Stare with your ears

Poet and voice over artist, Ken Nordine, the bridge between the beatniks and jazz poets, was asked in the early 60s to create a series of radio commercials for Fuller Paints in San Francisco. They told him "Do whatever you want just mention our name" Nordine would begin each commercial with an invitation, "The Fuller Paint Company invites you to stare with your ears at yellow (or blue, green, magenta...) He would then recite a stream-of-consciousness piece that would often make the listener forget it was a commercial, coming under the spell of the anthropomorphic qualities of a particular color. A rare thing happens when a client trusts you that much. It's when an artist, designer, craftsperson does their very best commercial assignments.
The vinyl album can still be purchased and there are countless animated attempts of visually articulating his poetry on You Tube. I prefer leaving it up to the listener to "stare with their ears". Nordine went on to create dozens of these riffs on color and as a visual artist and performer, I can't tell you how green with envy I am. To give yellow, one of my favorites, a try you can go here.

William Miller "Ruined Polaroids"

William Miller and his light leaking, photo warping Polaroid SX-70. Exquisite mistakes. Could look at these for hours. Via Alpines blog.

A GIFT

I spent a long day at the computer yesterday working on a casting project for a print photographer. I do real peeps casting occasionally and I love it but it's a lot of intense searching on Facebook, getting in touch with a lot of friends, (too briefly) and compiling everyone's schedule, height, sizes and addresses in a concise way. Admin overload. I was a tiny bit weepy because I missed my paintings so much and lots of family and friend stuff is making it look like painting is unlikely on Sunday. Then I got this gift. Sun was going down through the trees, shadows playing on my painting prints posted on the office wall, birds settling in, peepers coming out and Paul playing around on the flute. I watched this little dream play it's few minutes out, then shut off my computer and walked out the back door barefoot onto the lawn. Done for the day.

Fresh Landscapes

I've been working on some more abstract landscapes. These are still in progress, using oil bars and poppy seed oil paints. Big inspiration in the backyard from peonies, new baby RI red chicks and spring rain that turns everything bright and pink and acid green. Can you tell Helen Frankenthaler has been an inspiration lately?

New Oil Paintings

I've started to find a way to get my new oil paintings to have the same feel as my watercolors. I do love my poppyseed oil paints. No odor. 

Airial Nudes

John Crawford is an Auckland based photographer who gives us nudes from another perspective. Where's that lupe when you need it?

More and more spring please

It seems like it all comes in one afternoon. Spring. The tiny pinks, pops of yellow, itsy blues, sprays of acid greens. And the smells. Because the daffodils are on the early side, the yellow they trumpet is the smell of new spring air. There's a little meadow of daffodils (thousands and thousands) with young sapling trees and wood mulch paths open to the public for Daffodil month in Dartmouth MA. Bit of a secret and feels a little like a chapel when you go. People talk in hushed voices, walk slowly with reverence, rejoice it's finally here. It's Parsons Reserve and worth the drive, walk up a hill and through the woods. More info here. Thank you farmer Parsons.

Up close in Parsons field via flickr by Adam Salisbury

Painter Lulie Wallace found here

Centerpiece inspiration by Bridal Banter

Some New Jewel Tone Quilts

I just completed quilts for two friends with birthdays days a part. I had some vivid jewel tone scraps, enough to make a scattered vertical design on one and a horizontal on the other. Pat, Gayle, Barbara and I celebrate each of our birthdays together. 3 writers who shower me with poems and they still seem happy and surprised when they get color from me.

Collar It

I've been noticing the fun designers have been having with detachable collars this spring. Having held onto a small vintage collection since I was a teenager, it's nice to see them as an easy way to alter a simple dress or top.  Here are some beauties I've posted on one of my Pinterest boards.

From Louis Vuitton Spring 2012 Collection

Hammered metal via this etsy site.

Cloth beauty from etsy here.

A cute DIY version from here.

From FreePeople

Gaga over Sophie's Dada

Sophie Taeuber-Arp (1989-1943) was a swiss artist who bridged the Dada and Constructivist movements. An early socially-committed feminist, she taught weaving and textiles at the Zurich School of Arts and Crafts, and expressed herself in painting, dance, tapestry, drawing, embroidery, furniture and interior design, photography, architecture, set design and puppet-making, all with equal intensity. To read more on this fabulous woman you can go here.