A Season for Soup

Happy Michaelmas (a few days late, oops)

We went for a long walk along the beach (puppy's first sand experience - funny!) and into the woods yesterday. It was a perfect day, and the perfect way to spend it. And the Michaelmas daisies were in bloom, reminding me of the festivals we had in grade school, honoring St. Michael and celebrating light and valor as the days officially become darker and shorter heading into the long winter.


One of my main reasons for loving Autumn is the return to soup - tomato based soup with barley and beans, chicken broth/ milk based soup with split peas and lentils and carrots, pureed carrot soup with ginger and cream - soup season is my all-time favorite.

I have a pot boiling away on the stove right now, and I think while I wait I will head up to the drawing board and see what happens...

Pen and Ink

"Cam in front of the American Flag" ink on paper, 2007

I like this drawing because it is ironic - to me that is. Our flag has complicated significance to me, representing all the incredible things that are the United States of America, as well as the horrors we have committed and endured. The drawing say this to me, while I imagine that to anyone else it is simply a sketch. I guess the simplest things can have extended meanings in the right circumstances.

Art Exhibit

For those of you in or around Burlington Vermont, there will be a new art exhibit opening this evening at Studio STK on North St. The artist is Andrew Reach, and he is a wonderful man with a pretty amazing story that you can read on his website. The show is called "Whimsies, Conflicts and Desires" and the artwork are large digital paintings. We hung the work yesterday, and the rooms just came alive with the colors! They are truly gorgeous.

Always running late...

I finally finished my gown, am I too late? When a girl has to go to work, and coddle her sweetheart, and walk the dog, things like ball gowns get horribly neglected.


I am making up, though, with flounces and ruffles and silk.


Perhaps it is time to break open the champagne and dance with the puppy in the moonlight! (don't worry, I know she is too young to drink).



(permission to use this dress in the Ball Book excitedly granted!)

The Bloglandia Ball

It's nearly time for the Ball and do I have a dress? of course not! It will be here this evening though, never fear!

Autumn leaves

I think that Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love Spring as well, but who doesn't like Spring who lives in a cold climate? Spring is a celebration of making it through the long Winter, Autumn has the edge of excitement and danger of knowing that Winter is just around the corner. Desperation, one could say, except that the days are just too perfect to complain about.



Part of having a puppy is getting up early and going for walks. Its a bit difficult for a chronic late-sleeper like myself to roust at the early hours, but since it is completely necessary I do it, and once I am up and out it is actually really enjoyable. This morning was perfect, a warm wind coming off the Lake and an empty park with scattered leaves blowing and dancing.



The walk was especially nice today because I could go home and back to sleep. Yay for weekends!

Neat!

Check it out - I'm the featured artist on the 1 Mile Project site - have a look! I don't know how long my piece will stay there, but if its gone and you want to see my little sketch, its permanent home is here. Funny little drawing, neat project! You can join in too by submitting a drawing (there are instructions on the site).

(this isn't my drawing - I did the funny looking birds. This is the official 1Mile.org button. Click it to learn about the project!)

Where I've been...

This has nothing to do with art. Actually, its sort of the reason no art has been happening with me lately. This is Ramona, my new puppy.


She's a pretty big girl, 51 lbs right now at 6 months.


She's very sweet, but rather a handful. I don't know that I really understood how much work a puppy is, it's been so long since I had one.


Luckily, she likes to sleep too.

Another pen sketch

Vases in a Window

My original ink drawing...


With some colors...


And a bit more color...


I call it Vases in a Window. I have decided I am a pragmatist artist. Perhaps I can start a new movement; pragmatic art. Ordinary scenes with literal titles, made and shown without any extra fluff or hoopla. Maybe by adding color I am selling out before the movement even starts? oh dear.

Dress-up

I had the evening to myself...


So I played dress-up!

[looking over these pictures, my time would perhaps have been better spent making use of the iron!]


The first piece of real person clothing I ever sewed was a Renaissance-style dress, made for the part of Audrey, the "country wench," in Shakespeare's As You Like It. After that, I fell in love with costumes, and found several ways to reuse my lace-up overdress pattern in different forms.


The chemise I wore this evening was made for my foray into 1600's style for a part in Moliere's The School for Husbands. That costume was a bit more complex, with a bum roll and steel-enforced corset.


I don't plan to wear this outfit to work tomorrow, but it was a nice way to spend an evening!

Rainy Day

Some favorite finds on this rainy day...



(spell it with flickr application lets you spell things with flickr)

Maggie Sherman spotlighted on the cover ofArt Map Burlington this month. Maggie is just amazing, so inspiring and I was excited to see her spotlight!

Painter's Keys - a website with info and advice for artists. I didn't actually just find this one today, but I hadn't posted about it before and I think it is neat.

Now I intend to make some things of my own. Results will follow...

Happy Sunday!

Another drawing

I did this drawing over the last couple days, in between visiting with an out-of-town friend, going swing-dancing, working, and trying to decide if adopting a dog is really a good idea. Decisions!

Dinner, with new eyes

I took the shucks off an ear of corn, and suddenly saw it with new eyes. The pearly rows of kernels, nearly bursting (this corn was possibly somewhat overripe), so shiny and smooth and almost irridescent. So of course I took a whole bunch of pictures. Maybe a painting? when I get inspired to paint again. And when I replenish my supply of yellow.





Happy Labor Day!

Seashore beauty

I realize that these shells are hardly rare, but for a midwestern girl they are still so special! These were picked up along a beach somewhere close to Boston, a sort of random beach along a busy road. Not the sort of beach one would choose as a destination. But I was determined to put my feet in the ocean, so I walked along (the water was cold) and found some shells. I also found a little hermit crab and a deceased other-type-of-crab. That was about all the wildlife this particular beach supported, but it was enough to satisfy me, for a while at least!

And I just love the colors of these shells, no matter if they are prized specimens or not.

Wool and what I made

I got these exciting bags in the mail a few days ago from Ewetopia Fiber Shop. Specially ordered for doll felting, I got a yellow mix for hair, a peachy skin color, a nice mix of reds, and some browns and grays. I was looking forward to these new colors, because gray is just not great for skin, although the little doll I made is pretty durned cute, if I do say so myself!



I think the little witchy hat makes the gray skin work ok.