A Tintinnabulum

Today’s weird bird has a ring to it…

Tintinnabulum – (N) a small, tinkling bell or set of bells playing in succession.

This bird gives new meaning to a “wingding!” Lol!

Happy Weird Bird Wednesday!

Cheers! 🙂

A Ladder Bird

I have a Limerick for today’s weird bird.

There once was a Ladder bird named Delores,

Whose neck was long like a Brachiosaurus,

She rose to the top,

Chirping nonstop,

When voted most successful in the chorus!

May you sing nonstop today like Delores!

Happy Weird Bird Wednesday!

Chirp, Chirp! 🙂

Bird Band

Unfortunately, this bird band has been banned in several neighborhoods because of their LOUD and REPETITIVE playing and singing…

The Oom-Pah-Pah Feathered Trio

The “Oom-Pah-Pah Family Feathered Trio” was last seen in a neighborhood in New Jersey…

Be on the look out, this bird band may be flying your way!

Happy Weird Bird Wednesday!

Cheers! 🙂

Oh, Deer…

Remember the song, “Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reindeer” – this is my version:

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen,

Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen,

But do you recall…

The most famous weird bird of all?

Ruby the elf-deer birdy,

Sang a different melody

And if you ever heard it,

You would think she sang off-key.

All of the other birdies

Used to laugh and throw bird seed,

They never let poor Ruby

Sing from her heart, really…

Then one foggy Christmas Eve

Santa came to say,

Ruby with your song so bright

Won’t you sing on my flight tonight?

Then how the birdies loved her

And sang along with glee,

Ruby, oh, Weird Bird Wednesday

You will go down in history!

I hope this gives you a smile today…

And Cheers to singing off-key!! 😉

So Noted…

I have discovered two fabulous ways to get one’s creative juices flowing as warm-up exercises in art making.

I learned these ideas from Anita Lehmann in her online class, Translating Landscapes, hosted by Carla Sonheim.

The first idea involves creating marks with a variety of art mediums and tools.  One “natural” tool was a stick!  I had so much fun dipping a stick into ink and “making marks” with it… And using a variety of materials to create this piece:

The second idea was making marks while listening to music.  I created this piece while listening to Eva Cassidy and Natalie Merchant:

I enjoyed both exercises.

So noted, my favorite was the one with the music!

I encourage you to turn up the music and create!

Cheers! 🙂

Forever Variations

My hubby was listening to the jazz pianists, Bob James and Keiko Matsui from their album, “Altair and Vega,” last evening while I was working on this doodle:

I thought the title of one of their pieces, “The Forever Variations, was fitting for my doodle which started simply:

And patterns grew in complexity, much like their music:

I had a Micron pen explode on me, so I’m working some “spots” into my design…

It is a work in progress that I’m enjoying while listening to the smooth jazz!

What music do you enjoy listening to while creating?  I’d love if you shared it with me… It might inspire me in my next doodle!

Cheers! 🙂

A Little Silly Fun…

I needed a gift for a “white elephant gift exchange.”  I’m not quite sure where this terminology came from as it has nothing to do with elephants! 😉

To me, it means to re-gift something I received and don’t need or perhaps, give something “creative.”

I decided on a little silly fun this year and created this one-of-a-kind gift!

A “Caroler” in a former life that I purchased at a thrift store years ago, I made him into a quirky guy that loves the lake!

It was super fun to create a poem to go with him… I will get to that later in this post.

This silly guy actually moves – his head slowly turns in circles and his right arm moves up and down when he is plugged in to an outlet.  A little weird, I must say!

I started by giving him an old cup for a hat and taped a bird on top.  The bird house came next.  On the back, I added this “key” message (from a candy wrapper):

He needed a beach towel, so I cut-up an old wash cloth and sewed the outside edges. I used a paper napkin to represent “happy hour” where friends gather to share an appetizer and a drink as you can see in my first photo.

Below, I created a fishing pole from an old paint brush and beads – including a bead for a fish:

He needed a little summer outfit so I sewed some fabric to give him some pizzazz and cover up that ugly green outfit he was wearing – who says men can’t wear skirts!! Hahaha!

I finished him, by adding a Christmas ornament of a chair, a rubber stamp image of an image in the woods and writing a message on the base:

Below is one of the stanzas I wrote for my poem to the song, “Over The River And Through The Woods.”

 

Over the river and through the woods

We look forward to each year…

The memories we make

At this beautiful lake

Are the treasures we hold dear.

I look forward to seeing who receives my creative surprise… I encourage you to “think outside the box” when you give a gift!

Cheers! 🙂

A Button Tree?

Carla Sonheim’s assignment for her online 365-day video class was to plant something other than a seed… and describe what would grow!

So I wrote a sweet poem and created A Button Tree:

Maybe it could be a song for a child’s book like this one?

I found this joyful “Thanksgiving” song in it that you may enjoy:

I like that last line, “Happy hearts and thankful…” may this give you the reason why.

Cheers! 🙂

Stardust

My husband and I attended a Jazz concert last evening with The Whitworth Jazz Ensemble and special guest, Branford Marsalis.

We got super seats – only 3 rows back from the stage:

The venue was the Fox Theater in downtown Spokane, Washington.  It was originally a 1931 Art Deco movie theater designed by architect Robert C Reamer, who was notable for his design of the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone Park, Wyoming.

After a 31 million dollar renovation in 2007, the restored building retains some of its original architectural details and lighting fixtures:

Branford played a solo of “Stardust” on the saxophone that was extraordinary!  I closed my eyes and enjoyed listening to him play his instrument with such precision.

After three standing ovations, the crowd dispersed but I don’t think anyone was ready for the concert to be over.

Here is the beautiful lighting in the ceiling – I just love the patterns!

Wishing you all a Sunny Sunday… listening to music that makes you happy!

Cheers!  🙂