Tags
Floor Painting, Math and Painting, Painted Designs for Floors, Solomon's Knot, Timeout for Art, Timeout FROM Art, WordPress Blog Siites
One of nine panels, this 2′ x 4′ section will be part of the border. (Acrylic on plywood)
Hola Sports Fans; I’m writing via off-line mode while taking a break from a floor project. Black paint is drying, so it’s best to take ten or more giant steps away from the work and enjoy a break! Nine pieces of plywood make up this large jigsaw floor puzzle that will upgrade an 8-foot area that overlooks the river. Clear thick plastic protects each finished panel until all are fine-tuned and adjusted to merge with the others. The design should be ready for varnish on Tuesday. It’s been a challenging and rewarding project, and you’ll see the entire floor on the next Timeout for Art.
Center 4′ x 4′ Section – detail
Border Detail
Yesterday my dear friend Silvana, back from her internship in Minnesota, dropped by the house and happily accepted the task of filling in areas with color. We set up a work area on the balcony and watched the birds and fishermen as we painted. Time flew, and at sunset we stopped to take photos from a slightly-different vantage point before she returned to Jama.
Although the rainy season is quite late, many birds are displaying breeding plumage.
Silvana gazes toward the boca as the fisherman snags another fish!
The Claro USB internet modem rolled over and played ‘possum this past Monday morning and continued to flatline until yesterday around noon, when it worked for about ten minutes. Like February’s Mr. Groundhog, it wasn’t too fond of seeing its shadow and quickly returned to hibernation mode! (I’ve learned to open as many pages as possible then read them off line.)
Why spend time online when one can be enjoying a day with Mother Nature?!
At night, when the river is quiet and I am painting, time sometimes seems to halt; I emerged from my painting trance at 1:30 this morning and was shocked to see how long I had worked. I was also shocked to see that the USB modem had awakened and was communicating with cyberspace, so I stayed online for several hours and caught up just a tiny bit.
Many posts caught my attention:
Hugh Curtler opened his post with this sentence, “Unless perhaps you live in Ecuador, where such trivial incidents are rightly ignored, you have probably been aware of the controversy surrounding the footballs used in the AFC Championship by the New England Patriots.”
He was right; I had not heard about the controversy, and I had not heard the scores and (gasp) did not know which teams would be playing in the Super Bowl. Enjoy his post and spend time exploring his site. This sensitive Emeritus Professor of Philosophy might have retired from mentoring others and coaching tennis, but he prompts us to think and reflect and question our values with thought-provoking posts.
https://hughcurtler.wordpress.com/2015/01/24/deflate-gate/
Raye, a witty and multiple-talented friend, posted a fun invitation to dinner. I volunteered to run a magic-carpet carpool – let me know if you’d like to thumb a ride, but please let her know that you’d like to attend. https://jotsfromasmallapt.wordpress.com/2015/01/23/consider-yourself-invited
Posts don’t always deliver good news, and an update from another Ray was written by his wife. This post reminds us all of how fragile Life can be, and to treasure the moments we have with our loved ones. Things can change suddenly, as this post illustrates. Please join a world-wide support group as a highly-talented artist fights for his health and his life.
https://urbanwallart.wordpress.com/2015/01/23/please-send-positive-energy
Simple pleasures and easy smiles
“Southern Cross” Carlos in Argentina pairs soothing images with poetic narratives about the pastoral countryside of his area. His posts changed tone in the past year as he dealt with his diagnosis of cancer, and he waves a flag every so often and gives us another peaceful serving of “southern” South America. His most recent post failed to open, but I’ll be there soon, dear Carlos, to see what lovely story and images you have shared this week.
http://1cruzdelsur.wordpress.com/
Sunset Calm
With little time online, I’ve missed seeing many favorite blog sites. In yesterday’s short window of time I was blessed with another grand batch of images (that loaded via inbox!) from BlueBrightly … Sigh, she is SO talented and captures the essence of Nature.
https://bluebrightly.wordpress.com/2015/01/23/boardman-lake-north-cascades
Hey! He caught a fish as well! (And later gave me fish for dinner!)
This post about Ingapirca remained on my screen until the images finally loaded and was worth the wait. I was unable to nudge, push or kick my comment from my computer to the post, but wow, if you want to travel to an ancient site, this post will transport you there immediately! I visited Ingapirca seven or eight years ago, and this post makes me wistful to return.
http://www.notyouraverageamerican.com/2015/01/22/ingapirca-the-ruins/
He called these fish “Raspara Balsa”
Most of the time I am able to read posts via the inbox, but the link to the page usually delivers a blank page that states, “This webpage is not available.” Sigh – if you see that someone from Ecuador visited your site, it might have been my failed attempts to wave a flag to say, ‘I’m here and I tried!”
Here’s one that arrived via email post that gave me a chuckle, especially about bartering for a lower price when you know what that lower price can be: https://suellewellyn2011.wordpress.com/2015/01/23/a-very-superior-type-of-beach-mat-chapter-11-a-samian-summer (Thanks for the entire narrative in the inbox – I was unable to view the images or open the page/leave a comment, but I enjoyed the story!)
Not bad for an end-of-day view with temps around 85-degrees F ?
Debbie, I’m quite curious to read your post that addresses the “Perpetual Tourist.” The cyber demons have made that task difficult, but I’ll be back when they’re not looking! I have a fun “Perpetual Tourist” Story from when I was tarpon fishing in your Lake Nicaragua. It’s worthy of a post; my friend and sidekick on that trip was Barb, who will second the motion of it being blog worthy! Until then, I’ll wonder what this post is about:
https://retirenicaragua.wordpress.com/2015/01/22/illegal-immigrants-and-perpetual-tourists-in-nicaragua/
Back home, the view upriver is equally stunning.
I’ll be trying another company’s USB system soon and hope that it will be an improvement over the one I’ve been using. If so, I might ask if I can be a traveling salesman and peddle their system to others who live away from the main grid! For now, this primitive USB connection seems to be back in its normal mode – working for ten minutes then not for the next hour or so. It even saved the draft of this post! Yes, I might be able to shove this post out of the gate before it slams shut!
Hold that thought, and I’ll be back on Thursday!
Z
How many birds? Birds soar home to the mangroves as the new moon waxes in the sky.
(This even qualifies for this week’s WP Challenge – Express Yourself! Go HERE for many creative versions of this theme.)
Zeebra Designs & Destinations 
Thanks for the nod and the kind words, my friend. I am glad we met.
you are so welcome, and i am equally happy to know you, all thanks to wordpress!
He looks so happy!
Such lovely thoughts Lisa and I look forward to following the links to your friends. With so many millions of blogs out there it is good to have a recommendation about ones a blog buddy enjoys. Fingers crossed that you next connection is better than the present one.
It is amazing that someone’s internet is worse than mine. Off, on. Off, on. Off. Off. On, off. It is disgusting.
Your words and photos are wonderful, again.
ha… it reminds me of the old days of dialup, when one could read several chapters in a book while a page loaded!
So pleased to hear of Silvana’s return. 🙂 Lisa your patience with the internet service, or lack of it, is admirable.
thanks, amiga! there are many days where there’s so much happening and i’d love to share – and know that it would be impossible to do without spending three or four hours to reach a new post page!
one day i will rejoice with fast internet, but for now, i have great consolation prizes outside in nature!
Z, great floor lay out. Good luck on finishing it up. Thanks for the tributes to others and the nice fishing trip with our friends, closing out with a breathtaking sunset. Take care, amiga, BTG
thanks! i hope to be finished by noon tomorrow so that i can brush varnish on all of the pieces then finally install them.
two pages of your posts remain on my browser, and so far they’re not opening. not your fault but the connection’s.. of course i enjoyed – and envied the foo fighters info… there are times when television has its rightful place, as well as fast internet to view videos!
will keep trying, but i’m always glad to be able to read posts via email inbox, which loads easier than a webpage. z
Thanks. Good luck on the varnishing and installation. I told Hugh I was not a Foo Fighters afficianado before, but appreciate greatly what they are doing and the music does resonate more when you see what goes into it.
The floor project looks like it will be amazing, but I also see your photos as artwork as well. They paint a picture of what your life is like and the tranquil setting in which you live. Thanks for sharing that.
thanks; i think of you and a few other ‘wood working’ friends when i am dealing with unsquare rooms (rombus?) and the panels do not quite align because the room is not square… grr! it’snice to look out and see the calm river.. let’s hope it’s still calm when the rainy season is finished – if it ever starts!
If its any consolation, there is no such thing as a square room, even or especially in a new house. A close look at the walls and floors will show a slightly widening or narrowing piece to fill in the spaces.
Thanks again for stopping by last week! We always love your posts, but the spirit of life and joy you brought with a “for real” visit continues to fill our home and our hearts. Good luck on the floor project and keep trying with the internet – your efforts are greatly appreciated by those of us lucky enough to read and follow your posts.
there’s nothing like a true visit, and a little dose trumps none at all! thanks for being the special people that you are.. i’m blessed to know you! z
A friend whose spirit is larger than life itself – beautiful post Lisa. Your photographs fill a beautiful need we have to love life and appreciate the goodness that surrounds us. Thanks ~
you are so kind, dear mary, and i hope that one day we will meet in person. you are an inspiration to all – your dedication to your art is amazing…
You are too kind, but can you imagine the flurry of art activity that we’d find ourselves in – ha, now that would be of epic proportions! Have a great week ~
Lisa, I had so much fun reading all the links you posted and I can’t wait to see your 9 panel …9 panels???…jigsaw puzzle. Here’s hoping the internet duende leaves you alone for a long period of time to catch up on deflategate and other bizarre news. I’m sending positive energy to your friend Ray and Carlos. Hugs.
i had one problem – after the panels are cut, it’s hard to tell which is the good side and which is the bad. sometimes it was obvious after i had drawn the design and started painting.. areas are very rough and seem to drink the paint… oh well, i’m learning!
Your panel work looks amazing, Liza. You are a hard working and warm hearted woman – always. I so admire you – also your patience with internet…I sent my thoughts to your friend who is taken severely ill.
Thank you for being there.
you have been very busy lately, amiga, and i’ve been able to view few and comment on fewer w/the slow/no internet and power problems. the good thing is that it’s not cold here, and i’m lucky to have full days even without those conveniences! stay warm and wll during this winter season! z
I follow you in wonder, my friend – love your life and work! Thank you for being there.