Monday, June 15, 2015

BLUE!

I've always had a fascination with colors and their meanings.  Did you know--what color you wear or display presents your personality?  Or your feelings?  Or your station in life?
Today I spend some time on BLUE


Spinning Blue makes me Blue!


"On Being Blue" is a book about everything blue--sex and sleaze and sadness, among other things--and about everything else. It brings us the world in a word as only William H. Gass, among contemporary American writers, can do.
Gass writes:
"Of the colors, blue and green have the greatest emotional range. Sad reds and melancholy yellows are difficult to turn up. Among the ancient elements, blue occurs everywhere: in ice and water, in the flame as purely as in the flower, overhead and inside caves, covering fruit and oozing out of clay. Although green enlivens the earth and mixes in the ocean, and we find it, copperish, in fire; green air, green skies, are rare. Gray and brown are widely distributed, but there are no joyful swatches of either, or any of exuberant black, sullen pink, or acquiescent orange. Blue is therefore most suitable as the color of interior life. Whether slick light sharp high bright thin quick sour new and cool or low deep sweet dark soft slow smooth heavy old and warm: blue moves easily among them all, and all profoundly qualify our states of feeling."
Blue Skies, Blue Flowers, Blue is resting to the eyes but how do you see Blue?

Human eyes perceive blue when observing light with a wavelength between 450 and 495 nanometers. Blues with a higher frequency and thus a shorter wavelength gradually look more violet, while those with a lower frequency and a longer wavelength gradually appear more green. Pure blue, in the middle, has a wavelength of 470 nanometers. When sunlight passes through the atmosphere, the blue wavelengths are scattered more widely by the oxygen and nitrogen molecules, and more blue comes to our eyes.
Does that make sense? 

Early mankind had no access to blue, because blue is not what you call an earth color,” said Dr. Berke, a chemist who has studied the history of blue pigment. “You don’t find it in the soil.” Only with the advent of mining, he said, could sources of blue pigment be extracted.
blue was the first man-made pigment -- the first pigment ever engineered. And the word for blue didn’t come into existence until after this material was made by man.  there are almost no blue animals, blue eyes are rare, and blue flowers are mostly human creations. 

This is so much science about BLUE--it's a really an interesting subject to study.

Sunday, June 14, 2015

Flag Day




In the United StatesFlag Day is celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened on that day in 1777 by resolution of the Second Continental Congress.[1] The United States Army also celebrates the Army Birthdayon this date; Congress adopted "the American continental army" after reaching a consensus position in the Committee of the Whole on June 14, 1775.[2][3]
In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day; in August 1949, National Flag Day was established by an Act of Congress. Flag Day is not an official federal holidayTitle 36 of the United States Code, Subtitle I, Part A, CHAPTER 1, § 110[4] is the official statute on Flag Day; however, it is at the President's discretion to officially proclaim the observance. On June 14, 1937, Pennsylvania became the first U.S. state to celebrate Flag Day as a state holiday, beginning in the town of Rennerdale.[1] New York Statutes designate the second Sunday in June as Flag Day, a state holiday.[

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Dining Al Fresco on Larimer Square 2015

Larimer Square Events is happening tonight!  It's a special time of the year when several restaurants in Larimer Square, Denver, close down the block in front of their location, place tables and chairs in the street--Yes, in the street!  The award-winning restaurants of Larimer Square extend their patios into the streets for a one-of-a-kind dining experience on Denver’s most charming block. With happy hour festivities, dinner, live music and an evening under the stars, Dining Al Fresco is one of the city’s best summer scenes.

So, if you want to find me tonight--come on down!  I'll be there in the crowd enjoying the lovely weather under the stars!  There will be two more opportunities to dine Al fresco this summer--
July 11 and August 15!  Make your reservations soon.....................


Friday, June 12, 2015

Little Critters!

 
There are many little critters out there roaming around on plants, animals, etc.
Recently, I found some of these critters in the gardens of the herb farm and other plant locations.
Some I know what they are
but others,
not!
Take this little critter--he sure looks funny!  So don't know what his name is--
wonder if he eats this plant material or just hangs around to
catch lunch--
like..............

this little one.  Not so much a ladybug look but
colors are interesting.
Maybe, it took a bite out of the leaf in the background.

And this creature!! Will some day turn into this
beautiful butterfly!


There are some little critters you can't see with the naked eye until...........
you look closely--the red color on this cactus comes from this
little guy--well, gal.  It's a cochineal beetle and it gives us lovely reds when processed.
Cochineal lives on cactus and I love when we drive through the desert and see these
brightly enflamed pads!
Oh, yes, there are interesting little critters lingering out there.

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Okay--I'm Playing Along.....................


Oh My Gosh!  I've got to stop looking around on the Internet!
I have found way too many things that take my attention away from
what I'm suppose to be doing.
Just look at these nifty action loaded creative projects!



Babble Dabble Do website is not only creative but here we use our heads with math--
geometry--Yes!  I was horrible at Geometry!  If the math teacher had given me
this for a project, I would have learned so much.
Take a look at the website--view the video, print out the template for Flextangle:
color, fold, and have fun!
This website is just not for kids!

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Hi Ho! It's Off To The Quilters We Go....................................................

Well, it's about time!
These tops have been sitting around
aging too long!
I contacted two of my Colorado quilters
to see if they were interested.....
and the answer was resounding
YES!
So, this week we are off to meet up with
the quilters who will turn these
tops into quilts!
 
 
This was a monthly ROM (Row of the month) project.
Really enjoyed doing this one--each row was easy to complete
 

A finished orphan block top that I finished up last summer!
this was so much fun!



Now, why did I do this top??  These penguins were just too darn
cute, I couldn't resist!  I'm sure someone will want it.

This was the BIG project from Bonnie Hunter gathering last summer--see,
I said these were well aged tops!  It's a huge top--106"x106"!  Should have cut it down
 

This is 2015 top--not so aged!  It was Ebony Love's pattern for
Downton Abbey series.  I didn't buy the fabrics; instead used all stash fabrics
and I think it turned out pretty good.
Ok, Hi Ho--off to the quilters I go!

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

The Sculpture Ranch and Galleries

One afternoon as we drove outside of Johnson City, Texas we took a detour into the Hill Country.
It was a scenic drive with views of pastures filled with grazing cattle, creek beds and gurgling streams to view this 142 acres of wondrous sculptures that dotted the roadside.
The setting is peaceful
and the art pieces enchanting!
Take a drive with us as
we view some of these
special pieces
 
 
The property was purchased in 1999 by Italian artist Benini who turned a large part of these 143± acres into "The Sculpture Ranch", a showcase for international sculpture enhanced by the natural beauty and views of the Texas Hill Country.

At this time, more than 100 pieces are installed outdoors by 44 sculptors.
 

Viewing is free, just register at the main office

Check their website for hours open to the public

The galleries are filled with paintings and sculpture ~ a 50-year span of Benini's paintings and divertimenti as well as guests artists from Italy and smaller sculptures by sculptors who have largescale pieces on the hills and trails




This piece was intriguing with the hills in the background and the lake in the fore ground.
and then we walked into the gallery space.........
delightful!!


The gallery is located in the former hanger of President Johnson's helicopter that he used for
hunting. 

The gallery is spacious and the art is outstanding!
This was an oh WOW time!!







Victory!!!

I’m a Victor in finishing these blocks!   Can’t believe I bit off more than I can chew (as the saying goes)!  Trying to keep up with five di...