Dailymotion – le Café – Oldelaf (english subtitles), a video from Boebis. Oldelaf, le, Café, english, coffee

A song of the French band Oldelaf and Mr Dm from their LP L’album de la maturité. The movie clip has been directed by Stephanie Marguerite and Emilie Tarascou. Lyrics translated in English for the blog http://french-kisses.blogspot.com/

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My son Ben has become a serious coffee drinker while at college in Vancouver. So he found this video and shared it with me today – I guess he can really relate because he says every time he watches it he laughs til tears come to his eyes. I thought it my be appreciated also for the language it’s in!

The nests we build: another cafe crem collaboration

Is there any limit to the versatility of the Kev Moore?  Check this out!  My second Soul Sketching demonstration video, completed with the soundtrack “Misty Mountains” by Kev.

And maybe in the comments section here Miki will tell the story of the early morning awakening with the theme in his mind.  A great artist just takes dictation while the voice of god whispers in his/her ear.  Well, something like that.  Anyway, thank you Kev!  It’s a perfect fit.  And next time I’m thinking a little henhouse rock n roll.

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copyright 2009  Susan Cornelis

A flag with a new meaning

“Corn and Old Glory”, 30″ X 20″ watercolor

Bob and I were watching the election results last night with Andy and our other son Ben, who’s at UBC in Vancouver, was with us on Skype. And Bob and I were attempting to describe to them how we felt about this point in history. “The only thing that comes close is when man first walked on the moon!” I watched Obama’s speech with tears streaming down my face and saw all those American flags waving. . .and for the first time probably since I was a child, I felt proud to be an American. . .not in a patriotic-my-country-is-better-than-yours way. . . but proud that we could have so overwhelmingly elected a brilliant, multi-cultural, black man to be our president and our face to the world with hope. Hallelujah!

Which brings me to this painting which I did a few years ago when I was so enthralled with living in the country(as in countryside, not U.S.). My associations with the flag were along the lines of amber waves of grain, mom and apple pie. Yet I had a friend who was aghast that I would display a symbol which stood for a country with such a tarnished reputation in the world. I came to feel embarrassed by it and put it away. Today it popped back into my mind, and so, here it is. (available in the original and giclee print)

I hope you’re feeling like celebrating today too. We’re not champagne drinkers so last night I made chocolate chip cookies. Wish I could offer you one.

The meeting of two Cafe Crem family members!

WRJones sketching in a Sebastopol, California vineyard

As I write, my sketching buddy Bill is heading back home to southern California via a route selected for its cow and sheep scenery, which he plans to paint along the way. Yes, I successfully managed to lure the first of my Cafe Crem buddies to visit my home, taste our local wines, and spend an entire weekend sketching/painting in this heavenly fall weather. What a fun guy. What you can’t see in this picture are his beautiful blue eyes or the accomplished sketches he did, but the signature Bill Jones hat is there.

my sketch of Bill behind his back

Bill’s shoulders are in fact much wider than this (he wanted me to change the sketch to fix this, but I thought it was easier to just tell you).

So now it’s your turn to come visit!

And now Bill – it’s your turn. And Bill, don’t wait too long to come back!

-Susan

Smart coffee

I never got around to actually counting all the different Starbucks coffee shops on the UBC Vancouver campus, but I think it was around 5. This one is in the Applied Sciences (engineering) building. Not shabby, huh? But Ben decided on day 3 to change his major from Applied Science to Physics, so no more newest- building- on- campus-with-built-in-good-coffee for him. I’ve been sharing bits and pieces from my trip on my blog so rather than repeat myself I’ll invite you there.

-Susan

Animal life + camera phones

This is actually for you Kev. I wanted to reciprocate after your wonderful tour of Portugal’s creatures. . .

Yesterday I took Ben and Andy to an amusement park and while they were spinning upside down and in nauseating circles I joined the camera phone crowd to look at the animals. This walrus loved to be “petted” through the glass, endlessly mooshing his face up against the glass and posing for pictures. He is also a painter apparently. I say a video of him wielding the paint brush quite effectively and felt a bit jealous.  I mean we artists just cannot afford the competition of these creative creatures!  THey were also selling canvases painted by Shouka, the “killer” whale.  And I am not kidding here!

Here I am in the butterfly garden photographing the double camera phoning of this unsuspecting insect.

HOw many camera phones do you think were pointed simultaneously at this fine fellow? Isn’t he so adorable and totally unpettable.

I’ll get back to coffee cups too one of these days, but I couldn’t resist.

-Susan

Graduation

Not much time for bloggin lately, so I thought I just check back in by sharing this news with you all.

Me, Ben-graduate, Andy

Ben is post-graduation, post-all night party today. And those eagle wings seem stronger and less in need of a mother bird today. I even caught myself saying “Maybe you should take a nap before you go out tonight.” Then stopped and said aloud (so I would hear myself) “But you don’t need me saying this any more.”

I didn’t even cry at graduation! Even when the choir sang sweet good bye songs, and the kids I’d known since 5th grade marched across the stage. But that may have to do with the 90 degree heat and worrying (like a mom once again!) about the graduates sitting in the direct sun in their black caps and gowns and dress clothes underneath, while the parents sat in the shade fanning themselves and drinking cold drinks.

Now my 89 year old mom is here making her way slowly and happily through the high school yearbook, reading the boys’ research papers and looking at art projects, drinking in their youth like a tonic.

Mother’s Day?

My Mother’s Day card from my 15 year old son Andy. And here’s what was inside:

Now that would melt the heart of an iceberg, but for me, since I’m already a total mush-ball where my boys are concerned – well, I was a big puddle when I opened it!

But here’s the story behind it, which is why I’m sharing it now. This picture of Andy was taken several years ago at a restaurant in Hawaii. And please don’t think he ate some rotten Mahi Mahi! This is digital manipulation of course, and then printed on paper coated with a new product by Golden. The rest you will have to find out from my husband Bob, who has now finally joined the blogging world with his own! Almost two years ago he got me started blogging, an addiction which he probably wishes he hadn’t encouraged. But now finally he’s in on the fun and sharing his explorations in these new medias. So go check it out, Bob’s Art Blog

Next thing you know my chickens will start a blog as well!

A replacement brush for Bill

by Susan

Happy Birthday Bill! I thought I’d replace that Kolinsky sable brush that flew into the river when the weird guy startled you. After all, what’s an artist without his brush?!

Kev’s Secret revealed

by Susan

Have you ever wondered how this man, half a century old today, can spend every weekend hopping around the continent playing gigs, then come home to his unstoppable gypsy girlfriend who takes him galavanting around southern Spain the rest of the week? Hummingbird nectar. Yep! High octane. Did you know that the hummingbird has the biggest heart in the animal kingdom? It beats about 1220 times a minute when it’s flying (that’s 10 times my heart beat while I’m doing Jazzercise!) No wonder it can turn a middle aged man into a crowd pleasing rock star and much more. ANd the identity of this particular little bird pictured above? Can you guess?

So now that your secret’s out Kev, the tabloids will soon get a hold of it and you will have to go further into the recesses of Spain and Portugal to have any peace. Oh well, it had to come out sooner or later.

Happy Birthday with love from Susan!