She just likes to dance

Paul happens to be a closet puppeteer and here's his first attempt with the very enthusiastic dancing marionette Ms. Santa brought him. We haven't named her yet. Any suggestions? She was born in New HampShire, hand carved by Marie Tanya Keller and has deep roots in Eastern Europe.

Some Pretty Sparkley Things

I've been designing a catalogue for Swarovski Crystals that will be printed next week. I thought I'd share a sneak peek of some of the spreads. Model photos by the wonderful Sandy and Rick of Hornick Rivlin Photography, product photos by Ira Garber Photography, print production and design assistance by Morris DeLuzio, wardrobe styling by the fabulous Janine Maggiore, hair and makeup by the lovely Kate Mahan, my hardworking production assistant, Cody Nowell, making so much appear out of thin air and the city of Providence for being such a treasure trove of locations. I had the best time scouting for the spots we shot in and feel so lucky the owners or managers were so gracious and hospitable. I've referenced every location or business which are each worth a visit the next time you're in the area.

Top and second spread are Donna from Wilhemina at Duck and Bunny, 

Third is Donna at Heir Antiques, Fourth is Kate from Maggie at Hotel Providence,

Fifth is Margaret from Maggie on the roof of the Peerless Building and 

last is Donna again, also on the Peerless roof top.

Litany by Billy Collins

One of my favorite Billy Collins poems recited by three year old. Nice article on NPR, too. I recommend not traveling through the online comments. Makes me a little weary of the preference to judge by so many people. Someone enjoying language at any age for any reason is a joy to behold.

Go here for this one and more.

My Friend Janice Floats

Janice Kelly, a friend who combines wit, taste and charm like no one I've ever met, has just launched a wonderful business that will make you smile. She designs and installs giggley giant balloon sculptures. Dale Chihuly with a really big smirk. To see more of her designs and to contact her go here.

Happy Creepy Friday

Paul and I spent the day in NY yesterday, professional conference day for him, total day of fun for me. Beautiful sunny day, smell of leaves, soft light and the Gerhard Richter show at the Drawing Center. Had to go to NY Central Art Supply and buy paper immediately following. Today we're finishing up some photos for Mole Hollow, I'm drawing, then finishing my grandson's little gory Halloween costume. He decided to be zombie this year. Couldn't talk him out of it. I asked him a few questions about how he envisioned the costume. Could he be a cute zombie? "No" A Ronald MacDonald zombie? "Absolutely no". Let's work on the back story, then. How did you become a zombie? How did the zombies turn you into one? "Mippy all this talk about zombies is scaring me. Just make the costume, ok"? I'll finish the costume tomorrow and then hide the mirrors.

I love going to cemeteries. They are always so life affirming and make you stop and remember you're alive. Try it when you're sad or not pausing enough in life. Turns things around pretty quickly. Here are a few pics of my favorite cemetery in Paris, Pere Lachaise. Some lucky folks who nap there? Sarah Bernhardt, Gertrude Stein, Balzac, Maria Callas, Issadora Duncan, Jim Morrison but Oscar Wild wins for most kisses. Beautiful images are from Chris Turner's photo essay-

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peter Pan Would Love These

Light Bulb by Melissa Borrel

Rippled Table by Stephen Holl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shadow Chair by Chris Duffy

Art Best Performed in the Dark

I was a little afraid of the dark (okay a lot) when I was a girl. Actually, mostly the hidden aliens. Watching ten minutes of Invasion of the Pod People convinced me they were there. Under my bed. My strategy was to always face the wall letting the hall light catch any invaders in shadow as they pounced. While I waited to be eaten alive I would make shadow animals, to calm myself. Because I'm an actor always waiting for my light and had a few decades of Pod People patrol, I'm pretty good at it. Shadowgraphy, or the art of Ombromi, made famous by french entertainer, Felicien Trewey, reached it's peek around the end of the 19th century. The cause of it's demise? Mostly the household light bulb. And movies made it a lot less exciting, too. It seems like a miracle to all of us in this century. To distract yourself from the goblins this weekend you can go here and learn a few moves. This is a link to the You Tube video of unusualist, Aussie Raymond Crowe performing It's A Wonderful World.

Slice of Baby Boo, Wee-Be-Little, or Red Warty Pie

Paul and I got to produce and shoot a video recently for an ad agency in Providence, Duffy and Shanley. The asked us to create a fall feast in a 100 year old structure, Smith Barn in Peabody, MA. 50 paper lanterns hung above a thirty foot long table. For me it was one long blank canvas and I had a ball. Pumpkin and ghord shopping was at the top of my list. I visited my friends at Walker Farm stand in Tiverton and Andrew Orr in Westport. The colors, warts, grooves, bumps, and roly poly bums of these funny veggies made me grin. Here are a few examples of the beauties I brought home.

Thank you Haunted Bay for the great pumpkin and ghord education.

From the top left- Jarrahdale, We Be Little, Howden, Long Island Cheese,

Baby Boo, Cinderella, Cross-Polinated, One Too Many, Pump Ke Mon

Zucca Rotondo, Red Hubbard, and Grey Hubbard.

Poem for Monday

 A Noiseless Patient Spider

A noiseless, patient spider,
I mark'd, where, on a little promontory, it stood, isolated;
Mark'd how, to explore the vacant, vast surrounding,
It launch'd forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself;
Ever unreeling them--ever tirelessly speeding them.

And you, O my Soul, where you stand,
Surrounded, surrounded, in measureless oceans of space,
Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing,--seeking the spheres, to
connect them;
Till the bridge you will need, be form'd--till the ductile anchor
hold;
Till the gossamer thread you fling, catch somewhere, O my Soul.

-Walt Whitman

Lovely Victorian style silhouette on etsy by Mad Barking Arts

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.