Thursday Art Date: Birds and the Sky

Hello Friends!! 😊😊 Welcome to Thursday's Art Date, today our theme is Birds and the Sky. Did you know that Daffy Duck auditioned for the starring role in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds? Mr. Hitchcock didn't see the irony of a bird being hunted by a different swarm of birds so he hired Tippe Hedren instead. Trivia: Tippi is the mother of actress Melanie Griffith. The Birds is such a great film, it's very suspenseful! Though I know it's fiction, I still get a little butterfly in my stomach when I see a large flock of black birds! The actual birds in the film were trained by an animal trainer and consisted of a mix of ravens, crows, sparrows and gulls.

🌟🌟 Remember the link party is open until Friday nights around midnight so you have plenty of time to join in! It's a great way for people to see your art, your photography, your creativity! And you can meet lovely people this way!! 🌟🌟

I took out the watercolour paints this week and tried my hand at clouds in the sky. I find painting clouds to be very challenging...I need more practice!

A watercolour hummingbird for Alex's birthday card. His b-day is tomorrow and I have some great food and sweets planned for him!

My idea of bliss...sitting with Jack and watching the starry sky. I did this with white charcoals.

I love this one! I followed a 5-hour tutorial to paint this duckling. It's done with coloured pencils actually. If you use solvent between layers, you get a nice painterly effect.

Critters: New birds at the feeder! 

I had to ask my birding friend Phil to help me identify these, I'm such a novice! The consensus is that these are House Finches. They are lovely!

Charlie and Oscar the Cat watching the birds.

Wabbit tracks in the backyard. 😊😊

Mexican Night: Huevos Rancheros, Refried Beans and Spanish rice. My friend Elizabeth sent me her recipe for the rice and it was delicious, thanks Elizabeth!

I tried a new recipe, Pour In The Pan Pizza. It's basically a focaccia bread topped with cheese, tomatoes and oregano...and mamma mia...it was one of the best pizza's I've ever eaten! The crust is nice and crunchy but the dough itself is soft. You don't need to overload this with toppings for a delicious meal! Not sure why they called it "pour in the pan"...it doesn't quite "pour"! Click on the links for the recipes! PS: I'm halfway through updating my Recipe Page with all of the food I've made since Halloween, I should have all of the recipes up by the end of January!

I'm linking up with these wonderful bloggers today, please visit them for some really interesting posts! And why not join in on the link parties? You can meet some really nice people!! 😊

Friday January 15th: Paint Party Friday
Saturday January 16th: Eileen's Saturday's Critters
Monday January 18th: Angie's Mosaic Mondays

That's all for now folks! Please check out the link gadget below to see more Birds and the Sky artwork!

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Monopoly game card (drawn in ink)

January 21st: Next Thursday's theme is Board Games and Game Night. Click on the link for ideas and inspiration! Remember it's all about creating. You can showcase your paintings, drawings, photography, sculpting, baking, poetry...whatever you like! 🎨

Thursday Art Date With Rain. Click on the link for a description of the art date as well as a list of upcoming themes.

Don't forget to add the URL link to your post (not your blog) to the link gadget below to share your wonderful creations! Please revisit to make sure you don't miss those who join in a little late! Also, if anyone adds a link that has nothing to do with the art date theme, it will be removed! The link gadget expires Friday at midnight (EST).

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Thursday Art Date: A Facial Feature

Hello Friends!! 😊😊 How is 2021 treating you so far?

Welcome to Thursday's Art Date, today our theme is A Facial Feature. When I asked Bugs Bunny if he intended on keeping his New Year's resolutions this year, look what happened!!! Just like Pinocchio, when Bugs tells a lie, his nose grows!

Groucho Marx (charcoals)

I had a lot of fun with this week's theme. One of my favourite comic trios is the Marx Brothers (I'm not counting Zeppo!!). I have all of their films and I watch them often when I need a good laugh. Groucho's real name is Julius and he was definitely the most quick witted. His trademark eyebrows and mustache are great facial features! I love to read biographies and Groucho Marx's is one of my favourites. Though, if you read Chico's daughter's book...you see Groucho in a very different light (not so favourable!). Gossip aside, the comedy is what I love!

Hook (ink and graphite)

More eyebrows and mustaches! I recently re-watched the 1991 version of Peter Pan, the movie is called Hook. Robin Williams plays Peter and Dustin Hoffman plays a brilliant Captain Hook. I think it's his best performance! (If you're a fan of this movie, would you agree that Bob Hoskins as "Smee" is also a brilliant performance?)

New Year's Eve was a cheesy affair! I made a Baked Camembert in puff pastry with my Homemade Firm Camembert cheese...it melted wonderfully! I also tried a pull-apart bread for the first time! I made a loaf of my No-Knead Bread, cut diagonals in the bread, brushed it all with garlic butter and stuffed it with Mozzarella and Parmesan, wrapped it in foil, 10 minutes at 350 C in the oven...oh it was good!!!

Alex and I toasted 2021 with some apple cider bubbly and we feasted on my homemade profiteroles. (I promise the recipes will follow at some point!!) I filled the cream puffs with pastry cream, whipped cream and ice cream - what a treat...and easier than it looks!! (Truth be told, Alex had to wake me up at midnight! I just couldn't make it lol!)

New Year's day we had Chicken Pot Pie, barbecued chicken legs, mashed potatoes and my Homemade Fruit Ketchup. Dessert was homemade cheesecake with mulled wine. I tried to make a tree design with vanilla ganache. It reminded me of a football when I was done, a delicious football though! 😊

One of the trail cam's picked up a coyote running down the road in front of the house. I've been hearing them yip and howl each morning when I wake up.

I took this photo of my beautiful dogs on New Year's Day. No snow.

Two days later, here is Charlie diving her nose into the fallen snow to sniff around! I had to don my snowshoes to walk her down the road that morning! Today I'm grateful for my snowblower!

A heartfelt thank you to my Blogging Friends for your wonderful cards this holiday season! Getting a card in the mail is so thrilling and you all brought so much joy to my life:

❤️ Thank you Pam, Heidrun, Gwen, Christine, Karen, Andrea, Phil, Dorothy, Nik, Dino, Tammie, Maria, Doug and Bill!❤️ (If you want to be on my Christmas card list for 2021, please send me a message with your address via the Contact Form on the right sidebar!! 👉 👉 👉

❤️ Thank you to ALL of my Friends who have visited and left comments in 2020! I am so excited when I get comments! I'm like a contestant on The Price Is Right running down the aisle!! 😁❤️

A dear friend informed me yesterday that she never received my card 😕 If you've sent me one and I didn't mention your name in my thanks...ugh...what to do???

I'm linking up with these wonderful bloggers today, please visit them for some really interesting posts! And why not join in on the link parties? You can meet some really nice people!! 😊

Friday January 8th: Paint Party Friday
Saturday January 9th: Eileen's Saturday's Critters
Monday January 11th: Angie's Mosaic Mondays

That's all for now folks! Please check out the link gadget below to see more A Facial Feature artwork!

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Chickadee (ink and graphite)

January 14th: Next Thursday's theme is Birds and the Sky. Click on the link for ideas and inspiration! Remember it's all about creating. You can showcase your paintings, drawings, photography, sculpting, baking, poetry...whatever you like! 🎨

Thursday Art Date With Rain. Click on the link for a description of the art date as well as a list of upcoming themes.

Don't forget to add the URL link to your post (not your blog) to the link gadget below to share your wonderful creations! Please revisit to make sure you don't miss those who join in a little late! Also, if anyone adds a link that has nothing to do with the art date theme, it will be removed! The link gadget expires Friday at midnight (EST).

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Thursday Art Date: Full Cold Moon

Hello Friends and Happy New Year!! 😊😊 Here's to 2021!! 🍸🍸

Welcome to Thursday's Art Date, our last art date of 2020!!! Today our theme is Full Cold Moon. Tuesday's Full Moon was called the Cold Moon which symbolizes winter's grip on the Northern world. Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck decided to go tobogganing during the Full Moon this year!

I decided to go for a walk. I love how quiet it is on a winter's night during a Full Moon. When I'm out in Nature, I can leave all of the "noise" behind me. I drew this with ink and graphite. I only wish I could see the Northern Lights!

➡️ ➡️ ➡️ ➡️ ➡️I have a treat for you!! ⬅️ ⬅️ ⬅️ ⬅️ ⬅️

I was in a movie with Kiefer Sutherland and I'm going to show you my scene!

Okay, that's what's called "click bait" - an attention grabber lol! It is true though, I was cast as an extra and I did have some camera time! The movie is called Crazy Moon (1987) - one of Kiefer's first movies. It was filmed in Montreal and I remember that we got ginger ale and a free concert ticket to see Rational Youth, a popular Canadian band in the 80's.

I found the scene and added a few freeze frames so you can identify me in the crowd. It's a bit choppy, and only 11 seconds, but this was my "15 minutes of fame" so to speak! You can click on the "You Tube" button to see a bigger video. Yes, that's me alright, very 1980's!!! Can anyone relate to this era?

**Just to clarify!! I am the one with the black dress dancing, I have a black bandana on and Kiefer and his co-star are walking behind me!

Speaking of the 1980's, David Bowie was one of my favourite artists, especially during that decade. I know I don't necessarily look my age, but I am 52 years old and I did graduate high school in 1985. The 1980's was my favourite decade for music. The MTV, Much Music video era! I recently heard "Let's Dance" on the 80's channel and decided to draw David Bowie as he looked during that time. This is my favourite medium, white charcoal on black paper.

Baby Oscar the cat, sitting on my lap, watching "cat television" on You Tube.

Marlene is slowing down, sigh...she is nearly deaf, has trouble with bowel control, is showing signs of dementia and her hind legs give out sometimes so she doesn't always bother to stand up to eat anymore. I'm so grateful to have her in my life. We rescued her from a very cruel situation and I feel privileged to be able to give her a safe and loving home for the rest of her days.

Santa brought me a waffle iron for Christmas! Actually after reading Gigi's post on how she got a waffle iron, I couldn't help myself. Oh those Belgian waffles turned out so good! A nice little gadget that will be used very often! Gigi, I told you I'm suggestible lol!  

Christmas Eve pizza and Christmas goodies: Chocolate Coconut Crunch Cookies (recipe to follow), Rum Balls, Brandy Alexander Cocktails and English Trifle. 

Christmas day Raclette dinner. (I didn't make the Raclette cheese this year due to lack of time, but I will next year!) Raclette is a Swiss dish and type of cheese, where you heat up the cheese and scrape it off onto meat and/or veggies. It's SO good. "Racler" in French means to scrape.

I'm still enjoying feeding the chickadees from my hand! 

This little fella is thinking big!

I'm linking up with these wonderful bloggers today, please visit them for some really interesting posts! And why not join in on the link parties? You can meet some really neat people!! 😊

Friday January 1st: Paint Party Friday
Saturday January 2nd: Eileen's Saturday's Critters
Monday January 4th: Angie's Mosaic Mondays

That's all for now folks! Please check out the link gadget below to see more Full Cold Moon artwork!

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Vampire Lips (Ink and Graphite)

January 7th: Next Thursday's theme is A Facial Feature. Click on the link for ideas and inspiration! Remember it's all about creating. You can showcase your paintings, drawings, photography, sculpting, baking, poetry...whatever you like! 🎨

Thursday Art Date With Rain. Click on the link for a description of the art date as well as a list of upcoming themes.

Don't forget to add the URL link to your post (not your blog) to the link gadget below to share your wonderful creations! Please revisit to make sure you don't miss those who join in a little late! Also, if anyone adds a link that has nothing to do with the art date theme, it will be removed! The link gadget expires Friday at midnight (EST).

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Thursday Art Date: 'Twas The Night Before Christmas

Hello Friends and Merry Christmas!! 😊🎅😊

Welcome to Thursday's Art Date, today our theme is 'Twas The Night Before Christmas - what are your plans for the next few days? My guests are starting to arrive to share Christmas with me! 

"Christmas Eve" (white charcoal on black paper)

The 25 Days of Looney Tunes Christmas Doors:

Porky Pig

Egghead Junior

Sam Sheepdog and Ralph Wolf

Daffy Duck

Foghorn Leghorn

Pepe Le Pew

Yosemite Sam

Bugs Bunny

When I first committed to Alexandra's 25 Days of Christmas Doors, I didn't realize how much time would be involved in these daily drawings...finding the concept, drawing and colouring! I will definitely need to be better prepared for these challenges in the future - but it was SO much fun. Above are my last offerings for the challenge!

Breakfast for dinner (Toasettes and Crepes filled with Jarlsberg cheese) and my Yule Log Cake. The cake was so delicious with my Homemade Egg Nog (spiked with Pear Brandy)!

Cauliflower and Cheddar Quiche - a monthly favourite; Pasta Alfredo with Tiramisu for dessert. Though it looks yummy, this Tiramisu recipe from Taste of Home was too heavy on the yogurt. I was looking for a quick version of the cake to make - next time I'll stick to my recipe! We still ate it all! 😋

Creamy homemade tomato soup with grilled cheese! I tried this recipe for the soup and it was really delicious, the only thing I'd do next time is reduce or omit the butter! 

Close-ups of the Canine Critters. No matter what's going on in my life, my dogs are the brightest lights of my days. They bring me the most joy, fun and love!

I finally got my bird feeders up! This is the first customer!

After seeing pictures of my bird-watching friends feeding birds from their hands, I decided to try it out and I'm so thrilled and grateful to have tried!

And I got a Spirograph! I'll have a lot of fun with this!!

I'm linking up with these wonderful bloggers today, please visit them for some really interesting posts! And why not join in on the link parties?

Friday December 25th: Paint Party Friday
Saturday December 26th: Eileen's Saturday's Critters
Monday December 28th: Angie's Mosaic Mondays

That's all for now folks! Please check out the link gadget below to see more 'Twas The Night Before Christmas artwork!

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Lady Moon (Ink, Acrylic Paint and Graphite)

December 31st: Next Thursday's theme is Full Cold Moon - our last art date of the year! Click on the link for ideas and inspiration! Remember it's all about creating. You can showcase your paintings, drawings, photography, sculpting, baking, poetry...whatever you like! 🎨

Thursday Art Date With Rain. Click on the link for a description of the art date as well as a list of upcoming themes. Check out the 2021 Themes here!

Don't forget to add the URL link to your post (not your blog) to the link gadget below to share your wonderful creations! Please revisit to make sure you don't miss those who join in a little late! Also, if anyone adds a link that has nothing to do with the art date theme, it will be removed! The link gadget expires Friday at midnight (EST).

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