Sea & Roses

Arrivederci Rosa

Well summer's almost at and end here in Sydney... the day's are becoming cooler, the air has that crisp edge and the sun has shifted to the north..  signaling the change of season and casting deeper shadows across my path. Already I find myself chasing the daylight to take shots, of what I suspect will be the last roses of the season.. Just a few pink blooms and a little fun with photoshop.. creating different moods and hues from the same batch.. This way I can trick myself into thinking there are more.. that the abundance of summer is still with me.. and the scarcity of winter is only a passing thought.

Summer's last hooray has me craving full bodied colours. The vibrant pinks of the rose and the deep moody blues of the sea  .. Happy partners in my make believe season, a celebration of summers gifts.

Have a lovely week everyone 

And enjoy the fruits of the season... whether that be the last of summer here in the south of the planet.. 

... or the celebration of spring for our northern neighbours ... 

I'm linking up with  Good Life Wednesday Hosted by the lovely Sarah from A Beach Cottage

A place to celebrate the good things in life

IMAGE SOURCE & CREDITS

All photography, text and artwork [beingRuby©]

Beachy Whites

[click on above for a larger view]

Beachy Whites

Just a little fun with some beachy whites.. It's such a glorious sun-shiny day today.. and after so much rain and with the prospect of autumn on our door step I decided to celebrate the gift of sun and all the glistening whites it brings.. And where better on a day like today. .. than at the beach... 

Hope you are having a lovely day too..

And thanks everyone for the lovely comments on my last few post...

Today's post is linked to White Wednesday hosted by the lovely Kathleen from Faded Charm

So if you are in the mood for some more whites

That's the place to be

And for some more feel good posts.. I'm also linking to
Feel Good Wednesday Hosted by the lovely Sarah from A Beach Cottage

IMAGE SOURCE & CREDITS

All Photography, Text and Artwork [beingRUBY.blogspot©]

MOON If By SEA

Moon If By Sea

'When the moon is full they gather at the sea side.. patiently awaiting La Luna. Awaiting the dappled glow of her smile to light across their wings and sprinkle across the seas..  Even the trees spread their branches lovingly around her softened face... I want to be a wild thing too... I want to swim in the ocean.. and soar through the clouds... To reach up to the sky and dance with La Luna by my side.. I want to be the sea.. and paint my face with her reflection.. and laugh at all the earthbound humans ... dotted along the shores.. wishing they were wild things too' ... [beingRuby©]

To The Moon Alice

Welcome to March's Full Moon Post combining two of my great loves.. The Moon and The Sea.  My second anniversary of blogging is coming up soon.. and looking back over this time.. I've realized I've  never missed a moon post.. Sometimes just a snippet.. sometimes lengthy adulations.. but always present. More than I can say for other themes I've introduced along the way.. In fact I've been so steadfast with my Luna Love that I often receive comments and emails from other bloggers telling me they think of me when they see the moon!! That's quite incredible really... To know that friends all over this vast planet.. associate me with this event.. the power of blogging!! Or is it the power of the moon?

Knowing others of you share this Luna Love... I'm thinking of starting up a blog link each month..  Somewhere we can all gather and share the beauty of the moon.  I'll be posting each month as usual.. but if you feel the urge.. you'll be welcome to link up your own posts to mine.. As I haven't yet sorted out the Mr Linky, I thought we could start next month...  What do you think?  Anyone tempted to join in?  

OK back to the business at hand.. and this month's full moon. Today the moon is perigee and closer to the earth than it has been in 18 years .. BUT.. Once again here in Sydney she is hiding behind the rain clouds we so often see around this time... She is a cheeky girl... I know I'll be out looking again tomorrow night... But.. If you can't see the moon.. I suggest getting oneself to the seaside anyway... get some sand between your toes... look out to the sea and imagine La Luna working her magic on you... 

Here's the stairs.. 

Off you go..

Have a lovely new week

And please pop over and visit 'Life Love Clutter And Other Beautiful Things' 

who has also posted on the moon this month

IMAGE SOURCE & CREDITS

All Photography, Text and Artwork [BeingRUBY©]

A Little Bit Vintage

A Little  Bit Vintage

I'm in the mood for 'A Little Bit Of Vintage'

Napoleon and his friend here [a painting by Palma Vecchio] live on some vintage postcards I found on my travels last year. They have become a constant source of inspiration for me. So much so, I decided to make a few of my own.. Just bits and pieces from around my home, roses from the garden and the dusty faded hues that lend themselves to that vintage feel. The roses are actually pink and lavender.. but my mood today is soft pinks and browns with a good dash of white .. so lavender will have to wait till another post..

Happy St Patrick's Day Everyone

This post was meant to go up yesterday.... but I seem to be having 'The Luck of The Irish'.  Internet issues, keyboard not working and now mouse not working..  So if this post makes it up I'll be a happy camper.

Hope you are having better luck!!!

IMAGE SOURCE & CREDITS

All Photography, text and artwork [beingRUBY.blogspot©]

Images of Napoleon &  Palma Vecchio [Man with gloved hand] photographed from vintage postcards

Art With Heart: May Gibbs

[ARTWORK: May Gibbs©  WATER COLOUR: Being Ruby©]

[ARTWORK: May Gibbs©]

[ARTWORK: May Gibbs©]

[ARTWORK: May Gibbs©]

A few posts back I promised to search out some works by the Australian illustrator/author May Gibbs. Keen to bring her colourful works to you.. I searched the internet in vain and finally resorted to dragging my own book out of the garage to photograph them. To my surprise I found that most of the illustrations I've been carrying around in my memory for many a decade, were actually pencil sketches. Not the colourful works I recalled from my childhood memories. In fact my own book [a later edition] only contains a few colour plates. How can this be? I was sure all her magnificent creations were bursting with the hues of the Australian flora. Did I imagine this? Did my childhood imagination bring the colours to life? Now I'm not sure. Perhaps my original book was all in colour.  I may never know.. but I do know that May's work had a way of influencing a child's imagination.. allowing it to flourish and spread it's tendrils just like the wildflowers and flora that inspired her fanciful characters. 

The more I research and revisit her work.. the more I understand just what an inspirational artist she was. She took the landscape she so loved and created characters as real as the flowers themselves. Little living beings.. with hopes and dreams.. fears and foes.. desires and ambitions. She introduced the Australian Flora to generations of children.. and taught them that art was something to be admired and cherished.. [For instance 'The Artist's Studio' above].. 

I suspect that her work influenced me more than I remember and in an attempt to recreate what my memory held dear.. I decided to 'colour in' some of her pencil sketches..  [that is.. colour in using photoshop]. The first attempt didn't quite make the grade.. it's a whole new ball game.. 'painting' with photoshop and attempting to both create a water colour affect, and keep the integrity of the 'depression era' colours.. But I think I'm getting closer with my colour version of 'Cuddlepie Glared At The Huge Face'.. The 2nd image in this post is May's original pencil/charcoal sketch.. the 1st is my own attempt to bring her colours to life.  The last two colour images are May's original works photographed from my old dusty book from the garage.. 

I'm feeling this is going to be an new addiction for me and may work on a few more of her sketches.. That way I can share with you her wonderful imagination and bring my own childhood memories to life. I may have to work on the Banskia Man soon.. The evil antagonist in May's stories and the rascal that started me on this journey.. In case you missed it.. you can find that post [ here].

Thanks everyone for indulging me in this little obsession. It's been a while since I posted to my 'Art With Heart' series. And it's been a while since I've visited all you kind folk [sorry!!!].  You'll be pleased to know I did get back to garage duties and have almost competed throwing out years and years of 'stuff'.. I did of course keep the memories.. In living colour it would seem!!!

Have a lovely new week

IMAGE SOURCE & CREDITS

All May Gibbs Images [#1-#4] photographed from 

'The Adventures of Cuddlepot & Snugglepie'

Image#1: Has been 'coloured'  by [BeingRuby©]

MAY GIBBS

1877-1969

Biography: Cecilia May Gibbs 1877 - 1969. May migrated  to Perth Australia when she was four years old. Following her marriage in 1919 she moved to Sydney, settling in Neutral Bay and her beloved home Nutcote. During her illustrious career she designed magazine covers,  illustrations, postcards and published children's book.. the most famous being 'The Complete Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie' featuring two gumnut babies and their escape from the big bad Banksia men. Sadly she died childless in 1969, leaving her estate to UNICEF, the Spastic Centre of NSW and the NSW Society for Crippled Children [now the Northcott Society]. Often heralded for her benevolence to children.. she was also a conservationist.. and taught us to admire and protect the living world around us.