Tags
challenges living in latin america, mirror designs, mosaic painting, painting bamboo, painting by candlelight, Timeout for Art
Small acrylic exercise in color (detail)
“…If the stories are true, van Gogh would seek out cafes at night to paint, wearing his candlelit straw hat beside other customers. (The Huffington Post- By Todd Van Luling)
After ten days of using flashlights and candles to read – and sometimes to finish a painting session, I am pleased to announce that power has been restored at Casa Loca! I inquired (complained?) last Friday, and again this past Tuesday, and again today. Today the owner of the shrimp farm was with me, and for some reason Xavier’s presence made a difference! Two men drove to the house within half an hour, and ten minutes later, the power problem had been found and repaired!
In progress – Mosaic Mirror
Four or five projects are in progress, and the one requiring the most attention and detail is the border for a mirror. The work is more like drawing than painting, yet the exactness of the edges requires strong focus.
While the layers of paint dry on the mosaic, I’ve enjoyed painting a few more spoon rests. These are much easier and provide a good balance from the exactness of hte mosaics.
Spoon rests and old board once used for hand-washing clothes.
I am in town to upload these images and will rejoice when I return home that I will not have to place candles on my sombrero in order to paint tonight!
Until next week,
Z
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Zeebra Designs & Destinations 
Candlelight is flattering, romantic, useful in an emergency. But for daily work — especially that requiring the eyes? Not so much. Hooray for power restored! California is in your former predicament tonight, in the throes of a huge storm. They’re surfing Lake Tahoe!
drats.. i’m home, and the link just stalls with a white screen. i will definitely watch this when i am back in town.. thanks so much for keeping me in formed!
Typical. Once a guy comes along, it gets fixed. Oh, well, at least you have power!
ha! my ego’s not bruised at all – it’s nice to ask for help and help is there and willing to speak up for the maiden in distress!
So glad you have power restored. And I can’t believe the surf on Lake Tahoe! The weather is not pretty here but at least it’s only gentle drizzle. I am having Time Out to de-clutter. Once that is done I think my creative spirit will be back in full force.
oh my.. the tahoe link didn’t load, as i am now home (with power) though the internet signal is very weak…
have fun w/your de-clutter.. that’s always a good catharsis, especially at the end of the year.. put some back for the new year’s eve effigy burning! z
Ah yes, what a good idea, to put some on a New Year bonfire!
so i awakened at 3 and thought, ‘i’ll bet the internet is fast enough to load the video!’… this is the message i received: ”
“Lake Tahoe Dec…” This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Mr. Truckee.”
drats.. i wondered if that’s true or if someone stepped in and stole the video from the rightful owner.. or if the upload was ‘lifted’ from the rightful owner and used without their permission.
and then i tried for 45 minutes to send this!.. it’s 8:20 now, and let’s try again… z
…and now almost ten! and now 4 in the afternoon!
Reblogged this on MrMilitantNegro™.
Wow. 10 Days?! I thought being without power for one night was miserable… of course, it was 30 degrees outside here….. sigh
ha! aside from not being able to charge the laptop of camera, it’s not that bad here! the lows might hit 68 degrees, and the highs usually are in the high 70’s – sometimes in the 80’s.. if they hit 80-something , there is a nice breeze…
living without electricity forces one to merge rhythms with nature, which is probably the best choice for good health! it’s been nice going to sleep early and awakening before dawn!
thanks so much for your feedback! z
Yes, I agree with merging with nature… but not when it is FREEZING in the house! HA! My fireplace needs cleaning, so I didn’t dare light it up… sigh.
I follow you, and enjoy your work.. I am just not really ‘chatty’ right now, too busy! Hugs, and happy holidays.
Leiah
Yeah, I find that really annoying! My wife can’t get things done, particularly with the banks, and yet when I walk in beside her, everything is sweetness and light even though she is MUCH more capable than I. Still, now you have light again. I love to paint or draw by candlelight, somehow that soft direct lighting makes perception easier. Thank the Lord for small mercies. I love the colours and shapes on those spoon rests! Tony
hey! i just finished admiring your most-recent post re: staph-aureus pneumonia – so interesting.
the drop-down comment box just loaded for this, but your post did not load..thankfully it was complete in the email/post.. isuffice to know that i enjoyed reading the post and seeing more of your work (as always!)
thanks again for the feedback! z
Thanks you are welcome, I’ve also loaded my Punch and Judy on punchandjudyblog.wordpress.com you might be interested in the work that went into that. Tony
oh yes that will be great — except i am now home, and the connection is too slow to load web pages… drats – i will check that the next time i am in town. thanks!
Hey amiga I did my first time out for art
and it is colorful like your art
love the mosaic and the spiral, I love spiral they have so much meaning
love the post
I am so glad you got power back. yay!
amiga! yes, power is back, but the slow internet is still horrid. i am able to read posts via the email inbox, but most webpages are not loading… i loved your post and tried to comment but it won’t load/go through.
your painting is lovely, even if the new watercolors are a bit different than the norm.
They are different, I am use to soft colors and this are very bright I am not use to them at all,they were not doing what I am use to, but they are colorful.
don’t worry Lisa I know you got to see it
sometimes I do not write I know you are having a hard time.
have a great weekend lisa!
I love the way you can take any old sow’s ear and turn it into a silk purse!
ha! thank you so much! i’ll have to poke around and see if there’s a unique opportunity to sew a unique purse!
I’m amazed Lisa how through all the difficulties/challenges you stay so calm and relaxed and go with the flow, you are an inspiration and I love to see the art work you produce often under difficult circumstances.
i remind myself, ‘if this is as bad as my day gets, i am lucky…’
there are so many people facing difficult challenges and surely feel overwhelmed.. i am grateful to have good health, a creative mind that finds solutions, and many interests and talents to stay entertained each day. i am also lucky to be comfortable with silence, which is probably the most important gift of all….
my biggest frustration is the slow internet, but that’s only at my house – in town it’s great, and that’s where i write my posts…
thanks again, amiga!
z
You have created a small paradise for yourself and the wonder and beauty of nature you show us in your blog must be a huge compensation for the niggles of a slow internet. I’m so pleased you have the use of internet in town to keep in touch with us.
hey amiga
as you well know, it’s often hard to leave the comforts of home, and i had to ‘kick’ myself to town today – after three days of saying ‘ tomorrow i will go…’
ah, it’s good to go to town and use the internet, have a nice meal, purchae items for the enxt session at home, but it’s great to be home and have so many creative things to do – or to throw on the brakes and do nothing!
It is lovely to have the options and no matter what the choice is you make the most of it.
yeah on the power !! We’ve had our issues here but never for that long. Love the mosaic and the spoon rest are adorable.
Your colors and forms are breathtaking and inspiring –
AnnMarie 🙂
10 days? 10 days! Oh my! I bought a really bright solar powered lantern in Rivas for about $10. It recharges with solar and with electricity…when you have electricity. Do you have a refrigerator? Did you lose much food? You amaze me with your calmness and your fortitude. Bravo to Xavier! Sometimes that is what it takes.
I’d say most of the world’s great art was done by candlelight. You’re in great company. 🙂
I applaud your 10 days! Isn’t it interesting how we come to think that having electricity. water and food on demand is a “right” not a privilege. We forget that growing food take much longer than running down to the local grocery store. And we sometimes forget that heat and electricity came to us because people worked hard to lay the infrastructure. Just recently, my washing machine broke down and I had to wash clothes by hand for about a week. I was frustrated until I realized I was washing my clothes in “drinking” water that many people lack. There are so many things to be thankful for – and one of them is that I found your blog.
All the very best of the holiday season.
you are so right, and sometimes we have to do without in order to appreciate what we have. you, of course, are wired for sensitivity and definitely have empathy for others.
i treasure knowing you as well, kindred spirit!
happy holidays! z
Hugs coming back your way!! 🙂
We lose power at the oddest times but most often when it’s -30 outside! Makes me wonder how my ancestors ever made it through the winters…
Here on my perch on the (pacific coast) equator, the lows rarely dip below 68 F and the highs usually reach 80 – sometimes higher, but that’s the norm. When I hear of those extreme lows, I often worry about those who live in cities, and what would happen if a major power outage blacked out the area for weeks or even months. It worries me – our ancestors prepared and adapted and were hunters; most people now would have a hard time.
It was cool last night – an exact 70, which felt much cooler!
Thanks so much for your feedback! Z
Unfortunately, most people’s idea of hunting in this half of the hemisphere is browsing the gricery store! We’re a bit more old school and keep a relatively well-stocked dry cold pantry but those critters in the neighbourhood would have to watch their backs if the deep freeze went on too long!
it’s so smart to rely on one’s own resources and not be dependent on nearby stores. with the rainy season approaching, i stock up on a few more items each time i go to town so that if bad weather sets in, i won’t have to wade thru three miles of muddy roads to restock!
most don’t realize that i don’t have a refrigerator or freezer 0— good thing, as i would be losing lots of inventory on a regular basis!
i can always dig worms and use them to catch fish in the river, and i rely on hibiscus flowers for my salad lettuce needs. moringa gives me extra protein, and sundry herbs grow in the flower beds. lima beans are growing now to produce during the height of the rainy season as well!
happy holidays! z
Happy New Year – here’s to increased internet access and the small pleasures in life!
Thing move in a relaxed (slow) pace in Ecuador. That could be a good thing but then sometimes, not. Glad you got the power back, but I’m sure it didn’t hold you up too much. 🙂
I painted until about 8 last night, with the aid of light, and I pondered that it’s really not so bad to be without power… as long as ‘power’ is nearby, and the world is not in a major power crisis.
the internet is usually too slow to load pages, so i have basically given up trying to do anything except anwer emails. In the wee hours or early morning, the drop-down comment bar sometimes loads, like now! yippeeee!
thanks, amiga, and happy holidays!
Happy holidays, Lisa. Any word/art from you is good news. 😉
Whatever influence Xavier had deserves applause and a bottle of wine. Otherwise, you might still be in the dark. But I like the image of painting in the dark…in my case, it would be a good excuse for my painting results! 🙂
ha! sometimes when i look at my work in the strong light of day, i think, ‘don’t ever paint in low light again.. last night i painted my laptop’s outside cover! it doesn’t look so bad, but it’s a simple swirling design – took no thought or talent, and it’s now so much happier than it was when it was generic gray!