Brickfish

My absence has lasted longer than I expected. However, we have entered one of our images in brickfish.com photo competition. Please vote for it.

A Brief Absence

Thanks for checking here and keeping up with the Rosso Bella Project. I have a large deadline looming before me, so I am taking a few days off from this project. I should be back next Monday or sooner. Have a great week.

Superstition

Well, it is Friday and it seems like a great day to talk about superstition. Since we are still on parasols and umbrella, we will go that route. According to neoepiphany at answerbag.com there are several ideas behind it.

Open an umbrella indoors and bad luck will "rain" on you. But why? There are two schools of thought:

The most common stems from the days when umbrellas were used mainly as protection against the sun. To open one indoors would be to insult the local sun god (especially Ra) and invite his wrath on everyone in your household.

Another theory borrows from the idea of an umbrella as a protector against the storms of life. If you were to open one in your home, the household guardian spirits might think you felt their protection was insufficient, and then they'd leave in a huff. Once again, everyone in the house is cursed.

In truth, the superstition is probably coincidental. (Someone left his umbrella opened in the hall and had a terrible day--he told his friend to keep their umbrellas shut, and it spread.)

It isn't always bad luck to open an umbrella inside. According to some, it's only considered bad if any of the following apply:
-The umbrella was a gift.
-The umbrella is black.
-The umbrella has never been used outdoors.
-There is a sick person in the house.

Other bad luck umbrella superstitions:
-Never give an umbrella as a gift.
-Never pick up an umbrella you dropped (ask someone to do it for you).
-Never place your umbrella on a table or a bed.
-If a single woman drops her umbrella, she'll never marry.

If you would like to purchase this photograph, visit our eBay auction site for this and other images from the Rossa Bella Series.

Blowing Smoke

This image is my response to this week's Illustration Friday Night. The theme was to do a piece inspired by someone else's past work. I could not resist doing this in response to this. I won't bore you with the heres and whys.

To bid on this image, check out our eBay auction.

A New Poll

Yes, we are now exploring umbrellas and their likes.

But before I talk more about umbrellas (how much can you really say about umbrellas?), I thought I would put in another poll. This one is on male painters. Which one is your favorite? There are also examples on the side bar.

On our last poll asking for people's favorite medium for the nude four out of five people preferred photography to paintings.

If you like this image above, you can bid on it at eBay.

Satellite

This is one of those wonderful Chinese parisoles, the type you fined at Ren Fairs and events of such nature.

However, did you know that a parasol is also a type of satellite?

Here is what answers.com from wikipedia.com has to say about it:

PARASOL is a French built Earth observing research satellite. It carries an instrument called POLDER which studies the radiative and microphysical properties of clouds and aerosols.

PARASOL was launched from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on on December 18, 2004 by an Ariane 5 G+. It will fly in formation in the "A Train" with several other satellites (Aqua, CALIPSO, CloudSat and Aura). These satellites, to be joined later by NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) in 2008, will for the first time ever combine a full suite of instruments for observing clouds and aerosols, from passive radiometers to active lidar and radar sounders.

But...if you would like image posted above this information, visit our eBay site.

La Beaute

This is the last of the red stocking part of Rosso Bella and it is my tribute tot hose who came before me - the models on the French Postcard.

In honor of this fun topic, I thought you might enjoy a little trivia about the French Postcard.

French Postcard History

• Originally they were illegal to send.
• They were never meant to be sent.
• They were marketed in a monthly magazine called the La Beaute.
• This magazine was targeted for artist looking for poses.
• 75 nudes were included in each magazine.
• The images could be ordered by mail in the form of postcards that were either sepia toned or hand-tinted.
• Others such as street vendors bought these and resold them to American tourists.

Source: An Underground Education by Richard Zacks

Click here to bid on this photograph at eBay.

Bugged

Back to the sock series today. And just so you know...there is one more that will be posted on Monday.

Since these are cotton socks, I looked into red dyes. Did you know that certain types of red dye come from an insect, called Cochineal? Pretty fascinating all in all.

Here is a great description and history of the Cochineal Red Dye:

Cochineal was the precious red dye of the Aztecs.

When the Spaniards arrived in Mexico in the 1500s, they were amazed by the brilliant red-dyed clothing worn the natives. Europe had red dyes - madder root, lichen, and the kermes insect - but nothing could compare with the brilliant scarlet of the Aztec cloth.

The secret was a tiny insect, the cochineal scale (Dactylopius coccus), that lived on the flattened stems (pads or cladodes) of certain prickly pear cactus (Nopalea cochenillifera and Opuntia). The Aztecs called the dye nocheztli, for they found it on the divine cactus, teo-nochtli.

The dye comes from the female cochineal scales, which are crushed to obtain the purplish pigment their bodies produce. This pigment, an astringent chemical called carminic acid, protects the insect from predation, and yields the brilliant and durable red dye carmine. Interestingly, while these females may live up to three years, the males of the species lack mouthparts and live only a week after hatching - their sole function is to reproduce.

At first the Spanish thought the dried, unprocessed insects were seeds, so they called them grana cochinilla. This accidental misnomer later served the Spanish well, helping them to maintain a monopoly on the dye for a time, which they guarded as a state secret. When explorers from other European nations came to the New World to learn the secret of the dye, they were looking for seeds (grana) instead of insects. The Spanish monopoly on cochineal production was not broken until 1777, when a French naturalist smuggled Mexican cactus pads with cochineal scales to Haiti.

Today, cochineal is still used to produce a wide variety of pigments, including paints, food coloring, clothing dyes, rouge, and lipstick (beware, that might be squished bugs on your lips!).

This information is from everything2.com by Mauler.

If you would like to bid on this picture, you will find it on eBay starting at $9.13 (at 9:13 pm).

And so I Wait

...but I really couldn't.

A little while ago, I mentioned I would post the image that was accepted into the Plates to Pixels Gallery's First international Juried Show later in the month. I decided not to wait and here it is. You can view the exhibition at Plates to Pixels Gallery. There are some wonderful photographs in the show.

About this image. Some might say this looks a little Eyes Wide Shut, which may have been an influence. However, my real inspiration was Edgar Allen Poe's story The Masque of Red Death.

To bid on this special photograph,#1 in the edition of 10, visit our eBay auction. Bids begin at $9.13.

The Masque of Red Death

THE "Red Death" had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and its seal -- the redness and the horror of blood. There were sharp pains, and sudden dizziness, and then profuse bleeding at the pores, with dissolution. The scarlet stains upon the body and especially upon the face of the victim, were the pest ban which shut him out from the aid and from the sympathy of his fellow-men. And the whole seizure, progress and termination of the disease, were the incidents of half an hour.

But the Prince Prospero was happy and dauntless and sagacious. When his dominions were half depopulated, he summoned to his presence a thousand hale and light-hearted friends from among the knights and dames of his court, and with these retired to the deep seclusion of one of his castellated abbeys. This was an extensive and magnificent structure, the creation of the prince's own eccentric yet august taste. A strong and lofty wall girdled it in. This wall had gates of iron. The courtiers, having entered, brought furnaces and massy hammers and welded the bolts. They resolved to leave means neither of ingress or egress to the sudden impulses of despair or of frenzy from within. The abbey was amply provisioned. With such precautions the courtiers might bid defiance to contagion. The external world could take care of itself. In the meantime it was folly to grieve, or to think. The prince had provided all the appliances of pleasure. There were buffoons, there were improvisatori, there were ballet-dancers, there were musicians, there was Beauty, there was wine. All these and security were within. Without was the "Red Death."

It was toward the close of the fifth or sixth month of his seclusion, and while the pestilence raged most furiously abroad, that the Prince Prospero entertained his thousand friends at a masked ball of the most unusual magnificence.

It was a voluptuous scene, that masquerade. But first let me tell of the rooms in which it was held. There were seven -- an imperial suite. In many palaces, however, such suites form a long and straight vista, while the folding doors slide back nearly to the walls on either hand, so that the view of the whole extent is scarcely impeded. Here the case was very different; as might have been expected from the duke's love of the bizarre. The apartments were so irregularly disposed that the vision embraced but little more than one at a time. There was a sharp turn at every twenty or thirty yards, and at each turn a novel effect. To the right and left, in the middle of each wall, a tall and narrow Gothic window looked out upon a closed corridor which pursued the windings of the suite. These windows were of stained glass whose color varied in accordance with the prevailing hue of the decorations of the chamber into which it opened. That at the eastern extremity was hung, for example, in blue -- and vividly blue were its windows. The second chamber was purple in its ornaments and tapestries, and here the panes were purple. The third was green throughout, and so were the casements. The fourth was furnished and lighted with orange -- the fifth with white -- the sixth with violet. The seventh apartment was closely shrouded in black velvet tapestries that hung all over the ceiling and down the walls, falling in heavy folds upon a carpet of the same material and hue. But in this chamber only, the color of the windows failed to correspond with the decorations. The panes here were scarlet -- a deep blood color. Now in no one of the seven apartments was there any lamp or candelabrum, amid the profusion of golden ornaments that lay scattered to and fro or depended from the roof. There was no light of any kind emanating from lamp or candle within the suite of chambers. But in the corridors that followed the suite, there stood, opposite to each window, a heavy tripod, bearing a brazier of fire that protected its rays through the tinted glass and so glaringly illumined the room. And thus were produced a multitude of gaudy and fantastic appearances. But in the western or black chamber the effect of the fire-light that streamed upon the dark hangings through the blood-tinted panes, was ghastly in the extreme, and produced so wild a look upon the countenances of those who entered, that there were few of the company bold enough to set foot within its precincts at all.

It was in this apartment, also, that there stood against the western wall, a gigantic clock of ebony. Its pendulum swung to and fro with a dull, heavy, monotonous clang; and when the minute-hand made the circuit of the face, and the hour was to be stricken, there came from the brazen lungs of the clock a sound which was clear and loud and deep and exceedingly musical, but of so peculiar a note and emphasis that, at each lapse of an hour, the musicians of the orchestra were constrained to pause, momentarily, in their performance, to hearken to the sound; and thus the waltzers perforce ceased their evolutions; and there was a brief disconcert of the whole gay company; and, while the chimes of the clock yet rang, it was observed that the giddiest grew pale, and the more aged and sedate passed their hands over their brows as if in confused reverie or meditation. But when the echoes had fully ceased, a light laughter at once pervaded the assembly; the musicians looked at each other and smiled as if at their own nervousness and folly, and made whispering vows, each to the other, that the next chiming of the clock should produce in them no similar emotion; and then, after the lapse of sixty minutes, (which embrace three thousand and six hundred seconds of the Time that flies,) there came yet another chiming of the clock, and then were the same disconcert and tremulousness and meditation as before.

But, in spite of these things, it was a gay and magnificent revel. The tastes of the duke were peculiar. He had a fine eye for colors and effects. He disregarded the decora of mere fashion. His plans were bold and fiery, and his conceptions glowed with barbaric lustre. There are some who would have thought him mad. His followers felt that he was not. It was necessary to hear and see and touch him to be sure that he was not.

He had directed, in great part, the moveable embellishments of the seven chambers, upon occasion of this great fete; and it was his own guiding taste which had given character to the masqueraders. Be sure they were grotesque. There were much glare and glitter and piquancy and phantasm -- much of what has been since seen in "Hernani." There were arabesque figures with unsuited limbs and appointments. There were delirious fancies such as the madman fashions. There was much of the beautiful, much of the wanton, much of the bizarre, something of the terrible, and not a little of that which might have excited disgust. To and fro in the seven chambers there stalked, in fact, a multitude of dreams. And these -- the dreams -- writhed in and about, taking hue from the rooms, and causing the wild music of the orchestra to seem as the echo of their steps. And, anon, there strikes the ebony clock which stands in the hall of the velvet. And then, for a moment, all is still, and all is silent save the voice of the clock. The dreams are stiff-frozen as they stand. But the echoes of the chime die away -- they have endured but an instant -- and a light, half-subdued laughter floats after them as they depart. And now again the music swells, and the dreams live, and writhe to and fro more merrily than ever, taking hue from the many-tinted windows through which stream the rays from the tripods. But to the chamber which lies most westwardly of the seven, there are now none of the maskers who venture; for the night is waning away; and there flows a ruddier light through the blood-colored panes; and the blackness of the sable drapery appals; and to him whose foot falls upon the sable carpet, there comes from the near clock of ebony a muffled peal more solemnly emphatic than any which reaches their ears who indulge in the more remote gaieties of the other apartments.

But these other apartments were densely crowded, and in them beat feverishly the heart of life. And the revel went whirlingly on, until at length there commenced the sounding of midnight upon the clock. And then the music ceased, as I have told; and the evolutions of the waltzers were quieted; and there was an uneasy cessation of all things as before. But now there were twelve strokes to be sounded by the bell of the clock; and thus it happened, perhaps, that more of thought crept, with more of time, into the meditations of the thoughtful among those who revelled. And thus, too, it happened, perhaps, that before the last echoes of the last chime had utterly sunk into silence, there were many individuals in the crowd who had found leisure to become aware of the presence of a masked figure which had arrested the attention of no single individual before. And the rumor of this new presence having spread itself whisperingly around, there arose at length from the whole company a buzz, or murmur, expressive of disapprobation and surprise -- then, finally, of terror, of horror, and of disgust.

In an assembly of phantasms such as I have painted, it may well be supposed that no ordinary appearance could have excited such sensation. In truth the masquerade license of the night was nearly unlimited; but the figure in question had out-Heroded Herod, and gone beyond the bounds of even the prince's indefinite decorum. There are chords in the hearts of the most reckless which cannot be touched without emotion. Even with the utterly lost, to whom life and death are equally jests, there are matters of which no jest can be made. The whole company, indeed, seemed now deeply to feel that in the costume and bearing of the stranger neither wit nor propriety existed. The figure was tall and gaunt, and shrouded from head to foot in the habiliments of the grave. The mask which concealed the visage was made so nearly to resemble the countenance of a stiffened corpse that the closest scrutiny must have had difficulty in detecting the cheat. And yet all this might have been endured, if not approved, by the mad revellers around. But the mummer had gone so far as to assume the type of the Red Death. His vesture was dabbled in blood -- and his broad brow, with all the features of the face, was besprinkled with the scarlet horror.

When the eyes of Prince Prospero fell upon this spectral image (which with a slow and solemn movement, as if more fully to sustain its role, stalked to and fro among the waltzers) he was seen to be convulsed, in the first moment with a strong shudder either of terror or distaste; but, in the next, his brow reddened with rage.

"Who dares?" he demanded hoarsely of the courtiers who stood near him -- "who dares insult us with this blasphemous mockery? Seize him and unmask him -- that we may know whom we have to hang at sunrise, from the battlements!"

It was in the eastern or blue chamber in which stood the Prince Prospero as he uttered these words. They rang throughout the seven rooms loudly and clearly -- for the prince was a bold and robust man, and the music had become hushed at the waving of his hand.

It was in the blue room where stood the prince, with a group of pale courtiers by his side. At first, as he spoke, there was a slight rushing movement of this group in the direction of the intruder, who at the moment was also near at hand, and now, with deliberate and stately step, made closer approach to the speaker. But from a certain nameless awe with which the mad assumptions of the mummer had inspired the whole party, there were found none who put forth hand to seize him; so that, unimpeded, he passed within a yard of the prince's person; and, while the vast assembly, as if with one impulse, shrank from the centres of the rooms to the walls, he made his way uninterruptedly, but with the same solemn and measured step which had distinguished him from the first, through the blue chamber to the purple -- through the purple to the green -- through the green to the orange -- through this again to the white -- and even thence to the violet, ere a decided movement had been made to arrest him. It was then, however, that the Prince Prospero, maddening with rage and the shame of his own momentary cowardice, rushed hurriedly through the six chambers, while none followed him on account of a deadly terror that had seized upon all. He bore aloft a drawn dagger, and had approached, in rapid impetuosity, to within three or four feet of the retreating figure, when the latter, having attained the extremity of the velvet apartment, turned suddenly and confronted his pursuer. There was a sharp cry -- and the dagger dropped gleaming upon the sable carpet, upon which, instantly afterwards, fell prostrate in death the Prince Prospero. Then, summoning the wild courage of despair, a throng of the revellers at once threw themselves into the black apartment, and, seizing the mummer, whose tall figure stood erect and motionless within the shadow of the ebony clock, gasped in unutterable horror at finding the grave-cerements and corpse-like mask which they handled with so violent a rudeness, untenanted by any tangible form.

And now was acknowledged the presence of the Red Death. He had come like a thief in the night. And one by one dropped the revellers in the blood-bedewed halls of their revel, and died each in the despairing posture of his fall. And the life of the ebony clock went out with that of the last of the gay. And the flames of the tripods expired. And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all.

Darn it

Enough with the corset. That leaves the stockings. These are made out of red cotton.

As these need to be seriously darned, here is how to go about darning a stocking from eHow.com:

Darning a Stocking

Step One

Find thread or yarn that matches the sock in color and texture; you can use embroidery floss (a type of thread) to repair a crew sock, while wool yarn is appropriate for a wool sock. Choose a darning needle as well.

Step Two

Place a lightbulb in the sock and position the hole over the lightbulb. Your needle will glide smoothly over the bulb's surface, making your stitching go faster.

Step Three

Thread the darning needle with the yarn or thread and leave the end unknotted. The darning process should create a tight weave that makes knots unnecessary.

Step Four

Start your work on either side of the hole. Take several small vertical running stitches in the intact fabric of the sock, about 1/2 inch to the left or right of the hole. Turn the sock upside down and make another row of stitches next to the first.

Step Five

Increase the number of running stitches you make as you come closer to the hole. When you reach the point at which the hole begins, your stitching line should extend from 1/2 inch above the hole to 1/2 inch below it.

Step Six

Continue making vertical running stitches. When your stitching reaches the hole, take your thread or yarn over the hole and into the fabric on the other side, forming what resembles a vertical bridge over the hole. Stitching should extend 1/2 inch beyond the hole at both the top and bottom edges.

Step Seven

Cut the thread end once you have covered the hole with vertical threads and extended the stitching 1/2 inch past it so that both sides of the hole look identical.

Step Eight

Thread your darning needle and begin your work 1/2 inch from either side of the hole at either the top or bottom. Take the threaded needle and weave it under and over the vertical threads that cover the hole (as well as the vertical threads that lie within 1/2 inch of the hole).

Step Nine

Turn the sock upside down once you reach the opposite end of the hole, and weave another yarn strand next to the first. Continue stitching back and forth until you've completely filled the hole. Trim excess thread.

If you would like to bid on this print (really cheap), go to our eBay page.

An Overview of the Corset

Thought I would pull back a bit from yesterday's image. One you have a corset laced, it seems a shame to to play with it more.

I looked up corsets on wikipedia.com and thought I would share with you the health benefits of wearing a corset. Perhaps we can start a new underwear movement.

Health benefits of Wearing a Corset

• Corsets promote good posture.
• Corsets can reduce pain and improve function for people with back problems or other muscular/skeletal disorders, such as Lordosis.
• Some large-breasted women find corsets more comfortable than brassieres, because the weight of the breasts is carried by the whole corset rather than the brassiere's shoulder straps. Straps can chafe or cut the skin. However, if a bra is properly fitted, the weight of the breasts is carried by the band and not by the shoulders, thus eliminating this problem for even women with very large breasts.
• Some large-breasted women find some corsets more comfortable and practical than brassieres, because a corset can support the Lordosis in back (a common balance problem on large-breasted women), and because the shoulders are free. And some find the broad-shoulder straps on big brassieres unsightly.

If you are interested in purchasing the above image, check out our eBay auction site.

The Strain

I have joined a collective blog of illustrators. It is called Illustration Friday Night. Every week they come up with a theme and illustrators illustrate it and post on the blog. This week's theme is "What goes in must come out." For anyone who has worn a corset, this means a lot...and in that case there is nothing so fabulous as coming out. This is my contribution to that project.

---

If you would like to own this image, as in all the other's,you can bid on the first print og an edition of ten on our eBay page.

A Modern Interpretation

This is the last of the cape series. We hope you have enjoyed our adventures into the land of fairy tales.

We leave you with this modern version.

---

To purchase this image, which is one of several in a sub series, visit our eBay pages. The bidding starts at $9.13. Each night a new image begins the auction process at 9:13 pm (EST).

Rotkäppchen

We are not at all done with Red Riding Hood. One cannot forget about the Brothers Grimm version. Much like the Perrault version, it is, pun intended, less Grimm in that our females are rescued by the big, strong woodsman. However...there is more to this story then you may be aware. There is a more female empowering ending to this one.

Rotkäppchen

Once upon a time there was a sweet little maiden. Whoever laid eyes upon her could not help but love her. But it was her grandmother who loved her most. She could never give the child enough. One time she made her a present, a small, red velvet cap, and since it was so becoming and the maiden insisted on always wearing it, she was called Little Red Cap.

One day her mother said to her, "Come, Little Red Cap, take this piece of cake and bottle of wine and bring them to your grandmother. She's sick and weak, and this will strengthen her. Get an early start, before it becomes hot, and when you're out in the woods, be nice and good and don't stray from the path, otherwise you'll fall and break the glass, and your grandmother will get nothing. And when you enter her room, don't forget to say good morning, and don't go peeping in all the corners."

"I'll do just as you say," Little Red Cap promised her mother.

Well, the grandmother lived out in the forest, half an hour from the village, and as soon as Little Red Cap entered the forest, she encountered the wolf. However, Little Red Cap did not know what a wicked sort of an animal he was and was not afraid of him.

"Good day, Little Red Cap," he said.

"Thank you kindly, wolf."

"Where are you going so early, Little Red Cap?"

"To Grandmother's."

"What are you carrying under your apron?"

"Cake and wine. My grandmother's sick and weak, and yesterday we baked this so it will help her get well."

"Where does your grandmother live, Little Red Cap?"

"Another quarter of an hour from here in the forest. Her house is under the three big oak trees. You can tell it by the hazel bushes," said Little Red Cap.


The wolf thought to himself, This tender young thing is a juicy morsel. She'll taste even better than the old woman. You've got to be real crafty if you want to catch them both. Then he walked next to Little Red Cap, and after a while he said, "Little Red Cap, just look at the beautiful flowers that are growing all around you! Why don't you look around? I believe you haven't even noticed how lovely the birds are singing. You march along as if you were going straight to school, and yet it's so delightful out here in the woods!"


Little Red Cap looked around and saw how the rays of the sun were dancing through the trees back and forth and how the woods were full of beautiful flowers. So she thought to herself, If I bring Grandmother a bunch of fresh flowers, she'd certainly like that. It's still early, and I'll arrive on time. So she ran off the path and plunged into the woods to look for flowers. And each time she plucked one, she thought she saw another even prettier flower and ran after it, going deeper and deeper into the forest. But the wolf went straight to the grandmother's house and knocked at the door.

"Who's out there?"

"Little Red Cap. I've brought you some cake and wine. Open up."

"Just lift the latch," the grandmother called. "I'm too weak and can't get up."

The wolf lifted the latch, and the door sprang open. Then he went straight to the grandmother's bed without saying a word and gobbled her up. Next he put on her clothes and her nightcap, lay down in her bed, and drew the curtains.

Meanwhile, Little Red Cap had been running around and looking for flowers, and only when she had as many as she could carry did she remember her grandmother and continue on the way to her house again. She was puzzled when she found the door open, and as she entered the room, it seemed so strange inside that she thought, Oh, my God, how frightened I feel today, and usually I like to be at Grandmother's. She called out, "Good morning!"

But she received no answer. Next she went to the bed and drew back the curtains.

There lay her grandmother with her cap pulled down over her face giving her a strange appearance. "Oh, Grandmother, what big ears you have!"

"The better to hear you with."

"Oh, Grandmother, what big hands you have!"

"The better to grab you with."

Grandmother, what a terribly big mouth you have!"

"The better to eat you with!"

No sooner did the wolf say that than he jumped out of bed and gobbled up poor Little Red Cap. After the wolf had satisfied his desires, he lay down in bed again, fell asleep, and began to snore very loudly.

The huntsman happened to be passing by the house and thought to himself: "The way the old woman's snoring, you'd better see if anything's wrong." He went into the room, and when he came to the bed, he saw the wolf lying in it.

"So I've found you at last, you old sinner," said the huntsman. "I've been looking for you for a long time."

He took aim with his gun, and then it occurred to him that the wolf could have eaten the grandmother and that she could still be saved. So he did not shoot but took some scissors and started cutting open the sleeping wolf's belly. After he made a couple of cuts, he saw the little red cap shining forth, and after he made a few more cuts, the girl jumped out and exclaimed, "Oh, how frightened I was! It was so dark in the wolf's body."

Soon the grandmother came out. She was alive but could hardly breathe. Little Red Cap quickly fetched some large stones, and they filled the wolf's body with them. When he awoke and tried to run away, the stones were too heavy so he fell down at once and died. All three were quite delighted. The huntsman skinned the fur from the wolf and went home with it. The grandmother ate the cake and drank the wine that Little Red Cap had brought, and soon she regained her health. Meanwhile, Little Red Cap thought to herself, Never again will you stray from the path by yourself and go into the forest when your mother has forbidden it.

Part II

There is also another tale about how Little Red Cap returned to her grandmother one day to bring some baked goods. Another wolf spoke to her and tried to entice her to leave the path, but this time Little Red Cap was on her guard. She went straight ahead and told her grandmother that she had seen the wolf, that he had wished her good day, but that he had had such a mean look in his eyes that "he would have eaten me up if we hadn't been on the open road." "Come," said the grandmother. "We'll lock the door so he can't get in." Soon after, the wolf knocked and cried out, "Open up, Grandmother. It's Little Red Cap, and l've brought you some baked goods."

But they kept quiet and did not open the door. So Grayhead circled the house several times and finally jumped on the roof. He wanted to wait till evening when Little Red Cap would go home. He intended to sneak after her and eat her up in the darkness. But the grandmother realized what he had in mind. In front of the house was a big stone trough, and she said to the child, "Fetch the bucket, Little Red Cap. I cooked sausages yesterday. Get the water they were boiled in and pour it into the trough." Little Red Cap kept carrying the water until she had filled the big, big trough. Then the smell of sausages reached the nose of the wolf. He sniffed and looked down. Finally, he stretched his neck so far that he could no longer keep his balance on the roof. He began to slip and fell right into the big trough and drowned. Then Little Red Cap went merrily on her way home, and no one harmed her.

This story is from http://mld.ursinus.edu/Maerchen/grimmred.html.

---

To purchase this image, which is one of several in a sub series, visit our eBay pages. The bidding starts at $9.13. Each night a new image begins the auction process at 9:13 pm (EST).

Le Petit Chaperon Rouge

I think we will now move up in time a bit, considering Little Red Riding Hood. Though awful, yesterday's version was interesting because Red saved herself. That's always nice. It is sort of empowering, don't you think?

So, today I present to you the first printed version of the Little Red Riding Hood story. This was written by by Charles Perrault in 1697.

Le Petit Chaperon Rouge

Once upon a time there was a little village girl, the prettiest that had ever been seen. Her mother doted on her. Her grandmother was even fonder, and made her a little red hood, which became her so well that everywhere she went by the name of Little Red Riding Hood.

One day her mother, who had just made and baked some cakes, said to her: "Go and see how your grandmother is, for I have been told that she is ill. Take her a cake and this little pot of butter."

Little Red Riding Hood set off at once for the house of her grandmother, who lived in another village. On her way through a wood she met old Father Wolf. He would have very much liked to eat her, but dared not do so on account of some wood-cutters who were in the forest. He asked her where she was going. The poor child, not knowing that it was dangerous to stop and listen to a wolf, said: "I am going to see my grandmother, and am taking her a cake and a pot of butter which my mother has sent to her." "Does she live far away?" asked the Wolf. "Oh, yes," replied Little Red Riding Hood; "it is yonder by the mill which you can see right below there, and it is the first house in the village."

"Well now," said the Wolf, "I think I shall go and see her too. I will go by this path, and you by that path, and we will see who gets there first." The Wolf set off running with all his might by the shorter road, and the little girl continued on her way by the longer road. As she went she amused herself by gathering nuts, run ning after the butterflies, and making nosegays of the wild flowers which she found.

The Wolf was not long in reaching the grandmother's house. He knocked. Toc Toc. "Who is there?" "It is your granddaughter, Red Riding Hood," said the Wolf, disguising his voice, "and I bring you a cake and a little pot of butter as a present from my mother." The worthy grandmother was in bed, not being very well, and cried out to him: "Pull out the peg and the latch will fall." The Wolf drew out the peg and the door flew open. Then he sprang upon the poor old lady and ate her up in less than no time, for he had been more than three days without food.

After that he shut the door, lay down in the grandmother's bed, and waited for Little Red Riding Hood. Presently she came and knocked. Toc Toc.

"Who is there?"

Now Little Red Riding Hood on hearing the Wolf's gruff voice was at first frightened, but thinking that her grand mother had a bad cold, she replied: "It is your granddaughter, Red Riding Hood, and I bring you a cake and a little pot of butter from my mother."

Softening his voice, the Wolf called out to her: "Pull out the peg and the latch will fall." Little Red Riding Hood drew out the peg and the door flew open. When he saw her enter, the Wolf hid himself in the bed beneath the counterpane. "Put the cake and the little pot of butter on the bin," he said, "and come up on the bed with me."

Little Red Riding Hood took off her cloak, but when she climbed up on the bed she was astonished to see how her grandmother looked in her nightgown.

"Grandmother dear!" she exclaimed, "what big arms you have!"

"The better to embrace you, my child!"

"Grandmother dear, what big legs you have!"

"The better to run with, my child!"

"Grandmother dear, what big ears you have!"

"The better to hear with, my child!"

"Grandmother dear, what big eyes you have!"

"The better to see with, my child!"

"Grandmother dear, what big teeth you have!"

"The better to eat you with!"

With these words the wicked Wolf leapt upon Little Red Riding Hood and gobbled her up.

Now the moral to this one is little more scary and less empowering. I quote:

From this story one learns that children, especially young lasses, pretty, courteous and well-bred, do very wrong to listen to strangers, And it is not an unheard thing if the Wolf is thereby provided with his dinner. I say Wolf, for all wolves are not of the same sort; there is one kind with an amenable disposition - neither noisy, nor hateful, nor angry, but tame, obliging and gentle, following the young maids in the streets, even into their homes. Alas! Who does not know that these gentle wolves are of all such creatures the most dangerous!

This story and moral were found at http://mld.ursinus.edu/Maerchen/perraultenglish.html.

---

To purchase this image, which is one of several in a sub series, visit our eBay pages. The bidding starts at $9.13.

a finta nonna

Ah, the red cape. How can I not make some reference to Little Red Riding Hood, though she has grown-up considerably in my illustrations.

So, I present to you a version of the Little Red Riding Hood story. This is called The False Grandmother, taken from the Italian oral tradition of the story called a finta nonna. This is how the story worked before it was written.

The False Grandmother

Once upon a time a girl was walking through the woods with a basket of goodies for her grandmother, when she met a wolf.

"Good day," said the wolf. "Where are you going so early in the morning?"

Now the girl did not know that the wolf was a wicked animal, so she told him that she was going to visit her grandmother, who lived on the other side of the woods. She continued merrily on her way. The wicked wolf ran on ahead and arrived at the grandmother's house before the girl. He crept inside, leaped on the poor grandmother, and ate her up, saving only a pitcher of blood and a piece of flesh. He then climbed into the grandmother's bed, and waited for the girl. The girl soon arrived, and knocked at the door.

"Just let yourself in," said the wolf, disguising his voice. "You must be hungry from your long walk through the woods. Do eat some of the meat that's on the kitchen table.

And the girl ate from her grandmother's flesh.

"You must be thirsty from your long walk through the woods. Do drink from the pitcher that's on the kitchen table.

And the girl drank from her grandmother's blood.

"You must be tired from your long walk through the woods. Do come to bed with me.

And the girl climbed into bed with the wolf.

She soon saw that it was not her grandmother in the bed with her, and she became frightened. Not knowing how else to escape, she said, "I have to go to the privy."

"You can just do it in the bed," answered the wicked wolf.

"I don't have to go little. I have to go big," said the girl.

"All right," said the wolf, "but hurry right back as soon as you are done.

The girl ran out of the house, and she ran past the privy, and she ran through the woods, and she did not stop until she was safely back at home.

A. Millien: Mélusine, v. 3 (1886-1887), col. 428-429. (AT 333, Frankreich)

This story was found at www.maerchenlexikon.de.

---

To purchase this image, which is one of several in a sub series, visit our eBay pages. The bidding starts at $9.13.

Truly Happy Autumn

One thinks of cool breezes, the scent of smoke from fire places, and leaves falling gently from above. Today was not so, except for the leaves. I am still sweating.

But I started thinking about my leaves. They are really lovely and I would like to preserve them, so I went in search of instructions. There are many methods, but I like this idea for preserving the leaves with wax paper.

Here is how it is done:

1. You will need a dry iron, a towel, a fair amount of wax paper, and your leaves.
2. Heat the iron to a medium dry heat setting (in other words, do not use steam).
3. Cut two pieces of wax paper into a reasonable same size.
4. On one piece of wax paper compose your leaves so that there is plenty of room around the edges of each leaf. It is this space that allows the leaves to be sealed in and secured.
5. Place the other sheet of wax paper on top of the composition.
6. Cover the wax paper with the towel.
7. Iron over the towel (this helps the wax paper not to stick to the iron).
8. Then trim it to your liking.

Leaf Pressing Directions are based on instructions found at About.com.

---

If you would like to own the above image, it could be yours for as little as $9.13. Visit our eBay auction site to bid on it.

Plates to Pixels - Press Release

Plates to Pixels - Rosso Bella Project Selected For Juried Show


WHO: Anon Rosso, Photographer

WHAT: Anon Rosso has been selected to participate in the Plates to Pixels Gallery Show

WHEN: October through November 2007

WHERE: http://www.platestopixels.com

World Wide Web. The grainy, antique-like images speak of past longings and a subtle sense of the macabre. Inspired by the writings of Edgar Allen Poe, as well as references to witchcraft, photographer Anon Rosso’s submitted images from her Rosso Bella Project that speak of these influences. With three such photographs, Rosso has been juried into the Plates to Pixels Gallery exhibition, a project of the Pacific Northwest Center of Photography. She will be included in their October on-line exhibit based on the theme: All Hallows Eve, Dia De Los Muertos, Samhain, Dark Art, Edgar Allen Poe, and Hitchcock.

This is the Plates to Pixel Gallery’s first international juried exhibition. Two hundred entries were received and 34 artists from around the world were chosen to participate. This on-line gallery is dedicated to providing exhibition opportunities for both emerging and established photographers, as well as keeping the past in the present by also featuring historical photographer essays. It is a space that consists of traditional photographic processes, as well as archaic and digital ones as well.

For Rosso, the idea of creating imagery for the Plates to Pixel’s October exhibition was a natural. Rosso who is also her own model, chose to continue the “red” based imagery in her Rosso Bella – A Study in Red Project, but also added in a more story-like idea with the Plates to Pixel images.

“Fear is something we all have to deal with and October is a great month to explore this idea. To face my fears, I stepped inside of the fear itself and portrayed that idea,” Rosso says about her imagery. However, only slightly gruesome (one in particular) these are more towards the Victorian side of such imagery, striving for a vintage aesthetic that is haunting rather than scary.

The Plates to Pixel Gallery exhibit will be available for viewing in October. Rosso also plans to display all the submitted images on her art-a-day blog (http://rossobella.blogspot.com) and her web site http://www.rossobella.com. These images will be posted towards the end of October.

Anticipating Fall

Goodbye summer. Hello autumn. It only seems appropriate to celebrate this time period of browns, oranges and of course reds. Interestingly enough when I thought about celebrating the Fall Equinox, one calendar mentions that the first day of Autumn is today, so I planned accordingly. However, I have since learned that the Equinox is actually on the 23rd...so this is then just a prelude.

Wondering what is so special about the Fall Equinox? I did. Is it just a day? A pagan holiday? What?

According to infoplease.com the autumnal (and vernal) equinoxes happens when the Sun is vertically above the equator. This is a time when the day length is the same all over the world.

---

Click here to visit or participate in our eBay auctions for the images on this blog.

Plates to Pixels = A Juried Show

Good news!!! Plates to Pixels Gallery, a project of the Pacific Northwest Center of Photography just put out a press release with those chosen for their October on-line exhibit. It is their first international juried exhibition, themed: All Hallows Eve, Dia De Los Muertos, Samhain, Dark Art, Edgar Allen Poe, Hitchcock.

It should be viewable between October and November of this year. I will keep you posted. To read the press release, click here.

Curious as to which image will be seen from project Rosso Bella? You have not seen it yet, but it will be live on this site towards the end of October.

Puzzled

As you can tell, sometimes I do not like to limit myself to one photograph of a particular subject.

So the other interesting "snood" reference I came across is one about a game. I am really not so sure why it is called snood, but it seems to be puzzle oriented. The snood.com site also has a free snood puzzle game that you can try. Click here for more information.

---

To view or participate in our eBay auctions for the first print in the edition of 10, click here.

Snoody

With crazy hair, it is always interesting to find a way to gain some control, hence this snood. Basically, a snood is a net-like sack that holds one's hair closer to the body and neck.

Searching for archaic references about the history of the snood, I came across the all-knowing wikipedia site. It is definitely worth sharing. I quote:

A snood is a type of headgear, worn by women over their long hair. In the most common modern form it resembles a close-fitting hood worn over the back of the head. The band covers the forehead or crown of the head, goes behind the ears and under the nape of the neck. A sack of sorts dangles from this band, covering and containing the fall of long hair gathered at the back of the head. A snood is sometimes made of solid cloth, but sometimes of loosely knitted yarn, or other net-like material.

The word is first recorded in Old English from around 725 (OED) and was widely used in the Middle Ages for a variety of cloth or net head coverings, including what we would today call hairbands and cauls, as well as versions similar to a modern net snood. Snoods continued in use in later periods especially for women working or at home.

Please note that mine does not have a band that goes around the forehead or crown. Just thought you should know. To read more of what wikipedia has to say about snoods, click here.

---

To view our current auctions on eBay for the first print in our editions of 10, click here.

The Red Feather Fan # 2 - The Unspoken Language

Though similar to yesterday's image, I like the slight movement in this one, perhaps a little more sensual.

Though I was unaware of this before shooting, there is a certain language to the fan (I see a new series within this). Here are a few motions that speak loudly in their silence:

• I do not trust you - resting a fan against the lips
• Love me - Hitting the palm of the hand with the fan
• My heart is breaking over you - Resting the fan upon the heart

To learn more about the language of fan's, click here..

---

To participate or bid on the first print of ten in the edition, click here.


___________________________
Sent by Anon Rosso via the free Email Scheduler service.
Register now at http://www.emailschedule.com

The Red Feather Fan

I fell in love with the feathered fan. It has appeared in various movies and art through out time. So, this was one of the first purchases off eBay I made.

If you are interested in making your own feathered fan, visit this site.

To participate or view our auction on eBay for the first print in this edition, visit us at eBay.com.


___________________________
Sent by Anon Rosso via the free Email Scheduler service.
Register now at http://www.emailschedule.com

Just the Reveal

Well, it is Friday…and I am ready to head for the weekend. Today all I can leave you with is the image and hope that you have enjoyed the progression.

---

Numbers 2-10 are still available for this print. Each print is currently $50 each (add $6.65 for shipping and handling, and 9.25% for sales tax if you are in Tennessee).

Edition Number:

2345678910

A Musical Interlude

The next to the last of the progression.

I was revisiting some music recently and came across Kylie Minogue's Red Blooded Woman and it seemed like a nice thing to share.

---

Numbers 2-10 are still available for this print. Each print is currently $50 each (add $6.65 for shipping and handling, and 9.25% for sales tax if you are in Tennessee).

Edition Number:

2345678910

Apples in your cheeks

Here is the third in the progression. I really think I should be saying something profound with each image I do, but I am just not into artist statements. If the work does not hold up without extraneous words, then I am not sure it is valid (to me). Call me provincial, if you must.

Today's other part of the posting is a simple recipe for a facemask for normal skin. It is a bit sticky, but refreshing.

Gala Apple Mask
1 Apple, chopped (and cored)
2 Tablespoons Honey
Place the chopped apples into a blender or food processor and chop. Add the honey and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Pat the mixture onto your face with a light tapping motion, tapping until the honey feels tacky. Allow it to sit for 30 minutes (heck, look at more of my photos) and then rinse off.

---

Numbers 2-10 are still available for this print. Each print is currently $50 each (add $6.65 for shipping and handling, and 9.25% for sales tax if you are in Tennessee).

Edition Number:

2345678910

Shake It Up

So just settle back with a drink (in fact I'll give you another recipe to try) and enjoy.

Rosso Panama Red
1 1/4 oz Gold tequila of your choice 3/4 oz triple sec 1 dash sweet and sour mix 1 dash grenadine syrup And shake up over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

---

Numbers 2-10 are still available for this print. Each print is currently $50 each (add $6.65 for shipping and handling, and 9.25% for sales tax if you are in Tennessee).

Edition Number:

2345678910

Something More Traditional

So here we are, Monday all over again. I found this shirt and realized I had never thought much of it and was about to get rid of it, but then changed my mind. So, I played with it for a while and found several ways to use it as inspiration. Each night this week, I will reveal the results.

Also, I realized I have collected a lot of red recipes. So, I think today I will share a marinara sauce.

Rosso Marinara
2 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 dry white wine
Heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and sauté garlic until golden but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, pepper, oregano, salt, sugar and wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat.

---

Numbers 2-10 are still available for this print. Each print is currently $50 each (add $6.65 for shipping and handling, and 9.25% for sales tax if you are in Tennessee).

Edition Number:

2345678910

The Skivvies from Vicki's

As I was shooting this morning, I was inspired again by a simple yoga practice. Basically, you sit Indian-style, on your sit-bones, and extend or elongate the back by placing your finger tips behind you on the floor and extending up by pushing on your fingertips.

So, while thinking about this and going back to the idea of making this blog a little more interesting, I have decided to include a great "butt" exercise.

How to Have a Great Bottom

1. Stand up straight with your arms at your sides.
2. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and your head up. There can be a slight arch in your lower back.
3. Slowly bend your knees while pushing your rear out as though you are about to sit down. Keep lowering yourself down until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Make sure your weight is on your ankles so your knees don't extend over your toes.
4. Tighten your thighs and buttocks for more of a challenge.
5. As you come back up to a standing position push down through your heels. Repeat 10 to 15 times.

This exercise is from iVillage.com.uk. To see more of their exercises, click here.

Numbers 2-10 are still available for this print. Each print is currently $50 each (add $6.65 for shipping and handling, and 9.25% for sales tax if you are in Tennessee).

Edition Number:

2345678910

A Little Zen, A Little T & A

What I have learned on eBay is that if you have suggestive terminology in your titles, people will look at the image.


Numbers 2-10 are still available for this print. Each print is currently $50 each (add $6.65 for shipping and handling, and 9.25% for sales tax if you are in Tennessee).

Edition Number:

2345678910

An Object in the Sun

There are so many red objects out there. it seems a never ending challenge. This is a sun catcher I found in my travels and for a long time had no idea what to do with it. Then one day, while doing yoga, several poses came to me. This is one...

Numbers 2-10 are still available for this print. Each print is currently $50 each (add $6.65 for shipping and handling, and 9.25% for sales tax if you are in Tennessee).

Edition Number:

2345678910