No Shelves Today- Sunday Adveture Part 3

Our Sunday adventure continued after lunch as we strolled through Market Square in Portsmouth. Just off the Square is Kennedy Gallery & Custom Framing, which was featuring their Art Around Town artist of the month, Meg Shoen.  Meg happens to double as the laundry lady on Star Island (which is part of the Isles of Shoals, just off our coast).  I just loved this watercolor that was hanging in the window........laundry blowing in the breeze on island. Wish you could see it better through the glass. Did I say I loved it?

Meg also uses the linocut 'reduction' method to create her art.  Kennedy Gallery had a wonderful display showing the process, step by step, that Meg uses to create her art by this method. 

Step 1- a sketch is drawn and it's reverse image is transferred onto the linoblock.  This will ensure that when it is printed, its orientation is the same as the original.

Step 2- Artist makes intial cuts in block and begins inking a portion to control color overlap.

Step 3-7- Artist continues making cuts and applying ink to select areas.

Step 8- The final image is produced when the artist inks the remaining image on the block and hand coloring is added for additional depth.

Picasso used the reduction method as well and call it the 'suicide method', because after inking and reinking to produce each separate color, there is very little of the original block left.  Production has to be planned carefully for this reason. 

Kennedy Gallery also had many other wonderful works of art. So many talented and inspiring artists.

This painting was done by Kennedy's next Art Around Town artist, who's name I neglected to write down. Terribly sorry. Really wonderful work though.

I could browse all day in a gallery or bookstore.

Spied this fun green fabric display on our way to back to the car. I know the glass is shiny and makes it hard to see the fabric in it's full glory, but I like the way
some of the pretty waterfront buildings are reflected (bottom right corner).

Headed out of town (couldn't convince Gar to get an ice cream.......bummer) and drove through Pease Tradeport (which used to be Pease Air Force base but as been redevoloped after closure). 

Just look at what is being stored at a warehousing facility at there...............

............the gigantic blades for enormous windmills/turbines. Pretty cool.

The sunny blue skies continued when we got home. Sunday was as gorgeous as it gets.

So long and farewell R2

Our dear friend Cindy (my sister's best pal since high school), who is really  family, called to tell us her husband Ron had died suddenly.  We're in shock. R2 (what I called 'Ronnie Ray' for short) was crazy, and that's why we loved him. They found each other later in life, but were a perfect match. Our hearts go out to Cin. Ron will be missed. If you didn't know it already, live each day to the fullest. Each day.

Ron & DiddleBain (that's me) at our MardiGras festivities a few years ago.

Sunset Meadows

I think Ron still had something else to say last night.

Mommahoohoo Ron. Love P & G.

No Shelves Today- Sunday Adventure PART 2

Sunday Adventure Part Two

Heading out of Durham on our way to Portsmouth on Sunday, we passed Wagon Hill.  Hhhmmm, wonder why they call it that?

Once we hit Portsmouth, we headed straight for the historic port area along the Piscataqua River and the mouth of the bay. Lots of decks to choose from........we had a margarita on Poco Diablo's deck, made by our neighbor's son Andrew. Forgot to take a pic of the bartender- whoops! For that matter, forgot to get a pic of the decks too.

Here's the Carly A. Turecam Tug and a big cargo ship, the Saimmaagracht from Amsterdam, probably loading a ton of salt from the salt piles. You know, the kind of salt that goes on the road in winter, not the kind that went on the rim of our margaritas.

Spied my favorite sign of the day at Macro Unleashed, as we headed away from the decks.

"If you don't talk to your cat about catnip, who will?" Cracked me right up.

Onto lunch at RiRa, a great Irish pub with a good pint of Guinness (which is not always easy to come by). Beyond the pint, RiRa is housed in a former bank in Market Square and the building is gorgeous. Just look at this dome. It's really something else.

Then my second favorite sign of the day.



There is nothing like the late night chipper when you're out at the pubs in Dublin....or Portsmouth.

Another shot of the dome, and the beautiful lights that hang from the ceiling of RiRa. Beautiful deco style.

Whenever we go to RiRa, there are always a few people that come in just to stare at the ceiling. Easy to see why.

Even the molding detail at the bottom of the dome is impressive.



Thought I'd finish the adventure today, but more pics to share tomorrow including art and a brief lesson in lino cut.

Sunset Meadows

Mom called last night to let me know it looked like a beautiful sunset. I was in the pool -it was in the 90s again yesterday.  Luckily, I'd already captured this shot before I jumped into the water. Yup, I'm a lucky girl. Pool. Sunsets. Pool. Sunsets. VERY lucky indeed.

Have a great Tuesday in your part of the world.