i'm home. back in LA. listening to the helicopters cutting through the night sky.
but this morning i was in kansas. motoring along the turnpike in a pre-dawn thunderstorm.
mama moss is losing her memory and moving slower, but she isn't losing one bit of devotion to us girls. the moss sisters.
and she isn't losing any of her memories of the french air cadet who got shot down in algiers in the 50's. a couple of star crossed lovers destined for other lives.
~
sister and i squeezed some art play into the week.
good times.
i enjoyed trying out carol's copic markers. liked them so much i went and ordered a jumbled set of my very own. they arrived today!
i've been very resistant to trying them. convinced i would not like the smell or the expense or the sound of them moving across the paper. all wrong!
this was the scene last night as we let the paint & markers & watercolor & bs fly in sister's art room. we are a couple of loud cackling crows. it was nice to be reunited in creative play. we haven't had a chance to cut loose since this april in umbria. we even ate dinner (thanks chris!) and drank our wine upstairs at the art table.
now i'm here. the helicopters must have nabbed their suspect. all is quiet up here now. windows are open wide. cats are demanding attention and tripping over themselves to tell me all about the raccoon who tried to get in the house while mama was gone!
how are YOU? talk to me.
I just got a second grouping of Copics. Baby blue, Cadmiums of the red and yellow variety, and water lily, which is a color totally outside my purview. I may use it more often accordingly.
okay, that’s all.
Uh oh. I don’t know about Marker Paper. Better get my s—-t together. I do have some Copics & your pages inspired me to get them out & do something. Started by making a page of different border samples for reference. Starting out small. lol. I agree that a MAM Copic tutorial couldn’t hurt. Nice to see the pics of Mama Moss. My Dad just turned 90 & Mom is 87, and never a dull moment; but oh what a blessing they are still here. And, oh yes, you were missed by your fans.
Seems you have a wonderful mother and sister. How much fun to play art and creativity with your sister!! I’ve never had the opportunity to do that, but it sounds great! Welcome home!
love the pages~ the story of your mom reminded me of a woman i used to work with-the love of her life was shot down also- she married another-who knew how much she was in love w/the one who died, and he married her anyway. probably many tragic stories from that time that most of us will never know.
Ok, talkin’ to you. I have a story to share, one you will understand. I spent 2 weeks visiting my best friend. She has a cat, Zoe, a VERY imperious lady of 17 years. Zoe took one look at me and said to herself, “ah, proper doting slave material.”
So there I am, downstairs early the first morning
, chatting with my friend when Zoe appears at my feet, meowing loudly. Absently I reached down to rub her face in the proscribed manner….meowing gets louder. I casually rub a little harder and put a little more intension into my caress. Meowing changes from irritated meow to what can only be described as a yowl.
Now Zoe has my full attention. I ask, “What? What is it you require?”
Zoe marches to the hallway door. Yowling. I follow. Zoe zooms up the stairs, stops at the top, yowls some more. I climb the stairs. She leads me to my room and flings herself up on my unmade bed, stomps around, yowling all the while. “Do you require me to make the bed for you, my precious one?” YOWL! So, working around the insistent, demanding kitty, I made the bed. I fluffed and patted, straightened and arranged. I got the two pillows perfectly aligned and the extra blanket laid neatly at the foot of the bed. Turning to Zoe, I asked, “Does this meet with your approval?” It did. She flung herself into the blanket, snuggled in and promptly went to sleep.
And so it continued throughout my visit. Zoe directed, I complied.
Sigh.
I “discovered” copic markers when taking a on-line class with Joanna Sharp. During the same class I “discovered” Tombow markers…..love….love…these! Even more than my Copic.
Welcome home, I’ve missed your daily doings.
Looks like a great time and Mama Moss looks happy to have her girls near by. I haven’t been around SEWN or your blog because of illness. RATTs! I’ll have to catch up when I’m feeling better. Miss all the goings on! xoDonna
Awesome you are back! I was wondering why I hadn’t received your posts until I remembered you went to visit your mom in Kansas. And I agreed with the rest of the ladies here you mom is adorable! I like you have a sister who is artistic and crafty so when we get together have a great old time yacking it up. But she lives in Riverside and I live in the San Fernando Valley. She keeps saying I should move closer to her but I keep telling her she should move closer to me! This weekend I saw this great movie ” Seraphine” about an artist in France around 1909. I highly recommend it. Saw it on Netflix
FUN, fun, FUN! You are so blessed to have a SISTER! And your Mama is a dolly! She is pretty and precious. I miss my Mom so much, so glad you’re enjoying yours, and that she plays art with you two sisses! Wonderful pics and post!
What a lovely post and what lovely comments. I think we should all get together and play with paints! Welcome back to CA.
Glad you had a good time with your family, but you have been missed. Loved the pages you were working on with your sis. Your mom looked like she was having fun as well. Sharing art with loved ones is sooooo much fun. I am sure the cat posse is glad their mom is back as well.
Hope you have a relaxing and enjoyable weekend.
Welcome home, Ms. Moss. The City of Angels missed you.
Gawd, just what I need, an excuse to buy something else. Like Carol, I am always copying you, and you are now copying Carol, so I will have to get me some Copics. I am spending the weekend pimping my Wenzel 10′ shade canopy in black and white striped Sunbrella. Lots of sewing. Trading off with sewing paper….I am a sewing maniac! LOVE my machine, it has an automatic needle threader. Project Runway special.
And oranges. How could I forget oranges?!
East/West – Home’s best. As much as we love visiting our family, it is always good to get home. My mother suffered from dementia and it was a hard road with loving and funny places along the way. Enjoy the good days and be prepared for the bad with tons of patience and fortitude and love. You probably already figured that out.
I have been waiting for a good reason to try Copics. I don’t generally hold off on new things but the price helped in this instance. I might have to have a few. Just for fun, you know, not a whole set. Just some reds and blues and greens and violets and yellows and pinks and… . I promise to blame Carol and not you.
Welcome home, Mary Ann. Glad you had so much artful fun with your sister and your Mom, she is just adorable actually. I love my copics, have had them for quite sometime and do not use them as much as I should. I am currently on vacation in Detroit. Been here since July 3rd visiting my daughter and grandchildren. I have been doing art every day as I participate in a couple of free on-line projects. I have been working in a book I made based on TTV. At first I thought I could not do it, but I did and it came out pretty good, so I have been painting and doodling in it.
When I get home I am going to make a book to take to China. I leave in 46 days. So happy you are home.
Welcome Home, Mary Ann!!!!!!!! From the looks of things, looks like the best time was had by all. Your Mom is as cute as a button. I remember when I was really little I asked my Mom to draw for me (she resisted but I was persistent) and she obliged me with some goofy line drawings of our dog and my hamster and I remember we both laughed so hard our tummy’s hurt. My hamster looked like some sort of strange sausage with feet and the dog, even I knew at 6; I knew that dog’s don’t look like what she drew. Loved seeing your Mom smile so big and happy. And of course you and Carol are a riot together. Love hearing about your adventures no matter where you go. For a week you were almost in my back yard and I swear I could hear the 3 of you giggling on the wind.
How sweet, how lovely that your mama makes art with you — and loves you gals so dearly. You are truly blessed! Glad you’re home, I always feel better knowing you’re safely ensconced again on the Left Coast. xo
Glad you got home safely. Love the photo of your mom. I love copic markers as well as Prismacolor markers … I’ve been using them so much recently for art projects that it’s time to order more.
Your Mama is looking good! Shame about the memory loss but those older memories are so precious. You know that I know this to be true.
You’re so lucky to have time with her and that hilarious sister of yours. Nothing like a loving sister.
Since you ask, I’m very excited about an exhibition I’ve been invited to join with Hugh and two other artists. I’m contributing the writing and photos. It’s quite a big deal. Like you, I love working with other people.
Glad to have you back! Your mother beautiful and I’m dying to hear more about the star crossed lovers!
Welcome home! We’ve missed you but enjoyed the photos of Mama Moss. Is that a slide projector I see in one of those photos? I should get my mom to get hers out one of these days, haven’t seen any family slides in decades!
Glad you’re back! Can I stop cutting circles now? Pleeezze
So glad you are home from another adventure safely! My Daddy just turned 95 last month, still at home and still DRIVING!!! YIKES! He has his good days and otherwise, sometimes! I am there every Sunday for a visit. Last Sunday he looked at me, serious, and pointed at my Mom who is 91 and said, “Ya know, she could go any time!” WTH was that?? It is never a dull moment over there in that house! Copic’s? I love them even though I don’t enjoy them as I should. But with the new Marker Paper out now, I will use them more, I am sure! Have a great weekend! Tell the cat posse that a raccoon came into my yard a few months ago and dragged a 2 pound Koi Fish out of our pond in the back yard and killed it! Those Rocky’s are a bad bunch!
I have about 15 or so Copics, and I still don’t really quite know how to get the best use out of them except on that marker paper – perhaps another post for another time on “how MAM uses the Copics and loves them”? I’m so glad you are enjoying your time with your mother, and that she is still retaining much of her ‘self.’ I really do want to hear more about the French flyboy too. You occasionally hint at exotic adventures in your family that seem at odds with somewhere as solid and unchanging as the Kansas prairie. I think they are hints at where you get your own gypsy spirit! Tell us, tell us, tell us..do.
Love the birding journal page. Sounds like the trip and visit were lots of fun.
This week, besides kitty wrangling, I’ve made an inspirational field trip to the store Florilegium in Parkville, MO with my beading group.
I’ve celebrated my mom’s 95th birthday.
I’m headed to the Butterfly Festival at Powell Gardens south of KC.
Wishing you a lovely weekend back at Moss Cottage. 🙂
Welcome home! Enjoyed your photos of family art time. Racoons are a bother here in IL, as well! Yesterday I got to learn indigo shibori dye techniques and worked on some interesting photo transfers on fabric. Good times at a local fiber workshop weekend.
Great photos especially of Mama Moss. Copic are the best and I will admit I save them for just me and special times (long story). Glad you are safely home and the racoon was thwarted. Blessing for a great weekend.
Glad you had a great trip with sister and mama Moss… and I’m glad you made it to the airport safely through that storm!!! I hear the storms in Kansas are superb!!!
Thank you for the “Kansas Sale.” Caught up with ROD, so I got to enjoy your Kansas trip, too. Know all too well about memories and devotion. My Mama will be 96 this month. (I’m the one who binds sketchbooks for her Mama – she has more FTB journals than I do!) Spent 6 weeks with my mother, father (he was ill at the time), and sister this spring. Glad you had some quality Mama time and Sister time, but know it is always good to be back home.
You and your sister sound like me and my sister. There is nothing I like better than cutting loose with her!
Your mama is a love~ enjoy her! I miss mine so very much.
And Copics! GIRL they are my love!! Buy them individually at Dick Blick’s the Copic Ciao (really the same as the sketch) but for around $3.89 a piece! Cha-Ching!! If you know of a cheaper place you better tell me 😉 No really.
Welcome home.
Love my Copics….even the bleed through on the back side of the papers…sometimes. Just found the fluorescents and my pink is going dry fast. Try them on the vellum…yummy stuff.
Mamma moss and carol plus you equals a fun time, nothing like family. Just came back from taking 8 grandkids to an amusement park. Another Camp Mema next week with 6 of them, fun but can you say crazy. Making mail art today.
Mary Ann, Your post reminds me of the the days as a teenager when my cousin and I would spend hours drawing and coloring with my Grandmother. How I miss that connection through art!
Copics… I have one or maybe two that someone sent me years ago…! They are scarily monster bucks here, although there was a store that had them I think.
Great to see you back and to enjoy the trip along with the Moss Mob 🙂
it is NOT a copic that shes holding sandra, it is a brush pen
So glad you had a good time!
What kind of marker is Mama Moss holding, though? That doesn’t look like a copic to me. I thought they were sort of grey and fat-barreled.
Busy doing SEWN homework while you were gone. Enjoyed reading your posts. Welcome home.
Wait a minute – you and Carol were drawing raccoons in Kansas and at the same time one was trying to raid your house in LA?! I just returned from a two week trip and my cats can’t get enough of my attention either. Mama Moss looks like she’s having fun in your art journal…
Welcome to Club Copic! I don’t use ’em everyday
but they’re fantastic when you’re in the mood. Careful,
they’re addictive!
Great post. Momma Moss still has that thing goin’ on!
Welcome Back. No place like Home.