Breakfast, Beauty and Beyond

 Kim's Cafe is a favorite spot of ours. Breakfast, lunch or dinner.   Classic southern 'diner' food.  

Couldn't resist  capturing this image at Kim's the other day, with the fantastic wall of art as the backdrop.

Breakfast At Kim's Cafe collage

Savannah, GA

Beauty and Beyond certainly caught my eye as well.  I believe the skirted mannequins are modeling school uniform skirts. 

Beauty and Beyond collage

Savannah, GA

We've continued with the unusually cold weather and even a bit of snow, but nothing like our Northern neighbors. More typical, warmer weather is expected later this week.

Tiny Savannah Snowman

Camellias -  the day before the snow

Till next time.

Savannah 2026!

There's so much going on these days. And yet, sometimes we need a little something else. Something fun. A little odd. Perhaps just something in Pink!  Turning one's attention away for the world for a moment, doesn't mean you have turned away. Sometimes we just need to look out another window for awhile before we can find a the way through, a solution, or just how to cope. I share my bit of whimsy in this way.

Savannah is so rich in architecture of all kinds. Always an inspiration to me. Always finding still something I haven't seen before or even if I have, I see it another way. Savannah just speaks to me.

In my inner world, Ocotopi can show up at any time or place.

Octos on Gaston Street collage

Savannah, GA

PINK!  Mia loves pink.  She's a DearHeart in my life. Pink has always been her favorite color, one that makes her happy.  She lived here for a time and I am especially happy when I can send her Pink from Savannah.  Her brother, Alexander, loves pink too. A family trait???

Pink In Savannah collage

Savannah, GA

Walking about every day. More to come.

Till next time.

Sunday Afternoons and Lounging With Dolphins

It's been a lovely time here in Hilton Head, although I did not expect to wear my winter clothes so often. But as I've said, even when it's a bit too cold to be out all day, the lovely ocean view is always available from the living room.  Thank you 'Big Window'. 

Everyone should get to enjoy a Sunday afternoon at the beach, especially with a squid and swimming pool.

Sunday Afternoon At the Beach collage

Hilton Head Island

We've seen a lot of dolphins from our window and deck. There is a large, all-year-round population of Bottlenose Dolphins in Hilton Head. Mostly we've seen them just pop up out of the sea, not as dramatic as our friends pictured here. 

Dolphin Lounge

Hilton Head Island

Thanks for letting me share with you.

Till next time.

Ice Cream and Sea Grass, Spheres and Balls

It's been cool here and eating ice cream has not been on my list, but I was inspired by the colorful ice cream shop signs.  And as I began to write this post, I noticed that spheres and balls are inhabiting my collages.  I do like the addition of a random sphere, ball or dot.

Ice Cream In The Sea collage

Hilton Head Island

Windows in improbable places are as much fun as balls and spheres. Red shoes are always welcome in my collages.

By The Sea In The Grass collage

Hilton Head Island

A bit more time and then off to the urban delights of Savannah.

Till next time.

Diners!!!

We came across a great little breakfast and lunch spot tucked away in a small shopping area and with one of my most favorite things, classic 'diner' decor.  The Southern Coney and Breakfast has two great specialties -  'Best Ever Pancakes' and Coney Hot Dogs.  Now being from the East Coast, I assumed that referred to Coney Island, NY, but learned there is a famous hot dog maker in Michigan known for its 'Coney' hot dogs.

The pancakes were indeed 'Best Ever' and I've seen many a box of pancake mix leave with diners after breakfast.  Haven't tried to Coney's yet.

Best Ever Pancakes collage

Hilton Head, SC

Well, diners led to conversations on 'diners we have known' and I remembered with affection the Horn and Hardart Auto-Mat in downtown Philadelphia. I remember if mostly for a quick stop for an after work slice of pie.

Pie At the Automat

Hilton Head, SC

It's been cooler here, offering plenty of  'inside' afternoons for collage with the view of the sea through 'Big Window', as I now refer to it.

Till next time.

By the Sea

 Fortunate I am to be spending unstructured days by the sea.  Our lovely rental offers a daily panorama of the ocean. We're in a walkable part of town, so daily meanderings, then back to the sea view with time being off-the grid.

The window is such a feature of our time here. You can be with the sea through chilly, rainy, foggy days. It's presence is ever strong.  It sets me in a mysterious mood, mermaids and madams of the sea.

Sea View collage

Hilton Head Island, SC

Octopi are another totem of mine. Here meeting with my ubiquitous teacups, sea shells and pearls.

Octo Moon collage

Hilton Head Island, SC

Till another time.

Winter Solstice, Holidays, Yule, Remembrance

December is the 'Holiday Season'  A time where tradition, religion, custom can meet up and we can think and remember those close to us, those near and far, an annual hello. We review the past, look forward to the new year. I grew up with Christmas, gave a nod to Yule and embraced honoring the seasonal change through Solstice. But most of all, it like to see this as the season of connection and reconnection with people. 

Our 21st Century Solstice Woman was inspired by an image from a magazine cover with the lead article being about women scientists. 

Solstice Woman 2025 collage

This is my favorite Christmas collage, echoing early days.

Retro Christmas collage

My dearest friend Michael, my  Heart Brother' passed away on a Christmas day. He is now truly 'fratello spirituale',  my brother in spirit.  He celebrated Yule and this is the last card I made for him, here as a Yule man himself.  It now holds his essence for me. 

Yule Man collage

December also has the 'passing day' of two other dear friends, Helen and Amy, both extraordinary special and important people in my life.  So December is my  Season of Remembrance as well.

Helen With Frida collage

Flowered Amy collage

Wishing all of you all good things in all ways.

Till another time.

Thankful, Eras and Change

I felt in an especially thankful mood this Thanksgiving Holiday time. Whatever you may feel about the origins of the holiday itself, feeling grateful, giving thanks, family and friends gathering, resonates for me.

I came across these 'thankful' words and made special cards for family and friends this year, which I haven't done before. This collage, using those same words, is my thankful message to you. It has a nostalgic feel, with it's kinda retro people and of course, pumpkin pie - my favorite.

Thankful collage

I've been reading Bread of Angels by Patti Smith. The title refers to good things that come your way, the 'Bread of Angels'. Thankful we are for such moments. This is a memoir of her childhood and early career. I feel a strong affinity with her; admiring her as a person who has lived by her own light. I find we have some simpatico sensibilities and life elements as well, such as, growing up in Germantown, Philadelphia, the Jersey Shore, NYC in the 70's.  The collage reflects a memoir; different eras of life.

Patti Eras collage

Tres Street Ladies is a favorite collage of mine and one of my favorite murals here in Waynesboro.  The mural is by Julia Chon and titled Sun Moon and Stars. Thankful for such extraordinary talent.

Tres Street Ladies collage

                                       

Recently I noticed that the entire middle of the mural was gone, apparently to be replaced by a door.

Today I discovered that the entire mural has been painted over! Grrr. Sigh. The book store that had once been in this location has moved and I was unable to find what is in the building now.  Perhaps a new mural will appear.  We can hope.

 Till another time!

Cups and Crows!

I always seem to wear two hats. Intuitive and logical. Free flowing and orderly systems. And so on. When I was younger, I sometimes wondered and even worried about this push-pull of interests and aptitudes. My sister Jacqui, who was a gifted astrologer, would laugh and say, 'Look E, you were born at High Noon under a Full Moon, this is just the way it will always go for you.'

My two hats are very evident in my collage work.  These two pieces came within the same flow of  'collaging'. One is light in energy; a bit of whimsy to ponder and perhaps bring a smile.  The other enters the mystic arena of totems and symbols; which often for me, includes Crows.

I often use cups and saucers, fancy teacups and other dishes and bowls in my art.  Sometimes they are the incongruous element; sometimes the focus. In this piece, I came across the blue gold teacup first. It set the stage for the collage.  I also like to include favorite people in my work and where better than in a teacup. And of course, why not add cake? Everything's better with cake.

Patti & Cyndi in Teacups with Cake collage

The inspiration here is the main figure. She comes from Deadly Storms,  a novel by Christine Feehan. I knew she was waiting to become a Crow Woman.

Crow Woman Among the Flowers collage

Crow Woman wasn't made with Hallows in mind, but she emerged at just the right time. I'm sure there are bats and spiders lurking in the background. So Happy Halloween! The day we dance between the realms.

Till another time.

Life's been busy! New Knee, Family Things, Oh My!

 I haven't made a post here since the end of May and many things have occurred, but alas, not a lot of art.

This 'fun' collage was created prior to my knee replacement surgery in July.  I was inspired by the stand-up comedian  Atsuko Okatsuka and her colorful outfits, which led to looking for other colorful women.

Style Women collage

My total knee replacement recovery has gone very well and I'm just finishing up Physical Therapy, which I'll then continue on my own.  Naturally, I created a memory collage. The background is the Strength card from M.J Cullinane's Crow Tarot.

TKR Right Knee 2025 collage

While working on this collage, I pulled up the collage from my 2017 left knee replacement.  At first I couldn't understand the collage, 'What is all this red??' Then I remembered I had thrown blood clots to my lungs post surgery and had to spend a week in the heart ward on medication to dissolve the clots. Fortunate I was and all resolved, so much I 'forgot' my own vivid imagery. The background here is a Mexican Lotteria card. You'll note my 'robotic' surgery girl and the cane in both collages.

Elective Knee Collage 2017

Soon after my surgery, my DearHeart step-daughter, Mimi, was in a terrible car accident with life-threatening injuries, including Traumatic Brain Injury.. The family came together and all our focus flowed toward her. Miraculously, Mimi has recover amazingly so far and just recently went home after her lengthy hospital and rehab facility stays. If you like, you can check out her GoFundMe page.

I haven't made a collage about this journey yet, but here is the card I made for her recent birthday, a most special one indeed.

Mimi's Miracle Birthday 2025

That's all for now. 

Till next time.