21 years teaching and several degrees later i am not meeting the job requirements and i am making the lowest salary ever. UGGGGGGGGGG! So the game now is to continue marketing myself on the web and spend my summer days enthralled in creating. I suppose i was simply made to create. there is not much else that is satisfying and i am good at. Then i will just have to paint. The hope is someone else will offer me illustration work or freelancing artwork. I think i shall try to post my art on blog. Tell me if it is OK! . It may be as good as i can do. That's not half bad.

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