The last assignment for the Mixed Media class is to make an assemblage of a sacred space. My choice was my home. This place has always been a sacred space for me and my family. The piece measures 8 by 10.5. The main body of the piece is wood which I painted, collaged and added items from around here to symbolize our sacred space. The pictures below show close ups of the assemblage. Blogger wouldnt' let me put text under the pictures so I will have to explain it all here. The first picture is of the entire piece. The second picture shows the bottom right section with the garlic, colored pencil fence and bottle found in the field with oak branches in it. under that is the lower left hand side with the found light bulb, tops of oak acorns, a candle and a spool with thread. Over all of it is an old metal piece found in the field. the next picture is of the cemetery we have out in the field with a bird skull and acorns from the oak tree. then there is the part tha thas the wine corks, a cork from an olive oil bottle and two caps from some really good beer. The picture under that one has a moon tarot card in the background and over the top of it is a piece of broken bottle that was found in the field. embossed into the glass it says Bladder Cure and under that Specific. Very strange bottle piece. On the top is a tiny cook book I made with some acorn caps. Along the edge of the piece I have mosaiced it with pieces of mirror and at the very top is a face made from sculpy clay. The roof it tiled with painted phone book pages and topped with wings. The back is collaged with assorted tissue paper. Along the sides of the piece I have simulated stucco, like the outside of our house. I turn it in on Tuesday......hoping for a good grade!

Assemblage - Sacred Space

Day 10 - Neuchatel

 Lunch of Paella at the cafe at Latenium museum of archaeology.  

 We then got on a bus and the minute I got on I saw him......and took the seat right across from him so I could love on him the entire bus ride.  His name is Dakar, his owner in the back ground told me that the was 4 and that his left eye had been destroyed.  I have no idea how, the young man spoke french and I only speak english.  This was the sweetest dog ever.  His rear was seated on the seat next to his owner with his feet on the floor of the bus.

 Here is his getting off of the bus.  Everyone else was seated at teh back of the bus, not wanting to get near this giant dog.

 This woman was at a bus stop and was so dressed up I just had to take her picture.

 And this man at the train station just looked so very french.

 On our train ride...the light on the lake was just beautiful

 Raclette for dinner!  This is the heating element, you can see on the plates there are metal trays and wooden scoopers, and cut up cheese on a cutting board.  You take the cut up cheese, place it into the metal tray, slide the tray into the insert in the middle of the heating element and wait until the cheese it hot and bubbly.  This is then scooped out with the wooden scooper on top of cooked white potatoes.  The taste is so good.  Also served were pickles and pickled onions.  The acid in these cut through the cheesy taste in your mouth.  This is something that we really NEED to do at home!

Day 9 - Boat ride on Lake Geneva

 We took a boat ride on Lake Geneva on this steam boat.  It is huge and just beautiful

 This is the elegant dining room we had lunch in and below is the menu I chose for the day.

 I started with a tuna mousse.

 The next course was this wonderful broccoli mousse in a pastry with a Roquefort mousse on top. When you cut into this you get the taste of the Roquefort cheese, a very slight taste of broccoli and the texture of the pastry crust.  Heavenly.

 Next was the shrimp in a broth with matchstick veggies and raviolis.

 And for dessert....I don't even know how to describe this.  The top part was chocolaty and soft and the middle had a hazelnut taste to it and the bottom was crunchy.  A perfect end to an amazing meal.

 We sat outside on the boat and had coffee.  Here and some of the hillsides covered with vineyards.

Dinner that night was a wonderful roasted chicken, potatoes and green beans.

Day 8-Martigny

 We started our visit to Martigny by visiting the Gianadda art museum's cafe. Veal sausage, fries and beer to start the afternoon.

 Then a walk through the gardens where they had giant art installations.  This one was my favorite and is by my new favorite artist Niki de Saitn Phalle.

 All of these are larger than life size and just tremendous to see.

 Then we went inside to the Modigliani exhibit.  Really enjoyed his work....the long necks, the little eyes....

 And the exhibit of antique cars.  Made me think of my father when I saw these.

 When we left we walked through a roman Colosseum.

 On our way to the St. Bernard museum where we saw everything that could possibly be St. Bernard including some of the dogs.