Happy Easter!

Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life.

S.D. Gordon

Fröhliche Ostern Ihr Lieben! Ein kleiner Gruß aus meinem Atelier, wo ich zur Zeit in goldenen Gelbtönen schwelge. Gestern, als ich die Fotos aufgenommen habe ist mir aufgefallen, dass ich für unseren Osterstrauss genau die gleichen Farben ausgesucht hatte, die sich auf meiner Palette finden - gelb, schwarz, pink und ein bisschen blau und orange. Sogar das pink meiner Bluse passt zu diesem Mix! 

Für das Bild von mir habe ich die "YouCamPerfect"t-App auf dem i-pad ausprobiert - und finde sie super! Sie wirft ein schmeichelhaftes Licht auf den Teint, das Fältchen und Hautunreinheiten einfach überstrahlt. Frau sieht aus wie frisch aus dem Ei gepellt und wie nach der Frühjahrskur, die sie in diesem Jahr (in meinem Fall) noch gar nicht begonnen hat ;)

Wir verbringen Ostern in diesem Jahr ganz entspannt - lange Familien-Frühstücke und Brunches, ein Flohmarkt-Bummel, ein Spaziergang am Rhein entlang - mal schauen, was das launische Aprilwetter alles zulässt!

Was sind Eure Pläne?

Happy easter from my studio flowers! Am painting away in shades of golden yellow and dashes of pink and yesterday, when i took these pix, i realized, that instinctively, i chose the same color scheme for our easter bouquet and even for my top!

For the picture of me i played a bit with the "YouCamPerfect" App for i-pad and must say i really love it! It makes the skin look beautiful and smooth- small wrinkles and imperfections just don't show and you look like after the spring cleanse even if - like in my case - you haven't even started on it.

The weather is really moody here, strong winds that blow cold rain showers, flower-petals and occasional specs of sunlight in our faces. We'll have a relaxed easter-weekend this year, with long and lazy family breakfasts and brunches, a walk over the flea-market, maybe visiting an art exhibition or a walk alongside the river.

What are your plans for the holidays?   

Paris in the spring

... because Paris is always a good idea!

Especially when combined with a wonderful person - like gorgeous Anita, from Castles, Crowns & Cottages, who won my Valentines Giveaway.

This is her fashion portrait in the city of LOVE, and she's wearing a  greige tutu along with a chic little sweater and white blouse to dance  beneath the blossoming trees.

I could also envision her as a  fabulous lady from the belle époque, someone who has a salon where artists and writers meet op to discuss their new work. More about this another time.

Have a bright and lovely start to your week -  can't wait to come visit and have a little chat with YOU!

Take a walk with me!

If you search the world for happiness, you may find it in the end, for the world is round and will lead you back to your door.  

Robert Brault

Hello Flowers, how's your sumer so far?  We've been waiting for so long, and now it's here with a clash of humid heat that makes me feel like a lazy plant with big green leaves, chatting to the butterflies and bees while sipping up the dew-drops. 

These pix where made on a beautiful day of may, during a walk with my 3 men around our village called "Nierstein". It's a big wine-region here, situated along the shores of the river Rhine and on sunny days, the wineries open their gardens and you can sit in the shade, having cool drinks and something light to eat. I love to take walks whenever i can, there's something about walking, that brings my body and thoughts in line, and since i'm a visual person, i do enjoy every bit of beauty i see.

I'm a bit slow at blogging at the moment - that's the energy of summer that just pulls me outside whenever it's possible. Wish i could have a little glass of bubbly with all of you tonight and am sending you sunshine!

The music of spring

Do you hear the music of spring?

It is cold still and the colors have not yet appeared. 

Maybe there is snow still, but the light has changed somehow 

and blackbirds are singing in the morning.

I want to bend and stretch and shed my winter skin.

I want to dance to that little tune

in a ray of sunlight amidst the bare trees.

A little poem that just came to me over morning tea and while looking at these gorgeous photos of our lovely friend Juli. She is such a talented photographer and does unique photo-sessions that show the things, a person might not talk about in a very artists way. Often, she also does special costumes to create a mood . Have a look at her site for more. And also, have the most sweet and special day!

Photos: Juli Gaston

Monday Love: Spring (Fashion) Fever

Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.

Coco Chanel

We have had fresh snow here this weekend, but, spring is definetely in the air and green bulbs are sneeking out fronder the white blankets. As leaves and flowers unfold, it's also time to stretch our wings a llittle, sing a cheerful song in the morning and add some new colors to our wardrobe. Sometimes, i love to play with clothes and create new styles for myself - don't you?

Love this fresh but somehow unusual combination of navy with pastel. peachy shades. The navy gives a kind of strength and structure to the light, sweet macaroon colors. And for me, it looks perfect for the days of early spring, even i'd replace the shorts for something longlegged.

Hope your week gets of to a bright and sparkly start. Will be going to Munich on wednesday, for a business meeting and visit my sisiter and her family, so it will be some busy days for me.

But before i go, i want to announce the winners of my recent eyeglasses giveaway.

 

 Tadaaaaaa!

The grand prize winner for a pair of fashionable
eyeglasses, any pair from http://www.firmoo.com/all-products.html is the lovely

  Monika

The second prize winners for a $30 E-Voucher each, which can be used on Firmoo designer glasses at http://www.firmoo.com/designer-eyeglasses.htm are 

Kathleen

Sabrina 

Arti

It's me  

andrea creates 

Sandy at You May Be Wandering 

Congrats girls, i'll e-mail you personally or leave a comment on your blogs, concerning your prize.

Thank you so much for being part of this!

Pink it up!

I believe in pink. 

I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.

Audrey Hepburn 

Some Pink living with art-inspiration to get you in the mood for spring! Adding a new color to one of your walls or a new painting can switch the whole mood of a room. I am always dreaming of having one color scheme for winter and a different one for the warmer season. Do you love to redecorate?

Pictures: 1. Kristybee 2. Lonny Magazine (Photo Patrick Cline) 3. Livingetc. 4. Luli Sanchez 5. Sigmar Polke 6. MVS-ART - See more at Poppytalk

Need Pink glasses?  

My recent giveaway is still open. 

You can win a pair of chic free eyeglasses. Enter here.

Time to flower

Trees round my place match up to these pictures, alas it's way too cold to wear pretty spring couture and lay in the green grass to soak up midday sun! This is from an editorial by amazing Aussie photographer Corrie Bond and they so match my mood today.  Oh, i can't way to say goodbye to wolly sweaters for a while - how about you? Cheers to a funtastic new week of spring loveies!

Photos: Corrie Bond

Spring fever

"It's spring fever.  That is what the name of it is.  And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!" 

Mark Twain

 Have you got spring fever lovelies? I do! I want to step out and dance. Have been crazy busy but can't wait to go round and visit and exchange stories and easter eggs with all of you!

Photo: Martina Voigt-Schmid

Monday Love: Spring is in the air!

Just because ... 
Times are strange at the moment - so much suffering and tension everywhere i look. Why does this have to be so? A wonderful guru from India i once met at a retreat, Soham Baba, said, the world is like a golden coin, and it has two sides.  We cannot have one, without the other.  Where there is light, there is shadow also. Yet, since the news are so depressing, i feel that here in blogland, we are aiming for balance - by concentrating on the bright side, by putting so much energy in showing each other, and manifesting, the beauty and goodness of live, again and again. I'm so glad we can share this - not because we are blind to the "real world", but just because ...


This is a painting of mine from some years ago and it's one of those i don't want to part with. It was inspired by spring, by sunshine, the happy tunes of tulips, daffodils and forsythia - and Fauns and Kentaures by Picasso. I feel drawn to these wild, magical creatures as they resonate with the wild side of life, with playfulness, innocence and nature.


Painting: Martina Voigt-Schmid

Monday Love: Vintage picnic and giveaway winners

Come to the park with me?

I recently stumbled over these beautiful pictures at thoughtfully simple, and thought they are just right to get our week of to a delicious start. Spring is just around the corner now, and it's time to plan and think about all the pleasures that await us, once dreaded winter packs his icy wardrobe to move on to some place else on the planet.

Lisa Pearson from Simply ... this, that & the other and her daughter (2nd photo), enjoyed  a lovely vintage picnic lunch in the park, in pretty vintage styling that combined pastel colored, girly touches and elegant elements. Be sure to check out Lisa’s photos. She has great ideas inspiration for a vintage party theme, in case you have an event coming up in spring.

The photos were taken by Lisa’s friend Kim (see her work at blubelstudio.com).

 And now, Ladies (no gentlemen around this time): 

The winners of my "Art of heart" cards are: 

Libbie from the Middlest sister 

A serenade for solitude 

and Ria from It's me

 Congrats, dear ones! Please, tell me your postal adress, so that your presents can reach you. i I'm sending the cards out towards the end of the week, for a new bunch hast to be printed - just to let you know. I'll be happy to hear from you. 

And last but not least i want to show you something cute i found in my mail last week. A gorgeous Valentine card, drawn personally from my dear friend Anita, from Castles Crowns and Cottages.Her blog is full of magic, kindness and beauty - go and have a look!

Make spring happen - now!

Let the sunshine in!

Some pictures from a new KidsLife-fashion shoot from last sunday. We had planned to go outside and do something with a big tractor. But it was just simply too cold, So we stayed inside and played in my studio  with colors, flowers and fruit, using some of my big paintings as a colorful background.

Photos: Robin Benito, Paintings: Martina Voigt Schmid

Wearable art and handmade happiness...

One of these wearable art pieces in my opinion is all it takes to look like a spring fairy and make everyone smile at you! Why not dress up today - for no reason then to give the day a playful touch and break out of routine, so great to fill up your inner well of creative imagination.

Necklaces by WrappedInClover and Rebecca3030 on Etsy

Dress up for spring

I'm in the mood for a new spring wardrobe, aren't you? Sometimes it takes nothing else then a few new accesoires to give your things a complete different look - a special, just made for this season look.
It's always great to get some inspiration on how to combine things - and i really love the look i found on "Emerson made" - i definetly want one of these grand flowers.

Same goes for the house. New furniture isn't necesary, but maybe new curtains or - a new work of art. Am playing with flower shapes and spring colours - see more of it on thursday, my "Let your art guide you" day.

Have a sunny start in the week and stop and look around you at least once a day - spring is so precious, and it's on the peek of beauty right now!

Let your art guide you - weekly challenge 5

I have to admit that somehow, i missed a day in this week. Monday i still lived in sunday, tuesday in monday and today my hubby just told me that no, it's not wednesday but thursday. So, for the creative challenge i'm showing you a crafty project that was done for the magazine, but nevertheless is creative and fun.



Some cute handmade ideas for a spring invitation - for tea, lunch or dinner.
The collage style-cards are made of pretty wrapping-paper. Cut floral shapes and glue them on to plain cards.
To make the garland, cut paper in diamond shapes and fold them over a cord or string. Glue halfs together and vary colours. This is a fun project for kids too.


Making collages is really good, when you got stuck with painting. Somehow it frees the mind - maybe, because you can take it as a game instead of real art. But playing is vital for real art and sometimes, the best ideas come, when you least expect them - give it a try!

The lovely knitted flowers on the plates are made by my friend Anne-Claire, who will publish her own blog soon.

Link in with us, if you haven't already, at art n'sewl!

New Fashion shoot for KidsLife

Some Impressions from our session on sunday! It was all snowy and white outside, yet the atmosphere was supposed to look like early spring! Thank god the kids had some lovely sweaters from ginger & ruby to put on, while our lovely hostess, Bettina May from "Holunderhof" in Dexheim and her daughters warmed us up with Coffee and freshly made wafers, hmmm! Photographer was Robin Benito - the little ones loved him! Model on these pix: Miriam Leber

In the mood for spring

I know, it's summer really, but not here in Germany. There is a chilly wind outside, yet the sky is blue, just like in this painting. From a series of stillifes from last year.

More trees

Have been indulging in shades of lovely green, turquoise light blue, and – more dots. Green has such a soothing quality, i can't get it enough of it right now.