Living the Dream in Retirement
After long stretches of sunny, unseasonably warm temps in Michigan, signs of Spring are appearing earlier than usual. I took these photos yesterday and this morning woke to the sounds of rainfall with prediction of more rain for the next seven days….
For a few hours on sunny afternoons, my dining room window showers rainbows across the floor and walls. Today I took my new kitten Reo into the dining room to show her. She proceeded to strike a few poses with the rainbows on her fur…
On Saturday I adopted a kitten named Reo from Feral Kitty Trappers. Biscotti and I had been struggling with the loss of our sweet Tipper and when I came across her profile on petfinder.com I knew I had to meet her. Just five months old, she’s a little love bug and a welcome addition to our family. While she and Biscotti are a bit wary of each other, I know in time they’ll be inseparable.
One week ago Tipper crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Â This post is a way to memorialize my sweet boy who was so greatly loved. His passing has left Biscotti and I with heartbreak yet so many happy memories. Â RIP my angel kitty.
At times when I’m painting tiles images emerge and I’ve titled these tiles accordingly.
As I share my tile photos via social media, I don’t always include my “vision”. As a result, in comments I learn what others see – and that’s  fun.  Other interpretations are fascinating to me and often I begin to see what they see. Like life, it’s good to be open to another’s perspective.
What do you see?
This subway tile is unique compared to others I’ve done. I displayed it on an easel on my mantle. Days later after enjoying a blazing fire, I closed the fireplace doors for the night. The tile and easel fell, hitting the hearth and breaking in two. I thought all was lost. I ordered a craft adhesive recommended by my sister’s friends for use on ceramics. It was worth a shot. Â The adhesive was amazing but now there was a visible diagonal break line. What to do? Â I decided to add this leaning tree. While it’s not perfect, it’s salvaged.
Not unlike life, it wears a “scar” now and looks a bit different – but it survived. Â
If you’ve visited my blog in recent months, you know that I’ve become addicted to painting with alcohol ink. I decided to try my hand at painting pots, pocket planters and these saucers that are just right for a wine bottle coaster or a ring dish.
My obsession with painting on ceramic tiles led me to a box of glazed white subway tiles, perfect for alcohol ink. There’s something magical that happens with alcohol ink and flame from a long Bic lighter. Â Here’s what I’ve created so far.
This winter we’ve had more sunny days than usual. When sunlight streams into my dining room/art studio it beckons me to paint. The gallery below represents my January 2021 paintings using alcohol ink on Yupo paper. I’ve titled a few based on either inspiration or the end results.
