colorgirl

Oh baby baby baby

2012-01-26T14:29:00.000-05:00

It's baby central here at the church with my second grandchild due to arrive next month. Tiny things are so satisfying to make, same amount of achievement with 1/4 of the work and materials. Here are some things I've been busy with in the last month.

The quilt I made was inspired by a mini Flying in Formation quilt by Jaybird Quilts and can be found here. Julie Herman, the designer and quilter helped me find fabric online in the same color range she used. My friend and client John Kubiniec from Big Rig Quilting was kind enough to help scale the quilt pattern to a crib size.

Folkware Patterns, my favorite when my children were little for sweet little shirts and dresses is still around and has an amazing array of authentic historic and ethnic patterns. So the Mexican baby shirts I made have been created for 100's of years by Mexican mamas and grandmothers. I went with flannel and my own embroidery.

Lastly the baby shoe tutorial, so quick and easy you can make 2-3 pair in an evening, came from Heather Bailey. She has a flickr site you can upload your finished product to. She just asks you use it for personal use only.

Lively Lovely Letterform

2012-01-06T09:52:00.000-05:00

I can't seem to get enough of Maricor/Maricar. Twin sisters from Australia that make letterforms especially cozy. Thanks Grace, nice posting.

Sweater Babies

2012-01-04T12:44:00.000-05:00

While editing some piles for the new year, I came across a basket of old sweaters. I got inspired to repurpose them and I've made a little gang of squishy, soft, cashmere, marino wool toys. With a new grand child on the way, it's been a nice sit by the fire project. So much fun, I can't stop. And yes, I went a little nuts with the embroidery.

A Place for Everything

2012-01-01T18:48:00.000-05:00

And everything in its place. It's true. If there isn't a good storage spot for my things they don't get put away. And this time of year the piles are high. It's time to visit Saver's curbside, drop off and make a fast getaway. I have spotted some fun ways to make storage work in a better, more beautiful way and may reward myself with one or two, but only after I make the drop off. I promise.

www.klauserandcarpenter.com

www.j1studio.com

via ikea blog, binder clips with storage boxes.

using wooden palettes by josh premuda

Helen Frankenthaler 1928-2011

2011-12-28T11:53:00.000-05:00

Helen Frankenthaler, beauty, grace, courage, tenacity.

Linen Lovelies from South St.Linen

2011-12-07T08:12:00.000-05:00

I recently discovered the Portland based South Street Linen and instantly fell for their bold and playful scarves. I'm a sucker for anything linen and never thought of it as material for a scarf, but it makes sense. It feels nice against your skin, softens with age and any color sings on it. These three mid career artists, painters and print makers Mary Ruth Hedstrom, Jane Ryan and Lynn Krauss find their inspiration from some of my favorites- all things Japanese and Scandinavian. And you know how I feel about anything from Maine.

A Gift for the Gourmand and Gardener

2011-12-02T10:21:00.000-05:00

I've posted about my friend Roanne's magic in the garden before. If you're looking for a beautiful, inspiring and informative book on seasonal container gardens, her book Continuous Container Gardens, is the one to pick up. The book is full of projects that are manageable for the weekend gardener, using and reusing your favorite vessels through each season.
But this winter Roanne has focussed her impeccable eye and palette on her kitchen. Using the organic harvest from her newly established HoneyField Flowers based in Harvard Mass, she's put together a gift box of treats that will make you very popular with both your gardening and gourmand friends.
She dropped off a little sample box for me and well, it was very hard to share. But I am now and this is the gift a few of my lucky friends are finding under their tree. You can purchase the HoneyField Box of garden/kitchen treats on etsy, here. Continuous Container Gardens here. Be warned, I may have to start a support group just to stay away from her lavender brittle.

Finding comfort in making OCD Art

2011-11-30T12:01:00.000-05:00

As you can guess with all the directions I go in, arranging my stuff in a linear fashion isn't a high priority for me. Especially when I'm finishing up a long term project like the catalogue I send to the printer Monday. But I love with a virgo's passion when I stop to do it. Why is there so much comfort in looking around at everything in it's place? Haven't I discovered that to make art we must make a mess? I was recently raving about the neat and tidy home envy I have for an artist I admire. My friend Jim responded with "Have you seen the blog Things Organized Neatly?" Looking at it confirms for me how obsessed we are with repetition, grids, patterns... we see it emerging in art constantly. I'm drawn to it in my own work too. All the little water color bubbles I can paint for hours?
Here's my theory. As artists we have to be a little OCD to make art right? And we can all admit there is way too much information at our fingertips. Exhausting. So how do we deal and react as artists? Grouping, collecting, making colors in rainbow order, repeating dots, zentangles, charts and graphs, making patterns. I'm attracted to it but it can wear me down. Tired. The answer for me? Making art and designing in a no-tech zone, free of seductive information portals. Walking, smelling, listening, tasting, turning pages in a book, far from all the devices helps a lot. I'm walking away from this computer now to go do some cleaning then I'll make a mess in my studio, which I won't clean up. But do check out the blog below. A lot of fun. Just maybe you shouldn't let it influence your art too much?
To see some of my own obsession with repeat in nature you can go here.
To check out Things Organized Neatly go here.

Guggenheim Perfect Paints

2011-11-09T08:14:00.000-05:00

Ever wish you could get your hands on some of those beautiful shades you see on museum walls? Or just borrow that lovely palette Modigliani used for his nudes? The Guggenheim figured you did and now offers a selection of interior paints they've used for exhibit walls and colors found in their modern masterpiece collection. Offered by Fine Paints of Europe, you can order the fandecks here. Wouldn't it be great when someone falls in love with your living room wall hue to say that Frank Lloyd Wright picked it out for you?

Nigel Peake In The Wilds

2011-11-08T10:37:00.000-05:00

As the leaves fall away I've been seeing more and more of the skeleton of the earth. I love the relief we finally get from masses of green. Tiny details are emerging. Blades of broken dried grass, twigs, the feathers around the coop. Nigel Peake the Irish illustrator and maker finds the same joy in nature's details and paints about it. More of his work can be found at Needles and Pins Gallery in San Francisco, here. He also has a blog which is nigel-peake.blogspot.com

New Pretties from Beehive Kitchenware

2011-10-21T09:54:00.000-04:00

My friends at Beehive Kitchenware have been creating some lovely new things just in time for the holidays. I'm lucky to have Sandy and Jim as clients and friend/neighbors. My painting studio is just down the hall from their sweet little kitchen gadget factory. Gadget Factory is said with a smile because there isn't anything factory made about their heirloom kitchenware. All thoughtfully designed for aesthetics and function, these metal, wooden and now ceramic objects look beautiful on your table and feel great in your hands. If you're unfamiliar with the treasures they create or want to see the latest stop by their site here.

I recently asked Sandy the questions I like to ask artists and here are her responses-
Can you tell me about your latest body of work? For me, I designed a lot of work this season! I made a few little things that were just side projects, but seemed like good ideas, so we just made them instead of leaving them on the drawing board. The main collection were pieces in metal, ceramic, and wood, Not only was it very exciting to branch out into working with wood, I also love the warmth in brings to the collection as a whole. I designed and sculpted cheese knives and spreaders, coordinating cheese boards and coasters, as well as a honey pot and occasional plate. There is a lot of folk/nature imagery, as well as a serious nod to Charlie Harper. And for the first time, I included bee motifs into our line. I ended up falling in love with this bee pattern and had to hold myself back from using it everywhere.

What inspires you the most lately? Well, I guess I continue to be inspired by the idea of mixing traditional functional objects with contemporary design motifs. Also, I have always found it interesting that so many traditional patterns from all over the world, have so much in common. I like to reference folk motifs and try to have them look like they could be from both India and Sweden at the same time, for example. I usually gravitate towards nature imagery – birds, leaves, and trees just make me feel happy. It’s like as long as we have those things, the world can’t be that bad a place.

What was your first memory? Walking with my mother and her telling me not to run, so I did of course and fell on the sidewalk. We went home to clean the gravel out of my hands, but my skin healed up so fast that I still have a tiny pebble in my palm.

Can you describe the best thing you saw on your last walk? The sun sparkling on the water. Think it’s the best thing every time.

What are five things that would happen in the perfect day of work for you? 1) Have a design break-through 2) See one of my a newly developed products for the first time and love it 3) Get a big check 4) Get a big order 5) Enjoy the community of artists in my work space.

Can you describe the best pair of shoes you've ever owned? Yes, I can. I would have to choose a pair of black Maraolo wing tips I bought in Florence, Italy in 1990. I bought a lot of shoes that year in Florence, but those were the best!

What are you doing this weekend? Teaching my Jewelry and Metals class at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, and learning how to silk screen at the AS220 print shop!

He's going to be a dad.

2011-10-11T10:40:00.000-04:00

When photographer, Tom Robinson told family and friends that he and his wife were expecting their first baby, he had a camera in hand to quickly record their reactions. He promises none of these are staged. To read the entire interview and see more pics go here. I have to say his wife's video playing brothers have to be my favorite.

Fall Sparkle

2011-09-28T11:35:00.000-04:00

The new fall catalogue for Swarovski Touchstone Crystal is out. We shot at my friend, Rip Irving's beautiful home in Newport with styling by Joji Goto and photos by Sandy and Rick of Hornick Rivlin. Some of the stones in the new line are montana blue, aquamarine, smoked topaz and olivine.

Jo Metson Scott and her woodland mysteries

2011-09-27T11:06:00.000-04:00

For the last few days my backyard has been filled with the most magical mist. All of summer's last blooms have been tiny zings of color emerging from gray transparent overlays. It seems we only get to see this get this kind of beauty when the weather shifts happen. The collision of warm and cool. I recently came across Jo Metson Scott's series of photos that take advantage of these fragile moments in nature. To fall in love with more of her work you can got here. And don't miss her cover for the NY Times here.

Artist Christopher Astley Concretes Beauty

2011-09-22T10:33:00.000-04:00

Christopher Astley's work is a new discovery for me. I'm smitten with his sculptures and painted drawings. Working with wet bags of cement, bursting at the seams and an unusual matte palette, Christopher finds a way to create sculptures that are delicately sturdy. His color combinations of industrial basic and soft muted hues are beautiful and a little unsettling in just the way I love.

Going for a Double Wide Studio

2011-09-20T15:40:00.000-04:00

I've loved the painting studio I've been in at the Fall River mill on the Swansea River with my pals at Roseberry-Winn Pottery and Beehive Kitchenware. But a space 2x's the size has opened up and Paul and I are setting up a large, shared studio to make our art in. Here are some pictures Paul shot of my latest work and space. So excited about our next adventure together and I'll keep you posted on the progress.

Scarfing

2011-09-14T11:16:00.000-04:00

I do a weird little virgo ritual every fall. I take out all my scarves and press them. My birthday is late August and one of my dearest of dears, Pat, always slips a few vintage scarves into the pile of presents she showers on me. Her silky gifts always get me excited for the change of season. I like to sort them by color and maybe edit a bit, but really, why throw out one of those lovelies? They barely take up any space. I carefully press each one, enjoying the pattern and palette the designer carefully put together. It's like washing that special china or crystal around the holidays. The dishwasher is a no-no with vintage tableware, so loving each one clean is another way of enjoying them. Below are some Fall dresses by designers just as in love with scarves as I am.
Source- mytheresa.com Designers- Dries Van Noten, Pucci, Missoni, Anna Sui, Etro, Pucci, Etro

Design Sponge at Home Arrives

2011-09-12T18:12:00.000-04:00

And we're particularly fond of the spread on pages 64-65. It was two years ago, this past August that we were a sneak peek on Grace Bonney's Design Sponge blog. It happened because my dear friend Michael kept suggesting I show my converted church to his friend, Amy who had just landed a dream job at DS. Grace including us in the book is such an honor (and still doesn't seem real). The little design tome is chock full of inspiration, beautiful homes and stories about peeps like you and I who want to make their home reflect who they are. Grace is doing a book tour, which of course is like no other, includes fun crafting projects in every city she's visiting. To get the full scoop on the tour and purchasing of the book, you can go here. I'll be at the Boston event Wednesday night, at West Elm on Brookline with a small wheelbarrow full of books for her to sign.

Paolo Roversi, Painterly Portraits in Film

2011-09-07T10:36:00.000-04:00

As we move into Autumn, some beauties to

fall in love with by Paolo Roversi for Vogue Italia.

Shoebox Dreams

2011-08-31T07:29:00.000-04:00

Very often when someone learns I live in a church, they get this sweet smitten expression, sigh and dreamily say "I have always wanted to live in a church, no really I have. It's been a life long dream". It's funny to be on the flip side of someone's dream... the grass is always greener part. The OMG heating part, the raked floor part, the ancient unholy septic system part, and of course the part when the odd visitor stops by to see if Jesus is home. I am so blessed to have this place for the wonderful parties, projects possibilities and a place my grandson literally roller skates around the dining room table and no one notices. But what do I dream about right now? I find my mind keeps wandering to tiny places. Little shoe box houses, that have just enough drawers, tiny gardens to weed, small piles of wood to stack, and edited, well thought out closets. Can you almost see the smitten smile I'm wearing? O.K. and maybe a nice big studio next to it would be pretty dreamy too. Some other folks thinking and talking about it-

Small Farm Life, Small House Style, The Tiny Life, Shipping Container Houses, and Tumbleweed Tiny House Company.

Scott Waterman

2011-08-25T09:42:00.001-04:00

I recently came across the most amazing children's play room mural by Scott Waterman. It's his tribute to Oscar Schlemmer, the muralist that headed the mural and sculpture departments at Bauhaus. Scott's jaw dropping work can be followed on his blog, Corbu's Cave. Most of his postings give great detail of his process from concept to finished photos. Check him out.

Pinterest Obsession

2011-08-11T08:52:00.000-04:00

So my dear friend Sandy at Beehive Kitchenware happened to confess a month ago she was into this thing called "Pinterest" An online way to keep track of visual inspirations with a community slant. She said this in a half whisper and a giggle. She couldn't stop. Always a good sign. It's actually turned into a nice way to share and clarify some ideas with clients and creative partners. There's now a button on my blog to get you there and see what I've been pinning. Don't say I didn't warn you. Here are a few recent pins from my color inspiration board-

geometric print by melanie mikecz found on etsy

from the brilliant Roanne Robbins' Honeyfield Flowers

lovely makes me moan a little color study by Courtney Price

Edward Steichen photo

a little Red, some Blue and a lot of White

2011-08-09T10:57:00.000-04:00

I love wearing it. Playing with it. Sitting in it. Lying in it. And for some reason the combination of a little red, some blue and mostly white makes me happy and an 8 year old again. Some recent finds that show variations on that color theme to lower the August temp for you. Yay! Off to my painting studio for a few hours. Talk soon.

Lovely etsy find from folieAdeuxVintage

I adore this sweet etsy find from BohemianBisoux who really

knows how display and prop her treasures

Paddles handpainted with semaphore designs from Contact Voyaging

Dang wish i'd thought of that one.

If you can't afford the mattress from the Swedish company, Hastens

you could spring for this beautiful hammock they now produce.

I could definitely spend an August weekend with John and Juli Baker at their cabin.

They are the owners of Mjolk in Toronto

And these Hubert Zimmermann's Ornabo Blocks for sophisticated play.

They can be found (on sale) at fawn and forest

Andrew Bush Envelope Photos

2011-08-06T20:58:00.000-04:00

Why are these so compelling? I. Want. To. Open. Them. Such possibilities. Mysterious windows, door, portals, gates. Seems like these are begging for a writer to take notice. To see many many more (i couldn't stop) you can go to Andrew's collection here.

Teacups for Tealeaves Only

2011-08-04T09:38:00.000-04:00

Paper teacups by the wonderful Ann Wood. She has a pattern you can download to make your very own paper treasures. She'd also love to have you post your results here. I love it that artists love to share. To find her post you can go here.

Sunflower Crop

2011-08-02T09:00:00.000-04:00

Raised beds + seaweed + this year's weather = amazing in my backyard.

Insomnia Art

2011-07-29T12:21:00.000-04:00

I've found an app, Finger Sketch for the ipad that has been fun to draw with. All of these were done during a few hot sleepless nights lately. Moonlit gardens.

Rosemarie Fiore Draws with Fireworks

2011-07-26T19:52:00.000-04:00

Lit firework residue on fabriano paper. Crazy beautiful.

Crocheted Fences and Yarn Bombing

2011-07-26T10:36:00.000-04:00

Did it begin with Sagmeister and his statement fences? The Dutch Design House Demakersvan? Or have some chics in Oakland and Vancouver been at it all along? Whoever got this wonderful ball of yarn rolling, don't stop. Check out the book and site Yarn Bombing for a lovely collection and up to date bombings.

Karen Ruane's Lovely White Work

2011-07-25T11:15:00.000-04:00

With the heat wave we've been having on the east coast, my eyes keep craving and landing on white. And Karen Ruane's work is one of the loveliest collections of white I've seen lately. Using traditional embroidery and stitching methods, she combines paper, cloth and thread into some wonderful compositions and constructions. Her etsy site is called ContemporaryStitches and is here You can find lots of up close up beauty on her flickr site here. I can image so many fabulous garments inspired by her buttons alone.
Here are her responses to the questions I like to ask artists-
What inspires you lately?
I am constantly inspired by patterns and techniques associated with vintage domestic linen. Lace like my grandmother would have owned, blankets, table linens and other domestic cloth. These for me provide a link to my female predecessors and inform who I am and what I create.
What was your first memory?
My first memory is from when I was around 2 1/2 years old, being woken in the night by a baby crying. I later learnt that my little brother had been born in the night.
Can you describe the best thing you saw on your last walk?
I am not much of a walker as such when it comes to the countryside anyway. I do however walk what seems like miles around exhibitions and the last time I did this, about 10 days ago, I saw amazing, creative and refreshing work from New Graduates at New Designers in London. There is so much talent out there and the promise of more to come.
What are the five things that would make a perfect day of work?
In my dreams....I would wake to an inbox full of orders. I would have the house completely to myself for a full 24 hours. The house would be spotless meaning I didn't have to satisfy my compulsion to clean. I would not have to cook for anyone at all and those four things would allow me to complete the fifth which would be a whole day of sewing without interruption.
Can you describe the best pair of shoes you have ever owned?
Would it surprise you to know that I do not own a single pair of shoes? I am sure I have in the past but can I please substitute that for boots? I have a pair of black Ecco boots that are so soft my feet hurt without them. They lace up the front, just like a corset. They have been to San Francisco, New York, Sweden...everywhere I go, they go.....
What are you doing this weekend?
This weekend I may have my dream of having the house completely to myself...I shall embroider, I shall stitch, I will be in heaven.

Pics of Trafford's Restaurant on Warren's Waterfront

2011-07-16T13:39:00.000-04:00

Here are some views of the new restaurant I designed in Warren RI. The art on the walls is by both Paul and I. There's a complete set to cruise on my flickr page here. And I've pasted a few highlights below. Try and get over there this summer if you can. Reserve a table upstairs for the best view and make sure you try Trafford's oysters or his lobster bolo sandwich.

Tuesday's Color Swatch

2011-06-21T09:30:00.000-04:00

Puce
you are the cracked-face doll of the rainbow.
the dissonant hum you kimono wrap us in
has established you dear P, as an outside edger.
never the guest at the birthday parties, mexican fiestas or boat launches,
your porch view through dirty rose colored glasses,
attracts the other orphaned hues, christened baby poo yellow,
dirty tangerine, bondi blue and swamp green.
they are the awkward lambs of junior high school,
their beauty is whispered and nestled in the corners of vintage dance halls.
they know they'll get their turn, content to tap toes
to the more subtle beat that easily emanates from your
tea length gown

painting by Florine Stettheimer

Looking for Submissions

2011-06-21T08:13:00.000-04:00

I recently came across a wonderful project called Dear Photograph. Take a picture from the past in the present. I'm getting together with my coast of Maine cousins this weekend in Nobleboro and may try to create one. I know just the pic if I can find it.

Pssssst... Trafford's is having a soft opening tonight

2011-06-15T14:46:00.000-04:00

Yes, the much awaited (quiet) opening of Traffords happens tonight. Paul and I have been there the last few nights installing over thirty pieces of art and sampling some of the amazing food Trafford has dreamed up for the menu. It really is a spectacular place with three views of the water (upstairs and down), two bars, one on the waterside deck, lots of friendly zippy staff and of course the genius of the Kane family. Bill, Maggie, Trafford, Heather will take the lead with lots of help from part owner, Russ Gaudet and bar manager, Jeanne-Marie Manning. I'm always amazed at how talented the whole family is and all members pitch in. As his dad stained a bench, his uncle installed a bar tv, four year old William handed me a level just when I needed it last night. I promise lots of picks from Paul but if you want the real thing with a great sunset and an incredible bite or two, head over to 285 Water Street in Warren tonight.

Google Doodle Pride

2011-06-13T09:12:00.000-04:00

You may have already had fun with this on Thursday and Friday but I'm a pretty proud mother in-law and need to post anyway. My daughter, Brin's husband, Alex Chen is the very bright man behind the interactive Les Paul Google Doodle everyone's been having fun with. If you haven't tried your rendition of Stairway to Heaven or Zippity Doo Dah you can go to the permanent spot it has here. Strum away, record it, share it with the world.

A great example of Alex and Brin's musical collaboration can be found on his Boy in Static album, Candy Cigarette. Young San Francisco is a song you'll find yourself humming after one listen. The little stars? Alex's niece Maya and my grandson Levi. I think it's only a matter of time before we're all singing Alex's songs as well as playing them.

Big Disappointment at MOMA

2011-05-09T20:26:00.000-04:00

From I Went To MOMA and...

Why the Muse Sometimes Hides

2011-05-08T07:31:00.000-04:00

For Mother's Day Cam, Hill and Levi are stopping by for lunch in the backyard with the chickens and I. Maybe a walk at Destruction Brook Woods, too. Brin and Alex sent me love from Brooklyn with a Tove Jansson book, The True Deceiver. Scandinavia's most beloved childrens book author and illustrator, Tove has actually written more books for adults than children. The wisdom and magic of the Moomintrolls comes through just as elegantly in her novels and short stories for grown ups. Her writings give some of the best insights into nature, art, the artist's place in the world and where creativity comes from. A potent exerpt from "The Spring Tune" part of the Moomin series-
"It's the right evening for a tune, Snufkin thought. A new tune, one part expectation, two parts sadness, and the rest, just the delight of walking alone and liking it. As he settles in to compose, he is disturbed by a small creature, a "creep", which rustles out of the undergrowth, declares its admiration for the famous Snufkin, asks him a lot of questions and demands attention and comfort. Meanwhile, the tune, which until then was forming itself out of the noises of the forest and brook and the slow revelations of the season, disappears. Snufkin has to wait for it to come back".

My Cool Parents

2011-04-27T17:21:00.000-04:00

I couldn't say this as a teenager, but I can now, my parents are pretty cool. Not giving away too much info, they're in their mid to late 70's and have a wonderful adventurous spirit. A good example of this is their latest investment in one of these cute little tear drop campers. Always camping enthusiasts, they bought a "little guy" built by the Amish. It may be hard for them to top the back to nature trips they took my 3 sisters and I on in the woods of Maine in the late 60's with that green leaky canvas tent. The uncool, teen angst filled trips make us middle aged sisters smile now. Here are some other examples of the tear drop found on VW Camper Van blog.

Poem for Monday

2011-04-25T09:04:00.000-04:00

I spent my Easter alone. A day without planned menus, no cooking, cleaning, family visits, and no devices. I spent a good part of it in the backyard with my chickens listening to their distant cousins in the trees. It was a present easier for Paul and our families to give me than one for me to accept for myself. Why do I struggle so much with the idea that being a alone is selfish? I'm always looking for advice to live life as an artist. Here is a beauty that worked wonders for me this weekend.

How to be a Poet
(to remind myself)
-Wendell Berry
1.
Make a place to sit down.
Sit down. Be quiet.
You must depend upon
affection, reading, knowledge,
skill—more of each
than you have—inspiration,
work, growing older, patience,
for patience joins time
to eternity. Any readers
who like your poems,
doubt their judgment.
2.
Breathe with unconditional breath
the unconditioned air.
Shun electric wire.
Communicate slowly. Live
a three-dimensioned life;
stay away from screens.
Stay away from anything
that obscures the place it is in.
There are no unsacred places;
there are only sacred places
and desecrated places.
3.
Accept what comes from silence.
Make the best you can of it.
Of the little words that come
out of the silence, like prayers
prayed back to the one who prays,
make a poem that does not disturb
the silence from which it came.

What I look forward to every year. Photos by Paul Clancy

A new app+my face=silly

2011-04-24T13:35:00.000-04:00

Beautiful Decay

2011-04-08T13:38:00.000-04:00

My sweetheart, Paul Clancy, has new work at the Candita Clayton Studio in RI. The show, Four Thought, is comprised of work by Allison Paschke, Agata Michalowska, and Graham Heffernan. Paul's photos often find the beauty in the natural decay of architecture. Sometimes I can see loss in the beauty and sometimes hope. This particular collection of work has special meaning because his subject was the antique yacht club in Edgewood, RI and the caretakers cottage next door. The cottage was the last house he shared with his children and wife at the time. In February of this year the yacht club was struck by lightening and burned to it's pilings. Paul and I visited soon after and went into the cottage that the yacht club was renovating. It was my first time in this home that meant so much to him and his first time in 8 years. It was humming with volunteer workers and had already been stripped to it's antique lathing. The huge loss of the yacht club caused the group to focus it's efforts on what they could repair, the cottage. The photos are on raised boxes and the sculptures are made from dumpster retrieved lathing. This work, Shaw Avenue Cairns, is Paul's response to the past and present of those structures. I do have a major crush on this man and his art. Here's a link to Greg Cook's article in the Phoenix. He likes Paul's work too.

Spring please?

2011-04-04T14:01:00.000-04:00

Maybe by clicking these beautiful spring heels three times and saying "there's no time like spring" we'll finally see a green leaf or two. Pussy willow slippers by Ani Rapinoja can found here. Make sure you see all her other lovelies made from nature.

The Church Collections

2011-03-27T11:11:00.000-04:00

Yes, it's time. I want less stuff and more room for my art. So I'm sending some of my collections back out in the world for someone else to own and care for. ebay seems so impersonal. I want to know they are going to good homes. I'll post one a week for sale on my blog and FB. So keep your eyes open for... the purse collection, the white vase collection, the little chair collection, the ruby glass collection, one or two or three of the plate collections, yes and some of the hat collection.

Almost Time for Braids

2011-03-17T12:08:00.000-04:00

I've been longing for a lot of warm weather niceties lately. Eating most meals in the backyard, pedicures you can show off and braids. I'm a sucker for braids dangling below ears, twirled on top of the head... one long one down the back. I don't know, can I still pull of braids? I found these wonderful hairdo drawings by artist Lauren Levy. I'd love to see these blown up to a few feet across for a salon. To look at more of Lauren's work you can go to her flickr site here.
First photo is one of Paul's. I've never had the back of my head loved so much. The following are of Lauren's art.

Poem for Monday

2011-03-14T11:51:00.000-04:00

No. 24
-Alyn Carlson
Collage using silkscreened paper, thread and ephemera.

No. 24
-Barbara Schweitzer
Long she had held the image in her head,
able to live shuttered and craven years
because she kept it fueled and safe unsaid,
held near, as far away as unshed tears.
Names written in unfamiliar hands, she
parsed and stored inside as if stolen gems
she might finger in the quiet of sleep,
the one room of dreams she kept clear for him.
While freed prisoners might tell of fierce relief
when cells open and air floats unbound,
for her a straight back chair, an assortment of fruit
became invitation enough for brazen hope
to reposition the earth and uproot
her, graciouslyas socks turned inside out,
giving her back to what she was all about.

No. 24
-Pat Hegnauer
Little time to sit in a kitchen
full of canning, baking, and stewing,
teething baby bawling in her cot.
A cook’s heart must cultivate itself
when gardens want water and weeding.

Victuals are a woman’s overlord
demanding measured concentrations.
The table’s a meadow to be plowed,
planted and gathered three times daily
while tuckered men chew, drink, and smoke.

Art and poetry are from the Ekphrasis show now up at the Hera Gallery.
This show is a joint effort between the Hera and The Origami Poetry Project.
The OPP places free tiny books of poetry throughout RI. It's a wonderful
show where words and pictures come together.

Summer Shoot

2011-03-09T14:29:00.000-05:00

Warm weather is really coming. I just finished art directing a summer supplement for Swarovski's Touchstone Crystal devision. My pals at Hornick Rivlin were my shooting team and the very talented Joji Goto styled us up big time. The focus for this new collection is bright pink, purple and green enameled flowers with Swarovski Crystals set in them. We went with soft neutrals and bright whites for wardrobe and used some of my watercolor out takes for backgrounds. The bold brights with the delicate watercolor palette was a beautiful combination. It should be going to the printer next week. It took a great team to pull off an incredible amount of work in just a few days. Thank you so much to Sandy, Rick, Joji, Steve, Cathy, Laura and Kacie.
Hornick Rivlin Photography
Hair and make by Kacie Corbelle from Ennis
Styling Joji Goto
Touchstone Crystal Jewelry
Our lovely model Laura from Maggie in Boston

Goodbye Kit

2011-03-03T17:35:00.000-05:00

Nice to be back to say hello. I lost a dear cousin a week ago to cancer. Katherine Vinal, or Kit, was my oldest cousin and my Aunt Willa and Uncle Lester's first of eight children. She was magnificent both inside and out. Kit was fearless, compassionate, funny, street smart (she proved it possible for someone from Maine), defender of the underdog, could calm a nervous horse, explain how an owl's digestion track worked, our clan leader, and seemed more goddess than human to us younger cousins trailing behind her. For the last 30 years she lived with her husband Dale, in Fort Fairfield Maine on their sheep farm. She managed a veterinary practice for a doctor where they tended mostly farm animals and many lost and wounded wild animal. Any homeless creature within 60 miles of Kit would somehow find their way to her. Two weeks before she died, barely able to walk she was baking bread. I will miss her wicked sense of humor, compassionate strength and being able to start a conversation right where we left off, years before. When I got the news, I went and told my chickens. This Mary Oliver poem has always seemed to me, to be written for Kit. The image is one of my pastel paintings to see more you can go here.

Making the House Ready for the Lord

-Mary Oliver
Dear Lord, I have swept and I have washed but
   Still nothing is as shining as it should be
for you. Under the sink, for example, is an
uproar of mice—it is the season of their
many children. What shall I do? And under the eaves
   and through the walls the squirrels
have gnawed their ragged entrances—but it is the season
   when they need shelter, so what shall I do? And
the raccoon limps into the kitchen and opens the cupboard
   while the dog snores, the cat hugs the pillow;
what shall I do? Beautiful is the new snow falling
   in the yard and the fox who is staring boldly
up the path, to the door. And still I believe you will
   come, Lord: you will, when I speak to the fox
the sparrow, the lost dog, the shivering sea-goose, know
   that really I am speaking to you whenever I say,
as I do all morning and afternoon: Come in, Come in.

If Pucci and Disney Had a Child

2011-02-25T09:30:00.000-05:00

70's interiors shots by Helmut Newton and Guy Bourdin printed on fabric is the stuff Mary Karantzou Spring collection is made from. Fabulous and outrageous and you know Target's going to try and run with this. Thank you coolechicstylefashion.blogspot.com

Fascinated by Facets

2011-02-23T19:44:00.000-05:00

A few years ago I started layering line drawings on top of my watercolors that were more angular and faceted. What I thought was only my little muse's nudge, apparently has been a universal nudge. Facets are everywhere. For me, the winner of mastering facet rendering, is Carley Waito. These are not photos but oil on Masonite. Makes me wonder where my mom put my rock collection I started in the third grade. Her site and blog are here.

Is Sparkle a Color?

2011-02-22T10:12:00.000-05:00

I'm in heavy layout mode for Swarovski in the next 2 weeks and keeping my eyes peeled for facets, shimmer, high glam, low glam and all that sparkles. I came across this artist who, uhuh, paints in glitter. I'm not one of those magpies that am attracted to every piece of flash, but Jamie Vasta's work made me stop. She does glitter but turns it on it's ear, dresses it up (possible with that medium?) and gives us art that slips onto a wall at the MFA without a hitch. She has a solo show coming up in April at the Patricia Sweetow's gallery in San Fransico. I first heard about Jamie through Meighan O'Toole's wonderful blog My Love for You is Like a Stampede of Horses.

Poem for Monday

2011-02-21T12:01:00.003-05:00

Sweet Darkness

When your eyes are tired

the world is tired also.

When your vision has gone

no part of the world can find you.

Time to go into the dark

where the night has eyes

to recognize its own.

There you can be sure

you are not beyond love.

The dark will be your womb

tonight.

The night will give you a horizon

further than you can see.

You must learn one thing:

the world was made to be free in.

Give up all the other worlds

except the one to which you belong.

Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet

confinement of your aloneness

to learn

anything or anyone

that does not bring you alive

is too small for you.

-David Whyte
Image by Paul Clancy for Mole Hollow Candles

Pinkscapes

2011-02-18T15:20:00.000-05:00

Landscapes from Dongchuan Yunnan, China. Pretty crazy. These images are from Tcyuen on flickr and to view more you can go here.

Ingredients for Great Blogs

2011-02-18T10:42:00.000-05:00

My friend Arley-Rose Torsonne has just started to blog. I've posted about Arley-Rose and her sweetheart Morgan, a power couple I have a talent crush on, a few times. Arley's paid me a nice complement (took me by surprise) that she thought I had a very good handle on the blogging thing. I started to assess what works and doesn't work with my blog, how I can improve it, and what are the ingredients that make a great one. And PLEASE I would love any comments or recommendations at any time that will make colorgirl more enjoyable, informative or dear to you. This is kind of 101 stuff but hey a good reminder, too. Here's my list of ingredients-

OH I GET IT- I want to know right away what this writer is passionate about and who they want to hang out with. Description of who they are is a big tip off. If they were a club what would the name be on the door? Some clubs are more defined then others. No Girls Allowed, The Fisherman's Association or for a broader gathering and my favorite little dive in town The Westport Social Club. And if you're about selling don't be sneaky, get it out there right away. Two great examples of this is Lari Washburns artistswhoblog and Grace with designsponge.
TRANSPARENCY- This one can be tricking and we each have our own threshold of public exposure. But to build a friendship, connection which is what I'm after, a certain level of "hey this is who I am" has to be there. The extreme example of this- the queen of TMI, Heather Armstrong's theduce
AUTO-DIDACTIC- I'm a person who's cobbled an education together. Some part time art school, night classes, absorbing good design by looking at the best, just figuring out what works and doesn't. I appreciate a good search for truth and knowledge on my own terms. The best bloggers are sponges. Out there, and I mean often away from their computers engaging, doing what they love, as well as following leads on the web. Elsa Mora's elsita is one of my favorites for this.
GOOD EDITING- not too much blah blah blah Seth Godin. He's my touchstone for the quick hit, to get me back on track for both my business and my blog. I have preached the gospel of Seth to so many patient friends and clients. He doesn't pussy foot around so be prepared to cry a little. Seth Godin
PLEASE NO BUTT UGLY- Rather than get into the bad examples- a couple of hints... templates do work, stay away from the too muchies- too much color, type variations, backgrounds. Lot a eye assault happening out there. Give us all a break with less is- you know.
4 FOR YOU +1 FOR ME- We all know we start to blog to get the word out about me, me, me. But it's also a lot about finding our peeps and getting the word out about them. Share great how-tos, get some movement going to a new star on flickr, show the world your wish list on etsy. And yes tell us what you're up to. Anna's is a good one to study and she's very generous- annekata
WE'RE IN THE ROOM TOGETHER- Because I'm a digital immigrant, I need to make most of the digital world into metaphor. And a good blog to me should have a tone of not being talked at, but with. I virtually get to have coffee or hang out after work with someone I greatly admire, am not intimated by and I feel wants to listen to what I have to say. A seeker rather than a soapbox barker. Always had a talent crush on one of the masters in my industry, Ernie Schenck. And funny thing, the first person who informed me of what blogging was in the first place. Check him out here.

Brindalyn's Performance Inside a Whale

2011-02-17T09:32:00.000-05:00

Brin Webster's project MASS VENTRILOQUISM, performed at Göteborg’s Natural History Museum in Sweden, beautifully draws our attention to the connection between Jackie Kennedy, public service and (here's the best part) a taxidermied whale. The well appointed salon inside Carolina the antique whale, was the setting for this staged reading by 15 Swedish women who interact with the public daily. The video, available on Brin's website here, gives us a rare intimate peek inside and the history of this quirky extremely large object that is now only open to the public once a year, on voting day. Be sure and listen to the footnotes at the end of the piece. They tie all of these seemingly unrelated topics together and at the same moment give you a new admiration for two first ladies, public servants, our right to vote and the world's largest mammal. pssssssssssst...in all fairness for those readers who don't know, Brin is my youngest daughter, an amazing artist, writer, listener, and pickler.

James Turrell Makes Art with Sky

2011-02-16T20:44:00.000-05:00

A remarkable by product of art is our connecting with the rest of the world. "If I love Mozart and you love Mozart, it's likely we won't try and kill each other" my badly paraphrased quote from Milton Glaser. I think that's what James Turrell's work does for anyone who sits in front of, beside or beneath it. A man with more tenacity than most of us, Turell has for the last 30 years been transforming an extinct volcano into a celestial observatory. Taught meditation and the search for inward light by his Quaker grandmother as a small child, his fascination with the phenomena of light is driven by the search for mankind’s place in the universe. If you can't make it to his crater for some introspective time, I'd like to suggest your local Quaker meeting house. For some reason I usually reap the benefits of a Sunday meeting on Tuesdays. Sitting in a silent meeting with a small group of strangers for about an hour is a powerful thing. Below are some images of Turell's work and to read more on him you can go here. He's also included in the PBS series, available on netflix or Hulu called Art in the 21st Century.

Origami Meditation

2011-02-15T10:01:00.000-05:00

I have a friend, going through a pretty rough time right now. Some frightening health issues have made a lot his friends, many artists, want to do something. So we've started secretly folding origami cranes for him. The japanese tradition of folding 1000 cranes as a gift, Senbazu, is often done for a couple to be married, or a wellness wish for someone sick. What we're all finding, that after we finally get the folding down, the repetition has become addictive. We're texting each other results from obsessed lunch hour folding sessions. I find myself during stressful moments thinking, maybe I'll just fold for twenty minutes. The big number, the results we need, fades to the background and getting lost in the rhythmic moments brings a calm. Meditation. The irony is, my friend's illness is bringing so much of us gratitude for what we have, for having him as an exceptional friend, and now a peace through origami. It's a secret mission, a surprise, maybe for his birthday or just a day in the near future he may need 1000 little reminders of how we feel about him. In the meantime, my elbows are a little sore, the arthritis in my right thumb is flaring but I keep knowing he's going to be ok.

My friend, Alison Bruun, who often refers to herself as an art elf, is patiently teaching all of us how to fold. An amazing paper and metals artist in her own right, she can get a little extreme when she takes on a project. She's been seeing how tiny a crane she can fold. Yes, that is a regular size penny and Alison's finger. Photos thanks to Jason at Rag and Bone Bindery.

Love Poem for Monday

2011-02-14T12:27:00.000-05:00

Self love, the most difficult love affair to have, seems to be where all love needs to begin. But we run so fast from it. Galway Kinnell's poem, St Francis and The Sow softens me to the idea every time I read it. Wouldn't it be remarkable if we didn't need to reteach ourselves our loveliness? Photo from one of the best journeys to self love ever made, Babe.
Saint Francis and the Sow
The bud
stands for all things,
even for those things that don't flower,
for everything flowers, from within, of self-blessing;
though sometimes it is necessary
to reteach a thing its loveliness,
to put a hand on its brow
of the flower
and retell it in words and in touch
it is lovely
until it flowers again from within, of self-blessing;
as Saint Francis
put his hand on the creased forehead
of the sow, and told her in words and in touch
blessings of earth on the sow, and the sow
began remembering all down her thick length,
from the earthen snout all the way
through the fodder and slops to the spiritual curl of the tail,
from the hard spininess spiked out from the spine
down through the great broken heart
to the sheer blue milken dreaminess spurting and shuddering
from the fourteen teats into the fourteen mouths sucking and
blowing beneath them: the long, perfect loveliness of sow.
-Galway Kinnell

I Heart Green on Friday

2011-02-11T10:23:00.000-05:00

pssst... I know I tell everyone I love all colors equally but green and I definitely have a special relationship. Green with green with green I can't get enough of. The clay artist Meredith Dittmar knows how to make a whole lot of greens hum together.

I Heart Green on Thursday

2011-02-10T15:38:00.000-05:00

Bakelite. Don't get me started. Especially chunky, carved, dangling, warming, fragrant, lickable, seductive green bakelite. Even bakelite wanna-bees, I am in love. Some choice finds on etsy.

To steal these right out from under me go to banginbangles for the carved bracelet, buttons can be found at baklijewels here, that maple box here, get the bakelite look chain from ivorymorgan here, and it will hurt but the carved green onyx bracelet you can get from janeleven here.

Nature Contained in a Book

2011-02-09T13:28:00.000-05:00

My friend, Roanne Robbins is a wonderful force of nature, with mother nature's sometimes overlooked lovelies. She can take the lowliest twigs, bit of moss, whisper of shard and make an arrangement that will stop you, draw you closer, and catch your breathe. Ro does it all very casually with a little yeah, whatever twinkle. I love walking around my yard or any little patch of green with her. The trickle of information and inspiring possibilities she shares is genius. And I very rarely throw the overused "G" word around. She's written a book with Sara Begg Townsend for Storey Press that guides you through 4 seasons of container gardening. Beautifully executed, with photos by John Gruen, the book gives practical information that is a starting point for your own creativity. I keep sneaking peeks inside to remind myself Spring will come again and there's still a lot of beauty to be found outside my frozen door step. For more Roanne inspiration go to her blog, Nature Contained here.

Seduce Me

2011-02-08T11:23:00.000-05:00

For weeks prior, I always anticipate Valentines day with lots of romantic, sweet possibilities. Then all of a sudden it's here. Yikes do I have enough candy hearts to spell out exactly how much I love my sweetheart? Maybe not completely, but what it really comes down to is stopping and looking at each other and acknowledging he or she still makes the knees wobble. I am a sap, the whole falling in love and chemical attraction thing fills me with wonder and actually cracks me up. How do we go toward one person and not the other? Guess it is a lot of science. Or smelling they tell us. I've become totally addicted to Isabella Rossellini's Green Porno on the Sundance Chanel. If you haven't seen the series, sit with your valentine and giggle through these little shorts on how animal's mate. But be prepared, even though the sets and costumes are fabulously kitchy, and have child's play quality, there are A LOT of penises. And some shocking facts about how animals and bugs make love. Isabella writes and performs and the talented Andy Byers created the sets, costumes and wrote the score. I am green with envy, I would have loved to have done all of it. To see the whole collection you can go here.

Mr. Mole's Coming Out Party

2011-01-27T15:41:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty proud of the work that's gone into this new site for my client, Mole Hollow Candles. A great trusting client, very talented friends, and of course a boyfriend who knows how to point and shoot, even in the dark. The transformation started 2 years ago for the logo, package design, product photography, lifestyle photography and today the switch was flipped for the new website. My friends do look beautiful sitting around a table by candle light, especially these candles.

Arley-Rose Sees Letters Everywhere

2011-01-25T11:32:00.000-05:00

My friend, Arley-Rose Torsone is a monster graphic designer, font maker, sign painter, letterpress printer, musician, and fine artist. She took a little jewelry making class at Penland last summer. As all her classmates lost themselves in earring findings and brooch clasps, Arley went nuts scrounging for scrap metal and banging it into letter form sculptures. Starting this Thursday night, January 27, these magnificent alphabet wonders can be seen at Craftland in Providence, along with many other pieces of Arley's art. I guarantee they will make you smile and look at letters in a new way. Arley has a twinkle in almost everything she does and has the following to say about her work-
"The thing I like about type is that each letter is like a person. They each have their own quirky way of existing, and yet they still seem to function properly. I like the way they fit and flirt with each other like capoeira dancers... or sometimes stand next to each other like strangers waiting in line at the DMV. I like to explore the wild world of type through letterpress, drawing, painting, digital type design and three-dimensional sculpture."
Opening reception January 27th, 5-8 pm and will run through February 26. For more info go here.

Evil Quilt Studio

2011-01-21T12:11:00.000-05:00

Yes, you did read that correctly. While researching the quilt making world I came across quilter Boo Davis, who has an attitude for design and color I love. She's an art director for Seattle Weekly, does illustration and Ozzy is her man. Her company is Quiltsryche, and Boo says she likes to make heirloom quilts just like your metal-loving, half-blind Grandma would. Here's where you can find her. Those art directors like to stay busy.

Emergency Clown Nose

2011-01-20T12:54:00.000-05:00

It works. I meant to include this in yesterday's posting. Found it in the fabulous Curatorium on Wickenden Street in Providence. If you aren't close (believe me it's worth the drive) it can also be found online here.

The Red Cardinal in the Backyard

2011-01-19T11:01:00.000-05:00

One tiny red pillow in a living room. A dash of paprika. One red word on a page. The red cardinal in the January backyard. The potency of red. It's usually what I throw into a painting or layout when I'm struggling. It's the exclamation mark that very often moves me forward. So often when I'm trying to find the answer I get worn out and that's exactly when I need to shout. Sometimes just a small scream is all that's needed. Here are some lovely little shouts- Bracelet by Pia Wallen, Shoes by Asa Westlund, Red Geraniums by Andrew Wyeth and Emergency Clown Nose by Rosie Cole and Lloyd Brant.

Throat clearing at my new studio

2011-01-18T07:36:00.001-05:00

I just started working in my new painting studio. Trying to make it a daily practice to get in there. To keep a rhythm going with whatever it is that's starting to pop up. The beginning is always the hardest for me. The fluorescent lights have gotta go but I love the neighborhood. Roseberry Winn Pottery, Jenna Goldberg, Beehive Kitchenware are a few peeps down the hall. The work for Trafford Restaurant is beginning again and here are the early attempts to bring together a few ideas. Not sure where it's going, but that's always the best way, yes?

Poem for Monday

2011-01-17T14:46:00.000-05:00

White Over Red by Mark Rothco

I Wrote A Good Omelet
-Nikki Giovanni

 I wrote a good omelet...and ate a hot poem...
 after loving you

 Buttoned my car...and drove my coat home...in the
      rain...
 after loving you

 I goed on red...and stopped on green....floating
      somewhere in between...
 being here and being there...
 after loving you

 I rolled my bed...turned down my hair...slightly
      confused but...I don't care...
 Laid out my teeth...and gargled my gown...then I stood
      ...and laid me down...
 to sleep...
 after loving you

Sabbath Day Sans Technology

2011-01-14T11:14:00.000-05:00

I've been experiencing a piggy high with some new technology. A new Kindle for Christmas, iphone, ipad, and I hate to, but I have to buy a new computer. So I'm researching all my options for that fat purchase. Understand I don't embrace technology quickly. It makes my brain itch to try and master it, in any way. But because "mastering" just got a whole lot easier for me, I've gone way too deep into screen time. And I miss my peeps. And walks. And baking a pie. And playing with paper. And watching pigment dissolve in water I spread on paper. And how about silence? So I'm making Sabbath day, actually that. Rest from the screens. Ernie Schenck wrote a great article in Communication Arts magazine on how technology is effecting our creativity. Really recommend you check it out, here. So this week, I looked at the beautiful emptiness of white so it makes perfect sense for those screens to go black this Sunday. Want to try it? Let me know how you make out.
The lovely image is from Kristy Hall's photostream on flickr here.

Community Print Shop Opening

2011-01-13T12:37:00.000-05:00

Ever dream of learning how to make your own letterpress business cards? Or create a series of silk screened posters Paul Rand would give the thumbs up to? Oooo, oooo I know, wallpaper for your bedroom that will make you wake up smiling? If you're lucky to live near Providence now you can, at the incredibly well appointed and affordable AS220 community print shop. Morgan Calderini, a RISD grad, balloonist and Vista volunteer, is the resourceful, talented and tenacious artist that conceived and brought the shop to fruition. Morgan and her team of tireless volunteers, have been working their tales off and tonight is the grand opening party in AS220's newly renovated Mercantile building from 6-8. For details on classes, schedules and what you'll see tonight go to their site here.

Images are from the top, Morgan Calderini, some of the print shop members, a recent installation of Morgan's and a sample of letterpress designed By Arley-Rose Torsone printed at the print shop.

Fifty Five Second Mile in the Snow

2011-01-12T11:24:00.002-05:00

I was able to feed the girls this morning during the eye of the storm. Marilyn, my white Langshan is molting this week and there was a fresh crop of white feathers to greet me when I opened the door. Film by Paul from our studio.

Tuesday's Color Swatch

2011-01-11T08:19:00.000-05:00

Image from Rebecca Tabor Armstrong found here.

White
You were in the beginning.
The word, the big bang, the goddess.
But do you bloom on the
side of the mountain if there is no witness?
Are dogs the only creatures that hear your voice?
It does frighten me that you don't emit pheromones.
But some how I am attracted to you.
I wasn't at first.
You pissed me off.
You didn't have anything to say.
So not in touch with your emotions.
You were such a snob at the gallery opening.
Not one word to me.
Then I watched you work the room.
Cinabar Green Deep came out of his shell.
Naples and Mars Yellow each had epiphanies.
Permanent Yellow Green finally cooled his engines.
Mauve actually let her hair down.
And it was so cute to see tiny dab of Cerulean get chatty with you.
I apologize. I took your silence for judgement.
We're in this together, aren't we?
I can choose the open or closed door.
So now as I sit here, close my eyes,
there you are with all the possibilities.

Poem for Monday

2011-01-10T12:53:00.000-05:00

White
-Pablo Neruda
Poetry is white:
it comes from the water covered with drops,
it wrinkles and piles up,
the skin of this planet must be stretched,
the sea of its whiteness must be ironed,
and the hands move and move,
the holy surfaces are smoothed out,
and that is how things are made:
hands make the world each day,
fire becomes one with steel,
linen, canvas, and cotton arrive
from the combat of the laundries,
and out of light a dove is born:
chastity returns from the foam.
-translation by Stephen Mitchell
The images can be found on the incredibly talented Ann Wood's flickr page. Her work and studio are a wonderful indication of how she navigates the laundry Neruda speaks of. Her blog and store are here.

Have I told you about my son?

2011-01-07T12:36:00.000-05:00

Get ready. Shameless bragging about my son, Cameron. Mothers know the brilliant talent before anyone else sees it. Cam was making special contraptions, tinkering with gizmos, designing special draw bridges and ramps and boardwalks for his lizards, rabbits and cats before ten. Precisely drafting what he was going to make, the map to make it, then every tool needed for the plan. Somewhere around eleven or twelve Cam overtook me. Knew where design pitfalls were and what materials wouldn't work when it came to planning and building a "thing". Completely autodidactic, he's really shy and handsome, but humble, and loves to make crazy christmas toys for his cats. Hey, I said shameless. His new website created by his little sis and her Alex.

Poem for Monday

2011-01-03T09:35:00.000-05:00

This weekend I officially set up my new painting studio. First time I've had a space dedicated to just painting. It measures 18' x 32' and makes me giggle and become terrified almost at the same time. Alone can be a biggy for me. It can take me for ever to get there but once I do... well you know the magic. Robert Bly often speaks of conversations with the soul. I'm looking forward to a lot of chats with mine in my new space.

Conversation With The Soul
-Robert Bly

The soul said, "Give me something to look at."
So I gave her a farm. She said,
"It's too large." So I gave her a field.
The two of us sat down.

Sometimes I would fall in love with a lake
Or a pinecone. But I liked her
Most. She knew it.
"Keep writing," she said.

So I did. Each time the new snow fell,
We would be married again.
The holy dead sat down by our bed.
This went on for years.

"This field is getting too small," she said.
"Don't you know anyone else
To fall in love with?"
What would you have said to Her?

Images by Eric Fischer via his flickr account.

These images he creates mapping geo tagged photos from around the world.