"catchy title"

I didn't know this was Mental Health Awareness Week when I posted my "List" (the last post). I've been slightly uncomfortable about leaving it up these past few days, like I committed a major over-share... but now I'm considering it my small contribution to raising awareness about Depression. I'm not going any further into the topic right now though - except to say that the sun has been shining the past few days (literally) and this has helped brighten my mood. Talking, going outside, getting exercise, taking small steps...

Sidenote, Clara Hughes is awesome. 

Anyway, here is an "alchemical" painting I had started a few days ago and is as "done" as it's going to get. It's about Putrefication but isn't (personally or metaphorically) as ominous as it sounds or looks. It's another in the "In-Betweener" series.

Next, a little framing project I just did yesterday. Some nice signage/type and a trip down memory lane... 

These are all old pictures (6-8 years old from when I still used my non-digital-point-n-click). I found them in an old tin. 

Except for the "State Theater" marquee (which was in Michigan, taken on my honeymoon) they are all from Nova Scotia (mostly Truro) and we (my husband and me) actually stayed in 3 of the 4 motels. The 4th was on the way to a friend's hunt camp - where the old stove with "Merit" was found. 

I think I will let the Husbo take it to work to hang in his rather bare-walled office... since Nova Scotia is where all his higher-higher-education happened... which is why he is now in the bare-walled office...

A nice touch that you probably can't see in these photos of photos is that the State marquee was featuring "Spellbound" and "Together" while the Acadia was showing something called "Wilby Wonderful". This made for a serendipitous, romantic statement: 

"Spellbound, together we'll be wonderful." 

(awwww...)

Lastly, since I had the framing stuff out anyway, I matted this little poem-thing that came out of a cool, old frame that I wanted for another use. Something to hang up when guests come by.

I'm getting pretty handy with the mat-cutter and sprucing up old frames. Maybe I should hire myself out as a discount framer...

Thanks for checking this out!

one more frame

I framed one other thing...

Husband had this very ugly door-to-nowhere in his new office (actually, it goes into the next office but is permanently closed and has insulation shoved behind it). He was able to ignore but I could not abide with it when I visited so I extended my compulsion to decorate beyond the borders of my own apartment and spilled over into the government's territory.

This project is literally 100% remixed from trash and stuff around the house. It's not perfect but considering it cost zero dollars it's pretty good I think...

The map is from an old (but not antique) Reader's Digest Atlas I had (which was already falling apart). Since The Husband researches issues surrounding livestock waste, it is also thematic!

The large frame came from the secret give-away/trash spot in the basement of my building. The only problem is that it doesn't have glass so I'm worried about how well the framed contents will hold up... but for the price of free it'll cover the ugly pink insulation well enough - at least for a little while.

framing frenzy

I mashed up some random frames, old posters and new mats to get some new stuff to hang on the walls.

Started with this frame:

(which housed this print of "Peasant Wedding Procession" by Peiter Brueghel The Younger, a.k.a "Hell Brueghel")

And this frame (the sultry lady came with the used frame.)


I put a print from Hatch Show Prints in the wooden frame. I've had this for about 8 years, a misprinted souvenir from my visit there.

Oh. I also redid my previous take on this letter-pressed poem. The last version was too.... "something-ish"... Now it's more... "something-else-ish"

Breughels' Peasant wedding was cropped and edited.

I now call it, "A boy, a dog, and his codpiece walking in Holland".

(It's worth knowing more about codpieces by the way. Click here.)

I felt slightly weird about editing the old master's work but I didn't like the glumness of the sulking bridegroom being forced to his wedding. Not a fun sentiment for in the house... and it's only a print anyways... and Brueghel is a long-time dead.

Sorry, the pictures aren't the greatest but you get the idea.