art, heart, home, Poetry, women's stories

Day 16 ProlificPulse Mo Po: a poem that explores the concept of home and belonging.

Home & Heart! © arlene s bice

Sometimes I come home
flop into a chair
exhausted, whew!
a glance around shows
crystals in the window
plants, objet d’art, paintings
all familiar
chosen carefully by me
reflections of my life
items I hold dear
surrounds me
with warmth
I’m home.

A new turf
moved into
a stranger raises
a hand, waves,
shouts a ‘hi’
a smile
it feels good
my heart says
here
I belong
here.

art, dancing, Poetry

Day 10 ProlificPulse Mo Po: a poem inspired by a work of art.

Albo’s Strauss Waltz© arlene s bice

‘twas a painting, a print really
in my Mediterranean dining room
hung over my stereo console
back in the early days
married, becoming an adult

a perfect union, one glance
created music in my head
dropped down to my heart
while the stereo was off
impossible to be sad, silent

added life to a dinner party
gaiety before mellowness
circled the table formally set
guests mentally share a waltz
strangers became friends.

art, artists, food, Moving Away, Poetry, reflection

Day 7 ProlificPulse Mo Po: a poem that celebrates the beauty of everyday objects

Photo by Farhad Ibrahimzade on Unsplash

Downsizing© arlene s bice

It’s time, trim the sails, a last move, for sure
gone, the Toulouse Lautrec dinner set for eight

no need, daily life is different from ever before
changes are made, my new life settled by fate

adore the fancy new dishes, two of each design
cooking, eating less, use only luncheon plates

adjust, make life easier, all worked out fine
it’s fun to wash this crockery, they’re so pretty

and placed on the table with a glass of wine
next to the flatware, a journal, a book so witty.

art, artists, dreams, France, general, Poetry, reflection

Day 4 ProlificPulse Mo Po: a poem of a place you’ve never been but long to visit


Photo mxx @unsplash

Off to France © arlene s bice

To the land of the Impressionists
to walk where they stood with easels
to create a new style of exquisite art
to enjoy plein air countryside beauty
to stroll in the gardens of Monet
to share a table, wine, talk of colors
to still feel the presence of Renoir
to sit with Cassatt and Morisot’s spirits
to see them linger as I would linger
to see Degas approach, bottle in hand
to be there, outside a Parisian café
where I once appeared in a former life.

art, childhood, family, genealogy, general, Memoir, Poetry, reflection

Day 2 Po Mo Challenge Describe a childhood memory


Brother Bob & Me

Childhood Pictures ©arlene s bice

Dad, an amateur photographer
of curious mind to satisfy
equipment was plenty; quality
developed his own negatives

chose favorite spots
now remembered
cozy bookcase corner
backyard pale pink rosebush
front porch entry

dressed in holiday clothes
church steps next door
on ground donated by
great grandmother Rachel.

art, Ten Things of Thankful

Ten Things I’m Thankful

Dr. Don Arnold & Ernie Fleming of Oakley Hall A & A. will find new homes for .. . .
  1. Today I learned that the manager of Goodwill in South Hill VA area is very fond of Jane Austen. I feel so much better for donating my treasured set of 8 or 9 Stephanie Barron well-written books featuring Jane Austen as a sleuth.
  2. Plus I am content with so many of my other Jane Austen books have gone to the right place to be bought by others. I enjoyed/loved them, now others will.
  3. So grateful for my physical strength and good health to complete packing up my house for the big migration to Poplar Forest II in Farmville VA. It has been a daunting task and nearly complete.
  4. My moving date has been moved up by 1 day to the 18th. Zowie! This time next week I will be in my new home…..unpacking.
  5. Thanks to the person who developed duct tape. Man or woman.
  6. Huge thanks to my dearest friends nearby who have nurtured me.
  7. Thank you to Don and Ernie at Oakley Hall Antiques & Art who will finding loving homes for some of my art work.
  8. Thanks to my NJ friends who filled in the empty spaces of information on some of the artists of that artwork. It’s nice to have some back story to a piece of art.
  9. Big time Thanks for all the love in my life.

10. One of the purposes in my life that I am thankful for, is the making of memories that can be relived again and again.

art, Cats

Reverse Painting of Cat Lizzie

This is not the painting….just a picture of Lizzie. The painting may be found at Oakley Hall Antiques & Art in Warrenton (NC)

Emily Eve Weinstein     https://emilyeveweinstein.com/home

Back when my new, used and rare book shop was in full swing in Bordentown (NJ) many authors and artists came to introduce their books and work. Emily Eve Weinstein, on her way from Durham (NC) where she taught, to visit her parents in NYC would stop and spend the night at Exit 7 on the NJ Turnpike.  She ventured into town and drew many fans from the area excited to see her newest book. Emily always gave some kind of art presentation. The year of the Cat Book, she showed how to do a ‘reverse painting’ by painting on glass then placing art paper on the wet painting and voila`. An original painting resulted. This painting that she did of my cat Lizzie (named for Elizabeth Bennet of Pride & Prejudice) was the result of her visit that year. She captured Lizzie’s expression perfectly! I purchased prints of each picture in the book for resale, but she gifted the one of Lizzie and I kept it these 20+ years for my own pleasure.

​​​​C​at Book started out simply enough. Emily Weinstein set out to create a series of monoprints of cats she knew personally. As she explored her subjects, she saw that each cat had a story. So she wrote the stories down, and began hearing of fascinating cats farther afield. The trail led from North Carolina up the East Coast to New York City, where she was able to paint the much-heralded Brooklyn heroine cat, Scarlett, who rescued her five kittens from a ravaging fire. Other cats depicted include Snappy, who has sailed around the world; Wild Boy, feral in the High Sierras; the talking feline Regis, and Max, who has learned to box. It’s all great fun….and wonderful art!

From her website: Emily Eve Weinstein is a muralist, portraitist, and teaching artist, While creating murals in various towns over the years, Emily realized that many of the youth were drifting about and getting into trouble. In response to this, Emily would hand them a brush and send them up the scaffolding to help. Recognizing their value to the community, Emily taught the youth important skills which enhanced their self-esteem.  As a result of encompassing the youth into her work, Emily’s murals soon began to foster a new and intrinsic community value.

Her murals may be seen in Durham and Carrboro (NC) and Long Island (NY)

Arlene S. Bice

art, Poetry

YELLOW LANDSCAPE~JOHN MATLACK

Last year in an IWWG conference poetry workshop of Marj Hahn’s

we wrote from postcards of original paintings:

YELLOW LANDSCAPE/artist/JOHN MATLACK

arlene sandra bice

brilliant yellow in a living urban landscape

where color shows up to reveal

special pocket spaces indicating

poets

artists

musicians

are bringing life to a city setting

the creatives gather, cluster, whisper

vibrant partnerships form, friendships, really

latching on as extensions of self

easy to spot, these oases of art, poetry, music

colors abound, signage, posters, murals

in the unlikeliest places, just emerge

unplanned, fed, watered, nurtured

suffering? yes, those who try too hard

seeking perfection; art is life

with scars showing character

your choice, enjoy or no

absorb the blues

taste the reds

seek the yellows

notes fly out as the doors open

flooding the golden light

onto the sidewalks

where it leaks over the curb

into the street bleeding away

spreading love

leaving spots of life on a blue-

blackened night

 

 

art, Christmas season, general, Poetry, Uncategorized

GREETING CARDS SAVED IN POETRY

blog 006.JPG It’s time for greeting cards to be sent out. It matters not which holiday you celebrate; Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Chanukah, Happy New Year, and maybe others that I am unfamiliar. I save most of the cards I receive (all with the hand-painted envelopes) and enjoy them again later. . . maybe even years later. Here is my take on it all.

Greeting cards from long ago
written by a familiar hand
declaring feelings of
someone now gone

Cards with a personal note
wonderful to read years later
encouraging, reassuring
remembering dear friendships

Note cards with thank you
sent for some little thing
or maybe some thing big
a long-forgotten thoughtfulness

Hand-made cards sent
designed with loving care
expressly with me in mind
treasures to keep forever

Cards spark memories
always dear, loving, caring
before good times turn to bad
or in times of sorrow, so sad

I remove cards from the box
sketch the graphics
into my daily journal
re-living a happy moment

And then there is Celeste
who paints the envelope
to match the card inside
giving the carrier some cheer
and me over and over again

It isn’t whether the cards are large
fancy, or expensive
it’s always, it’s the words
written from the heart
communicating sentiment

 

art, books, Poetry, writing

Writers & Poets Anthology

Writers need writers. Though we ply our craft alone, in between writing sessions, we need other writers. Today, when we cannot gather on sidewalk cafes or in coffee houses, we can come together via the internet. No need to go totally alone in the still-new century.
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One recent gathering of writers & poets has pooled talents to present, Sitting with a Drunken Sorceress, Poems & Prose to invite you, excite you, & delight you. This anthology is a collection of poetry & prose from writers across the country; a simmering pot of races, ethnic heritage, age, gender, and seasoning.

You’ll see a smattering of ART, feel the emotions of LIFE, the PASSION roiling around inside us, why we do the WRITING, and the dreams & nightmares of THE UNDER 30 CROWD.

COMING SOON ….VERY SOON, FOR YOUR PLEASURE. SITTING WITH A DRUNKEN SORCERESS $14.95 PLUS $2.00 SHIPPING FOR EACH BOOK ORDERED.

PS: The photo is NOT the Sorceress, it’s my psychic, sleepy cat Lizzie who loves it when I read poetry to her.