The First Day Of September.......

p

p
My favourite time of year is almost here. Soon the light will change, the temperature will plummet, and my senses, all three hundred and eighty six of them, will come alive.

And i like how dark it is at 5am nowadays.

So, a mixed bag of new offerings for a new month. Artwise, that is.

pp

Claire Voyance (click title to view)
p

p
p

The emotions, intuition, instincts.
Water, Pisces, a positive response to what is often regarded as weak, negative (also the feminine, lunar).
I have been listening to sea sounds, that old conch in the bathroom.......and sea shanties, my take on them, like Electrelane's 'Eight Steps', for instance, or Sunset Rubdown's 'Swimming'. My dreams, too, concerning the ocean, floods; as if for some reason right now it is my mirror. Too vast, perhaps, yet so seductive.

The Heart of a Stranger (click title to view)

(apparently, if you throw a toad against a wall it is said to transform into a handsome young prince. But i want to know if this same logic applies the other way around - a prince becoming a toad, etc. Although, i don't advise trying to find the answer to this by hurling your significant other over the bannister)

(And to my knowledge, a princess rarely transforms into anything other than herself in fairytales. She will ascend to womanhood, or sleep for a thousand years, or become a prisoner of the heart, but i rarely hear of princesses becoming animals, like many of the handsome princes do. Please feel free to enlighten me. Just a thought. You'll have to ask Marie Louise Von Franz, she appears to know the deal)

And the moral of this story is.........never leave home without your crown.

p
I would also like to share some of my favourite discoveries of recent days before i leave you for the night (or month, as is the way it often goes with Artandghosts...)
p

p
From top left to bottom right:

.  Splendid Company by marmeecraft

.  Pony Postcard by enna

.  One Misty Morning by sarahblank

.  Portrait of Little Red Riding Hood by rosieNZ
p

p
(please view enlarged)
p

.  The Twins by eekdesign

.  Handsoap by foliage

.  The Day He Could Not Sleep by LaMaga

.  Black Cat by NaturalForms

And one of my all-time favourite images..........
p

p
. Parapluie by marinkel
p

And some websites i would recommend:
p

.  Jeffrey Michael Harp

.  Swan Bones Theatre

.  Puppychick 

.  Mikel Robinson
p

♥  Happy Birthday to my dearest Mirlo (he is six today)  ♥

p

p
p

And thankyou, eternally, for putting up with the strangeness of my world.

Enjoy September, for it will soon be October, my very very very most favourite month of all.

Comments

[Frankie Kins]

So nice to see some new work again. I crave your posts. hehe I love the island girls, but I think Asylum is my favorite of this bunch. It amazes me that you are able to produce so many different works, even in a month. (I think I must work much, much slower.)

I envy your cooler weather and your anticipation of autumn. It is my favorite season as well, and well.....Southern California just does not offer it. Darn!

Take care and talk to you soon!

[Sapphire Dakini]

Greetings from another fan of Autumn. Absolutely love your work!

[Your Gracious Host]

"The voice of the sea speaks to the soul..." -Kate Chopin

They speak the same language, share the same characteristics. Infinite depth of which the bottom may never be seen, the vastness never fathomed. The unpredictability of demeanor...calming and placid one moment; sheer tempestuousness the next. Limitless possibilities on both of their horizons which are almost universally looked upon with hope and promise, yet nevertheless can occasionally overwhelm by virtue of utter vastness. Claire as Columbus...setting out for the new world on her fleet of ships: The Emotion, The Intuition, and The Instinct, navigating by celestial means. Without the slaughter and enslavement of indigenous people, of course ;)

But, what really matters is what lies beneath the surface, isn't it? That which cannot be seen has the ability to hold us in both awe and trepidation. At first I wondered if perhaps Claire might hitch a ride with Captain Nemo and plumb those mysterious depths in The Nautilus. But something tells me that she would be nobody's passenger, settling for nothing less than piloting her own vessel through such intimate waters.

[pat]

another exceptionally fascinating blog
l loved it all from beginning to end.as always l look forward to browsing through them, and look forward to each new creation.
Now as we fast approach Autumn the twilight of our year, which l know is your favourite
of all our seasons, l know you will be more
in tune with yourself to produce more excellent work, lt's the time for reflection
and contemplation, switch on the lamps, make
the coffee sit back and relax.
l am fascinated by what you do, it's all
done so very well, maybe l am just a teeny
bit proud of you (if that is allowed)
love always mum xxxxx

[KiWi]

Asylum made me gasp aloud. Bravo. Gorgeous imagery as always, Lou.

[sarahblank]

Happy birthday to Merlo! He is such a doll!
Well, it was worth the wait for this post, as your work is beautiful, enchanting, chillingly mind blowing as always!
I love, love, love the ships.
I am in complete awe of "The Island Night'.
I hope there will be prints of this one!
The narratives contained in these works, to me, are calm, almost silent, chilling..... its as though I am caught in someone elses dream (or nightmare) that has become my own through my observation. I feel fortunate to be able to view this world. I love it all and I can't say that enough.

ps- Thanks for posting my little misty morning painting. She is ever grateful!

~Sarah

[Marjorie]

Happy Birthday Mirlo!! : )

I was just trying to pick out the piano bit in Sunset Rubdown's Swimming over the weekend! :)

I adore your new works (achingly beautiful as usual!).....particularly Claire Voyance.....It reminds me of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell for some reason. :)

I'm right with you on the season change...even though we do not get a true Autumn here I still notice the subtle changes in the light and shift of the sun and it just "feels" like Fall again. I miss my year in the mountains with changing leaves and the coming snow.

Thank You ever so much (from Mr. Forbes and I) for mentioning my print here....I'm ever honored! And Your an absolute Darling! :)

[Dees]

I love autumn too!!The smell the leaves the colors!oh and your Milo!!Happy birthday sweetie.You so belong in autumn with you halloween grin on the last picture!
hugs Dees

[Rosalie Gale]

I'm a huge admirer. Really, really nice work.

[Kimberly Wlassak]

Nice to see you back at the blog. Enchanting and haunting work, as usual.

Give Mirlo a big birthday hug!!

Kim
Garden Painter Art

[marinkel]

oh, i'm late i'm late in posting my ever so grateful response to one of your finest posts! well, they are all enchanted, but you know how the newest is always the best (at least this is what they tell you in the ads!)
so i want to thank you for that precious dedication, the tower, a recurring theme of late! and yes, how i am ever so frightened to be losing the key, and so i have. our worst fears do come true sometimes, don't they and life tests how we will move on from here. though life after the tower cannot be as frightening as being locked in it, surely!

you had me cracking up about the three sisters lakes! omg! that image though is so mystical. it makes me recall my fantasies of going out onto the moor behind my house which i never did, because they do warn little children about this lest you want to be found a thousand years later by creepy excavationists... but here a great treasure is hiding and this is the suspicion i have always had, whenever adults warn you about a thing, it must contain wonders...

the poppies remind me of the two obstacles we face, remembering and forgetting, cause both have their pitfalls and their necessities... looking back of course turns someone into stone, but breathing in the vapors of oblivion makes everything disappear, including who you are.

finally, i thank you so much for posting my picture. i did take some nice pictures there, in the tower... it's ok, autumn allows us to be nostalgic from time to time, doesn't it?

xoxo

[lou]

You people are the best:)
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to these images.

Mirlo also sends his gratitude...

xxx

[stilettoheights]

I love seeing your new pieces, you really are an amazing talent!!!

I am aching for a cool fall myself, where I am it has been over 90 for a week.

I hate global warming

[Mae Jane]

You're posts are always so magical. :) They tend to transport me into beautiful little worlds. I too am sooo eager for the Autumn season to take over, I need it's colors, smells, pumpkins, ghosts, fall leaves, etc.. I could go on forever. Happy birthday Mirlo, you're handsome! He would look quite dashing with my girl, Littlebones (http://www.flickr.com/photos/helloinfinite/777844371/in/set-72157594207194987/)

[Mae Jane]

Oops my link broke, not sure why! sorry about that.

[A Fanciful Twist]

Oh My goodness.. Where does a girl even begin?? I want every print. Each one spoke to me. Not that I don't have 30 already... Ha! I feel a part of your creations, like I can step into them and feel pieces of my heart beating alive in them... I think many of us feel the same way! And throwing frogs against walls?? SPLACK! Ha, love that!!! You are wonderful. I adore your words. You are a very special soul, lovely Lou. One to be treasured... xxo

[Tessa]

What a wonderful post!! You keep outdoing yourself with the new images, and this new set is especially lovely. I love checking your blog to see what you will come up with next. Your work is always so enchanting and sears itself into my memory so well. I love that everything looks so very vintage but with modern sensibilities that are so thought-provoking and alive!

I'm so glad to be back in blogland, slowly but surely... I'm feeling a bit better now after some setbacks, but it's been an uphill battle. Thanks for making me smile with such a wonderful post!!

[Emily]

Your images just become more bewitching all the time...
Will Claire Voyance ever be available in your shop? I need her in my life.
Need.

I am also an Autumn lady, which I'm sure you could've guessed. There is a quote from Camus that says "There was in me an invincible summer", but for me, I feel there is in me an invincible Autumn.

Hope all is well, lovely Lou.
xoxo

[Tiffini Elektra X]

I am in love with all of them. The first one slays me. . .just slays me. AMAZING!!

[elizabeth]

wow!
that's all i can really say.
as a pisces, claire voyances is phenom! i could sit and look at that picture all day.

love your work!