Saturday, May 26, 2012

Holy Moly... Have I got something to show you...

Remember that 12 foot python I told you about? Bravely manoeuvred out of our living room by my Big F? Came through the dog door making itself at home (well a torn piece of insect netting we call the dog door) and last seen disappearing over the edge of the veranda into the lush denseness of the mango tree?
Well... look at this...
It was a momma python (not sure if they have 'bits' or how you can tell & wouldn't wrangle 12 ft of forked tongued muscle to find out) but it must have been... because look what we found on our deck - a baby python :) It had wrapped (& rewrapped) itself in cascading loops around an outdoor potted tree on our deck... those beady eyes watched me as I sat on the swing with a coffee... & I watched it, the awnings, gutters & everything else, while I sipped... wondering where momma snake was now.

OK I am still dragging my tail with the  29 Faces in May Challenge, but Martha is so forgiving she doesn't even make me feel (very) guilty ;) Best of all I could combine 'faces' with The Butterfly Effect another awesome group of supa-dupa talented creatures whose theme this week is 'Patron Saints' oh & NEXT week it's VAMPIRES!!!!!! Hosted by my friend Stacy from MagicLoveCrow... I'm sooo excited & you can write, paint, draw or craft your piece (rules are pretty fluid thank goodness) & then Linky up, just join in... PROMISE IT'S FUN!
Now my Fully Buttered entry for Patron Saints... I did 4 Aceos, Saint Peter I wanted to be hunky, apparently fishermen in those days worked topless or even nude while on the boats (those robes were hot & too awkward to work in) & they were pretty muscular because of heavy labour involved... Next 2 faces ;) St Elizabeth & St John the Baptist who were cousins to Mary & Jesus, St Elizabeth was an older mother when she fell pregnant with child, but that could have just meant in her mid thirties back then!
St Rose & St Rita... very different females, one known for her beauty which she actively destroyed & the other St Rita, Patron Saint of Impossible Causes who had a partial stigmata & had been married & bought up 2 sons before she ever was able to fulfil her personal religious destiny.
Now.... just 2 more I did this week... next 'face' is an aceo & I think I still had AlmaMia on my mind from Magaly's new (yes it's published & $1.99 download on Amazon) book... but this is Daisy
Next is an 8" x 8" mermaid... Ocean Siren, floating in a sea of mixed media...
OK That's it for now & I'm not linking to Paint Party Friday because I STILL have yet to finish visiting those that made the pilgrimage to my blog last week... so take care & remember to hug the ones you love - I'm off for a coffee (hopefully a snake free event) x


26 comments:

Unknown said...

your paintings are beautiful. i tell you the same thing over and over, but i'll say it again anyway - i LOVE
L
O
V
E
the way you use color.

your art is unlike anyone elses. else's? elses'?
fuck i don't know.

xxa

Jenny said...

Oh Shelle... is that Old Woman Island that you can see from your deck... what a beautiful view... and the baby python... yes... I would be on the look out for mama too...lol...
and WOW... totally WOW... your Patron Saints ACEO's are freaking GORGEOUS!!! total LOVE... and Daisy and your little mermaid... are divine... hope your next coffee is a snake free event... and have a super weekend...

Hugs
Jenny x

Anonymous said...

EEK! Not too into snakes myself and this would probably creep me out a tad! LOL! The only snakes we see around here are the occasional harmless garden snake.

LOVE the new artwork, especially the Mermaid! She's awesome and the colors so vibrant!!!

Have a fantastic weekend, my friend !

Kim

OmaLindasOldeBaggsandStuftShirts said...

Oh ick, ick, ick on the snake, snake, snake. Being a soul who was once bitten by a rattler, I am twice shy and run like hell now. Well I just made myself laught cuz I gave up running along time ago but I skitter pretty damn fast.
Love the faces....love your book cover for Ms. Magaly, writer extraordinaire. The two of you make a really great team of artisans together.
The mermaid is divine. I should be working on some right now but alas, I'm still gnoming the back porch....slowly, ever so slowly without help from the other adults. They are occupied with stupid stuff like work....and are tired when they get home and the grands are too short to do what needs to be done so....tick tock, I wait.
Oma Linda

Toriz said...

Hope you got to enjoy a cup of coffee without a snake audience. :)

Jo Murray said...

Cute... if you like that sort of thing. You are busy, busy, busy.... all good.

Magic Love Crow said...

Shelle????????? Are you used to having these snakes around??? Because I would be freaking! I would be running! I would be calling the animal shelter to come get them! Don't you guys do this??? Those snakes would not be around me! Now, your art, what can I say??? You are brilliant and you should know this by now, because you are! You are so talented my friend! I love everything you have made!! A+++ Saint Peter is a hunky ;o) Daisy is a darling! I think Magaly will be getting her ;o) Your mermaid, wow! Everything fantastic! Big Hugs and lots of love ;o) xoxox

Linda said...

Awesome portraits...I love all of them, especially the saints. WOW!

Cameron said...

That's a pretty big snake, too....but a beautiful one, for sure...

...and you have been a busy girl! Lots of wonderful art for my eyes to soak up and savor!

Can't wait to see what you do with Vampires!

Unknown said...

Lovely paintings. I hope to be able to participate in the Butterly Effect challenge next week.
Have a great weekend!

PiaRom said...

WOW your faces are freaking awsome!!! love especcially the Saint Rita and the cute mermaid ♥♥♥

Magaly Guerrero said...

And here comes the weirdo... I'm so jealous. I LOVE snakes. I used to run around my woods with my dog, making as much noise as I could, so that when the snake hunters came, the fork-tongued ones were long gone. But... I prefer them in the woods, not the porch.

Then I screamed! As soon as I saw Daisy, I yelled "AlmaMia!" lol She is so pretty, Shelle. And your saints... my goodness, you have a touch with saints. You show their souls, their pain and their giving nature (I think a lot of it leaks right from your beautiful heart).

The mermaid... I want to swim with her. I love her hair and her little belly. And as always, I love your girls' lips and eyes--so gorgeous!

Tammie Lee said...

each piece is wonderful
so much feeling in their faces

Karen Isaacson said...

Hey Shelle - guess what? you won a wee book in my giveaway. pictures are on my blog. Send me your address so I can send you the book. -Karen

iamrushmore at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

well I could hardly get past the snake, I live in NorthernCanada where snakes are little and harmless, not so big it takes a truck to move, oh my gosh!
I have had to start a new blog, right from scratch and I hoped you might find me, I have rejoined your blog, I really nust come back to see where that mother snake is, I cannot for the life imagine what its like to be so calm with this,, wow, you are my hero!

Šolanje na domu-Waldorf said...

I thought for sure I already left a comment on this on. I remember drooling over the saints and the mermaid. :) Your portraits always amaze me. They are brilliant!

Leovi said...

Stunning python. I like Daisy's face.

Magaly Guerrero said...

Come home to mama, AlmaMia, um... Daisy!

Judah is a.... said...

Momma python is simply gorgeous! (and yes, they have bits, but you probably don't want me to go into detail about sexing snakes)

Love the epiphanic (is that a word?) look on St Rita's face!


p.s. I just finished the Changing Ways book that you recommended... creepy and most excellent! Now to see if I can find the next one!

WrightStuff said...

Snakes alive... you won my blog giveaway!

Best get yourself over to my email and leave me your address...

Although I don't mind snakes, and have happily picked up the non-venemous variety, I don't think I'd want a python living in my back garden!!

WrightStuff said...

my email is wendy.windblows[ ]hotmail.co.uk.... by the way.....

IrelandBrady said...

Oh Shelle, your saints are simply amazing ... so much feeling and depth in each painting; your talent just seems to be growing by leaps and bounds! I feel like St. Rose is looking into my very soul ... what an eerie feeling that is ....

Daisy is so soulful and seems to be wise beyond her years ... I just want to pick her up and love and cuddle her ....

And finally ... "Ocean Siren" ... she makes me wish I could swim!

Oh ... you can keep your snakes ... just curious ... how many eggs does a mother python lay at one time? Does that mean you need to be on the look out for more? Hope Not!!!!!

Always enjoy your outstanding art work!

Unknown said...

OMG on the snake, love your holy's and laughed at your mermaids 'stars'. Keep painting those holy's!!!

Carmen Esposito said...

I'm not the fondest of snakes, but I've handled a python before at the zoo. When I saw your picture, I couldn't help saying: aww!

There's magick in the way you paint eyes. Saint Rose seems to look right at me and you get the feeling that Saint Rita is looking right at the Heavens.

Anonymous said...

Oooooooohhhhh giiiiirrrrl! I cannot believe you sat on the same porch with a python, particularly a baby knowing its mamma was most likely quite close. You are so bad ass! (Oops. Can I say that?)

Your Saints are so lovely. I have a friend who often prays to St Rita in an effort to one day bring peace to the world. I think that is really beautiful.

Daisy and the mermaid as so sweet though Daisy's big brown eyes do tug at my heartstrings. I want to hug her. Thank you for entering my giveaway, my lovely Aussie friend.

Natasha said...

Wow! The paintings are stunning. They took my breath away. And I am jealous you had a snake so close, but the photo is great, and your view is perfect.