DVArtist Nicole Campanella's blog. Living in the Pacific Northwest sharing my experience with gardening, recipes and my art in extreme Halloween, graphite, acrylics, leather, and clay. Please join in with Friday Face OFF. Create a blog post, feature a face in any art medium. The faces can be human, alien, animal, and the strange and wonderful. Link up and share.
All of my monsters are made with AI. The program I use is NightCafe.
I have tried others and for me this is the best. It's free and you can
create just about anything. As soon as you sign up there are things to
do to earn credits. Then everyday you earn more credits. It's fun try it out.
I have some really creepy pieces in my NC gallery but I thought they might be just a bit much. So these are more tame. ha ha
Now for those of you who need to see some pretties.
As
mentioned in previous posts, I'm opening up this day for artists that
create in ANY medium to come on by and just talk art. Write a post about
what's on your mind in the art world. It's a place to ask questions on
your blog where other's can hopefully answer. Or share your videos, your
techniques, tools or even what type of camera you use. So, you say you
can't draw but you can write.... that's art baby! AI creations are
welcome as well. Since this type of art is taking off to main stream.
Let's say you think you are in no way artsy. But you love art. Show
murals, historical, art, your friends or kids art and talk about it.
I would like this to be an all inclusive way for artist to share, whatever.
My only rule? Criticism with kindness.
If someone asks to have their art critiqued it must be done with the generosity and consideration.
This is a place of encouragement and inspiration.
As you can see my Saturday post and Sunday post got all messed up with scheduling.
Hi Everyone!
I have a lot of art in my house. Not all mine. Two places that I collect art from are Japan, and Africa. I have art from other countries too but these are my favorite.
My brother S, that lives in the state of WA., is always thinking of me. He and his wife were at an art fair when they came across a vendor that is from Africa. They spent a lot of time there, when they came across a hat. S, looked at his wife and said, "Ohhh Nicole would love this!" He was so right.
He sent me this beautiful Fulani Hat.
Also known as noppire
The workmen ship is masterful. Boys gather the grasses for the hats while men do the weaving and embellishing.
These hats represent wealth and status, particularly for nomadic cattle herders. Of course these elaborate hats are worn during festivals. Fulani men wear them to hopefully attract women.
They are a key part of men's traditional attire, often worn over a turban.
I have several photos like this in an African book I own, however, it is packed away so I took this one from the internet.
A few more or my cherished African pieces are
My squeeze drum also know as a talking drum and my African sand bead rattle. I do play my drum. Here is a video to show you how it sounds.
The sound moves my soul.
Now one more item. My Son sent this to me about 20 years ago.
There are many styles of this effigy but the meaning is the same. In Brief, it represents fertility, lineage continuity, spiritual protection and a nurturing bond.
You see why I hold this dear to my heart.
Do you have any favorite art from other counties? Or even the country you life in?
That's if for me. I look forward to seeing your Sunday in the Art Room
Just a note. Yes, the posts got messed up so some of the comments I had to copy and past under my name.
Living
in the US now is just a scary place. All thanks to the "thing" in the
white house and the reprehensible people that do his bidding and those
that voted for him. With him wanting to start WW3 and taking over
countries that will benefit him, we also now have him talking about
cancelling the midterms. He started taking about it in January and then
again during an interview with Reuters.
This
is one of many things that I knew would happen sooner or later and it
is happening now. The "thing" doesn't just talk out of the side of his
neck. Once he starts talking about something it soon happens. The
president has no constitutional authority over federal election
administration, this belongs to the states.
Some Red states will just do what he asks. Other Red states will be
paid to halt the midterms. Blue states will be threatened with losing
federal funding if they don't comply. I can see this to be the real
beginning of civil war in my country.
With voting in mind, according to
NPR's congressional retirement tracker,
as of Jan. 8, 2026, there are 58 current representatives and senators
who are retiring or running for a different office — 11 senators and 47
House members.
So who will be running for these places? Or will the "thing" just say let's not have a congress? Something to think about.
1. Immediate Legal Challenges
Lack of Authority: Under federal law and the Constitution, the President has no unilateral power to cancel or postpone federal elections.
State Control:
Elections are administered by individual states, not the federal
government. For an election to be halted, a President would
theoretically need the compliance of all 50 states, which is considered a
"virtual impossibility".
Supreme Court Intervention:
Any executive order attempting to suspend voting would be immediately
challenged. Experts suggest the Supreme Court would likely rule such an
action unconstitutional, as the timing of federal elections is set by
Congress, not the Executive Branch.
I wonder about this Supreme Court.
2. Constitutional Deadlock
Expiration of Terms: The Constitution mandates that the terms of all 435 House members and one-third of the Senate expire in January 2027.
Loss of Quorum:
If elections are not held, there would be no legal mechanism to fill
these seats. Congress would effectively cease to function due to a lack
of members, preventing the passage of any laws, budgets, or presidential
appointments.
3. Political and Civil Unrest
Impeachment Risk: The "thing" himself has acknowledged that the midterms are
"existential," stating that if Democrats win control of the House, he
will likely face immediate impeachment.
Civil Resistance:
Experts warn that attempting to halt a bedrock democratic process could
lead to mass street protests, civil disobedience, or even domestic
conflict.
International Backlash:
Such an action would likely lead to a total cessation of foreign
tourism and severe economic instability as global markets react to the
collapse of the American democratic process.
4. Alternative Tactics for Interference
Rather than a total halt, analysts point to other methods the administration might use to influence the 2026 outcome:
Federal Policing:
Reports suggest the administration may consider deploying federal
agents (such as ICE) to "patrol" polling sites under the guise of
security, which critics argue is a form of voter intimidation.
Voter Data Access: The Justice Department has already sued multiple states to gain access to private voter data files.
Redistricting:
The administration has pushed Republican-led states to undertake
mid-decade redistricting to maximize GOP congressional seats before the
November vote.
You
know, ANY type of face, nature, the face of a flower, Photography,
drawings, paintings. There just needs to be a face in your blog post.
Don't forget to join in for Sunday in the Art Room, "SITAR" Anything art. Please don't forget to link back to my blog. Thanks
As you know I have been creating art more than usual. All I want to do is create. Wearing glare free glasses has helped with doing this. I started wearing them for the retina thing and I think I will continue to wear them. They soothe the eyes. Do you wear any kind of glare free glasses?
Yes, these are yellow tint but they work for me.
I have quite a few drawings completed and this week I'm showing a very strange colored pencil piece.
I guess I don't have any beginning photos.
I get to this point.
and the next thing I know I have it finished.
I had to soften his face a bit. Shrink the jaw, adjust his eyes.
OK, it's getting close, January 30th is the FFO day to show your challenge portraits.
The new challenge is to create a portrait of anyone you want. It can be your
family, friends, actors, faces you find on the internet, or a perfect
stranger that will allow you a photo to work from and to show with your
portrait. You can work in any medium, except photography, meaning you can't just show a photo of a face. For this challenge you must create a face.
This challenge is optional, I still want to see all of your faces.
That's it for me. Now it's time to show me your face.
It's Monster Monday! One of my favorite blog days. 😆
All of my monsters are made with AI. The program I use is NightCafe. I have tried others and for me this is the best. It's free and you can create just about anything. As soon as you sign up there are things to do to earn credits. Right now I have almost 2,000 credits to create with.
On with the show.
I really haven't made too much monster art this week. But here are a few.
These are just weird. That's ok too.
I've been winning some daily challenge events too. Not first place but for every type of win there are credits added.
I'm cutting this short today. My brother and his wife are on there way over for the day.
As mentioned in previous posts, I'm opening up this day for artists that create in ANY medium to come on by and just talk art. Write a post about what's on your mind in the art world. It's a place to ask questions on your blog where other's can hopefully answer. Or share your videos, your techniques, tools or even what type of camera you use. So, you say you can't draw but you can write.... that's art baby! AI creations are welcome as well. Since this type of art is taking off to main stream. Let's say you think you are in no way artsy. But you love art. Show murals, historical, art, your friends or kids art and talk about it.
I would like this to be an all inclusive way for artist to share, whatever.
My only rule? Criticism with kindness.
If someone asks to have their art critiqued it must be done with the generosity and consideration.
This is a place of encouragement and inspiration.
Last week I mentioned showing off your art space. Since my art room has become a place to store yard sale items. I don't work in there very often anymore. I have set up a drawing area in my TV room.
As I walk.
On the opposite wall. I have cleaned out a lot of art supplies that will be in the yard sale. Mr. M. made these selves for me when we first moved in here.
Yeah, I kinda hoard brushes.
I now draw here.
Here is what I'm working on right now. Just getting started.
I went through my camera trying to get rid of photos I have used and those that are blurry. I discovered meals that I have made over the last few weeks that I haven't shared. So here goes in no particular order. Honestly I don't know if I showed this before or not. We have roasted veggies quite often. For Mr. M's kidney.
Pork roast, potatoes from my garden and veggies. I found a gravy that is pretty kidney friendly.
Not exactly kidney friendly but I did use no salt spices and egg free noodles.
A month or so ago, I wrote how I found stalks and stalks of celery in my garden. Of course I harvested it all and part of it was used to make cream of celery soup.
It was so good. I added feta cheese. I know it doesn't melt but sure tastes good.
We have to have tacos and tostadas in our house every few weeks.
OK, my brother, who is a professional baker and chef, was bragging about his pie crust. Well I can't let that go. LOL Yes, the pie has fallen because I cut it when it was hot, hot, hot. But it was so darn good.
Homemade yeast rolls for a turkey dinner I made last week. There is a reason I made the turkey.
For the life of me I can't remember who posted that they went somewhere and had a turkey, bacon club sandwich. Ya know, I told myself to write it down, but then told myself, oh I will remember. Seriously! I thought it was Jeanie? Whomever it was leave a note in the comments please so I don't go crazy trying to remember. Ever since I saw the post and showed it to MR. M. we have been craving a turkey bacon club.
Here is my homemade turkey, bacon club on sour dough bread with avocado on the side.
Last, I wanted to make some lemon curd. However, that would mean buying lemons. I already had oranges so I made orange curd this afternoon.
