Lovely World

green

It is all green here. We are settling into summer. The first round of lettuce and radishes are just about done. The peas and string beans will be harvested in a couple of weeks. One more day of walking the kids to the school bus stop. I have been enjoying these walks, the morning air so full of life. We have a very long driveway, so there is always something interesting to see along the way. My son and I saw a coyote on the driveway a few weeks ago.

Here are some lovely things for you:

♥ Maissa Toulet

♥ Chinelos de Trapo (don't you want a pair?)

♥ Kettle's Yard (let's go here)

♥ Sonia Delaunay at the Cooper Hewitt (too good)

♥ Sally Nencini

Bye for now.

storms

We have had turbulent weather lately. Lots of rainy storms. Last night a big one blew through. I had never heard such strange howling of the wind. I sat up watching the trees sway in the flashes of light from the electrical storm. We had trees down over the driveway this morning. Lots to clean up.

As I was walking around town this morning I came upon this sad bird's nest. It had obviously blown out of the tree during the storm. Poor little birds must wonder where their nest and lovely eggs went.

The storms have washed out quite a few of the girls' softball practices and games. I have to admit that I have enjoyed watching the games that have been played. I also enjoy watching my daughter learn something new.

The Green River runs through the length of our town. Here is a view I had of it today. It flows into the Hoosic River, which then dumps right into the Hudson River. The water has been running high all spring. This has been a boon to kayakers and other boaters.

Lastly is a photo of a shelf on my work table. (The photo on the middle shelf is of my parents, me, and two of my siblings. We are all just a year apart in age.) I have been so engrossed in activity that I have had very little quiet time working there. I awoke at 5AM this morning, restless, so I was able to creep quietly to my work room to paint before anyone woke up and demanded my attention.

Have a nice long weekend. We have some travel and some celebrations ahead of us.

of birds and david bowie

I bought this book, "Birds that Hunt and are Hunted," at the library book sale last month. I liked that it was a book about birds, although the title is a little creepy.

The 48 illustrations are photographs of birds on a painted background. I think some of the photographs are hand painted as well. It was published in 1902.

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On a completely different note, here is a video of David Bowie's "Modern Love." I saw his "Serious Moonlight" tour with a friend when I was in high school. We were so excited we could barely contain ourselves. As I watched this video, it reminded me that back in the 1980s we had no cell phones, iphones, ipods, digital cameras, or video cameras. But, we did have big hair and interesting clothes. (If this doesn't play right here- just click the link to youtube)

 

the long view outside

I'm spending very little time online lately. Instead, I'm finding myself outside as much as possible. Gardening, hiking, watching softball practice and games. This has been a good break away from screens for me. When I'm outside, I see the long distance, the big picture. When online, I can develop tunnel vision. Does anyone else feel that way too?

The top photo is my lawn. I love that it is an incredibly weedy lawn because we get blankets of dandelions, violets, thyme, and moss.

The two middle photos are of a recent hike on Pine Cobble. The top of the Cobble is a jumble of stone. I love the cairns that have been built out of this jumble. Nature's altars.

The bottom photo is of the little parade that opened the Little League season. My daughter marched with the band. I realize that I am thankful to live in a town that closes a main street so that baseball players and the school band can march to the ball park.

flamingo

I finished the flamingo over the weekend. This burst of pink is now sitting on a shelf in my work room and I am enjoying it very much. It is made from hand-dyed wool, linen, and cotton and stands about a foot tall.

The process of designing and making this bird was a pleasure. I would say that I was in my creative "zone," that place in which my creative spirit is made manifest in the piece I am creating. The experience of making something that truly expresses me - my style and vision - is powerful.

I see so many beautiful, creative, and clever things online. At times I have wondered how I could ever find my own unique style with so many images of other people's work clouding my mind. Because I am self-taught in my craft, the internet (as well as art and craft books) have become my school. I have had to learn to take from what I see: technique, use of color, thematic ideas, materials, and meld it all into an expression of my own. My craft is what emerges after and apart from the inspiration I find online and in books.

In making my soft sculpture, I have been inspired by these artists: Lemmikkiapina, Abby Glassenberg, Jennifer Muskopf, Abigail Brown, Ann Wood, Stephanie Congdon Barnes, Tamar Mogendorff, Mimi Kirchner, and many others I'm sure. I honor their work and thank them for their inspiration. But, I need to do the hard work of making my own craft.

If you have a reasonable level of skill, it is easy to copy someone else. But, is that honest? Does that ultimately feed and satisfy your creative soul? Does it make you feel joyful? Having a creative vision and manifesting it is hard work. It does not happen overnight. You have to practice, make mistakes, rethink your ideas. You have to try and try again. The work is worth the effort - as you begin to see yourself in the pieces you create.

I have been sewing and painting this year. I paint a little each day (on my calendar) and sew on and off throughout the week. I can see many connections forming between my paintings and my sewn sculpture. The way I relate to color, shape, texture. I can see hints of this cohesive style as well when I embroider or crochet or make a collage. It is through repetition and everyday practice that I learn about myself and experience the joy of being in the moment of creation.

I am thankful for the opportunity to make things. My life is so much richer for it. 

calendar and book

{Calendar Week 18}

Book 17/52:

Karen Russell's Swamplandia!

spring thoughts

Another thunderstorm with hard rain this morning. I was out walking my brother's dog while he and his family are away. We took shelter before the height of the storm.

So many wildflowers to see now: red trillium, trout lily, and spring beauties. Also skunk cabbage and fiddleheads. We hope to hike on Pine Cobble this weekend. There are many, many ladies' slippers there, although it might be too early for them.

Do you like the flamingo so far? Wings, eyes, and legs today.

The wildflower paintings are from a very large, old guide book I found at the library book sale. The paintings are quite nice, particularly in the large format.

My daughter changed the quilt on her bed. I love the blue and white. Her room is so quiet. I hope she will always be able to have such a retreat.

more about birds

Warm temperatures. Thunder storms. Daffodils in the garden. Wildflowers along the trail in the woods. I think spring is settling in.

I purchased this Peterson's Field Guide to Birds' Nests at the library book sale last week. I am enjoy looking through the pages at the wide variety of nesting that birds do. What a leap of faith for these birds to leave such fragile packages among the branches of trees and brush, or even on the ground. I guess it is the same leap of faith that we humans take when we have a baby. I believe that pregnancy and parenting are such practices in letting go. Letting go of control. Letting go of preconceived notions of how things should be. These are not always easy lessons. And they can bring both great joy and terrible heartbreak.

I made a couple more linen and wool wading birds. I think I will make a flamingo next. I have some beautiful pink hand-dyed wool and pink linen. I am also working out some patterns for butterflies. I see the wings as opportunities for embroidery. These are my spring projects.

watercolor birds

I finished these new birds last week. I am very happy with the bright and cheery colors. The hand-dyed wool is so nice to work with. I especially like cutting and stitching the tail feathers.

It was 77 degrees here yesterday. The resident birds worked themselves into a frenzy of song. I can hear them out there again today. I expect we'll be seeing baby birds before too long. I also heard the frogs peeping last evening. That is a sure sign of spring. The peepers are one of my earliest childhood memories. I remember my mother holding me as we stood outside in the growing dark. She told me that the peeping sound that enveloped us was the frogs awaking to spring.

What is it that makes early memories? An experience with strong emotion surrounding it? An experience reinforced by repeated retelling? An experience of something so new that it deeply embeds in our mind and heart?

poppytalk white

Friday is the final day of spring color week at Poppytalk. White!

In particular, I was happy to revisit these photos of the goose egg and cotton boll that my friend gave me for my last birthday.

I hope you have a nice weekend. I'll be here to post my calendar and book on Sunday.