My beautiful dog has passed away.
We are heartbroken.
Zeus in the garden enjoying the sun and smell of herbs growing.
literature
The Lion and The Mouse
On WetCanvas (a forum for artists) there was a challenge to create something using Aesop’s Fables as a theme.
The Library of Congress, has each story in full (click link). The illustrations alone are worth looking at. Many of the illustrations are interactive, I was charmed by them. Such a great site and resource, check it out!
Using ink and gilt, I chose the Fable of the Lion and the Mouse. The following text is from the Library of Congress’s site. My original illustration follows it.
The Lion & the Mouse
A Lion lay asleep in the forest, his great head resting on his paws. A timid little Mouse came upon him unexpectedly, and in her fright and haste to get away, ran across the Lion’s nose. Roused from his nap, the Lion laid his huge paw angrily on the tiny creature to kill her.
“Spare me!” begged the poor Mouse. “Please let me go and some day I will surely repay you.”
The Lion was much amused to think that a Mouse could ever help him. But he was generous and finally let the Mouse go.
Some days later, while stalking his prey in the forest, the Lion was caught in the toils of a hunter’s net. Unable to free himself, he filled the forest with his angry roaring. The Mouse knew the voice and quickly found the Lion struggling in the net. Running to one of the great ropes that bound him, she gnawed it until it parted, and soon the Lion was free.
“You laughed when I said I would repay you,” said the Mouse. “Now you see that even a Mouse can help a Lion.”
A kindness is never wasted.
All text and images other than Aesop’s Fable are
©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2018
The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum
Freedom is the open window through which pours the sunlight of the human spirit and human dignity. ~ Herbert Hoover
When you enter the Presidential Library of Herbert Hoover, there is a beautifully made mixed media piece by Richard Pinney. There are wood carvings and photographs and all sorts of bits and pieces. I was quite taken with it and inspired as well.
Absolute freedom of the press to discuss public questions is a foundation stone of American liberty. ~ Herbert Hoover
Children are our most valuable natural resource. ~ Herbert Hoover
These dolls were given to President Hoover by Belgian children as a thank you for his war famine relief efforts. The lady doll seems to be imploring the rather haughty male doll. I am not sure why he has his back to her but I am quite sure that his hat is to die for.
There’s also a slightly out of focus ghostly reflection that appears to be wearing a rather dashing black and white checkered coat. Interesting.
This toy fire truck was made in dedication to the fire fighters who put out the fire at the White House in 1929.
The fire started in the White House attic where 200,000 government pamphlets about all sorts of subjects were stored and then had the good sense to set themselves ablaze.
The President, his son and several other men, worked to remove as many files and historical items as possible while Mrs. Hoover carried on with the Christmas party for children she was hosting. The children apparently didn’t notice the fire and good times were had. Mrs. Hoover later handed out cast iron fire trucks to the children that had been at the party.
Hebert Hoover certainly had his share of foibles as all people do but he was an interesting man who did interesting things. I highly recommend going to his library if you’re in the area. If you like to meander, the grounds are quite large and perfect for a stroll. He is buried on the grounds.
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©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2018
The Pumpkin Dragon
Through triangle eyes
He glared at the night
He stared at the night
He dared the night
To try and break through
His stalwart candlelight
He had read
Of a serpent
On a medieval page
Who loathed all pumpkins
And in a serpentine rage
Would crush the life
From innocent gourds
Leaving pieces scattered about
For the rampaging hordes
He heard the leaves rustle
Crackle
And break
Oh no! It was that
Evil and Ancient old snake!
It wrapped round his midriff
And he started to shake
He found it surprisingly fuzzy
For a centuries old snake
And in that moment
As it started to lean
He realized it was only Dummy
Dressed up for Hallowe’en!
Happy Hallowe’en
From Sammy
And Zeus
Medieval Pumpkin Dragon ~ Ink and metallic watercolor, 11×9 inches
My rather shabby Latin reads “Beware the Pumpkin Dragon ~ It will eat your Eyes ~ Your Heart ~ And steal your breath ~ Beware!
©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2017
A Perambulating Possum
A pretty possum
Perambulating past.
Leaving radishes
On my window sash!
.Perhaps she lives
in a purple house
With other possums
and a little mouse.
They could drink tea
and dance in delight
And when they are tired
They’ll say goodnight!
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©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2017
The Mantis
The zinnias are still lovely at this time of year.
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The praying mantis, she finds them quite dear
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Such big yellow eyes!
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So many butterflies..
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They’d better scurry.
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For the frost is near.
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©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2016
All rights reserved.
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The Cage, the Clown and the Curse
Hanging in an iron cage
Above the weathered path
Was a smirking scowling
Absurdly demented
Grinning psychopath
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Come here he said
With a sharp toothed smile
And let me tell you a tale
Of horror and gore
And murder and more
And such that will make you pale
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Oh you macabre mime
With your twisted old rhyme
You do not scare me at all
Stuck there in your cage
With your lonely dark rage
You’ll be dead by the end of the fall
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But he mocked me with glee
For on All Hallows Eve
When the shadows rode low on the ground
That evil old clown
One magic trick he had found
To free him precipitously
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He cast on me
A vermilion curse
As he cackled over the boos of the hoard
To my utter dismay
I was now in his cage
And I had transformed into a gourd!
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The last that I saw him
That gruesome old fool
He was dancing in the dying leaves
Cackling, spiteful
Insanely delightful
Wailing
Happy Halloween!
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Boo!
©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2016
All rights reserved.
The Ghoul
Slowly, drifting
Moaning, wailing
The ghoul
Appeared in the sky.
With his face corroding
Decomposing
The beast
It would not die
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In the garden waiting
Anticipating
Dummy
Flashed his knife
With his courage fading
His wooden limbs
Shaking
He would fight for his life
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The ghoul it crept
To our hero inept
As a skeleton
Cried from the ground
A gargoyle leered
The pumpkins they feared
That the beast would win this round
But as the ghoul soared
Dummy jumped on the gourd
And sank his knife deep into its chest
The ghoul cried “Boo Hoo!”
‘Cause he knew he was through.
Though he had given it his very best
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The beast
It went to his grave so green
Shouting to all who could hear
You’re all so mean!
But Happy Hallowe’en.
I’ll see you again next year!
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©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2015
Keep Clam!
Zeus is itchy.
It’s his yearly Autumn Itch.
So I bought him some itch relief stuff.
Let’s read the bottle..let me see..we have
Deep skin cleansing….splendid, that’s much better than shallow skin cleansing.
Complete body cleanser..even better, not much point only cleaning part of it.
Soothes ….great stuff, nothing better than a soothing soothe.
Clams.. sure a good clam is..What?…I mean..Pardon?
Hmmm..Yup that’s what it says..
Soothes and clams…
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I’ve never had my dog clammed before.
Shellfish of me I know.
I wonder if it’s good for his mussels?
Sorry I’ll scale back.
I know it’s getting ruff.
It’s load of carp really.
Llama get back to the point.
It’s not like this happens aviary day.
It’s dragon on…
No use hanging around.
Or lion..
I’m just kitten..
Sea ya!
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©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2015
Wandering
Recently I was at Fort Erie, across from Buffalo, New York. It sits on the shores of Lake Erie, near the mouth of the Niagara River.
From it you can see the gorgeous Art Deco building that is Buffalo City Hall. The City Hall was designed by architect John Wade and finished in 1932. There are triumphant arches and columns and reliefs and sculptures and mosaics and a bat signal on the roof.
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Fort Erie was originally built in 1764 during Pontiac’s Rebellion. Pontiac of course had been overtaking the cart market which the British did not appreciate. Soon after, the Brits sold Jaguar to Ford who sold it to the Tatas, a group of entrepreneurial strippers and a couple hundred years after the Fort was built, Pontiac ceased productions.
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Okay, that may not be quite what happened.
However at one point during the War of 1812, the Fort did blow up..
What happened was that the British were led by a general so inept, his subordinate officers including his own nephew settled their affairs and gave away valued property before following his battle plans. They knew they were doomed.
They were right. It turned out that firing a cannon over top of a large powder magazine was not a great idea. The explosion threw the two tonne cannon over one hundred yards. Hundreds died or were wounded and more than 500 soldiers simply disappeared in the initial blast and the ensuing fires.
Brutal stuff.
General Drummond, the man responsible for the whole mess had a road named after him in Niagara Falls.
It’s still there if you’d like to go stomp on it.
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The tour was quite interesting.
We found out that some people during the 1800’s used old suits of armor as a sort of tactical vest. Pretty clever, not comfortable but clever.
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They shot off some muskets which was fun to watch.
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They did not however let me use the cannon.
*Sigh*
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This is an acrylic of the monument marking the grave site of 153 soldiers. 150 British and 3 Americans. 8×10 inches.
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©Virginia Spencer, thepurpledogpaintingblog.com, 2015
Please click here for available prints.
Thank you!
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