Monster Monday Tea Party

 Welcome to 

It's all about a summer tea party.

 

I think this week the images are a combination of monster and pretty together.

Have a great Monday. 

 

Nicole
 

Sunday in the Art Room SITAR 6/21/26

 Welcome to

SITAR is about ANYTHING art. Your art, someone else's art, writing, photography, the art of cooking, the art of sewing and textiles. Sharing historical art, street art, a story about art. Do you have a question or need help with art? Write a blog post and link it up here. We will all try to help with it. My only rule is that if someone asks for critique it must be done with generosity and consideration. 

This is a place of learning, encouragement and inspiration.

 

Since last year, I began exploring portraiture to celebrate individuals with unique features, such as scars, birth defects, and skin conditions who are often overlooked or deemed unattractive in today's society. More so underrepresented in art.

I have tried a few times to draw portraits of women with scars.  

I did show these in July of 2025. I don't think they are very successful. 

 

 

Sometimes, the final piece doesn’t quite match the vision in my mind. Rendering the complex textures of a face, like wrinkles and scars is a challenge for me. As a self taught artist, it takes me a bit longer to grasp these finer details, but I'm practicing. During my search for references, I came across an incredibly inspiring 

British artist, Kelvin Okafor.

His self portrait. 

I had to share this image since his self portrait is very serious. 

 

After reading Kelvin's bio, it is clear his passion extends far beyond simply capturing faces. He specializes in portraiture, finding deep fascination in the human condition. Regardless of a subject's age, background, or identity, every face he draws tells a compelling story. Once you see his art you will know exactly what I mean.

Kelvin is a hyperrealistic artist renowned for his breathtaking photo-like graphite and charcoal portraits. His work goes beyond mere photorealism, capturing the deep character and emotional essence and pure humanity of his subjects.  

 

 

All art is created by Kelvin Okafor  

Catrin Pugh, physiotherapist and motivational speaker, whose burns were due to a coach crash. Image from 10 an art magazine that covers contemporary art along side fashion and beauty.

Nikki Lilly 2024 Arteriovenous malformation. 2024 A British social media personality, charity campaigner, and TV presenter. She is widely known for her resilience and advocacy. Diagnosed with a rare, life-threatening condition called arteriovenous malformation (AVM) at age six, she has undergone over 100 surgeries to date.

 

I have featured Seal in my lupus awareness posts. His facial scars are due to lupus. Kelvin executed this in 2023
 

Katie Piper: Prior to her 2008 acid attack, Katie Piper was a model and aspiring television presenter. In March 2008, an ex-boyfriend orchestrated a brutal sulfuric acid attack that left her blind in one eye, permanently scarred, and missing sections of her face. 

Shimbe Avalumun Queen Albinism 2023
The above photos from Hope 93 

A contemporary art gallery, advisory platform, and event space located in London's West End. 

If you would like to view Kelvin creating his art, and I know you do, please click onto his Facebook link.

Throughout my research into Kelvin Okafor, I discovered a deeply sensitive and compassionate man, whose creations are driven by a fierce passion.

Oh and by the way, in watching his videos his voice is deep, luscious and full of soft conviction. It’s almost impossible not to hang onto every single word he says.

 I hope you enjoyed meeting Kelvin Okafor and will continue to seek out is art.

Nicole

I'm linking with Gillena

 

 

Must see Kelvin's Facebook 

 Kelivn's website

Kelvin's youtube. 

art magazing 1883 

Cindy Wider interview  

 

Ruined

 Hi Everyone!

The "thing" has torn the fabric of our country apart. 

 If you live in the US you know that our country is plummeting into the abyss of absolute ruin. Through its actions at every level from government to civil society, this administration is actively eroding the foundational principles that define us as a people. It seems that every day, a new catastrophe occurs to validate this point.

There is no way to write about ALL of the infractions, so I will bring up just one. The recent land deal involving Elon Musk's SpaceX in South Texas is  a land swap approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, rather than a direct gift. It exchanges 715 acres of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge for 683 acres of private land owned by SpaceX located nearby. 

This is the facility now. SpaceX utilizes approximately 200 acres of directly developed land for its core operations in Boca Chica, Texas. 

 If the land swap deal is finalized, the 683 acres of private land, currently owned by SpaceX, will be transferred to federal ownership and integrated into the Laguna Atascosa National wildlife Refuge system. 

Because this land passes from a private corporation to the federal government, the plans focus entirely on conservation and habitat restoration rather than industrial development. The existing starbase facility will remain fully intact and will be directly expanded onto the new 715 acres of land SpaceX is acquiring. 

The environmental impact that SpaceX has already created will never be revived. 

 

Ecological Impact: The refuge is one of the last remaining habitats in the United States for the endangered ocelot (fewer than 100 left in the country), as well as Kemp's ridley sea turtles and rare migratory birds.  

 

Nesting Impacts: The noise, extreme vibration, and flying debris have directly harmed local wildlife. Field surveys conducted by the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program revealed that after specific launches, every single monitored shorebird nest near the launchpad suffered damaged or missing eggs. 

 

Cultural and Historic Value: The land being transferred includes portions of the Palmito Ranch Battlefield National Historic Landmark (the site of the last Civil War battle) and holds ancestral, sacred value to the Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation of Texas.  

 

Water Pollution: Following launches, SpaceX's massive water deluge system discharges tens of thousands of gallons of industrial wastewater into surrounding wetlands. Both the EPA and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality have levied fines totaling over $150,000 for Clean Water Act violations stemming from these unpermitted discharges. 

$150,000 is nothing to musk 

 

Noise and Vibrations: The sheer volume of the sound and vibrations from rocket engine tests and launches can be detrimental to local wildlife behaviors and surrounding communities. 

There is legal opposition. A coalition including the Center for Biological Diversity, Save RGV, the South Texas Environmental Justice Network, and the Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation has already filed a federal lawsuit to block the deal, arguing it violates federal laws requiring a net conservation benefit. 

In June, the Fish and Wildlife Service determined that the land exchange would not have significant adverse effects on public health or safety, historic or cultural resources, tribal sacred sites for federally recognized Tribes, ecologically critical areas, wetlands or floodplains, or on designated wilderness or research and natural areas. (Lies)

It's frustrating and I don't know how we get around huge businesses getting their way with total disregard for the impact of their actions. 

 

I've seen it first hand in N. Idaho where mining companies closed and left the pollution behind. Decades later the government came in and remediated the valley. Our property was one that had heavy metals detected in the ground. The workers came in and removed 10" of soil from our 2 acres of land and replaced it with non polluted soil and put our property back the way it was. 

We were very thankful. 

 

This is not a new topic, big corporation destroying everything in their wake. But our earth is quickly coming to the point of no return. If musk reaches Mars, (his goal) or any other planet, how will man destroy those?

 

Nicole

The above is my opinion.

 

  Defenders of Wildlife 

Sierra Club 

 FAA

 

 

 

Nicole 

Friday Face OFF 6/19/26 FFO

 

Welcome To Friday Face OFF (FFO)

This is the place to show off your face art.

You know, ANY type of face, nature, the face of a flower, photography, drawings, paintings, AI. There just needs to be a face in your blog post, a link back to my blog and please use the image below. 

Thank you.

 

 I've felt pretty good this week. Busy, and it seems like a lot going on but everything feels balanced. I even was able to draw.

She starts like this

Then I got so absorbed in what I was doing I didn't take another photo until this. 

 

I got to this point where the tweaking begins. The first one is not manipulated .

 

This one is changed to black and white.

 

I finally finished with this. I know you may not see the subtle changes from the photo above but I know they are there. LOL

 

A few AI

 

 

Now for features

 

Gene Black.  

 

 Iris 

 That's it for now 

Be sure to join in for 

Sunday in the Art Room  

 

I'm joining Gillena

 

Now it's time to show me your face.

Nicole 

 

Thursday Stuff

 Hi Everyone!

 

It really frustrates me when micorsoft does and update and then nothing works on the PC. That's what has happened. 

 The first thing I noticed is that my PC won't stay turned off. I shut my PC down and in a minute its back on. Without going into a lot of detail. I preformed all of the recommended troubleshooting and none of it worked. However, I can shitf-restrart and it brings me to a troubleshooting area. The page also has a button that reads, "turn off PC".  So, that's how I have been turning it off at night.

 

Then at every website I clicked onto I got a drop down telling that I needed to  verify my online certificate. 

I'm really happy that I was able to figure that problem out. OK, I gave myself that award. 😁
 

Now for something pretty. This beauty landed just where I could get a photo.

 

Out of my garden today. This photo makes everything look smaller. There is spinach, dill, lettuce and a radishes.  

 

I started the bottom of an onion so I can have onion tops.

 

Mr. M. has been grilling and he does it so well.

His chicken is whewww good.  I knew I wanted 2 pieces of chicken so I took a very small portion of  my potato salad. 

I'm always wanting a good burger and Mr. M. knows just how I like it. I didn't have any burger buns, toast works for me. 

 

I guess that's it for now. I will be catching up on my comments.

Have a great day.

Nicole