Happy Birthday! Happy Spring! White on White!

Our time away was great, but being home is as they say,  it's own kind of wonderful. Many things to attend to to get back in the groove, but happy to be here.

Each year I do my own birthday collage and one of my gifts to myself is that I compile an annual book of my collages and cards.  Both are fun to do and it's always interesting to see what is revealed in hindsight.

e birthday 2022 collage 

Octopi are often an element in my collage and I often use octopi hair on 'avatars' of myself.  This collage was almost finished, when my husband gave me for my birthday an amazing replica of an ancient Minoan pot - famous for their Octopi imagery-  produced by a museum in Greece.  It was the perfect finishing element of the collage.

Crows are another element I often use and I consider the Crow a menaingful totem in my life. But at an earlier time, when I was doing work with Wendy Ashley, an astrologer who anchored her work in mythology, she saw the Hare or Rabbit as a totem.  In some myths, the Hare is seen as the messenger between realms, moving by moonlight between the human world and the Otherworld.  Recently I was moved to add rabbits to some collages.  So I am welcoming Hare into the present.

The idea of this collage came to me in a dream - a Crow-Hare icon.  As she emerged, I felt she was in the fae or fairy realm and her name, Nix,  popped up as I completed the collage.  She anchors Hare, who is the stronger and more wild rabbit and Crow.  Ironically, I completed her on Easter, which I see as linked to the ancient goddess of Spring, Eostre.  

The eggs are Ukranian 'Pysanka' eggs, a tradition going back prior to Christianity.  The eggs are meant as memories or good wishes, prayers. 'Pysanka' means to write upon, and the designs are drawn or painted with wax and then dyed.  I was really drawn to the one on the upper left with the golden symbol. I looked it up and it represented Freedom, so appropos at this time.

Spring - Nix the Crow-Hare Fairy collage

Sometimes themes appear from circumstance.  'White on White' was inspired by the members gallery theme for May at SVAC - the Shenandoah Valley Arts Center.   The background image, the Heritage On Main  restaurant, had apparently recently been painted white and I noticed it just as I was thinking about a white-themed collage.  It's always nice when the Multiverse collaborates with you.  There are some puns on white in this little grouping and some surprise players.  The happy couple are Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter on their wedding day in 1946.

Till next time. 

Messages, I Love You and The Sentient Bean

Well, our Winter travels are coming to an end and soon we'll head north, leaving sunny Savannah.  We're totally hooked on our new Victorian East neighborhood and hope to return to it and the very same rental next year. Can't beat staying in a renovated Victorian with a wrap-around porch and a garden to boot!

The wall and sign that inspired 'Private Parking Message' was along our daily route and always caught my eye, as new additions would pop up regularly.  I took liberty with some of the placements and sizing, but each message is indeed on the wall.

Private Parking Message - Savannah

The lovely old-school marquee of the Savannah Theater has inspired collage during our stays here over the years. You can see my gut response to the title in the strong text image. Our vibrant woman is wearing her favorite Marvel characters dress.

I love you. You're Perfect. Now Change. collage - Savannah

We were having breakfast in the Sentient Bean, our favorite local coffee place, when I looked up, saw the counter and background and said that is a great image and so it became the basis of my last collage this trip.  Crows are a welcome element in any of my collages.

Sentient Bean - Savannah

Follow-up!  I walked past the mural that was beginning that I used in an earlier collage and it's complete!  Super!

We've spent a lot of time enjoying Forsythe Park, which is quite nearby.  I had lovely conversations with bought some prints from two Forsythe vendors.

Phil Musen does these whimsical prints.  I love his sensibility and colors and he was a pleasure to chat with.  I think this one will be a great addition to my kitchen.

Hot Dog Cats by Phil Musen

Michelle A Stafford captures Forsythe Park and creates wonderful mystical women, magical animals and more.  This one really spoke to me. We had a great conversation and discovered that we both had lived in Philadelphia.

Digital Synthesis by Michelle A Stafford

Our Winter Trips are always renewing and refreshing and this one, especially so.  I find there is a great verve to having the sense of place as an anchor to my collages.  Thanks for traveling with me.

Cuban Window Cafe and a Cargo Ship Meet Pabst Blue Ribbon With a New Mural

While Savannah is most known for it's beautiful historical and Victorian architecture, you'll find other things to catch your eye.

I read about the Cuban Window Cafe before we arrived in the Savannah in the  'Eat It and Like It' blog by Jesse Blanco.  Check out his Cuban Window review here.  We were very delighted to find this little gem was quite near where we are staying.  Carry-out traditional Cuban Sandwiches were our first meal in Savannah.  Since then, we've enjoyed their extensive menu often, and have new favorites in Guava Pastelitos, Papa Rellena and Empanadas Cuban-style. Everyone who works there are just terrific and working hard to keep you happy - all in a funky vibe that I love.

Cuban Window on Abercorn - Savannah

Savannah is one of the major cargo ship ports in the country.  It is quite impressive to stand on the River Walk and have one of these behemoths glide by right in front of you. Catching sight of the ships is one of my husband's favorite Savannah things. The yellow teacups are a huge sculpture that is on the River Walk in the new renovated power plant area, Plant Riverside.  By the way, check out the JW Mariott lobby on the Plant Riverside website.  It houses the most glorious natural crystals collection, in sizes I have never seen before.

Savannah River Cargo

Well, I didn't drink PBR or go bowling, but I did love the building and jaunty air of Moodrights on Abercorn Street, where you can do both those things - Duckpin bowling to be exact.   Pool and Bingo too!  I think my retro characters would feel right at home at Moodrights.

Pabst Blue Ribbon Moodrights - Savannah

There is a lot of wall art and murals in the city and I thought it rather cool to come upon one at the beginning of the venture.  I decided my artsy style  people would appreciate it fully. SCAD - Savannah Collage of Art & Design - offers many fashion design programs, and I am often taken by the unique stylings people wear.

Mural Beginnings on Bull Street - Savannah

Savannah continues to be one of my most favorite cities and places to be.

Savannah Victoriana

We're staying in the Victorian District of Savannah and the abundancy of these lovely homes is amazing. Not surprisingly, Savannah puts a lot of effort in restoring and preserving their historic properties and organizations like SCAD and the Historic Savannah Foundation work toward this goal.  Like other cities, there was a time when people didn't recognize the value of  the past and 'old' and significant buildings were destroyed. As often happens, the spark of one person and then a core of people worked to rectify the situation. Check out the story of Anna Colquitt Hunter.

Artistically, I have found it interesting working with the Victorians, as they hold a very strong, defined energy and some elements just don't seem to work well with the central image and I find I must let the building itself lead the way.  Naturally.

East Park Avenue didn't mind hosting our Doc Martin girl, but maybe it's all that tulle that was the right vibe.

East Park Avenue Victoriana - Savannah

Amethyst Garden is indeed that vivid shade of purple - a bit amplified  here- and once again, my friend Deb Booth provided the perfect enhancement, the lovely purple Lotus flower.

Amethyst Garden on Hull Street - Savannah

This 'wedding cake' white Victorian was the most demanding in which elements were acceptable, including being in a vertical format.  White was totally the theme but after many iterations, the red balloon was accepted.

White House on Hall - Savannah

And in the Victorian tradition,

 

Patsy Cline in Savannah

While in Cedar Key, we met up with some friends and Mary took pictures of a little robot in the restaurant and while we walked along.  Turns out, the robot was a favorite toy of her grandson and Mary took it with her to send photos to him on her travels.  Mary's little photo traveler was inspiring.

For years I have had a button of Patsy Cline on my travel purse and did a Patsy-inspired collage in Savannah in the past and decided my altered image of Patsy would be a perfect photo traveler.  I found Fabulous Fotoforms online and soon enough my laminated, laser cut lovely Patsy Cline met up with me in Savannah.

In 2018 there was a  show called ''Always Patsy Cline' at the Savannah Theatre, which inspired this collage.  I used Mz Patsy in some other collages as well.

Always Patsy - Savannah 2018

The original Patsy image is from an album cover, I believe, and the microphone stand said 'Grand Old Opry'.

Turns out,  Traveler Patsy gets a bit lost in larger backgrounds, so I've taken to doing little 'set ups' of favorite places.

  Patsy Cline arrives at the Fed Ex office

Patsy on the Savannah River Walk

Patsy at The Sentient Bean coffee shop.  The trophy is the table marker for the servers.

           Patsy in the E.Shaver Book Store

 

Patsy in the Garden of the SCAD Museum of Art -
Savannah Collage of Art and Design

   

 Patsy at PJ's Thai restaurant. Our favorite and the best Lime Chicken ever.

 

Savannah 2022

 It's so nice to be in Savannah once again.  It's a favorite city of ours; vibrant but filled with nature and open space in the many parks and squares of the historic districts.  This year we are in the Victorian District at the south end of Savannah's well known Forsythe Park -  very residential and quite a way from the busy river front tourist areas.  

A totally walkable city, the car stays parked except for a trek to the ocean at Tybee Beach. The architecture is always engaging and as usual my collages are built on places that catch my eye.

We pass Original Skin Tattoo often and I love their attitude as well as their building.

Original Skin Tattoos - Savannah

Although I often amplify colors, the twin houses here are the actual colors, tweaked just a bit and yes, they are side-by-side.  Many of the homes in the Victorian area are in vibrant colors or with vibrant trim and details.

Vintage Twins - Savannah

I found the wonderful little dog randomly on the web, but a Google image-search, showed that she is the work of UK artist, Annie Montgomerie.

Amidst the lovely colors and warm brick of the Savannah landscape, there are faded ghosts as well.

Greyed Ghost House - Savannah

Artists, Donuts and Mermaids in Cedar Key

Our Cedar Key stay is coming to a close and even though we've been here awhile, it still feels too short.

A tiny town that sports two art galleries is a special place.  The Cedar Keyhole Artist Co-Op  was established in 1977 and continues to thrive.

Co-Op Artistry ~ Cedar Key

You can find quite a few lovely Victorian-style homes in Cedar Key, with their 'gingerbread' trim and sometimes vivid accent colors, like this 2nd Street beauty.  Although bright yellow cakes may not be typical, cats abound on the key.

Donut, Coffee & Cake on 2nd Street ~ Cedar Key

We spend most of our time on walk-abouts through town.  I had a lovely conversation with the owner of Blue House, which she described as always a 'work in progress'.  All the plant features and house/yard art are there, albeit 'adjusted' a bit.  She told me she discovered Cedar Key from a Jimmy Buffet song which mentions going down to Cedar Key and then a series of mysteries set in Cedar Key - which I myself read the first year we stayed here.

689 Blue House ~ Cedar Key

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Motorcycles in Cedar Key

 Cedar Key is a very popular in-state weekend and day trip kind of place.  It is usually very laid back here in January but this year, we have seen more people than ever, especially on the weekends. And a big part of those visitors are people on motorcycles.  Usually they travel together through town in groups and suddenly the two main drags - 2nd Street and Dock Street - are lined with bikes. So, of course, photos must be taken! Raven the Dog often greets people and that is his special Raven Xing sign.

2nd Street Motorcycles ~ Cedar Key

Searching for the vintage images for 2nd street, led me to a lot of images of biker girls in the 1940's, who perfect matched these vintage buildings in Cedar Key.

Biker Girls 1946 ~ Cedar Key

A couple years ago, this vintage trailer was an art studio and purveyor of a favorite Cedar Key product, a dip made with the local Mullet fish. There was a great sign on the road,  'Fine Art & Smoke Mullet'. It's in a section of town called Kiss Me Quick, which I was told because a  railroad once came here.  But in 2022, it's still there but empty and unused and the assemblage mermaid used to be on the roof and now lounges on the front porch.  Deb  Booth's wonderful Hibiscus is featured and in the motorcycle mode, this orange beauty was seen about town.

 

Arted Trailer ~ Kiss Me Quick ~ Cedar Key

 

I hope you enjoy these travel collages. Focusing in collage is a wonderful part of traveling for me and fun to share.

Ronnie Spector & The Ronettes ~ adieux Ronnie

I grew up in Philadelphia with Motown, DooWop and oldies from the 50's as my contemporary music through our fabulous local DJ, Jerry Blavat, the 'Geater With the Heater'.  He is still spinning records and sharing the history of music on his weekly radio show on WXPN, the University of Pennsylvania radio station.  You can listen to and download his weekly shows here.

The Ronettes were one of my favorite groups and like so many, 'Be My Baby' was huge part of my teen soundscape, along with all their songs.

As it turned out in later years, I can to learn  that Ronnie was also a powerful survivor of her difficult marriage to record producer Phil Spector; found her way out and through and shared her voice on her own terms for the rest of her life. She passed away on 1.12.22.  As shared on her website, 'Her joyful sound, playful nature and magical presence will love on in all she knew, heard or saw her.'

Ronnie Spector 1.12.22 

More from Cedar Key 2022

There's been cold, snow, and a broken water main at home, but weather here in Cedar Key has been perfect. Warm and sunny. Just what we came for; perfect for our long walks around town.

Post-walk afternoons are a great time for looking through the many photos taken on those walks and seeing which inspires what. I especially like working with the sound of the Gulf coming in.

Island Arts Gallery is a favorite of ours and many pieces have come back to Virginia with us over the years. Here, Ladies of the 1940's concur.

Island Arts Galley 2022~ Dock Street ~ Cedar Key

Dock Street is their second location since we've been coming to Cedar Key.  This is a collage from the 2nd Street location. Some of my Cedar Key collages have become 'historical', as they are of places or businesses no longer here.

Arts if Cedar Key ~ 2nd Street ~ Cedar Key

Kayaking is big here. The Gulf is mostly calm and there are many inlets and waterways a kayak is perfect for.  Kayaks are available for rent at the beachfront and their colors always catch my eye and the retro bathing gals agree.

Kayak Gals ~ Cedar Key

Cedar Key is full of island cottages with colors and colored accents, and as you can tell, I now have a collection of pink accent fish.  

Route 24 House, is the perfect foil to still another Deb Booth creation, the lovely Peony. We have had fun being collaborative across the miles.

Route 24 House ~ Cedar Key

As always, thanks for looking.