Friday and Saturday .boy it is cold here again............

Friday.... a glorious day for all  !!!!!!!!

 my beautiful Candice is finishing her video for the United Way video...Chase is trying to work out more changes for one of his clients....and we had a quick bite together....I am going to miss these wonderful wonderful young artists........

 Amber and John are finishing up the last of their requirements for COTC before they fly away from Newark to their new lives and careers in Phoenix ....they are brilliant young artists..........brave... brave ...courageous ...young new businessmen and women

A BIG HUG always works when the world becomes too complicated!!!!!!!!  Chase is an amazing artist and teacher!!!!

 Ann Ormond came in with her two cousins to say Hello...and they all fell in love with my Monkey Art aprons and projects...they are going home to PLAY with their grand children and make Monkey ART!!!!

 Whew ...my table is full of great art stuff.............I am preparing for my Messy Monkey finale.......

 the skies .are full of ominous clouds ...very foreboding signs of what will come........

 I could feel the atmospheric pressure dropping.......the evening is near............

I had to pause and snap this mother sitting on her nest in the cool of the evening............soon we will have little ones following along the river bank announcing.... We have arrived!!!!!!!!!!

 Saturday Branson came in surprised me with his new haircut...he is such a handsome young man...and I told him so!!!!

 He built and design a crane model made from craft sticks with wheels and axles plus this crane actually works to "lift!"

 He began working on design elements for his wooden treasure box..... a hexagon he painted last week and completed this Saturday......

 I took him over to The Works to see a preview of the art exhibit opening next week.  He was moved by the drawings made by the survivors of wars...from the Spanish War to Kosovo.  The importance of the drawn recording of their experiences ....trying to survive!!!

 here are a few examples ...carrying their personal belongings in suitcases to refugee camps...

 the images of the bombings over the villages.........

 the airplanes are dropping their bombs on the homes of families being forever destroyed............

 The Girl Scouts were creating their own flower designs and colors in the hot Glass Studio with Larry Tuber.

 the Mothers and girls patiently waited for their turns in the hole....

 One of my tiny tiny Messy Monkeys came in to play with her mother and big sister..........

 some of today's creations ........Branson is reading The Hunger Games and has created some images to reflect the metaphors in this trilogy........

 He is studying his placements of jeweled facets on the tiny treasure box......

 Watercolor washes ...with a spritz of alcohol...and then attached to his matte board we cut last Saturday.for small easels.

 He applied 18K gold to his watercolor assemblage.........

 Messy Monkey masks ... and simple collagraphs for monkeys dancing ..........

 the day remained very cool but the sky was breaking up.............

and as I drove into my circle the sky had been painted with a flash of brilliant colors to close a beautiful day.  I am making dinner for the new family tomorrow and then Ken and I are going to see Number 42........the life story of Jackie Robinson.  Have a great restful Sunday!  Imagine and Live in Peace,  Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart