Finally Doing Some Painting...

Not the kind of painting you were thinking...right. But, I did 20 miniature paintings...all toe and finger nails!!! Had to get this turquoise color...too pretty and notice how it goes with my second hand store shoes that I picked up for 1.99...that's right!...and never been worn....

My boy Tigrrr loves when Mom puts on any kind of make-up...always finds me when I am doing that...so I guess this counts, too!

My Hero and me....

This picture was taken at a wedding about 5-6 years ago...Mom was heavier then, now 25-30 lbs lighter...due to her problems... She would never let me take a pic of her now....but she is still a beauty....even sick...you cannot escape inner beauty as well as outer beauty. And she is both...
I take after her...petite, but I am taller than a petite....????!!!!
She could have been in the movies, such beauty...............................................................
I hope to gather some of her strength through her health ordeals.....she is an Italian dynamo, just hope some of it has rubbed off on me!!!!

Quote

" the main thing in life

is not to be afraid of being human."

pablo casals

Do You Believe in the Power of Prayer?

If you do, all I ask is that you say a little prayer for my Mother...yesterday we got word that one of her CAT SCANS, abdomen, had a suspicious area...right near her colostomy. She has suspicious nodules in her lungs and they are not sure if cancer has returned...and we have been dealing with that since Oct, when they were discovered..not much change in those, which I guess is good. But the lung specialist sent her to a Dr for serious weight loss and digestive disease. Now, he is sending us to her Oncologist with this new result. Which is scheduled for Thurs. He will take it from here with more tests. I do not look forward to tomorrow.

The problem is that she is fading away from life...massive problems with the colostomy...and has trouble even talking and walking, she is sooo weak. When I hug her, I get sick to my stomach and can't eat myself...she is skin covering a skeleton. But she is still so beautiful and giving, loving....We both hugged and cried and she said to me that we needed to take care of things...she nor I like to think about it, but we have to be strong and do it. We have always been so close...and she said to me, while I was holding her fragile body in my arms (after the Dr's call), that we have been through so much and it can't last. She is my best friend, my hero...and has suffered like no human being should have to....since her first cancer diagnosis in 1992. Rectal cancer, then 2 years later, after losing a sister to breast cancer 4 months earlier, had cancer in both breasts at the same time....has almost lost her life 3 times to the colostomy and can't live a normal life, she has not been able to travel or enjoy life because her colostomy keeps her house-bound. Many people have told her they would not live like that...and that is a real hard thing to hear...she fights for her life everyday and never gave up....no matter what. Like I have said...she is my Hero...

Altered Book/Art Journal...my first attempt

The cover was a paper towel I used when I painted, I glued it down then painted over it with white glue watered down. When it dried, it dried with a sheen and hard coating...nice.

Final spread, I am not a smoker, but my Daddy was a living smoke-stack...the one on the right is a self portrait...they make me laugh.

Fourth spread...I was going to give her face details, but she spoke to me unfinished...and fit the quote perfectly.

Middle spread...supposed to pop up, her halo and wing tops, but does not want to participate. It is funny, I used Bible pages for her wings and the quote is about age...here it is the story of Noah and that he is 600 years old...Someone had to point that out to me, I never read it...so see, it is never too late!

Second spread...she is pure class with her Bee-Hive hair doooo. She is peeking out from an envelope. Inside is a special message!

First spread, using a ticket admitting one for the little bird is giving her a solo performance of his sweet songs.

This is my first attempt at altering a book or making an art journal. I used it for my final Drawing class assignment, we only had to create a drawing, medium of choice...and I went overboard, as usual! The child's hard cardboard page book only cost .25 at the thrift store. Then I covered the spreads with papers, gesso, whatever...and quotes that I felt were relative to my feelings at the time. The background art in the first pic are other students work from the class.

Mother's Day Tribute for my Mother

My Mom, Mary Camellia, a beautiful Italian woman then and now...although she would not agree with that statement, she is struggling with her life and is skin and bones...she is my Hero, a three time cancer survivor (praying it has not invaded her weak body again), and my Best Friend. We are so close and have always been. I was really sick in my late teens and almost died and we have gone through so much together...she took care of me and now I am taking care of her.

She signed it for a niece in CA, my cousin Sandi. Mom was a "Miss Westinghouse"...that is how she met my Dad, they both worked for Westinghouse. I will be spending the day with my Mom and giving her a colored pencil portrait of her "Scooter Boy"....my furry little brother!