Settled in the Maritimes of Canada, surrounded by the forest and Acadian Mountain Chain, I live a simple life of gratitude. This blog is a journal of my art, food, furkids, garden, home, my life and my thoughts. Thanks for reading!
Thursday, December 9, 2021
Thursday Art Date: December Holidays: 🌟 Christmas Past 🌟
Hello Friends! 🎄❆
Welcome to Thursday's Art Date, today our theme is December Holidays: Christmas Past. Porky Pig is a big fan of Norman Rockwell paintings and he wanted to recreate "Christmas Wreath". This is a lovely painting, that for me, represents Christmas Past.
Another Christmas Past memory..."White Christmas" by Bing Crosby (drawn with ink, graphite and a red colouring pencil). This is the image of Bing on that album cover. I listen to his holiday music every year, he has such a mellow voice! Louis Armstrong once said : "Bing Crosby's voice was like gold being poured out of a cup."
Here are my two latest art tutorials! (I'm playing around with new thumbnails, the YouTube Optimization course is teaching me lots of great stuff!) Friends, if you watch YT, do you prefer thumbnails that are a little different every time, or those that remain pretty much the same? Also, do you read the title of the video or do you mainly click on the thumbnail? Thanks for the feedback!! ♥♥
The snow has melted, and I guess I am dreaming of a white Christmas, because we are due to have rain over the weekend - and lots of it. UGH! My hope to have my roof replaced before the end of the year has become a slim chance if at all...I'll have to wait until the spring. I hope it holds out for another winter! I'm keeping very busy my Friends, my courses are going well! I'm playing catch-up again! ♥
I hope you are all safe, healthy and happy!
Today's featured Blogger is my friend Mary from A Breath Of Fresh Air blog. Mary is such a wonderful lady. She's a "transplanted Brit" who has been all over the world and she shares her photos and stories. She also has a lovely garden and home and shares that as well. The photo above is one she took yesterday in her garden in North Carolina. Please visit her blog!!
LEAVE A COMMENT AND YOU MAY BE NEXT WEEK'S ATURED ARTIST/BLOGGER!
(If you do not want to be featured, just let me know in the comments and I'll respect your wishes!)
That's all for now folks! Please check out the link widget below for more "Christmas Past" creations! See you soon!!! 💗 💗
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Upcoming Art Dates For Rain's Thursday Art Date: click on the links below for a description of the theme and inspiring images!
This art date is all about creating. You can showcase your paintings, drawings, photography, sculpting, baking, poetry...whatever you like! 🎨
Don't forget to add the URL link to your post (not your blog) to the link gadget below to share your wonderful creations! Please revisit to make sure you don't miss those who join in a little late! All spam and non-related links will be removed! The link gadget expires Friday at midnight (EST).
Hi Rain, lovely art today. I follow Breath of Fresh Air blog, so was nice to see her mentioned her blog often has some beautiful wildlife that visits her garden. I hope your roof holds out, maybe you can get some tarpaulin put aside just in case you need an emergency repair before Spring. We had a sprinkling of snow but it didn't settle for long. Betty :)
Hi Rain, sorry I had to miss last week. I don't see a link, or I would add mine.
As for last week, I had intended to drop by even though I wasn't playing. Unfortunately, last Thursday I caught a sleeve on my railing and fell down 13 stairs to my basement floor. When I was finally able to get up, my back was in so much pain, all I could do was lie flat on it. Stand ing and sitting was nearly impossible. I am marginally better, but still unable to sit for long periods of time.
These are lovekly examples of Christmas past, and I think you did a great job with Porky Pig and the Norman Rockwell wreath. Bing Crosby looks great, too. You draw so very well.
Sounds like your cooking is going well and I am sorry to read about your roof. I hope the winter snows don't cause further damage.
Just in case, here's my link: https://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/2021/12/rains-thursday-art-date-christmas-past.html
OMG Rain, your food pics are so yummy. I need to dust off my art desk and get back to drawing and painting again. I haven't picked up a pencil or brush since I was 17. It seems so strange that I have all these art thingies and nothing to show for it.
Porky looks so festive for the holiday, cute! Your food looks yummy, Pizza is always my favorite and Lasagna YUM! Love your sweet doggies and great shot of the Northern Flicker. Take care, enjoy your day!
Good morning dear Rain and many thanks for mentioning me and my blog. These days, being an ex-pat has been hard with COVID keeping so many of us from traveling home to see family and friends. Hoping for a great holiday season for all and a better year ahead. Love your rendering of Bing - it's so lifelike. 'Christmas Past' brings back so many wonderful, happy memories. . . . . .somehow they don't quite seem the same today having become far too commercialized, especially here in the US. Sending Christmas blessings to you and all your readers - Hugs, Mary
Wonderful Bing Crosby sketch. I've never heard of fruit ketchup. It looks tasty. Pizza would be good just now. :) And what a great pic of the Northern Flicker. Merry Christmas to you, Rain! Thank you for hosting.
Rain, that is a great Bing Crosby drawing. That album holds a special place in my memory: Ever year my mother would pull it out and play it in the background. More than any other music, it reminds me of all things Christmas.
I am sorry about your rain, but I begrudge it of you - we could certainly use some around here.
Yes, Rain, to listening to Bing sing holiday songs. We had that very same album in my childhood home and it was played throughout the Christmas season. Your drawing was wonderful. While I am not a heavy YT, my preference is for thumbnails that remain constant. I usually read the title of the video. Hope this info helps, my friend. How did you enjoy the new pizza recipe? Those lasagna roll-ups may be on my "to try" list in the future and the more cheese the better!
You are so much more productive than I! I'd love to jump in and eat something from every single food photo!And great photos of the bird. Love Bing, too! Happy Season!
I love being! He really had such a wonderful voice I only really realize that recently but I heard some of the really low wonderful tones he could hit. We're supposed to have some serious snow in the mountains in the next week several feet in fact oh, hope you get a little down here in Boise for Christmas! I love the snow
Happy Christmas Rain and Family. When I was younger ( a long time ago) Bing Crosby and other singers of that era were regular sounds on radio, but nowadays not much at all. It's sad that most youngsters today aren't even interested in trying the oldie songs. They really don't know what they are missing in hearing the very many real singing voices that I grew up with.
Love the flicker. Good to see you enjoying the wonder that is birds and the animals.
Well as you can see I am late in comments. LOL You already know how much I love your art and I sighhhh when I see all the delicious looking food. Ya know cause I want to eat all of it. LOL The fur babies look great. Have a wonderful day today.
Love visiting the blog and seeing your great art and the amazing looking food. YUM.....Hoping all is well and you, Alex and the furs are great. Snow yet?
Porky Pig made me smile. Your Looney Tune characters always make me so happy. You do such nice work with portraits. Now, you have me wanting to see "White Christmas"! I'm sure you'll get a White Christmas before we do. Here's hoping you get your hearts desire! :)
Hello Rain! Please forgive my tardiness and being mia - pain + deadlines = panic! heehee Okay, I drooled all the way through your post from the art to the food and back. That pizza omg. And apple ketchup! It is delish, I've had it. Keep on climbing! Have a great week, XOX
I was watching your beautiful video about cat-boy, Leo and trying to leave a comment over there. Anyways, it was just wonderful, you could definitely see "eyes in the sky".
It's wonderful how they come back to comfort us, makes the loss a bit more bearable. I am sorry for your loss though.
Your doggies are gorgeous too.
Nice to hear your voice, well done with the videos. I'll check them out again soon.
Hi Rain, As I looked through this post I thought … this is quite something special. You are a talented artist who not only shares your art, for example, the excellent Mourning Dove, but also, How to Draw a Mourning Dove. Then, I took a look at your latest Spiritual Rain video, Messages From the Universe. Yes! I saw the cat’s face in the clouds … I love it! And then, the beautiful morning sky. Yes again, the angels were sending their love. I send you my best wishes. John
Hi Rain, I'm impossibly behind with your blog, so I'll just jump in here. Re: Youtube thumbnails... I definitely like changing thumbnails because they catch my eye first. But I also almost always read the title before clicking. I love your Bing Crosby. :)
Oh my goodness, I forgot to do comments ... I have been desperately trying to put together my annual picture book. I am doing it on Izzi this year and I have so many pictures of her because she was the center of our lives for so long. It is overwhelming trying to pick and choose and then even remembering what I have used already ... OMG, don't get old :( Anyway, I loved your art this week(I should say last week)your Norman Rockwell and Porky Pig ... what a hoot and so well done. You must have the patience of a saint. Of course I would love Bing Crosby ... anyone in my generation grew up with his crooning smooth voice. Great choices, Rain. As for your food, as always, mouth watering. I drooled over your salsa. I love salsa, but now days if you buy it in the store it always has hot peppers in it. I don't mind a bit of hot, but apparently the rest of the world loves lots of hot. Your lasagna roll ups look fabulous and I may try those. I used to make lasagna from scratch, but haven't in a long time. I love the idea of adding spinach (My FH probably would prefer the "classic" version, but the spinach is good for him, so, so be it :) Your doggies are adorable and the flicker ... she is beautiful. We used to have a resident flicker family living by us when we were on the lake. They would bring their babies down in my yard and teach them how to hunt for food. I know I have pictures of it somewhere. If I run across them, I will post them :) You are such a busy bee ... I would love to have your energy. I exercise every day (now that Izzi is gone, I am doing my walking on a treadmill ... boring:( and I am gradually losing all of my covid weight. So, here's hoping I will make it through the holidays without adding more pounds. So stay happy and busy ... I love what you are doing for yourself. You have me thinking about taking some courses in art ... next year maybe :) Stay well, my friend and I saved the best for last ... your card is awesome. I love the little north woods hobbit. You never cease to amaze me :)
Merry Christmas Rain and thank you for the pictures of the mouthwateringly delicious food and wonderful art. Bing Crosby is a favorite of ours also -- my dad went to the same University (Gonzaga, Spokane WA) as he did, a little later I think, but we grew up knowing that he was from the same area as we were... I knew all about his children and his wife etc etc (well, not all about, just what the publicists wanted us to know of course), but the fact that he could sing, as Louis Armstrong so beautifully described, is indisputable! I have honestly only recently started to realize how much good stuff is available on YouTube and I have made a note to look up your channels.
❤ Thanks for your comment, I love hearing from everyone! ❤ Why not join me and my fellow artists every Thursday for TADD? That's Thursday Art and Dinner Date! It's a lot of fun! Love, Rain
Hey, nice Der Bingle, Rain! I love his Christmas album too -- every song is a classic and beautifully done!
ReplyDeleteGreat take on Christmases past Rain. The food looks delicious. I have never had fruit ketchup. I don't see the linky.
ReplyDeleteA very happy holiday season to you - and thank you so much for the beauty and the deliciousness you share.
ReplyDeleteHi Rain, lovely art today. I follow Breath of Fresh Air blog, so was nice to see her mentioned her blog often has some beautiful wildlife that visits her garden. I hope your roof holds out, maybe you can get some tarpaulin put aside just in case you need an emergency repair before Spring. We had a sprinkling of snow but it didn't settle for long. Betty :)
ReplyDeleteHi Rain, sorry I had to miss last week. I don't see a link, or I would add mine.
ReplyDeleteAs for last week, I had intended to drop by even though I wasn't playing. Unfortunately, last Thursday I caught a sleeve on my railing and fell down 13 stairs to my basement floor. When I was finally able to get up, my back was in so much pain, all I could do was lie flat on it. Stand ing and sitting was nearly impossible. I am marginally better, but still unable to sit for long periods of time.
These are lovekly examples of Christmas past, and I think you did a great job with Porky Pig and the Norman Rockwell wreath. Bing Crosby looks great, too. You draw so very well.
Sounds like your cooking is going well and I am sorry to read about your roof. I hope the winter snows don't cause further damage.
Just in case, here's my link:
https://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/2021/12/rains-thursday-art-date-christmas-past.html
OMG Rain, your food pics are so yummy. I need to dust off my art desk and get back to drawing and painting again. I haven't picked up a pencil or brush since I was 17. It seems so strange that I have all these art thingies and nothing to show for it.
ReplyDeleteOK, missing links :)
ReplyDeletelove your Bing Crosby sketch :)
A great job with the Bing Crosby portrait, Rain. I wonder how many young people today have ever even heard if him?
ReplyDeletejack and charlie look so cute. what a face jack has! and your food!!! i will have a bit of all of it...yum!
ReplyDeleteHello Rain,
ReplyDeletePorky looks so festive for the holiday, cute! Your food looks yummy, Pizza is always my favorite and Lasagna YUM! Love your sweet doggies and great shot of the Northern Flicker. Take care, enjoy your day!
...Bing Crosby is a fond memory of Christmas past for my. Thanks Rain for hosting, take care and stay warm and well.
ReplyDeleteNot seeing a linky MINE IS HERE
ReplyDeleteHappy Thursday every one.
MUCH💜LOVE
Sorry I forgot the Linky friends!!! It's up now!!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas, Rain!
ReplyDeleteGood morning dear Rain and many thanks for mentioning me and my blog. These days, being an ex-pat has been hard with COVID keeping so many of us from traveling home to see family and friends. Hoping for a great holiday season for all and a better year ahead.
ReplyDeleteLove your rendering of Bing - it's so lifelike. 'Christmas Past' brings back so many wonderful, happy memories. . . . . .somehow they don't quite seem the same today having become far too commercialized, especially here in the US.
Sending Christmas blessings to you and all your readers -
Hugs, Mary
A great art date theme and lots of good looking food! You never disappoint, Rain! :)
ReplyDelete😁😁😁
ReplyDeleteHave a good memory Thursday
Much💜love
Wonderful Bing Crosby sketch. I've never heard of fruit ketchup. It looks tasty. Pizza would be good just now. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd what a great pic of the Northern Flicker.
Merry Christmas to you, Rain!
Thank you for hosting.
Rain, that is a great Bing Crosby drawing. That album holds a special place in my memory: Ever year my mother would pull it out and play it in the background. More than any other music, it reminds me of all things Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry about your rain, but I begrudge it of you - we could certainly use some around here.
I love your art! You really captured Bing Crosby...wow! And the Northern flicker sure is beautiful! Happy holidays!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great theme today. The Bing art work brings back a lot of memories from Christmases past. All good too.
ReplyDeleteYes, Rain, to listening to Bing sing holiday songs. We had that very same album in my childhood home and it was played throughout the Christmas season. Your drawing was wonderful. While I am not a heavy YT, my preference is for thumbnails that remain constant. I usually read the title of the video. Hope this info helps, my friend. How did you enjoy the new pizza recipe? Those lasagna roll-ups may be on my "to try" list in the future and the more cheese the better!
ReplyDeleteYou are so much more productive than I! I'd love to jump in and eat something from every single food photo!And great photos of the bird. Love Bing, too! Happy Season!
ReplyDeleteYou have such accomplishments! And achieve so much. I've been a bit stressed. Happy to see you you've been up to!
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy seeing your art, and your pizza with Mozzarella, Parmesan and Goat Cheese ... delicious. :)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the week ahead.
All the best Jan
I love being! He really had such a wonderful voice I only really realize that recently but I heard some of the really low wonderful tones he could hit. We're supposed to have some serious snow in the mountains in the next week several feet in fact oh, hope you get a little down here in Boise for Christmas! I love the snow
ReplyDeleteHappy Christmas Rain and Family. When I was younger ( a long time ago) Bing Crosby and other singers of that era were regular sounds on radio, but nowadays not much at all. It's sad that most youngsters today aren't even interested in trying the oldie songs. They really don't know what they are missing in hearing the very many real singing voices that I grew up with.
ReplyDeleteLove the flicker. Good to see you enjoying the wonder that is birds and the animals.
What a super picture on your card. Love it.
I like your portrait of Bing Crosby, one of my favorite singers. Your food looks very good.
ReplyDeleteWell as you can see I am late in comments. LOL You already know how much I love your art and I sighhhh when I see all the delicious looking food. Ya know cause I want to eat all of it. LOL The fur babies look great. Have a wonderful day today.
ReplyDeleteLove visiting the blog and seeing your great art and the amazing looking food. YUM.....Hoping all is well and you, Alex and the furs are great. Snow yet?
ReplyDeleteRain,
ReplyDeletePorky Pig made me smile. Your Looney Tune characters always make me so happy. You do such nice work with portraits. Now, you have me wanting to see "White Christmas"! I'm sure you'll get a White Christmas before we do. Here's hoping you get your hearts desire! :)
Hello Rain! Please forgive my tardiness and being mia - pain + deadlines = panic! heehee Okay, I drooled all the way through your post from the art to the food and back. That pizza omg. And apple ketchup! It is delish, I've had it. Keep on climbing! Have a great week, XOX
ReplyDeleteHello again Rain😊😊
ReplyDeleteI was watching your beautiful video about cat-boy, Leo and trying to leave a comment over there. Anyways, it was just wonderful, you could definitely see "eyes in the sky".
It's wonderful how they come back to comfort us, makes the loss a bit more bearable. I am sorry for your loss though.
Your doggies are gorgeous too.
Nice to hear your voice, well done with the videos. I'll check them out again soon.
Happy holidays and stay safe and happy and well.
Your food pictures all look so good, Rain. I would love to eat any of that. :)
ReplyDeleteBing Crosby portrait - amazing! enjoyed reading here.
ReplyDeleteHi Rain, As I looked through this post I thought … this is quite something special. You are a talented artist who not only shares your art, for example, the excellent Mourning Dove, but also, How to Draw a Mourning Dove. Then, I took a look at your latest Spiritual Rain video, Messages From the Universe. Yes! I saw the cat’s face in the clouds … I love it! And then, the beautiful morning sky. Yes again, the angels were sending their love. I send you my best wishes. John
ReplyDeleteHi Rain, I'm impossibly behind with your blog, so I'll just jump in here. Re: Youtube thumbnails... I definitely like changing thumbnails because they catch my eye first. But I also almost always read the title before clicking. I love your Bing Crosby. :)
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, I forgot to do comments ... I have been desperately trying to put together my annual picture book. I am doing it on Izzi this year and I have so many pictures of her because she was the center of our lives for so long. It is overwhelming trying to pick and choose and then even remembering what I have used already ... OMG, don't get old :( Anyway, I loved your art this week(I should say last week)your Norman Rockwell and Porky Pig ... what a hoot and so well done. You must have the patience of a saint. Of course I would love Bing Crosby ... anyone in my generation grew up with his crooning smooth voice. Great choices, Rain.
ReplyDeleteAs for your food, as always, mouth watering. I drooled over your salsa. I love salsa, but now days if you buy it in the store it always has hot peppers in it. I don't mind a bit of hot, but apparently the rest of the world loves lots of hot. Your lasagna roll ups look fabulous and I may try those. I used to make lasagna from scratch, but haven't in a long time. I love the idea of adding spinach (My FH probably would prefer the "classic" version, but the spinach is good for him, so, so be it :)
Your doggies are adorable and the flicker ... she is beautiful. We used to have a resident flicker family living by us when we were on the lake. They would bring their babies down in my yard and teach them how to hunt for food. I know I have pictures of it somewhere. If I run across them, I will post them :) You are such a busy bee ... I would love to have your energy. I exercise every day (now that Izzi is gone, I am doing my walking on a treadmill ... boring:( and I am gradually losing all of my covid weight. So, here's hoping I will make it through the holidays without adding more pounds. So stay happy and busy ... I love what you are doing for yourself. You have me thinking about taking some courses in art ... next year maybe :) Stay well, my friend and I saved the best for last ... your card is awesome. I love the little north woods hobbit. You never cease to amaze me :)
Andrea @ From the Sol
Great take on Christmases past Rain
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Rain and thank you for the pictures of the mouthwateringly delicious food and wonderful art. Bing Crosby is a favorite of ours also -- my dad went to the same University (Gonzaga, Spokane WA) as he did, a little later I think, but we grew up knowing that he was from the same area as we were... I knew all about his children and his wife etc etc (well, not all about, just what the publicists wanted us to know of course), but the fact that he could sing, as Louis Armstrong so beautifully described, is indisputable!
ReplyDeleteI have honestly only recently started to realize how much good stuff is available on YouTube and I have made a note to look up your channels.