Mark I'm so glad to hear your back and that the surgery you had wasn't serious. Reading your thoughts on these lovely images really made my morning and caused me to take time to study them close. The colors are so vibrant and do make you think of Spring starting. Knowing the inspiration came from the piece of padding that belonged to your Grandmother added that touch of love that makes it complete. Great job my friend and I'll keep you in my prayers that you'll recover fast from your surgery.

Hope you are well......i love all things old and think you captured the mood so wonderfully....and then turned it into spring and a world of it's own..love the mood.Really beautiful,excellent work!!

That is SO beautiful! I'd forgotten all about this, and I'm so glad you hadn't! The top work has a similar quality to in-glaze painting on porcelain.

hope thta your on the mend Mark nice piece creative and touching your heartfeltaapproach bears fruit!! a heart and soul work mark nicely done!!!

This is just wonderful, Mark---I love that it's something so old, and so different. I have pieces from my grandmothers and you have given me some great ideas. You give her work such depth and then you give it even more with the second version. A perfect way to celebrate this first day of spring. I see life all around me, and more here in your work--thank you!! Oh, and welcome back; you are missed here!!

OH Mark, how wonderful to see you post again :-) And especially this, which is one of my favorite paintings of yours. I smile, when I see you couldnt resist on having a bit Photoshopping on it too.. The colors fit fine with the spring thoughts indeed. :-)))

Really nice post work! Great colours and textures! Very well done.

Per il solo fatto che questo qualche cosa (non so cosa!),fosse appartenuto a tua nonna , mi sembra un ottimo motivo per essere trasformato in una piccola opera d'arte. Excellent artwork! * Desidero ringraziarti per la gentilezza e la dolcezza da te espressami per questo momento per me molto delicato. grazie.:-)gea

FANTASTIC WORK AND GOOD TO KNOW YOU'RE FINE AND DANDY!

I could say "all the above," in this stunning bit of photography/artwork and very vivid color exercise in the abstract, Mark, and just let it go at that, but since you put your heart and soul into it, and have been away for various reasons, I'm adding my humble comment to the lot, my friend. Feel better, you have been sorely missed within this hallowed website.

A great little bit of padding and the colour makes for a cheerful little abstract. I hope you are feeling much recovered and are able to get out and about again. I wonder if this was a piece of embroidery loving done by your grandmother.

I can't tell without seeing the original of course, but "padding" is generally a needlework technique. In embroidery, it's a satin stitch done over a base layer of another type of stitch. It gives depth and texture to the work. In quilting, a similar effect can be achieved by stuffing yarn or batting into small pockets ... it's called trapunto. Now there you go ... I bet that's WAY more information than you ever wanted! LOL! It's so good to see you posting again, my friend. These pieces have such warmth, such a sense of the personal. I can almost smell the fabric ... sort of a musty satin ... and feel the threads under my fingers. The original gives me that feeling of immediacy, and the second version has more memory attached to it. These are wonderful, and I'm so pleased you've shared them with us.

Family art brought forward out of the past to 2010. Well done Mark...I'll have to let those who know needlework speak for me this morning:)

wonderful work!! glad you're fine!!

Welcome back, and glad you're OK; the manipulation is perfect!

beau travail!!

I hope you are doing well! A so wonderful image!

Marvelous .. I don't know what it is, but it's marvelous! I love your postwork .. what is that once we discover postwork, we just have a need to do it, LOL, but you do it in such a marvelous and beautiful fashion! I'm glad to see you back and okay, and even happier to read that the procedure was nothing serious.

What a cute little piece. It's so delicate and fine and very lovely.

and a bit a belated happy birthday, dear Mark, wishing you all the best, health, love and peace! i'm sorry to be so late, even with my RR friends bday list, look at me, i have forgotten (but not completely:) i was not here in quite for some time, i even cant remember when it was, possibly around 2 months ago, but i dont know for sure! and i'm still doing the same as always, strange things, you know! i really hope you are doing fine, at least as much as i do, and i'm looking very much forward to this springtime. the long and cold and grey winter was long enough now and i'm in need for some little sunbeams on my freckled face :) and of course i love your your little creatures there, how curious they make me and how wonderful you have played with them. you have a fine time, enjoy spring, dear Mark, and i hope we can see us a little more later on, here at RR, for an image, a coffee and a little chat or 2, be well :)

Super! Another wonderful example of the ordinary made extraordinary. I wonder what your grandmother would have made of the combination?

Not sure how I missed this one, but I am way behind in the galleries and commenting. This is so unusual and demonstrates how creative you are and the sensitivity you have toward your family and others who are dear to you. I see flowers, and there is something about this that remind me of an oasis. I like the two side by side as if the first one has been dormant and is waking up. The bright colors in the second version are so full of light and energy. It's as if the sun is shining through this scene. It is perfect for spring. Delicate and beautiful.