Will’s Book Nook: The Adventures of TinTin Scribblings

This comic series is awesome, and so is the BBC Radio Series based on the books. They were created by a Belgian cartoonist named Georges Remi, who published under the pen name Hergé between 1929 - 1976. The cartoon style really grabbed me, plus the characters are really interesting. The main characters are Tintin, an intrepid boy-reporter for a newspaper, who uncovers various plots and tries to stop them. He is aided in his adventures by his dog Snowy, who has a very entertaining running monologue. While some of the art does feature some ethnic stereotypes, it’s important to view it in a historical context. I give the radio series a 6 out of 5 Scribbles, particularly for the voice acting. 

Top Ten: Mark’s Favorite Characters from The Godfather, Part III

1.  Michael Corleone (Al Pacino).

2.  Kay Adams Corleone Michelson (Diane Keaton).

3.  Connie Corleone Rizzi (Talia Shire).

4.  Vincent Mancini (Andy Garcia). 

5.  Mary Corleone (Sofia Coppola).

6.  Grace Hamilton (Bridget Fonda).

7.  Joey Zasa (Joe Mantegna).

8.  Don Altobello (Eli Wallach).

9.  B.J. Harrison (George Hamilton).

10.  Cardinal Lamberto (Raf Vallone).

Eggcelent Eggs: How to Dye Your Eggs in Different Ways

Easter is this Sunday and we are starting to plan how to dye our Easter eggs this year. The most common way to dye eggs is to use the food coloring method, and often you can purchase a kit to make it easier. The kits usually include other decorative items, such as stickers and cardboard egg stands to display your egg art. But there are other ways to decorate eggs, like using paints and markers.

1. Food coloring: With this method you can’t just dip the eggs in food coloring, you need to mix the food coloring in a water and vinegar solution. This helps the dye stick t the egg shell. And don’t forget to have some fun with different dying techniques, like tie-dye! 

 

https://www.marthastewart.com/1141024/tie-dye-easter-eggs

2. Natural dyes: Did you know that you can use different vegetables and spices to dye your eggs naturally? Look no further than your pantry or refrigerator! Beet powder will turn eggs bright red, turmeric will turn them yellow and red cabbage will turn your eggs purple. You still use the vinegar method, but also add vegetable oil. 

 

How to Dye Eggs Naturally

3. Paint your eggs! If want to really make a work of art, you can use acrylic paint and paint brush or even spray paint. Paint markers are an easy way to have control while apply the paint to your egg canvas. 

Spray Paint Eggs

For even more ideas, check out this list from House Beautiful.

Smiles and Raffle Prizes!

All smiles!

 

Last Wednesday Arts Connections held our Hello Spring event with card making, yummy treats and a raffle with some exciting giveaways! It was so great to see smiling faces in person and we had a wonderful time! 

 

We made thank you card to send to our generous donors and we gave away tickets to Electric Playhouse, a cool interactive experience in Albuquerque, and other great items. We look forward to having more in person events soon!

Will's Book Nook: Bleak Expectations Scribblings

 

Initially written as a book by Mark Evans and then recorded as a BBC Radio series, Bleak Expectations is a parody of a Charles Dickens novel. The title is a mash up of tow famous Dickens novels: Great Expectations and Bleak House. I really liked the outright silliness and how they flipped the Dickensian tendency to name characters after their personalities (see Ebeneezer Scrooge) on its head. Instead of describing the characteristics of the individual, the names in this series do the opposite: the names are deceptive, just like the character of evil Mr. Gently Benevolent, played by Anthony Head, star of Buffy The Vampire Slayer. It starts out with a traditional Dickens plot involving marriage for money and dastardly lawyers, and becomes increasingly zany, featuring a town made of actual cheese. Given that this is my third time listening to this series, I give it 5 out of 5 scribbles! I recommend this series for people who love 19th century British literature and a large dose of silliness.

Top Ten: Mark's Favorite Characters from The Godfather, Part II

 

 

1.  Michael Corleone (Al Pacino).

2.  Young Vito (Robert De Niro).

3.  Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall).

4.  Fredo Corleone (John Cazale).

5.  Kay Adams Corleone (Diane Keaton).

6.  Connie Corleone (Talia Shire).

7.  Hyman Roth (Lee Strasberg).

8.  Frankie Pentangeli (Michael V. Gazing).

9.  Senator Patrick Geary (G. D. Spradlin).

10.  Peter Clemenza (Bruno Kirby).