Andrew Bush Envelope Photos

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.

Mr. Stripey and Juicy Love

It's almost time for Mr. Stripey and Juicy Love, Black Krim, Cherokee Chocolate, and Julia Child. A basketful of Homer Fike's Yellow Oxheart with a few a Believe It or Nots thrown in. A plate of sliced Crazys, some Glory of Modova with one or two Marianna's Peace. But make sure you leave room for one of my favorites, the Mortgage Lifter.

Photos of Walker's Stand in Tiverton, Rhode Island by Paul Clancy

Smoke and Pickles

So happy with the wonderful posting on Design Sponge today for my friend Dan George, of Smoke and Pickles Catering. Kristina Gill really got Dan and what he's all about. If you haven't been lucky enough to taste his incredible and unusual combination of fresh, local, smokey and pickled, here's a recipe you can try yourself. Paul and I had a wonderful time with Dan and Chris shooting in their backyard for the posting. To make your mouth water more and for a nice walk around my neighborhood you can check out Dan's site here. He'll be hauling his smoker over to my back meadow in July for my youngest daughter's wedding. OMG. Can't wait.

Photo- Paul Clancy

Poem for Monday

I had a wonderful start to today. And Monday's don't usually feel so good. Most of today was the river I've been trying to stay on. Letting it all come to me, receiving what I'm given. Early evening has been a different story. When anxiety starts I know Mary Oliver is the right person to listen to. This is what I found in her collection entitled Dream Work. Thank you Mary. You manage to start such peaceful revolutions in me. And of course Paul's image of the Providence Police Station demolition fits so beautifully.

The Journey

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice --
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do --
determined to save
the only life you could save.

~ Mary Oliver ~

Photo by Paul Clancy

Hello Grass

I finally did my first mow this past weekend. I had a foggy memory of that first spring lawn mower power but you're never prepared. My chickens were drunk on the greeness of it all.They've worked so hard in the last month fertilizing it. wooohooo. I couldn't stop staring at the acid mouth watering verdant lush sweep. It isn't really green till you mow it. Levi and I mowed a path to the back meadow and we just had to do some skipping on the way back from the compost. ahhh... green has arrived. Go ahead get those toes on some soft tangy blades. You know you want to.

Image from evanlevine's flickr photostream

I think women (and men) like to photograph their feet

Nothing like the first time in spring when those pretty toes get to be exposed to sun and grass and soil. Gotta get the boots, the shoes, the socks off ASAP. thank you flickr pals- No.1- Benedyct Antifer, No. 2 Edri Ana, No. 3 Kate_Elizabeth,  No. 4 Psycherika, No. 5 Robarye, No. 6 Owlbookdreams, No. 7 jamelah, and the last is from kadiwow.

Rumi for Monday

Today, Like Every Other Day

-Rumi

Today, like every other day, we wake up empty

and frightened. Don't open the door to the study

and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.

Let the beauty we love be what we do.

There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

-Translated by Coleman Barks
-Photo by Paul Clancy for Smoke and Pickles

Graffiti Surprise in 100 Years

"An artist is always alone - if he is an artist. No, what the artist needs is loneliness"-Henry Miller 
My sweetheart, Paul, is one of three photographers asked by AS220 to respond to and interpret the renovation of the Mercantile Building on Weybosset Street in Providence, RI. The last building AS220 transformed, the Dreyfus Hotel, now houses their admin offices, printshop, gallery and the restaurant Local 121. Describing The Dreyfus, a huge body of work by Paul Clancy, David Ellis, Erik Gould, Scott Lapham, Susan Mobley and the students of Photo Memory, was presented in the fall of 2007 and wonderfully represented the range of talent and vision of these artists. Many great discoveries and stories of past lives of the building came to the surface while these artist recorded the building being dismantled and brought to life again. Now it's the Mercantiles' turn and I've gotten to tag along a few times while Paul has shot there. One warm day last fall I  brought with me a big bag of drawing materials. The walls are large and were coming down so I thought it would be fun to use some large charcoal. Grandma does graffiti. What I found worked well were some charred logs from my fire pit out back. Why not? That's what the stuff is made from and these walls are big.  It's kind of spooky in there so I also brought with me a tiny oil painting by the founder of the Providence Art Club, self taught artist, George Whitaker. I hung it next to me on the wall while I worked. This tiny landscape is over a hundred years old and speaks to me so much about the difference between being alone and lonely. One of my favorite objects I've ever bought myself. A lovely fact I recently stumbled upon is George Whitaker's studio was in the Mercantile 100 years ago. So as I've watched them bury my drawing under new shiny wall studs I can't help but wonder if someone 100 years from now will discover my work beneath sheet-rock and be as touched by it as I've been by Mr. Whitaker's painting of the tiny figure in the field circled in light. Paul and I have a piece of work entitled Mercantile:Two Part Intervention that will be part of the AS220 show at the CCRI Knight Campus Gallery till March 4th with an opening Feb. 4th.

The little boy who said he hated ribs.

New Site for Smoke and Pickles

New Smoke and Pickles website design to be launched soon.

"I never eaten them but I know I won't like 'em"

-Levi Parker

"How will you know you don't like them unless you try them?"

-Alyn Carlson

A couple of weeks ago I posted some of the photos from the 5 month shoot Paul and I have been doing for our friends at Smoke and Pickles. We had a great time this past rainy weekend shooting the last 4 shots on Dan's front porch. One of them had to describe how roll your eyes delicious the S+P ribs are. With a little help from our diva in training talent, Levi, we were able to capture it. As most incredibly busy 6 year olds, he gave us a small window of opportunity to record his delight in devouring the famous ribs. He came on set announcing he'd never actually eaten the ribs but knew he wouldn't like 'em. After a few test shots, wardrobe primping, extra sauce styling on his fingers, Dan handed him a rib and we waited. It was the classic advertising moment of "Will he like it?" He looked it over carefully, sniffed it, took a huge bite and didn't stop eating till it was gone. Paul and I got the the left overs and reenacted the scene at home.

"Yes! I have found the cure for cocklaphobia!"

-Alyn Carlson

I'm making a fresh batch of paper party hats for a little girl named Lucy. Finding some great stuff in the paper bins. She's turning six and that's the age that pink rules. So cute you just want to bite them. Is it because of the missing teeth? Eight is pretty good too. You know how everyone has an age in their mind they are eternally? Mine is eight. Got red sneakers that summer and I think that's why I can never have enough red shoes. Puts me on my bike, going down the big hill on Viceroy Road, trying not to stare at my new Keds. What my paper hats do to people has been fun to watch. Hats are tricky. Everyone says they look awful in hats. I would say 9 out of 10 people checking mine out, say that to me. Actors are the exception and will plop any hat on. But the average person needs a little coaxing. And they find the paper hats are a little more approachable. Paper hats are without question, not to be taken seriously. They aren't made of felt or fur or wool, stuff that's expensive or more enduring. Mine are ephemeral, come from what is headed for the recycling center. They give all the timid cocklaphobics permission to not take themselves seriously, either. To feel 6 or 7 or 8 again. A relief, don't you think? And all of my paper hats look great with red Keds.

Summer Shoots

Just the tip of the iceberg. These are snapshots of the body of work Paul has shot for Smoke+Pickles and Mole Hollow this summer. Stay posted for the new sites in the works now.