Hi again friend

O.K. It's been awhile. And I'm back. In the last month my show went up and came down,  Paul and I built a magical set and did a lovely video shoot in an antique barn, I finished the design for packaging and web for Mole Hollow Candles, the AS220 signage project is underway (Arley and I found some one to paint much of the design in gold leaf on storefronts!) and now I'm in the middle of a 64 page jewelry catalogue that I can't wait to show you. I'm not complaining just amazed that so many wonderful projects have made their way to and out my door in the last month. But I have missed you.

Here's a little amazement from Mary Oliver-

When death comes
like the hungry bear in autumn;
when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse

to buy me, and snaps the purse shut;
when death comes
like the measle-pox

when death comes
like an iceberg between the shoulder blades,

I want to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering:
what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?

And therefore I look upon everything
as a brotherhood and a sisterhood,
and I look upon time as no more than an idea,
and I consider eternity as another possibility,

and I think of each life as a flower, as common
as a field daisy, and as singular,

and each name a comfortable music in the mouth,
tending, as all music does, toward silence,

and each body a lion of courage, and something
precious to the earth.

When it's over, I want to say all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.

When it's over, I don't want to wonder
if I have made of my life something particular, and real.

I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened,
or full of argument.

I don't want to end up simply having visited this world.

Poem for Monday

Watercolors from my new show at Crowell's Veckatimest Calm (West and East)

September feels like the autumnal version of June. The beginning of the lovely season shift gets us buzzed to do it all. See every friend and share every friend's specialness. This weekend we had a friday cocktail party, a saturday play, three sunday art openings, a brunch to make and my art show to make final preparations for. Sunday morning we decided to just stop instead. The joy of doing nothing. I wouldn't be sharing this poem with you now if I hadn't stolen that lovely nothing. But this Naomi Shihab Nye's poem says it better.

The Art of Disappearing

When they say Don’t I know you?
say no.

When they invite you to the party
remember what parties are like
before answering.
Someone telling you in a loud voice
they once wrote a poem.
Greasy sausage balls on a paper plate.
Then reply.

If they say we should get together
say why?

It’s not that you don’t love them any more.
You’re trying to remember something
too important to forget.
Trees. The monastery bell at twilight.
Tell them you have a new project.
It will never be finished.

When someone recognizes you in a grocery store
nod briefly and become a cabbage.
When someone you haven’t seen in ten years
appears at the door,
don’t start singing him all your new songs.
You will never catch up.

Walk around feeling like a leaf.
Know you could tumble any second.
Then decide what to do with your time. 

Naomi Shihab Nye

The poet reading this poem here

Art Show Opening September 16

My latest collection of abstract watercolors will be shown at Crowell's Gallery in New Bedford, MA September 16 through October 9. If you're nearby, please stop by for the opening reception September 16 from 6-9. Vivipary is what I call this body of work and you can definitely feel the labor pains around here as Kate, Paul and I pull the last bits together for the show. For those of you that have helped grow my list of followers, thank you so much. Great job. I'd love to send out some more free tiny art and you have till the 15th so nudge those online pals. If there is anyone I've missed please let me know. It's easy to loose track with peeps introducing themselves through email, facebook, tweetie birds.

First days of school

I've noticed a lot of us still want to have a little of the starting school flutters. Sneaking in a little purchase of new shoes, or socks for ourselves when September comes around is a sweet indulgence. I find myself craving some sharp pencils and new undies. I missed my grandson's first day of school this year but the following photo montage is from last year and still makes me smile. Watching him slowly go from early morning hatching to butterflies and grins as he steps on the bus gives me flutters. Butterflies just as good, maybe better, than the first day of school kind.

Click here for the whole slide show.

Earl Schmearl

I think the milk and bread industries sponsored Earl. We did get all the lawn furniture and garden tools put away. But he hasn't amounted amount to much so far. This little video by my son-in-law, Alex Chen, captures what Earl did best today. Made some waves and giggles.

Uppercase and Feeling Bookish

Uppercase, the incredible magazine, gallery, book and papergoods store in Calgary just put together an exhibition of over 40 best of book designs sent in from readers entitled Feeling Bookish. The call for submissions was to design a cover that is a self portrait of your life. Uppercase gallery will show the work in their gallery at Art Central, opening tonight. For those of us who have to work tomorrow and can't pull off the drive to Canada, Uppercase is offering their magazine subscribers a peek at the majority of submissions in their upcoming Issue No. 7. Here is the link to their site and to their blog with more info about the show. Below is a winning submissions by Andrea Armstrong who sees herself as Chicken Girl, a title very close to my heart.

Good Bye to an Amazing Talent

As a young art director in the mid eighties, I was very fortunate to hire calligrapher Raphael Boguslav for a lettering project. My brief encounter with him, which included a visit to his studio, an impromptu piano solo, and a lunch he prepared for us from his garden, left a powerful impression on me. His dedication to exploring every possible combination of forms, paper, inks, and pens followed me for the next 25 years and influenced how I have arrived at answers for my own projects. A true renaissance man, Raphael was hit while riding his scooter in Newport recently and died shortly after. Take five minutes to watch the video/interview and I promise you'll be inspired, shown here. Raphael was a dear friend of my friend, Pat Hegnauer, and the clock you see at the end of the video was a gift to her. His site can be found here.

The Color of Candlelight

Paul and I get to work in candlelight again. Mole Hollow Candles has asked us to shoot their product line and packaging design for the new site we're launching this fall. We had so much fun concepting and shooting a series of lifestyle shots for them last year. I feel so lucky when I have a client who trusts me with so many aspects of their branding. Logo, packaging, photo, and now the site. They also let me sneak one of my vivipary paintings into each shot. Art and commerce?

Heavenly Blue Shibori

These beautiful samples of shibori dyeing are from John Kubiniec of Big Rig Quilting. A client and friend, John just started his long arm quilt finishing business this spring. He was recently tapped by McCalls Patterns for their next Great Designer Competition. Visit his blog here for more of his work and details about what he does. It was fun to work on his logo and now on to his website.

Moonlight Sonata in my pocket

The place that inspired Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.

Years ago I discovered during a period of great sadness, that the color blue has a powerful uplifting effect on me. Is it because of blue skies? I have a few pieces of jewelry and clothing I wear purposefully for this reason. One is a pocket watch I emptied and put one of Paul's photos in. This photo was taken from a ferry, looking across the Balaton Lake in Hungary. The body of water that inspired Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. Taken with velvia film and Paul's handmade lens this image hasn't been adjusted in Photoshop. It came out of the camera this way. Apparently this body of water is filled with minerals, is a turquoise green during the day and is filled with some unusual fish. It's also known for plenty of thunder storms. What I love about it is the feeling of hope and moving through the storms nearby.

Moonlight Sonata in a pocket.