Gaudi and Barcelona

I have been fascinated with the architecture of Gaudi for as long as I can remember. A number of years ago I finally got to go to Barcelona to see his buildings. I spent most of a week traveling around Barcelona on foot and by subway to see as many of his buildings as I could get to. In the process we saw many areas of Barcelona. The fish market near Las Ramblas. Lots of shoe stores. A terrifying ride on a cable car. A funky little bar at the waterfront. A flasher in Parc Guell. The flea market. The view from the top of one of the towers at La Sagrada Familia. That one for a very short time; it swayed in the wind and we took the first elevator down. Gaudi built his own house in the Parc Guell and I did a painting of it from a photo I took there. 

I loved Barcelona! and hope to go back someday!

The Circus !

Last summer a traveling circus came to town - for ONE night! I went to see them unloading and setting up the big top and all the other attractions. I even saw the camel getting a bath. He loved it on such a hot day! 

That night I went back with my friends to see the circus. Lots of the performers were the same people who had been setting up the show that morning. As you see, the camel was dressed in his finest! When the show was over they started taking everything down and getting ready to move on to the next town. We had barely left our seats when the bleachers were being loaded onto a truck! 

This is for sure a vanishing part of America.

Fish placemats

Fish! They are fun to paint! I've done several sets of four, all the fish are different. They are cut out of heavy canvas, usually the ends left from making a floorcloth. Then I prime them and paint the fish, then varnish with several coats of acrylic varnish so that they are wipeable. They last for years, I know because I gave a set to a friend 4 or 5 years ago and she uses them constantly and they still look new! The backs are painted too, with waves in shades of aqua.

Dancing in the Moonlight