Illustration Friday ~ Alphabets

When I saw the theme for this week's Illustration Friday, I thought, how perfect for "back to school." It reminded me of this collage I had made entitled "School Days." This little lady is ready for school, but with a little fun and games mixed in for good measure. You know what they say about all work and no play...

©Nancy Lefko

So Long Summer...

How can it be that the summer has come and gone? The boys start back to school on Wednesday...it feels as if their summer vacation just began. It goes by faster every year (I know that's because I'm getting older, I just don't like to admit that part.) It is indeed the sights, sounds and smells of the ocean that I miss so much when summer draws to a close. It's sad for me to think that it will be close to a year before we head to the ocean again. Growing up an "island girl," the ocean was always there. Now it is only in the summer that we venture to the coast of Maine to feed our souls. So, here we go...another year of school ahead...I hope it's a good one!

©Nancy Lefko

Illustration Friday ~ Visitors

These young ladies are among the many visitors that frequent New York, New York..."a town so nice, they named it twice." They are making their way about town; have been to Central Park and the Empire State Building and I'm sure they will see quite a few more sights. Oh, to join them on their visit to the Big Apple.

©Nancy Lefko

New York Gal

I just said goodbye to a dear friend after a wonderful visit at my home with her and her boys. We are friends from WAY BACK...let's see...we've been friends for 36 years! We grew up together in New York and were practically a part of each other's family. Although our current families get together but once a year, our boys have made a close connection and look forward to the get-togethers as much as the moms. I made this collage before their arrival last weekend and it reminds me of the old days as a New Yorker. You can take the gal out of New York, but you can never take the New York out of the gal. Thanks, Chris, for all the memories and all the good times yet to come. I hope each person who reads this is as blessed as I am...to have had a lifelong friendship.

Illustration Friday~Captain

Meet CAPTAIN Courageous...he's ready for any adventure. He welcomes challenge with a smile and is ready for excitement.

Plain Jane Day

Did you ever have one of those days? One of those days when you begin to doubt that you really have any talent at all! Or that the talent you DO have dims in comparison to other artists? Well, today is my day. It began benignly enough, surfing around at artists' blogs and websites. It was great discovering new artists and seeing their beautiful work. But somewhere along the line I started to compare myself and my work to these talented folks and their beautiful work. That's about the time I started to hear that little voice in my head that says, "all YOU really do is cut and paste." I hate that little voice. But sometimes, I guess, I need that voice to push me in new directions and force me to try new techniques I have never had the courage to try. But I still hate how I feel when I hear those words in my head. Have you ever had a Plain Jane Day?

Cocktail Fairy

Yesterday I seemed to have cocktails on my mind as I created two such fairies. But today all I have on my mind is water...seeing as we woke up this morning to find that our well pump is fried. Just as I was celebrating the fact that I have an art sink and running water in my studio...there goes the water. This may indeed be "a martini-requiring afternoon."

What's On Your Desk ?

I have always wanted to be the type of artist whose brushes and pencils are housed in vintage pottery...maybe even in the McCoy vases that I collect. But truth be told, my studio has not yet been elevated to that level. My McCoy vases are not quite that utilitarian. Instead I use old mugs for my essentials. Mugs that have lost their place of honor in the cupboard, but still bring back memories of where it all began. I like to imagine that one day my studio will be glorious enough to employ a more chic ceramic for my brushes. But for now...hey, I've got running water and an art sink, so how can I complain?

Illustration Friday~Emergency

If this gal doesn't get her coffee...and get it now...we're talking EMERGENCY. You can tell by the look on her face...this is no laughing matter. Not unlike the artist who created this collage, she lets nothing get between her and that java.

Party Girl

Well, I was right. The girls WERE having a party and I have a sneaking suspicion this little lady was the ring-leader. She looks like trouble, doesn't she?

Illustration Friday~Missing

She's not missing anything ~ her life is filled with journey and adventure.

A Diamond in the Rough

You never know where you'll find a piece of art that makes you smile. Today I found one in the bargain bin at a discount store. Some people may not consider something mass-produced as art, but these happy flowers spoke to my heart and wanted a special place in my home. So $1.99 later, they were mine !

Work in Progress

After a visit from the art muse I was able to commence to work in my studio. The collages are in various states of completion and apparantly got together for a party. The girls are a blast !!

Still Getting Used to This

I am still not quite comfortable with the blogger set-up and it will probably take a while before posting becomes second nature. The blog on my website (using iWeb) is quite dummy proof; this one takes a little more thought. But if you bear with me, I hope in time that this will be another place where I can showcase my artwork and hear from fellow bloggers.